The Poetry Marathon

What is to become of this mad old world?
This madness driven by an ancient dream
Someone once had about a great country
Once known as America.

The myth of freedom.
The lie of bravery
Laid bare in propaganda news.

With nothing left to fight for
We fight for war.
And peace, the carrot.

The empty plastic carrot
Filled with mustard gas
Blanket of our aggression.

Not my aggression.
Not me. Not we, the people.
The crazy, lazy people.

We believe “My country ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,”
As our resources are siphoned
By warmonger thieves of Democracy.

Our hearts broken in acceptance
Of corruption and debauchery.
Our minds terrified of the inevitable
War on our own shores.

A war of retribution
Borne of indecency
Fed with fiscal lust.

This ill sent legacy
To our children
Carries no great pride.

It would appear
Democracy has died.

Japanese Beetle, you buzz my head as if to say “Ha! Farmer! Your organic concoction cannot kill me! I shall eat your figs and gnaw upon your melons! I shall flay your squash like an armored green warrior upon soft sand. Watch in awe as my iridescent green wings escape into the sun.” I cannot deny your beauty, Beetle, nor your sharp jaws as they ransack my village of beans. Had I but a sling and arrow, I would pierce your armor with a toothpick! But you out fly and outrun me, you gorgeous pest!

Hot Cinnamon Spray,
Bear thee to a beetle’s heart,
Venom of the wasp!

Function FindLove (Byval GoodMan as Characters, FunnyMan as Characters)
Dim Ex as Absent, Ex2 as Dysfunctional, Ex3 as Snake

Set Ex = Still Unforgiven
Do Until Ex = Forgiven
Remember
He’s a jerk
Move on
Loop

Set Ex2 = Duplicitous
For each Ex2 in GoodMan
Kiss and say goodbye
Next Ex2

Set Ex3 = Dangerous
With Funnyman(Ex3)
Do Nothing
End With

Select Case GoodMan + FunnyMan

Case Married = True
Do until Married = False
“No, thank you.”
Loop

Case Lives With Her = True
Go to Case Married = True

Case Single and Attractive = True
Do until Committed = True
“Let’s take our time with this.”
Loop
If Long Distance Romance = True then
Check Marital Status
End if

Case Unemployed = True
Be patient
Stay friends
Listen
No, seriously, listen carefully
If Long Distance Romance = True Then
Check Marital Status
End If

Case Long Distance Romance = True
Go to Case Unemployed = True

Case Imaginary = True
Go out more often.

End Select

End Function

There was a man in Acapulco,
Where the waves wash as high as the mountains.
And in the wet wind of June,
My foolish old heart wanted to kiss him.

His echo swirled around me like chocolate,
When his hand took mine, helping me
In and out, on and off.
Our words not saying what they meant.

Late one evening, against a cold wall
The truth escaped his lips.
Two girls and a boy. And a wife.
Just a car, a man, and my imagination.

I stood before Darkness
As a light from God.
The God everyone knows.
Yes, that God.

I stood there,
A talkative child
Eager to share
His love.

But Darkness was empty.
A bush full of thorns
And thoughts of evil things.

Yes, Darkness is as Darkness does.

I forget where I was
The day fascism was born
In America

Older than me,
Of that I am sure,
But I was somewhere.
Somewhere pure.

I forget where I was
The day fascism walked
In America.

I was a babe
In the woods, not born.
Not yet, anyway.
Somewhere far away.

I forget where I was
The day fascism first spoke
Into my ear.

I was a girl
Naked, not afraid.
On God’s mission
For America.

I know where I was
The day fascism won
In America.

I was a woman
Asleep, but not dead.
Blasted awake
By a fake, yes, a fake.

And now here I am
I hear it’s last breath
I see it falling, falling, falling.
Wheeled and propped.
Armed and steadied,
As it dies a slow death
In America.

We, the people, woke up.

Hours spent sleepless at 3 am
Usually 3 am
Sometimes 3:33 – a scary time
One in which the ghosts come out!

Demons infiltrate my every thought
Whipping me to shreds with their anguish
Over my imperfections

What needs to be done
Did I do it right?
Did I say it wrong?

What is he thinking of me?
Is he thinking of me?
Am I too fat?

I forgot to buy breath mints.
Speaking of which, I need to make an appointment
with a dentist.
Get my teeth cleaned.

When will I have time?
Can’t do it this week.
I need those 40 hours to pay the rent.

Next week, maybe. Or the next.
I could skip grocery shopping
Eat beans and rice this week.

That always makes me fart.
I hate farting.
I wonder if when I farted
At work the other day.

Did he smell it?
God, I hope not.
Is that why he hasn’t called?
Probably.

I probably just stink
He doesn’t like me.
Or he just wanted sex.
That was it.

God, I’m so stupid!
Why do I get so turned on by these…
These… These… MEN!

Sometimes I wish I could be a lesbian.
What would that be like? hmmm….
No, I don’t think so. Nope. Not for me.

I like big strong arms and a big…
Damn him! Why hasn’t he called?

I wonder if he’s with someone else tonight.
I’ll bet he’s with Susan.
She’s always smiling at him.

What does she have that I don’t have?
Money? Connections?
Better breath?

Maybe I should call him.
What time is it?
I have to be up in two hours.

I could call in sick.
Nope. Can’t.
Gotta pay the rent next week.

What is it about counting sheep
That makes people go to sleep?
I could count sheep. 1, 2, 3, 4.

That commercial with the sheep
Is so cute! What product is that?
I’ve forgotten. What was it?

I need to buy more melatonin.
Maybe I should try valerian.
Kim said valerian works best for her.

I’m up to five melatonin a night.
What’s that, like 15 mg?
I wonder if you can overdose on melatonin.

Sleep, to sleep, perchance to dream.
Sometimes I wish I were a guy
Just so I could play Hamlet in Hamlet.

I wonder if I’d be gay.
I wonder if I’m really a gay man in a woman’s body.
That makes sense, really.

I like men.
I like doing manly stuff.
I have a man’s job.

But they don’t pay me like a man,
That’s for sure.
I need a raise!

I should ask for a raise
This week.
Maybe if I brought in my dildo,
They’d see that I have everything
Any man has.

Make sure it’s clean. Ha!
I wonder if he’d get jealous of my dildo.
Maybe I should bring it… nah.

Speaking of which,
I really need to do the dishes
Tonight!

Why don’t I have time for anything?
What time is it?
Damn!

I have to be up in an hour.
I should just go on and get up.
Up, Up, Up.

Nope.
Lay back down with me.

Wait, where’s that piece of paper
With the Sanskrit thing on it
That Dani gave me at yoga.

Did I put it in my wallet?
I wonder if that works.
What was it? Om something.

Maybe if I just say Om in my mind
Maybe I can finally go to sleep.
Worth a try, I guess…

Om, om, om, om, what was it that
Om, om, om, I wonder what it means
Om, om, om, om, I , Om, can’t quit thinking
Om, Om, Om, Om, ommmmmmmmmmm

I slept.
I never do without it.
Up for an hour to finish

But I slept.
My old mind.
My old body

Cannot
Not
Sleep!

Not just to dream
Sometimes I wish I didn’t

Sometimes just to lay still
And heal.

I sleep.
I never go without it.

And so, and so, and so…

Goodnight again, my friends.
Sweet dreams.

I must doubt
That I can lose
This weight.

To live without
A sip of booze
Then wait.

And wait, and wait, and wait
For the scales to tip
And salt to not best me.

It’s maddening.

I must doubt
That I have time
To try

To be about
The need to climb
So high.

It’s saddening.

I must doubt
I have the will
To be

Someone with clout
And thinner still
Than me.

Too gladdening.

I don’t love you, idiot!
And I wish you would
Stop!

Just stop!

I know what you want.
So leave me alone.
Your face disgusts me.

What is it about your culture
That leads you to believe
A woman my age
Might want to get plucked
By a young man
In need of a green card?