The Poetry Marathon

I was 8 blocks from my camp site
Then surrounded by sirens and flashing lights
Another DWB, driving while black violation
Unholstered guns pointed my direction
Flash lights beaming in my eyes
Cause to search my car based on lies

I got burned at my first Burning Man

Pulled out my car so that they could tear it apart
Against a truck with a rapidly beating heart
Belongings spread out across playa sand
Then I found myself with cuffed hands
I had left passengers at willcall
Somethings in their bags lead to my fall
I was placed in the back of a cruiser
Riding across the desert fearing for my future

I got burned at my first Burning Man

For a crime that wasn’t mine taken to jail
Facing 60 years in prison and 555,000 bail
Cleared my life savings to clear my name
Breathed freedom after a month caged
Most of the charges weren’t even real
Now so I can’t sue they are offering a bum deal

I got burned at my first Burning Man

Dogs
Joy
Water
Pavement
Sunshine

Warm wet muzzle meeting me in the mornings making me open my eyes to find a kind inquiring pair starring back at me. A wagging tale dances back and forth as his mission of waking me is completed
It’s time to play time to get the day started
After a brief head rub he darts back and forth across the room as if to tell me I’m late for some great adventure
As I rub my eyes I can hear loud laps of the water bowl as long streams of drool dangle from powerful jaws that never do anything more dangerous than smile
Unless you are that squeaky toy
Then you must be destroyed at all cost
Until all of the stringy white stuffing has been spread across the floor.
But for now he’s mainly concerned with going outdoors snd hitting the pavement
His proud prance head either high up cockily showing off his beauty
Or head sniffing the ground as ptty pat sounds are made when his nails and paws tap dance under the sunshine to a tune being kept in time with his tale.
My sweet boy
My four legged bundle of joy.

1. Her voice is remembered like a gospel song
   Or a book of proverbs and psalms
   Wise words to be a balm against hard times and hearts hardened
   Teaching how to love neighbors and give pardons to others that have been condemned
   To light fires to lights once dimmed by dark days
   To rejoice with gratitude even if the current situation seems bleak
   To master mercy for the outkast and the weak
   To in all things love and wisdom seek
   And to always get a full understanding
   Her voice was quite demanding that we acted as our brothers keeper
   Keepers of faith so that fear would hold no space in our hearts
   Because doubt is the devil and the devil is a lie
   And she demanded that we live in truth
   Her truth was feeding the hungry and housing the youth
   As a child she taught me to treat everyone as an angel even if they behaved like demons
   That anyone can be converted to love once you put the seed in
   I am her blood, so her philosophy bleeds out of all of my pores
   So I continue her example of being a champion for the oppressed and poor
   Continuing the fight as a soldier of God in this eternal holy war.

In the beginning was the word. Let’s begin again!