Explosion

"Oh yes,"
says the news,
"there has been another explosion.
These are the dead,
this is the killer,
and here's who to blame."
but many other evils make no sound.

Loneliness Kills the Human

Long ago, in the depths of space 

lived a strange little people called the human race. 

They wore bags on their bodies, mud on their face, 

and their quest for companions was a constant chase.

Out past planets, past asteroids and stars, 

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." 

This was their plea, sent out near and far 

sprawling out even towards the Republic of Agbar. 

We heard them first, for we're on the way, 

and that is why we sent on that day, 

"Stop sending messages lest you be slayed 

for dangers are great beyond the milky-way". 

Instead of fear, their excitement grew, 

and instead of one message they sent out two. 

They kept sending more, as much as they could do, 

until Earth was a planet the whole universe knew. 

Within one day, the Earth was no more. 

The planet had been stripped to its very core. 

The Agbarians thought humans were quite a bore, 

but any civilization is a threat in war. 

With the Earth they made guns and wallets and shoes. 

They made soap and batteries and three types of glue. 

Then they sent out a message far out past Baloose. 

"If you mock the Agbarians, you will certainly lose."

The Dreamers Weep

In the South the kudzu slowly creeps

up north to where the pine trees sleep. 

It tangles its roots down in the deep. 

and covers the trees in a silent sweep. 

It lives by a farm with many sheep, 

whose luscious wool the farmer reaps. 

They don't know the world beyond the street 

as they give up their coat to earn their keep. 

Beyond the street a chickadee cheeps 

it hops around with little leaps. 

Its nest is made of many leaves

and pieces of plastic from a garbage heap. 

Even the people cannot sleep 

they have no home beneath their feet. 

And when they ask me on the street, 

I say, "I've got no change, you cannot eat." 

The dreamers weep.

Evolution

My aunt Beth had a man once
who we only saw twice
who had a big smile,
a daughter,
and a heroin addiction.

Aunt Beth was in love
and she and the man
made three more children.
One is fourteen and cannot speak,
perhaps on account of the drugs.

Aunt Beth was sad
because the man was gone
most of the time
doing god knows what
and she had three children all to herself.

Aunt Beth has got a lot of ancestors
way back to protozoa
and some other weird shit
we don't know about
that may never be discovered.

Aunt Beth's ancestors passed down their traits
a stomach
a brain
a reproductive system
the capacity to love.

Aunt Beth is sometimes so sad
that she regrets a lot of things,
and she doesn't remember to eat.
Sometimes she does not
want to be alive.

Aunt Beth is not the fittest
of all
but she survived long enough,
at least,
to pass on the pain.

Doormat

I am a doormat.
Please stand on me.
Wipe your feet.
Take me outside to the porch
where you
sit with a beer
in silence
far enough to not hear any crying
that whiny bitch
is always complaining about how dirty I am
and this time she pissed you off enough
that you really brought a broom
to beat me with.

How High?

If time is measured by
the progress of existence
as it exists on our planet,
observed at a distance of 6,371 kilometers from its center

how high do I need to get
in order for
time
to stop?

Limericks

There once was a girl named Sue,
Who never knew just what to do,
So she sat on her ass,
And she felt very crass,
And now she is seventy-two.

There once was a teacher named Jane,
Who felt that her life was a pain.
So she never tried hard
And her teaching was marred
And her students are now all insane.

There once was a bat named Fry
Who never quite learned how to fly
So he got on the bus
And caused quite a fuss
And he's lucky that he didn't die.

There once was a poet named Vlad,
Who denied that his poems were bad,
So he set out to publish,
But his stuff was pure rubbish
And the rejections did make him quite sad.