Cheap
I surfaced the other day
coming up for air and
rubbing shoulders in culture
discovering what I never
saw before too close to the
forest and not isolated
getting enough solitude to
see life has become so cheap
attention goes for nothing
like seconds that never come
back just keep ticking away
I think it was during football
with each turnover time out
commercial break where we
spend our attention without
anger rising being directed
to all the ways some parting
with money will bring
happiness ask your doctor if
it’s right for you so you can
walk in total serenity surrounded
by lovers and family in your old
age driving a perfect high tech
car on empty city streets or
mountain passes through snow
bringing Christmas to the warm
light and happy people within
a remote cabin
***
Token
what if becoming needs a token to get
on the bus something from the
imagination external thing with magical
powers magical thinking this one thing
while it is in your possession gives you
super powers or something short
something to which to aspire by jiminy
cricket a feather enabling an elephant
with big ears to fly until he lost it but
that was after he already knew he could
awaken Jesus he was a handsome man
maybe even Jesus to a degree saying
this person is now educated who has
demonstrated to our satisfaction the
ability to learn something to hold in
your trunk when you apply for jobs or
imagine making or doing things on your
own finding your niche market audience
becoming something closer to your
ultimate destiny taking one small step
for man at a time on a long and winding
road until you realize you have everything
you need already thank god or not could
be a token all you need is found inside
imagination and I am tempted to cry out
no my savior spirit invisible friend muse
don’t leave me sitting here on the banks
of the river all alone unless I don’t need
no stinking token
***
Paper Moon
all the world’s a stage
with omnipresent cell phones
whatever you do doesn’t count
until you take the picture
or make the video and post it
to your friends who become your audience
to the extent they are interested
parents are becoming directors
and kids poseurs
and then they switch
OK I’ll be the parent now
of course we have known all along
that we wear masks to get through the day
and invent our roles as we go along
largely catering to what our audience expects
but when the affable salutatorian
lifeguard back from his first
year of college hangs himself
in the basement which mask
does the audience expect
I know I know life goes on
it’s only a paper moon
hanging over a cardboard sea
the level of which keeps rising
but what if it were real
and people knew
who they were in their
heart of hearts
or at least who they want to be
and tried to find out who’s hurting
and wears his mask ironically
***
Stranger and Sojourner
so then Uncle Remus you
are no longer a stranger and
sojourner but you are a fellow
citizen with the holy ones and
a member of the household of
god zipity doo dah my o my
what a wonderful day honored
guest at my master’s table in
the manse it is not a story that
works as the sinner is the
enslaver and the holy one is
Uncle Remus who succeeded
in the pursuit of happiness
gaining entrance to the kingdom
of heaven it is he who gets to
welcome him who was once
the sinner enslaver master
saying you are no longer a
stranger and sojourner but a
fellow citizen with the holy
ones and a member of the
household of god which is
what needs to happen the
cosmic reality of the situation
the upside down way of
the creator a story Disney
could not imagine or would
not want to tell that the whole
system is evil
***
Mixed Bleed
I surfaced for the holidays spending
them in shallow places ready for a
deep dive but no one was interested
pleased however to note the diversity
of the happy families depicted in TV
ads wondering marveling even that
capitalism seems to be pummeling
white supremacist sensibilities with
happy mixed bleed couples if not
totally black
