They’ve been friends
For the longest time
And are enjoying a fun
Day in nature,
Climbing around
On the rocks,
Laughing, joking,
Sharing stories,
The comfortable ease
Of familiarity.
She loses her balance
And falls, her landing
Reverberating disturbingly.
He comes to her aid.
Unable to touch her,
Or show her how much
He cares, he utters
Awkward words of dubious
Reassurance, “At least
You’re alive!”
This was to be the day.
He’s never wanted
For anything in his
Life, has always had
Access to all parts
Of society and
Every opportunity,
Invariably invited
Into all the clubs,
His name appearing
On each guest list
For a bite of the pie,
Or more accurately,
The whole thing.
He feels great about
His current status and
Screams bloody murder
When anyone is given
The chance to enter
His rarefied echelon
Unearned, unappreciated.
Behind a stern moustache he was
Afraid of rainbows. They destroyed
The natural order of imposed
Dominance and rigid structure.
A sneer dismisses all vestiges of
Hope and fancy as a child laying
On his back, admiring clouds on a
Balmy day and jabbing a fork in his
Forearm to displace enjoyment.
Stop the fun, halt the relish,
Live where dreams go to die,
An unreturned greeting.
Sitting in the park,
He watches her climb
On a rock, the way she
Looks over to make sure
He’s watching, a flitting
Bird enjoying a sunny
Afternoon, he nods his
Approval, mind straying
To the many times he heard
The gavel come down
Informing him that he
Was not fit to care for her,
The same thing that had
Happened with her mother,
The specter of foster care
Looming over the scene,
Ready to take her into
It’s impersonal arms and
Away from everything
She knows, now but a memory
That never quite goes away.
Suburban cul-de-sac
Festooned with oversized toys,
An obscene adult sandbox
Flaunted by unrepentant consumers.
Overstuffed couch from the
Regional chain supports
Contented chip-shoveling girth.
Screaming offspring omnipresent,
Not a moment’s rest for the
Weary amidst family pandemonium.
Overfed, welcomes overstayed,
Another meat chunk on the grill
Complementing the seven in the belly.
Bawdy, obvious observations issue from
Large, reckless mouths, unpolished,
Unconcerned. A mortgage the
Admission to complete disregard for
Human life and civilization.
Entangled in a battle of words,
Each straining to gain the
Upper hand, everything and
Nothing at stake, mercilessly
Thrusting, gouging, flailing,
Writhing to gain advantage,
Position, supremacy.
A clash with no winners,
One perishes, the other
Hobbles away to dispatch
Another day. Unthinking,
Uncaring, a feral organism
Protecting its young, twisted
Mouth, livid eye, interlude.
He arrived at the station,
Baggage in hand,
Destination awaiting.
You can’t treat people with
Kindness, they’ll take
Advantage of you.
You can’t trust others,
They’ll betray you as
Soon as they can.
You can’t talk to certain
People, they don’t understand
The truth.
You can’t change the world
Unless you believe
It can be done.
When they feel
Empty inside
They urgently try to
Fill the hole,
Satisfy the cravings,
Find meaning anywhere,
Still the noise,
Buttress inner atrophy.
An unforgiving parasite
Sucking the hope out of
All who approach.
Hidden deep inside,
Plainly manifest.
At some point
His eyes glaze over
And any emotions
He once had inside
Become a vague,
Unspecified numbness.
The ensuing atrophy of
Empathy, joy, love,
Inexorably congeals
Into a lifeless,
Paralyzed mass of
Stark insensitivity.
He plods through the
Remainder of his life,
Smearing his disease
On others, leaving
Behind a legacy of
Unhealed wounds.
