Daily Archives: February 12, 2014

Acorn

In the little bar
where I fall
out of my shell
after hard days

I have met
angry shades
of my ancestors
many times

I would not say 
these are reunions
with loved ones 
who have passed

as I never knew them
in life and they seem
suspicious
when they see me

and further
I would not call 
the reception they give me
a welcome as they

give me their backs
until near the end
of the night when
after last call

they shuffle past the table
where I’m rolling my head
and shouting at the bouncer
As they reach the door

one will inevitably
turn back and speak of acorns
not falling far enough
away from the tree


Toward A Critical Analysis Of Crossroads

He scolded me
for using what he called a cliche.
He scolded me
for reinforcing a fear
of the dark of the moon.
He scolded me
for accepting that a Devil
offers deals at a crossroads.
He scolded me
for not including the harder Deal
that Jesus offers,

and I replied

that we shouldn’t lie about
cliches
that are
both trite
and true.

We all know a crossroads
where the Devil can be found.
Those spaces
only exist
under a dark moon,

and if Jesus
tries to set up
there
where roads meet
he has to know
that at such a crossroads
he will always be
second in line:

“Wait your turn,
man-God,
wait your turn.
Out of all places
this is the one
that will never be
securely yours.”

After I was done
I waited for a reply
but all I could see
was him shrinking from view
as he walked back down
the road he’d taken
to get here.