the living and the dead

 we’ve all made mistakes        I know I have      nothing I can’t live with         but nonetheless regret      it doesn’t pay to linger        I try not to invest too much time        dwelling on the past        half my friends are dead        that’s how old I am          halfway dead        I should concern myself with the living      and waste no prayers on the dead        the  dead are beyond concern        which is more than I can say for myself

vagrant

 that’s my space over there      best pal       right out on the fucking ledge         a cracked bowl     in a beggars lap          diving for change        instead of pearls       specifically deselected         by unseen hands           and opted out       before I began        my days are short       but my nights are tall          and I’m too tired     to deal with it all  

I must have nodded off          at the wheel        coz I’ve come-to at an angle         forbidden by the cops          but I’m still sunny side up        you have to love it all       for surely there’s a plan       and in the kingdom come       we shall live to see         nobody pays no rent            and all the drinks are free 

3 am

 I need medicine      god’s own brand      just a taste      will ease the pressure     I’ve been breeding     tiny monsters     under my skin      too much dope      or far too little         for an accurate diagnosis        I need an exorcist         or rehabilitation       but I’ll settle for sleep       and a gentle touch      feed me words       with kind intentions       it’s 3 am        and I’m strung out       take a cab       meet me in the middle        we can weep together       till the sun comes up

blackout

 I got my shit together       just in case      my shit is required        but why should it be?      coz the hour grows late        and I grow tired      I’m a surplus being      no strings attached       all I recall      is the rudimentary      no cause for concern     we suspected this much        all along       it starts with a whimper          ends with a bang        you go on ahead         I’ll set my alarm         and wait for the blackout        and my moment of calm

zombies

 all the zombies come out at night       to shine like dismal stars      the spectacle of youth      with venom in its veins     there are children turning on tonight       who won’t see the light of day     they weigh their gear against their souls     to touch the face of god      in some minor cut rate heaven      reserved for whelps and strays       

the liquor of the poppy      as pure as mothers milk   is an instant panacea      for whatever spirits plague you     but it’s the death of inspiration       and the herald of despair     tonight the dead are dancing       to their funeral songs     it’s invitation only       a secretive affair     no-one sees their bacchanal     and no-one really cares

if I was a believer

the believers claimed the future       the forecast was dismal        expect heavy rain     and sleep deprivation        with long hours of darkness       to chasten your soul     my anonymous nights      no longer warrant names       they barely leave a ripple        on the surface of my mind      people are talking about armageddon       if that’s what rocks your boat      it’s no concern of mine      I’m not chained to that logic    or the prophesy behind   

if I was a believer      I’d pray along beside you     I’d drop you in the jordan      to wash away your sins     and open up your eyes     if I was a believer       I’d tell you not to worry      I’d tell you love is eternal       and no one who has seen the light         ever really dies     but I’m no believer      so don’t hold that against me       I only hit up god       when I’m feeling troubled         and everyone feels troubled sometimes

 

 

 

 

all that lingers on

 under branch and bough       buried in dead leaves     the corpse of summer rotting      beneath the mystery       the earth cries out your name     but you cannot hear     because you have long since gone       the waning sun casts no warmth        your winter coat is covered in frost        but you yourself moved on     beyond the sea of troubles          and all that lingers on       are the memories       and the songs

forever in eternity

 we were both so young       sleek   polished   urchins       who laughed and ran     carefree     and we were high     so high    higher than we ought to be       but we didn’t know  the way     not then      not now       not ever     

there were choking signs      flushed        and filled with vomit     you were drained of life       and the treasures         you were promised       I could do a number now     but that would be dishonest

a mother’s tears don’t dry       and they will not wash us clean      there is no end to pain       or the filth that we were born to      it makes no sense to say    that  I still feel the shame today    forever     in eternity