Gold Miners

 they were old timers

they were gold miners

following another get rich scheme

packing up and heading west

doing what they thought was best

hoping to fulfill their wealthy dream

gold fever deep within the vein

sadly turning out the same

out of money they gave up their plan

going bust, they just stopped tryin'

left behind their rusty iron

leaving ugly scars upon the land

they were web designers

modern day forty-niners

mining from the corner office suite

checking fluctuating prices

trading crypto from devices

from towers made of steel and concrete

unlike the folks in forty-nine

they take risks of a different kind

livin' large in the land of milk and honey 

but as the clients lose their trust

the modern prospectors go bust

but they're losing other peoples' money 

Promises (Rondel)

 

making promises she can’t keep

she still hears voices in her head

echoing all the things she said

she’s given up on counting sheep

 

tells herself lies to help her sleep

with all those self-help books she’s read

making promises she can’t keep

she still hears voices in her head

 

depressing thoughts are running deep

she makes a different choice instead

some medication by the bed

as softly she begins to weep  

making promises she can’t keep

Carbon and Dust

 

we speak of life, of love, of lust 

we talk of loyalty and trust

of all the things that we discussed

we still end up carbon and dust

 

although we change, adapt, adjust

we shine the chrome, we scrape the rust

it’s so unfair, it’s so unjust

we still end up carbon and dust

 

we strive to do what’s right and just

we aim to do those things we must

and through life’s changes readjust

and still end up carbon and dust

 

we feel the wind, withstand the gust

we use its strength to give us thrust

to live a life that’s more robust

but still end up carbon and dust

Mixed Signals

 

more routine traffic stops

by aggressive, local cops

wrong time, wrong place

wrong color, wrong race

 “Get out of the car”

 “Stay right where you are”

 “Get down, Turn around”

“Place your hands upon the ground”

 “Keep your hands on the wheel”

“Put your hands on your head”  

and she reached for her tazor

but grabbed her gun instead  

“Tazor, tazor, tazor”

she yelled before she shot

a muzzle flash, a bullet passed

right through the victims heart

20 Below (Hutain)

 

gusts of wind begin to blow

eerily the trees are creaking

swirling, twirling powdered snow

I can hear the branches squeaking

trying to keep the heat from leaking

I place a blanket by the door

on the window frost is sneaking

we listen to the furnace roar

The People’s House (Triolet)

 

the people’s house is made of stone

a symbol of democracy

but now the seeds of hate are sown

the people’s house is made of stone

in places where these seeds have grown

we view total hypocrisy

the people’s house is made of stone

a symbol of democracy

Recovering Optimist

 

I view the world through rose colored glasses

rose colored drug dealers

rose colored racists

rose colored pedophiles

rose colored homophobes

rose colored murderers  

 

I see the glass as half full

half full of toxic drinking water

half full of radioactive isotopes

half full of lethal particles

half full of heavy metal molecules

half full of shit

 

I always look on the sunny side  

with blistering sunburn  

without sunscreen

and no sunglasses

as global temperatures rise

and the polar icecaps melt

Tires On Gravel

 

driving the back roads

tires on gravel

crackling of pebbles

under the wheels

an occasional car

from the other direction

we wave to each other

 it’s an unwritten rule

no one’s in a hurry

or they’d be on the main roads

windows rolled down

dog’s ears flapping in the breeze

 we keep on driving

through the dusty wake

until there’s nothing but clean air

and the crackling of pebbles

from tires on gravel

Uvalde (Villanelle)

 

nineteen innocent children died

as a young girl dials nine-one-one

good guys with guns waited outside

 

they scrambled for a place to hide

 nowhere to go, nowhere to run

nineteen innocent children died

 

with two brave teachers by their side

expecting help but there was none

good guys with guns waited outside

 

many young lives have been denied

from bullets fired from a gun

nineteen innocent children died

 

before the blood had even dried

someone’s daughter or someone’s son

good guys with guns waited outside

 

authorities already lied

but soon their lies would come undone

nineteen innocent children died

good guys with guns waited outside