Light Blues

I was waiting for a light

T’keep me comp’ny for the night.

Heard a whisper 

from a corner

and it made me feel alright.

I was shooting for the stars

They said I wouldn’t get too far.

They can’t see me

standing lonely

on the cold red dirt of mars.

He was waiting in the wings

Ready with a diamond ring.

Should’ve known that

life’s a Cadillac

that’s too filled up with things.

The party started in the storm

They were trying to keep warm.

Took my jacket

cigarette packet

Got lost trying to get home.

Told my story to a girl

With brown eyes and pretty curls.

She found it funny

and said "honey-

You are still young for this world."

I was waiting for a light

T’keep me comp’ny for the night.

Heard a whisper 

from a corner

So I finally slept alright.

The Starry Night
Vincent Van Gogh

Simple rhymes for the early 21st century

too many lives

too many lives

too many lives

a technical glitch.

too many loves

too many loves

too many loves

lost to the abyss.

the world  

divided between

those who do

crosswords

and 

those playing

"you're it".

let me forget

let me forget

let me forget

I can't pay the rent.

let me regret

let me regret

let me regret

this life I've spent.

the hair

dissolves between

curls in 

bleach

and

curls left

unkempt.

won't you begin

won't you begin

won't you begin

a solemn preach.

then put us in

then put us in 

then put us in

bars that won't breach. 

The mouth

twists between

a gape of

hunger

and

a gape of a

screech.

open us now

open us now

open us now

we need protection.

close it up now

close it up now

close it up now

we breed infection.

the house

cracks between

concrete of

walls

and

concrete of

foundation.

Associated Press
https://www.indiatvnews.com/fyi/lockdown-4-0-guidelines-30-districts-to-see-stricter-guidelines-after-may-17-617927

Waiting

The heat has caught on
but for now
we found a roof
that casts a long shadow.

The day beats on
pulsing out from
concrete and tar
without us.
Cracks
of roof and skin
expand and
retract-
conscious
of sweat
that tries to save us.

A lizard slips inside
panting.
It's fat with the mosquitoes
who sat on our sweat
to draw undried blood.
We are blood brothers now-
together we wait,
as our eyes
follow each other
suspiciously.

Time had stopped so

many times for us
we had to look away.
It knows,
we do not wait for it,
we wait for shade.

But the shadow would not
wait-
even as we moved at its every whim-
it is in too much of a hurry
to follow the sun.

So sweat mingles
with sweat mingles
with sweat,
As the umbra shrinks
us to a corner.

Now the shadow
turns its back on us,
our brother has
abandoned us.

Time stops,
and clicks its tongue.
We search again
shading our eyes from
the sun
that has months
before it sets.

The Persistence of Memory
Salvador Dali