1. Thanx
thank you for not
trying to do this all by yourself
hold the fort for a few minutes
you got it
I never claimed to be good at it
but that’s the way I would have it
2. All We Did
all we did was tear down
a sick structure
rupturing a twisted treatise of creation
shunned somethin’
and that’s all we did
3. Just Talkin
we’re not actually doing this, yeah?
we’re just talking
yeah, just talking
put it in the rearview mirror and
poof
4. The Only Thing Better Than Getting What You Want
if I choose to believe in faith
then I am lost
the only thing better than getting what you want
is being right where you ought
to be
5. How To Open Doors With A Smile
sometimes I truly consider that I am where I am on smiles alone
and then immediately afterwards
upon knowing myself
I realize this might not be such a bad thing
6. North Georgia Canpony Tours
5 star review for the place
I got to zip thru the trees
oh the smells
5 star review for my date
different kind of zipping
different kind of smells
same similar sort of moment
when you realize the fleeting & forever beauty
of Georgia girls & Georgia trees
7. Sneakers Around
around when I was 22ish, I used to laugh with my roommates about how we knew we were going on a lot of dates based on how many different girls’ shoes there’d be on the front door foyer at any given moment. it stands out as actually pretty funny in my memory although I’m not certain why. my girlfriend around the time when I was 22ish slept with a bunch of other guys while we were dating. So I didn’t laugh at sneakers around as much anymore since then.
8. The Children We Were
its hard to remember
you became such an asshole
say greatbye to the past
never look back
pop a rubber band on my future
I’m free at last
with only ambition &
time left
to prove me
right
9. Moneymoon
some folks meet the love of their life
nurture that path the right
way and all that
some folks; only to walk hand & hand in passion
with purpose; a fistful of dollars
or both
10. Going Solo
letters home from
summer cramps
hello? Mayday!
hello, payday!
strike a match to
light some lamps
if you try to tag trends
you’ll never be it
but you best get set
for playing
alone
11. Biographies Entertain Nobody
I am the cause of several near accidents
and the reason for a definite few
I am the jaws of what you find blasphemous
yet I always manage to come through
Bronx cheer me, if you want
I’ll be backing traffic up
for milessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
12. No More Than An Anxious Distraction
I keep coming back
to the same acid reflux; coffee breath
coffee black, half cooked oatmeal
steel cut routine
it just doesn’t set the same
when yesterday, a groove was formed
but you’re in a whole different place
today
if you are a creator, create
if you are a person, pursue
it takes a million bland routines
to find what works for you
and then all of a sudden;
it doesn’t
and reflection becomes
no more
than an anxious
distraction
13. Spring in ATL
Kendrick thru the KRKs
bumpin’
all sorts of pink, all sorts of greens
all sorts of greens
Spring in the A
the city too bumpin’ to hate
dogwood smell salivating through the sweat in the air
natural light beams from the sky and flows thru our blood
creativity sugary sweet like a glass bottle of classic
peanuts optional
nothing can stop someone who has already been stopped
just doesn’t make any sense
so
to any amount of anguish
to being beaten when we deserve it & when we don’t
we will answer with Kendrick thru the KRKs
we will answer with spring
in the
a
t
l
14. Be Still, Be Steel
be still, be steel
stay true, stay real
take a spark into a taste you look forward to
every day
stay solid-focused
firm-willed
expanding expanding
expanding expansive
solid-state balance
come from somewhere, go anywhere, grow everywhere
stay solid
be still, be steel
stay true
deal?
15. I Am Full of Sheet
I am emotionally as deep as
a cookie sheet
baked, once
chocolatey with bits of tin foil
peeling off in a plethora
of perfect pieces
I am with purpose
an above-ground pool in the late haze of denouement summer
strawberritas on ice
floating from fear and sinking in strength
this world was made by better men than me
this world was made for worse folks than I could ever be
so, I, somewhere
in between
at 375 degrees
remain emotionally as deep
as a cookie sheet
16. Orange You Glad You Aren’t a Banana
it’s that something like
pouring the perfect portion of milk
on cereal to where it’s just too damn right
for vegans; its something else
everybody feels that something
from time to time
I’m trying to stay put there
17. Controversial Poops
the domino effect of human rebounding;
its unfair to everybody
everywhere
and it can spoil the smell & texture of gorgeous
fading memory
feeding turtles in the arboretum
“should’ve done this”
“why can’t anybody be somebody else”
“let’s go eat Indian food”
I’m always sorry for who I’ve been and some days I carry it with me more than others
its all a bunch of controversial feelings
and I’m hoping it all cleans up one day neatly
yet
it seems that I remember less & less of you
and more & more the lingering smell of poop
18. Edgar Allan Coe
they told me this was the perfect music of madness
I sent to them a parchment saying
it was not
because they hadn’t spoke a word about unrequited love
nor ravens, nor disease, no malice,
nor gettin’ drunk
nor trains
19. Pineapple Pizza Kind Of Love
its that sometimes the things that are screwed up about us
bring us together
I don’t know how to answer if I know what love is
but I have tasted pineapple on pizza many times
20. All That Shit is Fine Until One Day When It’s Not
wake up to get down
coffee, whiskey, books (sometimes)
ESPN first take (usually)
Lebron James Lebron James
oatmeal and eggs
vegetarian college dropout
who slays the bass and not much else
mindless exercise (5k every day)
hate my band (thieves and they know)
3 consecutive girlfriends (all hated me)
friends telling me I’ll never make it (I believed them)
like a hamster on a wheel but ya know
I’m a fucking human person
2012 splattered my soul like a glock
and all that shit is fine
until one day when it’s not
21. What Would You Do If You Weren’t Scared?
I’d believe in myself
and just stay there
22. To Let Yourself Loose Within The Wilds of Wikipedia
take it all day by day
keystroke by keystone
the acquisition of knowledge
can be so empowering
it can be so relaxing so chill
to let yourself loose within the wilds of wikipedia;
just scratches there surface of what it
means to run stride for stride
with a thought
23. Leaping
leaping seraphically over satellites
i read your words and it builds a world
none of this has ever happened before
in so many ways
in so many words
in so few places, i’ve been insofar inspired
typically, usually, most-of-the-time
there is nothing i’ve desired
as to read your words
and build our world
leaping elysian over satellites
towards only
paradise
24. Escape
I will escape from you
from that which is deemed truth
from the nuances of jargon
to the spontaneity of youth
I will escape from it
from that which you commit
from the current collapsing dogma
I scoff and I quit
I will escape from me
from that which you’ve caused to believe
from having no way in who I am
towards becoming much more of that whom I cam
eventually
I will escape to wherever I
decide
to go
25. Apartment Numbers
all of these places are exactly the same
hit the phone button, dial someone’s number
driving lanes are far too narrow on the inside
cars far too nice for such a cheap pad
I guess its what is on the inside that counts?
all these numbers blur together after the years
135, 1818, 1954, 2720, 903, 252
all these years blur together after the beers
1989, 2010, 1776, 1845, 252
all these beers blur together after my fears
of which there is only one:
reading number after number after number after number
until there are no numbers left
all of these places are exactly the same
but you know what?
(even if more often than not, I don’t care to see it)
different people live inside
26. Does Anyone Still Wait
does anyone still wait
for anything?
I can distinctly remember waiting for phone calls
life stopped for whatever I wanted it to
I just simply had to be simple
and that simply had to wait
I remember waiting for inspiration to come
and then she did
and then I remember waiting for her to return
for years and years and years
eventually I stopped waiting
and I was sure that she would never visit again
27. Wherever You Are
wherever you are my dear
I will be there
wherever you are is dear to me
your symphony of touch is a mechanism towards belief
the generosities of your smile eradicate grief
wherever you are
I won’t be far
no matter how bizarre our future or past
I’ll be around to help pull us through
like a most startling reflection in the deepest pool
you would hardly recognize
and then immediately come to see
together
what we can achieve will make us complete
together
wherever you are my dear
I will be there
28. Snowpacalypse Etude 1 in Frexinet major
if it snows again in Georgia
I’ll be the first one towards your door
I won’t mind the 7.4 mile walk
up peachtree street
no fruit in any place is close to as sweet
and nobody
nothing
is juicier
ice falls
as lovers do
it isolates travelers; eschews them to confront brutal frozen truths
the last 100 snow angels I made hardly resembled you at all
but I didn’t expect it to snow twice this year either
so if it snows again in Georgia
worse or better or the same as before
I’ll brave the barbarians for champagne from the store
I can correct the mistakes that I used to ignore
there’s just something when our lips mix that keeps us coming for more
and more
if it snows again in Georgia
I’ll be the first one towards your door
29. I Can Do Anything Better Than Anyone
fears; I’ll feel
and steps; I’ll take ‘em
one
after
the other
mountains; I shall climb
with miles of smiles
one
after
the other
30. Ants
we are all together much more like ants
than whatever we think human beings are
for with our persistent intrepidity we can lift ten times the load
but unless we all work together
we’ll never ruin the celestial picnic
though we are getting pretty damn close
31. Destiny’s Stepchild
I am Destiny’s stepchild and I’ve been to Texas
more than a couple times
I only say no twice (should’ve been three, always)
which leads to yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I’m no survivor
but lord, I’m still alive
32. In Order to Fly
ever notice how busted airplane wings always look in the sky?
like they don’t belong? at all
well if this plane goes down, noticing that won’t change a thing
its like Stevie sings
don’t you worry bout a wing
pretty mama, sometimes you have to let go of what belongs
in order to fly
33. Our Love Is For The Birds
birds become bird flu
I miss you
caterpillars that never can quite leave their cocoons
I miss you
words in the soil; plucked for fishing hooks; keep that bob above water, patient
patient
I miss you
the best birds in our time only sort of flew
and while I truly do miss you
I still wake up
every morning
to sing
34. Whatever Works, Even When It Doesn’t
we wouldn’t have Charlie Parker as we know it
without that unfortunate lapse
into sticky, sweet, seductive, SMACK
and I listen to Charlie Parker with Strings
every time I need what it means to fall in love
so what I’m trying to mean
is stop being so damn judgmental about which route anyone takes
we drive our own damn cars and sometimes
not everyone is born with Garmin GPS
not everyone is born with anything
not anyone is born with everything
getting lost is, in fact, the best way for some of us to truly read a map
for the very first time
so blow your horn till your cheeks burst
and count whatever subdivision that you feel might work
even if you splat and last week’s garbage calls you trash
the hi-hat doesn’t give a shit
tat-a-tat tat
we all have a different this
to arrive stylishly at that
but most of all, always remember
to really lay into that crash!
35. I’m An Animal Anyway, Let Me Lose My Soul
nothing good is rewarded
trying to find meaning is a pit that leaves all ten of my toes
stubbed
calloused is my drive to get out of bed each & every
miserable
morning
random chance would even be better
than the opposition’s success
spirituality seems like a way
to sell wolf tickets
and musicians are more concerned with their standing
than standing for their music
in moments of strength, I see my place to be an example
of the things and values I hold dear
in other moments
of stronger strength
I say fuck em
I’m an animal anyway
let me lose my soul
36. The Things That Go Wrong Often Make The Best Memories
its a small comfort;
not like a comfort food;
its a lot more stomach severe; sorta serious
surreptitiously, I
can have perspective
yet it evaporates into the air as soon as I am aware
and, with transient trepidation,
I recall
how much I hate having any memories at all
this interlocking chain of mentally malicious hypotheticals
leaves me strangled; only
there is wisdom in truly knowing the past
but the future is a gift
a present I will never get
37. I Pray For Mercy, Not Justice
boy oh boy have I screwed up!
time and time again
I can recall all of my mistakes
like my mom & her rolodex trying to schedule a dermatology appointment
these regrets saddle me like a weight vest pounding miles on the asphalt
sometimes
its very hard to get to sleep
mistakes show that we are trying
striving towards more
& flying
towards something different
this novelty is met with
OUTRAGE
how dare anyone make any mistakes?!
how dare anyone be me?!
and when all of it comes back to haunt us
I’ll pray for mercy, not justice
38. A Type
two distinct true crime tv shows on
two separate tvs in two separate rooms
roja red decanting, but not for long enough to do anything
king cake wreath on her apartment door
the only one to stand proud in the oppressive Atlanta summer heat grub hub delivery forever en route
directions I only understand after months of hearing them yet the food always
comes
she’s a type; it’s not gonna work
but I love to watch her smile
39. Je Suis Qui Tee
this is the gas pump where
you pulled me by my shirt and
kissed me like that was it
talula gorge trespass
meteor shower & the soundtrack to Midnight in Paris
coyotes howlin’ mad or cheering us on
Buford highway, pump 7, QT
Atlanta, GA
you & me
40. Self Care
not unlike a chandelier on a drop ceiling
a glade plug-in scenting a slaughter house
I’m so bad and so good
and mostly bad
the things others get away with
I’d never dare dream
and yet everyone is happy
except for me
I’m not free unless I am lonely
41. Index Sketch #3
Sin-for-me
Symphony
Number three
Riots by the “righteous” in the streets
A sense of alien-nation
Is very important
42. Index Sketch #4
There’s no fun there
Everyone loses in transactional theatre
No matter how eager to rep loyalty in perpetuity
True partnership is tantamount to
Eggs-aisle
43. Index Sketch #5
So much of the wonders of romance is
Catalogued
Solemnly
And with genuine sterility
On a
Legal
Pad
We can take all the notes we want
And still not have a fucking clue
44. Index Sketch #6
You are en-light-end; be-a-you-ta
full
And yet
You glow in the dark
Pranking about with all the empathy of graph paper
While I swing wildly and with feeling
We don’t belong; separate or together
45. Index Sketch #7
One hundred & sixteen seasons old, I
Hear the Rocky theme music every time in a
Diff-a-rent genre
Sly & the family Stallone
Time to be over the top
if you die with unfinished business
you get to live forever as a ghost
46. Index Sketch #10
I’m different, baby
I can’t help that
I’ll never say I love you
Even if I truly do
I don’t though
47. Index Sketch #11
49 beers on the river
And 1 bottle of 2013 white wine
With the cork pushed in it
Pissin in front of a kind fisherman
Wakin up at 9am the next morning for solo ballroom dancing
Every1’s waiting to die
I’m not
48. Index Sketch #13
great poetry is finding meaning
great poetry is looking at something
personal
stating the detail that speaks to satisfy your soul
then,
Examine the subtext of its role in your life
great poetry is finding meaning
great poetry is pointless
49.
Index Sketch #12
not all of us
have the financial/mental well-being
to be Siddartha
i’m beginning to accept that I’ll never feel safe
but like everything else
It gets easier
Every day
50. This Is It
if I didn’t get into this
I wouldn’t be into that
and damnit I can’t stand any of it
sometimes mostly
I just want someone else to blow me away
It might happen!
but it hasn’t yet
my life is alright; I am who I am
and this is it
bet.
