eulogy (free)

in living memory
of those who have both shaped and stolen our hearts
who whisper soft torrents of acidic love
whose frenetic energies crack clouds above
whose jellyfish stings crawl the surface below
whose jagged jetty kisses keep erosion slow

in living memory
of those who have both shaped and stolen our hearts
who sneak through the backdoors of dreams
whose steps grow heathers on the space between
whose suns glistened stones, slickened beaches of wont
whose moonlight strolls patrol the door in front

in living memory
of those who have both stolen and then shaped our hearts
who rock the sudden shock of familiar scents
whose faces traipse faultlines of what it meant
whose fingers dredge the mud from our souls
whose hard eyes burn tire lines in stories we’ve told

in loving memory
of those hearts we have both stolen and shaped
we who have pillaged and raped
we who have judged then misplaced
ourselves
i offer forgiveness and sanctity
i offer enlightenment and certainty
i offer shelves dusted clean of yesterday
and a place to display an unopened today

in living memory
of those who have both stolen and shaped our hearts
who have recklessly rushed the waves with me
whose confections have created this sea
whose breaths have ever brightened the blue

fuck you

love you

miss you too,

me

p.s. you're free

the ocean

anger was the ocean
undulate wild beneath me blue
suicide waves ripple razor quick
but never slip below

undertow, the jagged grasp of fall
the beck and call of it all
(heard it in a song
carried the moral all along)

salt wind begin the whipping
smack heart, thrash start
taffy wisp turns of summer beginning
new every time, mine

in spirit the salt surf wastes (away)
in mouth the crushed stone taste
(coppertone on the phone long distance)
age flails and turns

spins neon circles past flashing words
“jet star” (rumbling mad in harmony ‘round loose curves)
close tides crash ever harder
never mind, diamond shine, fade martyr

jersey shore, 1984
cause and effect of thunderous neglect
miss you more than subways
feel you with my eyes
catch you on the reprise
we’ll all sing the song
we meant for you

anger was the ocean
slick waves ripple quick
salt surf not wasted on me
not in this memory

this net

rich in cigarettes and alcohol
what you get from fictional net
meant to prevent the fall

grace is a facial you once got
looked good from the front
as you were walking away

stay. once. mull it over a minute
looked good from the front
when you were wrapped up in it

but i digress (while i figure it out)…

a shout is a thought a vowel you just bought to win the game to circumvent sane and win big money! big prizes! the compromise is that you sold yourself short and the stupid moment you bought is as temporary as tooth fairies and easter egg hunts and staying adult when told so now i want that vowel, that letter, that thought to be sold because the game is not to be won but to be begun on your terms in spite of waiting worms— big money!— crawling out answers in corners so i wanna kick a shout in the head and command it to think instead and contain familiar refrains of decades gone and move on…

but i digress.

rich in cigarettes and alcohol
fists full of fictional falls
thoughts like tannins taint recall

this net is far too strong