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The following poems are from a challenging and ultimately liberating
period I went through several years ago. (Is it me, or are the
early twenties tough?) Some of the whole experience is summed
up in one of my radio projects: "Dancing
With The Divine."
Ticket Mix-Up
(written just as I was coming out of the tough period mentioned
above)
I’m realizing that I felt like I deserved
everything I was getting in Vancouver.
I guess that’s why I’m uncomfortable with people liking
me,
and with things going well.
I’m afraid this is all a mistake.
Like they issued me First Class,
when I was supposed to have Scumbag.
Any minute they’ll realize they made a mistake,
and they’ll beat me,
and they’ll spit on me,
and they’ll take me to where people like me are supposed
to go.
They’ll stick something in me,
maybe something with barbs,
to remind me never to pass myself off as a human being again.
I’ll lie there, strangely at home,
feeling stupid to have actually thought
I’d ever deserve First Class.
B e a s t
You beast.
You huge ugly beast.
I walk upon your scaly back,
Like a child hiking a volcano.
You breathe out,
And I am tossed in the air like a feather.
You breathe in,
And I am sucked into your fiery belly.
Do you have any idea
How frustrating that is?
Well, you might like to know: I’m not always this size.
Sometimes I’m a lot bigger.
S u r p r i s e d ?
G o o d .
See, God’s been in me a few times,
And it’s kind of stretched me.
When I’m real stretched the whole Universe fits inside
Neat, huh?
All people are like that.
Betcha didn’t know.
I’m not sure what to do with you, beast.
I don’t know if I should kill you,
Or love you (you’re part of me, after all),
Or just kinda bring you down to size.
I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
Don’t underestimate me, Beast.
I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.
And it seems you’re not the only thing
growing inside of me.
Personal demons
Oh man, personal demons!
Oh man, personal demons!
Oh man, personal demons!
That was me today,
All day.
Battling for my life while I tried to focus on work.
Afterwards,
While I was finishing up some poems about, um, personal demons,
I had the strangest sensation.
I felt...
Buff .
I felt like I’ll feel after a really good workout,
Suddenly aware of my own strength .
It was like that,
But instead of my muscles,
It was my heart.
My fire .
I’m not sure I did a lot of damage to my demons, mind you.
But I almost feel like they winded themselves
While beating me up.
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