Black Water

Senator or chairman,
Does it matter?
Both so full of themselves,
You can’t fit in.
They soak up your essence.
Sponges; greedy sponges
Black waters lurk behind their eyes.

You stand by them,
Stay near them,
Hoping to bask in their light.
The chance is fleeting.
You blink.
And it has passed.
Frozen in history,
A yellowed photograph
With your head cut off.
Black waters lurk behind their smiles.

In an instant,
All of you is used up.
Discarded like wet tissue
You drown in your own tears
You drown in your own sorrow
You drown in their Black Waters.

Tears for Zakeya

When the world looks back at us
Let them not be sad
For we have lived a life
Full of pain, yes
But we have lived to tell our story

Those we love have been torn from us
As harshly as a lost limb
Kindness and prosperity have never gone hand in hand
Yet, we’ve persevered.

Our blooms plucked at early ages
Hearts hardened young,
Eyes open wide
No tears should fall.

In the end, we meet our fate
Heads held high
Our bodies imprisoned
Our minds, free

Red Azalea

I am Red Azalea
I bloom in youth
Courage and strength are mine

I am Jiang Ching
I support the ones I love
Tirelessly, endlessly,
giving myself to them
until I have nothing left.

My life is a misery.
Oh to be born a woman
What a curse
Always working
Always hoping for a way out

Finding love in strange places
Holding hands with danger,
In order to feel a tender touch

My life is an image.
Perception is everything.
My secrets are public.
I am an ehru.
Played by everyone.
Loved by few.

I am Red Azalea
I bloom
Strong in youth
Courageous in heart
Withering in death

The Joke

Life has not wronged you,
you wronged yourself.

You believed life
would laugh when you told it to.
When it did not, you became angry.

You thought people sincere
behind their masks.
Masks are not worn
to hide honesty,
they cover deceit.
They veil lying eyes
and allow forked tongues to speak
false words of comradery and trust.

You thought for yourself,
that was the problem.
Our societies are not made for that.

We become a part of the collective mind
or face extinction.

Words to Okonkwo

Okonkwo,
Life changes like the spring wind.
In the beginning,
We enjoy it,
Turn our faces to it and smile.
It seems fine.
As it continues,
Our bodies and mind, once resilient
Start to bend,
Almost break.

We’ve earned our rights to lead
But others come in,
Changing ideas quickly
Sweeping us off the stage
Putting down our curtain before the play is over
No matter how we try,
Others work against us,
Trying to change our beliefs.
Working to silence us.

Violence is a necessity
Sometimes people are like dust
Aggravating the senses,
Needing to be wiped away
To clear the air

As the show ends
We must be graceful
And take our final bow
We must leave on our own terms
Only when we are ready

White Noise

Technicolor Images
Hi-fi dreams
Cellophane wrapped reality
Smeared with anti-wrinkle cream

Thank your Lucky Stars
Trix are for kids
We bring good things to life,
Just like mom did

Managed infotainment
Masquerading as news
I can’t help but ask you
Where’d you get those shoes?

Chevy. Like a Rock.
State Farm is there.
Ford. Chrysler. Dodge.
Gee, you have great hair.

Food, folks and fun.
Fly the friendly skies.
Ask me no questions,
And I’ll tell you more lies.

One day sale, storewide
Built Ford tough.
SUV. Hatchback. Jeep.
Tell me when you’ve had enough.

Curtain Call: No Exit

Can you judge a life by a single action?
I dreamt I was a hero,
A thousand petty lapses condoned.
When I’m alone I flicker out.

Like a live coal in other’s hearts,
when I’m alone I flicker out.
Human feeling,
That’s beyond my range.
when I’m alone, I flicker out.

I’m all dried up;
I’m alone.
I can’t give;
I can’t receive.
When I’m alone, I flicker out.

I made my choices deliberately.
I am my life and nothing else.
When I am alone, I flicker out.