Whay

Night
inside me
stirs sublime
past lives,

is it past pain
driving memories
or memory
motivating nostalgia?

Impermanent
as is the earth and sun
I slowly age,
waiting for something

hoping feels good
allowing myself to hope.

Deny yourself not the joys of hope! I think
enjoying the stars and the chill
of the sudden southern cold
wondering whether to live in the moment,
future, or past.

Thank you night sky
for your assistance.

To: Papa Shooter

Hows life in Brown Town?

Is it full of frowns
or dancing clowns.
Is it all yesterdays and grim
or futures full, nice tits and slim?

Have the back woods slime bags come for you yet?
Have the purveyors of plastic shit forced your bets?
Or have you sustained a pattern of boldness
Kindness, happiness, never-grow-oldness?

But don't sweat monkey men, our steady steaming shit
is natural sons and daughters fat, so eat your fill of it
fill your bellies on feces fresh and fill your kids' plates too
for all be told; eating shit is better than shit eating you.

Booze Part II

Got all drunk
tired stumbling
barely could walk
some assholes wanted to

throw down
so I killed them with
a small knife
I keep with me.

What really happened
was some of my buddies
who smelled like shit
vomit and beer and coffee

pushed me to the rear
while the guys who started
called the cops.

Excellent Reading.

I heard this question posed in a class:

What is more important the book itself or the review?

Robert Creeley Review/History. Good Read!

I's Sorry Self.

I's sorry self
for letting
fade you

for giving up you
especially in your
worst time of need

when youd have me
being all of what
I would hate for you

you see I jus' can't
jus' couldn't
be what youd have me be

so get yo' greedy
mean vain ass
out my head!

Blurb.

Its been a while child
since we last spoke
since then I've seen some ways

porter lifts baggage
ships haze gray

If too long means anything
or if there is a way back when
Its been a touch too little
and way too long
since love surrounded men.

Navy School Morn to Eve

Sleep Sleep
Wake March
Run
Eat March
Study March
Eat March
Study March
Change
Eat
Play Write
Talk Write
Sleep.

When You Look At the Stars, Girl.

Stare,
mindful of the vastness
of the space engulfing all.

Speak,
softly to mine ear
that you may melt my soul.

Turn,
and with your eyes
pull me from my sleep.

Do,
what turns your life
from mundane into a dream.

Booze Part 1

I never drank to drown the nasty sadness
or to forget a girl who used to mean everything.
I never drank to forget the present,
but to break the inhibitions that my mind
installed over time.

Perhaps I should learn to break inhibitions through mental will alone.

I would like to think
that fermentation of certain ingredients
creates a social potion
that loosens the tongue
and allows the spirit to seek.

It brings the good people together, smiling.

Some men will be violent
some men are demons
or have demons inside them.
Drinking can unlock demons
oh ye demonic.

And drinking may enhance the meek-minded
poor decision making fellow's confidence.

That is a risk...oh well.

So drink drinkers!

Check This Out

www.ralfziervogel.com

Note: Not for the folks who can't
handle graphic surreal depictions.

From Jockomo: A Conceptual Continuity City.

Come to the Dream-Time Disco
The Wild Up-All-Night
We'll smother each other in Crisco
Then get smashed in a bar fight.

Come to the Afraid-to-Talk-to-Strangers
Featuring Mad Beer Drinking Clowns.
We'll sweat the night at my place,
Then we'll burn this fucking town.

Oh we'll burn this fucking town!

And We'll shout together
then each in rowdy turn,
and still while we get naked,
"Burn Baby Burn!"

Back at the Dream-Time Disco
On big screens playing loud
We'll watch the town a-burning
and we'll drink until we drown

Oh! We'll Drink until we Drown!!!

You'll wear next to nothing
and I'll be next to you
Then we'll burn the Dream-Time Disco
and the Up-All-Night too.

From the Gut.

There may be complexity in minor conquest,
but a simple path is probably best.
A game this life may prove to be,
a game we all play selfishly.

Own each other we may try
boredom comes and life gets dry
but in the end the truth will catch us
death remembers and life forgets us.

Remember to live while your living the day,
remember that pleasure is better than pain.
Remember though that pleasure can turn,
to pain any minute a slow vicious burn.

And if this sounds gloomy, too dark to read
smile one slowly and think of your needs.
Pursue them quickly, efficient, and smile
at whoever stands next to you, then love for a while.

Stanza About Home.

A piece of world to recognize,
friends who show their love.
Buying beers,
satiric cheers
but still I have to run.

Words of Interest.

Cithern- n.
Variant of cittern.

Peristyle- n.
1. A series of columns surrounding a building or enclosing a court
2. A court enclosed by columns.

Epitaph- n.
1. An inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there.
2. A brief literary piece commemorating a deceased person.

Muzzy- adj.
1. Confused; muddled.
2. Dull, mentally hazy.

Dregs-n.
1. The sediment in a liquid; lees. Often used in the plural.
2. The basest or least desirable portion. Often used in the plural: the dregs of humanity.
3. A small amount; a residue.

Brogue-
1. An Irish accent in the pronunciation of English
2. Any strong regional accent.

10 Til Work Again

10 mins to go, lunch is almost over
I hate this job sometimes
but lunches are long,
the food is good,
it pays well, and

Quitting is out of the question.
I gave my word, on paper no less.
What would I do for money,
I owe so much.

So I'll suck it up
learn to like it
and like to learn it
so I can excel
make that promotion.

Then I'll take a vacation.
Travel
to hot crazy places.
The desert maybe or the beaches of Cuba.
(probably not Cuba that would make for some clearance issues)

Or to cool slick joints
like Chicago or London right at the peak of theater season.

To pass time until the long breaks
I'll go camping for the weekend
or rent a boat and go fishing with some buddies
and then drink some decent beer at the shitty local.

Maybe I could take up watching sports
or plan for the future some more.
Maybe I should start saving for children
or I could practice my pool shot...

yeah I'll practice my pool shot after work today,
call my girlfriend and tell her she's the best,
better than any before...better than any could be.

But man sometimes I can't shake the feeling
that it is all for nothing
the should have type feeling
the convenient fall back of maybe I could have
the could have beens...

I'll drink some water and eat something
"Think forward,"
I'll say out loud to myself
"not behind."

Little Pleasures

Take little pleasures daily child
that you may keep your mind
Look deep into a forest wild
who knows what you may find

or watch the people all around
you toil and sweat for days
to keep you pleased safe and sound,
to maintain and guard their ways.

Take walks along the shoreline white
with sand for miles and miles
the blue of ocean meets orange sunlight
look all the beach folk smile

or fly above the wispy clouds
in planes designed for speed
look upon the green checked ground
and try to count the trees.

The world is filled with wonders deep
packed with little things
so take these little pleasures please
and then your heart will sing.

Let all be all.

Let happiness judge this realm
and decide which men to free.
Let innocence be taken back,
to expel cruelty.

Let joyful horns and strings be heard
before tolling massive bells.
Let all detractors from the peace
rest ceaselessly in hell.

But give them each a song to sing
a melody to hone
that we may listen merrily
while their sins they atone.

Let one among the many lead
his life an island or a stone
Let him rest his weary soul
upon his weary bones

And letting go the dreams of ease
the sleeper let him be
Let god be man and man be god
and brothers all we'll be.