September 2014 – WALKING ON THIN ICE

cobalt & clay

September 30, 2014 No Comments

Twixt now and noon they’ll cut my left shoulder off and plop in an artificial one of colbalt and clay . . . odd way to spend the day. Even odder is no coffee this morning, no water, no food, no grass.

Chop Lop Shop

This is day I’m cut,
trade bare bone ball left shoulder
for colbalt and clay.

There’s nineteen muscles
twixt skin and bone for doc’s knife
with my me between.

Weeks of pain and whine
entwined with more morphined aim
right hand left regain.

They cut my shoulder
today, chop and lop it off,
add cobalt and clay.

– Smith, 9.30.2014

lop & chop shop #2

September 29, 2014 No Comments

pain

Checking off my list of 2-armed stuff needing done today because tomorrow they lop off my left shoulder, replace it with cobalt and ceramic, and there’s a 4 to 9 week rehab.

no pain

BRINGING IT

September 25, 2014 No Comments

BRINGING IT

There’re ways
To push through
And bring it

Through this body
Through this veil

Arms stretched
Hands cupped, full of useful things
Like apples and nails

I walk about, I press it
Breathing steady, sweet, I flute it
Feeling the hinted, I get it

Learn words to the song
Talk such it feels good
Cumberless and fluid

Fall to roles and rollicking
Dance better
Charm You

~ Lady

STRAIGHTEN UP

September 23, 2014 No Comments

STRAIGHTEN UP

Straighten up
Shake it loose
Get down
Don’t be a fool

Om zone
Phone home
Do whatcha gotta
Atone

Don’t put it off
Getcher self in line
Step by step can do it
Pull the rope through time

Be the best you can be
Clear the rubble of your way
For yer not disposable
Carpe diem the day

~ Lady

SOME SENSATIONS & THE MYSTERY OF BODIES

September 18, 2014 No Comments

SOME SENSATIONS & THE MYSTERY OF BODIES

Flock of steps
feels good up the staircase
candle illuminates small space
pacing way to destination

Sweet smell o’ air, coolness
oxygen passes into the factory of lungs,
the ordered tangle of an
Escher print

Cat’s cradle aloft,
gravitational body
buoyant and plumb

Tongue set in house,
waits dormant
’til it tastes

~ Lady

America the dutiful

September 17, 2014 No Comments

rich man land

Unnatural Anthem

America the dutiful
Her sheep unroaming range.
Buying guns and killing sons
While rooting out the strange.
No unwhite skin shall live within
And women’s bodies are all sin,
Where greed grabs got
And holds the lot
Armed armful by armedful.
With two different songs
To hide their wrongs
They make us sing along.
Republicans kiss rich men’s buns
And Democrats aren’t much better.
Where voters found
We’re just cloned clowns
Whose check is mailed never.
With no incense in or outcense bin
We burn nonsense today,
A product which the world is rich,
With infinite supply.
So hey I say forget fair pay
All money goes to them.
They hug their bills for further ills
And wish we’d go away.
America the dutiful
You’ve so forgotten your way.
And this curse will get much worse
Unless we work our say.