American Jericho

Trumpets blast!
Walls fall and the demons escape
From the crumbled, pebbled stone
And powdered mortar
That contained them since
     The first day.

The walls fell on
     The first day too.
They didn’t even notice,
They didn’t even try to leave.

On the first day, they
     Didn’t know which was
In and which
Was out and which
Which was the preferred.

Sirens wail!
Walls fall and the demons enter
Through the celebrated ruins
Past the scorched libraries
That kept them out since
     The first day.

The walls fell on
     The first day too.
So they just
Rebuilt them and
Forgot about inside.

On the first day, they
     Defined which which was
Out and which
Was in; denied
Self-serving preference.

The Great American Smoke Out

My grill spoke to me tonight
In a drone of yellow flashing light.

In words and phrases incomprehensible,
Of worlds and mazes deemed indispensable.

‘Bout the hot blue night sky,
The wandering, homeless crippled guy,
My missing paisley, silken tie,
The neighbors, and how they lie,
The way all of my ex-girlfriends cry.

My grill smoked with me tonight,
And I ate like a king.

Marriage Vows

Screwed Together:
     Un-aparting,
     Nuts bolted.

Binding Ribs:
     Un-loosed,
     Caging.
     Dust-shared.

Physically tethered
     (not tacked).

Two become one:
     A structure
     Coming together:
          Yes, screwed.