HOME, JAMES
I thought I'd let you know
That when we stand here
With nowhere else to go
And no-one else to see
And nothing left to say
You can take me home.
And if you think I'm strong enough
To hold you up without the sky
And if you think the music is loud enough
To cover up the tears in my skirt,
You can take me home.
Never said I had enough for you
Never said it was enough for me
But one night
Instead of standing in the rain
And wondering whether I'm good enough
Can you take me home?
ALL THE WOODWORK
I thought she'd break
the spiral cords
texturing her throat
And speak again.
I thought she'd rasp along
the bastard saw
wood craves design
words crave her mouth.
At this stage
It's 7th grade
and all she can manage
Is a towel rack.
ROCK STAR
I know.
I always was dramatic.
"Push me into the lights!
Make me a star!"
Spin the bottle
Sugar or salt
You must be pepper
(fire in the mouth)
what will I do?
Write, of course.
Truly become
a "musician".
Maybe I'll get a few gigs
travel around in a combie
do drugs
and throw TVs out hotel windows.
Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?
Would that make you take notice?
TRAVAILLE
My head feels ready
to explode
so much pressure behind the eyes
they wander
they want some relief
from staring at a screen.
My wrists click
My shoulders burn
The bell tolls
another bitch
unsatisfied
nail-biting
demanding that the earth
stop for her
trying to show
her position
in the world.
Argh, fuck off.
I have two days left.
It's time for the real world.
NO MORE GAMES
spin the bottle
roll the dice
shake the 8-ball
maybe twice
try tarot cards
or your palm read
call the psychic love-line
talk to the dead
but in all these things
I tell you now
Not one will tell you
when or how
truly next
your heart will break
when you'll fall in love
and the big mistake:
what
I wish
I'd really said.
FIREWALL
You
are
much more perceptive
than you
let on.
But you never ask
the big questions.
Are you scared of what I'll say?
I won't hurt you again.
But don't you ever wonder who he is?
NO REPEAT
If you think
You're strong enough
To lift this tombstone:
go on,
take it down the road
plant it in place
And wait for me.
We'll bless it
then bury it.
Let's put it 6 feet below
Where it can never be
unearthed.