ABSENCE OF THE ARCHBISHOP
By GEOFFREY G. O’BRIEN
You meet at most four archbishops
in a lifetime. You have at most
one lifetime. You sing when in pain
and expect to be heard. You see the outline
of holy figures, their windows and blinds.
You want to kiss the gold of the coat and
you want it to come off on your lips.
You think of singing gold songs and are not
for a moment in pain. You see the sun not
as it is but as it will be without you,
cold gold with all the windows closed.
You expect to be heard singing in your house.
I CAN’T WRITE A POEM
By KYLE M. COLE
I can’t write a poem in this place
I can strafe the windows with hard looks
I can hear drive-bys and far-flung
Rooks toppling across the back bar
I can clearly see my son’s face
I can pick at a thousand sores forming
Into memories
I can hear tock-tock use buys chanting
In their maladies
But I can’t write a poem in this place.
SAN QUENTIN HAIKU=HAIQU
By KYLE M. COLE
With new orange clothes
I see, the cart roll away
into fluorescents
Peninsula breeze
clutching me on the yard
glances want blood and money
Lovely female
women are the true soft source
I’m so glad you’re here
Rushing for a tray
a J-cat reminded them
of long lost children
Puffs float from Oakland
where did your teeth run off to
I smell taco trucks
Fog and sun mixing
during yard side chow call
as gulls caw loosely
MOTHERS DAY
By KEITH ALLEN LEWIS SR.
“Mothers Day Is Everyday”
At age 3 it’s, “Mom, I love you.”
At age 8 it’s, “Mom, you’re the best.”
At age 13 it’s, “Mom, whatever!”
At age 16 it’s, “Ugh, you get on my nerves.”
At age 18 it’s, “I can’t wait to move out.”
At age 25 it’s, “Mom, you were right.”
At age 30 it’s, “I want to move back with mom.”
At age 50 it’s, “I don’t want to lose mom.”
At age 70 it’s, “I would do anything to have mom back by my side.”
You only get one mom; the one that gave you life. So love; cherish; respect and honor her while you can; because when you don’t have her by your side, you’re going to wish that you did…
This; our reminder to everyone that; we’re to cherish; and to be thankful to God for your mother’s presence; for her good health; and for all of her nurturing ways Everyday; and “NOT” just on the one day in which “THEY” call Mothers Day; But Everyday; BE IT GOD’S WILL…
Our message; is UNIVERSAL; to all mothers; whom are to be [TRULY] LOVED by all of us; BE IT GOD’S WILL…
We hereby declare that: “Mothers Day; is EVERYDAY;” and that: “EVERYDAY; is Mothers Day”
WAVEMAKER
By KYLE M. COLE
When the world ends
I will be in a plane and have a few more minutes than you
when the world ends
I will be a bolt of lighting splitting an oak at midnight
When the world ends
I will be pure conscious awareness under the Bhodi tree
when the world ends
I will be a cassette tape all pulled out and fluttering on the freeway
when the world ends
I’ll kiss all the girls
That said kiss me tomorrow
I’ll make Hindu Brim legs
Serve oatmeal to the Ganges
I’ll break down walls and
Expose the dark side of “civilized”
When the world ends.
RUFF BOY
By MATTHEW BREEN
Ruff boy tuff boy the kind you couldn’t love boy drinks smokes even does dope.
Knife in his pocket a gleam in his eye a gun to his head not afraid to die.
First hear a bang, then a low sigh from a helpless boy who just died.
Ruff boy tuff boy the kind you couldn’t love boy just a poor little mixed up boy.
