King Of Sorrow

It’s mid October, the season that gives way to the beauty that comes with the death of a fading summer.  Leaves turn golden, red and purple before being swept away in the autumn winds. Outside its dark and cold, the sun surrenders its dominion over the sky earlier and earlier, this relieves me of the guilt of fixing myself a drink too early, but as we all know, there’s always an excuse for drinking. I hear the faint fizz of carbonation over ice cubes——my oh my, Jameson and Ginger-ale in my favorite tumbler.

It’s the season of tangled sheets, as ghosts whisper under beds and the hellhounds bay up at an angry moon.  I swear I hear the footsteps of shadowy specters moving across the creaking hardwood floor.  The doorknob to my closet appears to be slowly turning. I foolishly decide to step deeper into this nocturnal quicksand. There’s something bittersweet about allowing my darker angels to run loose. I flip through my playlists and click on “Sade”. God almighty, her music always takes me there. It’s got that hypnotic groove that’s made for soul searching, lovemaking——it’s drenched in unrepentant sensuality. The beat pulls me into a grinding pocket. I feel like having a cigarette, but I had to give that up over a decade ago, it’s always the hardest thing to give up on something that you know you’ll remorselessly love forever——and she taught me——forever is a long time!

Some woman know they have it from an early age and they carry it with them through old age.  She has it, she knows how to use it——-she exudes a steamy erotic energy. It affords her an unfair advantage. “It” has nothing to do with beauty or flash, it’’s in the way her body moves through space, it’s that certain look in her hungry eyes. Her heated body radiates the fragrance of lust. When her hand nonchalantly brushes up against my skin, it’s as if a million volts of electricity convulses through my body.  All those other bland pretty girls have no lightening in their soul; they leave no ache in those empty places, no burn in ones darkness. 

The prisons and insane asylums are filled with men who’ve let this black magic rule them, clouding their better judgement and making them do the bad things they never thought they were capable of doing.  I search through a junk drawer and find a single crippled cigarette, I rip off the bent filter and take a deep drag and then slowly exhale the blue smoke. It hangs in the air, mysteriously taking the shape of a maligned dragon. I feel myself going back on things I swore I’d never do. I scroll through my phone contacts and wonder if her number is still the same. The thought of her warm damp voice invades my nervous system with a shot of adrenaline, causing my hands to tremble. I hesitate with my finger hovering over the green call button. “King Of Sorrow” begins to play on my mix. 

All Those Pretty Words

Lying in my bed, fetal position
Under the covers, of my bad decisions


Just when I thought, I had it figured out
This emptiness once again, fills me with doubt


Here I am, alone again
Not even my pride, left to defend


There’s a mirror, inside of me
Is who I am, what you really see


All my pretty words, now waisted
Poems and promises, I thought would save ya 
Loves a bitter word, our hearts have tasted
Find what you love, and watch it break ya


Once again, I’ve laid myself bare
What this world thinks, Hell, I no longer care


Apologies, sleeping inside us all
Like broken words, now tired and oh so raw


Lets pretend it all never happened
We’ll hide our sadness, behind nervous laughter


Footsteps creaking, on wooden floors
Your ghost whispers, behind my closet door


All those pretty words, now waisted
Poems and promises, I once gave ya
Loves a bitter word, our hearts have tasted
Find what you love, and let it break ya

We All Need Love

Love and fear
Tangled again
Love like a home
We want to live in


Faith and courage
Shadows I’ve been chasing
I’m getting older
No time, to be wasting


It’s a hard life
Lessons I’ve been learning
All my mistakes
Silently burning


No matter what anyone says
We all need love
To whatever god you’re praying
Be kind to one another—-is all I’m saying


Happy endings
Ashes and sin
What we wish for 
Isn’t always what we’re given


Every days a dream
I’m letting go
Of being somebody
I no longer know


Brush strokes on a canvas
Water colors bleeding
A thousand winding roads
Back to me, they’re all leading


No matter what anyone says
We all need love
To whatever god you’re praying
Be Good to one another—-is all I’m saying

A Freak Like Me

Around her neck, she wore a silver chain and a locket
Then laughed and showed me, a rainbow hidden in her pocket


She said such strange things, you see
Cause she’s a poet, dreamer, she’s a freak like me


Long walks conversations in the dark
All about those friends and lovers, who left thorns in our hearts


With you, I share my secrets and my shame
And for me, I know you did the same


There’s no more me, there’s no more you
Now there’s just one, where there once was two


Is this how friends, learn to trust
Is this what makes lovers, give into lust


Word warriors, spilling ink and blood
Troubadour singing sad songs, sad songs of love


Soul soldier, silent defender
Now all my prayers and letters, returned to sender


Whispered these things, to my mystic girl
And for a moment, we shared a hidden world


There’s no me, there’s no more you
Now there’s just one, where there once was two


Letter To A Friend

 

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Soundtrack, “Fountain Of Sorrow” by Jackson Browne

 

I can still remember the day I met you some forty years ago…..although it doesn’t seem that long ago?  I was walking in the quad area when I noticed this kid sitting on the lawn with his legs lazily stretched out. You were leaning back with your elbows keeping you propped up. You sat right there by the senior walk appearing not to give a shit about convention or conformity.  I liked that right off the bat.  Somehow I knew we were destine to be the best of friends.

You were wearing one of those T shirts with a single breast pocket. There was brown clay from ceramic’s class clinging to your well worn Levi’s. Later, your pants of choice would be a pair of tan Dickies. On your feet were a pair of white slip on tennis shoes. Your long brownish hair was pulled back into a scruffy ponytail and you sported a formative mustache—-not bad for a fifteen your old kid. You lounged calmly as the bells were ringing and kids hurriedly came and went——-you were you, just being you, no excuses or regrets.  I was attracted to your nonchalant coolness. I told myself “I got to meet this dude”.

So, I walked up to you and mumbled “Hi”. You tilted your head back while squinting up into the autumn sun and replied “Hi”.

I don’t know how we went from a simple “Hi” to being best friends, but I believe somethings are meant to be—–and uncoincidentally I made your acquaintance just when I desperately needed a best friend. I remember going to your house in Terra Buena and you had a bunch of strange houseplants. You pointed out the different plants and told me their botanical names.  I thought “Damn, this guy is pretty smart”.  The only plant I could ID was weed. Your mom and dad were nice to me and always took the time to ask about my life and plans. I would mutterer something to them about wanting to start a rock band, or maybe the following week I was going to be a pro kickboxer. They made me feel comfortable, even though I was just a dumb teenage kid stumbling from one day to the next. In spite of my carrousel of aspirations they remained interested and encouraging.

I detected that at some level we were both undeterred outcasts chasing something neither one of us could articulate. It was hard to be that young, yet so lonely and scattered. We were both looking for our place in this big world. It was comforting to have someone like you to confide in and share my thoughts. I remember it all so well. I can’t go back in time and thank people who helped me in past, but I can send this simple letter of gratitude.

After all these years, I’m glad that we remain best of friends, although I’m still a bit scattered and lonely.