in life I've majored in being a starving artist
a poverty stricken poet on a starless road
valedictorian of stunning ineptitude
magna cum laude in the fine art of nothingness
a down and out with the up and in
picking up sticky dirty old pennies in the street
under streetlights by overflowing metal mesh trash cans
full of wadded up papers, empty cups, fish and chip containers
hung around with punks who would fight at the slightest provocation
spent some time with monks who reached nirvana through meditation
didn’t see much difference between them
they all lived by their creed
I lived in a flat in the gutter on hard broken concrete
graduated to a lovely green park bench under an elm elbow for a pillow
six months behind on payments I am
always ahead of my time behind the curve behind the 7+1 black ball
conducted a symphony people could never hear
a dollar late and a day short wrong place at the wrong time
he doesn't bite...famous last words
no amount of sleep cures what tires my mind
dreams aren't sweet--just disjointed disturbing distortions in the distance
twisted thoughts in tangled twilight
a world gone mad with no one at the wheel
an endless road of esses no guardrails deep drops off the side
twists and turns—tires squeal—brakes burn
past closed down diners with Grandma’s cooking
shuttered gas stations and abandoned roadside motels
with emerald green water in their pools
exits are all closed under construction
the road never feels like it's gonna end
but it will someday thank god or whatever—it will
