"Swing low"

I know the miracles that happen to me aren't for me –

they're for the good people who're stuck in my life,

and who deserve more from this relationship that

seems always to be on the line… 

But you'd be surprised by how often bullsmurf is the

nutrient that we people need: it's 

a voodoo kind of strength we're wired to derive from

strange things like the power of belief.

—you know what I mean, it's not that uncommon:

you can't do it 'til someone lies, says you can;

and the lessons that we, of course, learn from that

only make sense if run through woman or man.

When a pope dies they bring out a special hammer

made of gold and hit his head three times,

while they speak his name and pray for him —

tradition gets arthritis (it's only human).

People pray with their hands and dogs pray with their drool,

it's really all one and the same to me:

I can respect what you're feeling, though wanting 

doesn't always get you a treat.

—but I've been so very wrong before,

I've earned history's villains' standing applause, because

for some things there's just no punch you can take

and recover from and then move on…

"Good luck with Steve, Alex"

—He could shoot the cuffs of a raglan sweater, he could charm a spider right off its feets;

but his own personal, permanent Kryptonite was that his brain called everyone Steve.

Hey, I swear to you that he was amazing —his mini-dachshund ate a whole wheel of cheese!

He had a mustache that would crazily curl up every time he sneezed!

But I'm afraid that no girl's ever touched him, despite his shapely-muscled tan hairless chest,

because it wouldn't have worked at all anyway — he's had this weird thing for the black queen in chess.

And his favorite pieces of music are all garbage-disposal techno medleys

made by some freak in Idaho, posted to YouTube – wow, one's viewcount just broke 17.

But then yesterday he earnestly said to me that he was in love with Steve(!),

but Steve doubted his sincerity (both were best friends with another named Steve).

...Still I'm confident that I know what he meant – gotta be sensitive, he's one of my peeps;

but he'll never get him or her if he keeps up his tanning oil secret: old used fry-grease!

"The Hunger Pangs"

Let's go inside and eat!

–before we're deet!–

of natural cause,

which'd suck just-because..

A death-blow from hunger

would likely keep me from Valhalla,

and the dead never do get

to live it down.

–But if cold pizza can save us,

then so let it be, God!

Please, I pray you will

have delivered us!

"Comicosmic"

Cosmicomics was the slingshot that sent me flying through the air, one night in dream:

somehow I came to a land where things made more sense, although not much in the way that they seem.

On your first glance around you’ll notice that the embodied metaphors all stand 4-foot-3,

and they're charming people who shake hands with you and invite you home for smoked ginger tea.

Okay, there are stumbling blocks and hurdles to adapting to the pulse of this place – like

the soap becomes fizzy-prickly when you wash, and you become weightless when asleep.

And some things will just draw you up short – you wouldn't think so but hyenas can drive!

Still, the more that I'd see, I couldn’t help but think, Holy shit, this is a place where I'd thrive..

Right away the peoples' conversational talent piqued my interest, our talks insightful and charmed;

the dinner parties were the best I've known, casual savoir faire abounds.

And their pea-lettuce still makes my mouth water; their electric bread convinced me there was a god;

and those grilled cauliflower steaks with pickled garlic really can't help but rock.

Outdoor music here somehow resonates more, the liquid notes coveted by the air;

your mind starts to blur as you take it all in, your skin giggles, the sunlight licks at your hands.

And there's ample love here in proportion to your kindness, your compassion, and need;

it's easy to make friends and not feel threatened, it's really great – there'd be no point in greed.

—But one day misfortune befell me, when somehow I dozed-off on the tram

and someone had accidentally – despite the sign – left the window open:

I drifted off and then just.. drifted off, out the window on a strong gust of wind.

And I rose and circled into the sky through the clouds, with their hidden lightning…

The blue darkened to black as I fell ever higher and ascended the lonely path into space

and found myself catapulted back to this sad, mundane old-dishwater place.

But I'd touched magic and my alarm can't take all of that away from me — maybe I'll

be able to make a certain kind of name for myself someday and wake up there, standing 4-foot-3…

from "How I Got it to Work"

First you air out the earthworms until tough and dry,

and grind them beneath a twisting guilty hand.

Then you make a mean meal with them,

mixed with old flour, chipped tar, powdered glass, and dry sand… 

And once it's all mixed with dust, then you withhold your love, 

and tune the nearest TV to commercials… 

"Spare tears"

"I'm sorry that I can't help you, sir…

but I could loan you these spare tears I collect;

though dollars-to-donuts my own time will come –

so someday I'll be needing them back."

The future resents being used to regret 

the past, some of its very best friends:

it's like strangers came and stood on your lawn

and then shot up the whole neighborhood.

–Hey, ain't the first time I done the worst thing of my life,

gotta expect it's gonna happen again.

With so many gravities that I'm subject to

I get drawn away from good intentions.

But in my dreams, I am the therapy horse

and treated gently and with respect –

a nice wide stall and sweet grasses,

and not even a bridle or bit.

—Okay, wake up old bones!  Don't think: teeth, face, and coffee!

Trying again empowers but(ofcourse) takes a toll.

Sometimes there's just nothing much you can do

except to go and learn the bad lesson well.

At least the sun is still free, and the wind likes me,

and the trees and stuff continue to grow… 

and yeah sweet tea and ice cream ain't so good for your teeth

but we still need them sometimes to stay well.

"Humans, Being"

At least my limitations aren't unfamiliar

because I run into them all of the time.

Instead of "Best Dressed”, my high school class

all voted me "Best ..Just Left Alone".

I drive around with my headlights off

(at least it's easy to see someone well-lit oncoming);

and the biggest fraud in the legislature

is always doing something quietly with the pudding…

Tinder just sets you up with sexting text-bots –

sometimes the future isn't always that great.

Later, your self-healing phone’s electric sciatica

will flare up if you set the poor thing to vibrate;

and meat bikinis will become fashionable 

once we get the vat-grown textures just right –

plus, if they're alive they could massage you,

"Yeah that's it — no, a little more to the side…"

It's too much to expect the world to make sense,

there's no way we'll understand over time –

in Canada if the dog wants your beer 

you give it to him, the law says it's his right.