A Captain's Retrieval Mission

i swim back to the beast of the sea
because the foot of remorse is bruised by land
and the soul of my crew is out there somewhere waiting for me

out to the middle of the atlantic i dive deep
in search of the ship i lost in the storm
sunken vessel where the ghosts of my men are patient
knowing i would not forever leave them behind

that i would return to take the helm of their grave
and sail them into the sweet morning light of helios

Lullabies And Laments

falling becomes of the eyelids
the dream state starts to work its wonder
but what i must question each night is
whether my subconscious will lead me to somewhere pleasant 
or if i am in for another nightmare

A Modest Cup of Coffee

i don't expect anything from you
but if it's not too much to ask
i would greatly appreciate even a teaspoon of sugar

on bitter days like this
a bit of sweetness goes a long way

Bloodsuckers

no crucifix big enough to ward off their army
these vampires feeding off the blood of our families
putting our fathers into the graves they have never known
turning our mothers into whores that lay beside them in their coffins

with spells of darkness
and devilish charms
they convince their victims to take the blame
for overcrowded cemeteries

Young Man

youth in his favor with young women in his reach
a whole world ahead of him
but the silly son of a bitch doesn't even know it

instead of seizing the day
he spends his time obsessing over dead poets
and staring at walls that never move
out windows towards a life he is afraid to take by the balls

weak in his self-doubt
he constructs his misery into a well crafted fortress of isolated ego
celebrating himself with a grand sense of malaise
as if darkness is the only thing that matters
as if cheer was foolery
as if confidence was in need of shunning

not often caught smiling
because it clashes with his black outfits and his Joy Division records
his brooding sense of fashion

he calls it art instead of madness
calls himself a misanthrope instead of a chickenshit
because it feeds into the illusion that his mistakes are noble
wears his fear like a badge of honor
and carries his woes around like morbid little trophies

silly son of a bitch

if only i could give him
a good
swift
kick in the ass

Black

standing outside The Foundation Tiki Bar in Milwaukee
i light a cigarette and he asks me if i have another
i tell him no because i'm cheap
and selfish

a squad car pulls up and two officers jump out
tell him to put his hands up
frisk him without any explanation
and he does as he is told
quietly
compliantly 

when they find nothing they start back to their squad car
but not before looking at me with a friendly smile
and telling me to have a nice night

they drive off looking for another black man
he doesn't fuss
he doesn't complain
he doesn't say a word

"shit, man
i lied
here's a cigarette"

he smiles
understands
and thanks me

"ya know,"
he says
"that mighta gone a lot worse if you wasn't right here"

and
i believe him

I'd Die For A Kiss

it's been so long without a touch
lips pressed deeply against mine
fingers brushing through my beard or the hair on my chest

i have reclaimed my virginity
bumbling and nervous in the presence of a beautiful woman
the memory of making love is a dream
something that seems to have never really happened

a sweet pair of eyes that gaze into mine
a gentle voice that softly says "i love you"
validation of another person that shares a naked body with
my naked body

they say you have to love yourself first
and
that
may be
the problem