It’s days like these
Rolled over, stuffed in
Left sleeping
With tired eyes
Lost on a distant horizon
A breath, heavy
Somewhere between asthma
And an eagle’s scream
Washed in the lapping ocean
And swept away
By the wind
Leaving heavy drops
Crawling down my cheek
And humming a slow song
That’re maybe
Just a little sad.
Click clack
Hot coals
Settling in
I drew two thick lines
Down the center of my face
To show everyone
Just where I cracked
The day the sky fell
Exposing the gaping black hole
Sucking my dear daylight
I am sorry kind gentleelk
I have never been to the Rivers Pass
Though I have heard from friends
That the water there
Is exceptionally clear
I once had an Uncle
Who would go every year
For what he would call
Elaksation Elkscursions
Mother would roll her eyes
Whenever he would say this
I would ask him what that meant
And mother would tell him
Not to fill my head with such nonsense.
Many moons ago
This wild Serengeti
We now look out upon
Was much different
Then what we see here today
Even our own herd
Was much different
I remember when I was young
I had seven houndred and forty five
Uncles and Aunts
Six houndred and thirty
Brothers, sisters, and cousins
But now
Our herd is thirty five strong
I have seen that day
With my own two eyes
Do you think these tusks of mine
Have not seen a long life?
Do my trunk hairs lie?
Many moons ago
When we would walk to our watering hole
There would be birds as far
As my still young eyes could see
Beside our great herd
There would be antelopes
Water buffalo
Wildebeests
Hippopotamuses!
Zebras and the pink flamingos!
And the rhinoceroses!
I loved watching the rhinoceroses
Slowly go back and forth
Between their mud hole
And the water
I remember I would always ask my mother
If they were also our brothers
I have always thought they look
A little bit like us elephants.
My eagle has been flying low
A message near me now
Healing in my soldier row
Many years of rules below
Wings are taking me up slow
Up, up, flying low
I hear a cry upon ocean’s brow
Take me river, take me so
I’ll never be mother’s sorrow.
I hope
I dream
I run
I stumble
Falling
Breaking
Scaring
I dust
I tie
I sew
I straighten
Flying
Soaring
Climbing
I stop
I listen
I realize
I’ve ignored
My hopes
Starting
Again
My purple pants have begun to stretch
Into what is now a rich, royal blue
My teeth, they chatter back and forth
But in this wisdom: nothing more
I propose to block these three freedoms
For they each halt my ability to capitalize
On what has always been naturally me
Now I shall usurp liberty
A statue shall fall to build a wall
And my money God, you shall learn to serve
Until too late, for the end is near
Though I shall not call all so dear
This is a game, rags and all
For my warriors shall build as I say
And my plans will overthrow each day
I will make all Right again
I will make all Great again.
Rushing, I was an ember
Falling aimlessly amidst sweet coals
A surrender, long ago
Admitted sensationalism
Upon your sweet brow
Walking hand in hand
Between flames I would never know.
It’s ok that we cut down these trees for warmth
Let’s not get upset about our mountain
Turned crater, shipped to the moon,
Our water is a good memory, a clean memory
A clean memory for my dry lips
Afraid of this purple water
Maybe my dinosaur bones will take me home
To a land full of ten year old trees
Where water flushes the land clean
No more dirty top soil: eroded,
Home where the magical golden clouds
Hover just above the skyline, stinking
And water is just slightly brown
Mycelia? No, my bill fold needs more dinosaur bones
To sink into these fresh water lakes
Chopsticks, chopsticks, chopsticks trees
Get these poles off to the mill
Down that road of rubber and oil
More dinosaur bones and I’m ready to kill
Floating at 70 miles an hour
In plastic rocket ships, towing plastic bricks
And you there, strange looking person
How many toes do you have? You’re not one of us
Your skin is funny and your smell’s different
Let me see your papers that say many things
I don’t believe you can grow your beans here
See, my dead trees and stretched metal rings
Say: ‘NO TRESPASSING’
Get out, leave us alone
You’re filling us with lies
Unless you’ve got tits, beers, football, and guns
Money’s for me, and less of you.