a cut wire, a long range missile

that takes a while to arrive –

splash, gulps a goldfish taking in air

unsuitable.

stutters, cheeks swollen,

swims away to tell of foreign land

harsh.

a magician cast a spell while the heady spectators

they see what he wants them to see,

voices spooky, then angelic, then raspy

like from the tombstone: who goes there?

a customer goes to his favorite joint, inhales

the smoke, the vibes just got a lot stronger

and he spirals downhill but it feels like exuberance.

a soft touch, a hint, a demeanor, a gesture,

wrongly interpreted!

out comes the broom, the dust blows in the face

of a rat eager to scram away,

did not take too kindly that all it wanted

was cheese.

never mind all that, time flies, goes backwards

now which isn’t supposed to happen,

trapped in the past, a man without a heart

continues on, mimics life, and no one knew the difference

when the bustle, the hustles, the greed, the patience,

the empathy all began to shrink –

from forbearance, from scarcity,

i’m worn out too, said the giver.

who goes there?

but the streets were empty, yet the sound

of footsteps got closer, closer,

still no one was seen, a straight narrow road

where hiding was impossible.

‘i’ve arrived,’ and the quiet street turned red,

eruptions everywhere, fire, flames, pouring

from one angry mouth.

a drop of rain continues to fall on the cracked wood,

nothing happens, decades pass

then the beams they collapsed, taking down the house.

not me, never me the clever fox said to silly

chicken pecking away at a rubber band,

i don’t do stupid, never saw the nets suddenly spring

and became meal that night.

a demure smile, a glint, a shadow of fear behind pupils,

a flick, a thud –

an itch, a yawn, a boredom, a flight of thoughts

then the red carpet turned black, like soot,

so it was not a VIP guest after all.
more like a prelude to something sinister,
the crestfallen man says oops,
how did i get fooled?

but a fool’s errand seems like the impossible
quest, comes fire, fire in the belly,
i will do the impossible –
and never knew the belief was as fluffy
as a puff of air,

a goldfish’s nightmare. spirals of air,
the flow of water, come this way –

a sign, a label, a teacher, a master,
a father, a mother, an elder, a manager,
an authority figure, come this way –

faster, harder, why aren’t you trying?
you deserve to be in the spot you are in,
whispers conscience, whose?
pin pricks, blood burst in memories,
bleeding – come this way.

stop, stop, stop!

when the sirens go off, when the decoy
is made, when a man mistakes
a genuine good wish for permanence,
when a woman forgets that
transformation happens when
the piper plays.

shut your ears, the vibrations on the road
cannot be tuned out – it is inside your
mind, within your heart. not butterflies,
more like repressed spirits longing
to burn with the sun.

oh morning glory,
maybe heaven was never perfect!

heaven weeps for it is hardly missed,
hell is so much more alive,
let’s go to the party.

a sweet lie is much better than a harsh
truth don’t you think?
so says the gentleman wearing a mask,
and pulls the wire.

connected wires, a live wire, a final landing

before a man says, i see it now.