Dark Lake

She said lets get a boat
and row into the darkness of the lake
we'll get baked and gape
at the zigzag stitchery of stars.

We lost an oar an hour before sunset
the wind through the rushes propelled us.
She ate a fat peach and kissed me,
the juice ran down her neck.

Surf lapped pebbled beaches
and peepers, cicadas,
a chorus of chitters
made sonic texture that pulsed alive.

Through the murk, a motor boat,
running lights of green and red,
engine's mutter ebbed,
a distant critter called,
Piney night arrived.

Old Tattoo

I'm just an old tattoo
faded ink from a Vegas night
after the Lennox Lewis fight
the chauffeur rolled the window up
the fizzy filled a paper cup
A guzzled jeroboam or two
Got a notion in your head
neon signaled straight ahead
felt the needle in the night
later, checked by candlelight
did that biker get it right,
my name in red and blue?
later, we somehow got it wrong
you played me like a juke-box song
I sloppy-croaked a verse or two
then I became that old tattoo.

Hungry for Love

Heard your breath
while you slept, yet
moonlight crept up an empty bed
welled my chest and head
hungry for love.

The lonely expect
a much more complex
Aspect of sex
gland-handed and vexed
hungry for love.

A guileless heart
is easily rent
toll of a life
incautiously spent
hungry for love.

Temerity's valor
cannot foretell
the luck that would break
celibacy's spell
hungry for love.

Addington, Bybee & Yoo (excerpt)

The 1990s had been going just fine
When we elected some Republican swine
who, in early 2000, did keep a tight lid
on a heinous agenda whose true aim was hid.
There was Rummy and Cheney and Little Gee-Dub,
and Condi and Wolfie and then came the rub:
their buddies the Saudis were surely to blame
for Gotham's World Trade erupting in flame.
The entire nation was taken aback
and Georgie then said, "Lets go get Iraq!"

Get me Addington, Bybee & Yoo!
Have them pen an opinion or two!
I know a dude who's name is Mahmoud,
Who's got some explaining to do!

Get me Addington, Bybee & Yoo!
Our AG Gonzales's a fool!
Electrical shocks and water-boarding rocks!
Its a swell way to Support the Troops!

Little Gifts

I've never owned anything
'cept this guitar and the songs I sing.
Got no paper, got no string,
got a heart as big as everything.

Only way we're gonna win this race,
hold together in a tight embrace,
Little smile put on every face,
bit of dinner put on every plate.

Give a little, give a lot,
make a gift of what you've got.
Tell a buddy, be a friend,
no beginning, ain't no end.

Buddha went to the hotdog stand,
ordered up from the hot dog man.
Buddha told the fellow, 'make it sing'
'Make me One with Everything'.

So give a little, give a lot,
make a gift of what you've got.
Tell a buddy, be a friend,
no beginning, ain't no end.

Spread a little love around,
flowers grow in fertile ground,
Reap the riches of the wise,
raise yourself and all will rise.

Joliet (excerpt)

Dad lived and died on Chicago’s west side,
his tribe crossed the water with their tattered pride,
Worked Streets and San once he got inside;
Bag-man for old Bill Thompson, recirculating the swag.

With paper and ink they taxed gambling and drink,
with bullets and brawn they took on the town,
A solid Republican chain of command
put christmas turkeys in workingmans' hands.
Don't rock the boat, the aldermen said,
so everyone paid and everyone bled.

Pop played the ponies, drink was his crutch
Unless you're lucky, that life catches up,
He crossed a line when he lost his touch,
a nag took a licking and got him in dutch.
Somebody went and wrote down the wrong thing
when that scratch turned up, the d.a. did sing:

"We're in this together, so give up a man
to hang out to dry, for someone must stand”
A nickel was dropped, our man took that fall,
he might have run so they made sure he crawled,
Could have been County but he lost that bet,
won a trip down to old Joliet.

Don't go down to old Joliet.(2x)

Falling Down

There was a time when I was a king
World at my feet, I had everything
Traded my heart, made money my wife
Buy all your pleasure when you can't buy a life.
I'm here to say it's true what we're told,
The riches in life aren't measured in gold.

I'm falling down, falling down.
I'm still looking up, but I'm falling down.

I had a girl who was pretty and bright
Respected my ways, she lit up my night
I wouldn't give her the things she deserved
That she's gone today is part of my curse.
I'm here to say, you know that it's true,
Happened to me, it could happen to you.

I'm falling down, falling down.
I'm still looking up, but I'm falling down.

I saw a light and I heard a sound.
Black sky is crying, it's flooding the ground.
I got my bottle, I'm in my cups,
I'm falling down, I'm still looking up.
I'm here to say, you know that it's true,
Happened to me, it could happen to you.

I'm falling down, falling down.
I'm still looking up, but I'm falling down.