I'm awash in all sorts of advice
from everyone who owns a tongue
They mean well
& don't realize that my pen leaked in my pocket
My cords are ruined forever
The fabric of my song
is so wrong
I slip slip slip
into a lazy sleep
Obscurity killed this cat
Too much sloth, not enough cheetah
No posts, no Holy Ghosts
nothing to save me from me
The barricade is tall
and well-equipped
We have lanterns in here
and enough food to last for weeks
A pile of newspapers is smoldering
in the tepid air of midday
Journalism is all ashes now
and fading fainting stuttering speeches
that once meant something
I'd rather chew buttons
than go down on one knee
to court the favour of the King
My heart feels ancient
as if I stole it from St-Joseph's
Distracted the guard
Just reached into the case and
pulled out that gamey thing
to replace mine (it's fucked)
I can feel the lost hours
and painted walls of paranoid splendour
Manic movements of a misunderstood fucker
Wants to be a saint
but he can't stop sinning
it's in his dirty warm blood
I saw Hollywood today at my bank.
He was withdrawing some hard-earned cash
Months ago, I had my guitar on my shoulder
Hollywood called to me in his pleasant drawl
Hey, Banjoman!
Gimme some coin or I'll pimp your azz on tha street!
I had nothing to give him.
Understanding why we live
is more than living
Loving everyone
is more than being loved
I wish I could sing you all to sleep
and it would be nice
to get a card or two this holiday season
For now, I'll linger with
Kurt and Elliott and Layne
or at least the minstrel-mish-mash
they left me with
and I'll keep my chin up
high high high
My eyes will sink
like flotsam
or is it jetsam?
I'll make pretty foam pictures
I've been accused of being
-self-referential
-a bad influence
-ornery
-creative
-completely depraved
Can you guess which I prefer?
This random nonsense
is worth more than a glance
It's not Ginsberg
but it's not CSI Miami either.
I have to yelp
before I can howl
3 comments:
So you want what? Praise? Encourangement? You ask for critiscism, and then complain of the way it is given. You've opened your mind up and are pissed that everything that filters through isn't sunshine and well wishes. You have real talent, you've proven it, quit bitching about it. No one gets it? You think the artists you mentioned in your poem didn't struggle, weren't outkast? You have to yelp before you howl? Certainly! But you also have to pay your dues. By the way, your poem is an excellent expression.
Why?
It is an excellent expression because the reader (I) can understand and relate to what it is that you are talking about. The frustration, the stubborness, the insecurity, loneliness and defiance all come through in your words. A famous author once said that talent isn't a free ticket, and it doesn't make you a ready made artist. It is something that must be beaten into shape, scarred and marred. You're writing has (in my opinion) vastly improved through continued writing, and living. Your poem invokes feelings in the reader, isn't that what you want!?!
Post a Comment