Pain Refrain #15

Pain Refrain #15

 

Watch the riots in asphalt
canyons, and the heat;
the burning of icy souls
fueled by cold crude oil
and backmasked prayers
of black mass priests
who bury their dead in
blood-soaked greenbacks,
and the high pitched screams,
and the bombs that whistle

like whippoorwills and crash

like Boeing 757s into semi-

innocent sign-waving saints.

Debts stacked on bad bets
with other peoples’ grocery money,
stolen straight from pay buckets
dipped into shallow wells
like quick-dirty-fingers into designer
pockets of rich sidewalk striders.
And beauty has slipped away
with the ninja-like integrity of sexy
liars that stab, stab, stab
the worn spines of Bibles

and voters.

We believed, for a moment,

in peace;

the moment before the first punch

landed.
It was a deep breath of lush paradise

knocked out of our lungs

by the boot of tyranny

planted firmly into our

too relaxed backs.

 

We were crushed.

We are crushed by millionaires

with their necks noosed in the tiny eyes

of a swarm of needles

spit by the same martyred

carpenter they claim as their mascot;

 

and countless martyred workers since.

 

The empty golden cross is dressed in soot-soaked

moss, and hangs over the rancid hearts

of dapper demons.

 

In the deep calloused crevices

of our nail-scarred palms,  

we have discovered the paper trail

to Hell.

 

Overdosed

on this expensive faith,

we bathe in the opiate flames

like good victims and tightrope junkies.

Reviews

[Crowley]

Woop, Woop! That was a kick in the balls, an earnest look at the "the paper trail to hell"...great line. You are like that one mother at the cake walk whose wares are far superior to the rest, but when the music stops I always end up with the s****y pineapple upside down cake that never quite set up. Not sure what I mean by that, but it sounded good. Great write!

[arbitrary jane]

fantastic. great feel, excellent content, and seamless flow.

[Robin]

you know I have always thought of you as a Beat poet anyway , you certainly have the rhythm ..

[Kerry O'Connor]

You show what it is to have been main-lining the Beats' vision and vocal range since birth - way ahead of those who can emulate, you feel it from deep beneath that thick hide. long inured to suffering the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'.
What I mean to say is, this is the real deal, the authentic voice, the legacy of the Beat generation.

Thank you for selecting a piece this week to enter in the Sunday Challenge #3

[Tommy]

A man with my thoughts in mind, this is great! Too many to quote, but I love the outline of our corrupt system…

Great Write S.K.!
RLG,
Tommy

[OT]

jeez what did ya do dig up Kerouac? lol - ahhh "martyred carpenter" - now that's a word play I wish I'd jumped on! lol as always you're too bloody good - the kerouac is so potent here - "bathe in the opiate flames like good victims and tightrope junkies" - I'm jealous of so many lines in this one lol you got the repetition, word plays, wry humour - you got it all!! bravo!

[Amy Bumpas]

I love to read your viewpoint of this crazy world, and I think you
covered just about everything LOL!!

[Kenneth The Poet]

F*****g beautiful, this is the kind of poetry that the hippie Jesus would appreciate.