----------------------

A day without you
is like walking a tight-rope
10,000 feet in the air
where there's no one watching
and no one to care
if you fall.

------------------

Kato is

Kato is inner peace
Kato is tranquility
Kato is a secret place that you travel to
where there are trees and vines
along with giant rocks covered in moss
to rest on
you're the only one
that knows
how to
get there.

-------------------------

Doom

Doom flew to Seattle
From Columbus Ohio
he was a very shy boy.
we picked him up at the airport
and I offered him
chocolates.

-------------------

--------------------

My scar

I have a scar on my wrist
from almost 20 years ago
I tried to break up a dog fight
and one of them bit me
at least dogs leave proof
of where they drew blood from you
people scar you
and don't give
a shit.
---------------------
My heart is a carborater
from a 70s model Chevorlet
that hasn't been well-maintained
and there's gunk and grime
surrounding it
and when someone steps on
the excelerator
all I can do
is sigh and put my head down
then go on
when I know
I shouldn't

-------------------
I wake from a nap
in the freezing winter
3 things go through my mind.
damn I'm cold
damn I'm hungry
damn I miss you
in that particular order

------------------

Your smile

Your smile is
peculiarly fortunate, girl.
When it occurs
the universe subsides momentarily
and treacherous seas calm
When it occurs
all the stress and tension in my heart
floats away
like grey smoke to the sky.

---------------------

Monster

Not all vicious creatures
seek solance in the dark
they don't need fangs
or magical powers.
monsters walk among us
in the streets
they sleep next to us at night.
some of them have beautiful smiles
and a gentle touch
others may have long flowing hair
Oh yes, these monsters
will butcher you
when you're at your weakest
they'll sink their teeth into you
when you're the most
vulnerable!

----

hitchhiker's thumb

My thumb sticks out
like a nun in a strip joint
that's had 9 beers
and three shots of bourbon.
She's slurring like the complete
degenerate that she
truly is.

-----------------

My Grandpa's house

It was this large, white two story house
that was rumored to be as old as the state of Kentucky
I asked my grandpa who built it once
he replied, "hell if I know, Daniel Boone maybe."
My grandpa raised 5 kids in that house
and lived in it his entire adult life
hell, I spent much of the first 10 years of my life there
my grandpa died many years ago
and the house still stood for a few more years
until it burned to the ground one day
and after it burned
my entire family
did too.

-------------

First grade romance.

I fell in love with a girl
in first grade
she was infauated with me too
she had blonde hair and wore it in pig tails
we pretended like we were married
and even paid our classmate in play-money to be our maid.
once she threw her jacket over our heads and kissed me.
I wonder what she's doing with her life
nowadays
--------

Perspective is
the greatest blessing
one can have
or the gravest doom
I haven't decided that
yet.

--------------

The Screams of Bolts Fork

The screams of bolts fork
could be heard from half a mile away
on a quiet sunny day
they'd cut through the loafing clouds
and the unassuming sky
they'd pierce through the timber thickets
and send chills
shooting up and down my spine
that I can still feel
to this day.
-------------------------------
Mickey Mantle.

My grandfather adored Mickey Mantle
said he was the greatest Yankee ever
said he was so fast that the wind off his body when he was rounding the bases
could be felt in the bleachers
Claims he was as good as Mays in the outfield
claims he would have hit 1000 homeruns
if not for the whores
and the booze
and the injuries
maybe so.

-----------------------

My great Uncle

He was a tough old son of a bitch
lived to be nearly 90
got cancer at one point
then just kept on living
years & years longer than he was supposed to
but then finally the cancer and time got the best of him
and that tough old son of a bitch
stared down a gun barrell and pulled the trigger

a lot like his first wife did, years ago
the tough old son of a bitch lived for days in the hospital
afterwards
I guess someone shoulda taught that tough old son of a bitch
how to aim

---

I want to go to Japan and
watch the rain plummet to the ground
and ricochet off the pavement like
a suicidal man's body after he's thrown himself
from a high-rise building.
I want to transcend the universe and time
I want to own a house
deep within the confines of a forest
with a lake of powder blue next to it
that glimmers proudly because
even the lake knows
how beautiful it is.

------------------

Life

is what it is
it just is.
you
see?
-------------------------------
I MISS

I haven't seen you in months
I miss your face
I miss waking next to you in the morning
I miss that feeling that all is right in the world
when I'm near you.
I miss our long drives and meaningless conversations
that only we can follow
I can't stand to miss you
anymore .
-------------------------

Seafood Hell.

I was paid a low amount of money
to cook low quality seafood
for low quality tourists
have you ever experienced
seafood hell?
---------------------------

5 years old

I stayed at my grandpa's house
most of the time
both of my parents were
usually working and such.
One time I was running in circles
around my grandpa's house
until suddenly I spotted this other little boy
about my age or so.
I approached him with a
sincere curiousity
I smiled at him
he smiled at me
then I reached back
and for absolutely no reason
I bashed him in the nose
with my fist
what I wouldn't give
to be 5 years old
again

--------------------------------
Three Legged Dog.

I had a three legged dog once
it got hit by a car and its leg went into the fan
shredded it to pieces
so we had its leg amputated
It didn't slow the dog down a bit
he was as proud and fast as ever
never felt sorry for itself
if only some humans
had the courage of
a three legged dog
------------------
Hope

It is better to hope
than to panic.
I hope?
-----------------------

Tacoma Cab

I was visiting my friend
in Tacoma, WA.
I had been out all night drinking
and I called a cab to get back to where
I was staying.
I was only about 4 miles away
I would have walked it had it not been dark
and had I not been as drunk as Abe Lincoln.
So the cabbie arrives and picks me up
then he starts driving
that's when I realize this guy has no clue
where in the hell he's going
I'm not from the area myself
but I even had more of a clue than him
turns out he couldn't spell or read road signs.
he apologized to me over & over.
I just let him know there was no way
that I was going to pay the meter
he finally got me to my destination
90 minutes later
and I gave him a 5 dollar tip.
I was too drunk
to care.

---------------------------------

don't let the fire go out

My father is a funny man
he's sort of a throw back from an older time
he loves the greatoutdoors
and is a very hands on gritty man's man.
When I visit my folks in the winter or fall
he always has a fire going in the stove
even with electricity in the place and a furnace
even when it isn't that cold outside at all
he always has a fire going
and he's always burning wood he personally chopped
I guess there's some underlying gratitude in burning wood that you chopped
he'll preach to me
"Matthew, don't let that fire go out."
"Matthew, be sure to put some wood in the stove."
and if I let him down
"why did you let the fire go out?"
"you didn't let the fire go out again did you?"
"don't let the fire go out!"
I'm sorry dad.
I'll be a good boy from now on
honest.
I won't let the fire go out
and I'll run for president
then I'll enforce a national law
If anyone in the entire country lets their fire
or anyone else's fire go out
there's a place in hell
for them.

----------------------
God Invading Kentucky.

I grew up in the middle of
no where Kentucky.
When I go back there
and visit my parents
I notice certain changes
one of them being all of the
different churches in the area.
within 2 miles at one point
there was 4 different churches
Any direction you take on the road
there was a church
a baptist a methodist
this church has these rules
that church has those rules
this church doesn't like that church
some outcasts from the other churches even
turned a gas station into a church.
why can't these fine people of god
just get along
I ask ya