Monday, December 21, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

 Insulation

by Redacted

My home is warm and dry
The elements are all controlled by us
Air in the ducts
Water in the pipes
Fire in the flicker of the candle
And Earth stacked on earth to protect me from the dark
I want to tell you what I think about 
When I eat my food alone
I want to tell them why I'm here
And why I always save my bones for dogs
That died a long long time ago.
It's habit
And it protects me from that other element
That I fear most.
Time. 

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

 Before it was Cool

by [REDACTED]


I used to know a place
We called it The Moon
And only we few
We band of others
Outsiders and dogs
Only we
Knew where to find it
But we have all grown old
Kids wear the bottoms of their trousers rolled
And only we few
We confederacy of ancients
Remember the Moon and what it meant
What it showed us all
Waning crescent

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Bad Poetry Thursday

 Enigma

by [REDACTED]


I am a pile of ivy

pulled from the ground

and waiting to be bagged, taken, shredded

My tendrils used to firmly grasp the earth

I've come untethered from my roots

Home is where the heart is

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

 Fingertips

by [REDACTED]


I walk along darkened corridors
And hands reach out for me
To grasp and pry
I want to let them
To feel the fingers probe
and grab 
To give in to their pull
And float away

Monday, August 17, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

 Malign

by [REDACTED]


Hello there again
I thought it was over
but here we all are
together
Because you cannot get rid of me
You cannot escape what you've become
And you and I 
Our fates are tied
together
It's nyquil driving time.

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

Highlander
by [REDACTED]

The rocky crown of Arnestine
Sits atop the hill
It looks down on all who gather here
All sick
All ill
With despair or
gout or
ennui or
doubt or
cancer or 
worst of all
hopelessness
I am here
among the others
waiting for a sign from on high
A message that says
"you are not welcome here,
but you can stay"
A respite
A relief
Until another day
Until the crown decides that we should go
Until the powers and the principalities tell us
"get thee to a nunnery."

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Meddling Monkey, Busy Ape
by [REDACTED]

He hangs
Simply
Hands around a branch
As though it were the most natural thing in the world
Because of course
It is

Monday, August 03, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

Vapor
by [REDACTED]

I saw us wandering
Deeper into the smoke and mist 
I watched as we stumbled
On the roots exposed by the storm
You looked back at me smiled before
Disappearing in the vapor 
And I went with you. 

Sunday, August 02, 2020

Bad Poetry Sunday(?)

An Answer for Us All
by [REDACTED]

You and I
We want to know
All the whys and hows
The wherefores and whos
It will change us
Knowledge is power
More data is always better
Non-linear regression
Multivariable 
Can we backtrack far enough
to see the moment
The moment where this all began
The moment when you and I first crossed paths in the dark
Eons ago when the first human 
Took our first step
When the first day dawned 
And life began its horrible toil 
And our destiny was locked in stone
Already fossilized and immovable?
What then?
Do you take me for a sponge?

Saturday, August 01, 2020

Bad Poetry Saturday

Anodyne
by [REDACTED]

I walked outside after
The rain stopped falling
While the hot tarry asphalt
Gave its energy to the flood
And the water rose in steamy wisps
Back to heaven 
I walked outside after
The worms began their journeys
Back to the soil 
I walked outside and
The clouds simmered with anger
No longer held back by the weight of their tears
Flushing and terrible to behold
The world below quaking in fear of
The winds of change that never blow quite strong enough. 
Come again another day. 

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Ritardando
by [REDACTED]

I got out of bed the other day
Walked to the kitchen 
Ground the coffee beans
Boiled water
And waited as the French press steeped. 
I went to to work
A thirty second commute
I wrote reports
Collected data
Collated
Analyzed 
And then 
I awoke and got out of bed
Walked to the kitchen 
Swallowed vitamins
Ate breakfast 
Lunch
Dinner
Wine 
And then 
I awoke
And walked to the kitchen 
And worked
And ate pretzels
And lunch
Beer
Snacks
Bourbon
Dinner
And then
And woke up and went to work
And then

Friday, July 24, 2020

Bad Poetry Friday

The Ancient Grapes
by [REDACTED]

I look around my room
Bed clothes television chair
A dirty dish from last night’s late night snack 
And a wine glass
A thin puddle of deep red still at the bottom

My face is stained with today’s early afternoon 
Indulgence
More grapes but in a different way
Dry Rich and chocolate covered
I want to devour them all
I would like to devour you. 



Thursday, July 23, 2020

Bad Poetry Thursday

The Amphibian Divide
by [REDACTED}

The deafening noise
Chases at the heels of the clouds
Scattering them to the winds
to come again another day

And all that's left 
Under the rain-damp leaves
Is your song

The symphony of your throats
Written just now
Just for tonight 
with themes older than human
but somehow more human than 
The flickering blue glow
That lights the grass
The trees
The ferns
The fences
Emanating from windows
closed and locked

Your cries are not for me.
Your song is brief
Its peak is short
Your song is yours.
Cri de coeur. 

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday Again

Anthracite Becomes Us
by [REDACTED]

In the clouds
Above us
As in the earth below
It waits
With unbated breath
It has time to bide
And flights to catch
One piece at a time
A pie
Mystical and strange
Mist from the ancients
Let's circle back.

Bad Poetry Wednesday

A Multiform Panel
by [REDACTED]

In golden light
At dawn
You see it
Hewed from trees so long ago
Cut
Planed
Polished
Here it is to keep you warm
It glows
A remnant
You see the rings and understand that
This is all that is left
of that spiritual mound.


Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Admission
by [REDACTED]

We let them in
You and I
We welcome them home
After such an absence
Years and years and no word
And then suddenly
Here
Welcome back angst
Good to see you again depression
We have a guest room just for you
What a cute couple they make
I say to you
I wonder what they've been up to?
We can chat with them again tomorrow
And probably the day after that
you say to me.
We are a confederacy of hens.

Monday, July 20, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

Gargle
by [REDACTED]

She brushed aside his hand
She said
It is what it is
And coughed
Where's my saltwater?
Where is my thermometer?
She looked around the room
And saw a life of tiny things
Stacked atop each other
Precarious
And ready to fall
Held together by some invisible force
Stronger than her gravity
Older than her children
And gathered together in bunches at her feet.
Use your inside voices please.

Friday, July 17, 2020

Bad Poetry Friday

Behold
by [REDACTED]

I've seen so many shops in my time
Pixels out of place and foreign
The shadows do not match
And colors clash against each other
The foreground and the background are at war
And in the middle of it all
A subject far too small
Too hidden to have hidden meaning
It stands alone untouched
Pure radiation
As though the last defender of an
Abandoned outpost
As though it is saying
"All the devils are here"


Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

Radius
by [REDACTED]

We orbit each other
And once a month our paths
Intersect for just a moment
Hands grasping for contact
And then off again into
Interstellar space
I am just another star in your field
You are my mythic comet
Where have all the flowers gone?

Monday, July 13, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

In Amber
by [REDACTED]

Last night I think I saw your face
Reflected in the mirror as I brushed my teeth
It was just a glance
And when I turned to look
You weren't there.
You never were, of course.
I only always bring you with me in my mind.
You are there to surprise me when
I stub my toe
Or I lay down to sleep
My body calls out
But you cannot answer.
I long to see your face as I remember it.

Thursday, July 09, 2020

Bad Poetry Thursday

New World Atlas
by [REDACTED]

Follow the line directed by the pen
It shows where one place ends
And another begins
Imaginary borders
Are dangerous to cross
The idea of difference
Or the change of an idea.
Papers please.

Tuesday, July 07, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

The Unified Field
by [REDACTED]

Unmanifest and nothing
We sit together at the base of the world
Sharing a meal of rice and beans
Vibrations rise and gleam
Creation happens all around us as we eat
The world springs into existence
And the knowledge of good and evil seeps in
Light and heat
You say
How did we get here?
Where are we?
And the answer is
Always

Monday, July 06, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

So Close to not Finishing
by [REDACTED]

I know a place where
Cats don’t go
And where people 
Fall all over themselves 
To apologize for being late
It was the traffic 
Or a motorcade or a roadblock
We almost didn’t make it
They say with a straight face 
And of course we needed gas
Come here to this place
I will show you how to 
Burn the houses to the ground
And how to
Skin the cats a dozen ways
Look at this place 
It’s my home and my castle
You are not welcome here. 

Saturday, July 04, 2020

Bad Poetry Saturday

Dive
by [REDACTED]

A splash of water redirects
The air around it
Makes it move with joy and laughter
And the sound of dives makes all the people
Turn their heads to watch
Is it over?
Did we miss it?
Where is she?
The ripples flutter out in circles
And there she rises
From the depths
Intact and smiling like a cat
She is health embodied
And she turns to look at her mother
They share a grin and their eyes twinkle with joy and laughter
There but for the grace of god


Wednesday, July 01, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

When in Doubt
by [REDACTED]

On Thursdays in the city
A little after 10 AM
There's a sound
That sounds like a school with seven bells all ringing
It is a hidden signal
The people turn to face them
Praying to the ringing mecca
Bells an epicenter of nothing
On Thursdays the bells ring
They do not symbolize
They have no meaning other than
The changing of the guards at the bank
On South 10th Avenue
Moments later 
On this one Thursday
The bells ring a second time for the first time in living memory
Ten thousand eyes are staring 
A woman removes her earplugs
What is this fresh hell?

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Silencio
by [REDACTED]

When everything
has been said
and all the machines have
rattled to a halt
and the fires have
all burned out
and the people stand
and wait with dread
and satisfaction
You will hear it
first a whisper
then a shuffling roar
You will hear it
You will hear the voice say
Is this all there is?

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Bad poetry Wednesday

Festival Terms
by [REDACTED]

In other oceans
Far away from here
Sprites and fairies drown
There is nothing to save them
The tides waits for no one
And fishes sleep in depths unknown 
In other climates 
Far away from here
A snowbird sings songs
Of hope and peace
While we all freeze
A dream of ice
Welcome home. 

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

In League with Lions
by [REDACTED]

The lion roars
Teeth and tongue flicker in the light
of a thousand LEDs
And there
behind the glass
we stand rapt
watching nature's simulacrum
play out and ease our fears
of being eaten alive
on the savanna
a million years ago
when all we knew was run

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday Part II

Carrots
by [REDACTED]

Little roots
Like strings
Grasp the earth with all they have
A needle thrusting up
Orange and sweet 
I want to eat them all
But they are too many
A multitude 
General Orange commanding his troops 
It is the day of the carrot. 

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Carats
by [REDACTED]

She wore her heart as the fashion of the times
Loosely, and ragged
And her hand
Glittered
Her eyes
Glittered
Her hair fell
And still she couldn’t trust the future
The biding times were coming
When all her glitters
Would fade
And she would be left with nothing
But what she doesn’t know
What hasn’t crossed her mind
Is that nothing gold can stay
But all that glitters is not gold
Some of it is dross
Polished by the years into a perfect gleam
A shine that reflects the truth
She is beloved.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

A Long Time Coming
by [REDACTED]

It's been a long time since
I rapped at you
Since we talked together
About this, and about that.
It's been a long time coming
This conversation
I want to hear you and have you hear me
We can
We will be us and be unafraid.
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
I have gone to hell
And I'm still waiting to come back.
Tell me what have I missed?
What is new and lovely?
How are you and how is the world?
What new horror is here?
I hate all the things I cannot change.
I can hear the horn blowing in the distance
A twisted concerto written on the wind
It is beautiful and haunting
A horrible wail and plaintive sigh
My mask is slipping
Tell me where did you go for so long?
I have gone to hell
And we are still there.
Hear the hobo's lullaby.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

The Exploration of History
by [REDACTED]

Once there was a way 
To delve back 
Way back in time
To see the sources
The way things were
Time marches on
And with it comes loss as always
The institutions that we lean on
Are crumbling
And will be rebuilt on clouds
Remember what you can. 

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Individual
by [REDACTED]

A rose
by any other name would smell as sweet
A rose by any other name
is still the same
it doesn't change
and yet
and yet
and yet
the world is so much less without the name
the sea of metaphor has shrunk
I cannot kiss your rosy cheeks
or wear my rose gold watch
You can't put on your glasses
that dye the world's hues to match
and color everything that passes
as the best of every batch.
Another name can take its place
and other words connote
And still I miss that name.


Friday, May 22, 2020

Bad Poetry Friday

The Things We Cannot Change
by [REDACTED]

In the past
Things happened to everyone
And we all fought about
Those things
That no one can ever change.
We cannot go back.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

The Underground 
by [REDACTED]

I run beneath the earth
Caves
Tunnels
Ravaged canyons that sleep through epochs
There is so much to do
Towers to undercut
Fear to breed
Monsters to harbor
Roots to embrace
Invasive roots to love
I will swallow you all
Bring you underground
With me
I will try not to choke

Monday, May 18, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

Metabolite
by [REDACTED]

Things seep through
And little bits of poison from my life
I think we need
Travel
They eat at me
And I eat them in return
Don’t kill me
And I won’t kill you
A standoff I cannot lose
Or cannot win
Time will tell and in the telling sin
Is the first word on its lips
You glutton
You cretin
Feeding on poison is a fool’s errand
Spit it out
Flee from it
Remain pure
Stay away and keep yourself demure
And yet you, time, are not the end all
The be all
A bite of venom
And a quaff of fire
We can have it all
We can consume it all
We can live forever
No bells for me.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Bad Poetry Sunday

Antithesis
by [REDACTED]

Go to
Go with
Go forth
And make your fortune
Build your name up
Understand your brand
Identify yourself
Identity you shadow
Walk along with it
And watch your back
The shadow is a self
The shadow is my other half
That haunts you.
It will fight you to the end
Track your steps and find out
Who you are
In the dark
Who you are in your depths.

Friday, May 15, 2020

Bad Poetry Friday

Limes You Say
by [REDACTED]

Green rind lies piled
On the cutting board
Waiting for just the right time
The right moment
To dive headlong into fire
To join the others
To become one
Release their incense
Give it to us all.
Flavor and scent
Bring me back to
Years ago
When all was right with the world
And you could still love me.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Bad Poetry: Thursday Edition


An History
by [REDACTED]


There is a time and place
For everything
There is a season
And that season is the eternal now
Shapes morph
And pictures fade
Shattering the frames that used to hold them
And each memory slips
Just a little
Each time you recall
Until all that's left is the
Faded picture and broken frame
Was it me?
Was it I?
Was it we?
Winners write histories
But there are no winners here
Only us and the fragments of our lives
More important than any history
This story of us
And our relics.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

Corner
by [REDACTED]

My line and your line
Meet
We cross
And our angles form around us
I long to stay there
At our corner
That we created just the once
And yet and yet
Your slope doesn't change
You must move on
And so must I
Looking back to our corner
That singularity of points
In time and space
It pulls at us
And hooks from offstage
Draw us ever onward
Holding the line
There are no inflections
I will cross another line
But I'm still looking back
To find you in the dark
Before another point
In time and space lights up my life.
I will miss you.

Monday, May 11, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

Salt
by [REDACTED]

Life is measured out in teaspoons
Or milligrams of salt consumed
The limit is finite
And unknown
One day, long in the future
You will add a pinch.
It will be your last
How many shakers did you use?
How many salt lamps did you lick?
Each one
Pushed you closer to the ground
And you will return it
To the gods of the earth.
All debts must be repaid.

Friday, May 08, 2020

Bad Poetry Friday

Return of the Classics
by [REDACTED]

Motionless sentinels watch over the flock
And stories untold fly from every corner
Left field and right
The faces of old colonel gravity
Stare, blank as Bluebeard
At Oscar as he goes to the wedding.
And they will be there still
to watch his homegoing.


Thursday, May 07, 2020

Bad Poetry Thursday

The Den
by [REDACTED]

Warmth courses through the fibers
Our fingers crawl and stroke
The air moves gently
Blown by blades
Of what might as well be grass
Hemmed in, swaddled
We lie here together
Windows open to our souls
Windows open to the world
And your breath whispers yes

Wednesday, May 06, 2020

Bad Poetry Wednesday

Fit and Finish
by [REDACTED]

Injection molding
Cold rolled steel
Dogwood flowers
Powder coating
Fine grained vinyl
Double stitching
Juniper berries
Laminated glazing
Shiny wire harnesses
Thermoplastics
Coursing electricity
Live fire ammunition
Sweet corn
Still on the cob
High density polyurethane foam
Mirrored lenses
Double wishbones
Vulcanized rubber
Peacock feathers
Differentials
Fractal
Atmospherics
Leather upholstery
Canadian bacon
Candlelight
Wind

Tuesday, May 05, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

The Fen
by [REDACTED]

The dry wind blows the gutters clean
The puddles disappear
And all the world sighs
With relief and joy
The rain has come and gone
Here comes the sun.
But here under the sheltering leaves
Among the ferns and the slugs
The brackish water sits
Undisturbed and patient.
It will still be here tomorrow
And the day after.
A bog
A swamp
A fen
Building up the bottom of the world
So in ten thousand years
It will be burned.
Fire from water.

Monday, May 04, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

Trenchant
by [REDACTED]

We look to the north
And you feel that timeworn fear
We gather our shovels
And our trowels
To begin that hard work of battle

The Enemy runs deep
The roots of evil spreading everywhere
Nasty saplings springing up
All along the run
Like fire under unremitting sun

We charge the line of foes
You stumble but keep your wits
Our knees are dirty from our falls
And yet, today we win the battle.
We rip the opposition root from limb
And throw their bodies on the pyre.

Saturday, May 02, 2020

Bad Poetry Saturday

Dogwood
by [REDACTED]

Lost limbs
and o'ergrown with vines
a simple small tree still
stakes its claim

Friday, May 01, 2020

Tales of Ricky #7

This was the third trunk load of household goods that Ricky had taken to the thrift store up the road from his house in as many weeks. The amount of useless clutter that can build up in a few short years is always baffling, and for Ricky, a little nauseating. Each time he dropped off a bag of clothes, he felt a little lighter and more afraid. He never asked for a receipt. Receipts only help if you plan to file taxes.

His house here in Dublin was looking emptier by the day. Last week a group of kids from Ohio State had taken three couches and three chairs to furnish their new off-campus apartment after responding to his Craigslist ad. They paid him $400, but he probably would have let the furniture go for free if they had asked. His lease ended at the end of next month, but he needed to be gone in half that time. He needed to have a few days' head start and he needed to travel light. Other ads on Craigslist showed his bed, his dining set, his end tables and his lamps. Everything must go.

Ricky thanked the two bedraggled men that helped him unload his trunk and gave them each five dollars. He had never learned exactly when it was you were supposed to tip someone and so his default was to always tip. Money seemed to make all his transactions smoother. The men smiled at him and thanked him in return as he climbed into his aging Mercedes. He could easily afford a new one, but this car and he had been through so much together. Plus, a wagon could hold a lot of donatable stuff, and anything else he'd needed to fit over the last few years. He cleaned the carpet in the back religiously. Getting rid of evidence was a habit.

Ricky turned right out of the parking lot and headed east toward the car wash. The sun was shining now after three consecutive days of rain and drizzle. He loved the way a freshly washed car sparkled in his driveway. There was more to do at home today before dark, more store-bought art to take down off his walls. No photographs, though, of him or any of his family. He didn't have any pictures of his brother anymore, and only one or two of his mother. She left one day when he was 17 and he hadn't heard from her since. She didn't take much with her but the pictures.

Ricky scanned the upcoming intersection, always vigilant. His light was green, but the countdown clock on the pedestrian signal was nearing zero, so the amber lamp was imminent. He watched the clock and judged that we would make it. He entered the intersection just as green turned yellow. "Perfect timing," he thought as the he saw the red hand stop blinking. He looked back toward his path and had a split second to see the right flank of white Ford pickup turning left across his path before the cacophony.

It felt and sounded like a journey into an interstellar burst. Time dilated and sound overwhelmed. Ricky felt himself thrown forward and pulled backward, forces fighting to claim or save his soul. The smell of burning metal enveloped him and shards of glass like sparkling stars seemed to orbit his body. And then with a silent whoosh, the sound was gone, though the smoke of burnt metal still lingered. Gravity had come back, shooting stars crashed back to earth, and Ricky found himself still sitting in the driver's seat. He looked out through the mangled windshield and saw the wreckage of the truck, overturned and smoking, half wrapped around a light pole.

"I'm back. I'm back to save the universe," said Ricky to himself. A prayer of thanks and a promise from him to the gods.

Ricky tried the door and was amazed that it opened. He attempted to get out of what remained of his car but found himself still trapped by the seat belt. He unbuckled and exited. He stood there, half in shock, still trying to make sense of his enormous journey. His ship was destroyed. It would never fly again. He patted himself around his head, his chest. Everything seemed to be in order. Pain would come later, but nothing seemed to be acute. It looked as though an empty pillowcase was hanging from his steering wheel.

The police arrived mere minutes later. Ricky still stood beside his car.

"Sir, are you okay," the officer asked. "Is this your car?"

Ricky slowly turned his head to look Officer Priddy in the eyes and in that moment, they recognized each other.

"I'm amazed that I survived," Ricky said, still dazed. "An airbag saved my life!"

Bad Poetry Friday

Secrets of the Universe
by [REDACTED]

Why does the rain fall down without my help?
And who is this person in the mirror?
The rocks and sand get wet without my help
What does it mean for me?
Where is my role in the fate of the earth?
How do I play the part for which I'm meant?
What, then, was the purpose of my birth?
Oh, that I could see
And oh, that I could hear
And oh, that I could even pay the rent
I owe to those who own my heart and tears
But I fear I cannot even make a dent
Accounts unpayable have infinite girth
I'm sorry but I do not know what to do.
So take what I can give and pray for more.


Thursday, April 30, 2020

Bad Poetry Thursday

A First Step
by [REDACTED]

Let us go then, you and I
Out past where the furthest whitecaps swell
Out beyond the reef
Let us step out onto the water
With only faith to float us
And see what we can do
Let us tempt the ocean and mock the waves
Out there beyond the final slips of land
And if we sink
We still will spite the sea
Let us go to the bottom of it all
And laugh at all the powers of the earth
Let us not be drowned
For we are the only love gods.


Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Bad Poetry Tuesday

The Unbearable Lightness of Fire
by [REDACTED]

Her flames lick the seasoned wood
of last year's holly tree
cut down to make more room
and tunneled under to make more light.
Her smoke floats and slips
between the branches
seeking to escape
to send signals to the world about her fate.
But still she sits trapped
caged in rings of stone
Fed, yes, always fed
but poked and prodded
pushed and shoved.
And then the feedings end.
She withers, shrinks
Until she goes quietly into that good night
Nothing left to burn against the dying of the light.

Monday, April 27, 2020

Bad Poetry Monday

Illumination
by [REDACTED]

Light lightening the woods
Natural and yet unnatural
The glowing orb is here for now
A second hanging limply from the branch
And ferns below
Are reaching up to grasp the shine
Unfurled fronds are long enough
And there beneath the surface
The worms churn