the strike was on so
my usual bus filled with
state workers, county workers,
downtown workers
was replaced with a local bus
I sat next to a
father holding a two-year old
he said the kid
thought he was in control of everything and laughed
the father had eyes tattooed
on the back of his head
unblinking and covered in stubble
then a midget got on
not so much a
midget as he was perfectly
formed but only one-third
the size of an average man
he had Bukowski's face
Buddha's shot at karmic humor
he sat next to a plump girl who
had to hold her nose
and her eyes began to sweat
until a seat opened up and
she shot across the aisle
typical reaction of a woman to Bukowski's odor
my neighbor was a large man with
long hair and nails
a voice like a girl's
he told everyone that got on
"I saved a seat for you" and patted
the one next to himself
a homeless man with his
life in four bags finally sat there
I knew I'd never see these people again
except for Bukowski's next reincarnation so
I wrote this

Goodbye, Kurt. 

Thanks for opening up my 

head so many years ago 

like a ripe melon 

like a hard boiled egg 

like a dogma encased in amber 

say hello to Bokonon for me 

And So It Goes

he was a genius 

and my invisible guru 

we never had darshan 

never chanted in unison 

but his words opened my 

heart as surely as 

a hunting knife 

I looked in the 

wings of the 

stage today and 

didn't see anyone to 

replace him 

and so it goes 

Morning After Haikus

after a night of

margaritas

the tequila's fangs

only had three with

no idea they were

part of an army

the room spins

the legs wobble

someone sits on my head

Industrial Haikus

unloading new freight

spilling oil and gas

the ocean tanker

on a bare branch

no ground in sight

the last pigeon

fry cook's lover's

frequent doctor visits

herpes outbreaks

get a vice early on

one you have a

passion for

one you can ride like

a wild bull

ride it

don't explain yourself

or the beast between

your legs

at night

in the dark in

your room

alone

candlelight reflected

in those bovine eyes

will provide an insane

calm

to a ravaged life

if you aren't

trying to escape

you are

already dead

Is it possible to make art about, for and inspiring of peace? What would art look like that was about peace? What would art look like that inspired peace? -- Guernica? -- Flowers? -- The peace symbol? -- Bunnies? -- Scenes of War? -- Would it contain images of forgiveness? Would it be of suffering children or detail violent deaths? Would it be of Buddha's face or Jesus' eyes? What would peace art look like?

if you are a poet

take a stand for dead soldiers

if you are a soldier

take a stand for your soul

if you are a journalist

take a stand for your conscience

if you are a mother

take a stand for Mother Earth

if you are a father

take a stand for your children

if you are a Christian

take a stand for truth

if you are a Muslim

take a stand for peace

if you are a Republican or Democrat

take a stand for the Constitution

if you are an American

take a stand for liberty

if you work for a clandestine government agency

take a stand for the future

if you are a pimp

take a stand for compassion

if you are a CEO

take a stand for sustainability

if you are a billionaire

take a stand for sharing

if you are a neo-con

take a stand for reality

if you are a Guantanamo prison guard

take a stand for life

if you are a shark

take a stand for the ocean

if you are the sky

take a stand for the clouds

if you are a cry of pain

take a stand for shouts of joy

if you are a crow

take a stand for the straight line

if you are the devil in disguise

take a stand for revelation