Hatchet

Spinning vinyl 

Your words are whispers 

Between the lines

Undefined 

Each track scratches 

Im under the hatchet 

hoping for a quick death 

prayer every breath 

crying for a way 

I've run fast enough 

yelled loud enough 

and I'm down on my knees 

In the mud on these local trails 

But what it entails 

is a death inside 

a breakdown again 

this is my last chance 

I reach for the wind 

regret all my sin

i open the door 

and I let you in 

I'm empty 

it's ok 

I'm waiting to be filled again

with stuff that's new

more like honey

more like rain 

smoother than coffee 

deeper than pain

August 20

Any time my love 

Anytime

I'll listen to those rants 

About your out of of order rubble 

Your unordinary mother

Your insanity that hovers 

I'll listen to those talks

About the practical approach 

As if your father will encroach

On your up and coming views 

Any time my love

Anytime I'll listen 

To the courage that's inside of you 

The world you're barely breaking through 

The words are running out of you 

And you're becoming see through 

22

summer

is the same 

it is different

the second story of this building

the second story you were telling 

is when i forgot to be interested

I was really interesting 

when I told you I am 22

and I am just now breaking through

everything will resurrect

You said I'm resurrecting you

Vinyl

I fished you from the stream

water in the canteen 

I saw you in the flaw

of a swinging southpaw

I heard you in the sound 

of Keith Green on vinyl 

I knew that it was final 

when you said goodbye

Navy green & ocean blue

I've walked this path 

when my jeans were muddy 

my wounds were recent 

and I reveled in my disasters

flaunting every cast and cut

the sun would sink when I woke up 

I've walked these rocks 

When the smoke was thrilling 

my phone was dead

and your dad had said 

you had to leave 

but we left a trail 

your sister cried 

we tried to hide 

and slept in the back yard 

under the moon 

clothes still wet

navy green 

& ocean blue 

I always felt 

more real with you 

Fourth of July

You had the look 

of a wounded animal 

red, white, and blue 

blood, bone, and bruise  

we hadn't spoken 

since the stars & stripes 

the beginning of time 

since I made you and raised you 

and gave you a name 

twinless & sinless 

gunpowder grey 

no one can see this 

nobodies business 

the bunkers you're in 

shrapnel is buried 

under the skin 

green gold desire 

mortars light up 

flowers of fire 

under the sky

we chose to be smaller 

you'd rather have pain 

your smile, insane

your plane touches down 

on American plain 

Glass

seems it's going 

swimmingly

iron heart 

pound stubbornly 

grit is the feeling of

fighting to hide

the trouble inside

reeling like the riptide 

I am shambles

I am gold 

lean into the hands that hold 

I am glass

I am here 

color in the atmosphere