Inspector

rolling up in the red jag

down twisted streets of deception

always rocking in a code of style

…---...   …---... said the Titanic

love of opera an acquired taste like scotch

the taste for scotch I’ve more than acquired, not the opera

crossword puzzle of life obscure clues

up down across diagonal whatever 

life and death isn’t always in black and white

time for a pint of bitter or two at the local pub

always time for one more pint

alcohol makes some people think better live better

has a way of loosening up the brain cells so some say

or sometimes shutting them down

work gets in the way—sometimes conveniently 

impatience your middle name and mine

not liked at least enough by the right people 

downright upright downstairs upstairs

let’s meet at a pub sometime

.- .-.. . -..- .- -. -.. . .-. / .... --- --. .- -.

Russian Holy Man

made my way out of the hinterlands of siberia 

walking across mother russia barefoot wanderer 

playing my bailastroika in the snow 

sold it to some peasant in exchange for a sturdy pair of black boots

a little food—a place to sleep in the barn 

making my way across the great plains

which in all honesty has never been that great

famine in the back pockets of the overalls

like some kind of crazed holy man here I stalk

black beads around my neck--cross o’ gold

I can cure I can heal you must believe

wild frenetic look in my eyes staring a hole in you

scaring people away who don’t understand my magic

attracting women who fall under my power they can’t look away

I can help you my friend now down on your knees and pray

I know what’s best for everyone especially myself

drinking and women and influence

but this isn’t my little confession, it’s a point of fact

I show my good friends in the okhrana watching me a good time

the women come and go all hours of the day

my psychic powers and other powers all powerful 

visions come to me I see I see I see

I don’t always know what I see

bottle of vodka always close by me

play the music comrade I wanna do my dance

late into the night HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!

Looking Out A Window

looking out windows 80 stories up

you can see everything and see nothing from up here

interviewing for a job I don’t even want

suits and ties--long train rides into downtown 

interview going smooth as the silk scarf she’s wearing

I tell the interviewer who is an attractive woman just a little older than me

(--a mrs. robinson thing here I'm thinking--) 

that I used to work at a steel mill pourin’ hot orange

she purses her lips and says her ex-husband works at a steel mill

I feel like momentum just changed jerseys 

the interview starts going downhill from there

she says they’ll call to let me know—they haven't yet 

I’m still waiting by the phone 20 years later to hear from them 

looking out a window in my living room

snow’s been coming down for hours now

it’s piling up maybe six or eight inches on the car in the driveway

the neighbor across the street is shoveling heart attack snow

honestly, I don’t think I’d go out and help him if he fell over

that’s not nice of me but I got my reasons

he’s got his driveway cleared now so he can get his car out

I hear a light roar coming and it’s getting louder now

it’s the snow plow plowing the streets and blocks his driveway with large chunks of snow

I can see him come out of his house cursing--I sit back laughing

I’ll wait until it’s dark quiet and starry to do my scraping 

looking out a window six stories up in a hotel bayside

life is suddenly much less complicated with a water view

night falls and hard drinks go down hard with it

I’m in my room--beachside bars with bad cover bands ain’t my thing

look at the drawbridge not far away and watch it go up and down all night

green lights green lights green lights yellow lights red lights sailor sam passing through

on his 25 foot sailboat or whatever long and however it is

traffic over the bridge thinning out as it gets later

all those souls living their lives in anonymity to others living their lives watching them

I am the king of anonymity--the supreme commander of the army of the invisible 

I don’t know no one, no one knows me, it’s better for all of us that way