I am a sojourner in the robot world
where hearts are untouchable
where grace begs
your naïve feet to follow
its broken trail
here I greet you with your last second chance
beware the too-short bridges
and the twisted shortcuts
that weave paths of destruction
barefoot, fool, walk among the cactus wildflowers
beneath the methane clouds
bask in the heat of the matchbox sun
behold the television demons pumping filth into the bloodstreams of the children
the sinner’s masquerade in the church
behold the media plastering self-portraits of drunken success
and the kings and queens in the scandals forcing you to conform to the shadow of their reputations
pay the honor you owe to the gods that own your destiny
behold the innocent poor ones feeding on the backwash of the cities
transforming themselves into the poster children for the operation of the domestic hatred machine
behold the kingdom
wander through the bondage and white noise
of the mistakes of your generation regurgitating the volumes of fail experiments in synchronized resonance
the deafening roar beating its pulsating rhythm through every body in the streets
hide where you can’t be sucked into this vortex
if such a place exists
beneath your core of cowardice
you’ll never make it blinded in the dark
reflections only send you to the black seas of regret
or deeper to the cages of despair where you shall fall and become consumed in your own failures
wise ones keep their mouths shut
but audacity is the downfall of the fool
sickness evident in self-righteousness chains you to the fences you built
until all that’s left is to scream out the song of your once beloved
and weep of your disgrace to pierce the deafening silence of your confined insanity
drowning in the black tears that you have cried out like a fool in your mindless agony
“what have I done to this world so wicked
that I have no escape?”
but refuge lies in your hand
a flicker of faultless silver hope amidst the thorns that have twisted until they claim you
a flicker of silver hope in the scorching rays ceases the single flame of your last second chance
in the flashing victory of your heart’s excruciating fire flight
your tender wings are torn from where the bullet hit you in the heat of the breath you’ll never take
and the piercing cry of your last moment throws your cage asunder burying your spark in the dirt
and echoes to a blank-faced funeral where no one hangs their head
as they stand above a stone that stands proudly over your spark
to proclaim forevermore:
Here lies He
The fool.