when the dark
amplifies
all that you’ve seen
in the light
your fear can fuse
a terrifying detonation

mental health issues
oft mean tomorrow appeals
when today is vile
due dislocation and voices

criminality a false premise
when envy cripples self-esteem
and blind privilege resides
in your neighbour’s house

substance use
can misinform
when past and present collide
and obscurity appears as epiphany

a father’s only son
can disconnect
when he mistrusts
his own interpretations

and in the end
it is always much better
to have listened and learned
than to have spoken without thought

Unpublished from 2016

unlikely resolution
for demands
of assistance
based on
emergency status
after
unfathomable
unpreparedness
calls loudly
calls rudely
for immediate help
all the while
refusing criticism
or suggestion
    no ring of steel
    their right

the cat
our predatory
suburban
household favourite
cannot change
its spots

the cuttlefish
the octopus
and the squid
like the chameleon
can change colour

now
the automobile

Change your car's colour with an app: BMW unveils colour-changing car (msn.com)

for many of us
the ancient call
to mediocrity
is played out
in our struggle
to arrive
and survive
in the suburbs

it is here we exchange
our uniqueness
for ritualized belonging

‘unpublished’

on the coin’s flip side
injustice rages

fuelled by a fear
that allegiance
to the demands of life
& responsibilities to kin
are force-fed

in schools, churches, & workplaces

& in the shadows of the hedonists
the disadvantaged fret & shrink
from a light that does not know
or welcome them

previously unpublished