AMERICAN EXPRESS

I always thought
You were a pistol
You know
The never leave
Home without it
Propaganda slogan
I believed it
But it turns out
That your ammo
Is cash
Cartridges of usury
It’s okay
I guess
But it be nice
If you forgave
The debt of
Hard working people
We use to be friends
But now we are
Comical adversaries
What a green circus
And you want
Green money
And I will not
Give you
My green blood
Go ahead
Try to keep fishing
And I will
Continue hunting
You see
I have joined
The ranks of

The working poor
Never in my life
Have I work so hard
For so little money
If you want to
Cast you net
Make sure
You have a strong 1
Because I have
Scissors & knives
And I know
How to use them

A GAME?

Who would think
The store
Would become
A game board
And that
The nights & rooks
Would be killed
By pawns
The queen has
Grown fins
And remains smiling
The bishops
Cry and pray
The king has become
A mate

DISCOVERIES

I found Ginger
Hiding behind
A new—man
And she said
To me
I am you
And I took her
And helped her
Back to her place
Then I found
A delicate Chinese cup
Hiding behind Pamela
She has pretty colors
Blue & green
And I also helped her
Back to her place
She said something to me
But a couldn’t understand her
But I suspect
It was some type
Of tanka or maybe
Even a haiku
And behind
The blue diamonds
I found this Beautiful
Cinnamon—like Italian
Her name
Matilde Vicenzi
She was so pretty
I didn’t want
To let her go

EL PROFETA

El tiempo
No se detiene
Mi querido abuelo
Sí lo podía detener
Y lo almacenaba
Dentro de una botella

Nos decía
Con una sonrisa
Que era agua bendita

Y derramaba
Un poco del contenido
A través del barandal
De su balcón
Para los perros
Que se congregaban abajo
Refugiándose de los
Rayos ultravioleta

Y mi hermano
Y yo
Entonábamos carcajadas
Nos comunicábamos
Con sonrisas
Sin dientes
Como la de él

Nuestros dientes
De leche
Siempre fueron
Dispositivos
De felicidad
Números escritos
Con el puño y letra
De Dios

Sí
Mi abuelo
Sabía detener
El tiempo

SYMBOL

An open door
Might not be
A gesture
That welcomes
It could be the
Mouth of a sepulcher
A feast
Of indigestion