For the Guilty

I write this for the guilty

For those whose pockets

Are too rocky with dirt

Whose hands are weathered

Whose hearts are calloused 

I wish I could sing to you

Slip into the tender side

Of your nature

Like the Man in Black

I wish there were more songs

For you

I can not pretend to understand

You-- the how & why of you

And sometimes

I hate you

But more & more

I realize

That what makes

Somebody one of you

Changes

And how much

You deserve

Depends

On 

Cruel, stupid things

And if I were to measure myself

Honestly

When I measure myself honestly

I am guilty, too

December 8, 1980

Kindergarten 

My parents' record collection

Already beloved

His face

Seen daily

It seemed.

So when his face appeared

On television--

The smart Beatle

Who loved Yoko

Without apology--

When I saw his face

I knew he was gone.

Laundry List

Trespassing

Vandalism

Drag racing

Underage drinking

Underage sex

Rape:

Date & Gang

Child molestation

Theft: 

Of money

Of jewelry

Of tapes/CDs

Of Identity.

Drug use

Drug dealing

Drugging food & drinks

Fighting:

One on one

Ten on one

Skater Punks vs Stoners.

Carrying &

Using weapons

Stalking: 

In cars

On foot

Online.

Bullying

Harassment

Torturing animals

Killing animals

Illegal:

Gun ownership

Pornography

Prescriptions

Downloads.

Fraud:

Tax

Insurance

Academic.

Bad checks

Perjury

Black market:

Buying & Selling

Stolen, 

Smuggled, or

Counterfeited 

Goods.

Resisting arrest

Evading authorities

Domestic violence

Manslaughter

...

... I

Witnessed it

Knew about it

Was a victim of it

Or did it.

...

...We 

Were rarely arrested.

Never killed.

The World

I am tempted to ignore all I see.
I am tempted to ignore all I hear.
No, do not tell me. No, do not tell me.
Do not show me Pain. Do not show me Fear.
It is not my wish to cover my eyes
To pretend all is well when it's Madness
Or wish the wish true with comforting lies
No such trick has ever fooled my Sadness
But you, finite, yet full & filling still,
Have more than I, infinite, yet brimming,
Can stand. The stem will break. My heart will spill
Into the deep end where I am swimming.
Raining, yet the ocean is blue-- but why?
It's like the water has hope for the sky.

Meanwhile, people

So the final creep

Of Tyranny

Has unlocked 

The prison door

In Egypt

And 

A dozen

Or so

Women

Have been raped

And have been 

Saying so

For awhile

But it takes

A man telling jokes

For people to

Notice

Meanwhile

A man

Just admitted

He was raped

And people

Noticed right away

If only to roll their eyes

Blame him

Shame him

And likely 

Not believe it

Meanwhile

Ex-boyfriends

Still shoot

Their ex-girlfriends

Dead

And people

Still punch each other

In the face

For TVs & purses

And people

Are saying the things

"America" said

When sheriffs

Also wore sheets

And people use 

The word "Freedom"

When they mean

"Force"

Meanwhile

I will still have to 

Walk the long way

Home

When somebody 

Blocks the path

It will be my fault-

Long pants & three layers-

For being out

And people still

Don't understand

How stupid it is

How dangerous it is

To insist the oppressed

Keep oppressing themselves

Because it is safer to

Just comply

It is unfair but

You'll be safe

Until somebody

Decides to 

Block the path

If my favorite

Sports team was playing

I'd set a car on fire