A mother
left crying
alone in her pew
Begging the Lord
for a miracle
new …
The only thing
he was good at
was being bad
Bus stations
train stations
corn maidens in drag
He came and he went
with the most
discordant rhyme
His sins
left uncounted
but marking the time
In Akron Ohio
his grifting
unwrapped
Those roads
in New Mexico
calling him back
The lights
and the sirens
again on their way
His thumb
in the wind
— Saint Jude in dismay
(The Breezeway: January, 2024)
Categories:
akron, grief, mother, son,
Form: Rhyme
Hopped a rattler out of Akron.
Rode the high end all the way.
On the Erie-Lackawanna,
Made North Jersey by next day.
Between a bottle and a biscuit,
And that’s all I’m gonna say.
‘Twas a rude accommodation.
No Angelina on my arm.
Stumbled in Towaco Station,
A-number-1, no false alarm.
I raided Harrigan’s at midnight.
Came to find my lucky charm.
Jacked a barstool with a seatbelt.
Took that baby for a spin.
Tanked a beaker full of vino,
Ran some red light sure as sin.
I traced the towpath to a piss pot;
Couldn’t keep from falling in.
Old Black Joe and Camptown Races
Waged a juke box culture war.
Jumped a willing breakneck filly,
Spilled her potluck on the floor.
I played her pussy foot to cat’s paw,
Then I danced right out the door.
Fleeced a rummage sale in Boonton;
Empty pockets, long-term loan.
Found a brown old five cent nickel,
And a plastic pocket comb.
Ain’t no sweet back, blue-eyed beefer.
New Hobohemia’s my home.
Categories:
akron, allegory, freedom,
Form: Lyric
Footprints through his garden.
My uncle and I once played tag
amongst his greenery;
With muddied shoes
and fear getting
the best of me
Surprisingly,
I had shaken my head yes
when he asked,
"Were those my footprints"
tracking through his greenery?
My uncle took the brunt of punishment
I carried on with only admonishment.
I think that was the first time
I was given a warning
and ran with it.
Throughout my life,
I have tried to retrace
a path he had set.
Footprints so large
it inspired generations to stand tall
This walk you see us fulfilling
is our attempt to be more like him,
The constant gardener.
His muddied shoes left a trail
for us to follow.
From Hazlehurst, Ga
to Akron, Oh,
Egypt and Israel,
from now till then
and onto clouds on high
I wonder if God is asking
"Who's footprints are these
tracing through My greenery?"
We can all smile
because we know
It is him. It's him.
Categories:
akron, garden, grandfather, heaven,
Form: Prose Poetry
once a parrot named kevin
wanted to fly to heaven
so he flew and flew
but when out of view
was forced to land in akron.
Categories:
akron, city, funny, humor, humorous,
Form: Limerick
Topic of Conversation (Heroic Couplet)
Say what you want about the man in black
You think he cares about that, he got stacks.
Akron Ohio was his home sweet home
LeBron is the man dunking on your dome.
Was once called the chosen one in Cleveland
People was now upset he was leavin
Let to be united in Miami,
Bosh and Wade said to him, whats up homie.
He has fought the critics and the people
now this mountain is ever so steep though.
Now he has help he can really count on,
while I now scream, go LeBron go LeBron.
Scoring forty eight on Detroit was great
this night was something not to recreate.
This man was even once called overrated,
this nonsense made me feel so much hatred.
He still is one of the best in the league,
look at his stats and you can clearly see.
I bet you LeBron wins a ring this year.
When he does, Dan Gilbert will shed a tear.
Categories:
akron, anniversary, basketball, betrayal, business,
Form: Heroic Couplet
From the Ohio River to the Great Lake Erie.
If they come from Cleveland, or south in Cincinnati,
these talented persons’ works are the ones we should see.
They have written some of this site’s greatest poetry.
They may live in the cities of Canton or Akron;
or perhaps in Columbus, Youngstown, or in Dayton.
They also come from many smaller towns in between.
They’ve written some of the best poetry I have seen.
Many of these folks have graduated from college.
Those that have not still possess incredible knowledge.
To them, poetry is both a science and an art.
Our Ohio members are all naturally smart.
Categories:
akron, dedication, poetry,
Form: Rhyme
ENGLAND
England is a changing country
Not the place I left thirty five years ago.
Oh yes, they still have Ann Hathaway’s Cottage,
And Buckingham Palace, and even fish-and-chips.
But it’s all dressed up in theme-park clothes,
And staffed by people speaking only Serbian,
Or Bengali, who don’t know what or where Big Ben is.
And don’t care what Big Ben is. Or where.
The language is almost pure American as spoken
By Schwartzenegger or Ice Cube.
The English see themselves as performing on
An imagined tv show for the benefit of paying tourists.
When I lived there English people knew what they stood for,
And today they will stand for anything. You could be standing
In Melbourne, or Akron, or London
The music, food, manners, hopes, beliefs are all the same.
Categories:
akron, introspectionpeople, people,
Form: Prose Poetry