As rent went unpaid by the tenants,
they had to pay a heavy penance.
One and all, copybook blotters,
their name became simply, 'Squatters'.
But, in this case, possession being nine-tenths of the law,
did not hold up in court, and, homeless once more,
were out in the cold for their derelictions,
as the landlord had the courage of his evictions.
All praise to the OH God
of all that is and isn't
and most assuredly
of all that was and wasn't
We beg of You
sweet mercy from your fountain
and if that fails
please give us oxycontin
forgive us Lord
our sinful derelictions
release us from the curse
of "our" afflictions
We plead for gentle rain
a little mud
but let it stop
before the freaking flood
Give us the grace Oh Lord
a martyr's penitence
strength to endure
Your latest pestilence
Dear God, the organs wheeze
the bells won't ring
the choir sits "en Masque"
but cannot sing
John G. Lawless
8/15/2020
It was just a rope tied to a limb with a board, as a swing
we ran for position often, our challenge
pushing, racing, such a simple thing,
then
as momma told us both, "You best shoo."
even almost kind of pushed us out
"I'll call when my chores are through"
then
of course along the way were distractions
you know the kind, flowers and butterfly's
and we screamed joyfully in our reactions
then
In the feel of it all we never thought of restrictions
free to do anything, how silly it seems
in what we didn't know as derelictions
then
when as young adults we went again
as if to enjoy, recapture those things
the swing had fallen away from the then
becoming part of the now.
Every now and then,
A memory will surface,
Emerging from within,
Secretive in purpose.
Revealing bits of life,
I didn’t know exist,
Ashamed of what I’ve done,
Things I should resist.
They happened in a state,
That surely wasn’t me,
Inhibitions undiscovered,
Exploration; casually.
Liquor of deception,
Relaxing from inside,
Conspiracy of cells,
Contempt of what they hide.
So far away,
All the recollections,
Maybe yesterday,
Created these perceptions.
Save me from myself,
Both of me collide,
Wading in the ocean,
Brought back with evening tide.
Putting together days,
Making sense of nights,
Disgusted with results,
Of unrelenting heights.
Flashes of men,
Getting what they want,
Obliging to the fullest,
All the while I haunt,
A body that I share,
With a decent girl,
I am the oyster,
She is the pearl.
I know she knows,
That I exist,
Who else would have,
Slit our wrist.
Arriving with the whiskey,
Taking it from there,
Undo her blouse,
Let down her hair,
Let go of dreams,
Rules and restrictions,
Misrepresent,
Her derelictions,
And when I am tired,
I allow her return,
Hiding the truth,
That she wants to learn.
Marching towards death, a soldier, young, brave
Unafraid, gorgeous, back against the wall
Just a young man, not asking for a save,
Praying, pleading, that he can save us all.
Marching for salvation, benediction
His past another war he has to face
Paying penance for his derelictions
He's caught between the hiding and the chase
Marching for freedom, for the call to arms,
For absolution from all of his sins
Ready to die, to save us all from harm,
Where does the boy end, the soldier begin?
Courageous paladin, resigned to death;
Scared boy, running away with his last breath.
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