A clever bird, in need of an income stream,
declared its basement open
for “respectable nocturnal renters.”
Two bats arrived at twilight,
carrying tiny suitcases
and impeccable references.
They promised quiet living,
paid three worms in advance,
and only asked for dim lighting
and a fruit bowl on Fridays.
Now the bird crows about
its passive income.
The bats brag they’ve scored
luxury lodging.
I’m in touch with my earnest feelings,
delight, pleasure, elation, gladness,
each day I awake to sunshine,
is’nt it such a grand privilege,
which I now deeply cherish,
for eternal moment lodging,
without inhibition or delay,
or at random point of reference,
other than to pause and gaze,
in burghs, hubs, alleys, drives,
to treasure, revel in, foster
gatherings of cordial folk,
who sense fellow inklings,
that impromptu golden spark,
of hobby, post, humour, zeal,
as time that astute passerby,
non judgemental watcher,
sentient in its observance,
does not dare to cut across,
interrupt or belittle magic,
on the hour instant interaction,
vital for searcher’s true quest
This place —cold and famished,
abandoned —
Recalling issues of broken mortars
And mildewed, hinge-leaning pestles . . .
Desiccated and forlorn,
Like a lychgate in a church of battle,
This place reeks of unholiness, with the
Spring of wild, rioting grass, invading
Where we hitherto gathered and sat the
Setting sun out of the wilting clouds.
Fragile fraternity hangs on the decaying soot
Of fireplace metal basket, rusty and time-dispersed.
The unknown saw has gnawed mightily
At our sacred trees and our shrines have crumbled;
Broken doors and lintels devoured by wood ants
Raise questions about wood dust lodging at
Our lungs.
There’s cold serenity here, my kinsman —
And a rift of dismemberment.
Sunny the squirrel fell fast asleep
in the rooftop gutter seam~
curled like a fuzzy comma
in a punctuation dream.
Rain dribbled down beside her,
but Sunny didn’t even stir;
guess gutter-naps are premium
for a sleepy little ball of fur.
Neighbors pointed upward~
“Is that squirrel okay up there?”
But Sunny just snored louder,
like a diva hung midair.
So now the roofline’s famous
for its napping woodland queen,
who claims the gutter nightly
as her five-star lodging wing.
The Money Note
Bad time for shipping, and I had no work, so I slept on the sofa
In my mother’s small flat, she sat up late drinking coffee,
reading and smoking cigarettes.
I had a small unemployment benefit, and my mother took most of it
For lodging, I spent most days outside trying to find work and
Sometimes I was lucky and got a temporary job as a washing
up at a cafe or cleaning the floors.
The old church in town was open until eight in the evening. I often
went there to rest and sort of half sleep, one day in front of
I saw a big money note -500 coronas- picked it up, put it in
my pocket and debated whether to keep it or give it to the verger;
Then the organ music started, I couldn’t bear it, and I left.
I thought of dinner and a nice bottle of wine, took a closer look at
The note was 500 coronas, ok, only it was monopoly money and
quite useless, back in the church, I put the note in the collection box.
Aprilcity was the theme a ridiculous jesture
A smile to say it was witty
A jesture to say it was clever
A lighthouse ajurned to a castle
In the middle of the desert
Might the mermaids sing to me
Might the prayers of sea merchants
Sound above the rocks
Might the winds howl in such agreement
The staffs of respected people
To treat visitors as there equal
From all ends of every nation
To marvel in such creation
Menu to menu
Event to event
Might the travelers who seek
A respective Venue
Speak us as such a retreat
To level the muzzling
the blurred eye to the blind
the most physical among us
To the sweet and unkind
Travelers in lodging
To which respects
A doctrine up holds
Might we stand staffed
To be host to visitor
Our needed like there's unopposed
Hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality
The needs of many people
Somehow, the deluge of cloudburst
unwraps my flesh pallid, as if to spill
holy water--maybe thickened dew—just
to give a name to lapses of my unheard cries,
while an insolent breeze fails to listen
as I howl in utter despair of life's requiem:
The thistle of wet soil chains my feet
anchored unto the swell of memories' bend;
remaining distant in an unknown,
vacant cemetery nourishing a loneliness
only vagrants like me could bear:
A scream of rain compels a thirst
to feed on abrasions of ghastly pang...alone,
isolated from new moonlight's lodging
my solitude, my invisible frame starts to sigh
behind the roughest of rain's marbled stone---
How can fresh mornings be so darn bleak?
Damp linens flung aside
sodden cushions
Flank by flank
She was damp
Nickel sack and bark rings
Verdant gaze meet hazel orbs
Ripe late April Northern Flatlands moisture
Slaughterhouse savory mist perfume
Slender dull rose covering on the pane
Cooling unit recirculating
Coral beams groom her visage
Midday vernal noon
the drizzle ceased the light slivered in
Naked gourd blossoms adhesive juice
Lurching brined
The toddler flesh on her abdomen
She didn’t cleanse
Just exited my one-room lodging
Infatuation perspiration,
Empty uterus,
Pixie sperm dribbling,
Contraceptive device
Marriage band fabricator.
Life's Menu
The world is a feast
hosting many beasts
lodging its beings
In a palace of bliss
Serving mystery meals
with knives and forks
tending to fangs and claws
Ripping through life’s menu
Feeding on scorn
Feeding on hate
Feeding on the love of men
Lavishly Catering out despairs
Stylishly rummaging
through the hopes
Spreading buffets
of selected illusions
spiced with chaos
The big green ones are everywhere,
next exit in half-a-mile,
they seem almost reassuring,
all done up in the same style.
Then smaller ones bordered in blue,
with promises of food to eat,
the big chains and local diners,
places to stop and take a seat,
then more such signs with the same look,
but this time it’s lodging and gas,
don’t really need a place to sleep,
though I could really use some snacks…
A small sign with a stadium
for the minor league hockey team,
there’s rumors they might move next year,
happens every decade, it seems.
And then there is a really big sign,
it stands tall in a farmer’s field,
hawking Indian casinos,
with their fantastic weekend deals.
ever so often, by exits,
I see symbols on a high pole,
visible near a mile off,
telling me here burgers and sold.
And sadly, there’s a blinking sign,
a warning to slow for road crews,
it never fails, they’re always out
when I have got something to do.
Many foreigners living in the Philippines
Quite for a long time now
Come, visit us here anytime
Many months, many years
It will be in your style
Surely, you will find yourself in tropical island
Sipping island made rum
Sun bathing in a beautiful sandy beaches
Picnicking, dining and boodle fighting
Lodging in those affordable affluence hotel
If settled, find your soulmate
Or better still, marry a Filipino woman
Thank you for loving Philippines.
.
save
I lived it only by sight
the criminal offered mine
lodging
thuh
b&b i'd say
swine'z lodging
his wife 26
her daughter 14
(he didn't off hiz wife)
hiz time with her
the spring'z must be
broken
gotta
go guy
and with i
off
sprint'd
dude'z
Remington stay'd
Pump'd i
"excuses edvard
excuses
Innnjoy"
Beautiful birds come
Lodging in durian tree
In discrete colors.
On that misty morning we first met
A day I never will forget
I knew from then we'd never part
For you found lodging in my heart.
Colored yellow beneath the sunlight
Eidoloned by azure breeze of the sky
Covered green like trees of delight
Scented by wind and bubbles of lye
Corded in lamp that cools the night
Your heart throbs in counts of chite
Chortled in incense of kookabura
Quilted and freed from petals of Datura
Heart dipped in cherry blossom
Shaped in cleavage of ample bosom
Deathless soul pulsating forever
Your heart lodging idyllic and so tender
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