Unsent Letter to My Mother ~ Friday, 23 June 2017

Dear Mom,

I wish I knew when I was still little the rebel never wins even if I listened to you and dad and brushed my teeth after I ate candy and before bed I would still feel rotten as a loudmouth adult aging at forty-eight forces me to reflect on my catholic sins decisively I lost my faith in our family early on and found drugs exactly when father found sobriety with the twelve steps and AA

Enter through the front door into the atrium no one would ever think inside our home the rage of my drunken father would force the hand of fate given my childish need for love and attention but instead felt the belt hand fist and father's foot corporal punishment went overboard at home terrible to mention this as you turn eighty this year but all the hugs you gave your little boy could never take away years of abuse today

May we sing you a song on December 13th and raise a glass to drink our good fortune to know you are alive and well on this day of your birth tragically your husband of nearly fifty years passed away from cancer he shared birthdays with you one year older his tomb exactly the same size as a post office box as ashes to the earth return to you mother to celebrate your birth.

With love, your son, Hamsa

Reason Versus Sense Experience ~ Friday, 23 June 2017

Do not close yourself off from possible future events by creating mental categories that restrict your choices and limit openness this renunciation is the ascetic's path of denial and hardship only misery shall follow the fool who asks to be treated special as their right not privilege to proscribe a circle around their own body to describe a boundary as to will a force field to protect them from harm such madness guides vegans to believe animals as sentient beings who obtain the same rights as humans without cause but by proxy defense we give voice to our fears that when they encounter mistreatment and neglect we note their suffering and interpret their screams as horror in the face of murder or slaughter to put it politely to save face before death and if we were to face such wretched conditions for Death Row prisoners our vehement protests would never go unheard for to slaughter humans like other animals as we are animals all of the same kingdom we must preserve their right to a good life equal in value to our own and therefore must desist from wholesale consumption of animals for food no matter the flavor the aesthetics of scent nor nutrient value and thus the argument stands with reason not sense experience as guide

Ahimsa ~ Saturday, 17 June 2017

When I look back over my shoulder the tower block on fire engulfed in flames humor is not the first thought that comes to mind in awe I watch from afar intimidated by my own deed arsonists around the world will see my path to destruction my struggle for revenge shot in twenty-four frames second thoughts I reserve for those uncertain few who look back in horror yes I burned that tower down to prove a point to show the world it could happen

Hammer the flames with sword in hand as the blacksmith enfolds steel upon steel upon my word I did the deed the fire grew bold I could see from my car beautiful tongues lashing out against the night sky tigers climbed rapidly rushing to heights unheard of in Romtom brutal architecture the crime ignorant to neglect the poor the downtrodden the immigrant terror shame on our ministers to allow a building to become misshapen

Restless as firefighters work within walls of heat dust acrid smoke to peel every layer of flesh off every wasted corpse to identify dead grannies from injured ones make no mistake I watched this unfold on TV resting my weary bones at home in bed for days after the taste of grime embittered from battle on the front lines of Bakh diesel fumes in my head timid since time began I grew fierce learned to burn watch it on DVD

The Prologue ~ Al-Fātihah: Makki ~ Friday, 16 June 2016

The Prologue ~ Al-Fātihah: Makki

"Not of those who have earned Your anger, nor those who have gone astray."

Not Me the little boy in the Family Circus whom Mother knew nothing

of as he was a ghost invisible to her but not to her children

those little rat-fink brats who acted innocent yet placed blame on Not Me

who could not be seen nor heard by any witness but as scapegoat bells ring

have the rules of the game ever changed when a vase breaks while children play

earned the wrath of Mother these godless little brats she tossed in the cauldron

Your eye sees all events as Eternal Witness from Not Me to Donne's flea

anger, a game Mother plays with cleaver in hand when I stole from her purse

nor did she hold her tongue in check while taunting me with knife above wrist slay

those dragons before you before they command me to steal money again

who controls your actions but you with severed palm still graciously attached

have the games of abuse ever changed a woman scorned told me to refrain

gone were the days on swings in the park in autumn her son was lost mismatched

astray. Nothing to do for children who place blame on Not Me nothing worse

"The Pope Retorts" ~ Friday, 9 June 2017

"You're going the wrong way!" He stood and barked at trains as they passed his window elephants could pass by along the road below but he couldn't care less lesbians could cavort atop his queen-sized bed but he wouldn't notice liberal as was G-d before Republican politics put him down outside the universe banished from humankind in the fascist shadow whitewashed by history in camps full of denial don't look away he'll drown

snot-nosed anarchist brats whine about genocide as if they could undo all the murdered corpses they read of in textbooks like empty promises liberal governments offer as police force to each broken regime level the world says G-d and extinction occurs dinosaurs of deep time obliterate the lie of our humanity as Jesus undresses watching the trains pass by without thought He implores conductors to argue

"virgin hymen" a joke one Democrat relates to the Argentine pope ignorance breeds children like books out of charred wood from butchered rainforests socialists disabuse the pontiff with questions about theology agnostic atheists break bread with the Satan who reaches down to grope girls boys to say hello pedophile Lucifer begs forgiveness he jests enthusiastic flames devour apostasy for Christ's apology

Pounce ~ Saturday, 3 June 2017

Since all of you conspire to wake me up and there is very little I can do to stop it then I must decide to rise and fill your bowls with food and pour water for my little critters who howl and fight over the fact I am not dead asleep any longer but see my feet rustle under the top sheet and blanket or just the comforter and see the need to pounce upon the little mouse or rat they find hidden and must attack with force with claw and tooth until they see I have risen

Speechless ~ Friday, 2 June 2017

I stand in the cauldron water boiling searing my flesh and imagine the natives are getting restless waiting for blood to pour out of my eyes then it will be over this life will have ended and I could not foretell a better way to die than this mode or fashion this remedy to sin to resolve past mistakes in a very hot bath with flames up to my ears who knew these men offered such a gift to warm me from my toes to my crown as king of this domain I thought best to venture forth conquer and destroy little did I foresee my future was in trees hidden from my own spies bound and gagged not a word I spoke to these kind men ready to cast a spell to relieve me of pain in that my blood would seep out of my pores and flow over the edge dowsing the flames by then body and soul drown in my tears unrepentant for years what was the point as king to care for those I've sown into the earth with mirth no love ever have I shown my subjects no joy did I bid them witness in war or times of peace never did they decline to fight for my honor for my kingdom for me but now who dares to come rescue their lord in time before the heat melts flesh from bone too slow in their search maybe this is what they mean by fate being a source divine I have naught more to say words no longer befit a king speechless and dumb