Jesse Doughty

Fulgent eyes reflecting waters
in allegory
out of reach
perchance
a pool
foamed and formed
from waters
flowing forth and falling
for
even the still
photos
do reveal
her eyes
to be
zoetically
if poetically
full of life
and movement
and motive
that seems to seek
a love beyond
the still and stagnant
that surrounds her
that gives her
annoyance
and cause
to move
to care
to love
to scream
out and aloud
through the thick
of the stillness
from the exanimate
impotent
languorous
and oft
insufferable world
in photographs
Her eyes
kindle a fire
that sets itself
burning and wild upon
indifference
and
the icy still
dullness of
photo-shopped backdrops
and studio niceties
and
because
this fire
burns constant
and
if it destroys
so does it create
from the ashes of
this execrable world
she rises
she is fearless
and dangerous
and lovely
and she knows it

Pendulum dagger
dangling from a chain
strike shallow and several
four
five
six chimes
the clock no cross
or symbol
to ward
away
some evil or
thusly swung
some
sudden notion
this
unclasped and deadly
means offense
in cold and bloodless
silence
left
without a death
or hint of naught
else but this
poetic desperate
misery
to crawl and curl
within
and then
only the moon
in the gutter ticks
the seven
eight
the nine

outside in
the pouring rain
can’t light
a cigarette
don’t guess that i’ll
admit
the girl just yet
perhaps i should
just leave her there
to die
i am sure
that she’ll be fine
And the morning comes
it always does
it always has
and the sun will rise
it always does
it always has
and the way we were
on the day before
we began to lie
just a reflection
in a tiny little tear drop
rolling
slowly
to
my
ear.

So complex the error
that even truth appears to unfold
from this errors
rotten knotted hold
and a closer look
merits no reward
for this error is
a two edged sword
that cleaves the cord
that draws the curtain
from gilded lidded
half opened eyes
that swear for certain
not surmise
the play beheld
is no illusion
but a true paradise
without exclusion
of all the wants
that thoughts desire

but choose those wants
that seem the best
to stand up to the test
of fire
and though all these prizes
be there bereft
you will find
the truth
is what is left.

foul language was the common tongue
and every shadow shaped
a foreign form of need
darkness had desire
to be extolled above the light
but no words found
gave shadow
favor
and the dark grew bitter
and became lonely
what lay beneath
and out of reach
of dawn and day
the witch unknown
and great with child
behind closed doors
where whispers lie
gave birth in darkness
late at night
a sickly daughter
for shadows wife
fear and darkness
lovers lay
embraced in hollow
perfidy
sing songs of sorrow
to birds of prey
that curse the moonlight
and the day
and all the while
their laughter grew
a sinister audience
to them drew
those things that light
did not embrace
found kinship in
this woeful place
where fear and darkness
ruled alone
fears sister hatred
placed her throne
and her creatures screamed
their songs of things
better left unsaid
with sharpened teeth
and gnashing dread
a call to order
chaos made
for barren night
and simple shade
to join the ranks
both deep and black
of a burdened army
for light attack

dirty unkempt
and with crazy eyes
cars lock their own doors
as i pass by
just a
hungover hummingbird
in search of a cigarette
i flit
from ashtray to ashtray
outside of cafes
collecting the better
once lit discarded bits
in a Camel filters box
that i found and saved for this
then on to mark
the map of the day
with small treasures
discovered ‘neath
hasty drive-thru windows
and dodging cars and comments
of ill-intent
i head to the nearest supermarket
and trade my booty
for cheap deli meat

it’s 9:30 am
and feeling full and righteous
i think that i might just
catch a nap
and on my way
to find a place to lay
my head is when
i run smack
dab
in to that
drunk
the one whose name is
i forget
and who really cares
anyway
he’s the one
who’s always slobbering drunk
and laughing
like a son of a bitch
as he stares
right in to the sun
his arm held out shaking
a bottle of KD at me
he says
get ya A pull a That
and sure as a bet
i take the bottle
swipe the lip
and get a good
long pull off it
and damn
but it tastes like
well you know
it’s really crap
but it does quench my thirst
a tad
i aint arguin that
and i hand it back
he replaces the cap
and shoves the bottle
in his pocket
and wanders away
staring
right in to the sun
cursing
friendly curses
at everyone
at
no one

it’s 10:30 am
and this day
has just begun

and i guess i’ll
scratch that nap
’cause now i’m thinkin
bout the beers on tap
at that bar that
i’m pretty damned
sure i was at
last night
and i got .30 cents left
in my pocket
and a sudden limp
and
i’m holding a sign
reads
GIMME
and i’m standin
in the middle of the road
when this guy
in a mercedes
rolls down the window
hands me a twenty
he says
don’t go blowin that
on food
or nothin
and i just laugh
like i’m crazy
and yeah cause i’m lazy
i ditch the sign
lose the limp
and run off
up the hill
and into the wind

it’s 11 am
and sure as sin
this day
aint even
begun
to begin.

I’m just sittin at the bar
cause i cannot find the car
did i even drive it here?
bartender please another beer
well maybe i drove the truck
yeah i think i’ll go and look
to see if it is there
bartender please another beer…

Well i was in a hurry
to get to the grocery
to buy the things you’d sent me there to buy
but they were divested
of all the things that you requested
and so i was a headed to the other spot
but when i got outside
into the parking lot
our little car was there
but now it’s not.

well i’m guessin it was tookin
so i got the cops a lookin
and though a rather shookin
it was then that i had this thought occur to me

well if i was that little car
where in the world would i be
so i headed hurriedly
to the bar to go and see
if our little car had made it there.

but gosh darned my luck
it really isn’t fair
of course the car it wasn’t there
and then i was just standin there
worried and wonderin hard on what to do.

and though it was just at first
i drank a beer to quench my thirst
i believe it was to calm my fears
that i drank the next two beers
cause i was just sittin there
too scared to try or even dare
call you up to tell you what was what.

and so i looked
high and wide
but our little car
i ne’er did find
and though the cops
looked all around
our little car
they never found
it was getting late
they had given up…
but then i bet you caint guess what…

well it was then that Johnny noticed
the Chevy truck that he had sold us
was just sittin there in the grocery parking lot.

well lo and behold em
our car it was not stolen
in fact it was the truck
i’d driven there.

bartender please another beer

and so the cops they had
their little laugh
and bought me another draft
and then theys told me
eyes too drunk to drive

and just as sure as i have
never lied
i’d knowed you’d want me
home alive
and so it was
just to be safe
that it was
that little waif
of a cocktail waitress drove me here.

bartender please another beer.

Well, thanks for lettin me try it
but do you think my wife will buy it?
please tell me now
truly
be sincere…
and hell
i’ll buy you another beer…