the muse never leaves

(For S.A. Griffin)

Do you remember when Poetry
Used to mean something
Lately it taunts me
Something I can’t do
Something I wait patiently

I’ve been told the Muse never leaves
Antidepressants have cleared
All of the other voices
Now there is nothing to do
But wait

---

confessions of an American outlaw #476

(Transmissions for Lawrence Ferlinghetti #1)

You who liberated so many
Birthed so many
Lived your life making the World more beautiful
Bringing Poetry to light
Bringing Poetry to life

I fear that Poetry has fallen into the trap of society
Thinking Poets harder to find
But I know the truth
Poetry will outlive us all
None of us bigger than Poetry

I have shelves full of masters
Mostly dead
I listen to them, and they talk to me
They sing to me

All I can do is struggle
To write it all down
These Poems they feed me

---

confessions of an American outlaw #472

(Transmissions for Scott Wannberg)

I’ve been thinking of you since my birthday
The way you used to write birthday Poems on my timeline
On everybody’s timelines
You had a lot of work to do
All of that emotional carnage behind you
You touched everyone
You touched everyone with your crazy words
You touched everyone with your beautiful mind
This is a time of regret
I regret there was not more time for you
I regret the beautiful ones are all dying alone in some room
But as we know good Poetry takes isolation

---

confessions of an American outlaw #466

(Transmissions for Stuart Z. Perkoff #7)

The head is empty
Full of meaningless things
Hungry for nourishment
Pacified on filler
Until chaotic Jazz enters the room
With junky nursery rhymes
The room gets bright