the new year: part two
january 1, 2009 3:52 am
forest lake, minnesota

convergence

i like to stand in the front line.
 tonight i'm back. it's staggered some.
the front line is where it's the worst.
 some kid next to me gets hit bad.
you cannot hear anything now.
 they drag his limp form to the back,
shine flashlights into his white eyes.
 knuckles up, boys. it's coming soon.
wait another couple seconds,
 you'll be lucky if you can breathe.

honey is a terrible name for a dog: parts one and two
june 2007
north branch, minnesota

last night (friday)

a man with bloodshot
eyes
who never smiled
or yelled
on the/
in the
streets told me he
was the son of God
the lion
of Judah
the author and
perfector of
everything

and he told me
if i ever accused him
of misreading or
altering the old
testament (which he
did) he would "reach down
my throat
and

tear out
my tongue"

and i was
honestly

a little terrified.

quatrains

tour, july - august two thousand and nine

i drove the last some odd hours through

paradise and ypsilanti.

no cruise control, old after two

hours - en route to motor city.

eli and nate and chris and luke - 

asleep since we left milwaukee.

detroit welcomed us like a spook

living in an empty factory. 

guards greeted me with their flashlights.

day started to break and when salt

from sweat fared well to the last night

i fell asleep on the asphalt.

wendy lady in mordor

september 2009

somewhere in burnt out california

wake up, i'll swallow your teeth

wake up absinthe girl

the boulevard's in shambles

around your ankles

the hockey players, wanting, 

while the pole vaulters

are wasting away

come closer to me

i'll keep you safe

i'll swallow your teeth.

this post is for lauren and is entitled "between the bars."

affections and miniscule arrangements

of hearts desires or even 

larger-big-picture-wants

can be acted upon so 

horribly frivolously 

and selfishly

and wickedly sometimes.

yet at other times

they can be the backbone

of work done in the name of 

God 

Almighty.

you choose this day

whom you will 

serve

and do so with your 

affections and desires

not changing (unless

your affections and desires

are in fact wicked)

because you cannot change

your affections.

alter not your 

desires of 

things un-evil.

things okay.

things normal.

like wants.

(because wants

are not

inherently selfish or sin-

ridden.

every man 

has wants.)

alter your heart.