read these on 3/9 at musehouse:

when you hear or read
something full of insight
remember:
things are sometimes
as they seem
sometimes not
8/02


a thousand lead roles
with rave reviews
pale beside
one part
fully played
on the stage of life
12/91


my muse,how could you
walk out on me this way?
didn't i treat you right?
i gave you
everything i had
& more

i lied for you
stole for you
killed for you
died for you
& tho
from time to time
i chased another muse
i always loved you best
& came back to you for more

give me one more chance,o muse
& i'll crush whole worlds for you
steer my winged steed beyond the stars
that spin in spiral streams
& in the empty reaches there
where no mind has gone before
weave elastic webs of cosmic silk
stretched around the formless dust
& with my diamond blade
carve living shapes of unknown kind
make nature take new laws

but first
let me show you
what those other muses
showed me
1/93


pledge
pledge allegiance
pledge allegiance to
pledge allegiance to the
       allegiance to the
                  to the
                     the
republic
republic for
republic for which
republic for which it
republic for which it stands
         for which it stands
             which it stands
                   it stands
                      stands
with
with liberty
with liberty and
with liberty and justice
with liberty and justice for
     liberty and justice for
             and justice for
                 justice for
                         for
4/92


FILL 'N TH BLANKS

y'say y'stuk'n a rut
ovrwrkd
undrpaid
n whr y'wrk crowded
unhelthy
unsafe

wl don' say it too loud
cz y'kno who wait fr yr job
f y'don' like it

we'l handl y'kno who
keep m 'n thr place
long as y'
jus do yr job
take yr pay
pray sundy morn
watch th game aftrnoon
n f tht ain nuf
n y'find y'slf yelln at th wife n kids
jus stop at th bar aftr wrk
n rmembr
bettr hom awaitn
'n th sky
1/93


TRADITIONL FAMLY VALUES

god n cntry
mothrhd n appl pi
hom whr hart iz
evr so humbl,no place like hom
man's hom hz castl
place t'hang yr hat
charity bgins at hom
spare rod,spoil child
tall oaks frm lil acorns gro
lil pitchrs hav big ears
childrn shd b seen,nt hrd
silnce goldn
luv blind
womn shd b seen,nt hrd
womn's place in th hom
kitchn n bedrm
barefoot n pregnant
on a pedestal
lady in drawng rm,whor in bed
womn's wrk nevr dn
two cn liv cheap as one
luv me,luv my dog
8/92