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Deep beneath the city
of glass and steel 
rats scurry to and fro...

Keeping to their place
as they have done for centuries
til that glorious day
when the castles above
get laid to waste...

Then they can move up
and lay claim to their rubble domain

Old Is New Part II

Reviewing thoroughly
the history of creativity
down through the centuries
we can state conclusively
nothing is new anymore

All that is done today
has been done
by somebody
somewhere before

Word erosion blurs
and eventually erases
previous creative proclamations
which resurface eventually
in the posts of new generations

Fake fresh inspirations 
run through today's hype machine
as the next BIG thing

but...

if you Google scroll
deep into the bowels
of transcribed history
you will see
today's genius masterpiece
is but a shiny refurbished toy
with a fresh coat of paint

Hell this poetic concept
you just read through
is nothing new

Tis a rebooted version of me
from a yesterday dream
originally cyber seen
in December 2014

We eventually plagiarize our own stuff
if we manage to live long enough    

Paradise Reboot

On the 50th anniversary
of the post apple munch apocalypse

Senior citizens Adam and Eve
took the bus cross town
and returned to Eden
to revisit the infamous tree
that was the root cause
of their cast out
of paradise demise

Sidestepping
the hot dog wrappers
and discarded site maps
that littered the trail
to this popular tourist trap
they paid the snake in the grass
(I think it was an asp)
tour guide the admission fee
to see what was once
a semi pious tree 

After reciting
chapter and verse
from the book of Genesis
the sly reptile hissed
that the curse could be lifted
if the original sinners
chopped down the damn source
of their banishment

Adam now filled with the spirit of redemption
picked up a golden chain saw
that the snake just so happened
to have in his Gucci satchel
and proceeded to rapidly  
take down the offending growth
and make firewood
as best he could
while Eve busily
gathered up rolling apples
to bake one of her heavenly pies

The moment that tree
hit the ground with a thud
the snake instigator
slithered away
laughing hysterically
about the continued gullibility 
of man

The sky opened up immediately
as the immortal landlord peered down
and screamed
"DAMN ME !!!
What the Hell
have you fools done now?"

Security angels 
were quickly dispatched
to roughly escort 
the disoriented pair
out of paradise yet again

The now down tree
reduced to a pile of splinters
could not possibly be repaired

The Lord our God was so disgusted
he stormed away
to devote his attention
full time to other 
more cooperative
parts of the galaxy

Transferred ownership of the site
formerly known as Paradise
to a local tribe
who crassly bulldozed 
the whole God forsaken freak show
and turned it into a glitzy casino

Ironically
Adam and Eve
now take the bus there
once a month
along with the other
gambler pilgrims
to worship the God of Avarice
who actually pays out occasionally

Somebody Has To Ask

There have been times
during my spiritually 
confounding trip
I've pondered
the dangerous question
if God and Satan
were one and the same

These extreme wings
of good and evil
forever mixing it up
til they blur in the cosmic blender
and become indistinguishable

Our stretched souls waver 
as these eternal combatants 
vie for our favor

WHAT THE HELL !!!

Do angels and demons keep a running score?

Who resides on top of the leader board?

Is this life all a rigged game?

Did the Lord create the Devil
as some sort of sick 
schizophrenic alter ego?

A contrived counterbalance
to forever test our wavering faith?  

Making religion the ultimate 
sleight of hand illusion?

Has humanity been conned by a master magician?

OH ME OF LITTLE FAITH !!! 

Sparklers In The Rain

... and the Gods cried 

when Prometheus
the original tech icon
stole flame
and gave man a chance
to culturally advance

Fire changed everything ...

Providing warmth and comfort
from the harsh elements

That glow of security
which illuminates
the dreaded night

Fire changed everything ...

Searing heat
forging the swords

Newer and better weapons
of quick efficient destruction

Implements perfected
for the tearing of flesh

The flame lit torches
to let us pillage and burn
our charred enemies

Create a funeral pyre
rising to the heavens
to honor our recently dead

Fire changed everything...

For better for worse

A blessing and a curse

In many ways
fire is like love
the flames which consume
is such a wondrous creation

Wreaking blazing devastation 
and exquisite beauty
throughout the inferno of human history

We the bastard offspring

The sparkling legacy
of Prometheus and Aphrodite

These terrifying contradictions

Both splendidly deadly addictions

We can't seem to live without

Death Dance

In my comatose state of grave

Serenaded by the soothing
blip...
blip...
blip...

Riding the sloping green line
cardio mountain range

I have for the first time
in my jaded life
found true perspective

No longer worried
about money
or job insecurity

Survival now the over riding priority 

My only battle
left is breathing

Heart beat weakens

Serious whispering

Muffled tears all around

In and out I fade

So these are the death throes

This is how the end game goes

Voices become more muted

A mystery priest hovers over me
chanting pointless Latin incantations

I chuckle at this final hypocrisy

A faint click of a switch
to take me off the machine

A ghastly tingly surge
as I violently convulse
the last gasp of oxygen
from my soon dormant lungs
that had once served me well

Death came as expected

My demise time duly recorded
for the morbid data base
in the gray clouds

Darkness

Silence

Then a flash of light...
far off in the distance

If you are wondering 
about the eternal mystery

Death is not a horrific visage at all

I hook up with a serene
gentle presence
bathed in soft light

The ancient angel 
takes my trembling hand
and in a soft voice
whispers in my ear
"Well done my son"
and with that
a feeling of peaceful bliss uplifts me

My new friend and I
slowly ascend
as we make our exit
from this chaotic world
where I never really fit in
to merge with the light permanently

I am not in pain anymore

I am not afraid

I am at peace

See you soon