We set stars afire
Melted them right from the skies
The Devil let out a pained roar
As the wax and paint dripped through the air
We brought his glaring stare down to ground level
So that we may better look him in his endless eyes (lies)
Before the phoenix gives rise
And the dust settles and
We become what we once despised .

The burden of proof
Has been delagated
To the post Truth world
Tossed aside into the dirt
Like an aborted clump of cells

(Is there room in the budget for a new death closet- this one's full of skeletons - and we have not reached our quota)

That nobody wanted to believe was viable
Is it possible we are liable for all these lies
They fall from our eyes
Like waxen Wings from the skies

To greet the cheap gods
We wear our fake selves
Our beating hearts sit on dusty shelves collecting paper machete love letters, written and bitten
By our favorite matchstick men
We better bet wisely
The nails are rusty
And daring us to walk.

[Nine ten nineteen]

Syllables not uttered

My words once lighthouses in her eyes

Now fall flat and die in the silent spaces in between

She came to me in a dream with a need to bleed the characters to the page

And we cried and rocked back and forth

To avoid being seen in their death parade

It's all a charade

We made to placate our insufferable days

Give way to to the rise of anger

Gave wine and dinner with strangers

Broke bread

Not fed

She said

I…