We take safety seriously

welcome the dreamers, the hurt, the weak
the poor, the isolated, the mad
he tangata, your huddled masses

he tangata - and smiling faces on shiny posters
We take safety seriously

Entry to this office is controlled
no helmets - no hoods - no sunglasses - no patches
we may ask you for proof of identification,
he tangata

We are here to help - we take safety seriously

three guards, numb with boredom
one operates the door switch
in case of zombies, I’m gonna hide out
in my local WINZ office.

he tangata
more news, daily of homeless in cars, motel debt
living on maraes, of Bennett playing her fucking games

someone arranged an in-car sleepover as a protest
should be fun for the middle class, concerned
we take safety seriously

“Oh yes it got terribly chilly, but we made do
with some wine and card games - it was fun
felt so good to be speaking up and helping each other, you know?”

he tangata
Welcome to Work & Income, NZ
We take safety, seriously

Godiva, Abjection

So now

you are seen

hoist and ragged and

given

martyred to the people

You are seen

We know you

exposed – filaments, form

tendons, tied – more

your shame

excites the crowd

dogs (snap and foam)

Jezebel - who praised Ba’al

become Whore to Beelzebub

victors’ ancient slurs

quicken pulses still we

see

you

.

in silence and in secret

you are known, loved

and forgiven

draw the blinds and let lie

Peace and Quiet

Woke up Monday morning
there was nothing I could do
Curled myself into a ball and
closed my eyes, thinking of you

By midday the phone was ringing:
Boss's number; killed the sound
Left it there, vibrating gently
by the window, on the ground

And I thought
what really happens if you give up life for good?
I think I'm gonna lie here till I feel just like I should.

That night my flatmates came home
from their jobs; I heard them laugh
When they'd all gone off to sleep
I ate some food and took a bath.

Wondered briefly what would happen
if I never left this place
Then just lay, eyes on the ceiling
picturing your angry face.

Woke again to sounds of knocking
They were banging on the door
Luckily I'd thought to lock it,
Wedged the drawer to be sure

I guess they'll keep on trying
Won't they just leave me alone?
Don't want to see them through the window
or to hear them on the phone.

There's only one person I'm missing
And I know you won't return
So I'm gonna burn my life until
there's nothing left to burn

What really happens if you give up life for good?
I think I'm gonna lie here till I feel just like I should.

millennium challenge 2002

blue force: United States Armed Forces
red force: unknown middle-eastern adversary

blue force:
battleships: deployed.
aircraft carriers: deployed.
sophisticated electronic surveillance network: deployed.
ultimatum to red force: deployed.

red force:
motorcycle messengers: deployed.
World War 2 light signals: deployed.
fleet of small boats: deployed.
massive salvo of cruise missiles: deployed.
suicide fleet: deployed.

blue force:
sixteen warships: destroyed.
one aircraft carrier: destroyed.
ten cruisers: destroyed.
five amphibious ships: destroyed.
twenty thousand men: dead.
you sunk my battleships.

blue force:
select option: suspend exercise.
select option: re-float fleet.
select option: re-start exercise.
select option: change rules of engagement. 

red force must follow the script.
red force must turn on all anti-aircraft radar.
red force may not shoot down blue force aircraft.
red force may not use air-defense weapon systems.
red force must disclose location of units.
red force must follow the script.

blue force victory.

blue force victory.

blue force victory. 

[Based on a true story]

Muscle Memory

My thumb still finds its way
to the base of the finger
where we used to rest

Now we sit, unused,
in my drawer
with my ties and drugs

I don’t miss us
much
these days

but my thumb still finds its way
to the base of the finger

There will come a day

There will come a day

when things get

as good

as they are ever going to get

There will come a day

when your best

is behind you

You will not mark these days

that pass

save in moments of regret

You will not note them

until forgotten dreams

remind you

And when you do,

what will you do?

What will there be

left to say?

And when you do,

Who will there be

left to grieve you?

And on the shore

I will wait

as the light

softly dims

And on the shore

I will stand

and turn to greet you

A short poem

---

swans cross stygian channels into
the darkening chamber
wings echo off moss-rust walls
then a matte and hollow silence


.

Poem: The Night...

I wrote this many years ago, late at night and fueled by mania. Reading it again, I think it retains a certain amount of charm. Disclaimer: none of the things in this poem are true in any sense of the word. Also, the poem is a bit dark and might be disturbing; consider yourself warned.

---

The night that Max wore his wolf suit
and made mischief of one sort
and another
his mother called him 'wild thing'
and Max said 'I'll kill you, and desecrate your corpse, removing your fingers
    and frying them in a pan, and wear
        your dresses, and burn your photos,
           and
    pull out your heart and leave it rotting,
      hung from the ceiling such that you can see it
  as you walk up
the long road
that brings you from town to our house, our very quiet house, our
  very
    secretive
      house
  and the secrets you made me keep will never be kept any longer oh mother of mine what fun shall I have
   and all without you any longer
  because you see
    I don't need you
    and I never needed you
    and I owe you nothing
   and I hate you
    and I wish oh how I wish that time would stand still
   for you
      for you
         for you
            for you
                               and most especially for me