Along the Genesee

They found the body along the Genesee

Almighty God we gotta leave

Under the High Falls in the wood

This funeral, this time, now, the hood.

I’m so mad

I got no money for the lease

That boy was sixteen

His name was Datrice

There isn’t enough coffee to drown my loss

Covered in thick, slimy green moss

They wanna evict me I got nowhere to go

Please, can you help me please, St. Joe.

I can’t end up in the muddy river

But maybe that’s my way out

Goodbye fear, I can’t deliver

A home for my family, food not a sliver

At home with the Lord I plea

In the fallen ninth ward

Along the Genesee. 

transcending

Transcend the age

rise up, come back, and do it again,

great sage

clear the head, breathe deep sweet ripe air

no room out 

now you’re caged,

where’s your opposite.

I am good, sin inexorably swims

universal suffering sighs

when daylight dims,

silence hearkens

nature sings,

a tranquil song

in the melody

where we belong

peace, shanti shalom-salaam

so long my love we are gone

Igjugarjuk

A little boy walks through the room full of trees
and steps up to the counter
too innocent to be homeless you whisper o Lord
I know what he wants without a word
a bagel,
and takes one from the top of the pile
clean cerulean eyes, a  toothless smile
says thank you in silence and walks out of the forest,
We are moved to tears.

My sister finally died
I held her in my arms, 'I love you'
she whispered, and slipped away.
Be strong you say, she was only 30
There are two little kids now without a mother
I need God to get through this but who is God the little ones ask.  I don't know.
Why did God allow it to happen
It's not fair to the children, Dammit! Why must I live?
You gotta light?  I'm not well with this one at all,
I'm surely not right.

Doug and Louise
quarrel outside
Mother and son need all the help
the gentle touch
a charitable squeeze
put down your guitar, brother, be slow to speak
don't touch that food, sister, for their is plenty.
"God has kept me alive
They cut open my heart, right in two
so I survive
to sue the pants off the landlord
who evicted me."

Let us pray to the Lord
Lord hear our prayer

"True wisdom lives far from mankind, out in the great loneliness, and can be reached only through suffering.  Privation and suffering alone open the mind to all that is hidden to others."  Igjugarjuk


 

who is you

Let us have no contempt for the man
who is down
who lays forlorn
on the forest ground,
keep compassion and mercy still
when desire is greater than ones daily fill.
Give freely to all who enter
no despair or ego
inhibit God's splendor.
Remove such vanity, be humbled and true,
be gracious and discern
speak no gossip of the man
who is you.

strangling sun

Where do you go when ugly rain falls?
darkness fills, a collective sigh
in St. Joes it's nine o five,
Larry shaves one head and then another
a moment of calm
before "HEY, you mother..."
dominos slam
do you understand
 a man
with no teeth when he shouts,
where is the silence
unleavened spirits roar
rippling through flesh
no peace Lord, the war
never ends
2000 years
is only two days?
feels like a ruse
strains virtuous praise
strangling sun rays
bring us home
to your Godly ways.

 

The bread maker

I don't need to repent no more
drifting in, drifting away
God is good, God is great.
But o my Lord
what do I hate
are the mass of men
at the shelter gate
no hope to change
no mind to see
from day to day, it's 8:30
where is the hope, that Blessed Hope
here, buddy, here's the black coffee, sugar, ah well, nope 
we got some bagels and muffins for you as well,
let's pray our souls aren't found in hell
for questioning and dissing the omniscient Creator,
the almighty and powerful the one Bread maker

Compassion and respect what can we do
Lord have mercy,
have mercy on you.

Chinese willow

Jaysus,  why don't you please us
death is so, contagious
ain't no one can avoid
such long arms of His Gracious.

Everything's a blessing, honey
No, I don't eat no macaroni
too much salt ya know
it'll kill me dead
but before it's read
Here lies a saint and a sinner
no powerball winner
let me just say
I am no quitter,
Just a meal and pillow
if there is no room
I know where to rest
under a Chinese willow,
behind the garage
where I am a hero
with my friends and drifters
along the four nine zero.