DEPARTURE©

PORTENTS

Ouija fingers rest quietly

this plectrum pen will glide

see how it moves

the day is done and yet it moves

delta waters, bramble doves, fishes and hens

lotto tickets and legal dope

how they do spin

is there no end?

maybe a back room deal here

hidden players dress in the emperor's new clothes

but transparency is over rated

Nostradamus! I've got your back

hands in the air

screaming down the roller coaster

how many people in this situation would notice

that birds find it interesting?

plectrum plays a spritely tune

verging on perhaps a word or two

of sense

the crowd of hidden players huddles

mumbling

this game could get out of hand

it must seem to make sense

without giving away the secret

ARMAGEDDON MINT

as the Change vacillates

people here and there insist

we have escaped the worst

mayors and governors and presidents

even dictators

all proclaim their plan the best

until proven wrong

particle accelerators are without effect

though information defines power

genetic engineering withers on the vine

robots are not enough

prayers, offerings, and suicidal sacrifices come and go

the United Nations, a middle school gang

recedes to scratchy dust

dry desert rocks

lick one to see the iridescent colors

forgotten floods and a fluttering

blue lupine meadows

yellow bees

goats bleating

a dream of Buddhist gongs

incense

within a dream

the disaster updates WWIII

powerful ones are shaken out

the holy, the tortured, the insane and the lame

bonfire of the credit cards

armored limos stalled for lack of fuel

farmers overgrown with weeds

ragas to rags

a new logic will prevail

CROW NATION

the expressway median strip is orphaned land

a few yars back ecoterrorists scattered seeds there

wild flowers that grew and cheered everyone up

it was almost like the sixties

then a crew thankful for homegrown jobs came and sprayed weed killer

national security

statistics probably showed fewer accidents

insurance companies had no comment

traffic has increased, which proves something

of course these homely observations might seem pointless

as hard to measure as the cargo planes

rumbling over towards Moffett Field

noise blots rational thinking that might have led to further profit

an unfortunate cost managers might consider

it's hard to smell the flowers

when everything smells the same

traffic fumes, smog checks, jury duty

crazy weather brings fresh air

rain that wasn't expected

suddenly lawns that were on the drying block

turn vibrant green, growing way high

blades wave like kids getting out of school

yesterday a crow friend flew to the peak of our neighbor's house

looking straight down towards my distinctive hat

and crowed a greeting

I looked back

dare I say telepathy?

it cannot be commidfied

so of course I'm crazy

BROKEN NEWS

the movable castle opens a sliding door

Santa Clara

not the OZ of maglev dreams

this is Levi magic stadium

Trevor Appleton scratches his jeans

and debarks

no one is there

no haunting whistle

snow flakes drifting

no sign marks the destination

tail gate party?

no gas

curious thing is

it doesn't matter

he remembers white out conditions, drive in theaters

rueful memories

remember those window speakers?

almost sad

silence

remember movable type and the First Amendment?

the atmosphere is not like it ever was

a muffled siren grows louder

howling wind

emerging from the whiteness a black hulking squared off tank appears

two small windows glow dully red

it speaks:

Mr. Appleton, you have scratched your jeans in Levi Stadium, a National Security offense. Step forward. Move slowly, hands over your head!

the movable castle closes its door