The Sad Tale of Today (redux)

Nature morte


1.

A Flaneur tries not
to let the sheer miserabilism

overtake his joie de vivre

continuing along escape routes

is not always certain to be jolly

A sentimental example,

yet a scarecrow represents

the inexorable mathematics

of survival

Scare away the crows

and all the birds

there is danger here

Agricultural

 superstructure

over the primordial stratum

of tooth and claw

I noted with dread

a massive anonymous

black tour bus

It seemed to have

a sinister feeling

attached to it

It was an omen

Then the intrusion of nature's

constant dance of  life and death

Apprehended with the horror

of sentience

A spectacular wild bird

was lying dead

atop the BART escalator,

its incarnadine head and stole

it's striking claw

animated with vibrant life

scant minutes ago

Luckily I had plastic bags

one for my hand the other

for his sad body bag,

Down at the BART booth

the guy couldn't be concerned,

he indicated the trash bin

I took a fast Richmond train out

to await my Rockridge train

at MacArthur station

away from the experience

away from the bird

 its tragic cadaver

2.

I cling to my smile

against all sorrow

As all must

Take a steel capsule

to Rockridge

in the golden noontime

The aesthetics of everyday

commerce

A Picasso face

Not amused

The eye of course

the mouth

as cubist as une dame

d'avignon

Toughest audience really

no vestigial sense of humor

October dues are due

at the secretive hall

Magic mushrooms

make me as sleepy

as the next guy

I try to be

heteronormative

 but I draw the line

at cisgender

The missionary position

with a member

of the opposite sex

Tried and true

leads to children

Ban gas-powered cars

I am approaching

mellow

And look who's here

Blinky!

you old cad

A man for all seasons

particularly the one at hand

Nothing like a familiar face

from long long ago

to brighten-up my mood

If you go into the fields today

you'd better not go alone

I returned to the market

 after dark

for a bottle of XO brandy

The moon was nearly full

psychic Vampires

and sugar junkies

roamed the fleeting streets

Tuesday
3 October 2017