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Monday, August 31, 2015

dead money



I want to write the future.

Hear this as I shout it from office cubicles. Man wasn't meant to die alone
or go unheard
or laugh at other people’s jokes

that aren't funny.
God made fruit
and here is the biggest sin of all.
Young humans wear suits purchased with bored money.
They stop listening to their goosebumps
and they start listening to their news feeds.
Look over there,
behind that old Volkswagen,
you'll see their potential.
Hiding.
Hide and they stopped seeking years ago.
Their porch lights have been burned out all summer
and the neighborhood watch doesn’t notice.
Nobody notices.
Listen to my voice.
It sounds like the rain
when you're inside
and it sounds like your mother
the last time she said your name.
We're all broken.
There are teenagers screaming joy and love
across the streets
as we set our alarms for work in the morning.
5:30, 5:37,
because we never get up
the first time.
My dad told me to be whatever I wanted 

but he drove trucks for a living. 
My son asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up
but I had to finish my presentation
and the crickets are the only ones
who ever tell the truth anymore.
Fire burns because that's the only thing it knows how to do.
Look at us.
College degrees when all we needed was a compass.


All we needed was a match.

13 comments:

  1. this makes me want to be whatever the freak I want when I grow up and I don't know if that's what you intended but that's what happened.

    So thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Don't even know how to write a comment for this because it was toooooooo good.
    You ever get that?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Inspiring, this was just inspiring

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. Okay, I get it.

      I miss you Colby.
      (You'll never see this.)


      (That's the way it should be.)

      Delete
  5. What. "They stop listening to their goosebumps" and "as we set our alarms for work in the morning. 5:30, 5:37, because we never get up the first time." I miss this class

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ummm so basically I can't even.

    Like, what? You're amazing. Your work - it's art. Pure, true art.

    I can't quote my favorite line because I literally got goose bumps the whole time. I #stole it and wrote this work down in my writers journal for daily inspiration.

    Sitting in Starbucks right now with my notebook and pen and reading your posts to be inspired.

    Not that you weren't AMAZING 2 years ago when I was in your class... but now, wow. It's so real. So deep.

    Keep it up.

    People need your work.

    ReplyDelete
  7. is it weird if i comment on your creative writing students blogs?? ya know cause graduated.

    also this was extremely good. as usual.

    ReplyDelete
  8. hello i've been absent for a while but i'm back

    and sad i didn't see this until now

    because these are basically all of my current thoughts except expressed much more eloquently and poetically than I could ever hope to

    this is REAL

    ReplyDelete
  9. My dad told me to be whatever I wanted, but he drove trucks for a living...
    BOOM!!! but, hey... what is your son going to say? My dad told me to be whatever I wanted, but he taught for a living? I really love this blog post though. (But, remember the only ones telling the truth are the crickets) ;)

    ReplyDelete

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