Select Poems

All for Goddamn Naught  (WWI) (2009)

Brodie-helmeted man-beasts barrel toward Vickers-blowing, bayonet-bladed men

Under the blue-glass domey skyshell, cross a gray brown, dead-pocked, grassless fen.

Death-bound screams swell-hollow, among bashed-space and trembling bomb-shook, leafless trees;

Rattling weapons, sibilating bullets, missile shrieks raze silence, the warisons riot the breeze!

Chaotic-thick tangle! and buzzing bluebottles, spiraling-wobbled, concussed display more sense.  

The lucky-lions Valhalla-bounced fast, the enter-hour metal’s flesh-feast commenced.

While the hapless healthy, drab khaki’d, mudclad boys clashed for four years in the realms of Europe!

And hellbed-ready, war-afar donkeys bayed: ‘Boys, you may death-quaff, but war too, shall sip her cup!’

What delusioned-goads! for as murder-fell til nil at eleven, and ten million heavened,

And the unslew lines of broken-men wended home, shook, loplimbed, blinded, deafened,

All stretched flimsy thin; yet somehow proud, that their duty done and war future forbade.  

But how-extreme sad: witness they, that evil lives; in truth, a greater evil they had made.

For a double-decade down the years, all their slaughter did not alter Mars’s earthly take.

Their fight was all for goddamn-naught, all their ‘glory’ rot, the war to end all wars was a fake.

  • This poem is a vivid and haunting depiction of the horrors and ultimate futility of World War I. Here is an explanation and summary:

    Main Themes:

    1. Brutality of War: The poem captures the chaos, violence, and sheer horror of trench warfare during World War I. The use of sensory details—such as bayonets, bomb-shook trees, rattling weapons, and screams—creates a visceral image of battle.

    2. Irony and Futility: Despite the immense suffering and loss, the war is depicted as ultimately pointless. The idea that the "war to end all wars" only paved the way for future conflicts underscores a bitter irony.

    3. Deception of Glory: The poem critiques the delusion of war as honorable. Soldiers who survived returned home traumatized and broken, and any supposed glory or duty fulfilled proved empty in the face of continued violence.

    4. Legacy of War: The final lines reflect the realization that, despite their sacrifices, the soldiers’ efforts did not stop war; instead, their suffering was for nothing as future conflicts ensued.

    Analysis of Key Lines:

    • “Brodie-helmeted man-beasts barrel toward Vickers-blowing, bayonet-bladed men”: Soldiers are dehumanized, described as "man-beasts," indicating the brutal and primal nature of combat. The "Vickers" refers to the Vickers machine gun, a symbol of relentless slaughter.

    • “Under the blue-glass domey skyshell, cross a gray brown, dead-pocked, grassless fen.”: The imagery of a lifeless, war-torn landscape beneath a serene sky highlights the stark contrast between nature’s indifference and human destruction.

    • “Death-bound screams swell-hollow... trembling bomb-shook, leafless trees”: Emphasizes the fear and devastation of battle, showing how even nature trembles under the violence.

    • “The lucky-lions Valhalla-bounced fast”: Suggests that those who died swiftly were the lucky ones, as they were spared prolonged suffering. “Valhalla” references the Norse hall of warriors who died in battle, implying a false glory.

    • “And hellbed-ready, war-afar donkeys bayed: ‘Boys, you may death-quaff, but war too, shall sip her cup!’”: Critiques military leaders (“war-afar donkeys,” a term reminiscent of the "lions led by donkeys" idiom) who sent young soldiers to die, highlighting their detachment from the real suffering.

    • “Their fight was all for goddamn-naught... the war to end all wars was a fake.”: The concluding lines state the ultimate point of the poem: that World War I failed to achieve its lofty goal of ending all wars, proving instead to be a prelude to more violence.

    Summary:

    The poem paints a vivid, chaotic picture of World War I's brutal reality, exposing the trauma of soldiers, the devastation of the land, and the ultimate futility of their sacrifice. It critiques the romanticized notion of war, showing that the sacrifices made did not lead to lasting peace but rather set the stage for further conflicts. The poem's tone is bitter and mournful, lamenting the deception of honor and the legacy of violence.

The Rabbit Who Hopped too High (2004)

  • Analysis of The Rabbit Who Hopped Too High

    This poem is a fable-like allegory about conformity, fear, and the courage to follow one’s nature, even when others warn against it. The young rabbit’s instinct to jump high is condemned by the older, cautious rabbits, who believe it will bring doom upon them all. Yet, in the end, their fears come true—but in an ironic twist, only the daring rabbit survives.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. Fear & Conformity vs. Individuality & Freedom

    • "THE FAT OLD BUNNIES SCOLDED FOR WHAT THEY DECLARED A PERILOUS HABIT:"

      • The older, wiser (or at least more cautious) rabbits fear danger and change.

      • They try to control the younger generation, insisting that their way is the only safe way.

    • "FOR IF YOU LEAP THAT WAY ABOVE THE BLADE, THE WOLVES WILL SEE YOU BOUND,"

      • The elders warn that standing out (jumping high) makes one a target.

      • The safe way is to remain hidden, close to the earth—a metaphor for staying unnoticed, unambitious, and afraid to take risks.

    • "YOU MUST-NEEDS THINK OF OTHERS, EVEN IF YOU HOLD NOT YOUR LIFE AS SUCH A WORTH!"

      • This is a moral argument based on guilt—the elders try to convince the young rabbit that his actions are selfish and dangerous to the community.

      • This mirrors how society often discourages individuality for the sake of collective security.

    2. The Call to Freedom & Instinct

    • "SOMETHING IN HIM, SCREAMED: ‘JUMP, JUMP—JUMP UNTIL YOU REACH THE TOP OF THE TREES!’"

      • The rabbit cannot deny its nature.

      • This represents the inner drive of the individual to pursue their potential, despite fear or opposition.

      • The phrase "top of the trees" suggests a visionary goal, a desire to reach beyond the ordinary limits.

    3. The Irony of Fate & the Cost of Safety

    • "AND SO IT CAME TO PASS, WHAT THE OLD BUNNIES SAID, HAD BEEN TRUE:"

      • The elders were right—the wolves did come.

      • But the tragedy is that their caution did not save them.

    • "ALL THE BUNNIES WERE KILLED; YET HE WAS NOT KILLED, FOR THE WOLVES COULD NOT EAT THE RABBIT WHO FLEW."

      • The rabbit who refused to conform was the only one who survived.

      • Irony: The thing that was considered dangerous (jumping high) turned out to be the only thing that saved him.

    Interpretation:

    • This is a parable about courage, risk-taking, and breaking away from conformity.

    • The old rabbits represent fear-based thinking, trying to keep everyone small, low, hidden.

    • The young rabbit represents innovation, ambition, or even artistic and intellectual pursuit—something that society often tries to suppress.

    • The ultimate irony is that playing it safe did not save the others—only the one who embraced his nature survived.

The Coming Always  (2011)

the sphere only dipped in Eden-mist for moments.

soon again the globe redly glow,

and the charring-redly dance the green to fecaled-brown.

dance the stilled-blue to smudged purple

the earth brutaled by the terrible light of the

everywhere wicked things,

that ignited-spawn seeming from fields of zilch

and burn the capitol granite-rounds and squares to the ground

as the delusions of falling hatred and murder

are melted from the world

and their sweet stuffs run in plump drips and gulps

down sewer drains

the wise felt the insideout light before it came

not knowing how that murk shine

but they sensed the coming always

the lovers jitter mystified by the confusion of yet another night

they were promised the dark would not advent again

the evermore sunshine of our magical era

were avowed in the knowing that they were different

sprung angelic merely from being enough years beyond Christ

and enough into the torture of nature   

clever utmost, kinder through, history wrapped, thus sagacious

See how the clean stand on plains and streets 

eyes-wild, flame-sheened like they glossed fake fruit

Their arms scared, slither-caduceus their own selves

given up on help  

so sooty they, juxtaposed to their once were,

the deniers are so true to all times - Demon-shocked

“We thought the Low was eternal dead,” lips in circly-waves say

How they extincted all the ones who could save them now

But in a pampered world, angry-eye bulge only faintly in some few

The true warriors are educated away

Oh You, you who do this, did this,

Don’t squint into the insideout light

Gaze forever upon what you have made glow again

  • Analysis of The Coming Always

    This poem has an apocalyptic, dystopian feel, describing a cataclysmic event that consumes the world in fire and destruction. The "insideout light" suggests an unnatural or reversed illumination—possibly nuclear, divine, or some unknown force. The poem critiques human arrogance, blind progress, and the illusion of safety, suggesting that a reckoning has arrived, one that was always inevitable.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. Apocalypse & The Return of Destruction

    • "the sphere only dipped in Eden-mist for moments."

      • The world only briefly experienced peace, paradise, or an illusion of utopia.

    • "soon again the globe redly glow,"

      • The world is burning again, a cyclical destruction.

    • "the earth brutaled by the terrible light of the everywhere wicked things,"

      • Something evil and overwhelming is consuming everything.

      • The "insideout light" suggests an unnatural force—possibly nuclear war, divine wrath, or a cosmic event.

    2. The Decay of Civilization & Human Folly

    • "burn the capitol granite-rounds and squares to the ground"

      • Centers of power (capitals, government institutions) are destroyed.

    • "the delusions of falling hatred and murder are melted from the world"

      • The illusions that society had control over violence and hate are exposed.

      • But instead of eradicating evil, humanity itself is being destroyed.

    • "The true warriors are educated away"

      • Those who could fight or resist have been eliminated through intellectualism, complacency, or systematic suppression.

      • A critique of modern pacifism or the loss of strong leaders.

    3. Human Arrogance & The False Promise of Eternal Peace

    • "the lovers jitter mystified by the confusion of yet another night"

      • People thought they had reached a permanent era of peace.

    • "they were promised the dark would not advent again"

      • Humanity believed that war and destruction were things of the past.

      • This could be a reference to the modern belief that history has "progressed" past barbarism.

    • "The evermore sunshine of our magical era were avowed in the knowing that they were different"

      • The hubris of believing that modern humanity is superior to the past.

    4. Judgment & The Inescapable Reckoning

    • "Oh You, you who do this, did this,"

      • A direct accusation—someone (leaders? humanity itself?) caused this disaster.

    • "Don’t squint into the insideout light / Gaze forever upon what you have made glow again"

      • Don’t look away from the destruction—this is the result of human choices.

      • The apocalypse is self-inflicted.

    Interpretation

    • The poem is a warning about human arrogance, blind faith in progress, and the inevitable cycle of destruction.

    • It critiques the idea that civilization has conquered its violent past—instead, it suggests that disaster always returns.

    • The “insideout light” could symbolize:

      • A nuclear explosion

      • A divine or supernatural reckoning

      • A technological catastrophe (AI, environmental collapse)

      • A philosophical "illumination" where humanity is finally forced to see its own nature.

Noise of God (2012)

Divinity’s daffodil quill voice hear so holy, holy sweet in every each sonic spec,

In the broken sleeper nose, the buzz-bug ear near, the busy signal disconnect; 

In rapid-quaked jackhammer cackle-bounced gainst’ concrete;

In the timbermade wheel horse-pulled click-clack on cobbled street;

In the honkhorn-siren ricochets that so glut the cramp-bricked neighborhood; 

In the bitty bar bungled by bigger bar into the constructed home’s whacked-wood; 

In the silent diner, now overran by seriatim thudded-knuckles, smacked-chew pie; 

In engine spiral-rumble, drivers’ oath churns, and tires rounding-voosh by. 

Hark! God's psalms in hoarsed howl of hoarded hound in lonely confinement;

Lis, the wisdom wound with winding shrill curses flung among two lovers’ misalignment;

And the pure joy in the paper crisp air torn by children bursts, or bliss in plane lift off;  

Catch the canticles of the constant-crinkle-clouds of storm, undumb clanked-dumpster, rapping cough;

The fun in belling phones, yawping baby, droning buses, laved dishes, pot, plate and cup! 

Yes know! All that grates truly whispers hymns; cacophony choirs each irknote toward the Most Up!

So sit, special tilt and stay the heed to stop the banging, the clanged that all a‘bout brim,

and oh, be a lovely ear, eavesdrop in on this ever-going dispensation of Him.

  • Analysis of Noise of God

    This poem is a celebration of sound as divine presence, arguing that God’s voice is not found only in silence or sacred spaces, but in the chaotic, everyday noises of life. The poet transforms what might be considered irritating, mundane, or even harsh sounds into a grand symphony of divine expression.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. The Divine in Everyday Noise

    • "Divinity’s daffodil quill voice hear so holy, holy sweet in every each sonic spec,"

      • God’s voice is everywhere, even in the tiniest sounds ("sonic spec").

      • "Daffodil quill" suggests something delicate and poetic, as if God writes the world’s sounds like a scribe.

    • "In the broken sleeper nose, the buzz-bug ear near, the busy signal disconnect;"

      • The smallest, most mundane sounds—snoring, buzzing insects, a phone line disconnecting—are also part of God's song.

      • This subverts the expectation that divine presence must be grand or serene.

    2. The Loud & Jarring as Sacred

    • "In rapid-quaked jackhammer cackle-bounced gainst’ concrete;"

      • The harsh industrial noise of a jackhammer, usually annoying, is framed as part of a divine orchestra.

    • "In the honkhorn-siren ricochets that so glut the cramp-bricked neighborhood;"

      • Even the chaos of traffic sounds—horns, sirens, echoes—are part of the divine expression.

    • "In the silent diner, now overran by seriatim thudded-knuckles, smacked-chew pie;"

      • A quiet place disturbed by noise—thudding fists, people chewing—yet even these ordinary sounds contain holiness.

    3. Human Sounds as Sacred Echoes

    • "Hark! God's psalms in hoarsed howl of hoarded hound in lonely confinement;"

      • A howling dog, trapped in loneliness, still sings God’s psalms—suggesting that even suffering voices have divine meaning.

    • "Lis, the wisdom wound with winding shrill curses flung among two lovers’ misalignment;"

      • Even in arguments, pain, and curses, there is wisdom.

      • The idea that God’s presence can be found even in human strife adds a mystical perspective.

    • "And the pure joy in the paper crisp air torn by children bursts, or bliss in plane lift off;"

      • The sound of children playing, or the roar of a plane taking off, are acts of joy and divine movement.

    4. Cacophony as Divine Choir

    • "Catch the canticles of the constant-crinkle-clouds of storm, undumb clanked-dumpster, rapping cough;"

      • Even storms, dumpsters, and coughing—things often considered unpleasant—are forms of divine hymns.

    • "The fun in belling phones, yawping baby, droning buses, laved dishes, pot, plate and cup!"

      • Every sound in daily life, from crying babies to ringing phones to washing dishes, is part of God’s great soundscape.

    • "Yes know! All that grates truly whispers hymns; cacophony choirs each irknote toward the Most Up!"

      • Even the most irritating sounds are secretly hymns, and every piece of noise ascends to God as worship.

    5. Call to Awareness & Spiritual Listening

    • "So sit, special tilt and stay the heed to stop the banging, the clanged that all a‘bout brim,"

      • The poet urges the reader to listen differently—to not dismiss noise as mere chaos but to perceive its hidden beauty.

    • "And oh, be a lovely ear, eavesdrop in on this ever-going dispensation of Him."

      • Instead of shutting out the noise of the world, we should "eavesdrop" on the divine voice within it.

      • The phrase "ever-going dispensation of Him" suggests that God is constantly revealing Himself through sound.

    Interpretation:

    • The poem rejects the idea that divine presence is found only in silence or religious music.

    • Instead, all sounds—whether beautiful, jarring, or mundane—are part of God’s ever-present symphony.

    • It suggests that God speaks not only through sacred scripture or prayer, but through the very world we live in, if we learn to listen properly.

Cathedral (2011)

Dashing demon, dashing death, downward days rushing fast, 

Reaching, nipping, clasping at the back of the good-so-good soul; 

But then! smack-smudged badlings ‘gainst the stiff gray granite vast! 

‘Gainst the oldworld-outcast-wornstone, how so unoccupied cathedral! 

And soul safe slip the stepp’d seal, into, under, cupped door-hands of Heal. 

Soul in Soul, and Soul so feel, not see, angels wax wicked to a vapor peel! 

And the sin mist dallynot, twitch to flakey, ‘sperse to vanish! 

The shaded vacant, pitchy vaulted, we beneath fanned pinion of our Lord. 

Though dimly side-lighted candle fire, some unsmall unsaw lightwide wax high! 

This alight-light gush - how we see so bright light in our dark’d skulls?  

Chopped blind-eyed, chopped lost-roam, here home, heart here smears, 

stomped banish! we call into the not-two 

Bequeath fragrant stenchy this, beamy glint upon the skin, 

flair from eyes, flair from eyes, from flair eyes 

much love all fair that flair from eyes 

inside the tower’d, hallow-hollow high

  • Analysis of Cathedral

    This poem portrays a soul fleeing from evil and death, finding sanctuary in the sacred space, and undergoing a transformative, almost ecstatic experience of light, healing, and divine presence.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. The Soul's Escape from Evil & Death

    • "Dashing demon, dashing death, downward days rushing fast,"

      • A sense of urgency—the soul is being pursued by darkness, temptation, or mortality itself.

      • The repetition of "dashing" makes it feel breathless, frantic, like a chase.

    • "Reaching, nipping, clasping at the back of the good-so-good soul;"

      • Evil tries to grasp at the soul, but the soul is pure ("good-so-good") and is just barely escaping.

    • "But then! smack-smudged badlings ‘gainst the stiff gray granite vast!"

      • The demons (badlings) are stopped—they hit the granite walls of the cathedral.

      • The cathedral is a fortress, blocking evil from following the soul inside.

    2. Entering the Cathedral as a Spiritual Refuge

    • "‘Gainst the oldworld-outcast-wornstone, how so unoccupied cathedral!"

      • The cathedral is ancient, worn down, possibly abandoned.

      • But despite being empty, it is still powerful, sacred, and protective.

    • "And soul safe slip the stepp’d seal, into, under, cupped door-hands of Heal."

      • The soul safely enters, as if being welcomed by divine hands ("cupped door-hands of Heal").

      • The "stepp'd seal" suggests a threshold, a place of spiritual transition.

    3. Divine Transformation & The Dissolving of Sin

    • "Soul in Soul, and Soul so feel, not see, angels wax wicked to a vapor peel!"

      • This line is crucial—it suggests that the presence of God is felt rather than seen.

      • Angels don’t fight demons; their mere presence causes them to dissolve into mist.

      • The wordplay of "wax wicked to a vapor peel" suggests that wickedness simply melts away in holiness.

    • "And the sin mist dallynot, twitch to flakey, ‘sperse to vanish!"

      • Sin disappears instantly, much like a mist evaporating in sunlight.

    4. Light as Divine Revelation

    • "Though dimly side-lighted candle fire, some unsmall unsaw lightwide wax high!"

      • The cathedral is dark, lit only by candles, yet a massive unseen light rises high.

      • This suggests a spiritual illumination, not a physical one—a divine presence.

    • "This alight-light gush - how we see so bright light in our dark’d skulls?"

      • The "dark’d skulls" suggest inner blindness, confusion, or lost faith.

      • Yet, despite this darkness, the soul sees an overwhelming inner light—perhaps a revelation or moment of grace.

    5. Union with the Divine

    • "Chopped blind-eyed, chopped lost-roam, here home, heart here smears, stomped banish!"

      • The soul was once lost, blind, and exiled, but now it is home.

      • "Heart here smears" suggests an emotional overwhelming, perhaps weeping or surrendering.

    • "We call into the not-two"

      • This is a mystical concept—the "not-two" suggests oneness with God.

      • Many religious traditions describe the highest form of spiritual union as becoming one with the divine.

    • "Flair from eyes, flair from eyes, from flair eyes much love all fair that flair from eyes"

      • The repetition suggests a radiant, overflowing love—as if light and love are pouring from the soul’s vision.

      • This final moment feels like a complete, ecstatic surrender to divine grace.

    Interpretation:

    • The cathedral represents a spiritual sanctuary—a place where the soul finds refuge, transformation, and divine light.

    • Sin and darkness dissolve instantly in the presence of sacred energy.

    • The light in the poem is not physical but spiritual, representing inner awakening, grace, or revelation.

    • The ending suggests a mystical union with God, where the soul is flooded with divine love and light.

The Descent is Easy (2012)

Dark slowly snugs all around you, 

as you look into the Other Heat, 

and watch the ornate swirl and curlicue

of the wicked, 

mesmerized by what the men of God

said to stay away. 

What do saints know anyway? 

Look what the believers do - 

so the opposite is the truth to fools.   

The flames of hell may be played with

and you shall feel no pain. 

At first they soothe the skin, mind tickle. 

You toss the little spark upon your palm, 

as the on-lookers back from you. 

You relish in being a daregod!

How superstitious those who retreat!  

You feel you've been lied to, 

Look! You are jaunty with fire 

- there was nothing to be scared of. 

God and the Other Him are the same, 

or both not real. 

So then you roll in the flames

And it still feels luscious and interesting. 

Demons look like stuffed animals

watching on. 

The men of God, back farther yet 

You smile at them through the 

white, misty smoke-

How old fashioned? Adults scatter at a delusion.  

But then in just the start of a wink 

you are scorched and torqued by raging 

bursts of evil and 

flashing whips made of denial of Light!

Cringe and back-arch pain now! 

oh, you flail-writhing evermore!

How instant, the cool turn to sere. 

In the flicker, the transform 

of the enticing to replete death. 

Then worse, in passage, 

even slamdance of heat 

die away and one is entombed 

in the cold and gone. The All Gone.

And you drift in seeming timelessness

weeping, nigh de-souled.  

But listen to me, listen to me

wherever you are! 

You can hear me! 

God will return to you. 

Angels always swoop. 

There is always a way back, 

and a trajectory out of the doom place. 

God never abandons a soul, 

He cannot violate the Nature. 

He is doused in Love only,
Love only clunged. 

Yes, there is such a thing as forever, 

but there is no forever in hell.

And thus we pray for all such. 

Such as you. 

  • Analysis of The Descent is Easy

    This poem is a dramatic allegory of temptation, damnation, and redemption, describing the lure of sin, the deceptive ease of falling into spiritual ruin, and the possibility of salvation even after the lowest descent. The speaker warns against playing with dangerous forces, illustrating how something that seems harmless at first (sin, doubt, rebellion) can suddenly consume and destroy—yet redemption is always possible.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. Temptation & The Illusion of Harmlessness

    • "Dark slowly snugs all around you, as you look into the Other Heat,"

      • Darkness quietly surrounds the speaker, suggesting a gradual descent into temptation.

      • "Other Heat" implies hellfire or a forbidden force, something dangerous yet alluring.

    • "The flames of hell may be played with and you shall feel no pain."

      • The speaker flirts with danger, believing they can control or resist it.

      • The fire is initially soothing, much like how temptation first feels harmless or even pleasurable.

    • "You feel you've been lied to, Look! You are jaunty with fire—there was nothing to be scared of."

      • The false sense of security—the idea that sin or defiance is harmless.

      • The speaker enjoys feeling like a "daregod", reveling in breaking taboos.

    • "God and the Other Him are the same, or both not real."

      • This suggests doubt, atheism, or theological confusion, as the speaker questions whether God or Satan are even real.

      • This line is crucial, as it signals the moment of full rebellion—the point where the speaker believes there are no consequences.

    2. The Sudden, Horrific Turn to Damnation

    • "But then in just the start of a wink you are scorched and torqued by raging bursts of evil!"

      • The fire that was once soothing turns instantly into agony.

      • This shift represents the moment sin stops being enjoyable and becomes suffering.

    • "How instant, the cool turn to sere."

      • The illusion is shattered—the consequences of indulgence hit all at once.

    • "Even slamdance of heat die away and one is entombed in the cold and gone. The All Gone."

      • The final stage of damnation isn’t just fire—it’s cold nothingness.

      • The "All Gone" suggests complete despair, loss of self, and separation from all meaning.

    • "And you drift in seeming timelessness weeping, nigh de-souled."

      • The most terrifying part is not the pain but the void—a state of soulless existence.

      • The speaker has lost themselves entirely.

    3. Redemption & The Possibility of Salvation

    • "But listen to me, listen to me wherever you are! You can hear me!"

      • A sudden shift—the voice of hope enters.

      • This desperation to reach the damned suggests that salvation is still possible.

    • "God never abandons a soul, He cannot violate the Nature. He is doused in Love only, Love only clunged."

      • This expresses a theological argument against eternal damnation.

      • The speaker insists that hell is not forever, because God’s nature is love, and He will always offer redemption.

    • "Yes, there is such a thing as forever, but there is no forever in hell."

      • This is the poem’s most hopeful assertion:

        • Eternity exists, but not as eternal damnation.

        • The damned can still be saved.

    • "And thus we pray for all such. Such as you."

      • A final plea for the lost, suggesting that redemption comes through prayer and divine mercy.

    Interpretation:

    • The poem warns against temptation, showing how sin, rebellion, or doubt can start as harmless but quickly become irreversible suffering.

    • It rejects the idea of eternal damnation, arguing that God’s nature is love, and all souls have a way back.

    • It presents a terrifying depiction of hell, not just as fire but as complete emptiness and loss of self.

    • Faith and prayer are depicted as the means of escape, even for the most lost.

Autumn or Eternal Lawless (2013)

Autumnal purple-ashen wisps among the moon peeping, peaked-black sky.

The joyous weeping wind, reaping the last heat of a summer just nigh,

Cools itself and rumble-swirls with the company of the breaking world!

Warmth and tree-bits fill it's sweeping void as ocean’s gravel curl-

These leaves, like the manifold scaling-shades of man,

Each year are dumbfounded by the Deity's degringolade plan:

Gadabout grimly through the turning, dry air:

Grumble-crinkle as they spiral to the ground in despair-

And the human souls therein this un-inside-

Watch the transfiguration and likewise their thereins upon nature ride:

And a sadness whelms them as the collapsing parade of another season fade:

Yet, if wise, also evinced by the earth’s ellipse: that by time they are not made:

      For though their flesh fall like Falls,

      The I which sees through the eyes never stalls -

And that they may know.

So all our falls are fallacious, for we were fashioned a forever-flawless:

The dervish sphere may, for law, spin asunder yet we are eternal lawless!

  • Analysis of Autumn or Eternal Lawless

    This poem is a philosophical meditation on autumn as a metaphor for human mortality, but with a twist—while the seasons and the physical world decay and fade, the human soul is eternal and beyond natural law. It contrasts the transience of nature with the supposed immortality of human consciousness.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. Autumn as Death & Transformation

    • "Autumnal purple-ashen wisps among the moon peeping, peaked-black sky."

      • The imagery of autumn—purple-ashen skies, a fading summer—sets up a scene of transition and decay.

    • "The joyous weeping wind, reaping the last heat of a summer just nigh."

      • The wind is both joyful and sorrowful, taking away the last warmth of summer—a metaphor for life fading away.

    • "These leaves, like the manifold scaling-shades of man,"

      • The falling leaves symbolize human lives, each with different "shades" (experiences, perspectives, or fates).

    • "Each year are dumbfounded by the Deity's degringolade plan:"

      • "Degringolade" means a rapid decline or deterioration—this suggests that both nature and people are shocked by their own inevitable decay.

      • The poet critiques the apparent cruelty of a divine plan that forces everything to wither.

    2. The Shared Fate of Nature and Humanity

    • "Gadabout grimly through the turning, dry air: Grumble-crinkle as they spiral to the ground in despair-"

      • The leaves don’t just fall—they grumble, they despair, much like humans mourning their own mortality.

    • "And the human souls therein this un-inside—Watch the transfiguration and likewise their thereins upon nature ride:"

      • Humans observe nature’s changes and recognize their own fate in them—there is an existential awareness of being part of this cycle of decay.

    • "A sadness whelms them as the collapsing parade of another season fade:"

      • The passing of time is mourned, just as people mourn their own aging and approaching death.

    3. The Eternal Soul Beyond Time & Law

    • "Yet, if wise, also evinced by the earth’s ellipse: that by time they are not made:"

      • The earth’s orbit (ellipse) is cyclical, but humans are not merely products of time.

      • This suggests that while nature is bound to time, the human essence is something beyond it.

    • "For though their flesh fall like Falls, The I which sees through the eyes never stalls -"

      • The body deteriorates, but the conscious self remains unchanged.

      • This echoes spiritual or philosophical beliefs in an eternal soul.

    • "So all our falls are fallacious, for we were fashioned a forever-flawless:"

      • Death (falling) is an illusion—we are actually eternal beings.

      • The idea of human perfection (“forever-flawless”) suggests either a spiritual essence that never dies or an existential realization that mortality does not define us.

    • "The dervish sphere may, for law, spin asunder yet we are eternal lawless!"

      • The earth (dervish sphere) follows physical laws, but humans are not bound by them.

      • This phrase rejects the idea that humans are mere material beings, instead asserting that consciousness, soul, or identity transcends the laws of nature.

    Interpretation:

    • Autumn symbolizes death, decay, and the impermanence of nature.

    • Humans, like leaves, seem to be caught in this cycle of falling and fading.

    • But the poem argues that while our physical bodies fall, our essence is beyond time, beyond decay, and beyond natural law.

    • This is a philosophical rejection of mortality—a claim that the human "I" is eternal and free from the laws that govern nature.

Baptism by Wilted Flower in Sidewalk Crack  (2013)

See this so dry, weak spurt of dingy flora made  

Sprouting-limp through shaded-fissured concrete poorly laid.  

Its ratty-edged spaded slight-dunned blades at base-  

Flaccid sloped shoot, crook’d spray.  

See it arise inglourious to an apex parched,   

And its haggard-yellow petals in half-wilt.

Its drooped-bloom as if cumbered by guilt-

Could God be so poor at His trade?

Here it sits alone, no brothers or sisters of the field-

On this dank block, in this seared-dim summer city that to ugly yield,

That to misery and lorn, that to sorrow and downfall tilt.

Dour I, downward daze, red-dry eyes dwelling on flawed floret.

I scope it sway on the dolorous slate,

and-in-an amber sweet sunlight it shriveled yet.  

It nigh made me weep, for it reminded me of me -

Alone, barren, homely,

hot, trampled nearly by life on-going-

Though still someway, I saw it saw itself as I saw myself:

Far farther than fortune had flung to our souls by its sowing!

But no tis not our fate to be so great - we wrinkled, we forsaken -

oh, are we not?

We grow, I said, we gruesome two, we grow as we rot -

and the world ignores us, scoffs us, cares not if we were not.  

And there I stood, gazing at the thing on the dank block.

But then! My God! By some amazing how - a swift-flip-flop,

foul-fond shift!

You see, askance I squint and say, “What’s this?”

For palpate I, something fetch!

Now, I see a forceful queer delight at the appalled-site beneath my step -

For smeared in this sparsed, withering near-bruised-burning scape-

the wind-blew fresh, and the stem of this little brittled thing freshly sway,  

rocking the flower just a flit from its rest

so that it did itself for a minute in a sort of pretty mini-minuet!

Where before was this? How so rapid the world transformed!

The dead, greened, the rigid suppled, the desiccated, stormed!

The entire world now drenched and cool in an almost fluid beauty and light!

The entire world deluge, the entire world drip-bedraggled, soothed in bright!  

Oh my eyes attained a second sight, saw a set within a set -

All a’sudden this awful weed awe’d and lo! effulged in like waves

anew wholly beautiful and blest!   

The veins and pinnates plumped to ripe!

The shabby by some alchemy wiped!

The mangled was now magnificent, the worst now the best imbued!

The heaved life of living it, now somehow spirit dewed.

And the reign of dull-veiled, ruined existence was, by me, also not kept-

Twas’ traded for beamed beauty in the mere flower’s beingness

My God, my god, how I streaming wept!

In spirit billows of glory came this beauty rolling, rollicking

And by this Spotlessness was I doused-misty and chilled sately

By some presence, sheened in some holy wet

As this crowned grass lost gross to be a delectable, exquisite holy floweret!

I watched and watched for time, by sodden rapture beset:  

And self vanished far into this new-gorgeous, this new-gorgeous, some dam let!

Then I paused pure, majesty rinsed any foul of me and weed, and softly said a revelation:

“The Presence of God replete eternal in each as a tiny everpresent loving droplet,

The morsel is the ocean despite its size and seeming bitty spread!

So ever more, stop and peer at everything dry-dead, and let the dropt raise up from its bed!

For the Lord may random-ripple fresh baptismal pools, out-from-in, in, onto everything everywhere yet!”

  • Analysis of Baptism by Wilted Flower in Sidewalk Crack

    This poem is a deeply spiritual and existential revelation about finding beauty, meaning, and divinity in what first appears ugly, broken, and forsaken. It follows a dramatic emotional shift—from despair and alienation to awe, revelation, and transcendence—all inspired by a small, withered flower growing through a crack in the sidewalk.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. The Wilted Flower as a Reflection of the Self (Despair & Alienation)

    • The poet begins by describing the flower in bleak, broken terms:

      • "See this so dry, weak spurt of dingy flora made"

      • "Flaccid sloped shoot, crook’d spray."

      • The flower is frail, sickly, misplaced, and struggling in a harsh urban environment.

      • This immediately mirrors the poet’s own feelings of being unwanted, unnoticed, and nearly trampled by life.

    • The spiritual doubt creeps in:

      • "Could God be so poor at His trade?"

      • The poet questions how a divine creator could allow something so pitiful.

      • It suggests a broader existential doubt—if life is meant to be beautiful, why is it often so harsh and barren?

    • The self-identification with the flower grows stronger:

      • "It nigh made me weep, for it reminded me of me - Alone, barren, homely, hot, trampled nearly by life on-going."

      • The speaker sees their own suffering mirrored in the struggling flower.

      • They share a sense of neglect, insignificance, and decay in a world that doesn’t care.

    2. The Moment of Transformation (Revelation & Epiphany)

    • The sudden shift in perception happens when the wind moves the flower:

      • "By some amazing how - a swift-flip-flop, foul-fond shift!"

      • This seemingly insignificant moment sparks an entirely new way of seeing the world.

    • The flower, once seen as a symbol of decay, now dances beautifully:

      • "rocking the flower just a flit from its rest so that it did itself for a minute in a sort of pretty mini-minuet!"

      • The movement gives a sense of life, vitality, and resilience.

      • It is no longer a forsaken weed—it is alive, moving, joyful.

    • The world itself transforms:

      • "The dead, greened, the rigid suppled, the desiccated, stormed!"

      • What seemed dry and broken is now full of life.

      • The poet experiences a complete shift in perception, seeing the divine presence in all things.

    3. Spiritual Revelation (Finding God in Everything)

    • The poet undergoes a baptism of the soul through this new perception:

      • "And by this Spotlessness was I doused-misty and chilled sately / By some presence, sheened in some holy wet."

      • The flower’s beauty, once hidden, becomes a moment of divine clarity.

      • This is a spiritual awakening—a realization that God’s presence is in everything, even in what seems insignificant.

    • The final revelation:

      • "The Presence of God replete eternal in each as a tiny everpresent loving droplet."

      • The divine is not distant—it is in everything, in every moment, in even the most neglected places.

      • The flower, the world, the self—everything is interconnected in divine beauty.

    Interpretation:

    • The wilted flower represents human suffering, loneliness, and neglect.

    • The shift in perception represents a spiritual awakening—seeing the hidden beauty and divinity in all things.

    • The final realization is that God is present in everything, even in what seems broken and forgotten.

    • The poem suggests a universal spiritual truth: If we pause, look deeper, and allow ourselves to see beyond first impressions, we can find beauty, grace, and holiness in even the most unexpected places.

Blasphemy 

I shudder if I...

Imagine the abandoned state

if I forget to pray

to You...

A dearly wasted stay

on earth to disobey

the revealed Truth: 

You become my Bible, you my Qu’ran -

All other thought be banned.

I joyfully submit to this theocracy.

Your Image, my icon and my emblem,

You are my Mecca, my Jerusalem:

To glimpse another face be idolatry.

Your name I recite

when in pain, when in night;

What you desire are my decrees.

For it is my soul that is at stake

There be not a minute to forsake,

Worshipping false Shes.

My cathedral is Your happiness,

Your silence to my prayers, my madness;

My hell, Your single tear.

I am baptized by our unions,

Thy gazes my communions;

You are the source and death of all Fear.

So stay close to me my Lord, 

You are my condemner and my Sword -

With you, I am fragile and invincible.

Thus! Let all the false gods assail me!  

But I shall not fail Thee: 

My Savior, from here to the Invisible.

  • Analysis of Blasphemy

    The poem portrays a man who loves a woman so intensely that he elevates her to the status of God, making her the sole object of his worship. This, in traditional religious terms, would be considered blasphemy—placing a human being in the position of divinity.

    Why is it Blasphemy?

    1. Absolute Worship – The speaker replaces religious devotion with love for the woman:

      • “You become my Bible, you my Qur’an.”

      • “You are my Mecca, my Jerusalem.”

      • These lines suggest that instead of worshiping God, he worships her, which contradicts religious teachings that demand worship only of the divine.

    2. Rejection of All Else – He vows never to turn away, even calling attraction to others idolatry:

      • “To glimpse another face be idolatry.”

      • “Worshipping false Shes.”

      • He sees all other women as false gods, reinforcing the idea that he treats this one woman as the only true deity.

    3. Religious Imagery for Romantic Love – He uses sacred rituals to describe their relationship:

      • “Thy gazes my communions.”

      • “I am baptized by our unions.”

      • “My cathedral is Your happiness.”

      • He treats their intimacy as sacraments, which again mimics religious devotion.

    4. Fear & Surrender – The woman is not just his God but also his judge and executioner:

      • “You are the source and death of all Fear.”

      • “You are my condemner and my Sword.”

      • She has the power to save or destroy him, a role usually attributed to a deity.

    The Irony & Paradox

    • The title Blasphemy suggests that his love itself is a sin, because he worships a mortal rather than God.

    • Yet, the poem doesn’t feel like the speaker sees his love as wrong—he embraces this devotion, even if it’s considered blasphemous.

    • This creates a tension: Is this just extreme love, or has he truly lost himself in idolatry?

    Overall Meaning

    The poem is about romantic obsession taken to a spiritual level, where love becomes a form of religious worship—which, from a theological perspective, would be considered blasphemy. It blurs the lines between devotion, madness, and faith, making love feel both sacred and dangerous at the same time.

Angel with Relapse  (2011)

I may gentle life with such downy word, thought, deed - that all me bless; 

gentle so that the scaled, jagged men of earth yield to a marbled smooth

in my presence 

No free bob a bit of care in the vast soul of me if any see 

I just do from some turning tight crux that spume so wide and so much soothe 

Utter replete good soul, that to reckon me man would be much unfit 

In times those, the sole sobriquet to meld to my nature is saint 

But then, a squirmy splinter in the unbroken white sheet of spirit show

Cured unwound: the threads and frays of human trail tangle-trip and rumple me 

And saint be grumped, mumble stuck - eye squint, wolving through the ordinary 

No reason, yet reason sharp, a wit a’scalping in the rotten wides of the world 

Beauty wrinkles, its leaves curl blackened, the seen concatenate ugly to ugly to ugly 

Angel plummet, slip rocks in heaven, I can avow, even slip rocks in heaven

  • Analysis of Angel with Relapse

    This poem explores the struggle between spiritual purity and human weakness, depicting an angelic figure who, despite their goodness, inevitably falls into moments of frustration, cynicism, or corruption. It presents a battle between virtue and human imperfection, showing that even those who are saintly or enlightened are not immune to relapse.

    Key Themes & Meaning:

    1. Angelic Virtue & Gentle Influence

    • "I may gentle life with such downy word, thought, deed - that all me bless;"

      • The speaker embodies pure kindness, speaking and acting so gently that they are a blessing to all.

      • "Downy" suggests softness, lightness—almost angelic purity.

    • "Gentle so that the scaled, jagged men of earth yield to a marbled smooth in my presence"

      • The speaker’s presence alone transforms harsh, rough people into something polished and refined.

      • This suggests an extraordinary capacity for goodness, as if the speaker radiates peace and grace.

    • "Utter replete good soul, that to reckon me man would be much unfit"

      • The speaker is so wholly good that they feel almost inhuman—above human frailty.

      • This establishes the idea that they are angelic, saintly, or spiritually enlightened.

    • "In times those, the sole sobriquet to meld to my nature is saint"

      • The speaker is so virtuous that the only fitting title is "saint."

    2. The Fall from Grace – The "Relapse"

    • "But then, a squirmy splinter in the unbroken white sheet of spirit show"

      • A tiny flaw appears in the speaker’s pure soul.

      • The "unbroken white sheet" symbolizes spiritual perfection, but it does not remain unstained.

    • "Cured unwound: the threads and frays of human trail tangle-trip and rumple me"

      • The speaker’s perfection begins to unravel—they trip, tangle, and get caught in the messiness of human existence.

      • This suggests a relapse from saintliness into human frustration, weakness, or doubt.

    • "And saint be grumped, mumble stuck - eye squint, wolving through the ordinary"

      • The once-gentle, saintly figure becomes irritated, mumbling, squinting—acting more like an ordinary human than an angel.

      • "Wolving" suggests a predatory, restless state, far from the soft peace they once had.

    3. The Ugly Reality of the World & Cynicism Taking Hold

    • "No reason, yet reason sharp, a wit a’scalping in the rotten wides of the world"

      • The speaker becomes sharp, cutting, cynical in response to the corruption of the world.

      • "A wit a’scalping" suggests a sarcastic, biting intelligence emerging as a defense mechanism.

    • "Beauty wrinkles, its leaves curl blackened, the seen concatenate ugly to ugly to ugly"

      • The speaker, once seeing beauty and goodness everywhere, now sees only decay and ugliness.

      • This marks a mental or spiritual decline—they are overcome by negativity.

    4. The Acknowledgment of the Fall

    • "Angel plummet, slip rocks in heaven, I can avow, even slip rocks in heaven"

      • The speaker fully admits their fall—even angels can stumble.

      • "Slip rocks in heaven" suggests that even in the purest places, imperfection can arise.

      • The repetition emphasizes the inevitability of this fall—even the holiest beings are not untouchable.

    Interpretation:

    • This poem portrays an individual who strives for saintliness but cannot maintain it indefinitely.

    • It suggests that even the purest souls eventually falter, caught in the messiness, frustrations, and ugliness of the world.

    • There is no dramatic sin or fall from grace—just a slow, inevitable slip into irritation, cynicism, or exhaustion.

    • The poem leaves open the question of whether the speaker can regain their purity or if this fall is permanent.