Tanka Girl

be a sport, take off
the readers want to admire
lean over and smile
let the light slice off your blouse
hitch hank around your hips

he falls on his ass
you can't help help but keep smiling
you too have fallen
it hurts to fall on your ass
your laugh is empathetic

they say we are rich
as far as amounts of stuff
I guess they are right
they don't know of, however,
all the traps we have borrowed

eyes ache from reading
my thoughts are washed with saline
acupuncturists
even with longer needles
they won't pull out the thick pitch

interest rates go up
land of opportunity
labor for future
that might begin without
or never begin at all

food is disgusting
we wrap our lips around it
mash it into slime
eye each other's plates hungry
ignoring the death that's there

nine million digits
plus eight hundred thousand more
lengthen Mersenne prime
when will we have a billion
infinity has no end

she isn't tracking
the way her stick legs kick out
to push her gut through
table too close to the bench
skin sticking, shorts riding up

dedicate this one
to the teacher that flunked you
the wielded red pen
that pushed you to mastery
and made you own your life

hip cats used to be
dressed in black, idle
so stoned all they could do was
nod, dig, jive, swig the dipper
while bros would sweat heavy wig

lost in translation
they lounge on a sailing ship
taunt material
starboard tack to the north-east
they explore each other's eyes

her eyes are penciled
lips daubed with a tube of nude
under her skin are
inserts to enhance her cheeks
she strains to make her neck thin

it seems we are fools
scrabbling about so madly
in hopes of finding
some peace and understanding
when there is none to be had

another Tanka
ignoring natural ways
and examining
how humans get it so wrong
makes the self-righteous feel good

the house is a mess
and you revel in that fact
enjoy the debris
use your free time carelessly
you have your mountains to climb

disquieting noise
the way she walks down the street
men in cars watch her
she is painfully alone
skirt tight, purse slung low, mincing

I may have been hot
it may have been my sheer shirt
perhaps my bending
then again, the music thumps
and he has dollars in hand

I have been asleep
millions of years passed me by
planets grow and die
superb experiments fail
none of it matters to me

better way to fall
hold your self up straight and tall
make believe you're all
that you have power to go
and we will enjoy your show

en alt i farver
og afsindig god magisk
sjov hvor nedadgående i
en grav efter skældsord

it is offensive
my new policy for life
I don't fucking care
it's time someone took notice
get attention through insults

her dad always smelt
of baby powder and soap
she learned his habits
he disliked taking showers
and as she grew so did she

we are better off
with the razor and the knife
we can sculpt our hair
wage war, reshape our features
and the features of our foes

flip another switch
the system will operate
precision metal
will do the task as you need
ultimate leisure is yours

the horse brays and rears
nicks the rider off his back
makes a break for it
but only to find a fence
the world fenced by gravity

health is of concern
the air is particulate
your body dripping
Napoleon in the air
germs contaminate our lives

a hidden treasure
who doesn't like that story
a youth full of dreams
but youth grows to adulthood
and treasure is found inside

my brother had fish
really it was only one
one fish named Oscar
a fat and vibrant cichlid
that ate all the other fish

new discovery
petroglyphs beat cuneiform
the long applauded
Mesopotamia rots
Ukraine now has the first word

driving in the dark
blue sparkles on the highway
dreams made explosive
particulated pom-poms
teenage recklessness displayed

what can i give you
where would you like to go, dear?
giant feral pigs?
a bright island paradise?
world peace and understanding?