Drowning in the darkness of your eyes
I will still be counting the stars
Ignoring the voice shouting inside
Saying "stupid girl! Just run!!"
no time, no sound
just me and you
and you and me around
feeling your hands
pushing me down
Grabbing my neck
stealing my breath
I can feel your fears
pouring through your tears
but no matter dear
I will fly away
with no hope, no fear

Upon this starry night
In a breath of sparkling life
My grand-daughter was born
In a world full of beauty
As well as traps and snares
She faces her first dawn
And we can give no more than love
Nor offer more than guidance
And vow only to be constant
For that is more than so many have

And so I whisper to her

You are made of bright newness
Innocent of prejudice
So to yourself be true
For many would give you their bigotries
Sell you their corrupted histories
But your truth lies within you
You, the blood of my blood
The child of my child
Have moved me beyond reason
At the wonder of creation

                                     By Phil Roberts

I  hated the scent  of Old Spice and Vick’s
VapoRub in the old couple’s home,
and the stench of ****** diapers

in poverty’s  bedroom, and the stink of
*** and bacon grease in my friend’s
house;  when I remember these

smells I want to throw steel
at glass and cry into
the sun.

Black powder burns in a firework show
Protecting us all from the rest of the world
If you're not like us then you've got to go!
Or sway to our side, I'll tally the votes!
You know our reply, should your answer be no

America the Free; Restrictions apply-
A privilege to live, but a right to die
So long as you tithe Uncle Sam, eat up the lies,
Come drink the water, and look to the skies
So the light of our glory can burn out your eyes

Bow down the the televised, our Celebrity Gods
Their cabinet disciples extolling their flaws-
Nevermind the **** a-frothing their jaws!
If the cameras are rolling, it's all for the cause;
No such thing as bad press if it's drowned in applause!

Do you love your God, Guns, and Government?
(The Holy Trinity of Democracy)
Pray for the war and worship the bullet

Do you love your God, Guns, and Government?
(Protecting us all if we only believe)
Do as you're told, think as we tell it

Do you love your God, Guns, and Government?
(You're doing so well with your head in the sand!)
So well-informed from our media pulpit

Do you love your God, Guns, and Government?
(Don't mine the debris, we're building our brand!)
Scratching away at a fresh-treatised covenant

(I)        
   Love         Your
             (My)
God, Guns, and Government

I've got monsters. When they come, I let them consume me whole. I let them eat me for a while. When they're done we say our goodbyes and I promise to see them soon. Sometimes, I can see them out of the corner of my eye. I wish they could respect my need for space, but I can relate. I know what it's like to be lonely. So, like they'll never leave me, I'll never leave them.
Sometimes I wish my monsters loved me like I love them. Sometimes, I think they do. Sometimes, I think they're me in disguise. All my suffering is a joke on myself that I never meant to make.