Robert Johnson went to the crossroads
And fell down on his knees
The wolf was howlin' at midnight
McKinley Morganfield stirred the muddy waters
Singing of hoochie ******* men and mojos
Right back to Charlie Patton and Son House
And Blind Lemon Jefferson too
Men from the land of cotton, corn liquor and jukes
Always travelling hard and hard driven
Playing hard and hard living
These men who became legends
Who touched the deepest part of souls
With their elemental music
And they still do

                                   By Phil Roberts

The detail is in
The
M
I
X.
I'm slow
Fast
Quick.
I can be anything you
Want me
To be
Sénor!
Just not like your ex bestie
I'm not easy
I don't go for moola,
I'm not a *****,
comprender?

On A Diet

The country is on a diet,
drinking coke with no sugar,
eating burgers with no bun,
running on the treadmill;
it's powdered protein for lunch.
It's straight tequila in the evening,
a light head and guilty fries at night.

The country is on a diet,
doing yoga over yoghurt pots,
training their minds with sudoku and solitaire,
rubbing salt and condition into their hair.
It's 6 a.m. gym sessions,
it's squats on the living room floor,
the country is on a diet, my friends,
and so we have no time for truth, or war.

The country is on a diet,
avocado in the breadcrumb,
aspirin in the salt-shaker,
food numb on the tongue
and those slim-shakes always failed to deliver.
Thigh gaps and mind-the-gaps,
all these signposts for a cleaner living,
no dust on the shelf,
no bags 'neath your eyes to hide
the lack of sleep
and your ailing mental health.

The country is on a diet,
drinking tea with no milk,
eating carrot sticks with best-value dip,
running on the treadmill,
we never get too far.
It's straight tequila in the evening,
it's "anything goes" in the dark.

Riding on a horse
Fighting with her sword
She is not a *****
She is wearing leather
  
Saving all the poor
Fighting with a sword
Giants in the land
And the mighty dragons
  
Xena is my queen
But they call her princess
All she want to do
Go around and conquer
  
She can conquer me
Anytime she wants to
That is all I say
'bout the mighty princess
Xena is her name
Do you know her address

LET'S KISS THE SKY

“Wild thing
I think you
Move me...
You make everything
Groovy...
Wild thing
I think
I love you.....”
~~Jimi Hendrix version (Live)

Splashed across
the Monterey screen,
a Jimi scene
where he is on
his knees,
guitar aflame
as red ember fingers
entice,
urge each flickering note
to wail, screech.
Black, all colored
fingers encourage
a generation to
take it higher,
be the fire
burning down an
oppressive society.
“Wild thing,
I want to know for sure...
You move me!”
~~~~~
Back in the day,
as we often say,
Babylon was
on the run.
People planet wide
were having fun
like agitated atoms
escaping the sun
in great solar storm flares
spurred on by
Mao Tsetung
and the red East
rising of Tai Shan.
While in the beast’s belly
stood the Black Panther Party.
Red Book’s shining light
held high, displayed proudly.
In the other hand
they held
the guns
of liberation.
There were many who
impatiently
awaited word,
‘Let’s go! Now!
Seize the time
Seize the hour
Off the pigs,
Seize the power.
The sky was there
with red tinged clouds
waiting
wanting to be kissed
by the surge of humanity.
~~~~~
That was then.
We have rounded
histories bend
never reaching
the top of Chingkangshan.
This is now
a new generation
a youthful crowd
seeks a new hour,
a righteous power
to topple those
old ‘Ivory Towers’.
~~~~~
That was then
we rocked the boulevard
with our deeds
our urgent words
and necessities.
“Let’s not speak falsely now
the hour is getting late.”
Each day
saw some new advance
a new dance.
For a short
wonderful breath
we had the upper hand.
We had the bourgeois
on the run.
They, shaking at rustling leaves;
we, laughing as they flee.
That was then,
this is now.
We have rounded
histories bend
never reaching
the top of Chingkangshan.
~~~~~
As I replay
that Jimi scene from
30 some odd years ago
I can’t help thinking,
We had them on the run?
The flames from Jimi’s alive guitar
spoke to us
and we replied,
‘Wild thing,
you move me!'
And as we round
histories bend,
I can once again
see the snow caps
gleaming in the sun.
This time
this time we will
reach over top
of Chingkangshan,
we will boldly say,
“Excuse me while I kiss the sky!”

Archives:  Written 1998*

https://youtu.be/7DGGFx7Zmbw

Allow me to step into your space.
Let us be close,
standing face to face.
So close...
Where our hands could meet,
and our hearts could greet...
The one chance
to finally indulge this long awaited dance.

Cradling one another...
In open arms.
Surendering...
Submitting...
To careless caresses,
bashful gazes and charms.

Our feet would mirror,
the gaits
of each other.
Our eyes ensnared
with senses all bared...
To the rise and fall
of the nectarous melody.
Playing for what seemed like eternity
in silence.

That eternity is now here.
Seizing this dance,
we gambol and frolic
without reservations and fear...
For the hours have frozen
and the seconds have ceased to tick.

This is our song.
Seemingly refined,
cultured and well versed.
This is our dance.
Enchanting,
perfect,
albeit unrehearsed.