Left, Right, Left
Mile after mile
We flood
Feet blistered, bleeding

Mile after mile
Heads down
Bleeding, blistered feet
On a long dirt road to nowhere

Heads down
Driving rain
On an endless road to nowhere
Jeeps, HIDE!

Driving rain
Live or die
We flood
To freedom

I can’t feel my legs
Stay with us, Buddy
The chopper’s inbound
I need some O-Positive

Stay with us, Buddy
Apply direct pressure
I need some O-Positive
Put that one over here

Apply direct pressure
I’ve lost the pulse
Put that one over here
Where’s the Chaplain?

I’ve lost the pulse
The chopper’s inbound
Where’s the Chaplain
I can’t feel my legs

He’s a behavior problem
He’s really smart
He’ll get you killed
He’ll save your life

He’s really smart
He’s too aggressive
He’ll save your life
Look at that face

He’s too aggressive
We’re going to war
Look at that face
He’s absolutely fearless

We’re going to war
He’ll get you killed
He’s absolutely fearless
I was a behavior problem too

Lemon VW Beetle
Pink and green Polo shirt seatcovers
Hippie flowers and surf shop stickers
And her Confirmation Rosary
glimmering in the fading light
She waves
“Call you later.”
The sunset is beautiful

PCH is busy this time of day
Surfers, commuters, tourists
and local kids, like us,
going our own ways
The sunset is beautiful.

Sirens pierce the twilight calm

There are conflicting reports
But
All include the words
Rollover.  Ejected.  Fatality.

Through my tears
I stare at the ocean
The sunset is beautiful

Her cheeks golden apples
Voice a hushed whisper
She smells like coconut Coppertone and sunshine
Her cotton candy lipgloss is sticky on my lips
Tanned skin salty from the surf
Smooth and soft like a puppy’s belly
Blonde hair sun-streaked, warm
Stomachs flip-flopping with teen-crush happiness

Gotta go…
Why?
I know.
Hate it though.

So we linger
To watch the surf swallow the sun

At long last
Relief.
It embraced her.
Welcomed her.
A warm wave.
Taking her cares and worries away,
one drip
at a time.

She watched the drips mingle with the bath water.
Dissipate. Disappear.
Slowly replaced by the peaceful emptiness of the Void.

Halfway. She knew that she was halfway.
The edges of her vision blurred.
Her breathing slowed.
She was slipping from here to there.
From chaos to peace.

Then...
Crashing, screaming, tugging
Peace replaced by frenzy
Solitude by cacophony.

The tranquility that was so close
pushed away by liters of O positive.
How she hated this and THEM.

"We've got her back," She heard someone say.

"I don't want to BE back," she screamed inside her head.

You missed my birthday
Again.

I prayed a million times
And still,
You didn't come.

How many has it been?
Eight or nine or maybe
twelve birthdays?

You've forgotten...

The yellow balloon
with the elephant.

Every year I blow it up
Hoping that it will bring me luck
Bring
You back.

But it doesn't

Bring either.