LET ME GO: ALZHEIMER’S LAMENT

By Tommy J. Charles

You are so peaceful

when you sleep,

untroubled by worries of me.

I have to speak to you now,

Jungle

By Tommy J. Charles

The jungle, if you know it,

can tell you more

about a man than anything else.

Stick a man, any man

No Trade-Ins

Christmas of ‘82,
I picked up a pipe wrench.

Stood on top my bed,
Held it above my head,
Tryin’ to get early tickets to the next show.

Round Things

I’m a happy song,
a bleeding heart,
and a hopeless optimist.

I don’t scare easy,
and I don’t cry long.

I trust.

A Promise

By Tommy J. Charles

I went to the lake today,

the wind was kicking

up waves on the water

like mini oscillations,

Gnarled

I walk through snow so deep
through numbing,
through needles

I am alone

Wandering, wondering, wrangling,
The dark bark calls
branches claw the wind,

The Money Man

Image Credit

They call him a “John”

or a “mark” or a “willy.”

A “happy man”, or sometimes a “salty dog.”

But he’s the money man.

The Profiler

By Tommy J. Charles

They ask about Cain,

and say ‘fuck Abel.’

Red eyes boiling,

like a pot of crayfish.

It stinks.

Mama Is Gone

By Tommy J. Charles

Mamma Is Gone

He was eight when it came for him,

the streets were shimmering,

and he was sucking on an orange pop.

Pheromones

By Tommy J. Charles

She was a spinning top,

a whirling dervish,

a blond cliche.

More easy than profound,