Category: Poems (page 41 of 73)

As of October 2011, I’d posted over three hundred poems on this site, including many sonnets and search poems, as well as numerous poems that didn’t make it into chapbooks such as Abendland and Morgenland. I then ceased posting poems here, choosing instead to distribute them via my poem of the week newsletter. Then I stopped doing that too. Every now and then I post a poem here … but not as often as I’d like.

That’s Buddha


When it rains non-stop for twenty four hours, 
that's Buddha. 

Both the rain and the ending of the rain, 
after which the freshness is Buddha, too. 

When you walk beside the lake, 
You will find Buddha in the water, 
disguised as a golden cow. 

Both the lake and the camera you use 
to take a picture of the cow 
are Buddha. 

It begins to feel as if everything is Buddha. 
That's also Buddha. 

When the cooks at the dumpling restaurant 
laugh at the way you eat your food, 
that's Buddha. 

When graffiti walls disappear overnight, only
to be replaced by acres of bricks, 
that’s also Buddha. 

It begins to feel as if everything is Buddha. 
And that's Buddha. 

When you dance, Buddha is your DJ.
When you smile, Buddha’s pushing at the corners of your mouth.
When you kiss, that’s Buddha’s tongue inside your mouth.

And when you fall in love, you will find Buddha 
sitting on a small cushion inside your heart, 
eating KFC. 
Are you ready?

It begins to feel as if everything is Buddha. 
And that’s Buddha. 

That’s Buddha. 

Anonymous (Fake

there is something very
pseudo about all this –
there is something very
pseudo about you – every
thing you do is fake (you
are a fake – is nothing
real to you? your ‘art’
(if you can call it that)
is mediocre) it’s all so
juvenile and all so –
‘middlebrow’ … king of
kmart – it’s all just a
little game for you –
for some of us it’s real†

Imaginary Mao II

our first date – what a write-off!
i even bought you flowers – you
selfish man! you could have told
me you’d double-booked – hell!
million-booked more like it boy
you had a nerve making all of us
line up like school-kids in our
uniforms hand in hand boys &
girls two by two round & round
the square for hours on end! as
my two red flowers wilted in the
spring sunshine i practised my
lines – i’d been rehearsing them
for weeks – no – years! oh you
heartless man! as i walked up
the steps i couldn’t stop myself
from grinning like a young man
in love – how wrong i was! we
were ushered into the first of
several chambers & i placed my
offering my bouquet amongst
the thousands of other bouquets
all bought from the same stall
& all destined to return there –
recycling my love wish – what
gall! then came the moment i
had been waiting for – a private
moment – some moment that
was! ha! i didn’t even get a look
in did i? frog-marched past your
bed with nary a chance to utter
sweet nothings or love poems –
oh yes i’d written you a poem
or two – don’t try and deny the
connection we once – once! –
had – pitiless man! man with a
glowing orange face! was that
a hint of embarrassment or was
it shame? i hope so but won’t die
hoping you remembered me at
all – eyes closed as if trying to
ignore me – i mean, please! at
least make some kind of effort
some kind of attempt at being
interested in what i might have
to say – what i’m feeling! that’s
right – i still feel something –
though it’s complicated now by
the obvious rejection that you
tailor-made for me – oh have a
heart! or did they cut that out
the instant you passed from
fanzine pin-up status to icon?
well i didn’t bother purchasing
anything from your crummy
gift shop thinking of all those
hearts you’ve broken – i mean
shattered! including this one –
this lonely miserable rejected
heart of mine won’t stand for
much more of your philandering
ways – your smug i’m-going-to-
pretend-i’m-asleep palaver –
just give it a rest okay? oh &
while we’re on the subject you
owe me three Y for the flowers
creep – you’ve got my account
details – so transfer the freaking
money slime ball – don’t make
me come back – you know what
happened last time – & i’m sure
neither of us want a repeat of
that tragic scene – so i guess
this is our last goodbye – such
a short journey from ni hao to
bye bye – well ha! bye bye mao!†