candide

"we live

in the best

of all possible

worlds"

he thought

as he watched

somebody

push him

into traffic

he awoke sweating

fearing his faith

floating through

had never

steered him wrong

but he worried

was fate kind

was weathering any storm

as good as avoiding the rain

after many years

of disuse

his oar had become

a rudder

he couldnt tell

if the subtle drag

was better or worse

than rowing in circles

he worried

only for a moment

and then

he went to work

dead on the sidewalk

I saw it there

and couldnt help

but think how

did this happen

did it crash into a window

die choking on plastic

inhale too much smog

or eat poison left for rats

obviously this

bird

was just not cut out

for the city

but maybe

it was born here

and simply couldnt

take it anymore

what brought it here

better nesting spots

did it follow another bird

was it led astray

where was it born?

did it dream of starry nights

of fresh air

and open fields

formerly

did it sit in parks

accepting handouts

remembering better days

or maybe,

it was just a bird

and wasnt worth

worrying over

the end

have you ever

thought about it

it is coming

did you know

each of us

has to wait

for our own

single unique day

the one that

starts with alive

but ends with

dead

tired

the yawn

contagiously spreading

through the body

the eyes are struck next

slowly drawn down

the shades covering daylight

malaise sets in,

the body sinking further

towards anything soft

little inaccuracies

in perception

start to pile on

little missteps

becoming bigger, eventually

leading the way

traveling

have you ever

looked out the window

and wondered

what they thought?

when they saw

the wide ocean

before them

ready to be conquered

by their sails

today

we're too

high

to see what they saw

from the crow's nest

just above the surface

no where near

the world

when you look

at the horizon

is it the same?

we love fire

at first we were scared

not controlling

simply along for a ride

wandering to unkowns

blissfully unaware

being burned yet

unwavering in

spite

of the undue harm

gradually learning

the proper constructions

using tinder effectively

when and where

to strike the match

learning to pile more

and more

firewood into the flame

yet always consuming

and needing more

threatening to

go out

but what is it

what causes this obsession

why do we

need a fire

no matter how often we are burned

it is beautiful

it is dangerous

it is hostile and

yet oh so warm

I dont think youre supposed to title haiku

flower bends to flame

neither innocence or guilt

only ash remains

distracted fire

The fireman paused

to wonder

what brought about

this world

as the trees

burned down

all around him

he asked

is this nature?

man's nature?

is destruction inevitable?

why me?

no answers came

deafening flames

drowned everything out

except for

that little spark

the one

who caused it

it knew

as dread spread

racing through

brush and tinder

thirst unquenched

did it matter

lightning bolt

a swift match

flicked cigarette

the final tally

at least

things now are

more interesting

the fireman stood

walked away

not quite sure

still wondering

reflection

sometimes

I am the creature

in the lagoon

trying to explore

emerging from the shell

finding outside

the same as inside

as if the world had fallen

into the water

over time

looking down

at my place

the reflection on the surface

a blurry distorted mess

of the landscape

from start to finish

the reflection matches

all of it there under water

dragged to the depths

from my last explorations

politics of reason

people always complain

about our two party system

and yet

people love to break

down any new system

into a two part system

whether it is described

by left and right,

or red and blue

or light and dark

people live for duality

make peace not war

but can either exist

without the other?

information overload

is it better to know

or to have no idea?

I was once told

that there was no grey

and when I was a child

I believed it

but the more you know,

the more ... idonno ...

sneaks into everything

every choice has many sides

every design has many parts

you can tunnel deeply

into the repercussions

of any decision

without finding out

how to decide

trapped

more freedom than a serf

not in a cell

only held back

by the constraints

of society

got a few bucks,

but not enough to uproot

just waiting for a breeze

strong enough to blow me away.