how many click throughs to get past who
try to make this life about trees, about earth
all these stars, god above
about everything, everything
all the things
except me
but who’s name in the box
when it comes time to get paid
who puts their empty stomach on the line
when it comes time to fill plates
try to make this life about you
about them, about us
about everybody, everyone
all us humans
except this one
but someone’s name on the line
when the check gets signed
someone’s life on the line
when it comes time to survive
crazy how it looks like there’s a self to see
in this reputation, in this image on a screen
but that reflection’s something bigger
than a frame of you or me
human no worries, there’s no self to help
if i’m helping something bigger than just this self
when i’m lifting me by lifting somebody else
in this low wage weather system
like leaves curling and branches drooping, petals burnt brown and falling
these low wage years, in this low wage weather system, can you feel that low wage pressure rhythm, of this low wage stressful living, how this low wage life keeps taking, a drought of our own making
where it’s always burning hot cuz it’s always bitter cold
it’s always dry and unhealthy, patience testing and temper sparking
pissing tiny drops when we need a downpour, pissing little coins when we need a payday
this virga not sustaining, this pressure pushing down not relenting
like clouds that can’t build up in the sky and rain down for a healthy living
we can’t build ourselves and live up to the american dream
we just run ourselves down like dust into the ground
working multiple jobs, blink and decades are gone
how there’s no time to be with kids to guide them as they’re growing
there’s no time to be healthy or see the doctor when sickness starts coughing
no time to take classes or pursue interests, enjoy a hobby or see the bigger picture
no time to vote for change to find a way out of this maze
when all we’ve got is a few hours between 2 paychecks
this low wage pressure system, this parched living that the rich and their politicians insist on
asking why aren’t employees healthy, why aren’t employees educated, why can’t i find skilled employees, why can’t employees afford childcare, why do employees have to rely on the government for everything
as they nervously make excuses that america’s workers are just lazy
their faces on all our screens talking about principles of self determination and responsibility
but what are those principles worth if the lowest paid employees can’t afford to live them
and instead of sacrificing 5 or 10 or 20 percent of their $40,000,000 salaries to increase the pay of employees making $13 hour
instead of sacrificing a 40% profit margin
instead of sacrificing shareholder dividends
instead of sacrificing anything, anything at all
to make their political principles a reality in the lives of their employees
they raise wages one day and en masse raise prices the next
locking those mental chains of unwritten rules around their own hands
with a shrug saying, “some things can’t be changed, we’ll blame externals for the inflation”
and when the time comes to need the best and demand the most of their employees
their decades of disinvestment in the education of their employees
in the very community their own workforce is hired from
it comes calling doesn’t it
but they keep on saying the same lines, that hot air coming out their mouths dry and dusty
like good money after bad, it’s just oblivion in high definition
these low wage years, in this low wage weather system, can you feel that low wage pressure rhythm, of this low wage stressful living, how this low wage life keeps taking, a drought of our own making
but if we keep fighting and resisting and pushing pushing pushing
never accepting unacceptable excuses as worth our dignity
it will start raining, absolutely raining over a fertile and free america
and damn if we don’t start growing
moment vector
your structures bright in the sun
like bones laid out in the sun
lies plain in the sun
dude, you can’t outrun
it’s all under the sun
what is holding you
all hanging out, half way into space
you’re way leveraged bro, cantilevered out into nothing
on credit on margins on debt
on violence on death, on jealousy on stress
promises made but were they kept
on shimmering virga for lives parched and beaten down
by thought droughts and wasted fates
hey sorry, only one digital frame per face
as if it’s impossible to see
the bridges standing for decades and centuries
arching all of humanity’s needs
over our churning rivers of doubt and greed
moment vector, what is supporting you
show us the engineering drawings dude
and that column you’re hanging from, you’re clinging to
what is it made with, formed from, built of
the maximum values pushing down on the end of that line you drew
that weight, that history, that story, that fate
that point load you said was static and maintained
moment vector, it’s already gone, already changed
one year and one trial
thirty eighth and chicago
and one year and one trial
and one verdict delivered just
and in that, justice
but the names the names the names
must we keep saying more names every day
of those taken from us by neglect by indifference by hate
by racist design, by it’s cunning violence
by what’s become of a broken justice
which comes and goes
but never stays with us
thirty eighth and chicago
after one year, after one trial
and it’s still closed to traffic, and it’s still a crossroads
of work left undone by citizens, cities, pd’s, and governments
of reforms left in the air, left in committee, left out of the books
of how far we’ve come and how far left to go
until the traffic can flow, until the barricades can go
the news cameras turned off
the crowds in the streets all at home
at thirty eighth and chicago
the day when foot traffic returns
to just neighbors stopping in the corner store
will that be the day justice has come home
the day when car traffic returns to just folks getting gas and some smokes
will that be the day justice has come home
the day when all of us, of any race, at any place in america
can walk across our own crossroads
our own intersections, our own streets, our own moment
that moment in our life where we come to know the police
will that be the day justice has come home
to thirty eighth and chicago
minneapolis ocean breeze
minneapolis ocean breeze
windows open at 75 degrees
sunshine hazy clouds it’s blowing north north east
cool and constant at 13 miles per hour
smelling of barbecues and blooming flowers
wet with humidity onshore like there’s a sea
like i remember as a kid playing on the salty sandy beach
but there’s no ocean
there’s no sea
just green farmland
just green trees
as far as my eyes can see
thought lung #8 – repeat release me
listen the birds are singing call and distant response echoing like human what song you singing i get outside open these tired eyes watch the squirrels being other beings a squirrel on the telephone pole looking right at me gray eyelashes blinking and i start breathing my stress tendons relaxing squirrel jumps from the pole across the alley up into the oak tree my lord look at all the acorn husks on the ground all so empty but not one seed the squirrel just looking down at me like human please stress of pandemic when will you let go completely stress of curfews of no call no showings a tiny baby spider walking across my phone screen as i’m typing these exact words blown in on a silver string that helps me feel this cool breeze on my skin tickling and sticking attaching in my mind like the stress i feel in america these days stepping between us all when all we want to do is step beyond it like face forward onwards the injustice sickens repeating in that muzzle flash in that split second justice why’d you leave us you’re at work one day but calling in the next now the helicopters and sirens circling and the screens repeat repeating be somewhere be somewhere be somewhere else not here but can you hear this the birds just singing
be right here with us be right now with us
thought lungs, steady breathing
one thought in, one thought out
stress tendons start releasing
bandwidth of consciousness increasing
breathe in, breathe out
thoughts stop repeat repeating
stress tendons time you chill and stop death gripping yeah listen the birds are singing i get outside open these tired eyes at sunrise watching the moment dawn sunlight hits the greening crowns of deciduous trees listening to them start sweating and moving their stomata opening buds popping pollen dropping down the sloping western banks of the mississippi river good morning america good morning justice nice to have you with us again reporting to work on time and with clear eyes you know you’re not some unreliable signal subject to interference we need you present every second so you forget to show up then injustice comes and cuts another scar steals another life i’m walking the sandy river beach thoughts stuck in my head start moving and the ones that don’t move i’m not afraid to look at buddhism’s wisdom through meditation after all always asking it’s just a thought should i suffer to hold it in me like a statue frozen in shame or fear or pain should i suffer to ignore it struggle to push it all away afraid to feel what needs to heal even more should i cause suffering in others by acting out thoughts with the delusion of hate the intoxication of rage amongst all these screens repeat repeating now get distracted now pay attention which is it but can we hear this above it all love just saying
be right here with us be right now with us
thought lungs, steady breathing
let thoughts come, let thoughts go
stress tendons start releasing
bandwidth of consciousness increasing
breathe in, breathe out
thoughts stop repeat repeating
wings right above me
after hearing your voice just a few times every year
finally, i see you
usually when it’s dark and i’m about to
get some sleep, to enter dream land
that is when you would begin speaking
from the big oak or maybe the big pine tree
across the alley in back of my place
you invisible, but loud and clear, i could hear you
so glad to finally see you
heat flow 