WITH SOCIETY NOW EAGERLY TEARING ITSELF APART
WITH
GREED AND SELFISHNESS
IN EXCESS
I SIT OUTSIDE IT AGAIN TODAY
WONDERING
FROM MY OBSCURE AND QUIET PLACE
OF VISION
WHY ANYONE ELSE ISNT OUTRAGED
AT ALL THE CHEAP PROPAGANDA DICTATING AND BROADCASTING
ISOLATION, ALIENATION, AND ELITIST MYTHS,
THE FRAUDULENT IDEA THAT LOVE CAN BE SYMBOLIZED
THROUGH DEATH AND PAIN
AND LIES ENGRAVED
ON TACKY RED PAPER HEARTS
AND FRAMED IN EXCESSIVE CHINTZ AND SCHMALTZ
BEING PRODUCED TODAY BY THE BUTT-LOAD
AS TODAYS EXPRESSION OF UNDYING DEVOTION/TOMORROW’S RUBBISH/ A
VAST WASTE BIN-FULL OF DISCARDED LACY
VELVET RED, PURPLE AND
BLUE EMPTY BOXES SHAPED
LIKE 2 DIMENSIONAL OVER- GLORIFIED DISJOINTED VAGINAS
IMPLAUSIBLY RIPE AND PUCKERED
FOR THE FUCKING
AND I AM THINKING
SO WHAT IF I AM NOT INVOLVED JUST NOW
WITH ANYONE SPECIAL?
NO ONE
IS SPECIAL
IF WE
ARE ALL
“E Q U A L,”
AND ALL THINGS BEING THIS
I DEDUCE THAT TODAY IS NOT
TRULY A DAY DEDICATED TO LOVE BY TRADITION/ BUT TO FEAR, ITS TWISTED, DARK REFLECTION/HIDING ITS HIDEOUS
FACE/AS EVER/IN THE SHALLOW HETEROSEXIST LIES
I’VE BEEN FORCE-FED ALL MY LIFE •••••••
••••••• SO I HEREBY RE-DEDICATE VALENTINE’S DAY
TO LOVING MYSELF IN MODERATION
BY NOT PERCEIVING MYSELF AS INADEQUATE/OR EMPTY/OR MISERABLY ALONE
SIMPLY BECAUSE I CHOOSE NOT TO PLAY BY THE RULES OF TRADITION
IN DECIDING TO AVOID RELATIONSHIPS
TO HIDE IN
FROM MYSELF/ AND FROM OTHERS/ AND FROM WHERE I NEED TO GROW •••••••••
I’M NOT AFRAID OF THE DARK #62
POETRY SET FOR VALENTINES DAY, CHICAGO 1999 #1
14, FEBRUARY 1999