Richard Tyo (NEW) 1.my brother bought a gun and he didnt know how to use it he said it was on sale and he couldnt refuse it without a bullet in the barrel he robbed a liquor store the cops were called and they shot him in the back just as he ran out the door 2.27 is the password to get into rock and roll heaven you cant be 65 and you cant be 11 you live hard and you die young youre remembered by the rules you broke and the songs that you sung 3.This is What I Saw I sat on my steps and watched the world go by I saw beggars and thieves and dreamers without jobs, Overwhelmed children and parents who never grew up I saw preachers and teachers and speakers without a voice, Over-zealous youth and adults too cynical to listen I saw guns and knives and pollutants unseen, Over-consumed land and mean greedy hands I saw old men and young men and women without passion, Over-dubbed classics and money making idols I saw gods and mystics and legends without names, Over-drugged patients and schools too full to teach I saw cops and robbers and victims playing games, Over-crowded streets and strangers averting their eyes I saw you and me and we’re taking up time, Over-staying our welcome and leaving our children with rotten debris I saw winners and losers and they are all the same, Over-looked missions and days gone to waste I saw faces and views and lights change each day, Over-priced goods and unplanted seeds I saw the young and the middle and the old misunderstood, Over-reacting on anger and ignorant points of view I saw yesterday and today and tomorrow as one, Over-lapping existence and missed out connections I saw writers and actors and painters lose faith, Over-exposed gibberish and people selling out each day I saw addicts and bystanders and cops without a clue, Overnight takeovers and perpetrators wearing masks I saw capitalists and bankers and men with shields, Over-indulged heirs and drunks who had lost their way I saw the homeless man the artist and the poet begging for change, Overshadowed by some news clip that spun it a different way I saw this and more that day, I was overreacting and slowly turned my gaze the other way 4.Cycles Rough, naked land Is thrown awkwardly Towards the machine. Silenced winds brush Through the fallen leaves. Pavement paces through The park- lined with chalk And forgotten footprints. The sandy foothills Reach the grass. Shadows of clouds Drift past the landscape Holding on as long as they can To the silent cycle of nature. The river consumes the rain drops. Rocks steady the land Until the sea Erodes them back into the earth. 5. Traditions War is over Rights exist Trauma lingers People resist Times change Plants grow Thoughts erupt Scars show Beggars choose People share Drifters hitch Strangers stare Music soothes Thunder crashes Eyes follow Water splashes Buildings tumble Stories begin Morals restrict People sin Rocks roll Birds sing Dogs bite Bells ring Everything is a reaction We are all a contradiction Seeking truth is a tradition We search through combinations of our diction 6.Catch Your Dreams Before They Drift Awa Sitting on a park bench looking at the stars: possibilities are endless; fears never even existed; worry washes away as the wind blows by. My mind is clear and the story will unfold. Directly above my head are the dreams that I simply have to reach for. Our only sinful moments are the ones where we never stopped and waited. There’s always something around the corner- waiting for you to take a chance on. By the end, these chances lose their subtle meanings- rearranged now as someone else’s book of starry skies. Refine your reflections in the sand- our paths seep into the wishes we hold true. Chances taken are worth-while, they recover lost memories of doubt. You start to live your life when you choose to have a say. Narrate through the hassles. Inspire the lives that are around you. The circles shift as you are sleeping. They combine drops of drastic journeys for you to take. 6. Batman Needs a Friend Batman was leaping from a tall building in the city he protected. He went to a costume party, but Batman was rejected. His global acclaim and heroic appeal, Led another man to dress in his steel. Two were too many and the bat was told to leave, The other man had better crafted the symbol on his sleeve. He badly wanted to tell them, They weren’t looking at store bought, But he looked around at realistic villains that he fought. Still he wanted to tell them, he wanted to fit in. But revealing one’s identity is a superhero sin. So he toured the city full of ghosts, Looking for some nicer hosts. But every party seemed to be filled, With more evil villains he could have killed. To think he saw tonight as a chance to meet those he has saved, And find some romance. Alfred was out at the butlers’ ball, And Robin’s excuse really topped them all. He said he was out with Catwoman’s niece, But he really just wanted a night with some peace. Why couldn’t Batman have some time off? He wanted to take care of his dreadful cough. He thought he could mingle and enjoy Halloween, But he cannot escape from what he has been. Feeling obliged, and a bit caged in, He wonders if he’ll ever rid the city of it’s sin. 7. you and i are gonna try to make things work but you and me can both see that i can be a jerk but when we're together in stormy weather the sun shines through and when youre gone and life goes on i miss your point of view so quit teasing my heart because i know a fresh start is all we need so take a chance on our screwed up romance- lets plant this seed together the above are richard tyo 2007-8 Guns Guns that fire with a flinch of a finger Guns that rupture without concern Guns tear into our lives without warning Guns kill, rape, and burn Guns at a distance Guns for protection Guns that help the weak bring pain and Help win the election Guns that persuade the unarmed to comply Guns that are the answer to retaliation and Are so eager to make mothers cry Guns in the wrong hands and Guns legitimately bought Guns that restrain the criminals who have been caught Guns overrule logic Guns are louder than our pleas Guns bring confidence in planning and Facilitate our violent tendencies Guns are too plenty and Words seem to too obscure Words outlast the bullet’s life They seem to be our only cure *NEW: To Those Who Are Currently Running Our World Advertise you potions and the deals that you can make and Let us in on your methods that help us pamper and bake. Bombard us with signs- let us know it is for our sake. Feed us with images that are superficial and fake. Now enter our minds and nest a little egg. Seduce us with images and words and lifestyles we crave. Make it easy to imagine, but hard to attain. Make us part of your system; let us help you maintain. Sell us disposables and food that tastes good. Corrupt our water and wood- make your intentions obscurely understood. Sell greed and sell jealousy and Tell us who we want to be. Know our fears and our insecurities. Hide your side-effects and the added expenses and fees. See us as a number- as a consumer of your goods. See us as bait. See us as naïve. Smile at us, knowing you have guilty intentions up your sleeve. Hide your spillage. Hide your charts. Hide the wars and disease that your ignorance starts. Sell your soul for your ideology and Persuade others to believe everything you see. Spread you cynicism and the need to buy bigger and better devices. And convince us that there is no escape from the escalating oil prices. Our ironic casualties Overdone and overspent, So many received but none have been sent. Overworked and underpaid, Drawer full of condoms but never been laid. Overexposed and lacking taste, Lots of time free yet working with haste. Overjoyed and lacking love, Not religious but sent from above. Too many trends and not enough people, Brand new farm but a torn down steeple. Overpopulated and underfed, Lots of new ideas but pencils out of lead. Under surveillance and over the hill, Unexpected talent but lacking the will. Overlooked and misunderstood, Wouldn’t try again, even if you could. Underneath and undercover, Plans to betray your first time lover. Unkept and understood, Unemployed but looking good. Overwhelmed and counting change, New radio station but too far out of range. Powerful Mistakes Men with suits carry the world. They march and divide. They erupt and they collide. Visions create shadows among their elite. They construct and weave the chants that bring others to their feet. Accumulated wealth and stature rule without saintliness; greed grips gold-plated ghosts of men. Once held up by long-standing belief, now they ask for wisdom from the thief. Trusting the powers that rule their corrupt minds, they lose confidence in others and betray their long-lost brothers. Sins become treasures and they look for ways to make them suffer. Old traditions to accommodate trends- they take what they need to seek their own ends. Power over beings and hearing over seeing. Those who care should be spared and those with weak hearts put to the side. See if they can act beyond their self-promoting pride. If they can come clean about what they have done, we will refrain from burning them under our sun. We owe them more Protected from war and death The newborn’s lungs take in their first breath Without a past to dwell on today I wonder how long its innocence will stay Exciting new worlds that keep on coming How long until the world becomes so numbing What can we learn from a baby’s perception Without worrying about another’s evil deception Fresh eyes glancing on an ancient land Can rejuvenate our world that can seem so bland Do not discard a child’s naïve dreams You too had once chased after shimmering streams Why does war have to pollute our child’s heart? Can we not give them a more peaceful start? They see all people as their closest friends So you and I had better make amends Can we not create the world that our children first saw? or should we teach them to point out another person’s flaw? I think I will try for the sake of my son And he will be seen as the luckiest one All works by Richard Tyo 2006 |
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