Author: steve

The Rusty Cart

See the puny heart spin
Rollin’ in the gutter.
Clatter, clank, such a din.
Makes one wonder where it’s been.
Is it such a hellish sin
to love another?

Gimme work, gimme money
that’ll cure all ills, honey.
Drown in demon distractions!
Satiate with surface satisfactions!
Transform the sky, gray to sunny.
March ’em, dance ’em. Ain’t it funny.
Peering down a tunnel dark
Life a wild hopeless lark.

More noise, more lights.
Soak the senses in delights.
Cover up, bury deep
Screaming feelings that won’t sleep.
Yank the stabbings from the heart.
Cram them in a rusty cart,
And roll them off to hell!

There they’ll burn, smashed and broke.
Melt and simmer, smoldering joke.
Still we drink the caustic smoke.
Breathe it in. Expand the lung.
Corrupted crawling fetid dung.

Devours the insides to the outsides.
Powdered nothing.
Only sobbing song.
Hear it echo.
Fading. Faded. Gone.

TEARE 1989

In the Shadows of Deception

In the heart of the city, where the streets were lined with secrets and the alleys whispered tales of deceit, lived Alex. For a significant portion of his life, Alex was a master of deception, a puppeteer of lies, pulling strings to dance to the tunes of his addiction. The city’s underbelly was his playground, and he knew every trick in the book to ensure his survival. Manipulation, theft, betrayal – these were the tools of his trade.

But as the years went by, the weight of his actions began to bear down on him. The shadows he once embraced started to suffocate him, and the reflection in the mirror became a stranger. It was during one of these introspective moments that Alex stumbled upon the path of recovery. It wasn’t an easy journey; the road was filled with thorns of guilt and boulders of regret. But with each step, he shed a layer of his old self, revealing a soul yearning for redemption.

As he walked this new path, Alex discovered the value of honesty. It became his beacon, guiding him away from the treacherous cliffs of his past. He realized that while he had spent years deceiving others, he had also been deceiving himself. The darkness he once reveled in was now something he sought to escape, and in its place, he yearned for the warmth of truth.

Alex’s transformation was evident to those around him. He became a magnet for genuine connections, drawing people towards him with his newfound authenticity. But he also developed a keen sense for detecting falsehoods. Years of living amidst lies had honed his instincts, and he could spot a pretense from a mile away. And when he did, he wasn’t afraid to challenge it.

One day, during a chance encounter at a local café, he met Jamie. Jamie was a breath of fresh air, someone who wore their heart on their sleeve, unafraid of the rawness of their emotions. Their conversations were deep and unfiltered, and Alex found himself drawn to Jamie’s unapologetic honesty.

“You have this… boldness about you,” Alex remarked one evening, “It’s like you’re not afraid to show the world your scars.”

Jamie smiled, “Life’s too short for pretense. I believe in showing the real, the raw, even if it’s not always pretty.”

Alex nodded, understanding completely. For he too had come to cherish the beauty of truth, no matter how uncomfortable or ugly it might be. In Jamie, he found a kindred spirit, someone who understood the value of living in the light. And together, they embarked on a journey of genuine connections, leaving the shadows of deception far behind