INFLUENCER
Bluff, bluster, and bullshit—
suspend belief and make your unicorn world.
one of, "it's real."
The past is a nightmare only
the sleeping can’t see.
Find your excuse,
shout it loud
shout it from
the tip of the unicorn horn
where you sit!
and stick (to) it!!!!!!
No matter what!
© M Durfee
6/13/2021
I am questioning why I have waited so long to write a new piece, probably because nothing new shook my eyeballs..still 6 months is a long time, but not as long as the 9 months I have been tobacco free after 50 some odd years, which still is not in the same room as the 20 odd years since I have had a drink---thank God for THC!!!.
Absence hasn't affected the bullets you shoot here at all, Mark. I too have had a difficult time finding the spot where I write. This is well worth the wait. I'd quote, but really the poem is a stunning whole and each phrase is more than just a unit. Congrats on losing the tobacco. It's worth the difficulty and sweat to give it up--it slow-killed my husband and it wasn't pretty. And always kudos on no booze. There's no having a life with that.
ReplyDeleteActually Joy the cigarettes just took a plan, with which I walked away. Unfortunately my last smoke was outside the vets office...*sigh* the last drink is far enough back where I do not remember it, I simply realized there can only be one Bukowski!
ReplyDeletemark, congratulations on no smokes and no drinks. That's me too. And congratulations on THC: that's me too too :^)
ReplyDeleteGosh I miss our regular blogging days. I can't believe how many of us moved on. Still, it's always a comfort to show up. This poem, I don't know which way to lean. I find some merit in leaning into an envisioned world absent of hatred and racism and all things donald trump.
Do you see any change in Detroit?
love
kj
ReplyDeleteYa know kj, interrupting partaking of my vices really wasn't that tough. My long time dog, Ginger dying of bone cancer--that was tough. When she passed I went outside lit the last cigarette I've had that was 9/21/20.
I will admit it took me awhile to get on the recreational THC bandwagon--if you ain't growing you ain't changing--eh?
Honestly? Detroit is out of control. Violence is up--way up. The former police chief (Hollywood Craig) had given up on direct policing same with the State Police--no license, no insurance, no registration, no problems.
Have an accident for whatever reason--just run away as fast as you can!
TRUE STORY: I live on a very residential street in a bedroom neighborhood--there are no bars or businesses for at least 1/2 mile--it is poverty ridden-none the less. 5 years ago after more than 30 years the city repaved our street, it was done correctly and speedily (8.5/10). Good job smooth riding finally after all those decades of rough patchwork crap! The 2 years ago there was an underground water leak in front of a neighbor’s house. OH MY GOD IN HEAVEN!!!
A 30’x25’x 15’deep hole that destroyed the still beautiful new asphalt was dug, then this crew of stooges went down the block and repeated said hole because “the first one wasn’t where the leak was.” It most certainly was the spot of the leak they were sent to fix. For some inscrutable reason they broke a valve which they had to replace. Jumping ahead; after 1.5 weeks they finished and resurfaced in front of my neighbor’s house.
Here we are, this past Sunday, a speeding moron hit that patch of pavement and his right rear tire came 3 feet off the pavement he lost control and landed on top of a parked car. Those cars were fucked up---but the driver of the car that went airborne, got out through the windshield and ran, ran as fast as he could and has not been seen since.
The owner of car #2, the car that was pretty well destroyed called 911—the stunning result of that first call was:
911:” did you get the driver and insurance information from the other driver?”
Victim: “How, they ran away…”
911: “What do you want us to do about it, you don’t have any contact information…”
AND that is where we are in Detroit kj
damn mark. I was actually hoping things had improved.
DeleteBTWI have a book of poetry just out. I did it through amazon as an experiment in case I have to self publish my novel and it turns out the process is low cost and not too hard. Maybe worth your look-see. xo
Hi Mark, nice to read you again. I'm sorry about your dog.
ReplyDeleteThank you e. You know for someone like me who actually has very little to do one would think I would be cranking out product, Nahhh
DeleteAh Walking Man, I knew you never "really" went away :D We are ALL still here - some of us still in the wings, some of us further down the road... I have always gotten a kick out of your story; the one where you hitchhiked all over the west coast - 101 by Big Sur, especially the story of under the bridge etc. Though we have not met physically, I feel connected to you nonetheless. I once racked up 16+ years of sobriety - was never a smoker and though my long-time beloved (since we met at age 14) was and always has been a smoker of herb, I am not. I do indulge in a cocktail every now and then, but rarely to excess. I feel my early years of abstinence saved me from a crueler fate down the road, like my late husband who died needing a liver transplant All in all, life is good, and it is always made better reading your random breadcrumbs of wisdom :D
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say Terry...
Deletehttps://youtu.be/B9FzVhw8_bY
There's a bunch of WoW's and WellDone's here, Mark, keep on keeping on, no matter what, you gotta write what is here else how will future generations know of what really went down..... hall Mark, long time, hugs and keep well
ReplyDelete