The Arachnid

The arachnid arachnid arachnid, the arachnid that haunts my dreams, the arachnid that I fear, the arachnid that hid in my ear, arachnid squashed on the floor until it was no more, the arachnid connecting us, the arachnid binding us, the arachnid that is my power, the arachnid with eyes that do not tear but glower, the arachnid in you, the arachnid in me, the arachnid that is the enemy, the arachnid whom feeds on me, I’m prey to the arachnid, I feed the arachnid, I feel and know and see and cower before the arachnid of tall buildings swinging through the air, saving millions of dollars for the arachnid’s lair, the arachnid in Hollywood, the arachnid of the capital, the arachnid of streets roads paths and connections, the arachnid: when did you lose your humanity? The arachnid, that waits now, the arachnid that feeds from a cow sending hell blindly marching eight armies of sons against the arachnid, the arachnid the arachnid that sucks souls blood and bold minds, the arachnid watching the world watch it, the arachnid that does not feel, the arachnid that screeches at fire from whence the hellish fiend was born, the Arachnidan red eyes, not born again and again like the phoenix risen from the ashes of arachnidan war, the arachnid I adore, the arachnid whose web is beauty, the arachnid whom can entrap dreams, the arachnid who showed me theirs, the arachnid I must see no more, the arachnid of someone’s love it cannot bore, the arachnid the arachnid the arachnid. Spinster of fear and fate, web of communicative connection, spinning in circles on a string from my ceiling, the hunter that waits, the kill that is blind and ignorant. Fly into the arachnid’s clutches! Buzz about life on whim to maneuver past the arachnid’s schemes! Dive down into the conscious ocean of notion and drown the spider leaving paper burning in the street by the wall, the pyramidal eye burns from the center power, the arachnid’s capital falls crumbling about the arachnid, the arachnid that spouts lies forth screens, the arachnids that tumbles like humanity down into the streets flowing waves of legs crashing about the minds that calm mobs, the arachnid that watches from up high, the arachnid that denied my life peace, the arachnid whose ability to deceive has no end, the arachnid who finally comforts me brings me peaceful slumber from countless uncivilized animals gathered to poison the spider within as spiders compete in colossal stadiums, the arachnid whom made the holy hammock of blissful swaying joy hugging me to air and wrapping me in illusory comfort while I ignore the concluding bite to draw me and the animalistic spiders to the endless abyss.

Justin Vaisnor

For One Night

By Dave Karp

For one night

I held you in my arms

For one night

I stared in your eyes for an eternity

For one night

I felt my heart at rest

For one night

Your hand locked with mine, the puzzle put together

For one night

I heard the words “I love you” whispered in my ear like a new spring wind

For one night

The sky echoed a long last dream

For one night

The stars surrounded me and flooded my body

For one night

I walked with you through the streets and saw no one else

For one night

My mind surrendered to peace

For one night

Your kiss awoke all I could ever offer

For one night

I found heaven in our hearts

For one night

Why one night, just one night.

Before Bed Covers Cover Me

Sprouting nothingness like the sea of corn,

Causing sugar and crazed diabetics,

Everyone is allergic now,

And smoke the air as you breath,

Starting small to a black mass of anger,

The small one is white,

Angry, but damnit not so quiet if you knew,

What a bitch,

The anger doesn’t explode,

Unless it copulates manically,

But if the earth is loved by the angry one,

Then the anger boils,

The boil burns when tipped free,

Running down to fill the open void,

As all voids need filling,

Then a paradise is found,

The levels of hell are reached,

Burnt along the way of the hero’s journey,

To find himself in hypocrisy,

Devoting his life to the salvation of salvation-

And forming words and sentences denied to be either,

Denied to be read,

As freedom was not even for the bed,

But for those who had a dream for power made real,

Real as I am, as you are, as you make the power be,

Be tired of the world and the rambling of all,

Answers to community we already know,

Fear we are bound by from fearful neighbors,

And false conceptions, all have a story!

Mine is wishing to sleep!

To grow gardens and orchards,

To hell with your hell!

Hell, go to hell if you fear it so!

I’ll stay here, have land to grow.

People to love as they have a world,

To love.

Sleepy now, images of waking dreams,

And past nightmares,

Needing…future…memories…

Of love…wishing to…be…with…

Justin Vaisnor

City Bound

By Dave Karp

People walking on broken cement that walk on a promised promise land, looking for help as voices whisper “we’re still here” holding their ground that they so love. The cracking wall the boarded up houses where victories were once won the decaying temples that compliment dying faith as they hold each other tighter despite what my T.V. says it’s still home hearts still fighting working long hours to earn just enough to feed my family it’s the toughest grind but it’s my job so that’s good enough for me my duty the street boys playin’ ball in the court next to the lonely brick school touched with nothing but time bounce echo bounce echo bounce echo the cart being pushed by ma, hitting every crack of earth within her mile journey The busses go all night to keep us from getting lost the engines vroom and vroom all night I just wander and the world keeps turning, through empty lots and fields of green covered in cans, paper, garbage bag, and the memories are under them We’re just trying to find some sort of escape, isn’t everyone? They closed down my projects so now it’s just a city of boards boards boards, the chain link fence told me to keep out, but that’s my home, man! Where do I go now? Follow the sirens down the drive and keep going until the sun rises it’s coming someday this dream of mine where I win again the steel bridges and train tracks are next to me and boy is it a sight to see, like a painting of beautiful tragedy and it doesn’t end when we cross the river, it’s in my mind, my heart, my soul as these streets get longer and I meet my friends down on MLK Blvd. while we walk around just talking about living the good life someday man this clock is ticking like dynamite in my head, I’m ready to burst out of this shell and bring em’ all down with rock and roll dreams, that’s the way we come together here, isn’t it? The city of god shines in gas station signs and headlights from 280, they’re only passing by to that island to the right. Man, that’s where I want to be. But for now, I’ll work work work and that’s still alright for me the alarm goes off when the sunrises and I get home when the sun goes down 9-5 dreams down near the factory I’m home now, the bus let me off at a different corner and I walked with my thoughts with nothing to say, kiss my wife and my children, and I hit the pillow with a heavy head and a smile before I shut my eyes.

Miserable Freedom and Floor Boards in a Cafe

Miserable Freedom

Miserable misery,

Sweet solace of ignorance,

Blow me!

As a leaf in the swirled wind.

To land on a car,

Caught on a wiper,

Driven across land and country,

Along the globe and road of empires.

Set free on the coast,

Buried in sand,

Grinding my skin,

Uncovered by innocent beauty.

Crush between fingers of destiny,

Destined to collapse in sands of war,

Half way around the world.

Brought back flying in endless

Eternity, above the shore

From whence I crumbled

One sun brazen afternoon

When I was freed to perish.

Floor Boards in a Cafe

The floor boards creek here,

And the coffee is better than the corporate

Coffee not fairly traded,

With farmers-people-trying to get by.

Most people here worship a deity,

I worship and bend to what I see,

People-in front of me-loving me,

Hating me.

Believe what you want,

I sit here to drink and write.

Do what you want,

I will do the same.

Keep laws off my freedom G-man!

And keep your Lord in your heart,

When you judge me-

Don’t forget-he judges you.

I like you, let’s drink,

I like you, no need to yell,

I like you, why do you hate me,

I hate you, when you kill me.

I wear pants, though have no need,

Just like you,

I walk one foot after the other,

And not jumping on you.

Whose mind alters, when I’m with Mary?

Whose stance falters, bending knee?

Who cares when I die?

No longer I.

So I sit drinking my drug,

As you get high on life.

High is my life,

Thinking about floor boards.

Justin Vaisnor

Peace of Mind

This is a poem/turned song that I started and have yet to finish - Dave

Peace of Mind

By David Karp

I got three dollars in my pocket

And a penny for my thoughts

If that were true, I’d be a rich man

It’s the working life I’ve got

And if I hit the big time

Baby, I’ll leave this town behind

And escape the things that bind me

And find a little peace of mind

And I could just sit here for hours

And dream the day away

But when the dream don’t come true

Oh, I should have knew it’s be the lesson every day

And if I hit the big time

Baby, I’ll leave this town behind

And escape the things that bind me

And find a little peace of mind

It’s just me and my coffee

Yeah, they know me here by name

They ask “how’s life goin’?”

I smile and say “just playin’ the same old little game”

And if I play my card’s right

Baby, I’ll leave this town behind

And escape the things that bind me

And find a little piece of mind

Untitled and Czech Countryside

There is an endless blue in you,
Far darker than blue,
Its in stark contrast to black,
Endless and infinite,

Even as you sit staring at the endlessly shifting screen of interchangeable earth,
And walk in light to the sun,
While a butterfly beats it's wings causing a notion of calm around the world,
For the smoke fades in the last winds of time,

Then infinite is bountiful in it's final page,
Turning to white with no light as the sun ate you whole,
Staying land locked with the endless before you,
To afraid to explore anything but home,

The blue turns dusk spotted lights,
Froth bursts lightly like fire and cannons-and green too becomes a desire-
in the spot of ecstasy,
Of intolerable imaginative beliefs-

for the light to never fade
like love fading from hearts.

The poem was untitled so as the reader can form a meaning that is significant to themselves. If I had labeled it anything but a poem, I felt it would have lost most of it's essence.
The following poem was written while I was studying abroad in the Czech Republic.

Justin Vaisnor

Czech Countryside

Green and yellow

Fields of grass,

Dark clusters of

Inviting trees,

Rolling homely hills.

From out of the ground,

An uncomforting image.

Smoke travels high,

Spewing to the atmosphere,

Like a dreaded mushroom cloud.

The fields, the forests,

And those holy glorious hills,

Are disturbed by monsters.

The number,

Like the number of directions,

And neither,

Can point to what is right.

Those beasts help and harm,

The gigantic smoke stacks expel,

Pain and questions.

Summer 2010, Czech Republic

   Justin Vaisnor