The Poetry Of...
Al Ferber.....................................
Rite Of Passage
felt a little like eating thick
tasteless paper
got stuck most times
to the roof
of my mouth and held on
for dear life as I tried
to pry it loose
with my tongue
afraid of its fate
for me to chomp
and swallow it
afraid I would real quick
figure out it wasn't what
they said
but just another symbol
I was supposed to digest
and make a part
of my already twisted
belief system
Ill Tempered
there's the monster still residing
in me hiding just behind my spleen
impatient growling snarling
just waiting for the chance for me
to let my guard down for the slightest
bit of encouragement when he will
start to beat his drum step out
devouring everything that breathes
taking over - not just center stage -
but the entire theater district
cab stands restaurants brothels
after hours clubs police precincts
bus terminals hospital emergency
wards all night convenience stores
hustlers' corners convents churches
entire parishes bishoprics tabernacles
and if he could reach the Holy See
he would make Mr. Hyde look
very much the boyscout, indeed
Down On The Corner
I have turned the inevitable corner
can see death's door down the block
or on the horizon at once opening
then slamming shut taking the next
then the next in line I can see it won't
take forever like I used to think before
my number comes up that every step
I take is one step closer to the end of me
the end of a story that began now it
seems like almost yesterday with all
the joys and heartache still in front
of it is winding down the final chapters
with this certain knowledge I'd much
rather not have guess I might just as
well learn to love and embrace my
age expanding waist the onset of
wrinkles and strange new growths
of flesh like a potato kept too long
in a sack pieces of the soul or my
sins rising to the surface in unsightly
twisted gnarls to remind me daily
in am aged and no longer merely
aging into a pitiful degrading lump
of dying decomposing flesh dying
all little bit more each day with each
minute more evidence of my ultimate
degeneration into an ant farm worm
food roach hotel rodent smorgasbord
