-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the right to die
 

there's this woman

complaining about

pain and all these

broken bones

 

she thinks she

needs therapy

of some kind

 

the therapist is

telling her what

they could do

for her

 

part of me wishes

the therapist would

offer her the right

to die
------------------------------------------------------------
it was better to be realistic
 

i remember

when i was

younger

 

i dreamed

of marrying

a beautiful

black woman

 

and making

our dysfunction

a superpower

that was going

to destroy the

world

 

i'll never forgive

my parents for

telling me it

was better to

be realistic

 

no wonder my

imagination

carries a strong

sword of revenge
--------------------------------------------------------
that likes to play with knives
 

another night thinking about death

 

following the wrinkles on your face

and trying to remember which ones

are scars

 

your left big toe always hurts

in the rain

 

last time you ever went drinking

with a marine that likes to

play with knives

 

and all the memories of the pool

halls

 

all the free drinks

as no one could touch you

when you got going on any

of the tables

 

driving home like a dumbass

 

feeling great but always sleepy

 

nothing quite like waking up

right before that exit sign gets

too fucking close

 

some think you are lucky

 

others tend to think you are due

 

we're all going to die sometime

 

might as well have a few fucking

stories along the way
-----------------------------------------------------
trying to be civilized
 

a couple inches

of snow on the

ground

 

a few days ago

i was in the store

in shorts and a t-shirt

 

wait ten minutes and...

 

it's a town of rednecks

trying to be civilized

 

hard for them to imagine

anything but white people

around here

 

i always laugh when i see

the few asians or the couple

of blacks that do live here

 

hoping it becomes more

and more

 

having grown up in a very

diverse situation in this state

 

i understand how diversity

can expand your brain and

teach tolerance and

understanding

 

of course, why would these

white fucks ever want that

 

they have what they believe

is utopia

 

of course, you have to explain

to them why the schools need

money

 

and why the roads don't get

paved just because
------------------------------------------------------
drive a mercedes
 

wake up in the middle of a nightmare

and realize you have never felt better

 

death is as natural as a sunset

 

as a flower drying up in a desert

 

but your controlled existence in

the suburbs taught you were special

and special people never die with

jesus on their side

 

hang out with the lost souls long

enough and you'll come to

understand

 

that jesus died on the cross so

your pastor can drive a mercedes

 

it isn't so much about heaven and

hell as much as it is about getting

every last cent into the collection

plate

 

trust me

 

they will warn you

that you always need to be

on the path

 

greatness never followed someone

else's footprints



J.J. Campbell (1976 - ?) is old enough to know better. He's been widely published over the years, most recently at The Beatnik Cowboy, The Rye Whiskey Review, Horror Sleaze Trash, The Asylum Floor and Misfit Magazine. You can find him most days on his mildly entertaining blog, evil delights.