The Sick Rose

O Rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm,
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy;
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy

The Merlion

"I wish it had paws," you said,
"It's quite grotesque the way it is,
you know, limbless; can you
imagine it writhing in the water,
like some post-Chernobyl nightmare?
I mean, how does it move? Like a
torpedo? Or does it shoulder itself
against the currents, gnashing with frustration,
its furious mane bleached
the colour of a drowned sun?
But take a second look at it,
how it is poised so terrestrially,
marooned on this rough shore,
as if unsure of its rightful
harbour. Could it be that,
having taken to this unaccustomed limpidity,
it has decided to abandon the seaweed-haunted
depths for land? Perhaps it is even ashamed
(But what a bold front!)
to have been a creature of the sea; look at how
it tries to purge itself of its aquatic ancestry,
in this ceaseless torrent of denial, draining
the body of rivers of histories, lymphatic memories.
What a riddle, this lesser brother of the Sphinx.
What sibling polarity, how its sister's lips are sealed
with self-knowledge and how its own jaws
clamp open in self-doubt, still
surprised after all these years."

"Yet...what brand new sun can dry
the iridescent slime from the scales
and what fresh rain wash the sting of salt
from those chalk-blind eyes?"

A pause.

"And why does it keep spewing that way?
I mean, you know, I mean..."

"I know exactly what you mean," I said,
Eyeing the blond highlights in your black hair
And your blue lenses the shadow of a foreign sky.
It spews continually if only to ruffle
its own reflection in the water; such reminders
will only scare a creature so eager to reinvent itself."

Another pause.

"Yes," you finally replied, in that acquired accent of yours,
"Well, yes, but I still do wish it had paws."

I Am A Rock

Listen...


I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh)
I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock


Know when you criticize me, before you try to, do me a solid
Take a short walk in my shoes
My boots, my kicks, my flip-flops, whatever
I done seen rain and I ain't just talkin' weather
But I'm a survivor
Shame on you if you thought I would ever leave
I'm a be right there where the legends be
I am unbreakable, I'm Rock, I am never weak now
I feel weak sometimes, but you'll never see
I'm going through one of the roughest times in my entire life right now
Still I got a slight smile
I'm knowin' it's gonna be better days, like Tupac said
And we go make it like Eve & them two LOX said
Whos not fed up with something
Life's about struggling and overcoming your shortcomings
Not about huffing and puffing and crying without doing nothing
Take them sour lemons, make lemonade, and stop sucking.


I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh)
I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock


Rock like coal is, old and dusty
But, y'all already know what's underneath
Give me some time, and keep applying pressure
Watch me shine like the ex-BadBoy
It'll all be fine (all be fine)
Just dig down deep, search for that energy
I can't lose, get in touch with that inner energy
Game face on, see this mug, you'll remember me
Focus out the pain, ignore any injury
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Then again, I am Rock, can't really injure me
Chip off a piece, all you're gonna get is a little me
Got one from almost every tough time in my history
Hence the new team, ROCK BROVAAAAAAZ, are you still with me?
Got a bunch more, they're in my last stage of misery
My little Gz, that's strength in me, are you kidding me?
I get stronger every time they try to finish me
We don't die, we multiply, can I get a witness, please?


I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh)
I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock


Sure there've been times I feel I can't go on
But I am so strong, I really can go on
I ain't saying so long, I ain't goin' home
Rock Man goin' hard, 'til I can't no more

Tomorrow is Friday the thirteenth, me and bad luck
Been have beef, he can't hurt me, he can't serve me
I win every time I see him, even with all his undermining cheatin
Every time I beat him I think the odds must be his crew (huh?)
Word, they've always been against me, too (huh?)
They can't see me neither, anyone thinking he could, keep me out my championship, he fooled


I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh)
I am Rock, it ain't no breakin' me
I am Rock, it ain't no shakin' me
I am Rock, that ain't no earthquake, it's me
I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock (ohh) I am Rock

Human

I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes
Clear your heart...
Cut the cord

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
Give my regards to soul and romance,
They always did the best they could
And so long to devotion
You taught me everything I know
Wave goodbye
Wish me well..
You've gotta let me go

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know is your heart still beating

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer

You've gotta let me know

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human
Or are we dancer?

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Are we human
Or are we dancer?

Bitcherel

You ask what I think of your new acquisition;
and since we are now to be 'friends',
I'll strive to the full to cement my position
with honesty. Dear - it depends.
It depends upon taste, which must not be disputed;
for which of us does understand
why some like their furnishings pallid and muted,
their cookery wholesome, but bland?
There isn't a law that a face should have features,
it's just that they generally do;
God couldn't give colour to all of his creatures,
and only gave wit to a few;
I'm sure she has qualities, much underrated,
that compensate amply for this,
along with a charm that is so understated
it's easy for people to miss.
And if there are some who choose clothing to flatter
what beauties they think they possess,
when what's underneath has no shape, does it matter
if there is no shape to the dress?
It's not that I think she is boring, precisely,
that isn't the word I would choose;
I know there are men who like girls who talk nicely
and always wear sensible shoes.
It's not that I think she is vapid and silly;
it's not that her voice makes me wince;
but - chilli con carne without any chilli
is only a plateful of mince...

Celluloid Gods

Now the gods reappear, as foretold.
Now a million eyes are held in trance,
a million bodies thrill to a communion
of light and sound, as the gods re-enact
The drama of grief, discrimination,
recrimination, slaughter and recompense.
A million beings pulse
 to the rhythm of one well-rehearsed passion,
a million hearts are in the same confessional,
subject to a single therapy.
(In obscure arenas, beyond the stagelights’ spill,
puny angers flare, combatants are restrained
from leaping out of windows, shadows lock
in mortal embrace, and desperate scholars worm
deeper into their books.) Tomorrow all tongues
will narrate the same cure, publish
the universal miracle. They will affirm
the truth of things witnessed, confirm
the prophesies of the tabloids, and when
the excitement subsides, there will be time
for these mortals to journey
to the paradises of merchandise,
to acquire the promises
flashed in the adverts
before their commerce with the gods
recommences.

On Turning Ten

The whole idea of it makes me feel
like I'm coming down with something,
something worse than any stomach ache
or the headaches I get from reading in bad light--
a kind of measles of the spirit,
a mumps of the psyche,
a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.

You tell me it is too early to be looking back,
but that is because you have forgotten
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful complexity introduced by two.
But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit.
At four I was an Arabian wizard.
I could make myself invisible
by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.
At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.

But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it.

This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself,
as I walk through the universe in my sneakers.
It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends,
time to turn the first big number.

It seems only yesterday I used to believe
there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I could shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees. I bleed.