abstract art

placed in a 5 x 2 inch frame i was hung on a wall
to be filed past & examined
touched with dirty child fingerprints
a topic of conversation more passing fad than necessity
pieces of dried macaroni & tattered & faded denim Elmer glued on construction paper
i was a work of art
the proclaimed masterpiece finished by an adolescent artist
put on display for the world to see
until curators made room for the next
the evolution from finger paintings to dali paintings
melted time clocks dripping with thick clops of watercolors
made streaks of blues & maroons
puddles of indescribable nothings passed off as beautiful
holidays were field trips & this traveling exhibit
opened eyes to new forms of expressions
visually sturdy collages of magazine pages
paper mache'd the way of the world
graffiti spray paint of skateboards & black fisted rebel on project brick walls
sepia charcoal smudged to smear the pain of living in a 360 degree frame
yes society loves works of art
group tickets sell by the family tree
cause from every evergreen hangs the black sheep
nail gunned to branches & admission is free
to be analyzed
draw conclusions with washable markers on the back
bid on the pieces you really desire
as others flow down the waters of forgotten memories
i am the writing on the wall
misinterpreted for the masses
because finding the truth is like an abstract picture
who wants explanation
when you can just call it abstract

boxing ring

more than walls separate us
mix in some space and opportunity
we graduated from school yard bullying
wet willies & swirlies to full on fisticuffs
started picking housing floor plans that looked more like boxing rings
and in this corner, i stood
looking at her bedroom door
holding up my guard
i knew when i heard the entrance theme music of catty conversations filled with insinuation
the beat down would begin
turn my mother into another
friend to sugar ray robinson george foreman
swinging big bear punches with such authority
that it'd knock my self-esteem to its knees
hit you so hard you'll future girlfriends will feel it
at night, we'd retreat to neutral corners
had the dignity to fight in designated areas
to come out swinging between the bells & buzzes of alarm clocks
and the days when she'd slip barbed wire bricks in her gloves
i took the hit
because she knew pork chops & rib eyes would heal
bruises & black eyes on my ego
let pens be the vaseline over my swollen jaw
punk, heavy metal be my ace bandage
wrapping my emotion & hurt with white voices
suffocating my own breath
as peace offerings we sacrificed out tongues because
mediation led to confusion for one and happiness for none
cause she can't understand my sentiments clearly
letters could never deliver the message directly or on time
mostly i kept my shit in my mind
& let the walls talk to me
put my head in the stucco white clouds
cause i knew clowns & unicorns would always be there like best friends
cause my mother would rather box me
than love me