Hack Hauku

I could be a jap

poet and get away with

five seven five lines.

-dp- 

Camflauge

8-30-84

They're out there waiting
     wearing khaki and black.
They're out there waiting
     planning ruthless attacks.

Are they armed?  You bet!
     With guns, bombs, and money.
Am I alarmed?  Not yet:
     I'm drinking beer with my honey.

-dp-

Stealing Dr. Suess

Went shopping to buy my green eggs and ham.
This woman in an aisle confronted me,
saying: "You know it's illegal to smoke
in the store".  Sure I knew, but feigned surprise,
white lied, "no, really?  Well, I'm almost done".
"Would you be so kind as to put it out?"
I blushed and flashed my best boyish grin
as forefinger and thumb rolled the cherry off.
My bare foot crushed red black into tile,
while fingers retained a substantial butt.
She reproached me again:  "I asked you nicely
to please put it out.  I find your habit
offensive.  I'm getting the manager."
I murmured,  "I find you offensive, bitch".
She stormed off to the managers office.
I picked up a carton while checking out,
left, lit up, and limped back to my car.


-dp-
6-4-84
 

Peter Pan

Wendy left me.
   Tinkerbell,
      where have you gone?
I need your magic.

Captain Hook's
   got the kids
      walking the plank
with I-Pads in hand.

I can't fly!
      not without
strings attached.


-dp-








 

The Legend at Royal Oaks Plantation

A white mansion amongst old oak trees,
Uncut lawns, stagnant fountains, algae.
Pillars cracked, scoured, pitted from fire.
What nobility did this house once sire?

Fallen tombstones, sunken into ground,
From this decay, Marigolds abound.
But near ancient black oak, nothing dwells.
Here some evil has cast a timeless spell.

On tully fogged black nights of winter
Hoof prints on the bridle path appear.
A frightened horse galloping is heard,
Flustering awake slumbering birds.

Who rides this horse's ghost at night,
Locking midnight lovers in fright?
Is it ghost, or goblin, or shananakee
That stops to weep at the old oak tree?

Legends of slaves being raped and slain.
A ruthless battle from here gets it's name.
Old records don't explain what occurs here.
Someone in mourning keeps her secrets dear.

-dp-  

Boxers

The man awakens, hungover,
crawls from bed in a rented room.
Naked, he stumbles to the dresser,
fumbles to open a pack of Pall Malls,
strikes a match, draws and coughs.
What was her name?  Joanne?
Let her sleep.  He pulls on worn boxers, 
passes the mirror, unable to see...

The boy, just twelve, admires his features
through the full reflection of his
mother's dressing mirror.  He wears nothing,
save a new pair of boxer shorts,  a gift
from grandparents to their new young man. 
stiff and fresh and still creased, they
make him feel grown up.  Eager for age
he imagines fulfilling youth's dreams...
 
the man awakens


-dp-
copyright 9-19-83

Another Poem About Love (a)

Love, oh special fleeting sense,
Emotion of the heart, feeling from the soul
Take hold of my heart, liberate my soul.
Give me purpose through joyful bliss.

Love, purist rapture of senses,
Permeate forever and shine from my being,
Fulfill my dreams that I awake tomorrow
Complete and whole, without defenses.

Love, vague memory of innocence,
Free us from our shackling chains of fear,
Incite our world with your purpose so pure.
Brothers and sisters!  Embrace His subtle influence!


-dp-
7-20-83

Castaway

Send me a ship to set my soul free.
Cast me off these land loving feet.
Call me to the ocean, set sail upon the sea.
I'll mind the tiller, you tend the sheets.

Plot a course to an island we can name,
With a quiet beach to spend our days.
Watch our children play marvelous games
And grow wise in the wonder of kinder ways. 

-dp-
6-24-83

No One To Hold

Cast to a sea of darkness.
No one to hold but the night, 
I fear my emptiness.

This night grave: sweat soiled sheets,
cold, still air, snug shroud, damp tomb.
No dream to escape fear.



I long to scream despair,
for a lover to caress and hold,
but no one answers.  No one is there.

Deep sigh, clutch pillow,  four more dark
hours remain.  Broken dreams,
tears roll sidelong to my pillow. 

-dp-
6`16-83 / 3-29-13 

*********

DROPPED
Startling wet dream liberates my gloom.
This cheap release from distress will do.
More dreams of friends, better times.

Sun persists, blasts through drapes,
disables friends and lovers and mystifies
them through hell furnace light.

-dp-



formally "A Dark Night"





 

THIRD DATE

We laugh in the park under oak trees
Squirrels play above in branches with glee.
Spring freshness, your eyes, balmy air,
breeze blows, sunshine sparking in your hair.

Holding hands along the boardwalk.
Sunset over sailboats tied to docks.
feeding the gulls.  It's been a nice day
to share as dusk's fingers slip away.

Dancing close and drinks together,
dinner in a secluded corner.
Out of mind, gazing eyes search
to find the thread between our hearts.

-dp-
3-25-82

Southern Crawl

 SOUTHERN CRAWL

The rain's pourin' down and the levee's on the rise.

Cotton fields are a muddy mess.

Sold the coloreds for confederate money,

that useless paper ain't worth a shit.


Long guns booming over Dixie.

Sherman's  marchin' through our woods.

Won't be long 'till they're here for me:

a simple gent who did what he should.


The reigns comin' down and the river's on the rise.

Dixie's crying in the thunder.

One day soon she'll roll over and die,

and the South can crawl from under.

-dp-

-3-3-13-
edit- substitued "coloreds" for "n-word" for social considerations.

The rain's pourin' down and the levee's on the rise.
Cotton fields are a muddy mess.
Sold the coloreds for confederate money,
that useless paper ain't worth a shit.

Big guns booming down on Dixie.
Sherman's out marchin' through the woods.
Won't be long and then they're here for me:
a simple gent who did what he should.

The reigns comin' down and the river's on the rise.
Dixie's crying through the thunder.
Some day soon she'll roll over and die,
and the South can crawl from under.

-dp-
-3-3-13-edit- substitued "coloreds" for "n-word" for social considerations.


The rain's pourin' down and the levee's on the rise.
Cotton field's a muddy mess.
Sold the niggers for confederate money,
that useless paper ain't worth a shit.

Big guns booming down on Dixie.
Sherman's marchin' through the woods.
Won't be long before they slaughter me:
a simple gent who did what he should.

The reigns comin' down and the river's on the rise.
Dixie's crying through the thunder.
One day soon she'll roll over and die,
and the South will crawl from under.

-dp-




-
Plantation's a ruins- Yankees ransacked that,
took the horses, food, and wagons,
then set fire to the barn and shacks.
would've tried to stop them if I could.
- 

NOW

Today's the day,
    the time is now,
no worries or fears,
    or questions of how.
Do it for better,
    do it for worse.
do it forever,
    it can be diverse.
You got to do whatever
    you're going to have to do.

There's no tomorrows,
    no yesterdays.
It happens right now
    within you today.
You're who you are,
    you must decide,
where you are at,
    and who's on your side.
You got to be whoever
   you really want to be.

There's so much here,
    a universe!
And nothing to fear,
    nothing's adverse.
You're your only 
    source of action.
You're your only 
    satisfaction!
Go!  Be everything,
    everything you can be!


-dp- 
10-7-82