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1. Colour the world
Highly regarded but only to us
A musical catalogue that stretched decades
The warbles of his voice remain
On cassette tapes and magnetic reels
The familiar chords
The only ones
he could play
On the family piano
Those moderate chords
The four-four beat
Minor keys, step down
Stabbing the chambers
Of my diseased heart
As I listen to the flute kick in
means more To me now
in my poetical persona
Because I played the flute
In middle school band
The breath control
To keep the beat
Looking for signs
In between the notes
Listening to the questions I can't ask
Seeking honest answers
In every measure.
2. GLORY DAYS
What are these glory days
Of which they speak
Are they
In the room
With us
Blink once
For yes
Blink Twice
For no
Let me know
When the glory days
Return like jesus
From the sky
That Remedios ascends
Purely out of spite
Make me your
Suicide blonde
Let me call you
My Maker, Oh Maker
Ice cold rosary
Slithers down my skin
Into the muted darkness
Glory Days is not available
Please leave your message
At the sound
Of the beep.
3. Parameters
There are none
They march
Two by two
Left – right – left
Pock-marked wall
Tin roof rusted
Broken arrows
Plastic milk jugs
Cascading water
Lush blue sky
Fountain pen survives
A blatant cry
From down below
And somewhere to the right
You think you heard a truth
You heard a drip
Buried deep
In a balikbayan box
I would give the Truth to you
If I had it
Til the soles of my feet
Bled Purple
The manuscript
Lined up nicely
Unearthing
Yet another puzzle.
As I hang up
My weapon of choice
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