The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of the infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.

– H. P. Lovecraft

There are some people whose passports are not in order. – Jean Cocteau

LIE

I have never cheated on you.
Never.

I wouldn't think of it.
Okay, I've thought of it.

Once.
I cheated once.

And I'm sorry.
Truly.

It's over.
I never loved her.

She meant nothing to you.
I mean, to me.

Pretty?
Not really.

Not prettier than you.
How could she be?

It'll never happen again.
Never.

MEMORY

I was late but I drove into town
slowly which was the only way
possible.

Some old bag spent more time
looking at the scenery than the
road.

She was pointing her finger, even 
turning her head, looking over her
shoulder

As if a tour guide for an even
older bag in the passenger seat, not
listening.

Could tell you more, I had plenty
of time to study. Doing 30 MPH in 
a 55 MPH zone.

Robert Cray, a blues man like me,
singing like he knew right then the axe 
was gonna fall.

DREAM

I am far ahead.
I am in pain, 
but I don't feel the pain.
I can hear the cheers.
I don't look back.
I know I am being chased.
Looking won't change that.
I must keep moving.
I can see the gate into the stadium.
I can see the tunnel, 
And I imagine what it will be like, 
the rest of my life.
The tunnel is dark, 
uterine somehow, 
and strangely silent.
Thought I should hear screaming.
See the bright light of the other end 
but it gets no closer.
They wave me on 
for another lap.

(1995)