Billy Harfosh - Four Poems

Sadistic Complacency

  

Steel eyes fixed

Melted and molded into secret sadistic complacency

The incense stick is on its final inch

With no extinguish in sight

Mechanical eyes fixed on the burning flame

Wading down the Mekong sipping opium tea

The otter swims back and forth playing to the cameras

At the Burnett Park Zoo

Lap after lap

Waving to the onlookers

She goes mad

Robotic eyes react to their surroundings

Robotic movements

Robotic responses

Melted and molded into sadistic complacency

Automated eyes drowned beneath time

Glass splashed crashed about the freeway

The sirens ring in the distance

As the flame sputters to silence

and you wish you could have done it a different way

Tell All

You ask what’s in my head

You can’t fathom

The rabid foam and empty conscience

You can’t comprehend my insecurities

Trust my alter ego

Evil minds weaken

Black dog begging for shelter

The boat will rock and roll

Never capsizes

and we’re back to steady

Hollywood Horace

The man with the crooked cap talks a big game

Neeeeeew Yoooork Cittttty!

Gee wow golly gee gosh

Well, ill be damned

Slappin knees

Hollywood Horace

Self professed big wig spender

Ain’t that a trip across drug carteled Cambodia

Slanderous promises revoked

Heads hung high on street signs

Rusted from within

and Hollywood Horace orders more champagne 

Posed and Confused

Copy cat cowards

Listen and gesture

The same as the chosen few

Talk the same

Walk with a slow limp

Laugh at the exact moment together

To get into the crowd

The Missouri butterflies regress to caterpillars larva

Chained together arm and arm

Retro cool

Trying so hard to be them

Trying to get to heaven

The worshiped still inspire

The crowds follow

Plain face turned vibrant

Trained to lead

Told to follow

The program persists

(insert official definition of insanity here)

I’ve said enough

Dug the deep hole

The end

Billy Harfosh currently lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  Billy was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1985 during the Lebanese civil war.  For the last year Billy has been writing in Southeast Asia.  You can find his latest work published in Ardent! Poetry Journal and Bewildering Stories Magazine.