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Our Hearts Askew

4/15/2023

Our Hearts Askew

Looking up into the bright pale blue,
A silver jet slowly slices the sky.
Leaving a narrow white trail so true,
It must be lonely up that high.

Traffic runs rampant, roaring right by,
Flashing signals tell us what to do.
A hurried, hostile crowd will comply,
It’s somehow lonely down here too.

Try stepping away somewhere fresh and new,
A peaceful place in our mind’s eye.
Away from the steel and glass we grew,
Yet we cannot create the fractured lie.

It’s enough to move a grown man to cry,
We’ve lost our ability to break through.
We’re on the grid amid the greater “I,”
Plugged in and counted –there is no 'you.'

And we all know it’s true.
And there’s no way to deny,
Our minds have led our hearts askew,
Endlessly progressing without asking why.

-- William Martin

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The Wannabe Blues

4/2/2023

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The Wannabe Blues

Got a Fender Strat on the wall,
A Les Paul hangin’ ‘longside.
PRS? Yes,
I got the best,
But when playin’ my fingers are tied.

Got the rhythm in my feet;
Got the tune in my head.
Lyrics in place –letter-neat,
But for me the blues are dead.

(Chorus)
‘Cause I can’t play guitar,
Can’t even begin to jam.
Can’t play the fuckin’ guitar,
Can’t play it worth a damn.

(Solo)
Scrrreeeeeech! Squaaaark! Twaaaang!
Scrrreeeeeech! Squaaaark! Twaaaang!
Diddley, (stop to scratch my head), Flaaaaang!

They visit me every day,
Hear the blues in my head,
But when I try to play,
They just run away,
Echoes of dirge and feelin’ dead.

Still I try to play what I feel,
Try to play just what I am.
But I know it ain’t real,
--The guitar just squeals--
‘Cause I can’t play worth a damn.

(Chorus)
Yeah, I can’t play guitar,
Can’t even begin to jam.
Can’t play the fuckin’ guitar,
Can’t play it worth a damn.

(Solo, giving it your all)
Scrrreeeeeech! Squaaaark! Twaaaang!
Scrrreeeeeech! Squaaaark! Twaaaang!
Diddley, (stop to scratch my head), Flaaaaang!

Maybe I need a new Tele,
Maybe a wha-wha pedal or two.
Hoping no one will tell me,
My playin’s just no damn use.

(Solo)

--William Martin

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As the Rain Came

3/25/2023

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As the Rain Came

Seeing those I loved and who loved,
Locked in conflict,
The origins of which, I knew not.
But I watched,
As the rain came down.

Hearing angry voices, heated whispers,
In the blackest nights.
That I heard, they knew not.
But I listened,
As the rain came down.

Learning of raw feelings and wounds,
The growing spite,
That I understood, they knew not.
But I felt it,
As the rain came down.

Time passed as did some I loved,
Leaving scars,
--Thick, raw, tender scars--
The which of, they knew not.
But I still think of them,
Still know the pain,
And I feel it,
As the rain comes down.

I pray they’re now at peace,
Resting in the warmth of peace.
That I miss them, they may know not.
But I do.
And I feel their hearts,
Each time the rain comes down.

--William Martin

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Uncle Jack Hangover Blues

3/4/2023

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Uncle Jack Hangover Blues

My head pounds to a pure blues beat,
Bile rising to coat my throat.
Skin radiates with feverish heat,
Wading through a full-body bloat.

Try to recall parts of last night,
Mind snap-shutters like flippin’ a switch.
Face cringes as events come to light,
Next mornings are always a bitch.

(Chorus)
It's those hangover blues,
Hammers poundin' in my mind.
Those damned hangover blues,
Uncle Jack can be so unkind.

Smarts, wit, and humor,
Just last night I had it all.
But I already hear the rumors,
Status already takin’ a fall.

Thought I was makin’ an impression,
As I kept on fillin’ my glass.
Eyes now burn with clear perception,
Uncle Jack was just kickin' my ass.

(Chorus)
It’s those hangover blues,
So many regrets filling my mind.
Those damned hangover blues,
Uncle Jack can be so unkind.

Passed out not knowing when,
Passed out not knowing where.
Woke up my mind in a bend,
With a stranger snoring there.

Time to lay low for a while,
Run home and stay in my place.
Avoid others’ knowing smile,
Hide my ugly hungover face.

(Chorus)
It’s those hangover blues,
So many regrets filling my mind.
Those damned hangover blues,
Uncle Jack can be so unkind.

--William Martin

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Blue Shoe Blues

2/18/2023

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Blue Shoe Blues

Well, I thought I knew what I wanted,
Wanted to reach up and touch the sky.
Looked online all night till morning,
That’s when they finally caught my eye.

They were so cool, so sweet, so perfect,
Thought they would make me feel like the king.
They were so blue and suede and perfect,
I knew they were just the right thing.

They showed up a few days later,
I tore open the box just to find,
The were pale blue, not suede and so ugly,
I nearly went out of my mind.

(Chorus)
I got those blue shoe blues,
Folks pointing and laughin’ at me.
I got those blue shoe blues,
And I lost the f***ing receipt.

Tried to make the best of what’s bad,
Felt like the fool instead of the king.
They were the only shoes I now had,
And I hate to wear the damned things.

(Chorus)
I got those blue shoe blues,
Folks pointing and laughin’ at me.
I got those blue shoe blues, baby,
And I lost the f***ing receipt.

It’s not easy when you stumble,
Reach for the stars but then you lose.
My head down, so sad and humble,
But all I see’s them damned shoes.

I got those blue shoe blues,
Folks pointing and laughin’ at me.
I got those blue shoe blues baby,
And now they’re all I can see.

-- William Martin

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Meeting Death

2/4/2023

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Meeting Death

Kneeling beside me
On a cold concrete curb,
Darkly hooded, hushed,
Hollowly familiar.

My eyes cast down,
Pretending hurt,
Yet not so lonely now.

I whisper, accusing,
—A weak veneer—
“Where were you?
I’ve looked for you,
…Missed you.”

A thin cold arm
Across my shoulders.
Comforting.
“I’m here now,
…I never really leave.”

And we laughed together
Until I cried,
Laughed,
At the folly of it all.

--William Martin

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Lucky Bitch

1/21/2023

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Lucky Bitch

The dog has fixed an unflinching stare,
On the toy stuck frozen to the ground.
My God, but it must be so very rare,
This intensity so profound.
Single purpose and focus found.

All say she’s a lucky bitch.

My thoughts flicker everywhere,
The dog is but a small single point
But I try to connect, try to share,
Focus, intensity quickly disjoint,
Wishing I could appoint,

Another to appreciate how rich,
It is to acknowledge,
Such a lucky bitch.

--William Martin

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Forward>>

Our Hearts Askew

The Wannabe Blues

As the Rain Came

Uncle Jack Hangover Blues

Blue Shoe Blues

Meeting Death

Lucky Bitch

William Martin's Poems

Archives

Categories

Our Hearts Askew

The Wannabe Blues

As the Rain Came

Uncle Jack Hangover Blues

Blue Shoe Blues

Meeting Death

Lucky Bitch﻿

​William Martin's Poems

Archives

Categories

Lucky Bitch

William Martin's Poems