Goosed By Love
By
Paul Bass

How can you hear me?
Your hunger is deaf.
Sparkle once, flitter no more.
A can of beans for
what once was a spread.
It’s not a matter of my satisfaction
It’s a union I seek
I’ll settle for a satellite link-up.
Go figure
the vast expanse
Come torture
treat me to a tearful dance.
You gaze up and down a mirror of me
but care not to see the real thing.

That’s what I’ve offered
I’ve copied the key.
You’ve offered me yours to match.
I won’t bend over and take it.

Futility of the Mind
By
Paul Bass

There is a way that looks about right
But it only leads to death
Searchin’ through the pages of books all night
When there’s nothin’ more than breath

A mind, a mind not a thing to waste
The struggle to grow, an innocent fight.
A message from a pen to a willing face
Black on white on black and white.

How so I use this mind I’ve got
I know a bunch but it’s not a lot
I gotta good friend who thinks I’m a fool
But he sure has problems with the golden rule
He says:
Do unto others what is best for old you
Wanna play rough; well, that, I can do
Know your potential, get a piece of the moon
No need for God, ‘cause I might be one soon

Well, if he’s a god, don’t ya think he’d know?
And to find this out where did he go?
Can you keep this kind of secret from yourself at all?
A mind is complex, but can’t you see it’s a bit small.

Depressed Man

By
Paul Bass

This man was so depressed
He couldn’t lift his eyes.
His face was dark
His skin was light

He said “You haven’t even lived,
‘till your portrait’s on the sidewalk
drawn by an artist using chalk.”

I said, you’re closer to the truth
than you even know.
I’m gonna hand you a Bible
I’m gonna had it real slow.
It’s definitely loaded.

Be careful where you point it
Gotta get real close
Find these words are anointed
And they can be appointed.

Deadly, Toast, Stud

By
Paul Bass

I’m so much of a man
I’m the man with the most
I’m a nineties kinda guy,
Come over, I’ll fix toast.

But you say, you want  s stud
with cold dark look on your face,
When I’ve spent years being me
you want that kinda meat in your place?

Tear me away, Tear me away from your arms
I seek a more painful like medley
Or curse at me, spit on my neck please
I need someone a little more deadly.

Cursory, Port, Exhibit

By
Paul Bass

One guy: hey man you got any of those moist
towellettes?

Other guy: No why, are you a bit sticky?

One guy: No, but the way you dressed I thought you might
work here with Colonel Sanders.

Other Guy: Must you exhibit such cursory behavior

One Guy: Man I ain’t even said one bad word yet.

Clay, Column, Neckerchief

By
Paul Bass

Oh how disdainful and dark
be that day of reason.
The day of pulling the hand
from the clay.
If only I could curl back in and
never rise.
instead I am forced into  the
shame of the hateful peers.
Standing as a column, once risen,
can never escape.
Oh, to take a neckerchief and end
the fear and the journey.

Always on the Outside

By
Paul Bass

So much knockin’ but always on the outside
Like a Greek statue I feel like everyone’s lookin’
And I’ve got nothing on.
Like the outer layer on a ski outfit, I’m the
One who gets the ice.

On a bottle of Fab, there’s a sticker that tells what’s in it, but it’s really gossip to him
He’s never been there.
Like an unsightly spill on a scotch guarded couch,
I can be cleaned off with a little effort.
I never soak in. I’m on the outside.
I’m a grape soak stain that’s always treated too soon.
A mailman gets to spend a lot of time with
And touch and carry, but he must stay outside the
Envelope.

Oh, to be a bus driver, a cabbie, the captain
Of a ship
They are there, I am here and what I have won’t get me on the inside.

A Change is Needed (Dearest Rachel)

By
Paul Bass

Dear Rachel,

Please, Don’t that this personally, but I just don’t want to
Date you any more.

Don’t take this wrong, but I’m not attracted to you.
I hope you don’t think I’m being too blunt, but I don’t
See wt I ever saw in you.

 I don’t mean to be rude, but you really irritate me.
Don’t feel bad, but I have no use for you.
No offense, but I need a change.

It’s just That:

I think I could find someone who doesn’t  say things to me
Like, “Shut up, you’re an idiot!”

It seems like I should go out with someone who doesn’t
Cancel out date every time her old boyfriend calls to talk.

There’s gotta be one for me who wouldn’t introduce me
To her friends as her “project”.

I need someone who won’t make fun of my shoulder hair and
My oily forehead. You know I’m real sensitive about those two things.

I bet I could find a girl who won’t make me be a vegetarian
And clean her cat’s little box.

No offense, dearest Rachel, Don’t take it personally.
It’s not you. It’s me.

    The following are the left-over thoughts written down in a notebook while working. I recently said, "goodbye" to this job, only because I was offered a job with an actual salary. 
    In ancient Rome, there were people who actually made their living as professional mourners. I could do that. I need some business cards.
    There is a little vulturing going on for the scooter wheelchair. A lady puts it back after she is through driving and another lady moves pretty fast to get into it. It's cruel to think of people playing some form of mobility musical chairs with this thing.
    This store prides itself on being SO cheap. They sell peanuts for $1.00 per can. I have news for them. CVS sells peanuts for $6.99. But they're buy one get one free. I'm going there after work.
    What does a confederate battle flag with the letters "FTH" stand for? Whatever it means, I say to the tattoo artist, "Keep working at it. It almost looks like a real tattoo."
    A dad gives his 7 year-old a choice,"Which one are you getting, the marshmallows or the bananas? You're only getting one." The girls defies all natural instincts and said, "Bananas." The mom chimes in and says, "We'll get the marshmallows. Then there will be no messy peels."
    The bottled water brand is, "Niagra." With the graphic of a giant water drop covering part of the 'N,' it kind of looks like a 'V.' Hmm. That would sell.
    A couple young guys wander into the parking lot, split up, and grab two shopping carts. They "captain" them and disappear around the corner. They re-appear with more friends/family members and some goods in the carts. They wander of with a sense of accomplishment and an air of entitlement. I snap a couple shots because I am James Rockford at heart.

    A man in his mid to late forties approaches and talks with me for ten minutes. I'm thinking he has nothing to do and no one to talk to. He mentions his little girl is having a birthday party at Chuckie Cheese's next door. As he finally starts to leave, I say, "Have fun at the party." He responds, "Oh, it's not mine. It's my little girl's party." Oh. Could it be that I have been accidentally showing up (and having fun) at my girls' birthday parties?
    Note: Next time, while trying to sell something and someone says,"No thanks. I can't afford it." Don't respond, "I didn't think so."
    It's a good time I'm not judgmental. If I was, I would think something like, "Why is a person who looks that large going into Sports Authority? Hopefully it is for mall-walking shoes." And I should feel bad if I thought stuff like that.
    I almost make a sale to a person who doesn't read, yet needs papers for the rabbit cage. Instead of selling, I donated a stack of them to her for rabbit toilet paper.
    A man asks me if there is any good news in the papers I am selling. I told him that I know of only one source for truly Good News. He chuckles, points at the newspaper, and says,"And it ain't that, is it?"
    Talking to a man who has multiple diodes stuck to his arms and chest. What kind of Tech doesn't take those off for you when you get an EKG? I wouldn't see all of the electronic contacts if this man's t-shirt was not see-through like Wonder Woman's plane.
    Cosmetology School. Cosmetology School.

Day 2:
    A lady in her 80's is wearing a pant suit. Every bit of it is see-thru.
    Decide to get exercise during my break. The strap breaks on the roller blades. I try to use them anyway but the wheels are like gummy worms. I decide to bike and my front brake is pressing against the wheel. I disconnect the brake and forge into the sweaty forest. I see two gopher tortoises, a squirrel and a skink. He's real fast. I need to use the outdoor facilities. I stop and am ambushed by mosquitoes. Literally dozens of them are on me instantly. I decide this is not a good place to expose any more flesh. I hop back on the bike and ride fast.
    When you give someone a free copy of the paper and they exit the store without one, what happened? Man, he reads fast.
    Not as many people taking a free paper today. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that there is a 12 inch, full color photo of a roach on the front page.
    How does an 88 year-old man get shot and still survive? The irony is that one day, no matter what, that dude will bow down on his knees to the King of Jews.
    There is a fire in the garbage can where someone threw out a cigarette. I report this man-made disaster and an assistant manager comes out with a special flexi-spouted watering can.
    A Redneck-American in a pick-up truck has a long conversation with a Female-American. The entire time, his hand rests on her rear end. She is outside the truck. This man has a long arm.
    Tomorrow is Southern Day. I will speak to everyone in a southern accent. And not one of those fake Tom Hanks accents.
    A man and woman walk in the store. He is wearing a wife-beater shirt. She is wearing a husband beater shirt. That's cute.
    Soon, I will turn into the Sham-Wow guy.
    Security Guard school.