hemlock

after beating Persia
fighting Sparta to a standstill
in the Peloponnesian War
peace broke out
Athens still powerful it's navy
ruled
the wine dark sea
but Alcibiades didn't listen
to his great teacher
who said there is no wisdom
in politics
talked the citizens of Athens
into an invasion of Sicily
got their asses handed to them
bad
eleven years later
their great fleet destroyed
conquered by Sparta
banned from the seas
five years of puppet tyranny
when they got their city back
they did what all good people do
looked for a scapegoat
that unAthenian
that Socrates
head of the Down On Athens crowd
corrupter of youth
who "speculated about the heaven above,
and searched into the earth beneath,
and made the worse appear the better cause."
who told the powerful & the proud
truths they did not want to hear
when they sentenced him to death
he could of plead for banishment
but he laughed in their faces
asked for a stipend
so he could continue
his evil teachings
so they gave him the hemlock
he drank it willingly
left this world intent
unafraid
curious
of his next journey

 

 

 

           Arizona City

Pima woman wind presses thin dress into her thighs	ahh
Randy in a split skirt my hand rubbing bare legs	ahh
inside where convienient a sports drink & a blind eye	ahh
a hard cola a soft cookie	ahh
dust storm near Picacho smell of burnt feathers ostrich ranch	ahh
central coast waves crash pier shudders	ahh
woman is shouting at the pay phone hangs up stalks away	ahh
on other phone man salutes sky Tourettes?	ahh
warm November afternoon low sun gasoline	ahh
Casa Grande cotton fields palm trees are singing	ahh
waves over pier scud gray the storm Pacific	ahh
into a FAB plant sunset Coolidge	ahh
quarter tire radial rib trash South Mountain South Mountain	ahh
Ska Ska Scottsdale I piss against the wall of Nieman Marcus	ahh
the Phonetian is open	ahh
there is no wine at the party there is no coffee at the party there is no food at the party there is no music at the party there is no one at the party the walls my pictures this place is a joke	ahh
sortta want to get beyond sentiment	ahh
sortta want to get beyond obsessive movement	ahh
to be human a smelly hulk wheezing toward death	ahh
in a wallow of water the pier splinters & cracks	ahh
a place for desire a place for desire	ahh
hand rubs belly hand in bush bird has flown	ahh ahh ahh
bright stars dirt road night is so empty	ahh

 

click for larger view

Glacial Ice	Seal Underwater	When in Nome do what the Nomans do
Grounded	Bus Driver	The Mask

Bill Beaver Bill Beaver lives in Tucson, AZ w/two dogs amid the ruins of a 100 year-old house. His biggest ambition in life is NOT to become a bag lady. • grafitti messageboard • interview | website | email | to forum | BACK © 1998-2002 Bill Beaver / the-hold.com - all rights reserved [ TOP ]