POEMS BY BOB ROSENTHAL

Shadow Loss


there is no honey in my veins
there is your bed
over there
here is your meal
from the shining pot
there is no rest on an airplane
a huge mechanized fire
your hand outs are so vital

sometimes the light in the distance
is not your train
sometimes she’s waiting
wide door’s ready
your seat grins

her name is your sponsor
her pledge lifts your eyes

your sorrow grows old
extra tired stiff
smooth as shoe sole

pathetic that way
out of shape burns that way

love stains don’t wash away
we do




Ode to Cynicism


I alone know what is what
my virtue is unparalleled
trust me
I know where I am going
you will come with me
for you have no say
what you say has no meaning
deconstruct the path
there was no path anyway
deconstruct death
it’s not there
to lack life
is to lack sneers
crime is down
nobody is worth killing
there is not a president nor civil rights leader
worthy of a bullet
I’ll save the rainforest
by eating a chocolate bar
or is it ice cream?
corporations do know what’s best
I will launch my name in dotcom-dom
millions will buy my shares
I am richer than you
I am better looking than you
I go among you wearing my brands
my name is an Orifice
surrounded by B’s
I like children
on TV
I really like dogs
having animals complete me
animals talk to each other
“Hi Siggy you’re cute”.
“Nice seeing you, Venus”.
think how good I am
stooping to scrape up poop!
I’ve branded these Chinese characters on my limbs
one means awesome
the other means something like fat
I broke up with my lover
because he wouldn’t break up with me
Yyears later I took liters of G
I e-mailed him exactly what I thought
the nervy bastard did the same
I refused my food
the waiter didn’t speak English
I screamed in my sleep
it didn’t bother me
I didn’t hear myself
I feel closer now to Fluxus
I really feel good about
my faster connection
I an in my Northface
laughing at you
why should I organize my building
they all speak Japanese
I think the worst thing about me is
that my jeans are Levis-Strauss
why did I say that?
I walk among you in my black Columbia hat
I bypass Starbucks because I am good
now that I am just like you
without liking you
I just had the illest thought
when I die
you do too
sofFollow me
to the end
which was
after all
a long time ago



Drive All Blame Into Oneself

I know something must be wrong with me
I don’t like George Bush
Normally I really like liars!
I am mostly to blame
For the highly non-competitive profits
Enjoyed by Bechtel and Halliburton
Personally I am sorry that I allowed
Israel China Palestine India Tibet Pakistan Ireland Turkey England Greece…
To embrace the forever death dance
I was wrong to adapt a “Wizard of Oz” attitude
About Iraq after the wicked witch was gone
“Gee Dorothy, take her broom too”.
I’ve been meaning to take the “American Lifestyle”
Upon myself – I’ve been a poor
Consumer – I admit it
I have a little problem when given
A lot of authority over naïve investors’ money
I screwed up at Enron and Solomon Smith Barney
Now with one hand tied behind my back
I am cooking the books with international currency
To help my Ivy Texas League friends
One of my worst faults was
Voting away a woman’s right to choose
After all not a one of them would choose me
Naturally you’re right to suspect
That I’ve been harvesting gorillas
For food while mining scarce
Cell phone metal in the African wildlife preserves
I’ve been waiting for the right moment to explain
How I merged Barnes & Noble and Starbucks
I’ll have a Grande poetry latte in my initialed cup
I knew almost at once about my mistake
When I let the President’s
Grandfather launder money for Hitler
Even after 1938
I definitely wavered in my mind
When we broke up the only monopoly
That worked – the Telephone Company – I just thought
The babies were so cute
There is a part of me so insecure
In my own marriage
That I would deny this shot at legal commitment
To same sex folk – it just don’t play into my fantasy
Forgive me for wanting to tap
Into your credit card purchases, video rentals and internet
Visits – I can’t help it
If I am curious
I really fucked up on that
Irradiated food thing
But there were blackouts
To think about
I shouldn’t have overloaded those power lines either
My shrink can’t help me figure out
Why I put a leaky nuclear power plant
Just up river from my hometown and sanctioned
A non-viable evacuation plan
It was a bad day
The day I boosted the urban canine slave population
A wimpy pooper-scooper law
Barely assuaged my guilt
Although I do feel bad about
All that I did
Still I shoulder blocked Pandora
To get her outta the way
It’s my little key that opens the future
Sorry
Let’s talk!