David Michael Jackson

TELL ME WHY

the branches grow here

and the seeds fall to the earth and

the wind blows across the land

and the rain just falls everywhere

and makes the seeds

grow

so tell me why the branches grow

and why the seeds fall

so tell me why the wind blows across the land

and why the rain falls everywhere

and why the seeds grow

ha I say

I, foolish one, knave, a gnome in the kings land

ha I say to the riddles my mind makes for me

to the why’s without what for’s

ha I say

this night of wind and moonlight

***
David Michael Jackson

Why I Should

Because I still breathe
because I have something to say
even
if it is only me
Even if it’s only me
saying it to
me

Because the sun came up and the rivers flowed
and if feels good to say so

because it’s the end of a year
a new year and
and it felt good to say so

because I’m a crazy fool
who will spend his last penny
making something he likes
even if others throw it away

even if it rots in the back of an unknown book
even if it is forever an unknown song
even if it rots in a basement

so I will grab another handful
of colored sand
for whose works
are not
swept
away?

Why Should I

There are two points in every life

that is in the artist life

the point where the painting and words and music

and the person

are asking why

with a fire unlike any fire

and a point

where the artist or writer or musician

and person

is asking

why should I?

why should I?

I beat my primordial head

on this stone in this cave

why am I not hunting the elk

instead of scratching with this

blunt burnt stick

until my hands  are worn

and I beat on this stone with these hands

and this stick.

“Oh you have drawn the elk

we saw him this morning

but wasn’t his leg longer

and his horn had more points.”

what I saw

what I saw

what I saw

I do not understand

I cannot understand

Why should I?

 

david michael jackson

Maybe if you just express those moments they won’t stand in the way of the bigger why. Maybe. We’ll  see.