CliffSongs

A Retelling   “Look, but do not touch!” they are told. And so, they watch, Not impotent, But commanded.   A battle fought long ago, Hard won. Dimensions shattered, inverted, Or made void. A lone globe sequestered, It’s life now part and parcel To the cold clockwork, Penance for daring to exist.   Graceless now, the defeated grumble, And foment. The Despoiler, Anguished of a future He will not escape, Makes ruin his home and yield, If he cannot forge, Then he will fire.   His minions ache at their loss, Boon and beneficence They thought to take alone, Now a memory that can only pain, For they once knew beauty boundless, An infinitude of symmetry and delight, That now scrapes at their spirit, As they count down the days and the hours, To their utter invalidation.   These do the bidding of the Unchaste, Their abnegation never complete, It is a torture to exist, But they fear not being at al...

Return to Grace   She said she was a seeress, And could show me what was lost. And asked that I be fearless, And could I bear the cost? And peer behind the curtain, And see forgotten when, For she was not uncertain, That they could be again.   She handed me the philter, A brew mossy and dark, I drank it unbewildered, My surroundings made sure to mark. Her smile some faint disquiet, Her eyes steady and sure, The room darkened to violet, Until all became obscured.   A light before me opened, A landscape did then unfold, A music came like snow then, Soft and light and cold. It gripped me and it held me, It’s singers came into view. Something then unspelled me, These carolers I knew.   Fair and proud and stern and tall, They moved in easy precision, Their melody had me in thrall, But I regret not my decision. I strode my way toward them, Their ranks parted and made way, Then I was one among them, And we marched until midday.   We came to the encampment, The foe arra...

  Corrections: Ode to Shaye and Lady Ruby   They are light-sensitive, these charlatans, Operating from shadow, Eager to conceal labors grisly, Gritted, Gargantuan in their malevolence, And titillated to an audience cruel, As the misdeeds of a rival.   They would champion the desecrations They celebrate in private banquet. They would herald their cruelty as boon. They would espouse their atrocities As recompense for the infractions They assign to their detractors, But practiced by themselves behind the veils of piety They shout in the streets.   They make bewilderments In session they call For just that purpose, Smokes and smogs to conceal their rot: Confusions manufactured from vapors. They will not abide the pierce of daybreak, Illuminations breaking through the mists, They weave about themselves as concealment From accusations they can no longer evade.   Too strident become their calls. Too often thei...

  Extinction   No bright meteor, no cataclysm, Just some pink clothing, And a rainbow or two, And the dinosaurs know they are through.   Clinging like lizards To outmoded systems Failing between their hands, Bleating how everything is all right As they scurry across the burning lands.   See how the dinosaurs rage. See them being upstaged. See them ineffectually outraged. See the dinosaurs as they fall into old age.   Now see them buy the items Just to burn them, See them lie to themselves And each other about their virtue, See them frenzy without a clue.   Now watch them as they seek to rend. See them as they their violence defend. See them as they fail to comprehend. See them fearful of their approaching end. See how the dinosaurs rage. See them being upstaged. See them ineffectually outraged. See the dinosaurs as they fall into old age.   Cliff Lake 7/23/2023 Copyright © Clifford Lak...

  The Last Song   When the last bird ends it’s song, Who among us will hear it? Who will learn from it's plaintive call, A sorrow told in notes crying, Mourning the breaking of a world That it could not save by singing.   When the last flower blooms, Defiant against the poisons, Who will smell it's perfume, Vibrant among the decay surrounding, A defeated call to the bees Who once visited and are no more.   When the last fire sputters, Deprived of the air, It had mindlessly consumed, As it burned away the evidence of us, Who had mindfully created it, And did not care enough.   When the last bird laments it's last song, Will it agonize it's passing, Or bemoan it's lone existence? Will it ache for a world it never knew? Or grieve the passage of life wasted? Or will it merely be a bird singing?   When the last bird ends it's song, Will we know?   Cliff Lake 7/23/2023 Copyright © Clifford L...

  The Real Fake News Rides Again   Putin apologists within the GOP are asking into a purported Russian retirement community being built for disaffected Americans to live in near Moscow. Tucker Carlson is reportedly very interested in a first-floor suite as he says, “It’s just a lot more convenient for carrying groceries and the like and I believe a fall from a window at that level is survivable.”   Alina Habba, a lawyer closely tied to Donald Trump, was found in a closet at the site of a tornado that damaged a Pfizer warehouse. A spokesman claimed she’d been there since last week after proposing that the company sue the AMA and WHO “For reasons”. The spokesman continued, “After being asked to leave she tried to exit through the maintenance closet and just stayed there. I think someone was bringing her sandwiches but really, we’re just embarrassed that she was even here to start with.”   George Santos today called a “media event” that no one showed up for....

  Under Control   The alarm on the phone Tells me the day has begun. A calendared event I have given to the machine to hold. My watch measures my motion, Keeping my heart ever clocked. My steps watched and counted, And a suggested longer stroll.   Suggested only. Apps under my control.   The traffic lights assign my progress, Camera-mounted, speed detected, Seeking the unbelted, Watching as the autos roll. Warnings sound from the dash, A tire slightly over a line. Airbags at the ready, Safety comes with its toll,   Allowances made for control.   Keycard programmed for entry, Thus, the workday begins. Make sure my badge is visible, I am who am in plastic mold. Log in to my machine in code, Numbers more trusted than a smile. Assignments are delivered digitally, Records allow no loophole.   Electronically kept under control.   Minutes counted for consumption, Activities compartme...

  House of Shame   Marjorie Taylor Greene on the house floor. Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks she scored a score. Marjorie Taylor Greene goes for revenge porn. Marjorie Taylor Greene is deserving of our scorn.   A representative that hasn’t any ethics, A Georgian without any shame. A Republican without any morals: Marjorie Taylor Greene is her name.   See the investigation go sideways, See the House GOP go rude. See them opt for the desperation plays, See them still hungering after nudes.   These representatives haven’t any honor, These Republicans are our shame, The House GOP sinking into depravity, Kevin McCarthy is to blame.   Now these representatives deep into their clown show, A laptop still proving no crime. Pornography out on the House floor, Only shows the GOP slime.   House GOP sold their integrity. House GOP invested in shame. Marjorie sinking lower than sewage, House GOP going down i...

  Earth Mother   Ah yes, Life… so beautiful, And then you die from it. You knew that: If you had never lived, Then you couldn’t have died – A conversation for a first date, no? Or something to discuss With a possible employer. The world is beautiful. The world is ugly, And I don’t mean humanity, Though we’re certainly no help… Allow me to explain: No matter what the stories say, This place isn’t all flowers, And horses, And moonlight, No. It’s also volcanoes, And cobras, And radiation poisoning. There’s no getting away from that. The earth is abundant and desolate. The earth is barren and lush. This earth is all dichotomy, And all duality. The planet coddles you until it kills you. Reality doesn’t give a shit how you feel about it - Reality just is. This earth exists without you. This universe was here before you. Want to tell me reality is merely perception? Fine. Stick a needle into your leg, Then tell me ...

Bride of The Real Fake News   Lauren Boebert today held up business at a local coffee shop by giving an acceptance speech when receiving her coffee. Speaking for 15 minutes, Boebert credited herself with "stopping liberal caffeine policies and fascist donut grooming." Shop employees claim she stiffed them on a tip.   Gym Jordan is reportedly organizing a committee to investigate why "everyone thinks I'm an idiot." A preliminary list of individuals to be questioned includes Ronald MacDonald, Homer Simpson, Mrs. Stanton's third grade math class, and a mysterious witness vaguely described as "a 6 foot tall invisible rabbit as soon as we can find someone that can hear him." Jordan is already claiming "that proves it." while Speaker McCarthy was heard saying, "Let them try arresting THIS one!"   A series of glitches at Twitter were traced to an individual named Knottmi who has offices adjacent to Elon Musk. Knottmi does n...

  The Friendly MAGAt   “Libtard,” he’d said by way of introduction, Then adding a laugh emoji, To assure me he’d scored points, But was still friendly. He presented his main argument: The picture of the smiling fat man, In the “Fuck Biden” tee shirt was compelling. There were three more laugh emojis. Clearly an even friendlier gesture. My supporting arguments, Cogent, cohesive, and conclusive, Were countered with a reference To female genitalia, That was surely meant to convince me Of his superior schoolyard skillset, And accompanied with yet more laugh emojis To cement our growing camaraderie. Before I could reply to such devastating riposte, I was presented with information Informing me of my recruitment To the Democrats fascist regime, Followed by a declaration That I will be outed as “Antifa.” I assembled then the required documents That detailed that one could not be both, But was met with only “TRUMP 2024!!!” ...

Dead Man Mocking   There’s some disinfo floatin’ around, And I just don’t know what to do. They kept us indoors and apart, For something I guess no worse than the flu. Interrupted supply lines And having to hoard bleach. With nearly 7 million dead, Surely there’s a lesson to teach.   And so, I got in line at the Q, In order to get all the available facts. And I asked RFK, and MAGA Uncle Lou, And now I’m just waitin’ around, To die of the vax.   I ate the dewormer like a good boy, And bleached myself outside and in. I joined a patriotic manly convoy, And when no one was looking, I got the injection.   And so, I got in line at the Q, And remembered to take off my mask, And I asked RFK, and MAGA Uncle Lou, And now I’m just waitin’ around, To die of the vax. So now I just trust to Jesus, And the almighty ex-president, And pretty much do as I pleases, And use the hydro-whatever to prevent, Something that no o...

  The Fires   Manitoba, and British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Ontario, See the flames rising, See the smoke flow. “It’s only natural, Just calm down.” the deniers say, “Human cause isn’t factual.” But the world is on fire today.   The world is burning away, The sky turns from bright blue to dead gray. As long as we make money, I guess it’s okay, But the world is on fire today.   Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mariupol, Bakhmut, and all of Crimea, See the smoke rising, See the war churn. “Russia was pushed into it,” That’s what the liars say. “Ukraine needs to get used to it.” To let Putin set more fires today.   The world is burning away, The sky turns from bright blue to dead gray. As long as we make money, I guess it’s okay, But Ukraine is on fire today.   Alabama, Arizona, and Missouri, Florida, Kentucky, and Tennessee, See their rights declining, See our Constitution burned. “We’re...

  Do the Hard Spin   Keeping the lies constantly fed So that they don’t disintegrate. Convolutions concentrated, Can’t keep their shit straight. Disoriented whistleblower, What else can they conflate? Kinks in the armor Not doing well of late.   So go do the Hard Spin, Maybe quote some has-been. Try to hide your own sin, Repubs in a tailspin.   Fabrications fall apart, Ring a new cracked bell. Find another untruism, Try to avoid the smell, Of the shit that you walk through To bombast a new bombshell, That won’t outlast the merest view, Just more made-up intel…   So go do the Hard Spin, Maybe quote some has-been. Try to hide your own sin, Repubs in a tailspin.   A past that won’t stop catching up, A bill that’s long past due. A cast that can’t stop fucking up, We’re done with their hoodoo.   So go do the Hard Spin, Maybe quote some has-been. Try to hide your own sin, Repubs in a...

  Agent K. Oss   He slides in through the side door, His speech reflects such entry. He tells you what you want to hear, Until it isn’t quite complementary.   His plan is rudimentary, Bare bones are quite enough, He sounds so elementary, Until he begins to disrupt.   He wears the badges of the ally, His words seem almost sincere. Almost always the reply guy, He says not the truth, but near.   Why does he creep near you? Is he a part of your clan? Does he mean to mis-steer you? What is his purpose; what is the plan?   What is it that he plays off? What flames does he mean to fan? His name is Agent K. Oss, His every position is sham.   He has no convictions, Only the splitting tongue. His rhetoric has no restriction, Until your loyalties are all unstrung.   He slides in through the side door, Speaking from both sides of his face, Disrupting the coalition, Then disappearing with no...

  A Protector Unlost   An underworld you thought forgotten, Rises up to meet you in the unquiet silence, Deep in a night unfortuitously alone. A fantasy you thought you had created, A reality coalescing in the dark.   Grinning creatures pass, speaking riddles, Answered in scrolls unread, And known now too intimately. Familiarity seeps from every landscape, Carved into an existence You tried abandoning, And now catches you again.   A hero’s quest incomplete, A mission accepted in a child’s dream, A test and a pursuit unfulfilled, Here again seeking your virtue, Or what remains of it.   A sword is offered…   What integrity have you lost? What remains to you now? Dare you immerse in this fantasy? Dare you refuse? A Voice calls, resonant, not demanding, And still imperious. Yet it asks. Still, it asks. Why do you not answer?   The visions come again, You have seen them before. Lands la...

  Unclean Thumb   How did a strange wind Through the West Wing blow? What secret servant Discovered the July snow? A momentary packet of trouble Somehow delivered to Joe, Another burger made of nothing, A MAGAflop again – but on with the show, When, oh when will they ever know: ETTD   Continually we must advise: They keep voting for their own demise. Four little letters can make them wise, “ETTD.”   Wearing just the right outrageous clothes, Disinformation like a firehose, Not watching the defendant decompose And the little thing Junior does with his nose, Never learning anything, They’d rather just suppose That they’re always Bible-backed, And anything goes… When, oh when will they stop being surprised, By ETTD   Continually we must advise: They keep voting for their own demise. Four little letters can make them wise, “ETTD.”   Now some have moved on To the Florida Man, Who Fascions ev...

Darryl the Red   His fingers barely tremble As he renews His NRA membership. “A small cost”, he thinks, “To keep them away from my guns, And my Bible.” He wonders if the mail carrier is trans, Because he was wearing shorts, And the new mail truck is electric. He uses the self-checkout Because the cashiers are Antifa – They wear blue vests, And that’s just wrong. He knows Biden supporters are pussies, Or else they would have flags That aren’t rainbows. He is careful about his apps: There are no perverts On Truth Social Or Christian Mingle. He follows Elon And Don Jr. And other geniuses That say the things he already knows. That’s what makes them smart. He will vote for Ron if he has to, But Donald is God’s chosen, That’s why the Libs hate him, Because they are demons, It’s even in their name, For those that can see. He will vote for Trump even if he is jail, Laws aren’t for Presidents – That’s the Constitution he ...

  The Real Fake News   BREAKING: Scientists stunned to find limited brain activity in Trump supporter. "He can recognize some colors such as red and white, but can't tell the difference between black and brown," said a spokesman, “He doesn't seem able to count past 45. And he won't read the Bible he insisted on having."   BREAKING: House Rep Greene today called for censuring Hunter Biden, saying, "His first name is ROBERT, not Hunter, so we're looking at new charges or getting him kicked off social media or not allowed in grocery stores or something just as petty." Said Greene before giving Boebert the finger.   Rep. Greene is asking into invading Canada to "Take their free medical and do something useful with it like live forever or something like that." Greene has shared the idea with Michael Flynn and the two are finalizing plans to "Invade Massachusetts first and see how it goes."   Bolstered by the fake c...

  These Circumstances   This land of ours is a land of laws, But some Justices have supremely taken a pause, From adhering to the Constitution, Instead opting for a convolution.   And our legislators just grin and shake their heads, Having chosen to fill their pockets instead, No longer representing their constituents, Disclaiming they have any influence.   All of their responsibilities They just seem to shuck. Under the circumstances, They just pass the buck.   And the insurrectors ensconced in our halls, Are counting on the cultists in thrall To criminals and liars they can’t see are grinding down The freedoms we won from the once heavy crown.   In spite of the oaths they took, All of us are out of luck. Under the circumstances, They just run amok.   Our highest court is subservient to greed, In spite of a person’s most basic need: Life, Liberty, and their happiness, When we will regain thes...

The Unjust Today   Shuffling in, Darkly garbed, Sternly faced, Lastingly bought, The last word in justice, they… So it seems.   What mystic robes of office Confer upon such as these, Authority to thwart the will Of merely millions? Our numbers belie such sophistry.   Today the darkness descends, yes, Do not let it obscure the days yet come, The dawn breaks even through the clouds, This is but the last of night, The false deep dark absent even of moon, But the dawn comes.   What falseness perpetrated Can survive the fullness of the day coming? These unjust installed Make proclamation now, certainly, Their own deeds shall soon undo them, They live in the public eye, And we see them too clearly now.   Now let your memory grow long, Now keep the records close, Now let your resolve Become as stone beneath your feet, An anchor of will and purpose, Now fix your eye upon the goal: This cruelty shall...

  Falling for Vlad   On a visit to Moscow, I met with some debris. A body of evidence, some tumbling nominee. 11 floors, and sometimes more provide a guarantee, A leap of faith that shuts the mouth for eternity.   Take a dive into Russian history. It’s a swan’s song for you and Vlad and me. A window into your past, a flight you take for free, So, dive right in, according to the decree.   Now oligarchs and officials alike have balconies. Do the guardrails come up much past the knees? I’ll sit here on the sofa, no vistas I need to see. Now what was that? Oh yes, I’ll have some tea.   Take a dive into Russian history. It’s a swan’s song for you and Vlad and me. A window into your past, a flight you take for free, So, dive right in, according to the decree.   Perhaps you thought you had a story to tell, You don’t need to see the inside of a cell, I’ll pat you hard on the back and wish you well, It’s sad to learn h...

  Lost Chance   The music is wrong. It sears. It rends. This is a broken place. It has found you. Visions come in slices translucent – Scenes distorted by their own will. Mirages repeated a thousand times, Reflected in eyes that pierce the mind, Leaving behind sights of a you That has never been, And will always be. The air smells of unwritten books burning, Filled with incantations profane, Seeping into the skin unsaid, And fully realized. This is a broken place. A seething existence fouled with expectancy, An unwelcoming prepared of ash and intent, Made possible by sins imagined, By deeds undone, By preoccupation with the petty, By resolutions unfilled. This is the land of broken promise, Smoky and acidic, Cold and smoldering, A maze created in forgetfulness, A purgatory for the good-intentioned, For the occasionally steadfast. This is a broken place. You intend to get out, But that will always be the past, ...

  To Dance   The march performed at furious pace. Abruptly turns about-face. Yet some shame will not erase. Just who exactly was displaced?   Distractions carefully orchestrated, Newsfeeds are minutely curated. Secrets seen but understated, Expectations are soon deflated.   How they lead you through the dance. The music played not left to chance. The demons all sing on cue, The steps are all laid before you, Catching you all in circumstance.   Pretense slated in hallowed hall. Duplicity meant to enthrall, Discovery hoped to forestall, No hope to outlast the long haul.   Distractions carefully orchestrated, Newsfeeds are minutely curated. Peoples needs seen overrated, Expectations are soon deflated.   How they lead you through the dance. The music played not left to chance. The demons all sing on cue, The steps are all laid before you, Catching you all in circumstance.   Billionair...

  The Old Gods Wait   There was a day when, The Old Gods were wont to walk alongside. Lessons could be taught then, And these the Old Gods would provide.   Then we were too young, And in danger of causing our world distress. Then our Old Gods now unsung, Would task us our cruelty to redress.   Soon then knowledge grew, And lords of this world did we become. And our Gods did we review, And thought to remove from beneath their thumb.   So, we made some Gods anew, That could be made to accede to our whim. The Old Gods we said were through, Our memory of them is become dim.   But sometimes deep in the wood, Where the shadows are pleased to take form, Mighty figures are darkly stood, Still intent their children to warn.   These new Gods bend to our will. We are allowed our destruction and rapine. But in silent places dark and still, The Old Gods wait for us to return to their divine.   To ...

Because   The defendant waits. His suckers will save him. They owe him. Everyone owes him. Because.   A crime politicized. The way out. But he is who he is. Therefore, there is no crime because. Because.   “What about?”, he shouts. “What about?” They did it too. No one can prove it, but. They will believe. Because.   The lawyers won’t do the thing. They talk stupid at him. They better get smart. Smart like him. Because.   He better get on TV. That way he can explain. It’s all against him. It always has been. Because.   The defendant hears about more. There can’t be more. There will be more. He will need more lawyers. Because.   Cliff Lake 6/20/2023 Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023

  Saturday in Magadonia   The red hat doesn’t quite cover The thinning strands: Evidence of a failing virility He attempts to reclaim With misspelled invective And preposterous concoctions too dear. His device promises a future Free of all the wrong types, But the rainbows will not let him be. Blue and yellow flags proliferate, Hillary smiles smugly And damning tapes appear To end the crime family Only to blow away like smoke. Pillow-men make claims Promising evidence They never have. He salves the wounds with pictures That make claims he hasn’t written, That prove something Not entirely clear: Petty poisons. He accesses his account for the rage fix, An entertainment not allowed in public, Because being an asshole is frowned upon; Proof that they are the fascists. He is confronted with posts Unaddressed to him, Yet assault him with facts. His idol, a man of some few missteps, Must now meet consequences Unfairly ...

  O Bad Shepherd   Where have the tender congregations gone? Their pastors turn from shepherding, Seeking new powers not divine, But worldly and vile. Deceptions and distortions abound, Wrapped in syruped language: The sweet that eats the soul. Now there is a hollow in the flock And the hate is poured in; A fire that heats recklessly, Consuming reason. Now the gulf expands, Spite will now not suffice, Falsehood is become a tease. Malevolence and rancor, Both feeding and devouring, These are what is given Until the host is changed forever. A lunatic sycophant Forged from easy plastic, And just as pliant, And just as brittle. Numberless they count themselves, Staring into mirrors they themselves hung, Hearing the rebound of their own voice, And counting these companion. Ravenous now for sweeter meat, They are fed ever more corruption, More fetid, less nourishing, Malodorous and wormed, They grasp at these nuggets, ...

  Wrong Refrains   Yellowed scores and choppy sound bites, Singing half-facts almost in tune. The production in fuzzy focus, The players masked in smiles foul, The lyrics slide from mouths unmatching. The audience stirs restless and uneasy, Emotions played in strident tones. What music is this? What orchestration discordant? What demon conducts unseen? The melody lurches on Now loudly blared, Now playing muffled, Now whispered from everywhere. False tuning felt in the skin, The stories told twisted, Tortured, Tangled, Resonant with deception. Who will sing with the clarity required? Who will trumpet truth? Integrity rings as a bell, It cannot be mistaken in the cacophony, But cuts through with exactitude. Listen for those silvered tones unmistakable, Facts laid bare and unanswerable, And let your heart ease.   Cliff Lake 6/14/2023 Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023

We Children   As children we were, Naked beneath the canopied jungle, Hungry-eyed on the open plain, Searching for we knew not what. As children we learned, Mastering flame and field, We grew to be many, And named ourselves lord. As children we ruled, Administering beast and crop, And mostly, each other. Hard-eyed in our tribes, Searching for more than any other. As children we warred, Armored in front of the other, Angry-eyed in the formations, Searching for the advantage over the others. As children we are, Naked in our continued, expanding ignorance, Sad-eyed in the spiraling entropy, Searching for the way forward. As children we should be, Nakedly celebrating the world, Open-eyed and accepting, Searching for the joy found in all beings. We are yet children, We forget that too often.   Cliff Lake 6/12/2023 Copyright © Clifford Lake 2023

  But…   The Russians blew up a dam, The U.S. East Coast got smoked. I remembered to do my laundry today, But Donald John Trump is a traitor.   Marjorie couldn’t stop making up conspiracies. Gym couldn’t remember how the law works. The Red Sox took 2 out of 3 at Yankee Stadium, But Donald John Trump is a traitor.   Traitor is as traitor does, And traitor did 37 times. Traitor is what he is because, Traitor did 37 crimes… So far…   Lindsey couldn’t get the brown off his nose, Junior couldn’t stop waving his hands around. I made a soup from scratch tonight, But Donald John Trump is a traitor.   Lauren Boebert is dating a Muppet, Kevin McCarthy can’t find his balls. I may have had one too many coffees today, But Donald John Trump is a traitor.   Traitor is as traitor does, And traitor did 37 times. Traitor is what he is because, Traitor did 37 crimes… So far… Traitor did and traitor hid, ...

  A Reflection   See the quaking, shaking senator Sell candy-coated lies and butter email, See the cable news host him As he fumes in an act gone stale. See the House Rep spew disinfo, Retread canards are all he can muster, See them line up to be knocked down, Excuses falling flat, for all of their bluster.   Pay no attention to the misdirection, The logic comprised of imperfection, A result of reality disconnection, They have no facts, just a lot of deflection.   See the failing candidates Months ago shown the door, See the calls for retribution, And the pissy, hissy calls for war. See the keyboard warriors Arming themselves with all caps. See the defendant posting evidence, In preparation for his final collapse.   Pay no attention to the misdirection, The complaints comprised of disaffection, A result of reality disconnection, They have no facts, just a lot of deflection.   Why do they think he h...