i am a man
i have made my choices

i choose to touch my daughters
with honor

i choose to strike my sons
as a leader

i choose to hold my bride
as my lover

i choose my lot
as a means

i choose to give of myself
to strangers

i choose to protect
the innocent

i choose to oppress
the oppressors

i choose to turn
the tables
over

i choose to remain silent
when i have said
my peace

i choose to curse
not
at those who scourge
me

i choose to carry
your splintering burden

i choose to obey my father
because i know

i choose to be abandoned
in spirit

i choose to spread open my arms
and be measured

i choose to be clothed
with the nakedness
of your evil
schemes

i choose to be stripped
in front of
and from
my mother

i choose to absorb
the power
of your darkness

i choose to take it with me
swallowed into death

i choose to lie down
in the black silence

i choose to feel the gnawing
of demons
wailing
exulting
spitting
spewing filth
upon my decaying remains

i choose to remain silent
as night passes
into night

i choose to be listening
for the morning
the moment
the call

i choose to stretch my cadaver
and feel my tissue ignite

i choose to stand up amidst the stinking
corpse that was
you

i choose to celebrate my victory as
hellish masses shutter
beneath my foot

i choose to blast the clarion call
across the ages
past
beckoning captives
from their cells

i choose to roll
the stone
open my arms
once again
and fly

i choose to speak to you, my sons
and daughters
my brothers
and sisters
about these things
in the stillness

some will
choose
to listen

I Am Also a Man

i am also a man
and i have made choices of my own

i choose to touch my daughters
with impurity

i choose to strike my sons
with weakness

i choose to hold my bride


i choose my lot
as a means

i choose to give of myself
to no one

i choose to pervert
the innocent

i choose to oppress
the chosen

i choose to merchandize
your foolish
fancies

i choose to penetrate the silence
with delusional
whispers

i choose to drive
the hand
of those who scourge
him

i choose to ride triumphant upon
your splintering burden

i choose my sons
and they obey me

i choose to close in
to surround you

i choose to mark the spot
and lift the standard

i choose to be draped
with the velvet and gold
of my rightful
robes

i choose to give a great laugh
as you gaze at
the nakedness
of your so-called king

i choose to celebrate
my royal
darkness

i choose to swallow
the object of your foolishness

i choose to lie back
satiated in my priestly chambers

i choose to send the leftovers
to my faithful
wailing
exultng
spitting
spewing filth
upon your misguided martyr

i choose to rest
from the thrill
from the kill

i choose to design
my governments
my banks
my schools

i choose to write my memoirs
ignite my poetry

I choose to compose your
symphonies for
me

i choose to choreograph
the dances of the
new age

i choose to… but, what is this?
a flaming finger
writing old
cryptic nonsense
across my wall

i choose to summon my aides
and slay them
for allowing
my prisoner
to escape

i choose to speak to your sons
and daughters
your brothers
and sisters
about my kingdom
in the stillness

some will
choose
to listen