lincoln avenue address in poetry

I believe in the weird arts
I believe in punk rock indie film bit parts
I believe in burlesque secular street preachers
I believe in mandolins accordions and teachers
I believe sometimes to calm your burning doubt
sometimes you have to scream and shout
curse your bad juju out
I believe the place you sometimes have to start
is partially barfing up your broken sodden heart
I believe it’s much harder done than said
when they tell you to let go of your regret

I believe in inspiration and in mentors
you can’t get by on just your own legs
we all must have other people walk beside us
I believe that we must all be centaurs
I believe in Axels and Robins and Rainbows and Crows
I believe in Rogers and Ryans and Silvers and Rose
in scrounging the Mojave for old abandoned gold
I believe in casual clothes and that rivers flow

I believe in professional wrestling with your conscience
in listening for pirate stations
through the numbers in the darkness
I believe in shaking off shame obliterating reticence
I believe in fair recompense
exoneration restitution
I believe in human rights
before the Bible or the Constitution
though those are fun reads too
I believe in you

I believe in innovation
I believe in microphone stands
I believe I was born on land
stolen from the Oneida Nation
but it is what it is and here we are
I believe in only occasionally drinking in bars
I believe in wishing on stars but
I don’t believe they’re ever granted
though I keep wishing anyway in case
I see something causing a happy surprise
that would leave that disbelief recanted
I believe in second chances
fourth and fifth and seventeenth
chances for me and for you
with only few awful exceptions
I believe in secular redemption
I believe in recycling soda cans and
not stressing the details of plans

I stress out on the details anyway
but I try to refute the impulse everyday
I believe that rock and roll is here to stay
whereas I believe that I am not
so while I’m here I’ll give it all I’ve got

I believe in shopping brick-and-mortar
I don’t believe in borders

I believe there are a few things at which I am amazing
I believe there’s other things I have screwed up
that left ten thousand bridges blazing
I believe admitting both these things
without pretending that one negates the other
is the only way to find balance in my life
I don’t believe in guns but I own a sturdy rescue knife

I’m learning to believe
in that which is to mine own life true
and if you can see or hear these words
I believe in you

Last updated May 10, 2016