taking a
stand
by Roberto Lavidez
you take
a stand
as if you’re
a minority
when all
resistance
is broken
all dignity
is destroyed
so much
suffering
that remained
to be alleviated
tragedy to be
rehabilitated
in an amoral
and frivolous
century
bringing about
the loss and
redemption
of many
breaking the
system down
from within
taking the
middle path
between
pragmatism
and utopia
discovering
the secret
knowledge
of the
entire world
to shield us
from the
irrational
oscillations
of history
when we are
pulled aside
and threatened
with hanging
it may come
with dramatic
suddenness
blaze above
the beauty of
the fields
and the
machinations
of guile
coming to
nothing
a broken
window of
a hundred
brittle shards
not capable
of being
understood
until the
time is ripe
transmuting
the stuff of
everyday
experience
into images
a delusion
offering
escape
from the
realities
of life
a reverie
on a lost
civilization
everything
on earth
seemed to
spiral into
the abyss
failing
just as the
flower falls
or something
heavy or
weighty that
comes out
of the sky
glimpsed
a way
to end such
wavering
there is just
nothing
you could do
but take
a stand
©robertolavidez2014
to live
through
by Roberto Lavidez
raising a
new voice
for all
the world
to hear
with three
hands
tied behind
your back
you drop
a bomb
and it falls
on the just
and the unjust
to piece
the darkness
which hangs
over entire
peoples
obscuring
their own
history and
contemporary
struggles
there would
seem to be
some great
headaches
ahead
because
of the
incompleteness
of our
knowledge
complex
feelings
and private
thoughts
the kind
that carries
with it
the seeds
of its own
destruction
to live through
a long life
of slavery
living in
a state of
alienation
living
with grief
and anger
sullen hatred
at cruelties
a gangrene
that needed
to be excised
in the bonds
of wretchedness
and misfortune
temptation
to conquer
the demon
letting the
true nature
of scoundrels
be known
and then
to save
mankind
marked
by the
expectation
of eventual
annihilation
a whole
system is
beginning
to emerge
to pass
without
delay
from fear
to confidence
a completely
decisive role
in the
difference
between
salvation and
damnation
preferring
to live
while one
is still alive
©robertolavidez2014
the hound
by Roberto Lavidez
the thousand
mysterious
wet smells
of the night
illuminate
moments
in the last
million years
of human
evolution
the door
of time
is thrown
wide open
like the sun
was coming
out again
grazing
pastures
and fields
of grain
stretching to
the horizon
forces
irresistibly
drawn toward
one another
designed
to purify
men and
make them
start afresh
small dark
squiggles
in the
emptiness
dazzled
puzzled and
infuriated
at the
expense
of the
entrenched
global
hierarchy
actors for
social order
denigrate
the cultural
world of the
defeated
as some
prophets
of new
civilization
argue
some people
are more or
less equal
than others
just as
the hound
serving as
intermediary
between
hunter
and hares
explains his
subsequent
metamorphosis
or rather his
colossal effort
of coming to
terms with
oneself
©robertolavidez2014
conquering
one’s soul
by Roberto Lavidez
to conquer
one’s environment
to conquer
one’s own soul
there may
have been
something
more deeply
satisfying in
our desperate
clinging to life
the common
struggle of
mankind
made magical
by huge effort
of will and
energy
conceited
about the
madness
as about
the genius
smitten with
astonishment
of the heart
irrevocably
embarked on
the path of
struggle
constantly
warned of
the pangs of
conscience
skilled at
playing words
with other
men’s minds
words
the very
marrow of
our bones
flexible
tolerant
judicious
to a host
of lesser
beings
in every
difference of
opinion
we see
beginnings of
new anarchy
and chaos
words
flowing
inevitably
to universal
uncertainties
of sudden
change
to a destiny
unknown
tangibly present
in every fleeting
fraction of time
whatever has
been forgotten
lying dormant
in the darkness
of the
unconscious
suddenly flashes
into the mind
emerging as
a messenger
and confidant
of the gods
just unable
for many
reasons
or weakness
to practice
what one
preaches
evil winds
conquer
one's thinking
one's words
fat flies
falling
on one's
dung
©robertolavidez2014
there is
here
by Roberto Lavidez
time erases
all things
leaving an
immaterial
world of
appearances
shifting and
unstable
there is
here
no self
no god
no thingness
allowing
a machine
to run
that would
otherwise
buckle
and bind
trains of
subjective
symbols
slide over
each other
to create
a world
of meaning
and promises
of equality
prosperity
dignity
freedom
tolerance
restoring
a little
humanity
to this
shattered
world
before
vanishing
without
so much of
a goodbye
a surrealist
abbreviation
of history
adapting itself
to a collapse
into conditions
which must
resemble life
simultaneously
selfish and
unselfish
dionysian and
apollonian
rational and
irrational
intense
feelings
pouring out
in a flash
of words
fused and
detached
the integration
of the
fallen man
into the
godhead of
gnosticism
an excellent
opportunity
to transgress
prohibitions
to destroy
and deform
to not stand
listening for
something
that goes on
existing
perhaps in
someone else or
somewhere else
something
that wears
the mask
of a clown
or a fool
that does
not exist
it is not
possible
to explain
the state
of mind
it would
remain
the eternal
secret of
each of us
to keep and
maintain
quietude
in the
process
of healing
bearing
the burdens
of peace
©robertolavidez2014
the unknown
by Roberto Lavidez
the fears
and unknowns
of the
everyday world
lapsed into a
moribund state
we would lose
the things
we were
fighting for
we no longer
think that
the impetus
is coming
from our
own minds
the result of
our own
volition
it all seemed
a familiar
rehash
of the mix
of truths
half-truths and
outright lies
related not
to mirth
but to
an intense
and even
painful sense
of the absurd
clever at
calculating
stresses and
cubic content
with mountains
to cross
and the most
incredible
difficulties
to deal with
stirred up
agonies
too deep
to be assuaged
shocked by
the undermining
of the word
engaging in
the nonlinear
embracing
the hypothetical
entertaining
the conjecture
no matter
how strange
or unnecessary
they might seem
we go with the
fall of the moon
freed of our
rather sleazy
sense of
omnipotence
preserve an air
of inscrutable
silence
resisting
our desire
to form
narratives
doing justice
to the implicit
the imponderable
the unknown
©robertolavidez2014
