Gordon Purkis
　

Parked in the shade

For as long as I remain here

I must be parked in the shade

Performing the business of

Now-you-see-me now-you-don’t

So put away the whiskey and the gun

And let me learn how to be soft and easy

Always wear sunblock

And cool shades
　

On gray days

On gray days

Like today

I need your love

I need your love

To stay alive

So on better days

On brighter days

I can exist

Without it

And be a little prouder

Than on my knees

Begging the sky

For a hint of your smile
　

Loving a stone

I can see clearly now

Why it was

That I wanted to drown myself

In the hooch over you:

Your beauty hideous

Your gracefulness rigid

Like loving a stone

And I like water

I only washed against you
　

Gorgeous day

Pretty girl in the corporate neighborhood

Walks by every day at the same time

Smoking

Carrying mail to the box

Skinny girl but dresses nice

But let that not defeat the day

Let us allow the day to breathe

And carry on

So that others may find joy too

　
A better chance

Art comes from a pond of knowledge

That’s of no use to anyone

Except maybe the artist

Who stops to appreciate it

In the gray and sullen afternoon

As birds flutter

And folks jostle in their automobiles

Vying for a better chance

Than the one they were given