Knut Kargel & Yolantha Harrison-Pace 

The Let Me Nots
let me not debate or
otherwise engage
the prince of
darkness
let light
permeate
let light rule
let
my
tongue
be
cool.

The Apple Core
i desperately kept
peeling back layers and layers
i went beneath
my bloody memories
of country and men
and church and religion
of promises and lies
to recapture the purity
of what once was me
at last
i found my memory
my virgin self standing
naked
beautifully bronzed
under a fruit tree
hiding a crimson apple
behind her back
at her feet was a stone
engraved with the epitaph
"experiences"
pained
i fought
to put the layers
back
the shiny brown hand intervened
she leaned close and whispered
"one cannot unexperience the experience"
she tiptoed up and star kissed my lips
she began to fade
becoming a shadow
in the shade of a fruit tree
leaving only the apple core behind

Purely American
she found something
she lost
but couldn't figure
out what it was
or
why she had gotten it
in the first place
she was
purely American

Repentance One
America
i've ruined you
for others by
faulting my mother
of reds, whites and blues
and unpolished shoes.
a hard lesson i've learned
by sharing my spurn.
i've sealed your fate
and it is too late
to undo my wounds.
by sharing dirty laundry
i've created a quandary
of haters and naysayers
and bullying players.
a word here, a word there
let me better prepare
to lift your chin
and again begin
America
the beautiful
no matter what
other countries say
and demand
their imitated imitations
are
the ultimate key to
your grand stand
for even Germany and Japan
have McDonalds

The Knowing
"when shall i know?"
the dark girl beauty asked
"when your knowing knows
no less than it should
then and only then
shall you know the
knowings that are yours to know
no more, no less
just the knowing that
is yours to know.
do you understand?"
the dark beauty
pondered then sighed from
within the deep beginnings of begin
"yes" she spoke
"i think I know."

Repentance Two
yesterday
did he say he was
sorry?
no.
today did he say
he was
sorry?
no.
why torture
yourself
worrying about
tomorrow?
his character
precedes him.
he said he
would do better
that is not the same
as
"i'm sorry"