Calling All Shadows Words by Adam Touhig, Photos by Leigh Norrie
Poetry/Photography, Hardcover, 200 pages
ISBN 978-193360626-2
$20.00 / Shipping $4.00
It seems to me:
India is trying to catch China
China is trying to catch the United States
The United States is trying to catch its own tail.
Why worry about global warming?
So far, this global warming thing has been pretty anti-climatic.
I mean, have you personally seen polar bears washing up on the beach?
No?
I didn't think so.
Monsanto, Walmart, Exxon and all others the likes of you
Let's ruin the world.
Why not?
I want the American Dream
a big house, a lot of stuff, and a gun to protect it.
Kill it
Fuck it
The news on TV - wars and terrorism
They don't believe in the same things as you and me.
Support the troops - Are you shitting me?
Capitalism - growth for the sake of growth is the philosophy of the cancer cell.
Go Wall Street go!
Aren't they a bunch of responsible individuals?
Raping the bank accounts of whoever so they can make their billions.
We want to "good ol' days" back!
I remember in college when my friend Bill Finance swallowed five handfuls Taster's Choice freeze-dried before taking a final exams and puking 15 minutes later.
I remember when Jerry Magnuson chugged a bottle of ketchup with a shot of vodka in it
I remember when Bill Nally drank the bong water
I remember the thrill of coming as soon as I got it in.
We want to return to the glory days muscle cars
We want to go back to Mayberry
But we can't
It's time to rip out that rear view mirror
and concentrate on the road ahead
But why look ahead?
Why fix this mess?
After all, the 21st century is a lie.
It's only a date on the Gregorian calendar.
2000 years after the birth of Jesus
It takes faith....
Bald old men wearing red beanies and dresses blowing white smoke
for 1.5 billion followers
...And in the other corner.... wearing beards and praying five times a day,
with white turbans, with enough intelligence to build a bomb
and still believing in 72 virgins in heaven!
Fucking stupid men!
People today...
with enough intelligence putting a man on the moon 44 years ago, now contemplating going to Mars
People with enough intelligence to clone an sheep and call it Dolly
Astrophysicists and cosmologists theorize the beginning of the universe, quantum mechanics and string theory.
But people need to believe in something....
believe in something more than their car's airbags
We want to believe in this timeless omnipresent invisible being.
Someone or Something we can identify with.
Someone or Something close to but greater than us.
We want to believe in our own eternity.
We can't face up to the facts.
Meanwhile, this place is getting more fucked up each day.
A 360-degree blue sky beach day
Not a cloud or trouble to be found
The sun high and hot
Soaking into her bronze-tanned body
"You still look fabulous in a bikini," I said
My sincere compliment was returned with her beaming smile.
We walked lightly across the hot sand
Towards the restless water's edge
Gazing out at endless tide
Hearing to the sounds of the crashing waves
Taking in the unique smell of the sea
Some seagulls squawked and circled about
She carried the blanket
I manned the heavy cooler
We made our way down to the cool wet sand
There were countless smooth stones
and shells of all kinds to examine
The waves lapped our toes
Turing left, we walked along the beach
Spying a point in distance
Sometimes eyeing each other
"Keep going," I said.
Occasionally looking back at our footprints
Observing how far we've come together
Finally, we reached a secluded spot of our choice
Far away from the bright-colored beach umbrellas, beach chairs, noisy kids, and blaring radios.
We were now as alone as we could be on a beach day
We knew what we were there to do --
Or at least I knew what I wanted.
By this time we were already hot and sweaty
Spreading out the blanket created the mood
Like being swept away on a deserted island
We settled in on our oasis
All of your senses are heightened at the beach
The sense of sight, touch and smell.
Everything tastes better - anticipation rising
I love it wet,
Sweet, juicy
A nice pink color
A little sticky
Eat and wash your face at the same time
Watermelon is amazing
When I first saw you
I couldn't take my eyes off of you.
You shined, behind the glass
untouchable
unreachable
So far off....
I felt like a barefoot desert wanderer
afraid of mirages,
I gazed upon you
my oasis,
I watched you from afar
staring at your beauty and style
I had to hold you - to have you
Vowing to do whatever it took.
Dreaming of being inside you
Having you would be worth any effort
You - beyond my current means
I pushed on - you were my quest
Building up my courage to one day approach you
But to have you, it would take overtime
I was like a mountain climber - unstoppable
Who's obsession is to reach the peak
And, I remember that night
The night I took you home for the very first time
Your touch, your smooth skin
I loved your smell, the way your tongue felt
Finally the time came
the way you loosened and tightened
Oh, how I love my new shoes.
Everyone wants
to into Heaven
but nobody
wants to go today
Everyone wants
to be Free
but we can't even get in a drive a car
without wearing a seat belt
Freedom
What you mean?
Everyone wants to Love
and be loved
by someone else
once in a while
at least
I thought I'd weigh in on suicide bombers as they regularly seem to be in the news. I really don't get all this religious stuff: Christians, Moslems and Jews. God may be great, if you look at Him that way, but religion shouldn't be anything to lose your head over, as many people do.
Don't get me wrong about suicide bombers, I appreciate their enthusiasm for what they do. Though a short-lived vocation -- a poor career choice. Supposedly at the end of life there is a place called Heaven. Located up there . . . somewhere . . . beyond the visible darkness we see at night -- a place beyond the infinite universe. And if it's that Paradise you believe that you'll go by blowing up market full of people, you are deluding yourself. Believing that Heaven exists is one thing, but really there is really isn't any proof. Another real possibility is all this God stuff could just be a man-made hoax. And as for the 37 virgins promised, virgins may not be great as what they are cracked up to be. I mean, after all, after a suicide bomber explodes he can't take along that shoehorn he put in his vest.
I've been lost and found, and lost too many times to count. In my case, instead of having a life-goal of someday becoming successful suicide bomber, as a boy, I wanted to become an archer, but was never good. My teacher said "be the the arrow, straight and true." But I was bent. Beside, I felt arrows were just being used. My teacher said, "Be the bow." But I saw bows too bent on their own power. This is more for Olympians, politician and corporate CEOs. Finally. my teacher said, "Face it Joe, you, like the vast majority, are the target. One time, I shot an arrow straight up into the air, it came down so close -- had it come down in my head, I would have been dead. From that time on, I consider myself lucky, not bright.
I thought I'd weigh in on suicide bombers as they regularly seem to be in the news. We in the West condemn them for blowing themselves up with supposedly the innocent to make their point. Well, maybe there are no saints. Maybe, we are all just sinners here. We all become what is around us. But if I may let me make a plea: "Dear suicide bomber, everyone is brainwashed. Please let us each reach natural death rinse cycle and enjoy our short life. We are all equal in the end.
I thought I'd weigh in on suicide bombers as they regularly seem to be in the news. Why would God want a suicide bomber as a neighbor? Would you? God maybe forgiving and all but he does have final judgement especially who he wants to live next to. With all the assholes in this world, it would seems that heaven would be a very lonely place.
I'm up to my neck in social networks
My face on Facebook
I Twitter and Tweet like a parakeet
I have a space on MySpace
I'm online
I'm Linked in
Posting what I had for lunch
and photos of my cat
Clicking "Like" for a picture of your dog taking a nap
So many Facebook friends, it's hard to keep track of
You poke me
so I poke back
LOL and I'm Laugh My Ass Off at poking possibilities
I'm surfing the World Wide Web
I'm searching for what matters on the Internet
browsing with Safari, Firefox and Outlook Express
Google search, Yahoo, and YouTube too
Wikipedia, like God, knows everything
On the Net, I found out Einstein wasn't all that bright
Because watching porn, time goes by at the speed of light
But the 5 seconds it takes to wait to "Skip This Ad" feels like eternity
Now that's Relatively
How times have changed!
I used to read books
I used to do drugs
Now I'm taking trips on the Internet
I've farmed in Farmville and fought in Mafia Wars
I've traveled the world using Google maps
Instagram - posting photos with bad effects
Tumblr - standing, I haven't fallen yet
Pinterest - content that bores me to death
Bing isn't my thing
Chrome ain't my home
And Google Plus somehow just doesn't add up
I recently read how YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are teaming up
to create an super-mega social network
called YouTwitFace
Awesome!
Oh, whiskey glass
You ol' bastard,
Venom poured from a bottle
Making me remember,
so as I can forget
Oh, how I despise the past
All you do is make me sad
Oh, whiskey glass
What the devil must drink
Coaxing me
I'm easily persuaded
"Have another", then another
A drunken grin morphs my face
Oh, whiskey glass
You ol' pal,
Now liquid gold
Dazzling in the glass
and new my best-est friend
The hour passes, words slur . . .
thoughts dizzy into slide blur
Oh, empty whiskey glass
You heartless prick, you shameless slut
For again opening a heart's old break
Again showing her face
at the bottom of my empty glass
The way she sometimes appears in my dreams
We fell out of Love
Love's illusion just dimmed
Flowers wilt without fault
*
Hearing something often enough
Any illusion becomes reality
In silence, truth is obvious
1
From table to floor
Empty beer can falls
Clank!
Such a sad song
2
Our love fumbled
around for a while
The game got messy
Neither team played well
like on Monday night football
1
While on my feet
I know everything
Sitting zazen, I know nothing
2
The difference between
life and death is breath
Let's enjoy food and drink together
Whiskey
I raise my glass
"Cheers!"
To all my days past . . .
when my worldly wants were never enough.
Shopping malls, shiny cars, even mowing the lawn
chasing after. . .
like a dog chasing its tail
I raise my glass to days past . . .
when believing in delusions seemed real
Saké
Saké cup empties
til I hear Buddha laughing
I wish a good death
1
cut out their eyes
peel off their skin
boil them in oil
fry or grill them
They remain silent
They offer no struggle
They cannot scream
baked
crushed
smashed
mashed
hashed
Violence potatoes
2
Standing erect
succulent
an aphrodisiac
green with envy
herbaceous and perennial
a vegetable lily
You are my little asparagus
3
Who likes green peas?
No me
Yucky little things rolling about on my plate
Pushed around
Bullied by fork and spoon
Peas are like the homeless -
unwanted
insignificant
Even the name "pea" -
Generally, something you don't want in your mouth
But look at the bright side
at the small pile of can corn on your plate
bright, sweet, yellow kernels
like gold coins on your plate
Everyone loves corn
The Silver Queen of vegetables
Mouth watering
corn on the cob
With butter...
and the places some people put it
I've seen it on the internet
But perhaps it's time to explore
the rich vegetables helping the poor
Mixing them together
a redistribution of the Garden of Eden's wealth
Mixing them -
'til together as one
A recipe for how much better the world might be.
Gold and Green
Green and Gold
Tumbling
Orgy on our plate
Peas and corn
We'll call it PORN
I wonder if Orwell is rolling over in his grave
Though I still do picture his body rotting away
much like our world of today.
Oh my, we're in such a state of decay!
I don't believe in resurrection,
I don't believe in karma,
I don't believe in reincarnation
I don't believe in heaven or hell
I believe, for better or worse,
we have only one life
No one dies twice
Nor do I imagine Orwell's desire to revisit Earth
Amid predictions of our planet's global warming hell
Rather, I picture him in his coffin
his skeletal arms pounding away
Orwell voicing these words (or perhaps even with his pen)
"I told you so!"
"Nineteen Eighty-four," written in 1948, actually not that long ago
the tyranny of The Party and its totalitarian ideology
So here we are in 2013
Somewhere in time
between Orwell's nightmare - the orthodoxy of not thinking
Where groupthink replaces thoughtcrime
THE REVOLUTION IS NO REVOLUTION
and a dreamer's dream
I wonder if Orwell is rolling over in his grave
Lunacy is the last rebellion
And only the lunatic has the freedom to say
2 + 2 = 4
Not 5
Arm-in-arm, past brass numbered doors
The hallway's path
Our shameless steps to our private safe harbor
A quick double-check of our room card key
No, this hotel ain't the Ritz
Walls of unknown thickness
Green light signal
Our room door unlocks with a click
Flick on the nearest light switch
Voilá
The bed
Mad kisses
Undoing snaps
Sliding my hand under her dress
Our bodies melt
We came here for the bed
Some people are so sensitive
They hurt
but they couldn't hurt a fly.
While there are others out there
Psychopaths
void of feeling, void of heart
We range from the frailest of flowers
to the devil himself
It all takes place in the brain
It is all Mind
The world has ended
but I woke
to the same dream
Perfume
Sweet perfume
What I would do to return
to the time of an innocent kiss.
Moon
Cold skin, clear night
Full moon watching
No confusion
I throw my hands up
I surrender
to the onslaught of more bad news
A drive-by
A homicide
A serial killer
Another mass murder
How proud we once felt
History at the Old North Church
Famous words "One if by land, and two if by sea"
Patriotic defense an impending attack
The Second Amendment
Now it could be the deranged individual
living down the street
The world is a crime scene.
Just put yellow tape around it
We all share some of the blame
Naked truth dies within
with every commercial on tv
with every gallon of gas pumped.
with every dollar spent
Naked truth dies within
with every lie told
with every word
written
or
spoken
Meditate
1
See what happens
when you follow your eyes
You may think
all boys are the same.
Maybe someday you will realize
I thought you loved me.
So much for that trust.
But I'm not about to cry about it -
that you went away.
Still when she left
she took pieces of me with her.
2
There is only fleeting hope
in this sea of sadness
among lies disguised
offer faint respite.
3
The only time is now
before vanishing into the future
Away from this land of desire
where time and place will mean nothing --
nothing at all
4
Sometimes a small difference,
makes all the difference.
Kisses are very different.
Fading . . .
This sad song is over.
Well, it's a marvelous night for an onsen
With the stars up above in the December sky
A fabulous night for awareness
Naked 'neath the cover of stars
and dim lights
Soaking naked
reflecting on how primitive we really are
I don't dare look about,
but who can help it
Men comparing our natural-born equipment
Behind the men's blue norin
Nude dudes letting it all hang out
From my eyes, men's bodies aren't very pretty
Boney and hairy
Fact is, the older you get, the worse you look
Men are so vulnerable when they are naked
Weak and shy,
dicks shrinking,
testicles swinging
The onsen exposes a male cover-up
Men covering their private parts with a midget's towel
But give a man some pants and a gun
suddenly he grows a giant
and behaves like Rambo
I'm careful so as not to slip and fall
Stepping on smooth wet rocks with my bare feet
I slip slowly into the water
until I’m neck deep
Totally immersed
Ah....am I one with the nature?
Am I Japanese?
This water is so fucking hot,
it's scalding me
Steam rises
My mind drifts
I try not to think
but that doesn't stop me
I bet, no I guarantee
I'm not the first man wanting to see--
wanting to peek over the wall
at female breasts and pubic hair
But it is dark
I probably couldn't catch a glimpse
Besides if I get caught, someone might bitch
Certainly think bad of this gaijin.
So I'm left here on my blue side
my stranger male onsen buddies and I
Yet quite alone, to soak my body, my mind
drifting up like the rising steam.
Wandering my tiny universe
Who is she?
I wanted to know
Her flaws made her intriguing
There is some sadness
about her
which I adored
I'm sorry
I loved her
It was hard not to
I fell in love with you
while you were away
Loving you -
my biggest downfall
First breath
Last exhalation
Evanescence of a dream
Truth and deceptions Haves and have-nots WTF? Financial gain Crucifix on a chain Two one-eyed jacks trumps the king of hearts Concrete slabs and flashy cars Imaginary friends and blowup dolls Alcohol and smoking pot Sex and violence on tv Tattoos and pussy rings Sexy bitches running hot Naked bodies turning old Do as you are told Dreams and nightmares Sleep and suicide Could get better Could turn worse Oh no No confidence Go vote Some kill Some are killed Everyone leaves Remainders grieve Here and gone in a moment Gasoline and a match WTF
Cold wind autumn rain
Heart mind flesh blood love pain
Hot water for tea
You say you want a revolution
We all want to change the world
But let's face it, we won't go that far.
We can't stop wars
We don't have the power to stop poverty
We won't occupy Wall Street
We can't even boycott Wal-Mart on Black Friday
Yeah, we all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count us all in
You can count us all in by our carbon footprint
Green house gases, while others just call it smoke
Claiming global warming is a hoax
But I know it's gong to be alright
You say you got a real solution
bio-fuels, solar power, wind mills
Before the oceans rise
floods and killer hurricanes
Earth's frightful fate
We'd all love to see the plan
What's this?
Love?
For loving her was easy to do
It was not her lips
but what she says.
It was not her breasts
more the rising and falling of her breath
It wasn't her hips
but how she moves in bed
I wanted her wet
to make her legs to shake
I wanted to hear her to call my name
Deep inside her
over and over
If she woke now
I would tell her
He knew her
He always did
He loved her laughter
He loved her kiss
With happiness comes a bit of tragedy
She never gave herself to him
And he knew she never would
Blue link
Click, click
Type my email
What's my password again?
Confirm my password here __________.
So who am I?
Reduced to 8 characters and one symbol.
Am I just looking for a friend?
Am I just looking to verify my Status
So I type one word: "Alive"
I'm caught in a web
I'm caught in the net.
They always want one thing first--
My credit card number
They claim it is secure
Then why to I feel so unsure
Do I dare?
I would mind so much if the person asking cared.
My refusal to admit that in this world there are no deals
I don't even know anymore what is real
Life and all its dimensions
shown on a flat screen
I am reduced to a username, password, credit card number
They know everything about
They record my every move.
And after my Log In
My only worry is when my Timeline ends
And greeted with the question "What's on my mind?"
I wonder what Timothy Leary or George Orwell might write.
I'm caught in a web
I'm caught in the net.
I click the blue link