Stone Soup Croutons, 6-7-18, Random Acts of Penitence

Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions picked up from poems overheard from Stone Soup's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here. To paraphrase Lorne Michaels, this poem doesn't go up because it's ready, it goes up because it's Friday afternoon (which is probably going to be the regular time from now on, as mornings are becoming impossible).

Last night was another open mic. I am heading out this afternoon for the graduation of my friend's son (also known as my de facto nephew), so here's what I have. It makes no sense, and it even has a line about John Wilkes Booth that made more sense when I wrote that half-asleep. Thanks for reading.


Random Acts of Penitence

Getting rid of obscenity
is a nine step program,
more than George Carlin's

forbidden words,
less than all swears
in one language.

We renounce purity
when we pick up phones,
with exes on the other line.

The quest for true love
your only scandal,
still unable to confess.

John Wilkes Booth
is the new angel of death
for the unrequited.

Our jobs we remember,
are when our sins reflect back
cleaning off the tables.

Any true leader's task
is the feint before
they ask forgiveness,

no other escape
save the exit
we all leave through.

Until then, we sit
too much with ourselves,
break chairs before we rise.

Send home via train,
we recognize our stop,
but street names are removed.

No passersby know our name,
but we recognize every doll
in windows, on trash day sidewalks.

It's time to go. No one will
have us, but when it's time
to drive off, they'll pay our fare.

All trials will be taken
open book, for the sake
of moving on again.

They only ever wanted
for us to go away
so we can find a home.

I forgot to photograph the open mic sheet. Instead, here's some artwork from open micer Laurel Lambert.

Special thanks to John Lane, Erik Nelson, Jan Rose, Martha Boss, Michael Igoe, Laurel Lambert and James Van Looy.