October 2025 – Picking Up Roots

Frauds

in this artificial town
you can be anything,
you can show the world
whatever you like,
even if you lack
the substance
to substantiate yourself;

this place is hungry
for whatever you'll pay
to keep up the charade

Oasis

a neon oasis
carved into the midst 
of a canvas of sand;

joyful colors
mask the misery
of those who have come
seeking escape
from the cloying drudgery
of their lives;

hope drives them,
they don't understand:

here,
the odds are piled higher
then the mountain of cares
they're running from

Erosion

creek waters trickle
yesterday's storms forgotten -
           banks reveal their scars