Libation

li·ba·tion līˈbāSHən - a drink poured out as an offering to a deity.

Born in innocence.

Buried with immorality.

We wear them like jaunty jewelry.

Hanging 'round our necks like nooses.

Dangling from wrists like debauched death.

Barbarous bracelets of bravado.

Brandished about like barbed wire.

Clothes-pinned to a lamentable laundry-line.

A languishing leg-lock.

A pillaging piledriver.

Woe, a hiatal half-nelson.

Wrapping us up like rude, rowdy packages.

A raucous riot of rigamortis.

Chained together like a train of cocaine.

Freebased and flowing.

We buy our rounds in the barroom of baptism by fire.

Playing passive-aggressive poker hands with bounteous bluffing.

An all-in hand.

Anted-up by agnostics.

Taking on our roles in a carnal circus of carnivores.

Entertaining thoughts with thorns.

Tainted with testimonies that tear.

Tarnished by tongues that torment.

Forked with non-fiction.

Pumped like a pissed-off pimp.

Ripped like a rapscallion.

Hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys without paperwork.

Carbon-copied contracts with the devil materialize.

 Signed in blood.

Legally binding in the court of callousness.

There are only two transactions at the ATM of life.

Dignified deposits and wayward withdrawals.

Pouring out in a tonic of atonement.

Check your teardrops at the door.

Step quietly to the front of the line.

With your soul tucked neatly under your arm.

As you atone for ...

... sin ...

Author's Note

"In an unjust society, the only place for a just man is prison." - Thoreau

Reviews

[Dave]

Pete -
Unfortunately much of what you say rings true. Surely though, there must be a place
in prison for those who have not yet been caught up in justices web. I'm thinking especially of
those politicians that fatten their fortunes at the expense of the people who really
need their help.
Take care - Dave

[Pete]

like the fox guarding the hen house. thanks for sharing thoughts dave. appreciated ...

[Dave]

Yes - I know what you mean. Need better foxes or better built coops. - Take care - Dave

[Richard McLin]

Well for one you have a U2 song on here, and they are the best band ever (have a short story about them on here). This is a great piece, and one that sadly has a lot of truths. Great one, that needed to be written, and you were the right person to write it.
-Richard

[Pete]

hey thanks richard. appreciated. U2 definitely in a class by themselves, bono is a poet laureate.

[barleygirl]

WOW! WOW! And WOW! This is one of the best of yours that I've read so far! This is so amazing to read becuz of the way you craft your words & word-sounds, like alliteration & so much more. So much alliteration would usually start to feel annoying, like eyes glazing over, but here your writing stays amazingly startling & strong, becuz your message is paramount to the wordplay. You use a startling number of intense, unexpected, & well-chosen words . . . I'm in awe of your vocabulary, plus the proper understanding to use it all with powerful effect, not just a pile of fun word sounds. Your overall message is complex & multi-layered . . . the reader is surrounded by all the sensations of how this life & these kinds of people must be, to be around. Simply amazing how much you hit this nail on the head! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Pete]

such a full, in-depth review. you clearly get it all. your thoughts are bold and well appreciated. thank you.

[Cherrie Palmer]

There is so much going on in this poem. You create a window that must be looked thru.
Your quote at the end couldn't be better.



.

[Pete]

thanks for peeking into this window for a bit cherrie. hope it wasn't too dirty ... :)

[Cherrie Palmer]

this is a very good piece of work. It's grounded enough for your point to be heard and poetic enough to allow your images to smoothly flow.

[Pete]

that's very kind of you to say cherrie. sometimes i think i overdo things. your thoughts are appreciated.

[Cherrie Palmer]

each piece or work is different some need balance and some need over-exposure.