James Babbs

Where We Used to Play

the other day I saw them
they were tearing down
the old shed across the road
it had been there
for as long as I could remember
the paint had peeled away long ago
it’s tin roof rusted
and pockmarked with holes
but one time it had been
the fortress we defended
against an unseen enemy
where we died over and over again
in countless battles
it was the house we shared
when we pretended we were married
where we kissed for the first time
afraid of the way it made us feel
when I saw them tearing it down
I was reminded of you
I wondered where you were now
all the years that had passed
suddenly
I felt so old

Something Between Madness & the Sun

some of the places still look the same
and some of the places are different
and some of the places are no longer here at all
most of the people I knew are gone
they were already old when I was young
and I’m no longer young
and the ones who were my age have disappeared
they never send letters or write any postcards
nobody ever calls
maybe I should have left
when I was still young
my back hurts and I keep wondering
whatever happened to love
pain keeps shooting up my spine
and sometimes my legs feel numb
and my ex-girlfriend still has my heating pad
I loaned it to her several months ago
and she never gave it back
something between madness and the sun
the loose ends fluttering
every time the wind blows
and no one sees the broken pieces
but I can feel them
moving around inside of me
and the days are always the same
and the sun never feels warm enough
I keep reaching for the bottle
because
I don’t have a gun

 

James Babbs likes the night life but he doesn’t like to boogie.  James has written hundreds of poems and a few short stories over the years and has even had a few of them published.  More recently James has been trying his hand at Haiku with some modest success.  If you go on the internet you may find something he has written.