Reasons by Paul Balanchuk

1. She is an angel where darkness surrounds the light without reflection that makes your heart pound life's tiny tortures leave you like a curse and your hungry and sleepless and bad turns to worse Haunting slow memories roll through your mind where there is no hiding to be deaf or blind why do we bother to capture the sun when it turns on the holder like a smoking gun You consort with demons to hide from the good and your telling your story to be understood roll through the darkness inside of the hell and your love is on fire but there's no one to tell Reasons for love were the reasons for hate and the reasons for running the reason to wait salvation is gone there's no needle and spoon and the light that surrounds it's a cold bitter moon...

It takes 5 minutes to be an asshole

IT TAKES 5 MINUTES TO BE AN ASSHOLE
The assholes really think that they have accomplished something
a home run,TOUCHDOWN!
another poem
better hair than the next guy
a well timed smile with an outstretched hand
there is allot of velvet sport coats laying next to a pile of van Morrison LPs
cigarette smoke
isn't the only thing this reeks of
failed attempt
to be something
someone
why spend the whole day at something
it takes only 5 minutes to lie about
                                 Paul Balanchuk / sep / 09

DRUNK

DRUNK
on the way she walks across the room
stops
does whatever she was doing
and comes back
drunk
on the words that are coming out of her perfect lips
I can't remember
but they made so much sense
drunk
on her eyes
looking here and there
and
at me
I think
drunk
like a fool
like a puppy on a lap
a head injury
way too late
past my limit
and
drunk...my love
drunk

                                      Paul Balanchuk / 2007

Today , sept 13th

TODAY , Sept 13th

Mornings
in the position
of a body on a sidewalk
under a tall building
the head in a tin can hollow
memories of a dream
like hope for a better day
fade
and it's the cold splash of water
after the warm blade
the aroma of toast and after shave
pockets full of stuff
keys in hand
and a goal
breeze past the blinking lights
and coffee counter lines
and I tell myself
today
that winning ticket
that Mont Blanc pen
those new steel toe sickle boots
and
the girl with the switchblade smile

                                  Paul Balanchuk sept 13/09

ON PURPOSE

ON PURPOSE

This is all part of a well thought out plan
my financial state
used cars
a basement suite
missing teeth
and
a chip on my shoulder
This is timed to perfection
perpetually a bachelor
2 rock and roll bands in some local venue
and
an empty bank account
I've taken the time to synchronize this
with
getting old
sore ankles
and
vehicular narcolepsy
Like cards spinning through the air
and
vanishing
into a hat
one
after the other
gone

                          Paul Balanchuk/sept 15/09

REMEMBER

Remember

Sleeping next to the mail box
all that draft in my belly
and that slice of day old pizza
and
my heart
so broken ,so bad
all that hurt
and like a bruise
you have to swallow
again and again
till the beer
wants out
and the only pride
is in the aim


Paul Balanchuk/ Aug 24/06

Ode to cologne

ODE TO COLOGNE

He reeks of cheap cigars
stale beer
and
the adsence of
fabric softener
hair products
tooth paste
but
he doesn't owe you anything

                                          Paul Balanchuk/2007

My Generation

My Generation

Well it wasn't the advent of the automobile
or rock and roll
the dawn of the sexual revolution
no woodstock
or the man keeping your words
from the people
with eyes and ears
for a new day
wouldn't call us children
no dragstrip
or tavern
this is what it was
all this bullshit
about cruise missles
and
not wearing polo
all this anger
from a refusal
to go without socks
gel or the latest madonna single
salons full of "updoos"
leg warmers,pleated pants
FUCKEN dayglo
so if you didn't want some bullshit job
if you weren't into sports
or gettin high in your bros muscle car
while a tired Led Zepplin casette kept the buz goin'
rollin up and down the street in a K car
you may have been lucky enough
to see a weirdo with a mohawk
ripped up worn out pants
drinkin out of a paper bag
safety pins jammed through the fleshy hang of his ears
a loser
who wouldn't be you or even try
just know this was HIS time
his fight
his party
busted knuckles dirty teeth
no where to be
my generation
the one you weren't

                      Paul Balanchuk / 2007

I now pronounce you

I now pronounce you

  
Seems like a lifetime
of watching woman
walk by with a man
they chose
and the men
like there was no choice
having to look for respect
time to spare
a loonie to throw
into the poster

                 Paul Balanchuk    feb11/09

Art

ART

If I was a better artist
I would paint a mural
a giant circle
of people who are notable
for one thing
so much that
people never shut up about them
never give the little guy a break
consider others
support the "it"
and not the "who"
anyway ...
the people ,hockey players,rock stars,
writers,builders,other artists
would be on their hands and knees
with their head stuffed up the ass of the jerk in front of them
like a chain
around the neck
of a very giant dick in a 3 piece suit
OH,
and their would be a rainbow coming out of the hole
(not a gay thing , I thing that a rainbow should just be a rainbow dig?)
maybe it would be riding in a pick up truck
with a one speaker radio on full volume
( you'll have to use your imagination on that last part )

                               Paul Balanchuk / 2010

Sacred

Sacred

This is sacred
as much as the locked fingers of prayer
this is the sound of hope
of retribution
the construction of passion
this is sacred
and it gives without judgment
takes without apology
this is not open for discussion
no gesture of perception
this is sacred
and it never sleeps
it is there
or it isn't
the permanance of gravity
this is from the inside
this is the soul
of being
the capture of all breath
this is
the unspoken answer
this is the maker
and this
is
sacred

                       Paul Balanchuk /April 8/10

REBEL BILLY BOOGIE

REBEL BILLY BOOGIE   

 Then one day
the bath water goes cold
on all that hair pomade and horsepower
and all it does is shrink your balls
it's not about commitment
or dedication
just the energy that drains out of splendor
till it's seems just a memory
like that old ladys poodle skirt
or the car that left you on the shoulder

                                          Paul Balanchuk/ Sept / 10

La Familia

LA FAMILIA


Even as a child

I wanted to leave

just split

go somewhere warm

sit on a curb and watch the California sun come up

over the rolling hills of a skate park

and

I knew that all that candy apple paint

and warm white vinyl

had to be there for a reason

I figured

I could just about live forever

near a beach

dig my toes down in the cool sand

the hum of traffic

rolling on a sea of pavement

and twinkling tail lights

off to bed

But even as a child

I knew the value of family

far out weighed

a hobo stick and hanky

and

that freedom

was a small price to pay

for

love



Paul Balanchuk / June /10