Bradley Mason Hamlin

ATOMIC DICK

Atomic
is a sexy word
she said
cuz
it rhymes with
dick
and conjures
explosions of
your smile forever
captured
in the concrete
silhouette
like a star
on the Hollywood
walk of fame .
born chaos torn
into cheap concrete slabs
like undead monsters
confused
addicted to booze
dope, needles
potato chips
whatever,
killed 
all the same
by contamination
from day one
holding
onto the curve of
the roller coaster
and calling your name.

Body Surfing

We surfed 
on our bellies
and on Styrofoam sticks that snapped always
and if lucky Morey Boogie Boards splashing 
and sometimes we could get a surfboard 
and wobble up on that, too
but not always, cuz we were poor
and not a part of the "inside" surf crowd
but grew up in and around the ocean rages
nevertheless
the playground of waves
water
bringing us up with cool knowledge of salt 
and wind and seaweed
and girls in awesome bikini curves
mota parties smokin'
punk rock
and forgotten hotdog weenie roast innocence .
found ourselves stumbling inward 
to demonized land dwellings
the hidden soul of self within
jobs 
and moving to different neighborhoods 
and new friends 
and no friends
but all the time, the beach, somewhere, 
waiting
and here I am
crying saltwater into a machine 
instead of the ocean mother's embrace
because I forgot
to remember
if you leave your heart in the ocean
you'll drown
see: Dennis Wilson
the heart is where the beat drums
no matter how many water sirens call elsewhere
I forgot to remember to forget the past
when nothing then ever measures up
to the way she looks
surfing
inside her under the full moon
over the California valley of Sacramento
and feeling 
the Devil's one true smile.

BOOZE, PUSSY, AND PORNOGRAPHY

Sober today
alone
and no time
or desire
for porno
and yet
I still 
think 
of Bukowski
how he
laid it
out there
the
subtlety
of insight
almost 
hidden
between
below
and behind
the 
booze
the pussy
and the 
pornography
with 
Hemingway
grace
and the
humor
of a boxer
who 
doesn't
care
if he wins
or loses
just
as long
as he
is able
to stand
inside 
the ring
and take
the punches.

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