Artists

Day after Elvis' birthday, and Prince is at my deli, 

looking at the pop in the cooler.

Cynthia, Lucy and me studied this guy 

with eyes set deeper in a head closer to the earth than ours,

He decided to sing for us for free— 

“I don’t need the Mercedes or the TV, don’t give me the money

just the whole Journey!"  

Was it Yes or No

or someone we didn’t know?

We know we remember

and we’re in his art

Are we poetry 

and everything else

any day or never?

He jumped so high, laughed and gently gave us 

a great first line for our song,

swaying and loving “girls, first hug me, we’re pretty”

“Don’t you hate the pain that goes with being hurt?” 

“We don’t like it, oh well, so use it

like meanies did to us. Namaste', we pray 
Sanity Resist together! 

Was it Yes or No

or someone we didn’t know?

We know we remember

and we’re in his art

are we poetry 

and everything else

any day or never?

An angel in a race against time 

and he seemed to be groovin’ with it

but us girls knew he would move up and fly

but now it seemed it wasn’t sinning, just living,

and getting grown with people that never grew up.

We didn’t need to drink or dance and sing, but it was everything

we remember—

Was it Yes or No

or someone we didn’t know?

We know we remember

and we’re in his art

are we poetry 

and everything else

any day or never?

Contentment or Contempt?

Depends…

the kid

wanted

the kitty

with eyes 

like white

emojis,

the one born 

of coral 

blood from

a cardboard

placenta

-Anne Leighton, 2017

Ask Me Anything

Dear Dearest Friend

when it’s too late—

please say something nice about me.

Love trickles down—this I must believe. 

If anyone is to be free 

it’s us loudly shoving that reality,

Let the meek inherit the earth   

put your hurt on the front burner 

for us all to comfort together  

My Beloved Family,

I stand my ground

even when you put me down. 

Emancipation Proclamation!

Do some homework, and learn what that means

Dignity must descend to daughters and sons!

Let the meek inherit the earth   

put your hurt on the front burner 

for us all to comfort together  

My amazing country,

I declare freedom

but sometimes you ask me for too much.

It starts with my neighbor and in my backyard.

I’ve called your offices, sent you emails,

So don’t condemn us citizens for our requests.

Let the meek inherit the earth   

put your hurt on the front burner 

for us all to comfort together  

Brothers and sisters

asking for attention.

Partners on our journeys.

“They’d like to help you if they can find the time

but they’re doting over Facebook and some in-laws that died.”

I’ll only keep you a while. I know if I’m nice, they’ll be nicer. 

hahahahahaha

I don’t know. 

oh,

give it up, nobody cares, 

I can’t solve a problem but I can sing,

and maybe then someone will be listening

Let the meek inherit the earth

put your hurt on the front burner 

for us all to comfort together

-Anne Leighton, 2017

Little Girl In My Dream

She wanted to be angel for strays by my house,

the little girl in my dream…

the other kids threw fire crackers

kids are cruel

I remember that well.

Homeowners united on the Fourth of July 

with hoses blasting full stream

we destroyed their explosions

‘cause kids are cruel

I remember that well

As I rolled up my garden hose,

I saw the little girl in my dream

in my yard, making me angry

kids are cruel

I remember that well.

I yelled at her and told her to get lost

she ignored my scream

so I picked her up,

brought her to the next yard 

kids are cruel
I remember that well. 

She came back like the cat

I toss off my desk, this little girl in my dream

I didn’t see her tend to a grey stray

kids are cruel

I remember that well.

So I carried her by her arms and yelled

she sulked, “don’t be mean.”

I didn’t give it much thought till now

what I did to that sweet, little girl in my dream.

I remember that well.

 -2012 

Love the job and the people

Hey! I'm in show biz, 

I'm empathetic egotist! 

Just calling lots of bullshit, 

seeing people all stilted 

and not connected 

with their their talent. 

That's it.
Yeah.

-2017

Ghost of Joseph McCarthy Past

(A Present For The Future)

Everyone join with me

working according to almighty greed

the elitist dictators be they commies, mommies,

unprecedented presidents, 

the obvious stared in my face,

a hint when she called him “Putin’s Puppet”

the most elite of the commies,

not needing help except mentally

a brutal leader stumping bully legislators 

I’m starting to believe

Joseph McCarthy needs to be on top 

and Paul Ryan back there, then, and timing is blind,

and Wisconsin 

isn’t everything

neither is location

shlemiel, schlemazel

Orwell couldn’t live well  

and so he died 

for our bombshells

lady Marlene, Lombard,

Jean Harlow, Lana,

and Lollobrigida 

sung by Woody Guthrie

Harry Belafonte,

and the Big Bopper speaking,

Hello Tail Gunner Joe,

can we borrow you

back and forth in time, 

to save our country now

set an example to old Fred Trump,

the dead Beat Daddy’s

little boy growing up.

Where have you gone,

Joseph McCarthy

for we need you

back and forth this time

to stop the sins of the son 

sang Woody so cosmically… 

If there’s a union against labor camps,

espionage be they KGB, FBI, online

better red than dead, 

  

“Were you a member of the communist party?”

That’s your Russian friend’s story?

oh yeah—huge in hiding sight.

The elitists of communists need this

rain of sympathy feigned by his brain   

for information domination

You huge ghost of anti-communism past,

Come stand on your shoulders

become a giant that can last.

Slambovian Haiku

Slambovian moons
fertilizing upbeat purrrrrrs
radiating dreams

-2017