David Covey

When Witches Were

She stirs the concoction,
licks stewy broth from the spoon.
It is missing something.
She lurches back to the swamp,
blinking through blue fog and mosquitoes.
She reaches into the waters
full of ancient vegetation.
A bullfrog looms
and gloats his gravel-voiced warning.
She creeps on her belly,
crooning hypnotically.
Reaching,
reaching,
skeletal arms
disturb the flat melancholy water.

He utters no cry
as his toes nick the scalding liquid,
remembering when he once was a prince
and witches were scarce.

To Build A New Foundation

there was blood on a page for revenge
water shed from my eye which rolled
a dagger ripped through my lung and heart
i watched, your conscience escaped your soul

id like to board the night train again
disguised in dark and travel south
find somewhere new to reside
escape from the lies, that fell from your mouth


and as i journey, to cleanse my damaged mind
i must untwist the mystery life, in which i became entwined


i make my way through the darnkess
the droplets fall from the closing skies
time to escape, your too familiar with my mind
thats only for me, you make me terrified

it didnt take long, we did well to destroy
what we had, the high voltage electricity
now i want it buried six feet under
and above, a small stone labelled 'our history'


and as i journey, to cleanse my damaged mind
i must untwist the mystery life, in which i became entwined


and the blood has been discovered
dripping across a page for revenge
you worked hard, concealed truths
youve destroyed bridges i cannot mend


and as i journey, to cleanse my damaged mind
i must untwist the mystery life, in which i became entwined
use mystery chemicals to create purification
abolish the basics i built, to build a new foundation

Out Of The Woods

I remember, like it was yesterday
when i turned that corner, and saw your face
loves young dream, for all to see
in that crowded room, just you and me
if i close my eyes, i can recall those nights
wrapped in arms, holding on so tight
what went wrong, well, we'll never know
too new to this world, didn't let it grow

but now we're too far out of the woods
too many miles from the neighbourhood
and no amount of these lonely tears
can take us back to those yesteryears

it's been thirty years or more
since you and i closed the door
turned away from what could have been
didn't realise that you were my dream
so our lives went on, but to a different place
i never will forget your beautiful face
they say love is blind, and i couldn't see
that you were the one, so right for me

but now we're too far out of the woods
too many miles from the neighbourhood
and no amount of lonely tears
can give us back those yesteryears

there is no way back, but in my mind
and memories fade, with passing time
am i so wrong to want to keep
you in my mind, when i fall asleep
if i could turn back the hands time
go back to the place where you were mine
if i could ease my heart from all this pain
of too many years filled with rain

but we're too far out of the woods
too many miles from the neighbourhood
and no amount of these lonely tears
can give us back our yesteryears

Finally A Win For My Boys

Raiders report card

• PASSING OFFENSE: Andrew Walter was near flawless in the first quarter and had perhaps his best game as a pro. He spread around the ball well and picked apart the Cardinals secondary. His two fumbles set up Arizona field goals. His interception ended a scoring threat late in the first half. Grade: C+

• RUNNING OFFENSE: Justin Fargas and Zack Crockett did an admirable job (31 carries, 110 yards) filling the void of regular starter LaMont Jordan (back injury). ReShard Lee scored Oakland's first touchdown on an impressive leap over the Cardinals defense from 1 yard out. Grade: A-

• PASSING DEFENSE: The Raiders did a nice job pressuring rookie quarterback Matt Leinart and getting their hands on several of his passes. Derrick Burgess had two sacks and tipped a pass that fellow defensive lineman Terdell Sands intercepted. Michael Huff recorded a safety. Cardinals receivers got held in check for most of the game. Grade: A-

• RUNNING DEFENSE: Edgerrin James (13 carries, 34 yards) found little running room. That placed even more pressure on Leinart to be the one to make things happen for the Cardinals. It didn't happen for Leinart. Grade: A

• SPECIAL TEAMS: Chris Carr set up a Raiders first-half field goal with a 36-yard punt return. Sebastian Janikowski converted both field goal attempts (31, 35 yards) and kicked off well. Shane Lechler punted well. Grade: A-

• COACHING: Art Shell had his players fired up despite the Raiders being 0-5. The play-calling by offensive coordinator Tom Walsh featured a nice blend of run plays and downfield passes. The Raiders started off aggressively and kept up the pressure after building a 17-0 lead. Grade: A

Open Chords Played On Steel Strings

You sing . . .
Picking at a guitar
Harmonica resting on your slow-breathing chest
Battered lyrics, broken voice
Straining to tell stories few understand, some relate
Only you feel its pain
You are . . .
Steel strings
Of an acoustic guitar
Easily broken, snapped in two
Strummed one too many songs
Bleeding fingers
Callused soul on rusted time
Tuned you are . . .
Forbidden notes
Dancing fingers playing with death
Waltzing on dreams
You are . . .
An instrument of change, sharing pain
Open chords played on steel strings

They All Work

As red traffic lights flash green
and headlights shimmer off of
slick streets amidst a storm of
angry car horns,
I cringe, panic stricken,
until I notice the sidewalk.
The sidewalk peers
up at me through a flood
of hydrated workers fleeing
from their nine to five inconveniences,
protecting their weathered brows,
from tiny wet spears with
headlines from the New York Times.
As quickly as it started
the flood dissipates into
calm silence and I observe
the sidewalk, cracked and bruised
from a stampede of Gucci heels
and Oxford soles, and then
for a split second I can relate.

Heartless Surrender

Walking alone through the constant coloured sun
You can’t tell how cold it has become
And I know you’ll keep looking
But I’ll be gone

Stand up, I’ve another dream for you
A blank smile, a blank face, a white summer
Two blank eyes, another fake smile
And a white painting of you in the sun

Standing alone in a ray of coloured sunshine
Why would you care to notice the cold winter night
And I hope you’ll keep searching
And I know I’ll be gone

Stand up, I’ve another dream for you
A blank paper, a blank note, a white cascade of light
Two false eyes, one more cold lie
Another white sun on the horizon

Praying alone in a room of false light
You can’t tell what I am saying to you
And I hope you’ll keep praying

I am gone
I’ve receded into the white sunless plain
Don’t look any more, you’ll be blinded by the pain
And don’t talk, I can’t hear what you are saying

Stand up, I’ve another dream for you
A blank field, a blank plain
A white summer, white rain
A cold winter, steel trains
Heartless surrender, no more pain
Nothing to lose, I don’t have anything to gain
A white flower, a white butterfly
A blank note, you don’t have to try to read
A colder winter, a foggy street
As long as you’re gone I’ll try to keep
My eyes awake, my heart asleep

Burrito With The Works

Woman tried to smuggle heroin into New Mexico jail

OCTOBER 13--A New Mexico woman was arrested last week after she allegedly hid a hypodermic needle filled with heroin inside a Taco Bell burrito and tried to deliver the contraband to a friend held in a city jail. Rosemary Gonzales, 42, was nabbed last Friday after a jail guard at the Espanola lockup discovered the hypo hidden amongst the contents of a Burrito Supreme (friends are allowed to bring food to inmates at the small jail). As seen in the evidence photo below, the works were nestled inside a flour tortilla along with beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and a tangy red sauce. A second police photo shows a close-up of the confiscated needle. According to a statement of probable cause, the hypodermic's brown liquid contents were field tested by cops and came up positive for heroin. Gonzales, pictured in the above mug shot, was charged with bringing contraband into a prison, a felony, and jailed in lieu of $5000 cash bond.

                                                   

How Much Longer

If hope were a tree, it would offer light like this one
A wild choir of yellow leaves bright as noonday sun.

Planes circle above Baghdad, a thousand cunning crows
Leave the country, take flight, protect your only sons.

A red-crowned woodpecker plays the wall by your window
Over and over quiet drumming awakens last night’s sun.

War burns around you, though peace is on your lips
You will learn the climate of passion, all its hot white suns.

Veils of dust caress the ancient towers of this city
Ashes and tears tarnish the frightened desert sun.

A storm blows over the landscape, its tongues spit and coil
Clouds rub belly to belly, still you sight rays of sun.

You work alone, woman, writing poems for your love
While the cursed and holy world fights to feel the sun.

Train to Nothingness

I buy a ticket and wait
For a non-stop train
How I wish I could
Leave my past behind

My hairs fall and turn grey
My body shrieks and moves
With heavy steps
No, no, no more time for waiting
This time I want to stay

Staring long at the mirror
I try to find myself but lose instead
Sunddenly I realize
Never have I got off the train
Running on the railway named today