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    Eternal Life

    I don’t wanna end up DOA

    Until I embed my DNA

    In the world around me

     

    I don’t wanna die like my father

    In a hospital bed for over a year

    With no idea what’s wrong

    His body filled up with water

    And like any drowning man

    After a while

    He just gave up

     

    I don’t wanna die like my mother

    Who knew exactly what was wrong with her body

    Tests

    Charts

    Doctor’s reports

    The script was written and she followed it close

    A pillar of churches

    Although she believed in none

    The city named a park for her when she was gone

     

    I don’t wanna die

    Like the people I killed in Vietnam

    Mother Father Sister Brother

    Day after day

    A bullet with their name on it

    To them my name was Angel of Death

    But I had no wings

    I was just a scared teenager

    From a town they never heard of

    The only job I could find

    Was killing people

     

    I don’t wanna die like my father-in-law

    Pulled up to a stop sign

    In year two of Clinton presidency one

    All of a sudden he had company

    A homeless kid and his girl

    Who were at the end of their rope

    All of a sudden they let go of it

    Carjack

    Throat slit

    Oh shit

    It’s all over

     

    Nine years later…

    Metallica’s playing a show at San Quentin!

    Hard music

    Hard time

    Hard music

    Without rhyme

    Metallica’s playing a show at San Quentin

    In the yard that day

    Was the killer of the father of my wife

    Doing life

    Hard music

    Hard time

    Hard music

    Without rhyme

    Metallica’s singer

    He says

    “Everyone is born good

    Everyone’s got the same size soul

    We’re here to connect with that”

     

    It seemed like he was getting ready to quote the Bible but he didn’t

    “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord

     

    “Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord

    Sometimes that’s hard to live by

    Sometimes you don’t even want to try

    But you have to

    Because

    Because if the richest country on earth

    Gave everyone a home

    My father-in-law would be alive today

     

    Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night

    And think about

    DJ Dusk

    I wonder

    After he hurled his body

    Off that sidewalk to save his lady

    Did he have time to see the car coming

    Did he realize what was about to happen

    Did he say to himself

    “I should’ve stayed on the sidewalk!”

    I’ll never know

    But if you ever heard Dusk spin

    If you ever went with him to the projects

    To turn banging into art

    Then you know that when Dusk made his last spin

    When he turned his body to face that drunk driver

    His heart was as pure as the driven snow

     

    But I don’t wanna go out like that

     

    Rocky Dunn had a good life

    Ninety-three years old

    Died peaceful in his sleep

    Left children

    Grandchildren

    Great grandchildren

    All over this world

    When I spoke at his funeral

    I couldn’t help but smile

     

    But I don’t wanna go out like that

     

    I don’t wanna leave

    I don’t want my friends to have to grieve

    Until

    Until I’ve built a bridge

    And everything I’ve ever learned

    And everything I’ve ever felt

    Has made it to the other side

     

    I don’t wanna end up DOA

    Until I embed my DNA

    In the world around me

     

    Now I’ve been preaching

    And I’ve been reaching

    For a long, long time

    So…

    Am I ready to die?

    I know I’m supposed to push out my chest

    And shout out an answer like “Oh, hell yes!”

     

    But perjury’s a felony

    And this is no time to lie

    So when you ask:

    Am I ready to die?

    I have to say

    Not. Quite. Yet.

     

    If you make your mark in this short life

    Than you can have life eternal

    And I’m willing to die for it

    But

    Not. Quite. Yet. 

     

    When it’s time for me to go

    I’m gonna be able to stay

    When it’s time for me to go

    I’m still gonna have my say

     

    Cuz I’m not gonna end up DOA

    Until I embed my DNA

    In the world around me

     

     

    Poem / 2006

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