I Saw Chris

I saw chris
he was trippn hs ass off
it was hittn hm hard
he was
just
behind it
it was gonna hit hardr
gonna hit hardr
hit hardr
hit hardr
hit hardr
hit hardr

maybe gt som juice
bettr stik 2 watr
cos its gonna hit hardr
hit hardr
hit hardr

we was on a bus
goin 2 a train
it was supposd 2 rain
it’s a hit nite
its gonna gt hottr
gt hottr
gt hottr

cos its summrtime

u no how it feels
wn u go outside
& u don’t need a shirt
u don’t want a shirt
u wanna feel th sunshine beatn down
hottr & hottr
hottr & hottr
sun so brite it can make u blind
u just wanna feel
on my arms
on my shoulders
down my back

cos that’s how it feels wn summr coms

that’s how it feels wn its just takn hold
u feel a jolt
hardr & hardr
u feel a jolt
hardr & hardr
it feels like sunshine beatn down
hottr & hottr
bettr stik 2 watr

thr mit com a nite
wn its u
ridn a bus
2 gt 2 a train
waitn for rain
n th summertime
summertime

maybe one nit
it’ll be me
trippn my ass off
trippin my as off

The Good Poet

everybodys glad 2 see th goodpoet
cos allu need is lov
wn th bad poet shows up
its like
here it coms
th good poet makes u feel like yr floating on fairy dust
or angl wings
flying hi
as th world revlovs belo emerald turquoise fleece
th bad poet
pulls out his laundary list of evry bad thing that happnd 2 m
wich is everything that did happn 2 m
plus everything he red about n th newspaper
holy shit
u think
gt a life
or gt another life
time flies
wn th good poets around
a supernaturally fast succession of momnts
glitering gems
image
sound
thot
u wish it was ndlss
but its good infinity
rounds itslf off
nto a shining star
hanging n yr mind
wile belo
churning n a sludgy pit
th bad poet
trudges thru his litany of resntmnt
put a sok n it
u think
for gods sake
put a sok n it
but th god of th bad poet
revls n failure
nhabiting a paralyzd continuum of contradictions
clunking around
lke coins n a can
o th bum u passd on th way 2 th opn mike
tirelessly repeating
cn I hav a quartr
aftr th reading
th good poet is gon n a flash
despite being surroundd by admirers
who hav so much 2 ask
but he must b going
so that one is left hoping
for his resurrection at a future date
th bad poet is th last 2 leave
buttonholing everyone
until u sens he wants u 2 take him home w/u
or somwher
that wd b like home
a havn
from the nvincibl days
relentlss passage
& the gravelly music it nspires

Joe Roarty has been traveling the United States for over 30 years sharing his unique brand of sound poetry. Roarty is known as “Chicago’s Beat Poet” and since re-locating to Philadelphia has become a regular presence on the poetry circuit. To view Joe reading please visit him on youtube.