Kurt Philip Behm

Baptized There

My life a poem, forego the count,

that comes in threes and fours

 

The space between to catch new breath,

that time may now allure

 

These moments gifted more than once,

now constant in their prayer

 

Whose vow will cast the river wide,

—new words to baptize there

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)

 

 

    Waterfall Unknown

 

Palliative to hospice,

I jump from stone to stone

 

The river waits in silence,

—its waterfall unknown

 

(Villanova Pennsylvania: February, 2017)

 

Tears

 

The shortest road to emotion,

—is tears

 

(Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Fall 1977)

 

 

 

She\'s Familiar

 

She\'s familiar,

 —ain\'t that the blues

 

(Written at Kingston Mines in Chicago-1984)

 

 

Ain’t That The Blues

 

She’s familiar,

aint that the blues

 

Sleeping beside her,

everyone knew

 

Chipped beef on Monday,

Thursday cold stew

 

Dishes piled high,

paycheck gone through

 

She’s familiar,

ain’t that the blues

 

Home from work early,

today around noon

 

Mattress was creaking,

my pistol I drew

 

Two shots in my brother,

—four more in the flooze

 

(Chicago Illinois: Performed with Clinton Mace at Cabrini Greene 1985)

       Written at Kingston Mines-Anthology of Perception Vol #1