Last night was a lot of fun. A bit too much, maybe, as my hungover ass stayed home today! Shappy beat me 3-2 in the head-to-head. I won the Star Wars round (!) and the imitation round, he took the other three. Every round was split 3-2 except for the imitation where I won all 5 judges over! Quacky was probably the most fun I've ever had on stage. I need to write funny stuff!

The Anything Goes round went really well (despite losing to Shappy's musical lambasting of the Matrix Reloaded) as Sabrina's edits made the piece flow nicely. Keith Roach was in the house and I brought him on stage to do the Prince section in the very beginning. Talk about coming full circle! The piece follows. I'm going back to sleep now.

This is Not Goodbye
a love letter in five parts…

I.
I drank too much last night, got bills to pay,
my head just feels in pain
I missed the bus and there'll be hell today,
I'm late for work again and even if I'm there,
they'll all imply that I might not last the day
and then you call me

dearly beloved ..
we are gathered here today
to get through this thing called LIFE.

electric word "life", it means forever
and that's a mighty long time
but I'm here to tell you
there's something else ..

and it's not so bad,
it's not so bad

II.
This is sacred ground.

Step up humble
to make your offering
someone is always listening.

Remember when the words came
because they had to
when we believed every one
gave them the breath of life
like our lives depended on it.

And I want to thank you for giving me
the best day of my life
ohh, just to be with you is having
the best day of my life.

When we hit open mics like AA meetings
two or three a day
to get our fix.

Before the applause and the scores
and the slamming of doors.

Before poetry went Def
dumb and blind.

There is a beauty here
that shines through it all
like the glowing faces of pregnant women
nurturing the future.

and it's not so bad,
it's not so bad

III.
And I want to thank you for giving me
the best day of my life
ohh, just to be with you is having
the best day of my life.

Eight poets stuffed into a car
high on poetry and tequila
saved my life one night
taught me the importance
of action equaling word
of word secondary to truth.

I have carried that lesson
in my left shoe ever since
each step I take reminds me
of why I’m still here.

IV.
This is not a poem.

It is a love letter.
a thank you note.
a reminder.

We are here
because of those that came before us.

We will endure
because of those that come after us.

V.
Push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking
through and through then you handed me a towel
and all I see is you, and even if my house falls
down now, I wouldn't have a clue because you're
near me

This is not goodbye.
This is not the end.
It is simply the prelude
to a new beginning.