Charles Manson At 1am: Poem by Joshua Bantum

Careful what you allow you to be
or how you
can be taken.

because weakness is the not your lacking of control over others
it is the lacking of it over yourself
same with it
all
everything.

Careful what devil you paint yourself to be
you'll be drawn that way afterwards
and worsened, embellished,
because history is too simple
and we wish so much for it to be complicated
so we can complain
and avert, exert time.

But the time is getting old
I can hear slappings of the cane across the hardwood floor
hear marks scratching signatures in.

So careful what you say because time is always permanent
and if you do say,
then it'll be transfigured
into preaching
like this,
and if you do say
without finishing
than you'll just be complaining,
and it will stick to your name, face, social security number
like an intangible cancer kept alive by our memories.

Be ready for the pointed fingers from the quiet mouths.
Be weary of open arms from strangers who agree, no one truly agrees,
even the best only compromise.
and be careful around those who aren't careful
but overall
throw it away, the whole bag, when that is the only piece that's left to be placed
throw it all away and restart.

If you are the first to call your self a hypocrite, then you can at least
be honest in your deceit,
but you must be pure with your intention all along,
then they will glorify you.

Anyway
the many philosophies that are, exist like different outfits we change in
and out from exist
wearing whichever one fits at the time
and carelessly throwing it out when it no longer does,
as we're dying or growing or dying some more.

Be careful
when you go to write the first
word
because once a mistake has happened
a second is likely to follow
and by already starting
the probability of failing has just become plausible.