Have you ever noticed that those who criticize the most are the ones who do the least? Or is it just me?
The Critic
Author: dennismantin
I am a writer/painter/filmmaker and most importantly a father.
Beauty Curse
I’ve got this thing for beauty.
The kind a smile often hides.
That doesn’t stop me diving in.
Like a carnival of free rides.
Like I’ve missed some info somehow.
No doubt innocent as a child.
That kept me at the beauty trough.
These desires large and wild.
Well, there must be worse afflictions.
Then, to have this beauty thirst.
Have met like minded along the way.
And we’ve all felt far from cursed.
Shot Down (2005)
Another day, sundown.
Another night, sundown.
Orange to black, sundown.
Fades to midnight blue.
There’s nothing I can’t do.
And here comes the night
And I don’t know why
I hear your voice
And I lose my way.
Where are you now?
Can I touch you somehow?
You’re somewhere near sleep where images fade.
And here comes the sun.
Another night is done.
Here comes the sun.
And here I go again.
Saw the man, shot down.
Heard his voice, shot down . Eyes rolled white, shot down. Breathe goodbye that sound. Fades to midnight blue. There’s nothing I can do.
Another day shot down.
Another night shot down.
Orange to black.
Shot down.
Fades to midnight blue.
There’s nothing I can do.
DENNIS MANTIN
The Voice (1990)
The day the voice moved in with me, he brought his good friend fear.
Said ‘We all share your heart and soul you’ll soon forget we’re here.’
The day the voice moved in with me, peace and sleep moved out.
The addict he was at the door, and the voice he jumped to shout.
Said, ‘We like you we like it here, we know you like us too
And we know you’ll like our friends, cause true friends are so few.’
The voice would talk for hours about nothing much at all.
And all the noise would wake the fear and the drunk would wake withdrawal.
Years had passed in tears and stains and I had to kill the fear.
The voice he left in the middle of the night, said he didn’t like it here.
The voice returns sometimes when I sleep but he’s gone when I’m awake.
The strength it took to kill the fear was more than he could take.
And the drunk is with the addict and they live from coast to coast. And sometimes when I pray to God, I pray you’re not their host.
Singing, ‘We like you, we like it here, we know you like us too. And we know you’ll like our friends cause true friends are so few.
–Dennis Mantin
Baby Loves Clowns (1995)
I don’t know why my baby loves clowns.
Whose painted on tears never fall down.
I don’t know what she sees in their eyes
Perhaps the line between horror/surprise…
I don’t know why my baby can’t sing.
Why carnival music isn’t her thing.
It fills my head when I’m at the fair.
Searching for clues in clowns everywhere.
I don’t know why she screams at night.
I hope it’s not why she holds me so tight.
Because I’m the type I’m weak for love.
Carnival music I rise above.
Is it the pain or is it the tears?
For some carnival crime from yesteryears.
Maybe it’s you, maybe I’ll never know.
Maybe it’s me, baby let go.
(chorus)
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men.
Tried and they tried but she fell down again.
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
She went to her shrink ended up at the mall.
Humpty Dumpty wanted it all.
Dennis Mantin
The 3rd of 3…
They say there are 3 loves…
The 1st is a childish love. You lose this one for silly reasons.
The 2nd is hard love. This one will hurt with loss and betrayal.This one will teach the lessons of pain and manipulation. This one will show you what you want and don’t want.
The 3rd love will find you when you have stopped looking. This love just arrived, and I do not judge such gifts. I have stopped judging her. I have been fortunate in all of the 3. However, I didn’t know this fortune during the first 2.
Touch
She gives me touch so much touch that has laid dormant there and such, and a part of me goes WTF oh I remember but maybe I just dreamed all that before and have no memories at all and this is all a new thing and these are the gifts that will amaze me before I’m halfway through?
Stillness
There is stillness this summer…
Stillness and heat are so quiet in the city.
Until the eruptions, however, another story.
I sleep until I awaken, with nothing much planned, and many hours after that, the kid greets the day. Noonish.
There is uncertainty in this stillness, like we are waiting for something, somewhere that will define just how powerless we have become.
Even in this stillness, there’s some tomfuckery afoot! I can feel it. The bastards are up to something!
Every day, I pray upon awakening to God, and in this, there is stillness also.
The Chances Store
Chances were the premium at the chances store.
Called up their proprietor and asked for just one more.
Inside information suggested relocate.
When they closed the chances store, it sealed the users fate.
With no plans for the future and the future, it is here.
Who knew that the sun would rise and whisper last nights fear?
So we headed for the highway, which ended at the light.
Looked upon arrival, no chances store in sight.
Searching for the answers that will ease the fears.
Some will stand there crying and find few are buying tears.
All are someone’s baby lost along the way.
Strangers and sojourners who have lost the need to pray.
And I say, “Pray”
Dennis Mantin
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