Now that all the APA members have had time to read this. A contribution from the APA Centauri by myself and Central Mailer Andrew Lane:

INSPIRED: A COLLABORATION
Andrew Lane meets Nobius Black Book I

In my pursuit to learn how to write poetry, I once read a book called, Talking Back to Poetry. The book's premise was simply this: To learn to write, study the poetry of your favorite authors and then attempt to rewrite inspirational works in your own voice. At the time, I never tried it.

A few weeks ago, that idea wandered back into my mind while reading Andrew's work in a recent APA. It was at that point, I approached him with the idea of trading and rewriting each other's poetry.

The collection you are about to read is much like a good record of cover tunes. Something borrowed, something new, something inspired. Andrew and I have created works evocative of the old yet different with lives of their own...a new journey in each piece... two head trips for the price of one.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did writing it.

Part One: Andrew Writes, Nobius Responds.

EMERGENCY

I look like an extraction from a slice of unnamed lore
You say one caress overturned your world
Well the look that I'm puttin' out
Would overturn and then some

I shall indeed keep force-feeding you my words - you'll choke
Like one young lover doling out amour on another
Trying to out-love the competition
Dangling that carrot innocently

This life on the road squeezes the pulp out of me
The fantasy's fine for now but what about the near future
The perfect discords of my jazz radio sing out a thought -
I shall simply have to run faster.

EMERGENCY II

I from an unmarked grave
An un-named story book
A fairy tale gone wrong.
My Eyes - The Freeze Warning
Will stop you cold or trance you "just" my way.
A look of love and coiling snakes.
Hang on my every word
Beautiful Noose
Speak. Choke.
A horse and carrot
Love at arm's length.

Road life squeezes the pulp out of me
Town to town drinking my orange juice and vodka
Fine for now until you plea, "What about the future?"

What about it?
My stratocaster screams
She asks, she knows
Baby, can't fall in love this gig ain't over yet.
I shall simply run faster.

__________

WORDS ON BUILDINGS

Cold air hurts my head as I walk
A warmer breath escapes from my nostril
'Blood for oil' black on cold cement
Another death means fuel for the fossils

Bitten nails over senseless panic
As I try to make sense of the world's ways
A return to mixing state and religion
Makes me drop to my knees and pray for aid

'No peace in capitalism'
'No War'
'Stop the bleeding'
It goes on and on.
It rambles on and on.
Words on buildings.
In the business district.
Of a capitalist nation.
Doesn't get much accomplished.
Someone gets to show off.
That's all.

The cold air keeps hurting my head as I walk
And the warm breath escapes my lips when I talk
And the buildings just stand there and listen.
Unfortunately they can't talk back.

WORDS ON BUILDINGS II: "Rally"

No War.
No peace in capitalism.
No blood for oil.
Stop the Bleeding.
Signs at the peace rally-
Reflecting Pool tears.
The only sign I wait for:
Angels to bring him back.
My dead son.
And a nation named Iraq.

No sense to be made
Of this world's wicked ways.
Or saints who fly planes into buildings
And Presidents who talk to God.
Holy Father-- killing in the name of.

No War
No peace in capitalism.
No blood for oil.
Stop the bleeding.
Heal my heart.

__________


THE WATERSHED

Last night I was downed in a hotel bed
Rolling around trying to cushion my head
When the heat came on a tad too strong
And I decided to move to the watershed

So now I'm sitting in an office chair
Exploring how life's a wee bit unfair
When I get food delivered to me
That the boys in white won't even let me share

One big city's just another big city
With its bells and whistles, its ugly and pretty
The little town's got a little character
Which isn't for sale to a planning committee

Well I say hooray for the middleman
Pushing papers 'neath the sun on the sand
He may just be a tad smarter than me
Working the system to his own commands

I can't help but be the grinding type
Being alone and avoiding the hype
I find it easier to suffer
At the drainage end of the pipe.

THE WATERSHED II: "Bottom"

It always flows down hill
When you sit at the drainage end
Of the pipe. (Of life).
Comes from above.
Faceless leaders,
Company men with no names.

He is smarter than me.
(College educated with
that fine blue pressed suit.)
She is better than me.
Company eyes force self-esteem low.
Performance review sway our own images.
We are our careers,
Even when we don't want to be.

Life unfair.
While those frat boys were partying.
While my boss was a spoiled rich kid.
I was burying my Dad.

And then myself.
__________

FREE RENT

Tripped up over and falling all around
Insane world got me bent to the ground
Seedling bloom come darkness of night
Lives looking across the ocean in fright
Ramble down up top to both of the sides
Shaking up order on the popsicle rides

No matter if you're over here or over there
You're gonna fall down tumblin'
The same set of stairs

Time to check in on the barstool crew
Same old faces in the same old brew
Up to the top might happen one daytime
Insulin blasts to help out those enzymes
Scooting along down the middle of a road
Squashing lilypads ladybugs lizards and toads

No matter if you're over here or over there
You're gonna fall down tumblin'
The same set of stairs

Run-around girls making boys look bad
Sniffle a bit then pout and look sad
Take another peak at the barstool boys
Wearing silly grins to cover their joys
Take the mask off show the pumpkin's face
Shine jack-o-lantern orange from outer space

No matter if you're over here or over there
You're gonna fall down tumblin'
The same set of stairs

In time to learn from pupils of life
Climbs shallow mountains boots with spikes
I've got a thought I'd like to share
Maybe you've a life you'd like to spare
Take the mask off showing signs of age
And feeling beneath the feathers to rage

No matter if you're over here or over there
You're gonna fall down tumblin'
The same set of stairs

Down below in the cellar chasing rats
One can hear the sound of contented cats
Rose bush sprawled out bumble bees
Young man drops down on to his knees
The stairs are steep but the bar is grooved
I don’t know how these people can move

No matter if you're over here or over there
You're gonna fall down tumblin'
The same set of stairs

Well I fell asleep too late last night
My front and my back locked up in a fight
Either way I was bound to lose
Unless one won and I had to choose
It's time like this when I wish I could fly
Way on up in the innocent sky

No matter if you're over here or over there
You're gonna fall down tumblin'
The same set of stairs.

FREE RENT II: "Genie"

Just one more potion
One more spell.
My lover said,
"Just one more drink"
Before she fell.

Night after night.
Same set of stairs.
I was picking you up.
Can't live with out.
This life isn't fair.

My baby rubbed the wrong bottle.
Too many years.
NoGenie inside
Jeanie on the pavement.
It's where she drank herself to death.

Night after night.
Same set of stairs.
I was picking you up.
Can't live without you.
This life isn't fair.

What about me?
Enabler.
Disabler.
Who will pick me up?
And my many pieces of heart.
__________

HUG

We're like old friends who've never met
We're like twin embryos in different wounds
We're like blood brothers in a cryogenic state
We're like birds of a feather flying miles apart

We really aren't that much different
You're in your space, I'm in mine
Let's join spaces - dare to overlap
Venture into that common sliver on a Ven diagram

And hug

HUG II: "V" (Inspired by Alan Moore and Andrew Lane)

I love you dear.
I love you true.
Even though we've never met.
Man or woman -- matters not.
Only your flesh
And your blood.

Can't hold you hand.
Don't know your face.
This wall that separates.
This space between.
No prison can hold our humanity down.

Someday, I dream it will all fall.
A victory in Berlin.
Brick my brick,
Piece by piece my love.
We-no different
They can take our freedom
But they'll never take our hearts.
__________

Part Two: Nobius Writes, Andrew Responds

TASER GiRL

--Oh my walking wounded
living zombie
prozak super woman.

Be strong,
suck it up bitch.

It's all just in your head.

TASER GiRL II: "Shelved"

Oh you show only your good side
As you roam around blind
You're dark on the inside
We've all known your kind

As you feed your brain
You lose sight of yourself
And your eyes ever strain
At your life on a shelf

__________


WORD'S WORTH

Word's Worth seems small--
If I can not tell you,
If I can not say how I feel inside.

The price to open my heart
Is one not easy to pay.
The high cost of feeling,
Stealing all of me again.
Why pour it all out--so it can suck me dry?
I am not...am I?
The many faces of me.
Set the sun, I want to sleep now.

Word's worth seems small,
Doesn't matter at all.
If I can not tell you,
If I can not say,
How I feel inside.

WORD'S WORTH II: "Communication Breakdown"

I wish I could stop
Slow down
Stop thinking
Find a way to really communicate
I'll tell you once I've almost made it
And I'll tell you in words
Spoken
And you'll finally see
How the inside feels to me

Sadly it's a man size world
And the pressure hits me hard

__________


JUST SOUTH OF POOR

just south of poor
is can't meet the needs
and making ends meet
Main Street's dreams broken
something missing from the dinner table (bread of life)
when we are not able
shirt off backs worn thin
in our America
can't take a nation back
can't look in the mirror
can't be what I wanna be
or who I should be/could be
scratching for pennies
there's not enough
the price tag too high.
You sir, are worth nothing.
in my crumpled best suit, with fading blue tie
'pole' bearer for the casket that carries middle class
a funeral for the masses
to the others
I do say, "I think we've arrived.
We're just south of poor."

JUST SOUTH OF POOR II: "Gather ’Round The Barrel"

'Short life of trouble'
Plunging through poverty

When there's no money to spend
You finally have people to spend it on

Got to look past the dollar
And hold your best friend's hand

Gather round the burning barrel
Pass around what you've got
And reach a point where you no longer care
And you're ready to fade

Maybe fall asleep tonight
But who really cares?

Maybe wake up tomorrow
But who really cares?

The soup kitchen's open
But the liquor store's closed
So the soup kitchen stays empty
Yet the wealthy feel fulfilled
Like they've done their duty
"to feed the poor"
A few flaunt in cashmere
Many hold hands 'round the barrel

__________


I WASHED AWAY

I washed away,
From the sand-sin beach
Into an ocean-of-killers.
The time that distracts me.

And through the slowly opening
doors-of-our-life-together.
I call out.
No, I scream,
"Let my angel live!"
Religion doesn't do me.

I WASHED AWAY II: "Life After Life"

Prayers for help
As I cry to be accepted
By one who accepts all
In a world of non acceptance
Trying to find the magic cure
In a world of realism

As I exist on I near the end
A beginning becomes possible

When my airwaves close
I take the first breath
When I die
I am born
And I live

__________

TIDAL PAST

The past is creeping up on me--
An ocean tide grown high.
Memories once receded,
Come back.
Flowing over my sand mind--
My shore--
Bringing back all the things that were out to sea.

TIDAL PAST II: "New Life"

Looking back is no longer a choice
Straight up ahead I hear a child's voice.
A new me?
An infant's infinite reflection
Shadowing a father's perfection
'Bringing back all the things that were out to sea'

-FIN-