His Patas Had Both Sides

"Both sides are all the same glows his grin with all but shame."
       Berryman the Bridge-Jumper

El ocho patas
struggled long and hard with his malady

his feet pushed away
and grasped to wards

his contradiction in terms
was one and the same

the flies of God flew high
as they flew low

banging their heads
against angry angels

and dragging their feet
through the devil's poo

el ocho patas
fought long and hard

yet always succumbed
dumb scum that he was

but look on the bright side he said
there's always the threat of sun

Mad Mad Love

El ocho patas wanted to be
madly in love

you know
like in the old days

not the worn out
kind of love

of course
that was foolish of him

and being an old fool
only made it worse

his heartbeat made of hay
was blown about by the wind

his heartbeat made of flesh
still hungered for desire

his lion's mane
flickering

his sharp claws
dancing

el ocho patas
could feel the mad love

as he held her
against his own will

I, Too

"Patas mentions Atlantis
in a cocky sort of way."

I, too, sing Estados Hundidos
said el ocho patas

with his darker patas
send me to the kitchen

I will eat beans
and grow strong

I will eat tortillas
and grow even stronger

tomorrow I will eat
at the dinner table

and everybody will realize
how paton I am

I, too, sing Estados Hundidos
though I have so many feet,

is that illegal,
too?

El Ocho Vacas

El ocho patas
pretended to be a real poet

and the gullible public
bought it

hook line and sinker
pescados

and sure
el ocho patas

was indeed guilty
of pecados

so there must be
a little pleasure in evil he thought

as he went about his way
the bell around his neck

ringing in the meadow
where the wildflowers copulated

thorn against thorn
petal against petal

even if you're not a cow
you can still be a vaca