Print Travel

Print Travel

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

I could almost feel the cool of the waves,

The colors leaped from the page, jpeg

To jpeg – click – to – click

I almost felt like I was traveling there,

The air, I could feel, would be chilling

My cheeks and causing my nose to

Turn a bright tomato red, but it would

Be sweet, or so to speak, as it would

Be flavored with the neighboring sea

From which the daily catch is brought

In nearby bazaars, as port of bay

For the tourist and townie to browse

Wild shopping. A sailors cry, would cut the wind

And sounds of metal as sails hoisted

To swallow the blowing tide - flapping

Flag beats like cracking whips wagging

Like dragons tail or serpents tongue.

The giggle and gurgling dance of water

Ripples on a rocky carpet shores.

The red sun’s hands rub our backs

On our way in from sea…that’s what

I imagine ‘this’ place would be like.

Click-, -Click-, -Click- …ooh, the Andes…

God is Print Media

God is Print Media

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

I worked for a self-titled dealer, who in his garage lazed

And dreamed of faster cars because work was

Something your assistant did for you, and $800,000

Only bought you last year’s model of McLaren

Capricious state always unhappy

With what was just bought and had

Even his wife didn’t fare well – if it weren’t for the

Crack, they never would have gotten together.   

His own joints creaked and moaned with age of

Sloth and apathy.  Clutching to wardrobes

Seasons past… as though any of that will fit you

Again.

At first he spoke of paying me more,

Tens of thousands of extra, like money

In bonuses, Christmas would be made.

Then he spoke of how things needed to change,

On how times were tough, and “this all has to be

Done a certain way,” Innately, know the

Way on your own. You can’t expect him responsible?

To train you properly – he’s your boss not your mom.

Then you asked where I came from, and

What my language spoken, I muttered, “Husam Salman,”

Without a head turn or nod, “I am from Iraq.”

The third tale was the tallest of them all,

His daughter returned from Germany

And that sullen wretch, needed my

Job, because, well, you see, she already knew the

Roll.

Oh, Husam, his conviction clear, my check

Standing on the table top, wilted like lettuce

I sagged deeper into my thoughts, of newly

Leased Honda sitting in rented driveways

Of holiday house, it too soon to be lost.

That sinking feeling of shame; like I did something wrong,

There, on the weathered Persian rug and wood lined library

I embodied an immortal flame shrouded from the chaos

Happening just before my very eyes, enthroned to

My safe place, because this harsh was too real.

I dreamed I was a demi-god who walked with feet of flames

Winged guard, righting the cruel wrongs of injustice

Passion as my sword’s flame, immortal sun child – nemesis

Bringing balance to the miry way of detached cruelty.

So that one day Sisyphus can reach his goal.

This Time of Year

This Time of Year

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

To breathe the sweet petal-ed winds

Upon the setting suns last exhale

Is a memory everyone will have,

Mine, this memory made, was today

In the garden where meditations are

Ceremoniously held, tap into my

Roots of history and souls reconnect.

Is this a Xerox copy of my life being

Reprinted like some child prank, photo

Copying his ass to mock me on the daily?

I open my eyes and am dazzled by greens

And flowers only found in these precious weeks.

The airwaves lull us with repeated songs

Sans variety, which is the obtuse secret of

‘the industry’.  Oh, as I deal with this conflict

Called  life, my prayers hope for a telephone

From my lips to some divine ear rather than the

Idea of a black hole a la Human Resources ‘style’

Shanty town, painted idol statue-d god

Where coins are tossed to appease your wants and needs.  

Am I asking for the impossible, has that time gone

With my requests falling on forgotten ears?

But I didn't get my life’s reward, I must have

Forgotten to sell my soul off for a time with fortune?

RED

RED

[Written for the performance at Fallen Fruit’s (Austin Young and David Burns) Rainbow Day Trip – May 2, 2014 – My color was Red]

By Husam (Sam) Salman

It was a day like today

Sand warm, summer like,

Sun beaming and I was told

RED

And now…

Now I’m a motherfucking strawberry

In the motherfucking hot springs

Fallen Fruit

Oh this life, I’ve given you everything

And now I’m a strawberry

Me – Red

Ride rough faster lush – she powers

Through me, like rage

That I get to pump gas @ $4.56 a gallon

May 3, 2014.

My mind arranges itself

And the days discord – no rage

RED

Air through my veins

Fighting through love and

War – eternal body cut or tare

RED

Ever flows like life coursing

Human into action

Into anxiety and war

Don’t bother me, I’ve got

Enough on my mind

Epic soliloquy, this thing will

Not write itself, I’m left

Brained. So…it’s a no brainer

RED

I pour it into my glass everyday

I pour it into my glass everyday

I pour it into my glass everyday

Mushroom whisperer

I love you, have another sip

It never makes you feel any

Worse or better – just drunk

Shade

Shade

Shade

Shade

Shade

I won’t write this poem, until

I’m in my underwear or naked

On my pillow.

Red

Like the cut of your robe

Religious right, whose

Missionaries try to scare you

And say you’ll be left behind.

Old wives tales, stirring the pot

Bitches brew, toils and boils

…stirs in the red.

This bull charges at your red

With bitter passion

And soiled seas

RED

With your warmest touch

And sweet embrace

And lonely kiss upon my brow

RED

In that picture I couldn’t

Stop staring at, but just there

 In the corner, the one with the

Energy, the one with…

RED

(remove mask)

I wear no mask, I reveal the

Bitter truth, the unseasoned

Answer – strive for absolution

Without flaw or incident

RED

Like the peace and luck

Infused Flag of China

RED

Like Strawberries, tomatoes

And more

RED

Like rage brimstone and hellfire

RED

Like love and roses and

Irrational decisions

RED

Like blood in your veins…

…your rouge and lipstick

-          Runny Rainbow

RED

Like you

Like me

Red

To: Mom(s Everywhere) – Hey Girl!!

To: Mom(s Everywhere) – Hey Girl!!

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

There was something that you would say to me

Every day that would jostle me and awaken me

From my slumber. “I love you.”

I’ll never forget the mornings I would wake

You up, when I was 5, asking you what channels

All the cartoons were on.  Jon and Dena by my

Side.  We wrecked havoc on your sanity and

Peace. Redesigning the clean to the disorderly

In 5 minutes flat. (or less)

My dad, with his male pattern boldness, didn't have

The mind of a leader, he was more American,

Concerned with himself – I’m still learning that

Lesson (hard).  But girl, you found the strength

Scattered amongst our Lego’s and Monopoly money -

Look at her standing there, alone and poised for

Protection of her young while breast feeding the world.

I’m older than my mom by 10 years,

In my head, but sometimes, sometimes

She surprises me and pulls some Buddha insight

That blows my mind.  Her tenacity, mine!

She taught me to stay, stand my ground and

Not run. Den mother to my rebellion.

Iconoclast – I don’t know what this beat

Is, but it sounds like jungle and reggae!

Even when faced with the hard choices

You remain true to yourself – your beliefs

Never seemed to falter – except when

We nagged you for a Twix or Kit-Kat bar at

The checkout stand – Armenian Bodega  

The corner market. I remember the day,

I told you I could walk home from school

On my own, I was 5, and we lived ½ a block

Form Portola Elementary, Glendale, but

I found myself standing there, waiting for

You to keep me safe, not wanting to let

Her little baby out of her sight for too long,

And you did, arrived like you did every

Other day. I can’t express to you the joy I

Had at that moment, (mostly because I

Forgot…). These trials, which would tear

The rest of mankind a new one, but not you

You just keep trekking on like it’s a Tuesday.  

When I think back at the pressure you and

Dad had, moving us to America, two weeks

Before Iraq and Iran played slap and tickle

With human lives. You took us, to New Babylon

Under blue skies – away from the harm

Of bombs crashing (not everyone was so lucky).

Mom, you’re so modest and humble by nature

Saying you ‘don’t know’, when all the while

You obviously do!  Your accolades on your tool

Belt – ready to fire wisdom at a moment’s need.

I don’t know if I told you, but you’re my friend, one

Of the best I've ever known, and my hero…

I think you struggled the same as everyone else, just

SO MUCH MORE than most – but your refinement

And stubbornness inspires me to aspire to you.

Your life has not been easy
but you’re still making it through, and girl…

I’m really proud of you.

Mom, I love you too!

Sinners, Saints and Americans

Sinners, Saints and Americans

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

This poem ain’t gonna write itself,

So here goes…

When will you be a rescue to my storm?

An angel to my devil?

When are you going to get naked?

More importantly, when are you going to get

Me naked?

When will you look at yourself

Through the eyes of every, beyond boarders, death

And sacrifice?

America

When will you be worthy of my tracked homes and

Silent street nights? Everlasting.

When will you be worthy of my Tardigrades?

(you’re welcome science geeks!)

Why are your libraries of past play full of

Tears and regret?

When will you send your supplies to foreign aid?

I’m sick of your lack of demands, grow a set!

Oh America

You think I go into stores and get by on my wit and charm?

In our eyes, we are flawless, but not when compared

Your equipment isn't much, but you know how to work it

…nobody’s perfect…and you too will get better over time.

You made me want to be a better man – a space cowboy!

We can’t always argue and hold back what you need

When you need it most…just to prove a point!

That’s call rude immaturity and boarders hubris.

You don’t want to be “that guy” do you?

Are you being a bitch to prove some later moralistic

Point or are you just kidding me with that crap?

Here’s my point.

I’m not going to stop barking

Saying it how it is, and letting you know you fucked up,

When you clearly fucked up. You should learn to own

What part you own, what part you’re responsible for.

America, I’m not brand new – I've got this!

I wanted to point out, America, your leaves

Are falling. I haven’t watched Fox News for months.

Probably out of fear of finding myself fearing.

Everyone gets busted sometime, and is tried for their

Misdeeds. It’s called, “reading a bitch” these days.

Get your god damn finger out of my god blessed chest!

America, if I may, I would like to take this time to

Profess my love to you – coldly. I’ll just type them for you

To read as that is how devoid of person-ability you REALLY are

America, I use to be an Iraqi national when I was a child

And I’m sorry you destroyed my home and are still killing

People 10 years “after” the war was done.

I use to smoke marijuana every chance I got to numb the pain.

I would type on my computer for hours and surf endlessly

Trying to solve some smaller riddle. Because that’s all I’ve got.

When I go to the Eagle, I get shitfaced but never get lucky – by choice.

I tell myself, I’m there to avoid the children and chat up

The men. I’ve digested Nïn, eaten Herbert and breathed Camus.  
I don’t need your psycho babble trouble head and cold

Feet – my therapist thinks you’re childish too BTW.

Don’t worry; we’ll never get to the point

Where you make me say the lords name in vein

You’re not that destructive - You’re just selfish.

Oh America, I can read thoughts, and see future visions

I didn’t see you there but didn't want to believe it

I didn’t even hear your name being spoken

So I knew this would end –

America, remind me to tell you the story

Of what you did to my father when he was alive

Here upon your golden roads of opportunity!

America, are you going to let facebook run your life

And Fox News ruin your hope for a future?

I read it every day – 5-10 times on my iPhone.

Its feed line stares at me blankly with

Wonder and wonder – is this your diary

 Or your daily diarrhea? I stare at it every chance

I get.  The guy I am/was dating (I can never tell)

Says that I’m addicted…I think he may be right – brb

                   (haha - just checked it)  

Interior designers are studious. Doctors are studious. Lawyers,

Teachers and 7-11 workers are more studious than me.

And then, I realized…I’m an American now.

Where’s the weed? I put on my Bluetooth so I don’t

Look as crazy when I talk to myself.

Dear America,

China is at your door

(they probably built it too)

Sincerely,

#Life.

I haven’t got a chance to tell you how I really feel.

But I’m afraid I’ll hurt your feelings, like you’ve hurt

Mine. I can’t offer you much – maybe my love and

An affectionate love letter every now and again but little

More at this late hour – It’ll be better soon.

Just like the economy, and dip and double dip…

Our Federal Bank will just print up

More money.  Of course we’ll destabilize the WORLD

But it’s good for America – or at least the 1%!

You know the important people.

Because let be honest – You don’t matter to them.

A handful of ivy league “giants” – heirs to a Rockefellers’

Fortune or other Robber Barron – are sitting there right now

Deciding on how the next round of simpletons

Will die. Whether it’s by resource, flu or war…

Plots are being conspired behind the same

Closed doors that are made in China.

America, aren’t you tired of wars?

Do we ever get a break from tyranny?

Since the death of Kennedy it seems never

To have stopped. Remember we didn’t want

Either of the big wars…just the little ones it seems.

Come back America

To your former promise and future glory

Come back America

To the land of the free (FOR ALL)

Come back to the way we once knew you

Remember you, and want you still to be.

Come back America.

Come back for you.

Come back for me.

The One

The One

By: Husam (Sam) Salman

I noticed myself starting to talk to you

Like a real person, like

Someone I knew ALL my life.

I started talking to you like

You were THE one

Like I knew somehow,

And was able to be free with

You from day one…telling you

My every secret, wish and desire.

It’s rare for me, to feel SO much SO fast,

Thought it was rare for you too.

Thought you really wanted this

As much as I did.

But I guess I was…

Wrong.