the interior
Victor Payan
go go, sweet dreamer, go
into the great interior go
to where the land is strange and beautiful
not like this whored out bordertown
where piss colored lights uproot the night
and rats
feast on the sad remains of dreams
go sweet dreamer go
to where the land is clean
& where there are caverns rich
with air that is a thousand years old
go to where the stories are
to where the old deep drums did pound
so long ago
you do not remember
go
go ask your father go
go ask your mother go
go ask the old ones
go
there are pyramids upon pyramids go
and jungles upon jungles go
so lush and deep that never heard
the cry of steel
or the creak of rope
or the slow thump thumping
of an unjust death
now
go
because the land is calling you
alive with lakes and rivers
that run for you
and all manner of reflections
already have your face in them
red feathered birds do call for you
the rustling rush of wind does call
& somewhere in a hidden place
safe from the eyes of God or man
fierce statues stand
deep deep in the interior stand
jaguar and leopard guardians stand
over an old glyph book that bears your name
now go
now go
now go
© 1998 Victor Payan
back to top
Love Poem
by Victor Payan
For you know it was not your beauty that I craved
there were enough believers in that cult
the ribbon of your arms outstretched
elegantly fingering the fluteholes
of an ancient tune
speaking a language
that two thousand years of crosses and swords
has failed to destroy
outliving the wrath of those
who unleashed that terrible ant army
bent on crushing the bones of the faithful
and oblivious to the sound
of the laughter and then the weeping
of the million gods who dwelt inside your jungle
No, there was none of that in you which said
let's take a few lessons from a carpenter
and learn to make gallows
and coffins
and cut down trees
to make that strange device
on which we endeavor to crucify
all the carpenters of this world
I can still remember the boat that brought me here
where first I looked upon your shore
and how I stared beyond the gold of your stone temples
and saw the true gold you had hidden in your heart
while those who loved you for your face
proceeded to rape you with their greedy claws
you were near death, but it was I
who knelt beside you when they left
and nursed the broken body of your wounds
& looked into your eyes and knew
the terror of a soul crushed flat
it was a terror that I drank in as my own
as the fire glimmered back into your eyes
and you smiled your immortal smile at me
my dear sweet delicate angel
I just wanted you to know
I loved you for that
©1998 Victor Payan
back to top
I Will Dare to Dream
by Victor Payan
I will dare to dream of revolution
and I will dare to question your solution
and I will sing a song
for hope to ride upon
when the world is sick of your illusion
a song for all the hungry ones who need us
a song for all the memories that feed us
a song to make us long
for the time when we were strong
a song to slay the dragons that defeat us
I will sing a song for all the young ones
a song to face the teargas and the truncheons
a song of love and rage
to turn the other page
a song for all the innocent in dungeons
I will sing a song of joy and freedom
a song to sing to the broken when you meet 'em
a song to fill the soul
with a heart that makes you whole
a song to sing to fascists when you beat 'em
I will sing a song for all the needy
a song to fight the powerful and greedy
a song where we can say
we will be free someday
and all the people sing this song out freely
I will dare to dream of revolution
and I will dare to question your solution
and I will sing a song
for hope to ride upon
when the world is sick of your delusion
© 2002 Victor Payan
back to top
More than all of this
by Victor Payan
there's a lot of rock and roll be-bop wishing in the world
there's a lot of rock and roll be-bop wishing in the world
And it's set to overflow peaceful visions on the world
Yes it's set to overflow dreams and kisses on the world
let them swirl
there's a lot of heart and souls lost and lonely in the world
and they're being bought and sold by everything phony in the world
like visa, mastercard, coca cola and sony in the world
environmental disregard and nuclear poisoning of the world
ch.
don't ever be afraid to say what you really feel
and don't ever hesitate when you hear someone say please
please help me
there's a lot of rock and roll be-bop wishing in the world
there's a lot of rock and roll be-bop wishing in the world
And it's set to overflow peaceful visions on the world
Yes it's set to overflow dreams and kisses on the world
let them swirl
And I know it's gonna take more than all of this to save the world
And I know it's gonna take more than all of this to save the world
But we've every color flag for every color boy and girl
Every color flag for all of the children to unfurl
Let them swirl
ch.
don't ever be afraid to say what you really feel
and don't ever hesitate when you hear someone say please
please help me
© 1999 Victor Payan
back to top
