poem of the day 08.01.14

where have you gone eddie murphy?

up to cartoon donkey heaven?

hiding away in a bubble hill mansion

of the mind?

on some film set in l.a.

waiting to drop another cinematic turd

on your old fan’s heads?

i remember when you were the baddest motherfucker

to stroll across the stage

the thing is…do you?

ten years old and getting up in the middle of the night

to watch delirious

trying not to piss myself while my parents slept

then sleeping through school the next day

eddie, the way you made mr. t look

man, i could never watch the a-team

with a straight face again

eddie murphy, every white suburban mom’s nightmare

on a hot summer day with the ice cream song

i don’t know a drop of shakespeare

but goddamn it, man

there are entire bits from raw

that this pool fool can recite by heart

where have you gone eddie murphy?

knocking up spice girls and hiding behind prosthetics

another beverly hills cop movie in infinite development

i think of those years buying used vhs copies

of 48 hrs., trading places, beverly hills cop

and the golden child

hoping that the pimple-faced fuck

working the video store counter wouldn’t give me shit

hiding the movies underneath my bed

like illegal contraband

eddie, i suffered harlem nights for you

i did it for jasmine guy too

and now she’s gone as well

i even bought both your shitty albums

i don’t want to think this has all been a waste of time

can’t you see we need you?

it’s not just the prostitutes on sunset boulevard

who want you back

what’ll it take to get you to make another classic?

five million?  ten million?

fifty-percent of the profits on another hit?

if we could just get you up there on the silver screen

think coming to america, boomerang,

robin givens in a horizontal position

eddie, whatever it is that you need

just come on and give us something new laugh about?

bill cosby is still out there

he’s having a coke and a smile

so go on and dust off that red leather outfit

and take it out for spin

i’m sure it still fits

hit the comedy clubs and give them all a scare

eddie, stand under those hot white lights

and tell us a joke or two

then turn to the crowd and do that magical laugh

make this tired, cruel world

bust its big fat gut

just one more time for old time’s sake.