The book of life is
so brief and once a page is read
all but love is dead
and her love is my guiding light
that is revealed to me
in the darkest of nights
and it reminds me
of those happy and loving times
about which I write rhymes.

I close my eyes just
for a moment and the moments
gone and all of my dreams
pass before my eyes a curiosity
and I realize that all or most
of the past hurt and pain
will eventually fade away
and be gone someday
but I still have to wonder why
we all have to live and
die .

She came to me
almost like a dream
this beautiful lady with thoughts
just for me which
sets my spirits free
and I no longer let evening
get me down now
that she is around.

In my book of life
so many pages read and all
of them are gone
and all but love is dead
and I know how loveless
life can sometimes be
as shadows followed me
and the night wouldn't
set me free but now
that her love is here
I am free because
I love her so
and to me she is
so dear.        
                                           Jon York             2013

You are. . . .
kisses so sweet and the love that you lay at my feet
my sun and my moon as we make love until noon
the ache in my heart when we are apart
the endless longing as I count each day.

You are. . . .
the pounding of my heart as I taste your *******
the chills I get when you touch my chest
the thrill in my heart when you say yes
the pride that I take in how far we have come
the faith that I have in how far we can go.

You are. . . .
the poems that I write in the middle of the night
the feelings that I get because I know that it is right
the answer to all of my desires
the sounds I love to hear when we make love
my endless aching need
my gift from above.

You are. . . .
the wind in my sails
the cure for what ails
the love of my life
a heart so very nice
the reason that I can finally smile
the reason that I can finally live my dream.

You are. . . .
my reality and the real truth
my final journey and my last love
the answer to my prayers
someone who really cares.                     Jon  York    2013

Realizing that my pain
that resulted from past failures
was only temporary because
forgetting that past knowing
that foregiveness does not change
what happened
I am finally able
to move on as the other half
of my heart comes
home.

It does let me take
the first step torward
growth and creation as each time
that one loves is the only time
and a difference of object
does not alter singleness of passion
but merely intensifies it.

I knew that her love
was the other half of my heart
on the day that she came to me
and said that she loved me
and I could feel that love
when she talked to me hearing it
in her voice like a tone
that only I could hear.

Knowing that I have loved her
in numerous forms, numerous times,
life after life, age after age forever
our final journey now begins
as I dip my feather into the inkwell
of the sunset and write about her
sending my love to the
treasure of her heart of which
my heart is now
a part.

I can not take for granted
our future knowing that we have
the love of each other
and more importantly
we have ourselves as we touch
and our hearts became whole
once more and our love
continues to grow
and we both know that our love
for each other exceeds
the need for each other.                     Jon    York           2013

It only takes one person
to change your life
. . . . . . .you.

Do what makes you happy
even if others
think it might be ******
so be with those who
make you smile
and  for you
will go that extra
mile.

Laugh as much
as you breathe while
loving as much  
as you live and
always have some
love to give.

Never lose heart
and never give up hope
while never losing faith
as you never give up
on things that
you need to do
for you and
the love you will recieve
will change your
life and there will be
much less strife.                       Jon York       2013

We are all young
at some point in our lives
and we are all older at another point
in our lives and we all go through
that time in between
and some are what they buy
and what they are sold
as some just exist while doing
nothing in their lives
except growing old.

Some succeed at whatever they do
because Daddy's money will
see them through
as some fail at everything they touch
while there are those who don't
ever do too much
as they just sit there and don't really care
if they ever win or lose
because they never get
to choose.

Some of us go through life
happy all of the time
while others just frown because
they get tired of being the clown
and being held down
because of the way they look
or because they can't
read a book.

Some are born with strength
and speed and can usually
take the lead in whatever
they try to do while others
just sit around and cry
and wonder why nothing ever
comes their way
as they keep thinking
maybe someday.

Each generation is different
but in realty the same as they each
try to make a name for themselves
but in the end we are all so much the same
as we all try to play the same game
of survival with nothing changing
except the tools which we have to use,
the time, the place and the face
of those caught up
in the race.

The one constant is love
with the only thing changing
is how much one is prepared to give
and how much one
is willing to receive and of course
how much you let yourself
believe in as you realize
that everything is different
but nothing  changes.                                             Jon York        2013

You are
every breath
that I take
and you are every beat
of my heart
and I knew this
from the start
as I lay there
with your head on my chest
and your arm
around my shoulder with
you running your fingers
through my beard
and I can't help but wonder
how did I ever
win your love.

Your taste so sweet
as I cup your beautiful *******
in my hands and
I begin to taste your body
and sway to the music
of your ecstatic ******* moans
I realize that you are
all I ever needed.

All that really matters now
is that we have found
each other and we just
don't want to let go
as we both hope
that this time
that we have together
in each others arms
in these remaining years
will go oh
so slow.                          Jon  York        2013

How does it feel. . .
when at age sixty-four you couldn't ask for anything more
when love is heaped at your feet and it has found its end in you
when everything becomes real and there she is, right in front of you
when your lips touch and you know love is finally here.

How does it feel. . .
when you realize that she is the one
when you know that you're looking for her is done
when you finally are able to see that all she wants is you.

How does it feel. . .
when you reach out for a body at night and find her there to hold
when she wraps her body around you and you know it is right
when she holds on to you all through the night
when her embrace says everything is going to be okay.

How does it feel. . .
when you know exactly what to do
when you know that it is what she wants too.

How does it feel. . .
when I can feel her love when she talks to me
when you know it feels good so you are able to take one day at a time
when you can still write a rhyme about her love.

How does it feel. . .                                    
when you finally realize that the key to change is to let go of fear
when you finally shed that tear of happiness.
It feels so good.
                                                           ­                                          Jon York       2013

Bring love
and you will
feel it's strength
and you will know
that love
comes to those
who hope even though
they have been
disappointed.

Love comes
to those who believe
despite having
been betrayed.

Love comes
to those who can
still love even though
they have been hurt
so many times
before.

Only a powerful soul
can offer love
and be humble and
that kind of soul
realizes
that any time
not spent on love
is wasted.

Love the ones
who treat you right
and forget the ones
who don't
and in the end know
that everything happens
for a reason so just
move on to
the next season
keeping love in
your heart.                          Jon York          2013

I am a traveler
of both time and space
and a descendent
of the gentle race of poets,
writers and artists
whose job it is to take others
on a journey through
time and space with the powers
of imagination and expression
using a tender pleasing
quality.

With my words and paintings
I can be painfully sharp
to the emotions and senses
or deeply moving and stinging
pointed and piercing to the point
as I take you deep into the depths
of your own personal Hell
or into your own personal Heaven
with the stroke of a pen
or the stroke of a brush
on a canvas.

It is a powerful gift
few possess but also
an endless torment
because so many words
screaming in our head
just wanting to be read
and sometimes the noise
in our heads is so loud
but we are proud
to have this ability
to take others on a trip
through time and space
and helping others to
stay in the race.

As artists we sometimes
may grow weary
of so much travel
of time and space
but this is our place
and what we do best
so we just write and paint
letting our creations rest
for others to see while
hoping to be set free.                  Jon  York            2013

Like a long lost lover
she came out of the night
into my arms
where she would stay
for two days and two nights
under the full moon.

Her kisses so sweet
and her touch so gentle  
we loved until noon
and through the night
like lost lovers
trying to get it right
which we did much
to our delight.

Loving, kissing
and touching
as we explored
each others bodies
like two lost souls
that had found the other
after such a long time
as our souls fit together
like a rhyme

We held each other tight
going into the night
refusing to let go
hoping that it would go slow
knowing that one
would have to go
come morning.

Morning arrived
and one was called away
but upon leaving
both knew
that we would be together
soon even if there
wasn't a full moon.                Jon  York                       2013

Life takes many
strange turns and sometimes
we just never seem to learn
as we keep making
the same mistakes
over and over again
seemingly enjoying
the burn.

So much pain
but sometimes the pain
feels so good
leaving us to wonder
"how could that pain
be turned into gain?"

If it doesn't **** you
it makes you stronger
and allows you
to live a little bit longer
so just relax
and don't do anything
that might hurt you
until you have all
of the facts.

I choose to write poetry
to ease the pain
and to block those memories
of having played along
with those stupid
little games from all
of those no names
that I am trying to forget
and replace with
thoughts of a  new love
and new memories
that we will create
in the future.

I am still alive
despite every ones
******* jive and stupid lies
and realize that if
they didn't **** me that
they only made me stronger
and as a result
I am going to be around
for awhile longer.                          Jon   York          2013

"Life is beautiful so let us
admire it and realize our
dreams as our journey begins
and let us go confidently
in that direction so it seems
and know my black haired beauty
that it is only you that will do.

I can feel your presence and
I can feel your touch and as
I close my eyes to the darkness
I can feel your heart beating
next to mine as you wrap
your body around me one
more time.

Where do we go from here
and is what we have something
that we can hold to be dear
as we both know  that our
happiness is up to us and
even if we run, walk, stumble,
drive or fly, we can never
lose sight of the reasons for
our journey and the rainbows
that we might see along
the way.

For as long as you love me
I will love only you and
as long as forever my love
will be true because where
there is love there is only you
and always  remember
that from mornings first light
to evenings last star how
special you really are.

You found me when my life
was way off track and you
took my hand and guided
me back by taking my heart
and giving both of us a new
start and we did this by not
gazing at each other but in
looking in the same direction
and if I now know what love
is, it is because of you.              
                                           Jon York                   2013

Even if
your on the right track
you will get run over
if you just sit there
never looking back
and what you should
do today don't put off
to do someday
no matter what
others say
because if you
put it off  
life will make
you pay and pay
and try to
remember that
someday is not
a day of the week
no matter what
you seek.         Jon York                      2013

Some days remembered
are so dark
that I never want to
remember them and some days
are happy as a lark
making me wish that
they would last forever
and forget them
I could never.

Try to  realize that
every moment of your life
is the most important moment
so know that no future time
is better than now to let down
your guard and love.

Pride says "it's risky"
as reason says "it's pointless"
but the heart whispers "give it a try"
and sometimes you will have to cry
upon recalling those
days remembered.

Some days remembered are amazing
and some days are happy
and some are sad and some
are amazing happy and sad
all at the same time
so just be glad that you
are human.

Having had some fun
and blessed beyond belief
to have made it this far
I guess what I am still
looking for is a little relief
instead of feeling
like a thief because
my poetry speaks volumes
about some very ugly
parts of my life that
were filled with much strife
and emotions so thick you
could cut them
with a knife.

I 've had some fun
matching wits
with lost love dimwits
and playing their love games
that just left me lame
but with lots of
days remembered and
a knowing that
what sometimes breaks us
makes us stronger
and gives us the power
to go on for just a little longer
as we recall those days
remembered.       Jon  York         2013

that day will come. . .
in the later years of our lives
when we can finally realize that the best
has just begun and you begin to see things
so much better as you can pick and choose
what and who you want to hold to be dear
and what and who you want to lose
because life has become
much more clear.

that day will come. . .
when you are able to realize
that we are no longer young
as you start to come undone finding
that you can no longer move as fast
and just aren't able to last
as long as you would like to
while doing things that you love
as life becomes push and shove.

that day will come. . .
when shadows fall deep inside
turning a page in time
as you just can't seem to find
that eternal rhyme but you can discover
the real reasons that you hold life
to be so dear discovering
who is really real and who
was just trying to steal.

that day will come. . .
when you begin to realize that everything
and everyday gets harder
and you begin to wonder if what
you have done while on this earth
has really been of any worth.

that day will come. . .
when you begin to realize
that your time here is getting short
as you seem to be running out of time
upon discovering that you are no longer
in your prime and realizing
that it did not stay very long
as you look up and
it is gone.

that day will come. . .
when you discover that
you can't continue your masquerade
nor can you keep lying to yourself
as you discover that there is
little time to spare as you learn
what love really is and that
you really do need to care.

that day will come. . .
when you discover that the darkness
has just begun and there is really
nowhere to run or hide anymore
so you just go through that door
in hopes of finding some more light
and hoping that there is still a lot more
love left in your life and finally
you will get it right.

that day will come. . .
even at your extended age
when a final true love can turn the page
saying "I love you" and meaning it
allowing your soul to live
feeling that inner strength and power
as you can finally believe that
love can be and you are
finally able to see.

that day will come. . .
when you take that chance
for one more dance while trying
to understand why there has to be
darkness before there is light
as you begin to discover that it is
finally your turn so you take
your best shot giving love
everything you have got.

that day will come. . .
when you know that you
have won the race and can say
to all of those doubters
"in your face."   

that day will come. . .                            Jon York        2013

It might be dark because
sometimes we just try too hard,
so just let things happen
and lightly cope with them
while carrying no baggage...
and remove the have-not's
and the can-not's and the
do-not's from your mind
because they can be
a real grind.

Under the sun you can shine
and at nightfall you can glow
if you let your beauty
shine from inside out
and if you erase the will-not's
and the may-not's along
with the might-not's .

Release from your brain
the could-not's along with
the would-not's and the should-not's
if you ever expect to gain
anything good in this life,
and finally you have to remove
from your mind and your heart
along with your life all of the
am-not's that you have allowed
to hold you back and especially
that one thought of I am not
good enough.

First decide what you truly want
then decide that you want it
more than you are afraid of it
and know that if you love life
you might be surprised
at how much life will love
back and how things
will just seem to get
back on track.

To love is to receive a glimpse
of heaven but don't forget that
the earth delights to feel your bare feet
but never stop seeking the meaning
within yourself and your purpose
in the world.                                  Jon   York         2012

If. . . .
I didn't know now
what I didn't know then
would I do things differently
and would the outcome
still be the same.

If. . . .
I can keep getting
back up after being knocked down
and laughed at
then I won't anymore
be a clown or wear
a frown.

If. . . .
I can bear
to hear the truth I have spoken
and I refuse to deal
with others lies then
it won't be I who
cries.

If. . . .
I can dream and
not make dreams
my master then
those dreams can
become reality
even when others
doubt me.

If. . . .
I can wait
and not be tired by waiting
because I know that love
will again be mine
and there will be
no more tears
for the rest of my
years.

If. . . .
I can remain strong
even after all is gone and rebuild
even better than before
I can even the score
and then I will get so much more
handed to me in time
and then I can write many more rhymes
for the world to read
and I will have filled my need
to write.

If. . . .
I can realize that my wisdom
is not a product of schooling
but of a lifelong attempt to acquire it
then I will survive
knowing that not everything that counts
can be counted and not everything
that can be counted
counts.                   Jon  York                 2012

Every human being
is different
and we each have our own story
so just be you
and be okay with it
and feel your own glory
and know that our mistakes
make us who we are
so learn and grow
with each choice that you make
because life isn't
about finding yourself
it is about creating
yourself.

Everything is worth it
and everything happens
for a reason just like
the changing seasons
so know that you are powerful
because you have
survived.

At some point we have to
let go of all of the
pointless drama around us
and let go of those who create it
but because it is so hard
to forget the bad we must
just focus on the good
because life is way too short
to be anything but happy
and at the same time realize
that time doesn't exist
only clocks exist.

Learn to love the skin you are in
and always be you
and be okay with it
because no one can
make you feel inferior
without your consent
and try to discover
that the important things in life
are always simple
but simple things are always
the hardest.                                         Jon  York         2012

I may be old and gray
but my words
still have much
to say.

words can hurt you
if you let them
but they can also
be your friend
if you need them to be
and oh how they can bend
if you bade
them to.

My words
have carried love
hate and anger
and they have showed
regret if they have been used
to hurt someone.

sometimes
ones words can be mightier
than the sword
and can cut
even deeper.

No matter how
many times my head
has been bowed and bloodied
by hurtful words
I now chose only
to speak words of love
and hope because
my love and I are currently
apart for a short time
and our words are all have
and our love will
just grow stronger
if we choose the
right ones.

Our love is so new
and at the same time
so strong we must choose
our words very carefully
and use the right ones.

because we are
temporaraly apart words
are our lifeline
and we cannot let our pasts
influence how we hear those words
or let our words get in the way
of our feelings for each other
as there is no good or bad
but only time and circunstance
if we are going to finish
this dance.

We must speak only words
that are our friends and make us happy
and words that give us hope
and do not speak
of yesterday or tomorrow
but speak only
of today
and that is no joke.                     Jon York                  2012

It's all right
I am okay
and it ain't nothing
but another day
and another
and another
as they just disappear
so fast.

As we get older
we wish that the days
would last
but so quickly each new day
becomes the past.

I am just passing thru
and after all of these years
I still wonder what
I need to do to get it right
without some kind
of fight.

Only God knows
where I'd be if I hadn't got free
of the one that was
just using me because I was
just too blind to see
through her lies.

Only God knows
where I'd be if another
hadn't found me
and surrounded me
with her love that fit me
like a glove.

She recognizes my words
and I recognize that she is
here to stay and will not
ever walk  away.

She always has something
nice to say about my words
and she knows
that I am okay and
I like it that way.                       Jon York             2012

I have promises to keep
and many miles to go
before I can sleep and I take pride
in how far I have come
without coming totally undone
from events and people
that no human should ever
have to face but I am finally free
of those poor choices
and bad places and know
that I am not yet done
and that I have found
the sun.

We lead such fragile lives
and I have to remind myself
that nothing is too good to be true
and my hopes can be realized
and my most wonderful dreams
can and will come true
and that there really is
no more need to be blue
because she knows
just what to do.

There is still so much to see
and so much to do
before I am done but our time
runs short and I know
that I have been blessed
beyond belief and she
comes to me with great relief
causing me to realize that
I am not yet done
and that together we will
see that sun.
and along the way
have some fun.                Jon York                  2012

No matter what you step in
keep walking along
and stay strong and sing
your own song because life
is beauty so let us admire it
and life is sometimes a dream
so let us realize it and let
us dare it.

The road might get rough
if somebody calls your bluff
or you decide that
you have had enough of
other peoples unreal
stuff.

Just keep moving along
singing your own song
no matter what others say
and sometime you  will have
your day.

Our day is here
and I feel your presence
and I can feel your touch
and as I close my eyes to the darkness
I can feel your heart beating
next to mine as you
wrap yourself around me
one more time.  

Happiness is up to us
and we may run, walk,
stumble, drive or fly
but let us never lose sight
of the reason why
we take this journey
or miss our chance
to see a rainbow
along the way.

For as long as you love me
I'll only love you
and as long as forever
my love will be true
for where there is love
there is life and you know
that we will sing
our own song.        Jon   York          2012

If only. . .
we didn't look at our broken pasts like shattered glass
we didn't let those prior pains ******* our current course
we could forgive those that inflicted the pain whether intentional or not
we could forget the past and make the present last.

If only. . .
we could laugh at all of needless hate that comes to us
we could realize that love is eternal
we could understand that love is fighting, not a war but for every second more, every instant worth fighting for.

If only. . .
we didn't always have to pretend to be strong
we could cry if we need to and we could cry out all of our tears
we didn't have to prove all of the time that every thing is okay
we always knew what to say in those difficult times
we could be at peace with who we are not
we didn't need to build walls around our hearts to survive and to keep alive

If only. . .
we could take our grief and teach it to smile
we could overcome our fears and help others to do the same
we knew that tomorrow's hope means more to us than yesterday's mistake
we could realize that splendor is just around the corner
we knew that love will again come our way some day.

If only. . .
she knew that I was so happy that she finally found me
she knew how happy I am to have found her
she knew tha from the moment I saw her face, somehow my heart just knew what I had to do
I were a thought I would linger in her mind
she knew that she is tomorrow's hope
I could be anywhere, it would be with her

If only. . .
she knew she is beautiful and doesn't need a mirror to tell her that
she knew that her voice is the sweetest music for me
she knew that I can understand her without any words
she knew that she was made to be loved by me
she knew how much she inspired me
she knew that she saved my life.

If only, . .
we could finish every day and be done with it
we could realize that yesterday is dead and tomorrow hasn't arrived
we could begin each day well and serenely with too high a spirit to be cumbered with old nonsense
we knew we have today and can be happy in it
we knew that love cures people, both those who give it and those who receive it

If only. . .                                                                ­              
everyone knew that whether it is praise, love, criticism, money, time, power, punishment, space, sorrow, laughter, need, pain, or pleasure... the more you give the more of it, the more you will receive.

If only. . . . . . . . . .                                                                ­                                                        
                                                                ­                                                                 ­        Jon York            2012

My words flow
like rivers and streams of life
for my soul  that is feeding
my every desire to reveal
stories of old chronicles
of loves and dreams
and tales of being alone
and being together with someone
as the wheels keep turning.

Sometimes I am grateful
for what I am and what I have
because it has not really
been that bad and no run
on my bank can drain it
because my wealth
is not possession but love
and a grateful heart
that is grateful of the people
who have made
me happy.

Sometimes we have to
stumble often to reach the truth
as the wheels go round and round
and like the tides our moods will rise
and our moods will fall
and we must realize
that all of our problems and heartaches
are in truth opportunities in disguise
as the wheels keep turning.

Confidence takes away fear
so we can become
the master of ourselves and laugh
at our mistakes and our burdens
will lighten and we can  not
waste another moment mourning
yesterday's misfortunes
and as the wheel turns
our failures teach us.

What sometimes breaks us
makes us stronger and in the end
our strength is unbreakable
because when we discover that strength
we begin to believe in ourselves
and others begin to believe in us too
as the wheels keep turning.

As I turn from the past
and return to the present
I look into the eyes of love again
knowing that she will be the last
because her eyes focus on the present
and she helps me to let go
of those things that were
very bad in the past
and were not meant
to last.

As nothing grows into something
hope is found and love becomes a condition
in which the happiness of another person
is essential to our own
so all we can do is dare to dream
and believe that our star will guide us
as to which way to go
as the wheels turn ever so slow.                      Jon  York                2012

The one constant
in life is change
so you learn
to anticipate it
and you learn
to welcome it
and you  learn
to always
expect it.

Alone
with my thoughts
and alone
with my doubts
and alone
with my fears
but with her
I find the courage
for no more
tears.

Things change
as she comes
into range
and as  she
comes to me
we make the
exchange.

Her love
is strong
and she knows
it isn't wrong
and it is
change for her
and change for me
but we both
knew that
it was coming
because we both
could see.

We both
anticipated it
as she has
become
the one constant
in my life.                        Jon  York            2012

It took so long. . . .
to finally come alive
to find my way back from the darkness
to crawl out of the hole that I buried myself in
to finally see light again
to finally start getting it right

It took so long. . . . .
to just open my eyes
to get back some self respect
to discover the real truth
to rid myself of those who were never real

It took so long. . . .
to not throw stones anymore
to learn how to climb over those stones and build with them
to see that the answers were right in front of me
to discover that I was just too blind to see

It took so long. . . .
to understand all of the words in my head
to put  my words down on paper so they can be read
to realize my purpose here
to not really care if people stare beause they know what I did while over there
to be really proud of my service in a lost war
to finally realize the score and just walk out that door

It took so long. . . .
for her to finally find me
for me to finally find her
to realize the happiness and growth that occured along the way
to finally know my direction
to be glad that I passed her inspection

It took so long. . . . .
to know that today was fun but tomorrow is another one
to watch my words flow and watch where they go
to accept that some things that I just can't forget and move on
to know that this time I will be strong   

It took so long. . . .                                             Jon York      2012

I remain an open question living
my way into ever-evolving answers
about relationships, art, and poetry
and I write because my journey
has taken me through some
diverse twists and unique turns
that all seem strangely and
deeply interconnected.

Every day is an exercise
in surrendering to the mysteries
that life holds for me and
needless to say I am a work
in progress delving into all
of the depths of romance
and subtleties of the human experience
and it is a yearning and fascination
by a sometimes anguished creative impulse
and enigmatic movements of the heart.

I am humbled each day
to be able to express
my visions in a world
of love and hate in
relationships
and life.

Moments come and moments pass
some unforgettable and some regrettable
that linger but we are all stuck in the now
and we just have to try and get by
somehow as heartaches come
and heartaches go and in silence we stare
with no words to spare as
our love flies away in
front of our eyes.

Another love finally appears
and this time with no lies
and I am ready to embrace her love
and I know that she is
the warmth of courage that never left me
and I will give to her
my unwavering love
and walk with her hand in hand
as we walk together in a new
uncharted land.


I 've got triggers in places
I never knew and the love that
she triggered in me
so many didn't see except
in my words
and I know that the best
of my words is still
unwritten.

As we begin this final journey
together we both
have hope that this one
will last both knowing
that it will if we can
forget the past.                       ( for Louise)  -   Jon York     2012

One look at her and my thoughts could write a book
One kind word can go a long way
One instant can be an eternity
One smile can make a friend forever
One memory can last forever
One lie can break a heart
One word can touch a heart
One mean word can break a heart
One false move can spell doom
One kind gesture can make a friend forever
One voice can speak wisdom
One touch can show that you care
One touch can be felt forever
One step can start a journey
One negative reaction can build a wall
One "I love you" can bring down that wall
One ugly thought can bring disaster
One ugly thought can make for a long drought
One tear sometimes we try to hide
One rose can wake a dream
One poem can melt the heart
One look from a puppy dogs eyes says he wants to be your friend
One poem can make you feel that you are not alone
One word sometimes needs to be heard  
                                                         ­              Jon York           2012

If you don't know
which road to take
then any one of them
will get you there
so choose carefully
or you will get lost
and you will never
know what it is going
to cost.

What will be will be
and sometimes we just
have to wait and see because
happiness is something to love
and sonething to do
and something to hope for
and we don't get
unlimited chances
to have things be the way
we want them
to be.

People say love hurts
but that is not really true
because loneliness hurts
and rejection hurts but love
itself does not
really hurt.

Everybody works so hard
to get their fill
and in the end all everybody
ever really wanted was a thrill
but the boulevard just goes on
and on and on and never
seems to end so
don't pretend because
it will be found out
in the end.

It was by chance
that I saw your smiling face
and you saw mine
and you made the call
and after talking
I was consumed by
flames of love for you
this beautiful Angel
that came to me
for love.

I know that we can
grow together and enrich
our worlds in these later years
with the love that we can share
if we choose to take
that dare.

I will love you
without knowing how or when
or from where and I will love you
straightforwardly
without complexities or pride
because I know
no other way.

Every moment
that we are together will be
the most important moment
of our lives and eventually
you will come to understand
that love heals everything
and love is really
all that there is.

Our journey to each other
took many lifetimes
and we will complete that journey
and our coming together
was was not a question of if
but was only a question
of when so let
us begin.                                       Jon  York           2012

Love arrives
and in its train
come ecstasies and memories
of pleasure
and ancient histories of pain
and if we are bold
the love strikes away
the chains of fear that
our souls hold.

Only time
is capable of understanding
how valuable
love really is because
life is the flower and love
is its honey.

I have wandered
through this world
as each moment
of my life has unfurled
and now I stand here
with my heart in hand
trying to give it to
this beautiful lady
that I met knowing
that this is something
I will not regret.

Where have you been
my love because
I have been waiting
so long for you
and suddenly
you came to me
so softly like
a beautiful song
that had known
me before.

I feel that this
can't be wrong
and know that since
we have connected  
our love will only grow
stronger and last
so much longer.

I could feel you
before you got here
and I knew that to me
you would be so dear
and the more that
I look into your face
the more things finally
become clear
because I look
into those eyes and
see no lies.

Our journey together
is about to begin
and it is a journey
I have longed for
and the one that starts
from within.

I can see your light
and I feel your heart
and sense your healing light
that flows from
within your soul.

I have waited so long
and knew that
you were close
and together we will do
the most that we can
as the years go by
and neither of us has any
reason to cry.

You came to me one day
and took me much
by surprise and I didn't
know quite what to say
except, "what took you so long,"
and you responded
by saying that
"my love is strong
and I am here to stay
and life will not
get in our way."                      Jon York          2012

We all have
our dreams but so many
of those dreams are shattered
because the world
isn't what it seems
as everybody has their
own little schemes.

No one is real
but we all are the same
just with different names
and either part of the have's
or part of the have not's
or one of the many
in betweens.

This is the world
that we live in and things
will never change
because the rich get richer
and the poor get poorer
so all we can do is
open the door and try to get
some more of what society
says we need to make
that dream come
true.

So we try
and we lie to ourselves
and everybody else
and end up being
not what we
really seem so we can
live that dream                                    Jon   York    2012

I am getting so much closer to the end and cannot pretend anymore.
I an old and gray but still have a lot to say.
I am so many memories of loves gone by and know that there will be one more before I die.
I am saddened that none wanted to stay but they just wanted to play for awhile and tell those lies while trying to find those blue skies.
I am that perfect love that  I know will walk through that door to make me happy just once more.
I am tired legs and painful joints but know that I must keep on going because that is what I do best, to be able to just keep on going no matter what life hands me.
I am a well read popular Poet with many loyal followers that wait for new words with anticipation.
I am a writer that writes poetry about life, loves lost and found, and the pain and happiness they bring, and sometmes I write about everything that is just going on around my world and I just keep on doing my thing.
I am love for my loyal dogs who never leave my side with unconditional love as if from above.
I am the tears that you cry as you read these words.
I am....                                                           ­                                                             Jon York               2012

I always knew that somehow
I would get by
but sometimes I had to cry about
the things I did and the things
that I should have done and
if I had then maybe
I could have won.  

Was it just about the money
and if that is all it was
then I find that really funny
because money isn't really
all that it takes to have a life
that is sunny.

Maybe it is about the love
that you give
and the love that you recieve
and how much you really believe
in yourself and what you really are
and not what others
think you are.

Don't find it necessary
to pretend to be a star
and try to accept who
and what you really are
and then you really
can be a star.

Follow the road
that you have chosen to follow
and if you are real this
will help you to seal the deal
and you won't have to steal
and realize that if you don't have
a chosen path not  just any road
will get you there.

If my words don't make sense
then just get off of your fence
and do what is right
and then you may live to see
another day and night
and then maybe you will see
what life is really about
and maybe then you
can get it right.                          Jon   York           2012

I am still here because this life
I hold so dear even though sometimes
it brings a tear and I can always
hold my head up and find something
or someone to bring me cheer
and someone I can hold
to be dear.

Some days are bad and some days
are real sad but most days
I am just glad to be here but sometimes
certain memories make my days
real bad making me think
of all of those wasted years
and cried for nothing
tears.

All of those years have just
gone by so fast and nothing
during those years seemed to last
because everyone I know
always seemed to judge me
by my past.

Everyone wants to live
on the top of the mountain
but nobody wants to stop
and think of the happiness
and growth that occurred
during the climb.

Don't let the heights
of those mountains scare you
as you take one step at a time and when
the climbing gets rough don't even
think to yourself "that's enough" when
you know that there is more
and know that you have
to stay tough.

Your most valuable possession
that you have is already
inside you and what you do
with it is up
to you.

My life is full of love
and it serves me as an inspiration
for these words that I write
but I am still trying to get it right
knowing that the end is still
far from my sight so I go day to day
knowing that there are going to be those
bad days and bad nights.

After climbing one hill after another
I find that there are many more hills to go
but I can't help but look back
at the great distance I have come
and I go on knowing that there are
still many more miles to go
and that this walk has far from ended
but I will get there knowing that
I have not pretended.

Forward I go knowing
that there will be many
more bad days but the long dark years
are over because I can smell
the four-leaf clover and I am
still here.                                                            ­Jon York              2012

The words
they just come
along with a need to put them
on paper and to some
they will make no sense
but to others they will
enter in to their
souls.

Someday somewhere
along the way what I have done
and what I say will be
read and heard affecting those
who have read me before
knowing that I had
something to say
on this day.

There is no escape
from reality and no one
can run that fast
or make paradise last
as the years just
keep disappearing and a stop
comes to our
cheering.

Is this really
how it is supposed to be
going through life refusing
to see what is right
in front of us
as we crumble into dust
longing for that last
seemingly unreachable
lust.

The biggest killer in the world
not be wars or disease
but suicides as so many
both young and old choose
to end their silly ride of reaching
for that pie in the sky
having had enough pain
and so much rain
and even those with great
worldly gain choose
to sustain.

Me, I just sit here
as my thoughts emerge
through my fingers and
on to paper
knowing that I will be here
for awhile longer
hoping and knowing that
someday somewhere along the way
I will find the answer
and the reason why I am still here
and why I hold life to be
so dear.         Jon York             2012

As the loves of my life unravel
I try to put them
back together
just one day at a time as
I write this rhyme.

Learn to live life just
one day at a time
knowing that everything
will be fine and you will find
your little piece of heaven
just one more time before
that final chime.

Sometimes it is just outside
of your front door
appearing so close but
yet so far away as the night
turns into day.

I find it hard to care
about anything anymore these
days and in fact the only thing
I do care about is the fact
that I don't care about
anything anymore.

My time here on this planet
is getting short and in my life
there is no longer any sport
of any kind because
it is either their way
or the highway.

You either have it
or you don't and there seems to be
no middle ground in this great
balancing act that everyone
tries to enact and that is
no brag just fact.

Respect yourself enough
to walk away from anyone
that can no longer
make you happy and doesn't
respect your growth.

Know that today was good
and today was fun
but tomorrow is another one
and realize that you could miss
all of the best things in life
if you keep your eyes shut
so just go one day
at a time.

Sometimes the questions
are so complicated
and the answers so simple
and right in front of you
but all you can do
is move just one day at a time
and try to find that
unversal rhyme
of love.

Don't cry because it came and left
leaving you to say "surely you jest"
just smile because it happened
and just move forward
to another day.

You approach that final rest
and your balancing act
is the final test so just
remember how much
you have been blessed
to have made it
so far doing it
your way not caring what
others had to say.                        Jon York                 2012

I've learned that everything
is not always what it seems to be
and people aren't always
what they present themselves to be
or will do what they say
they are going to do.

Iv'e learned that sometimes
reality isn't very pretty
but sometimes it can be
so beautiful it will make your
head spin again and again
but it is what you make it to be
but then again sometimes
we are just too
blind to see.

I've learned that getting old
isn't really too much fun
but it is something
from which no one can run
or get away from because
it will always come.

I've learned that our youth
escapes us so fast
and that we can't keep trying
to reclaim the past
and must come to terms
with the fact that youth
just doesn't last.

I've learned that people
will lie to you
for their own personal gain
and upon finding out
about those lies
you will never look at trust
the same.

I've learned that life goes on
even if it is just a big con
because in the end
we are all going to die
no matter what kind of fish
you had to fry or how many times
you had to cry.

I've learned that the truth
is so very hard to find
and in the end few people
choose to be kind causing
life sometimes to be a
real grind.

I've learned that
being truthful with others sometimes hurts
but makes it so much easier to
live with yourself and you
will feel less pain and you have
so much more
to gain.

I've learned that after
all of my sixty-three years
I have learned so much
but still know so very little
and with each new day I am given
I still learn more but still wish I
knew what to do,
don't you?                                                            J­on York                   2012

Some people and some things
that take place
in your life you cannot ever forget
so all that you can do is
just move on.

I am just happy to be alive
and to have made it this far down
that treacherous road of life
as we ask ourselves day in and day out
what this life is really
all about.

Love is something that
we all try to embrace and sometimes
it just hits us in the face
causing us to be sad or to be glad
as we ask ourselves
what is this love really
all about.

You hope that the scars
that are left will soon be gone
and will not influence
what you have to do for
the rest of your life.

We go through life
and remember people and events
and places that we wish had never been to
or seen so we bury them
and try not to think about them again
but at what cost
as we wish that we could
come out of it clean
as we pretend that they
never really happened.

Living a good life
after fighting a war
in a far away land and another at home
in the promise land
caused many of us to just
stick our heads in
the sand.

Tasting a love
that you thought was real
but turned out to be only lies
that brought many cries
and forever changed how you look
at trust only makes moving
on a must.

There is just no escape from reality
so we lie to oueselves
and pretend that they never happened
but some things and some people
you just don't ever forget
so you just move on.        Jon York                 2012

It is all about the money we learn
because money talks and suckers walk
and this is sometimes sad to say
but if there is no money
there are no friends only pretends
and no one looks anymore
because on money everything
depends.

Have it and here come the friends
and you are so beautiful
and seemingly so happy
and a little bit scrappy.

If you don't have it
you are invisible
and become depressed and insecure
and all of those other things
about which no one really cares
to look at or see so they
set you free.

When the money comes
you are suddenly set free
and all of a sudden it is just
about me, me, me
and you feel so good
and can do almost anything
with a little more
zing.

You see no more middle class
as all you see are the very needy
and the very greedy
because you are either
super rich or super poor
but you are always
wanting more.

If you are poor thay will
always show you the door
but when you have everything
and everything comes your way
you find life easy
and you don't even have
to be ****** and now you get to
show them the door.

It doesn't matter
if you are wealthy in knowledge
or rich with love
because you can't spend it
or deposit it into a bank
and only few can recognize
such wealth so when
push comes to shove
money in the hand is always
the most grand because
that is just the
way it is.

Moral of the story :
Find the money and your skies
will always be sunny
or get rich and you won't
have to live with a *****
and always listen to the money talk
or you will just be taking a walk
and having it is a must
because without it life is
just a big bust
so listen very carefully as
the money talks.                                             Jon   York              2012

Just singing
the same old song over
and over as the years just
fly by and are gone in the
blink of an eye.

Every new day
that I wake up I can't help
but wonder how much closer
I am to that day when
I will die.

No one knows
when it will come
and we cannot run for
time is a fire that we all burn
and knowledge is
something we all
yearn.

All we can hope for
is that we all learned something
along the many different roads
that we traveled as our
lives unraveled.

I learn something new
every day as I move along
invisible to some but
here to stay
and if you really knew me
you have been able to see me
somewhere along the way
as I try in my own way
to share this knowlege learned
with others for their use
some day.

I have learned
to stay strong to be able
to navigate the many different paths
and to shoulder life's wraths
so I could just keep moving along
singing that same  old song
but I still have to cry without
even knowing why.                                            Jon   York                    2012

You gotta feel the earth
with your bare feet and the wind
in your hair and you gotta feel
the tears that you weep
that you thought were sorrowful
but were in truth tears
of delight because
the deeper your sorrow cuts
into your heart the more
joy it can contain.

Each morning the world
opens to you a new door
whether you have succeeded
or failed or just coasted along
and life begins anew
every day.

Be as kind as you can
and love all, even those
happy to see you fall
because by doing this what
you leave behind
will serve future generations
even if they are
just words.

Embrace your accomplishments
and keep your good thoughts
alive and always keep
a smile on your face and a smile
in your heart.

The journey that we take
only begins with where
we are right now
and success belongs to those of us
who dare to try to win
because love is what
we are born with and fear is
what we learn.

In starting a new journey
it seems that we  might
have so much to lose but
at the same time we have so much
to gain and to be able to experience
love in ourselves and others
is the meaning of life and
you gotta love it.                       Jon York                                 2012

The movie never ends and it just
goes on and on and on and we
make the same mistakes over
and over again.

No apologies or excuses when
we can finally decide that our
life is our own and we alone
are responsible for the quality
of it and it is then that we
discover what an amazing
journey it is and it is then
that our life begins.

Limited because we always
seem to limit ourselves to what
we are told or to what is bought
and sold and what we can do
with what society tells us is
right or wrong so we just keep
replaying the same old song.

Images are given to us when
we are young about what is
right and what is wrong so we
sing their song until me are
mature enough to make our
own decisions that bring the
best results.

For the best we try to make
our life but sometimes we don't
count on the heart interfering
with our direction and playing
a major part  in our decisions
that we choose and this
sometimes causes us to go
wrong and we lose.

But by our mistakes we can
hope to get stronger
and realize that it is not
about how long we are here
but it is about what
we leave and how long
our legacy will last.

Eternity has no mass or no
dimensions but it lasts forever
and you can't hold it but you
can feel it as it just goes on
and on.

You can steer yourself in any
direction that you choose
because you are on your own
in this movie and only you can
choose where to go but you
should know that every challenge
be it great or small moves you
to look deeper and draw forth
the highest in you.

Burning and freezing at the
same time sometimes your
guarded heart sees defeat
but the feeling of love still
lingers in the heart but you
have to realize that it is gone
and you can't turn back and
the hours are not really ours
but only borrowed yet we
pretend to spend them.                            Jon York             2012

Welcome to the rest of your life
and try to remember
that the future is always uncertain
and that the end may
always be near so hold on
to what you hold to be dear
because when it is your time
it is your time
and you will be gone
like a good rhyme.

Get rid of the pain
from people and things
that you thought were here
to stay but only seemed to last
in what seemed like just a
few short days.

Forget about that love
that you gave but was not returned
and all of those dreams
that passed before your eyes
and for which you
so yearned.

People and things quickly
become the past so enjoy them
while they are here
because so fast you look up
and they are gone
and you didn't even get a chance
to say "so long."

If you don't know where you are going
any road will get you there
so choose carefully the path you take
and avoid those traps
you were caught in before
and know that there is always
so much more then what
meets the eye.

Realize that it is better
to have given too much than
not enough because
in the end all you will do
is lose or make a friend
and you don't have
to pretend.                                          Jon York                  2012

It's been awhile
since I've been able to smile
and hold my head up high
and there is really no
reason why.

I have been
given a mind to discover
and talent to create
but I am always just
a day late.

I spend so much time
wondering why I just can't relate
to so much going on out there
in a world of hate, lies,
and little trust and of course
those great big egos.

The world that I create
around myself is filled with
love, truth, honesty, and kindness
yet this is a world
no one chooses to see
around me because
of what I used
to be.

Almost as if I wasn't real
yet others always
seem to be looking for
something
to steal.

There are countless
paths of knowledge and many
ways to give
but only I can live the life
that I really want
to live.

Get rid of my pain
I tell myself
this pain from losing people
and things that
I thought were here
to stay but seemed
to go astray.

I give love at the risk
that it will not be returned
and when it isn't I wonder
if I am giving too much love
or not enough
but the pain still comes
just as surely as
the rain.

I try to free myself
from the wasted past of things
and loves that were
never meant to last
and I try to never feel guilty
because I didn't live up
to another's expectations
or because I didn't meet
another's standards.

One of these days I hope
that I will be able to finally see
all of what has been going on
right in front of me
so that I can be
set free.

But for now
I just allow the words to flow
and I watch where they go
hoping that they might
catch someone's eye
and be read before
I am dead.                                                       Jon York                2012

No matter what
life throws at you the main
thing that you have to do
is just keep on living despite.

Things come at me everyday
thanks to combat in a far away war
that took place so many years ago
but guess what?

I am here to stay
and to help matters I write about it
in a poem to honor those
who didn't make it home
and to those who still
feel so alone.

Hurt and pain from lost loves
pry at my brain every waking minute
so I just decided that
I must keep on living despite
because there really is
no other way.

So many people will try
to break you with their lies
and mind games but once you
get past the pain and hurt
with them you break all ties.

I don't know if I can ever
love again because my trust
grows so  thin but love
always seems to find a way
and maybe next time
love will stay.

But you need to know
that I will just keep living
for another day despite what
others have to say.

It is never too late
to be whoever you want to be
so know that you can change
or stay the same in this
crazy game of life despite
what is happening to you
at the present and me I just sit here
trying to find a rhyme.

Find the strength to start again
but just keep on living despite
and know that the only person
that you are destined to be
is the person that you
decide to be.                       Jon York                  2012

Just for a moment
forty-two years ago
I was 21 and in my hand
I had a machine gun
shooting whatever stood
in my way
so I could live to see
another day.

Just for a moment  
I was still young and home
from a very unpopular war
but  with a bright future in College
and able to do just
about anything that
I wanted to do


Just for a moment
I was happily married
with a three year old daughter,
a beautiful wife and I was
living the good life.

Just for a moment
I didn't know what happened
or where I was
and in severe pain
unable to walk
and just barely able to talk
with nothing to gain
and knew I would
never be the
same.

Just for a moment
I was whole again healthy
and happy to be alive
but all alone and suddenly
my daughter was grown
with kids of her own.

Just for a moment
I thought that
I  had found love or it
had found me
as our lips touched
and I saw eternity in
her eyes but *******
see the lies.

Just for a moment
I held her body next to mine
so warm and so bright
as she took me through
the night.

Just for a moment
it was not about
love or sexuality but
it was about the way
we fit.

Just for a moment  
I gave her my heart and
that was all I could give
but it just wasn't enough so
she left just as she had done
with so many others
before.

Just for a moment
I was so happy, so in love
but somehow knew
that it was just too good
to be true as things
got real blue when
I found out that
she was and had
been untrue.

Just for a moment
only a year ago I was
kindness and I lost
and the future dissolved
in moments.

Just for a moment
I am 63 and and gray
with 3 grandkids
and not much more to say
except what we
used to say so long ago
"Have a nice day"
and maybe "We will meet
again someday."                               Jon  York              2012

I am a mystery, a puzzle to be solved.
I am every day it gets harder as I struggle through the day as the pain just seems to grow.
I am just another love not meant to be and I was just too blind to see.
I am why am I so addicted to her memory.
I am not the answer but I'll always be the question.
I am the dark side of love and loss.
I am running on empty but always just a step behind what I am trying to find.
I am a writer that does not write to catch her eye with these private thoughts that come alive as ink.
I am  a writer that writes to allow my soul to live.
I am sometimes I crawl into myself because there I can write and it gets me through the night.
I am things inside my head never said, random thoughts of things that I have  sought.
I am respect for myself, respect for others, responsible for my own actions.
I am feelings that are written as a message on paper.
I am sometimes you just need to put the past away and move on with your life.
I am it's been awhile since I've been truly happy.
I am why didn't I see it coming.
I am a Poet with so much to say and maybe she will hear me someday.
I am the eternity I saw in her eyes but what I missed were all of the lies.
I am a heart that is slowly dying from the disease called love.
I am you played me like a video game and I will never be the same.
I am unforgettable moments that came to pass.
I am time machines and broken dreams.
I am even when it is all done, it isn't.
I am....                                                           Jon York                       2012

I an a warrior that sood up for his countries way of life only to be spit on for what he did when only a boy.
I am nothing is ever going to be as easy as it was before.
I am truthful, honest, and loving and this is difficult to accept to those that I meet.
I am surrounded by liars, fakes, and cheats.
I am the spoken words of a poet whose words are real and says what he feels.
I am the poet who writes about finding that one real love that he looked for all of his life.
I am the tender kiss of two lovers that lied to each other when they said that it was forever.
I am the goosebumps on the back of her neck when she lied to me and was found out.
I am the silent screams of a broken heart who knew it would happen that way from the start but chose to stay.
I am the poet who writes about losing love because of his actions and his in-actions.
I am the material possessions that just weren't quite good enough for her.
I am the pen that writes so many beautiful words about her that she will never read or feel.
I am the keys of a piano that makes sounds that no one listens to.
I am the Phoenix that rises out of the ashes to get back on his feet even with all of the heat.
I am alone and like it that way but know love will come back to me someday.
Iam....                                                 ­                                                                 ­                                                                                  Jon York               2012

Is what I search for
that elusive door to freedom
to escape these demons that came
as a result of war
or do I search for that door
that will let love find me again
and is it a word, a truth, or a question,
or nothing much the reason
that I keep writing riddles and rhymes
and will I learn its essense in time.

Meanwhile the words
keep coming throughout the years
mixed with tears
and with them come recognized fears
but perhaps one day
peace and  love will come back to me
and I will be done
as I wipe the tears away
and arise to see another
day.

So much loss and too much pain
and all I really want
is for it to go away
so I continue my search
for that revolving door as I crawl
through the losses and pain
trying to score that big gain
knowing that change is evident
and I will never be the
same.

Will I ever really know
whether that one happy moment of love
and the joy of breathing
and smelling the fresh air
is worth all of the suffering
and the effort that it implies
and I think of the days
when love was alive but now
I search for that revolving door
to get another breath of fresh air
as the words run through
.my mind.

It may be that I was just
on the wrong path
and that there is a corner that needs
to be turned and it will teach us
that we can still fly
and soar in the heavens above
and show us that we can
still love.

So I spend my time searching
for that one missing part
and perhaps one day
it will come back to me and bring
that missing and quiet piece
and meanwhile my words
are written seeking a beauty
only the moon knows.

So I still look for that door
amongst the darkness of my
own troubled mind
while living in seclusion and trapped
in illusion as I scale the walls of my mind
searching for those things
I can't seem to find.

I will escape from
this awful place but for now
I keep searching for that invisible door
knowing that if life was easy
where would all of the
adventures be?                                                  Jon York                               2012

As human beings
we risk looking like a fool
for love because
we have dreams for the adventure
of being alive.

But as so often happens
we are opened by life's betrayals
or we are closed
from fear of further pain
but still want that chance
to dance in the rain.

How many of us
never realize that our feelings
toward others
are determined by
our feelings toward
ourselves.

Be realistic and remember
the limitations of being human
and remember
if you can't love yourself
you can't love others.

Let go when
you're hurting too much
and give up when
love isn't enough.

We must learn
to move on when things
are not like before
and know that there
is someone out there
who will love you
even more.

Be true to yourself
even if you disappoint others
and if we must
bear the accusation of betrayal
don't betray your
own soul.

See life's beauty
even when it is not pretty
and be able
to live with failure
even if it isn't yours.

Don't cry
because it is over but smile
because it happened
and realize you only
live once but if
done right once is
all you need.

When life offers you
a dream that is far beyond
what you had ever hoped for
don' t grieve
when it comes to an end
just go confidently
in that direction.  

Live the life
that you have imagined
and do more than just exist
but live knowing
that where there is love
there is life.

For some reason
we never see things
as they are
but we see them as we are
because that is part
of the limitations of being human
and it is better to be hated
for what you are
than loved for what
you are not.

Sometimes we
are beautiful maybe
not in looks but in what we say
and just in what we are
so know life is
to be enjoyed and  not
just endured
and know that
to someone you
are a star.                           Jon  York                                2012