i've picked out the colors
chosen the brushes
now to find a corner
in which to paint
one way or another
without any rush
i'll have it done
by the end of the day
and then i'll sit back
with my back to the wall
with no excuse
in the mess that i've made
with the over used brushes
dipped in an excess of colors
that in this corner
i so often paint

I've had my eyes wide open
I've had my eyes shut tight
I've had the right idea
But left it out of sight

I've had the question asked
I've been the answering
I've had the quota met
I've dug in mighty deep

I've had a show of hands
I've had a hand to show
I've had a thought that counts
As far as I think I know

I've had an even break
I've broken all the odds
I've had this as of late
A bobble head of nods

I've had it all this close
I've seen it far away
I've had it if you must know
Without a word to say

I've had it up to here
I've added to my list
So when I've had enough
I can say that I've had it

We all want world peace
We all want self love
We all want happiness
More than enough

We all want free money
Growing on trees
We all want that
We all want these

We all want fun
Double it up
With all the above
Isn't it obvious

We want perfect health
Above everything else
But we don't want to have to
Work at it ourselves

We want a rich Uncle
We never knew, die
To leave us his money
Without guilt on the side

We want to lay around
Have it all done for us
Is that asking too much
Is it that obvious

We want it all now
With gold fork and spoon
Like it's yesterday news
With little or nothing to do

We want more than our neighbors
You know the Jones
All that they have
All that they own

We want it all now
Cause there's never enough
Before we're up and done
Isn't that obvious

Last trip he jumped ship
Off life's ocean liner
Asking you what's that got to do
With the price of tea in China

Uninspired he grew tired
Of the massive here and there
Another sign of the times
With the man who doesn't care

Taking all he's given
In opinions over time
Says a fool will only do
Enough to get by

According to the warning
In the buyer beware
Much the same in what you give away
The man who doesn't care

No need to borrow sorrow
In these days of make believe
Easily seen within reach
As they hand it out for free

Time is wasted in the making
If all you do is stop and stare
That's why each day he goes the way
Of the man who doesn't care

In the year 65'
pulled by raciest tides
Thrown into a time
on the verge of a fight

You're not like me
or so it seems
To play a part
in this American dream

When did the color of skin
ever make a man
Or what a man said
get so out of hand

And why when we judge
is it not in righteousness
But what we think that we think
is better for us

Who all would be hurt
if the tables were turned
How much kindling is needed
for a generation to burn

Tossed into the lie
that not being alike
We can't get along
when it comes to this life

We need to open our hearts
help free our minds
Learn from lessons taught
in the year 65'

See what it really means
to have a dream
That we are all equal
in the scheme of things

Where generations to come
will live it in love
Not the hate that is made
when we don't know enough

As clear as day and night
in this do or die
The place we should be
is in the love of mankind

No matter what we look like...

i've thought this forever
forever it seems
it's captured my thoughts
encapsulated my dreams
took me to task
the direction i leaned
removing its mask
showed all that it means

took all of my questions
filled in the blanks
opened the windows
turned on the lights
moved all the wrongs
over to right
with nothing to hide
easy to find

of course what i'm speaking
of is the love
in holding out hope
it will kindly show up
then all the thinking
and dreaming i've done
will come to fruition
in the opening up

...of love

We seem to have a problem
No solution is at hand
Smoke em if you got em
High on risk, low demand

Daily searching for the answers
Question are all we ever find
Over here as well as over there
With no escape, it's all world wide

Easier to place the blame
Following the beat of society
Losing ourselves along the way
Don't look at me, I'm not my brothers keep

The seed is sown, the hours late
No way to stop the times
Breath in, breath out, exacerbate
With no escape, it's all world wide

The root grows deep, far, and wide
Watered by the acid rain
Collected in the cistern of the heart
Over fertilized with hate

Flipping low the two headed coin
No control in calling sides
And with that said, place your bets
With no escape, it's all worldwide

The boy who cried wolf
Is the media of today
They have lied so many times
It's hard to believe a word they say

They're tried so many tactics
To get us all to play along
Hook, line, and sinker, here to grab us
But we're starting to see what's going on

They call themselves professionals
But professionals at what
On a fast track to bypass the lawyers
As the worst of the worst top spot

They wouldn't know true news
If it slapped them up side the face
And they wouldn't know what to do
With true news anyway

So they continue on in their crying
Not knowing those they're trying to fool
Are licking their lips growing tired of all this
Making us into the real wolves

You might think I'm sitting here
listening to you dear
But my mind right now is miles
away from here

At night I find I sleep
like a baby tight
Then when the morning hits
my mind takes to flight

I can't help but lean
on my daydreams
Taking me to oddities
I ain't never seen

From far off mountain peaks
to a deserted tropical beach
I might even be hanging at
the bar right down the street

There's no telling where my mind
will find to fly
Or where it knows to go
when the time is right

It might be giving a go on a rainbow
into a *** of gold
Or in a room full of manure
looking for the horse I'm told

Where ever my mind decides
at that moment to take me
You can believe I'm far from here
in another daydream

I woke up this morning
Before the rooster started crowing
Without even knowing
What the day held out for me

Turning on the lamplight
Wiping sleep from my eyes
Waving my bed goodbye
As the floor reached for my feet

Two or three cups of coffee
I'm thinking aught to do me
Right about now justly
As I ready myself to leave

With the keys in my left hand
The right attitude of yes I can
Take this world on like a man
Just you wait and see

I bring with me my 'A' game
It's a lot like 'B' but less lame
Otherwise they'd both be the same
Which doesn't make sense to me

I stumble out to my car
As I no longer walk that far
Used to but not anymore
The age of modern day conveniency

Into traffic I merge
Under other drivers select verbs
Most of them 4 letter words
That cause my ears to bleed

Make it to the job on time
Earlier than expected I find
Somewhere along the way lost my mind
As it is Saturday

I gave them my love
Deep down to the core
All that I had
Till I had nothing more

Lapped it all up
Like a thirsty dog
Then gave me a look
Is that all you've got

I pulled out my cash
Intending to buy
All the love I could
I can not deny

But love can't be bought
At least not for long
When boredom sets in
It moves on along

With this moral made
Before you give love away
Make sure there's enough
Of love you have saved

So you don't try in a jam
To buy it all back
When there's nothing left
Of the love you once had

How do you behave
With the day you face
Do you go it alone
As you make your way

Or do you take
The hand of grace
To help out those
Along the way

Those running short
Those running late
Those who need that
Much needed grace

What do you say
About the day you face
Are you there for those
Along the way

with a heart so hard
it's hard to tell
when did i become
so cynical

skeptical
in my beliefs
in all they do
in all i see

tossed out the trust
which raised my doubts
pessimistic in
what i have found

wry in my
thoughts i find
i'm cynical
most all the time

cynical
in my daily mocking
unbelieving
in my nightly scoffing

with this heart so hard
it's hard to tell
when i became
so cynical

these are the last words
that i'll ever write
the very last poem
to come cross my mind
the last line of rhythm
the end of the rhyme
puddle of ink
to spill out in time

these are the last words
that i have to say
the very last that
i'll put down on page
i've given enough
of my soul away
what little is left
i'm trying to save

these are the last words
i'm holding out hope
the last string of lines
that i'm letting go
the last of this deal
as far as i know
the very last words
the very last poem

inside this home
with the lights barely on
it's my dim reflection i see

while the storm outside
beats on the windows
angrily staring back at me

with the rain
         pouring out
                   and the tears
                               holding in

these windows are mirrors
of both take and give

where inside this home
with the lights barely on
it's my own dim reflection i see

they're beige
they're brown
lounge about town
Vinyl Recliner

you snooze
let loose
in the afternoons
Vinyl Recliner

you sweat
you stick
leave skin on it
Vinyl Recliner

they start off
with sass
but eventually crack
Vinyl Recliner

it's filled
with stuff
comes out in clumps
Vinyl Recliner

until it's
thrown out
rain soaked no doubt
Vinyl recliner

Garbage in garbage out
Ain't that what they say
Not much here to talk about
Please move along your way

I know that I have issues
No need to point them out
The parts of life I've misused
Leaves behind little doubt

With so much that needs sweeping
You don't have to look hard to find
In the corners of my kitchen
In the corners of my life

I remember me when life was a breeze
Young and unconcerned
Always seemed to land on my feet
While the world inside me churned

Not till later years did it come clear
How high the trash had piled
Did my best to keep it hid
But aren't all secrets eventually found

With so much that needs sweeping
You don't have to look hard to find
In the corners of my kitchen
In the corners of my life

Hide your tears of misery
In plain sight for all to see
Without skipping a single beat
Pull the wool over the sheep

Hide your tears like crocodiles
Behind your Cheshire shy cat smile
Inside grinning all the while
Pull them out for when they count

Hide your tears in fits of rage
When you do not get your way
When you do not have your say
Save your tears to throw this way

Hide your tears out in plain view
Throwing in a sniffle or two
Whatever program best suits you
If it helps you make it through

Hide your tears in plain sight
Whether or not you think it's right
This is how you deal with life
Hiding tears in broad daylight

At the last galactic social greeting
The universe had a major meeting
Over an issue that definitely needed some work

Seems they'd all about had enough
Of the bad boy on the block
Commonly known as the Earth

Seems he's caused quite the ruckus
Since day one showing up among us
Is what most planets and stars had to say

And when it comes to the Moon
We've all but about lost our view
Since Earth came along and got in the way

Plus all of the loud noise
From the parties to the wars
The occupants should really quit it down

Yes nothing's ever been the same
Since the day the wild Earth came
And settled in on this side of town

From all of the shinny rocket ships
And circling of the sputniks
It's like a giant game of dodge ball

We have all tried to get along
Holding hands, Kumbaya...well you know the song
But this isn't working out  for us at all

Wondering what they could do
You simply can't turn the Earth loose
Creating havoc from one end of the galaxy to the other

There was not one single thought
From any in the entire bunch
As they all stared blankly at each other

That is until the planet Mars
The mischievous one in the group of course
Said I have an idea that just might work

We'll all do something to upset the Sun
When he flares the Earth blows up
Then we can take all the left over dirt

Where we'll fill in all the holes
On the Moon with the Earth's soil
Putting it back into its original form

And once that deed it is we do
All of us and the new made up Moon
Can enjoy the life we had before Earth came along

...so when you see the brightest light
quickly kiss your **** goodbye
as that flare soon enough will end the play

can't say it hasn't been loads of fun
once medium rare now very well done
Kraft would be proud at this ultimate Shake 'N Bake

This time
John Prine
Caught a ride
On a star passing by

He smiled
At the Crowd
Though the crowd
Had tears in their eyes

He said deeply
Don't miss me
I was simply
Along for the ride

This being the beginning
In keeping
With life's meaning
Ending with this endless flight

What good is life
If you don't do it right
If you treat all your days
As the darkest of night
If you fail to give back
With a word in kind
You'll never find
What good is life

What good is life
If you focus on self
With all of your might
And nobody else
If you spend all your time
With single mind
A heart that is blind
What good is life

What good is life
If you can't handle it
If all that you find
Is a reason to quit
Sitting it out
As you wait for a sign
To make up your mind
What good is life

At times I reflect on the moment
When this I knew to be true
Knowing it feels good don't it
To be in love with you

With both my eyes wide open
Never daring to lose sight
Here's to both of us knowing
You are the rest of my life

Keeping up with the flow
As we know time runs on sand
Yet slowing it down in the holding
Of each others hand

Happy with the outcome
I have both day and night
With the in between and then some
You being the rest of my life

High hopes with no way of knowing
It would work out this way
When over time to my surprise
I'd find these words to say

I need you in my forever
Right here by my side
To have, to hold, to care for
You...the rest of my life

With wild flowers in hand
Society congregates
With what little time is left
To visit the open grave

We all have our stories
Funeral Dirge the song
You can plainly see we're not yet done
But it won't be long

Some show up early
Others show up late
Some take what they're given
With no thought of the give away

Darkened clouds are building
Whispering of the storms to come
You can certainly see we're not yet done
But it won't be long

You can close tight your eyes
Even turn your back
But soon enough you'll find
It never leaves your head

Do we need more of a warning
That we need more love
If you ask me we're not yet done
But it won't be long

With a show of trembling hands
Is there one righteous left
I'm sure there must be
But I won't hold my breath

You want to know a secret
That will turn you numb
Hold this in keep we're not yet done
But it won't be long

You know the Old West bit
Shoot from the hip
That is unless
You've already jumped ship

In the deepest of oceans
You still can sink like a stone
With the lure of the sea we're not yet done
But it won't be long

So gather all your flowers
And step up to the open grave
If you have anything saved
Today's the day to give it away

We come and we go
We go and we come
You can stomp your feet to the beat we're not yet done
But it won't be long

There's no one here that knows me
He says to himself alone
The single plate from which he ate
Long ago grew cold

Hoping for a reason
To continue on
But each day life's beating
Chips more off of his soul

He once had a menu
Now tear-stained, tattered, torn
Like his life in black and white
Faded long ago

He can't remember of a time
That his plate was full
Whoever dishes out this life
Serves it rather cruel

Youth is wasted on the child
That's just the way it goes
At least that's the story told

Why am I just now finding out
If I may be so bold
When did we get so old

Far too many years now to count
Though I can not tell a lie
I can barely count that high

As we all bow down to the sound
With the creaking of old bones
Where once we did but now we don't

More than ever should be aloud
In your mind time is froze
While everything else is letting go

But never let go of the tail
On the dragon they call life
Youth is wasted on the child

I'm caught up and being kept
In this web of poetry
And with that being said
The spider has its eye on me

Draining me of my life's blood
One rhyming line at a time
Where it can't seem to get enough
Leaving cobweb corners in my mind

Through all the struggle and the strife
That I find inside the rhyme
The more I fight the less I'm free
Tangled in this web of poetry

You can't always count on
The things that you see
The tone of the whisper
What you've come to believe

They'll have you running circles
In the middle of laps
With the soul purpose
Of keeping you where you are at

Could it be slight of hand
Or truth less in demand
Telling you what they want to
Whether you can or you can't

Are all of the answers
Made up on the spot
Giving sideways glances
Amongst bobble head nods

Look over there, not here
Being their specialty
You can't always count on
What they want you to believe

i keep a picture in my pocket
of me in happy times
in full color with sun shining
standing here in black and white

when out and about i take it out
and gaze at its young face
when times were simple with far less wrinkles
i go these days to escape

this picture in my pocket
of me in happy times
in full color with sun shining
plainly here in black and white

I'm going to take myself in
I'm going to treat myself well
I'm going to love me for who I am
Not somebody else

I'm going to cut me some slack
Not be so ******* myself
Look what I have, not what I lack
Play the cards I am dealt

I'm going to look straight ahead
With the right attitude
Not be so concerned with the right or left
Only in what I do

I'm going to tell myself this
I'm going to tell myself that
Seal it all with a kiss
All of this I have said

Then love myself where I am at

I'm afraid
We're going to isolate
Even further than we are

If we don't get a grip
On this sinking ship
Going down for the third

Being all I, me, mine
Where we spend our time
Inside our solitary rooms

This constant creep of self
Will soon be our death
If we keep humming this crazy tune

Our social butterfly
Has up and died
Cut off in mid-bloom

The once abundant life
Took to flight
With nothing much to do

But to isolate
I'm afraid
Even further than we are

With no flotation devices left
On this sinking ship
Going down for the third

Be the hope, be the cure
Be the kindly spoken word
Be the one less to be heard
Be the one that listens more

Be the holder of the key
Be the one that lets it be
When advice is given free
Tread with that advice lightly

Be the yes in answering
Be the first in line to sing
Say and do all that you mean
Be a servant to the King

Be a comfort to the soul
A help to those who need it most
Praise them high while staying low
No one likes a know-it-all

Be the breath that's always fresh
Be the last one that is left
To those in need, a helping hand
Be the one that says you can

Be the light that's in the dark
Be the changing of the guard
Be the tiniest of sparks
Be exactly who you are

Put on your mouth
If you've something to say
Add tongue and teeth
Lips to flap away

Don't forget ears
So you can hear
Leave out the wax
So words come in clear

To keep it tight
Dot both the eyes
To clearly see
Low on surprise

And who knows
The do's and don'ts
Better than
Your smelly noise

Now that you have
Your face in place
You're more than ready
To face the day

Every moment that is taken
Has a consequence inside
You can leave or you can take it
In the furtherance of life

You can hold onto your actions
Or let them take a hold of you
Water or drain your passion
Don't let regret be the path you choose

The time you save you give away
At some other point in time
If you don't use it then you'll lose it
Never again to find

With the time you're spending here
Consider it a loan
Write this on your epitaph
Don't regret the path you're on

Life is made up of choices
You either sit out or you dance
That one song may not come back on
To give you another chance

When life asks for volunteers
What are the words you'll say
Stand your ground and do it now
Don't regret your life away

I may look bewildered
Out of focus, out of tune
It's not all that simple
If you must know the truth
Being no laughing matter
Me without a clue
I find nothing sadder
Than the fact of missing you

Tried so many remedies
Come close to losing count
Tossed out with the debris
In the bin of finding out
I thought I would be better
And that it would be soon
Scarlett to the Letter
Me missing you

All of my short comings
Come more now than go
With hindsight 20/20
That's something I now know
Nothing left to be kept
Not a thing to prove
And now with all that being said
This is me missing you

this company is heading straight to the top
with our new improved line of fairy farts
soon our catch phrase will be all over the place
a slight touch of magic in a jar

first and foremost a disclaimer though
in the making of farts not one fairy was harmed
we house and feed, take care of their every need
so there's no need for alarm

once we discovered how the ***** could be used
down here on fairy farm
we've had all our men chase after them
capturing bottom barks into a jar

then by hand we transfer them
from pint up to gallon size
to be used all the way from laundry detergent
to a line of makeup that's soft on the eyes

we even have samples of candles
bath and body works just bought the whole lot
plus it runs machines cheaper than gasoline
so far the highest bid is from Exon

we're also in talks of a contract
with a highly secretive govern(mental) agency
who wants all the gas with no questions asked
but on that we'll have to wait and see

in the mean time our workers continue to bottle it up
all the fairy farts from all the fairy butts
it's a job that flatuates deep to the heart
but with this job what's not to love

as you watch the fairies flutter to and fro
hearing the cute little ***** wherever they go
who would have guessed who could have known
how much a business like this would grow

I still remember the day I died
And swam away from sanity's shore
Though the ghost of me still feels alive
I'm the only one here who knows

I still keep an eye on the gone side of life
With my family and my friends
Though no one knows when I come and go
Or that I am still here

One day I may communicate
As yet I don't know how
So I just sit here with them, alone in me
That's all so far that I can do now

I've heard there's a light that can set me free
But I'm afraid that I can't come back
And I do enjoy their company
Happy with where I am at

A ghost that knows no other
Than this glass wall I hide behind
Neither here nor there but off somewhere
Stuck between eternity and time

If there was anything here that I could change
It would be the accident that day
Where it all happened to fast to take it all back
Gone from sight but not gone away

At the edge of subconsciousness
Lurks in shadows by the back door
With crooked smile and baited breath
He's all about the snore

Here to pull the crazy strings
Blown about with billowing doubt
Takes a hold of your nightly dreams
Without the slightest of sound

As the eyes start to flutter, see you later alligator
Whispers in one ear then the other
Pull back the covers on the undiscovered
In slips the Dream Operator

Sometimes he leaves his calling card
In a haze you remember the dream
Right before he runs away
From the crime where he made a scene

But you find he doesn't get far
From the nightly twists of things
In an unmade bed you find you are
Rolling in a sequence of dreams

He's here to serve you have his word
He will personally cater
From joyful to dark, leaving his mark
In slips the Dream operator

I remember the Moon landing
I remember John Kennedy
I remember when John Lennon
Spoke his last words, he shot me

I remember all the Hippies
On that day in Central Park
Saw my first case of Race mixing
Holding hands, light and dark

I remember Meredith's brutal stabbing
Hell's Angel, Rolling Stones
People asking what has happened
To the days of free love

I remember Cuba's freedom
Pulled apart by evil men
I remember bombs that scared us
Hiding underneath our desks

I remember burning records
The day the Beatles went too far
Now I'm thinking, God help us
When I see how right they were

I remember Jerry Lewis
Back when comedy was fun
Before Political Correctness ******* us
Before it all came undone

I remember Martin Luther King
Not wanting to be judged by his skin
Another great idea that mankind
Tossed into the waste bin

I remember 9-11
Horror stricken, the World cried
I remember we all banded
As one people, unified

I remember when a handshake
Used to mean a promise kept
Now these days a piece of paper
Doesn't even come close to that

These are things that I remember
There are more but who has time
To read a list that goes on forever
Though I remember when we once had the time

*****...
No he won't
***** finds when he tries
It tends to turn out wrong
As a kid he once did
But that was long ago
In case at first this you missed
***** did but don't

*****...
Don't be silly
Don't give up on hope
There are things that you will do
And others that you won't
Always hold onto this truth
Be someone that counts
This you're bound to find out
If you do instead of don't

I fell headlong into a poem
And was immediately swept away
As words passed by on paddle boats
They pulled me in their wake

The sweet dew of sonnets glistened on shore
Lined with allegory trees
Dripping with fruit of poetic glaze
As a rhythmic breeze rustles through leaves

There was an ode of maidens in a field
Cultivating the finest of verses
With colors of yellows, pinks, blues, and reds
From amongst the rows of stanzas

The cool lapping of the waves
Brought the imagery to its peak
As the metaphoric stream I floated down
Opened up into a sea of dreams

One thing I've
Learned in life
Is don't dare blink
And you'll do just fine

I found this out
Blinking as a child
One second there
To where I am now

Did old age gradually
Creep up in me
No, it all happened
In the span of a blink

The times that we are in
Will soon enough take its toll
On a worn out man
With a weary soul

With a heart and head
That is filled with jagged rocks
With what little can be gained
And far less little got

You can stand your ground
Or find the line of compromise
Depends on how far down
You care to take today's dive

I have heard it said
It's often good to change
But how much change you give away
Depends on how broken you are that day

Try as hard with all my might
Hoping you don't mind
With this heart and head
Take it all in stride

As we find the world outside
Can leave you bitter cold
On a worn out man
With a bitter soul

wrote this poem
one longing day
sat it down
it ran away

hoping that
it would be read
the moment that
it left my hand

it flew into
the world brand new
with new ideas
new attitude

for all these years
far more to count
it moved around
from town to town

from coffee shops
to corner stands
hoping for
a chance to be read

lost its way
one hardened day
back door alleys
fields of gray

yellowed out
tarnished torn
with little doubt
lost and forlorn

the words it had
once to be read
faded out
with nothing left

all because
it ran away
that longing day
and got misplaced

You get no arguments out of me
Life certainly ain't what it used to be
You can bet your life these are different times
In need of a change if not a tweek

Not talking High School Hops or Soda Shops
Poodle skirts matching pink sweater tops
Don't know about you but I'd change a thing or two
From today's spinning top I'd take it back a notch

I'm not saying it all needs to change
Moving forward can be a good thing
But this ride of life slips as much as slides
Leaving things behind if you even think to blink

We need to keep the family of man intact
Where I've got yours and you've got my back
To tell you the truth I'd change a thing or two
Before we wake up to nothing left

I often say those were the good old days
And I'm saddened these days are not the same
But those young in heart and mind best enjoy these times
Cause like me later in life they'll wish the same

Can't we at least slow down the progress made
Keeping the good while tossing the rest away
Nothing drastic mind you just change a thing or two
Before we find we're too late

My mommy is sick, I do not like this
Daddy, is she going to die
You say to be brave I'm doing my best
Daddy, I'll try not to cry

Both night and day she spends in her bed
I love her so much I can't lie
I sometimes wish it was me instead
But I know that's something she wouldn't like

I want my mommy well, back to herself
Can't the doctors make my mommy new
Tell me the truth, will she be better soon
Daddy what are we going to do

I told her today that it's okay
She can go to heaven if she needs to
But to save us a place because one day
Both daddy and I will be there too

But until then we will miss you...