this little ditty is not about you
unless in it you see yourself
the camera might not catch the whole truth
but count on the rest from everyone else

if it's brand new and it's shinny
screaming loudly look at me
it's all about the timing
where every niche and stich fit perfectly

when you focus on the fashion
doing your best to hide
all that you are lacking
where it all counts, on the inside

you hold the crowd back in wonder
as they all stand to their feet
trying your best not to blunder
in the showing off of your personality

they made you and they can break you
take you to the top then toss you off
where there is no one there to save you
no one there at all

when you focus on the fashion
doing your best to hide
all that you are lacking
where it all counts, on the inside

One day my feet
Said follow me
You do the walking
I'll do the lead
We'll make our way
Cross country
From point A
To point B

So I took my shoes
And tied them tight
As my feet moved
From left to right
On our way to be
Cross countryfied
In for the time
Of our lives

We moved along the coast
Up and down
Weaved as we sowed
In and out
From city to city
Town to town
The best of the West
North, East, and South

Met all kinds of people
Color, creed
They look like you
They act like me
We're all the same
I do believe
All across
This great country

From East to West
North and South
City to city
Town to town
Along the coast
Up and down
Weaved as we sowed
In and out

After all this
At their bequest
I took my feet
In my hands
And roamed back home
To give them a rest
Can't wait to see
What they say next

I've decided outright to followed the signs
That today stand in my way
Hoping to find along the line
That I will have a nice day

I'll push and not pull like some moronic fool
On the closed doors in front of me
And take only one, candy or gum
If they are offered for free

I'll try with all my might to be as quiet
As a poor church mouse
When I am deep inside the library
And also in the Lord's house

I'll show my I.D. to those quite freely
When they ask me please
Just to let them know it's me and me alone
Standing before them they see

Look both ways at the street before crossing
In case I'm the only one that got
The memo in time about all the signs
And the car next in line doesn't stop

I'll certainly not smoke and that ain't no joke
Mostly because I don't
But even if I did who am I trying to kid
If the signs says no, I won't

I actually liked following the signs
That today stood in my way
And as much as I tried along the line
I find I had a nice day

There once was a fight on my plate
In front of my face while I ate

The Broccoli on the left picked up its Spear
And stabbed the Corn on the right, right in the Ear

The Avocado Artichoked the Zucchini
Before the Pepper rang the Bell on that meanie

The Onion went to Bed on the Lettuce and cried
Afraid that the Beets on the side were all Red cause they died

The Okra came in and slimed the whole affair
While the Yams slammed and Squashed the Cauliflower

The Peas ended up with Black Eyes
Next to the Potatoes that were mashed up and fried

The Cabbage brought it all to a head
Which Steamed the Asparagus with all that was said

There once was a fight on my plate
In front of my face while I ate

You look at me and all you see
Is the simplest of clowns
In all I do acting out the fool
Whenever you're around

Not just the nose that's red of course
As I embarrass myself too much
Trying to impress with what little I have
This fool for you in love

With the atmosphere of a Circus here
I pull out all the stops
If you can imagine me in Center  ring
Giving it everything I've got

A clown that hopes you like bad jokes
And can't get enough
You can take that thought all the way to the BigTop
With this fool for you in love

Juggling with all my might, this crazy life
To bring you close to me
The Greatest Show on Earth for what it's worth
That you have ever seen

With painted smile wide as a mile
This clown making his run
All a part of me, you can clearly see
I'm a fool for you in love

You look at me and mostly see
The simplest of clowns
Acting out the fool in all I do
Whenever you're around

Not just the nose that's red of course
As I embarrass myself too much
Trying to empress with what little I have
This fool for you in love

With the atmosphere of Circus here
I pull out all the stops
Imagine me in Center Ring
Giving it all I've got

A clown that hopes you love bad jokes
And can not get enough
Taking that thought all the way to the Big Top
This fool for you in love

Juggling with all my might this crazy life
To bring you closer to me
The Greatest Show on Earth for all we're worth
Anyone has ever seen

With painted smile mile after mile
Not resting till I'm done
All a part of me you can clearly see
This fool for you in love

I’m just a clown
When it comes to the rhyme
Fooling around
Outside of the lines
The crunching of crayons
Flipping of dimes
In deep conversation
With dozens of mimes

Muddied in mayhem
Past the mundane
With the frequent du jour
Over easy, half baked
Shooting for early
I settle on late
Paying my dues
In crazy ways

Setting to rhyme
Whatever poops in my mind
Now there’s a freudian slip
At the perfect time
It’s no secret kept
Should have said pop instead
But I’ve run short on words
And that’s all I have left

You may take me for a fool
But after all I'm much like you
Shaken or stirred, with or without a clue
In how we present our points of view
You are me and I am you
In a lot of what we all go through

We happen to be much the same
Though different colors, shapes, and names
Some prefer early, some preform late
Some jump right in, some hesitate
Some spill the beans in what they say
Some by all means don't give a thing away

With this true who are we to judge
Life itself is tough enough
We need to learn to get along
This hate we've made is overdone
Turn off the stove, pull out the plug
Come together in one cause

No ifs, ands, or even buts
No wish you man a lot of luck
All are equal to the sum
Both you and me and everyone
Not all that simple, more than tough
But it can be done if done in love

Because after all I'm much like you
In all the foolish things we do

1 Corinthians 1:18
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

All it is the world can see
Is a man dying uselessly on a shameful tree
If he really had thought it out
He probably could have saved himself

And you know what is a crying shame?
These fools that continually bring up his name
All this happened so long ago
Can't they just leave well enough alone
.........................................................­..............
The cross for us that have been saved
Is the power of God from beyond the grave
There is nothing more thought out as well
That can bring those back from the gates of Hell

So it's to the cross that we must turn
Putting back together what the worlds undone
Foolishness I'm sure to a dying world
**But to those who see they have a need it is the cure

fool me
fool you
what is fake
where’s the truth
what are we
suppose to do
with the crowd
we listen to

fool me once
fool you twice
taking good
and bad advice
covered ears
covered eyes
as the mouth
spews the lies

fool the right
fool the left
individual
or in mass
make their beds
inside their heads
wake with hate
be our guest

who’s fooling who…
care to guess?

You may think of me a fool
It's plain to see, I'm much like you
We pick our friends, choose our sides
Then go along with all the lies

Pushed aside and picked apart
Till we can't tell who we are
Happy in our foolish ways
Win or lose, make or break

The dangled carrot gives us hope
Makes us think we have a choice
And that the choice is ours alone
How far out have we all gone

They tell us when to raise our voice
What to say when making noise
Who to love and who to hate
Save the date on make or break

In who's lie do you abide
When you find you're choosing sides
In all you say and all you do
It's plain to see, much like you
I too am played for a fool

searching for treasure
hoping to find
riches and pleasure
on down the line

a shiny new object
you're aching to hold
get this through your noggin
it's only fool's gold

when digging in lies
instead of the truth
the hole you will find
caves in on you

with pan in hand
you go it alone
the change you demand
is only fool's gold

you listen to those
considered professionals
when low and behold
we need more adults

to kindly explain
what we already know
here on display
it's only fool's gold

I never met a fool in love
'til the day that I met you
Believing in fairytales and wishing wells
in hopes they will come true

Yet I know that you accept it
and trust life works this way
You'll happily continue in your quest
for life's biggest ever cliche

So wish upon a star
a lucky clover from the patch
We know where you wish you were
a fool in love is where you're at

But if you discover the fairytale
and can prove that all is true
Please offer me, just once, a tinder kiss
so I too can be a fool

I never met a fool in love
'til the day that I met you
Believing in fairytales and wishing wells
in hopes they will come true

Yet I know that you accept it
and trust life works this way
You'll happily continue in your quest
for life's biggest ever cliche

So wish upon a star
a lucky clover from the patch
We know where you wish you were
a fool in love is where you're at

But if you discover the fairytale
and can prove that all is true
Please offer me, just once, a tinder kiss
so I too can be a fool

First off my friend
Let me begin
By saying I ain't no poet
Just a fool with a pen

Now with those pleasantries
Out of the way
Let me proceed to say
What I need to say

I've written different poems
On different subjects, different matters
Some soft as a kitten
Others mad as a hatter

Every now and then
I stand on the serious ledge
But more often than not
I fall right off the edge

Like I said before
I'm just a fool with a pen
Drooling from my smile
Cross eyed in my grin

Separating in rhyme
All the boys from the men
Cackling in crazy
From beginning to end

Thanking my lucky stars
Rhyming comes so easy
Like a trip to Venus or Mars
Half baked brain and over queasy

Like I said before
When all of this began
I really ain't no poet
Just a fool with a pen

I have a friend who's in a way
Don't worry none, won't mention names
That daily battles bitterness
It drives them nuts, I'm sure no less

Where they've been wronged so many times
It's tuff to focus on this life
A wall they've built that's hard to scale
Could use a window if nothing else

To help see in and also out
Raise the shutter on that room of doubt
Let the breeze of trust blow in
Where it can flow back out again

Although I'm sure they're unaware
My friend is always in my prayers
And no matter what they're thrown in life
True friends stand by each other's side

what does this word mean to you

~forever~

is it something you're willing to do

~forever~

is it something you say
a promise you make
that you'll take with you to the grave

~forever~

will you hold tightly to this

~forever~

seal it all off with a kiss

~forever~

husband and wife
through struggle and strife
a covenant made for life

~forever~

a band that will always hold on

~forever~

a truth that will always stand strong

~forever~

a promise with no end
in all that love gives
being the only way to live

~forever~

From the moment that we met
There never was a doubt
You looked to me like forever
So I followed you around

And as I got to know you
You never proved me wrong
All you do is living proof
As we move along

On this forever journey
Where the years have all lost count
But that doesn't have me worried
I'll take all that I'm allowed

If the center piece gets tattered
And the edges all but torn
All that really matters
Is we both have held on strong

I make my way upstairs
Then wonder why I’m here
I started with a purpose
Now it’s not so clear

I find myself mid-sentence
As I draw another blank
With God as my witness
Happens more and more these days

I struggle in remembering
When I started to forget
Was it now or perhaps then
It all began to slip

I’m introduced to someone
Shake hands with a smile
Hate to say but forget the name
The moment I turn around

If you have a secret
I’m the perfect one to tell
It’s not that I can keep it
I just forget things really well

I had this poem
I'd been working on
All about forgetfulness

Then made the mistake
Of setting it down one day
Now I've no idea where it is

I've looked out, I've looked in
All the places that I'd been
On this endless search to find

I've looked high, I've looked low
Places I frequently would go
In the hopes of jarring this simple mind

Because this poem if it's found
Might just turn my thoughts around
Though I can't remember why that is

So in this quest I'll continue on
In the search of the poem
That I wrote about forgetfulness

Do you find it harder to forgive or forget
And what about those lasting regrets
Do you keep them by your side
so they never die
Remembering every last thing that was said

And still you try your best to forgive
Knowing your quota has not yet been met
In looking for the signs
sometimes you feel you're running blind
Knowing all of this you won't forget

Let us focus on forgiveness
Make it our word of the day
Whether it be of yourself or someone else
Sit back and watch what it creates

As it takes the heart of the hurting
Kneads and melds it into shape
You've never lived until you've learned to give
The bitter taste of bitterness away

Take hold of the hand of forgiveness
Leading you wherever it may
You will never go wrong with the path it is on
Where forgiveness is the best of all ways

You can scream and demand it
Come in open handed
In all your daily affairs

You can swoon to the moon
Or reach for the stars
Ones that are not even there

You can take all you're given for granted
Count all your blessings in place
But if it's peace that you seek you'll never reap
Until you see love show its face

You can calculate, count
Turn inside out
Breath in the fresh morning air

You can cry you can laugh
Over what little is left
When after all it's only you that cares

You can take this and that all for granted
Lay all your blessings face up
But if it's peace that you seek you'll never reap
Until you see the face of love

For the love of nature
She packed her bags and left
Felt the need to spread her wings
For a simpler place to lay her head

She left the city far behind
Not really sure of what she'd find
Not even sure of what she had in mind
She only knew that now was the time

So there she stood at the edge of the woods
Breathing in the beginnings to a whole new life
She dropped the bags that she had packed
Leaving behind.... She stepped inside

Where she was swept away in wonder
By the sound of joy and laughter
As nature took ahold and lead her
Through the forest of happily ever after

For the sake of the poem

You'd sell off  your soul
Carve out your heart
Let it all go
For that piece of the rhyme
To help with the flow
All this and more

For the sake of the poem

You'd give up the ghost
Before you even come close
To counting the loss
Giving it up
For one moment alone
After you're done

For  the sake of the poem

All you've ever known
You'd give it all back
As if it were a loan
Label the streets
Now as your home
All this and more

For the sake of the poem

for you & i

have got me thinking
this moment in time
has nothing missing

when it comes to love
when it comes to us
when it comes to the place we belong

for you & i

are both the reason
we'll survive
this open season

when it comes to us
when it comes to love
we'll ride it all out in a poem

for you & i

are meant to be here
with open skies
to make the way clear

when it comes to love
when it comes to us
when it comes to how it is done

for you & i

Over time
You may find
That both the heart and mind
Have four sides

While one side's wide open
One side's closed tight
One side sees the future
While the other is blind

The open side rolls easy
The other has no stride
The future side no darkness
Where the blind sees no light

Which side do you cling to
In your heart and mind
Now that you know
They both have four sides

fragile heart...
battered, bruised, and broken
you've done your best to hold on
to who you wish you were

fragile heart...
love can be so fleeting
you took a brutal beating
when you tried to play the part

fragile heart...
excuses in the making
to overcome the aching
where X marks the spot

fragile heart...
daily in the dealing
with this constant empty feeling
hidden in the dark

fragile heart...
barely holding on
empty and alone
never really sure, who you wish you were

Take a picture of me
And put me in the right frame of mind
Preferably in color
I'm fading in black and white
8x10 would be alright
A wooden border would suit me just fine
Take a picture of me
And put me in the right frame of mind

I see you drive your frantic life
Much like you do your car
Jostling for position
To get beyond the point of where you are

Running through the cautions
Not knowing when to stop
Giving all that you have
Beyond all that you've got

Each day is faced with fits of rage
As things don't go according to plan
Could it be your low self esteem
That is too high in demand

And yet you drive faster and faster
As if this is a race
But when the checkered flag is dropped
Which ever after will be your final resting place

Move fast from out the fast lane
To get beyond the point of where you are
And stop driving your frantic life
Much like you do your car

You look like one big freckle
The way that you are covered
From your head down to your toes
One end to the other

In the tint, shade, and color
Blending perfectly
Pink in pigmentation
All points in between

You look like you're from Florida
Sporting the finest tan
With not an inch of acreage left
In epidermis land

If freckles told a story
In all their sun drenched glory
You would be the greatest read
Of that you have no worries

Both Freddy and Frieda Flea
Had an itch and felt the need

To leave their home on Beagle back
So they packed their bags while Fido napped

They'd heard magical tales of the Big Top
Since their larva days on top the pup

They weren't here this time to clown around
As they found themselves circus bound

They hitched a ride in a hobos beard
Too no telling who knows where

But one thing that is perfectly clear
Both those fleas are outta here

Along the way they purchased needs
In a market place made just for fleas

Like underwear and mint toothpaste
Soap on a Rope to wash their face

Plus deodorant, quite a bit
You need a lot of it when you've got 6 pits

The rumor mill can be very mean
Fleas after all are fairly clean

After a day of personal shopping
It was all aboard for more beard hopping

Riding that hobo from coast to coast
In this their new hairy chateau

As circuses go they started their own
Advertising on the hobos back cause he never turns around

Over time their acts they've modified
As the flaming hoops set the hobos beard on fire

Now with Freddy as Ring Master and Frieda on trapeze
They are the Greatest Show On Earth, at least among fleas

There's a road, goes by the name of Freedom
All men desire to take
If you need directions, they're here for the asking
Today could be the day

Though it's a road not easily traveled
For it is filled with sticks and stones
Well worth the life adventure
In the direction that you're going

If you've been on the path forgotten
Fueled along by your mistakes
In how you've made your living
In how you've spent your days

To whatever you've been shackled
To whatever holds you back
Leave it all behind you now
No need to pack your bags

Step onto what's in front of you
Just reach out and grab ahold
Once you've set your feet you'll not want to leave
Your days on Freedom road

I put the dull side to my wrist
Call it a practice run
Wondering if I will be missed
The day the deed is done

You may call it what you like
I call it, had enough
It may look a lot like suicide
But what it is, is freedom's road

It don't much matter where it goes
I only know of where I've been
And there I hope against all hope
I never do go back again

So I place the dull side to my wrist
And call it a practice run
All the while wondering if I'll be missed
On the day the deed is done

This friend of mine
Prays for me
Shares my wants
Knows my needs
Lays them down
Before the Lord
This friend of mine and I
In one accord

This friend of mine
I do the same
I pray for them
In Jesus name
I lay their burdens
Before the Lord
This friend of mine and I
In one accord

Haven't we known each other forever
And aren't we both the best of friends
Is there hope we could go any further
Or is friendship where this friendship ends

I know you're happy where we are at
And love is the furthest from your mind
I fight back the tears as I toss out the laughs
With this friendship tearing me up inside

I'm afraid to ruin what we both have
By letting my feelings have their say
Until then I'll continue in my charade of laughs
In hopes that one day you'll feel the same

I have a good friend in this life ya'll
That when good times come along helps me sing
And when things turn out bad they too are sad
Sharing in my misery

We have known each other for years now
Not saying it's always been an easy breeze
Ain't that how it goes with those we best know
Still all along we're both good company

Not one to get in each others business
Nor give out unwanted advice for free
We'll laugh at the jokes that only we know
Because of our history

We may not see each other for ages
But still there at the drop of a coin
Without a doubt always there to help out
With whatever is going on

If you ever find a friend that is like this
Grab hard and hold on to them tight
They will always be there no matter where
Because they are friends for life

I look back then and remember when
We said forever we would be friends
Not so long ago but then again
Life was yet to blow its cold hard wind

Given the chance we all would dance
Music made this band of friends
Young and dumb, hand in hand
No demands on what we had

But the days they say of separate ways
Tends to show its ugly face
Making it hard to keep the dream in place
When said dreams run away

To tell the truth, still think of you
And the many things we used to do
And when I do the tears let loose
Knowing all they've been through

When looking back remembering
Forever times, forever friends
Far back when but then again
Life had yet to blow its cold hard wind

I'm counting on this notion
Friends forever, friends for life
Though we all may make our separate ways
We're still together in heart and mind

While there may be distance between us
Counted out in miles and years
There's still that tug of insistence
In who we are and what we were

Where friendship goes much deeper
Than the surface it's cast on
A fickle child at times but we need her
Holding tight the strongest bond

Because friendship is forever
To have and hold to hold and keep
Fading out the 12th of never
Once it's here it never leaves

While I'm counting on this notion
In a friendship frame of mind
I'm thankful for the ones I've had
And still have in this life

You say you have the answers
To the questions running through
All the minds that think alike
Someone just like you

But who do you rely on
When you find you're deep in thought
Do you clear your head and wonder at
Then find that, it's all for naught

Hidden in the shadows
Between what's wrong and right
Is where you get your info
That's dragging you through life

You come kicking and screaming
About how life's not fair
But lose out on the meaning
Being the reason that you get nowhere

Everyone's a critic
And their own worst enemy
There, I went ahead and said it
Who out of you needs friends like these

You can make your way through troubled times
Standing tall or on your knees
But the trouble is, after all
We seem to do things as we please