These days I'm in
I'm so thin-skinned
You can look but do not touch me

It's no use
I bleed and bruise
Like a crying boys skinned knee

This getting old
Is getting old
With how old plays for keeps

My youth I'd miss
The only problem is
I've about lost that memory

Which brings me back
To the fact
Of all my cuts and scrapes

As I look at them
Not remembering when
Or how they made their way

To adorn
This body worn
From years of foolish games

With no thought about
This bleeding out
I do every single day

Is today really today
Or is it the day before
Throw it all in a blender
And turn that sucker on

Add in different ingredients
It all tastes the same
Whether or not it makes any sense
Day after day after day

Is today tomorrow
Or did I miss it yesterday
And from what day did it borrow
Since every day is the same

With or without the lid on
It still comes out a mess
Which you can save for another day
To blend into it

As every day makes its way
Into another one
Slice the pie, cut the cake
Until your day is done

When you see there's nothing left
May you still do what is right
And not focus on yourself
But on what others might

May pure be your du jour
In all you hope to find
And love the only cure
On which you spend your time

May your cup always be full
As you're sipping from your dreams
And your highs never run low
In the promises life keeps

May the sun come out and shine
On your dreariest of days
And blessings always find
The place your head is laid

I pray you always feel at home
Wherever you may go
And all the joy you find
Never leaves you alone

May you always have a smile
One that really counts
Showing off your beauty
From the inside out

May this all apply to you
Be it old or be it new
And may these blessings always hold you tight
In what ever you go through

In spite of all this
We would all love to be blessed
Some are more while others less
Sets to wonder, what the reason is

Things we see don't always seem
To always go our way
Still some in life take it in stride
Every hour of every day

It must be in the attitude with
If we take life as a gift
Yet not what we are given
But in how that gift we give

Like it's said it's more blessed
To give than receive
That is why in this life
Focus not so much on me

If you would like to give it a try
Please by any means
You'll find out there is no doubt
You too will feel blessings

Imagine if everyone of us
Had the attitude
To immerse ourselves in others first
And just what that would do

Giving to the needs of those we see
Without any strings
If I bless you in all I do
And in turn you bless me

I pray this day carries a blessing
With tender arms that embrace you
That you learn from all its lessons
As you take hold of God's truth

That as you stand on life's horizon
You sing all the songs unsung
That you catch every shooting star in passing
Every time that you look up

May every need in your life be met
May love in its love clothe you
May smiles turn up when your name is mentioned
As each day is made brand new

I pray you always find your way
Whatever direction you are tossed
And the faithful truth that grounds you
I pray it never will be lost

When your train pulls into the station
May it always be on time
With every turn that you are taking
May life's treasure be what you find

As each day carries a blessing
With tender arms that embrace you
Learning from all life's lessons
Standing firm on all God's truth

I asked for all your blessings today
So I could give back to you
All the fortune and fame known to man
Not sure how it is I could use

I'm sure I'll think of something Lord
If you'd just give to me
I'll be sitting right here on my couch
Waiting patiently...

...I'm still here waiting
Not quite sure you heard
Don't want to be a bother Lord
So I wont speak another word...

Okay...one more word
Then I'll hold my tongue
Right after this last request
I'm sure I will be done

Perhaps I can do without the fame
But the fortune would be nice
I'm kind of in a hurry here
So could you please pick up the pace...

It' been more than a few days now
And I'm still here on my couch
I now know that you took your time
So I'd have time to figure out

That if I do nothing but sit around
And never venture out
The only fame I'll see is on my T.V.
And the only fortune...
The loose change that's in my couch

I found out too late how short life is
Come to think, it's gone in a blink
Be it a hit or be it a miss
Pack up your bags and get ready to leave

Just when you thought that you owned it
Life turns on you waving bye, bye
No time for grass to grow underfoot
As you watch both pigs and time fly

Don't it seem like you just got here
Without a second to rest
Your mind may be fuzzy but it's very clear
Just a stones throw away from certain death

It's not like you gave life permission
To move at such an alarming rate
You'd complain but no one is listening
When they themselves are a few days away

So **** it up buttercup
In life there are no guarantees
Just when you feel you've beaten the rush
Come to think, it's gone in a blink

There are times in your life
Where things seem to go right
Then in the blink of an eye
It all changes over night

That's the thing
That makes it exciting
You never know from one minute
What the next minute brings

You could be on the beach
Enjoying the sunny day
Did I mention the blink
Well, here comes life's tidal wave

Washes you out
Into the deep end my friend
Then in a heartbeat
Back to good times again

You can show up early
Only to be late
Sit in your worry
Never changes a thing

Imagine what can happen
With the right attitude
Pretty much the same
All that we go through

It all depends
On which side you lean
Good or bad happens
In the span of a blink

if you never hear the other side
of the argument
how do you expect to turn the tide
on those you suppose are listening

if you stay inside your bubble
underneath moss covered stone
the ideas you live with
will eventually die with you alone

if you take your crooked fingers
and jam them in your ears
you have made it clear
that you refuse to hear

how can i try and simplify
that ignorance is bliss
and you my friend are blissfully ignorant
if you play a part in this

if the direction that you choose
begs from you an ounce of truth
with dead-end sign in plain sight
it might be you that has no clue

and all because you refuse
to see beyond the hate in you

They take what you've got
Waste what you give
Like it or not
Live and let live

Single you out
But you're not alone
Without a doubt
Blood from a stone

You scrimp and you scrape
Just to get by
What little you make
Gone on the fly

The vice grip on you
Gives little hope
It's just what they do
Blood from a stone

Minding your manners
Does it even matter
Life on the run
Struggle to catch her

You know that they do
But tell you they don't
The squeezing of you
Blood from a stone

If you're in need of a thorn
I'm looking for a side
Like a Tic in days forlorn
Always trying to hitch a ride

The noisy Rat that's in your attic
I just won't go away
Deaf a dumb from day one
There's not much more that you can say

Dug in deep this blood ******* leach
Clinging to your hide
Feel free to call me your ***** laundry
With the world to see, hanging out to dry

Ring worm on a mission
I burrow underneath your skin
Fingernails on a blackboard, listen
Here to make you cringe

I stick to you like poo on a shoe
As you hobble along your way
There's not a lot that you can do
To tell the truth I'm here to stay

Living life like a parasite
Looking for that slight opening
This disturbing sight may not feel quite right
But I count it all as a win

...with you as my new girlfriend ❤️‍🩹

the tighter

         you tighten the strings

                         the more feathers

                                        fall off her wings

I found a pair of Blue Suede Shoes
Behind the main gate
No need to say I just knew
I had landed in a state of Grace

I turned around and headed out
To where only the king knows
With every step up and down
Elvis tickling all ten toes

I walked around all over town
Stirring up the dust
Visiting all of the old haunts
Elvis must have loved

Even sat in the back of a pink Cadillac
Took the shoes off for the ride
Next to me is where they sat
Smiling the whole time

Saw a lot of Memphis that day
In those Blue Suede Shoes
I now see they were wanting me
To help set them loose

That's when the shoes turned and move
Taking me back to the place
Where I now stand where this all began
In the land of Grace

Took off the shoes just as soon
As I entered past the gates
Placed them there exactly where they could choose
Who next would take them for the day

I know some of you won't understand
But I really loved the man
Closer than a brother and
More than a true friend

With a sparkle in his eyes
Spoke the truth amongst the lies
Spread the word throughout his life
Knew the goal, saw the prize

Steps of courage in his walk
Words of wisdom in his talk
Godly counsel always sought
Knew the reason to the cost

Always stood for what was right
Always strived for the best in life
Most of the time you would find
Him with the weary spending time

Now do you understand
Why it was I loved the man
Closer than a brother and
More than a true friend

You arrived at a time when the times were a-changin'*
Tangled up in blue, blowing in the wind
A simple twist of fate when the world needed saving
One more cup of coffee and your at it again

Like a slow train coming
Under the red sky
Holding back the wicked messenger
With God on our side

You gave us shelter from the storm
When life gave us buckets of rain
To this day you continue to warn
We're still only a pawn in their game

Hope to never say goodbye
On a night like this
*May you stay Bob, forever young

have you ever heard
the sound
of a body bag
being zipped up
from the inside

have you ever seen
the shadows fall
that makes
the spine tingle
that makes
the skin crawl

have you ever felt
you would
suffocate
from the canvas weight
flat on your face

can anyone
of you relate
to the smell
of the fear
with its
bitter taste

Fingers...
I count our love on my fingers
On my pointer is where I linger
As I point it straight at you

My toes...
Often I run out don't you know
As my hands can't go higher than 10 so
I count our love out on my toes

And then...
I use my elbows and knees when
I run out of finger and toe skin
Before I head to my nose and begin again

With my hair...
So glad that it is still up there
To count might take me forever
But that's fine with you as my lover

I use my eyes to gaze on beauty
My mouth to say hello
North and South my teeth bring a smile
A wink to let you know

I use my shoulders when I'm shrugging
Both my arms for might
These two hands help me grab
When I need to hold on tight

My ears are here to listen
To other noises people make
A heart that beats forgiveness
Though not as much as I would like

A belly that often grumbles
Until it's satisfied
And if truth be known the same thing goes
For the inner workings of my mind

Then there's my knees that bend with ease
When my backside needs a break
And last but not least here come my feet
As I move along my way...

I have this brain
With which I sometimes think

A set of eyes
Stuck in sockets to see

Two healthy lungs
That know the key is to breath

To keep my heart pumping
In its perpetual beat

A mouth that too often
Doesn't think when it speaks

A stomach that growls
When it's time too feed

Not too picky
When it comes to its choice of eats

Other body parts involved
In the space between

Some working fine
Others struggling to reach

All miraculously entwined  
From my head to feet

These are just a few parts I've got
That make up part of me

I gaze in the mirror
And wonder at what comes next
What lies will I find, from this no friend of mine
That fill my head

Sticks and stones might break my bones
But words hurt at the sound
Whoever thought to this degree it'd be me
Body Shaming myself

When the glamour mags tell me I have
To look a certain way
Before you know, self-esteem hits a new low
My confidence clearly taking a break

With little left but the thoughts in my head
Being the only thing that seems to count
Here I go again trying to do myself in
Body Shaming myself

All the lies about, what really counts
Have itching ears listening
Eager to cave to the latest craze
A vicious circle with no end

Believing the lies multiple times
Leaving behind little doubt
This mirror I find doesn't see the inside
Body Shaming myself

Take a chicken
From out the yard
Wring its neck
Until it's not
Put the carcass
In a ***
Filled with water
Boiling hot
Add some spices
Mainly salt
Plus some celery
By the stalk
Pick the bones
From off the bird
Nice and tender
Is the word
Save the juices
I have heard
Common colds
It is the cure
Pick it up
And say bonjour
Lick your fingers
Afterwards

I carry around a Phillips head
To tighten up any loose screws
An empty bag I keep in my hand
To collect all the marbles I lose

The elevator that I am riding in
Doesn't stop at all the floors
Happy with insanity
Who out there could ask for more

The toys that are in my attic
When they come out to play
Take my hand as we skip through Bizarro land
On any given day

Card games are entertaining
But they are always over so fast
When what I'm holding in my hand
Is not quite a full deck

Being four quarters short of a dollar
I will never strike it rich
Nor live in the nicest of places
Having a load that's short a few bricks

So if you come a knocking
And find nobody at home
I'm out on the streets of crazy
But believe me I'm never alone

I carry around a Phillips head
To tighten up loose screws
An empty bag I keep in hand
To collect all the marbles that I lose

The elevator I'm riding in
Doesn't stop at all the floors
Happy with insanity
Who out there could ask for more

The toys that are in my attic
When they come out to play
Take my hand as we skip through Bizarro land
On any given day

Card games are entertaining
But always over so fast
When what I'm holding in my hand
Is not quite a full deck

Being four quarters short of a dollar
I will never strike it rich
Nor live in the nicest of places
Having a load that's short a few bricks

So if you come a knocking
And find nobody home
I'm out on the streets of crazy
But believe me I'm never alone

Should I ever decide
To sit down and write
What stories would I put
In my book of life

Would I start out the tale
With once upon a time
Make it an easy sell
Before the ink even dries

Could I remember the chapters
And treat them in kind
If I should ever decide
To write a book of my life

If I start at the beginning
With me as a  child
Would it hold tight to the interest
Of those who dare to buy

Would the chapters flow easy
From one to the next
Some being funny
Others filled with suspense

Should I embellish the truth
And try to hide lies
To have people like me
In the book of my life

If they saw me on the street
Would they stop by to ask
For their share of selfies
And my autograph

Would they buy extra copies
To give out as gifts
Would all my old friends
Say I knew him when

Should I ever decide
To take a serious look
At putting my life
Inside of a book

I just heard of a store
In Washington D.C. of course
A quaint little nook
Called Books By The Foot

Where you order your volumes
Or whatever you call them
To make you look smart
More than you really are

Never once read a chapter?
Well that doesn't matter
Or even a page?
Don't let that get in your way

From checking them out
Just measure your shelf
Then give them a call
They gladly install

Your colleagues will say, who knew!
As they tune to view you in Zoom
With your shelves filled to the gill
Of unpronounceable books you can't even spell

Remember this if you're here to impress
Late night dates or drunk party guests
Give google a nod and a look
They're rightly called Books By The Foot

The other day my cousin Mabel
She said to me
Mike I ain't never seen
Nothing before like your poetry

Cuz, you need to be famous
We're going to take this on the road
We're going to knock down some doors
We're going to make some heads explode

She said I know this feller
He's going to do good by you
He's one of them there agents of sorts
He'll put you in the news

Right then and there she called up Bubba
Who believe me, didn't come cheap
Wanting all the money up front
If he was to represent me

So I handed over all my doe
And now that's where we are
On a whirlwind of a tour
Of America's Super Wal-Marts

He even had me a bunch
Of my poetry books printed out
I think that they're in English
But I still have my doubts

That's okay cause most here
Prefer not to read
And Bubba had his kid draw in some pictures
Which seems about all they need

They ask if I'm famous
I come back with a lie
Ever hear of Jeff Foxworthy?
Well I know that guy

That's when the book sales took off
Like history in the making
I told Bubba to buy his son more crayons
We're going to need more illustrations

Yes this being a famous poet
Seems to really suit me
Tomorrow we're going to set up a stand
Outside of Denny's

We'll be hitting the breakfast crowd
Right on up through lunch
So move over fame your in my spot
Just call it a hunch

My brain is like
a boomerang
I have these thoughts
I can't contain
I toss them out
they come right back
Wack me in the head
with things I've said
With not much thought
to what I say
My brain is like
a boomerang

i am getting bored
using the same old words
the same old cords
the same old lines
time after time time time

is it such a crime
to always want to find
in this demented mind of mine
the perfect rhyme of rhymes

i maneuver it
so it all will fit
onto the page i've writ
for the perfect bit
perhaps a major hit

but i still am bored
with the heights i've soared
is someone keeping score
in this poetic realm
white knuckles at the helm

i steer off  course
as my one recourse
to get me through all this
goodbye with a kiss
back to poetic bliss

Born to us a child
A world that's lost it's way
All in God's plan brought about
Taking this worlds place

Growing up a man
For such a time as this
All along playing his life song
To the tune of righteousness

As through the day he'd make his way
Showing mercy to the lost
What he had to say and to display
Was straight from the Fathers love

Faithful to the call
Taking on the dirt of sin
Knowing it would take the cross
To reconcile the heart of man

Rising the third day
The day death lost its sting
God and man brought back again
To the place of harmony

When born to us a child
A world that's lost its way
All in Gods plan brought about
Taking this worlds place

I'm not talking plagiarism
But if you think about
Don't we all in some slight way
Rip each other off

Another might have an idea
That you take and expand upon
In fact alas I must confess
I've done it more than once

And after all hasn't it all
Already been said before
If not by me, the least of these
Then other's by the score

So I wouldn't exactly call it plagiarism
Just the borrowing of ideas
I'll borrow hers, you borrow mine
And we'll all borrow his

We seem to keep on digging
Shovel in both hands
No chatter of bringing a ladder
To climb out, if we could but can't

You'd think we'd have learned us a lesson
With all of these do's and don'ts
No sense in messing with guessing
That this is a bottomless hole

So far down we're drowning in darkness
Nothing bright ever travels this deep
Not sure if they'll ever find us
But if they do, what will they think

Remember, we're in this together
Not a soul will be left alone
From the dense of sense to light as a feather
Digging a bottomless hole

Feel free to bring your own problems
The shovels we will provide
It's a bit labor intense but once you get in
You will be there for life

Digging up dirt for all that we're worth
Never is there a lull
Just so you know, the further you go
This is a bottomless hole

Bound and determined where it is at
To be more of this and less of that
To take the miss and bring it back
Less of this and more of that

Bound and determined where I stand
To be more giving and less demand
To build this house on rock not sand
To give it all and also and

Bound and determined to leave the past
Where it belongs is where it's at
With no need to bring it back
In the digging of past regrets

Bound and determined to let it go
Grab the new, let loose the old
To untie the tightened that has a hold
That for so long has held life in choke

Bound and determined is the new me
With the shackles gone I'm feeling free
Free to be who I should be
Bound and determined is the new me

Farmer Jones set out to build a barn
A shelter for his bovine
When the wood started disappearing
A little at a time

The cows were taking it to pasture
On the other side of the dell
Little by little in the middle of night
Hoping Jones wouldn't be able to tell

This plans been festering for ages
At least since some of them were veal
But cows aren't very good at telling time
So how long is really hard to tell

Anyways they know they have a plan
That's what matters when it comes down to it
And what it is they've been planing
Is "Bovine One" The Rocket Ship

This time they're going to the moon
They had a cousin who jumped over it once
But that was so many years ago
And cousin Eddie has long been somebody's lunch

They got the plans out of Science Illustrated
When Carl went in to use the can
The day Farmer Jones stepped out of the house
A little secret the cows are keeping from "The Man"

They know nothing about jet propulsion
So the cows broke down and asked the goat
The smartest of all the farm animals
Another little secret nobody knows

In the process of building they used galvanized nails
The goat said in space regular nails would rust
I never would have thought of that
I guess goats are even smarter than us

When "Bovine One" The Rocket Ship was completed
It was on a Wednesday the count down did fall
The day Farmer Jones noticed his wood was missing
And the authorities were called

As they began to investigate
A bright glow came from over the hill
Still to this day no matter what people say
They don't know what the object was nor ever will

The Rocket Ship is still up there in orbit
With umpteen cows inside
Next time you hear a cow moo, look up cause you too
Could see "Bovine One" as it passes by

Did they ever make it to the moon?
No one around really seems to know
I bet you could get the answer though
If you were to go and ask the goat

I bought a box of smiles
Now I'm in a perdicament
Since there's only a few
How do I best use them

Do I pull out a smile when I see a child
Or wait for a funny situation
Do I cut one in half to add to a nervous laugh
When I'm clearly caught misbehaving

Do I share one with my neighbor
Whose husband is gone and she's all alone
Use them now or save them for later

Or do I put one on when I see a couple
Hand in hand walking down the street
I know how that feels cause it gives me chills
When my girl and I do the same thing

Should I head to the beach and in the box reach
For a smile on a bright sunny day
Or just sit tight for whatever might
Any day come my way

I never knew there were so many different reasons
For which a smile is meant
So I just took one out, the perfect smile
And wore it everywhere I went

Realizing soon after that
That smiles never really wear down
So I opened the box, took out the whole lot
And passed all the smiles around

Now everyone I see smiles back at me
All they needed was someone to share them
I still have a few so here's one for you
They're so popular now everyone wears them

Have you ever had a major itch
Deep inside your brain
Where your whole face does a Chubby Checkers twist
Driving you erratically down crazy lane

You need to find that special something
To cram far enough up your nose
And if you can't get to it that way
There's that hole just above the earlobe

I search around my place frantically
When I come across a paper clip
Bending it to the perfect size and length
So in my canal of choice it will fit

I slide it in as far as it will go
Which causes a sever twitching of the eye
My left foot starts to tingle
As I lose all feeling down my right side

Clearly that didn't work
So I search around some more
When I come across a #2 pencil
Feeling this is a major score

I use the end with the erasure
Don't want to break the lead off in my head
Everyone knows lead poisoning makes you stupid
And I am way far away from that!

So this time around I try the ear canal
When I wiggle it back and forth over a certain spot
My legs start to prance in a 70's disco dance
As I let out a rapid succession of barks

Any fool can clearly see
I need something long and sharp
Not a knife, I've never been that dumb in life
Now where's that old game of Lawn Darts

I search long and hard in the garage for the game
Then remember my wife threw it away
After the unfortunate incident with the neighbors
I never did care for that dog of theirs anyways

So I'm back to square one of my searching
When the broom handle catches my eye
It's a little wide so I get out my pliers
And stretch my nostrils to twice their normal size

I jam it in as far as I can
Giving it all that I have got
I scratch and scratch and laugh and laugh
I either just gave myself a lobotomy or hit the perfect spot
But what can I say either way it's okay
Just as long as the itching has stopped

Brain Scratching 101

Have you ever had a major itch
Deep inside your brain
Where your whole face does a Chubby Checkers twist
Driving you erratically down crazy lane

You need to find that special something
To cram far enough up your nose
And if you can't get to it that way
There's that hole just above the earlobe

I search around my place frantically
When I come across a paper clip
Bending it to the perfect size and length
So in my canal of choice it will fit

I slide it in as far as it will go
Which causes a sever twitching of the eye
My left foot starts to tingle
As I lose all feeling down my right side

Clearly that didn't work
So I search around some more
When I come across a #2 pencil
Feeling this is a major score

I use the end with the erasure
Don't want to break the lead off in my head
Everyone knows lead poisoning makes you stupid
And I am way far away from that!

So this time around I try the ear canal
When I wiggle it back and forth over a certain spot
My legs start to prance in a 70's disco dance
As I let out a rapid succession of barks

Any fool can clearly see
I need something long and sharp
Not a knife, I've never been that dumb in life
Now where's that old game of Lawn Darts

I search long and hard in the garage for the game
Then remember my wife threw it away
After the unfortunate incident with the neighbors
I never did care for that dog of theirs anyways

So I'm back to square one of my searching
When the broom handle catches my eye
It's a little wide so I get out my pliers
And stretch my nostrils to twice their normal size

I jam it in as far as I can
Giving it all that I have got
I scratch and scratch and laugh and laugh
I either just gave myself a lobotomy or hit the perfect spot
But what can I say either way it's okay
Just as long as the itching has stopped

in the morning it comes
as no surprise
first thing i do
is open up my eyes
step to the window
throw back the shades
fill the room
with a brand new day

without a word
being said
i clear my throat
which helps clear my head
preparing me
to be on my way
if you haven't yet guessed
it's a brand new day

wave to the neighbors
make some new friends
every day that's how
my day begins
lord bless my soul
do i even need say
you should already know
this is a brand new day

Excuse me ma'am
But have you met
The brighter days
That lay ahead

For those who choose
To make the move
In what is right
In all they do

Brighter days
Are on their way
An even flow
A steady gate

What you had
In the past
Is of no concern
To what lays ahead

Nothing is the same
When the way is paved
On your walk of life
To brighter days

Why Yes, I DO realize...
I'm **** naked in the middle of the road
And NO Officer, I DON'T know how I got here
NOR the whereabouts of my clothes

The last thing I DO remember
I was heading to work and all was fine
Wait a minute...now that I think about it
There was this bright light?!

At the moment I was inserting my key
Into my heap that I sometimes call a ride
My friendly neighbor was waving to me
On the row of hedges from the other side

There was a strange humming sound from above
Both of us looked up in awe
Then I remember bright lights shooting down
That's the very last thing that I saw

NO, I HAVEN'T been drinking!
NO, I'm NOT insane!
It's only 9:30 in the morning!
Of course I have no idea what day?!

WHAT?
You want me to get in the back seat?
And tell the Judge what it is that I saw?
To tell the truth Officer, I'm not sure I can sit down
For some odd reason my butts a tad bit raw...