Sometimes I wonder what might’ve been
It hurts to remember what we had back then
I still think of you, I can’t help myself
We were one in a million
There is no one else
Who has touched me as you have
No, nobody else
We could’ve made it
I’m sure of that
Though we live apart, you live in my heart
Consoling in a way
Still, I will always miss you every day
So, I send my love to you
Though you’re so far away
We could have made it
Way back when
But this is now
And that was then

The stars of Dan and Merritt shine bright
Amidst fine friends and family
How fortunate we are to share these special moments
For this is what life is all about
The love we’re meant to see
These two lovers
Now weren’t they meant to be?

This is a celebration unlike any other
They have volunteered to make the world a better place
May they grow old together
May they have a grand old time
With much mirth and joy
Shooting for sublime
Welcome to our family
As we join with thine

I object to all the attorneys
All they do is fight
The judges are too crusty
Trials take too much time
Just plain crazy are the clients
The clerks too often mean
I’m so tired of going through pat-downs
And being screened by those **** machines
Me, I’m a juror, no one cares for me
I don’t want to be here
Justice ain’t easy
And the subject, human misery
That’s what I evaluate
Look at those with whom I must agree
As we deliberate
But after all, this is democracy
And the great leveler is the jury system
This is public service
The price of being free
So all in all, I can’t complain
It is an honor here to be

I’m thankful for good health
And that of all my friends
I’m thankful to have my friends
The many I have got
I’m thankful for my wife
She means so much to me
Keeps me sane and well fed
Is great fun and with to be
I’m happy to be happy
To live in this great world
To see all that I have seen
These days, with my girl
I’m happy in my daily job
It’s interesting, I’m fulfilled
I’m thankful for the English language
Which stirs my intellect
I get to write verse at will
Sometimes I connect
I’m thankful for the weather
California’s the place to be
I’m thankful, very thankful
Lucky old me

I guess I did not know her
She sure had me fooled
Those walks and talks
Those kisses
Enough to burn this city down
All a man could want
To be satisfied
Then, in an instant she was gone
This mirage who cornered me
My disappearing angel
It used to be lovely
I shake my head in anger
With a dose of what was that
Once upon a time is all it was
My world went flat
So she indeed is gone
But still in my thoughts
That tawny breath of sassiness
Who made the difference
In this ordinary life
Who means everything to me
Life goes on, but our love does not
It is just not meant to be

He was late to his own funeral
The hearse finally arrived
The driver got lost
Thank God Mr. Dead had died
The mourners were reasonably mournful
There was a party afterward
Paid for by the dead man
To give them all one last thrill

The memories were aplenty
Helped by a fine Cabernet
Friends and enemies communed
Yeah, those good old days
“Jeez, we’re all getting older,”
So many of them said
Annoyed at the inevitable
Each would be there some day

If you gotta go
Do it right
Honor the good times
Celebrate the life

Feisty as a hurricane is she
Kind and fair and soft
Who changed me for the better
Improving me by far
I want to please her
Every day in every way
And she loves me
What more need I say?

It’s everything about her
Her touch, her lips, her smell
Her class, her energy
We get on so well
She believes in me
As I believe in her

I've had a good life without you
You are a true love
One from the heart
My lasting because

I have a good wife,
She owns my heart
You've got your man
You will never part

We once had a great future
That's in the past
But I'll always love you
Such soul, sass and class
Lost love
I'm a member of your fan club
I'm not the only one
You're a legend of love
As to ours, we both won

I've had a good life without you
There's no rancor in me
Just happy thoughts
Of how we used to be

In the halls of justice
Sometimes it gets done
Amidst the heartaches and the angst
Justice is hard won
Obtaining justice
A hard one
Parties fuming
Judges ruling
Lawyers arguing
Clerks filing
Stenographers typing
All for justice
Because people disagree
Corporations run amok
People hurt
So many accidents
In the middle of it, me

True story
Life 101
Mom and Dad are near the end
God bless themselves
For their love of 65 years
Married bliss
For real
Forever
One long passionate kiss
But they are failing
Together they must be
Look, they’re in their nineties
Still, you can grieve
But you have to smile at what happened today
They wanted to be together
So the two hospitals arranged
For them to share a room
Here’s a picture of them holding hands
Together, two lovers
Together at the end
It’s a beautiful ending
Of two lives well led

We set them up, the babe and me
Two candidates for romance
Who wanted to believe their someone was out there
And within reach
That’s where we come in
We knew them each
He was charming in a Bogart kind of way
Well presented, dapper with that blue beret
Traveled and educated, witty you would say
And kind, so very kind, the kind of person you would relay
To a beauty you might also know
Which we did, last night, we so enjoyed them make a go
Dinner and drinks, the conversation lively and fun
They locked into each other
It was time for us to run
Today we got the verdict
Yes, a perfect match
I envision a wedding
Surely, they’re a natch

Today I’m very senti
Angry and resigned
At all the things that went wrong
Now just lost to time
Memories that were never made
Relationships gone wrong
How my heart aches
To sing this so sad song
Still, if it weren’t for the good times
I would not have these thoughts
But that’s the way it is
The way it has to be
At the end of the day
The one to blame is me
Yes, I’m very senti
So tender is this heart
With a past that ever haunts me
I’m unable to outsmart

I hear that song I loved back then
When I was pursuing her
A song about unrequited love
Yeah, I was sure
Lord, I tried so hard
Did my very best
But I went nowhere
Not sure I ever had a chance
My fated, failed quest
So to hear that tune is bittersweet
I don’t want to remember then
Someone broke my heart
That was way back when

I thought we were in love
At least one of us was
That tune has everything
But its ending is wrong

The stairs of Montmartre
Are there to reckon with me
Calling me back
Then chasing me away
It’s no good to visit
Only ghosts are there
I walk briskly down the stairs
Each step, another one as I try to leave the past
I doubt she comes back here
To the place where we parted
Or should I say where she ditched me?
I force a smile to the others nearby
But my nonchalance is not sincere
My sunglasses hide a tear
Still I come back
But I really don’t like it here

The house of Mimi is welcoming
She makes him feel at home
A warm fire, empathy
Cinnamon tea and scones
He’s not alone on Valentines Day
At least he’s got her
Both in the same situation
Each nursing the hurt
That comes from a romance gone south
From a dream that turned into a lie
Two broken hearts on the mend
Seeking shelter in a darkening sky
Love when it works is a fairy tale
Satisfying, a high
But it can be a gang of sadness
When it goes awry
So they commiserate
Laugh at their misfortune
Maybe hug and cry
The hue in the room is not always gloom
Sometimes it glows with a gentle light

Let’s take a walk down Memory Lane
So much to see
Lovers and others I discover
Such history
My first kiss
My first love
The young ‘un who was me
What I learned
What I lost
Regrets for sure
Good times with good friends
What came to be
Older, somewhat wiser
Checking out the past
Measuring, reminiscing
Remembering what lasts

I like a good party, love those where everyone is in the business, mostly ​retirees now in "private security." Yeah right.
There is always a lot to discuss, hopefully, without rancor or discord as ​everyone gets lit, and there are tales of tails in Lagos, Istanbul and ​Bratislava.
Meet lovely Katia from Yugoslavia which doesn’t exist anymore
Just like our love affair when we worked on opposite sides but shared the ​same bed.
If it hadn’t been for Tito, she’d probably still be titillating me
I feel a chill, when I turn to see who enters the room,
The swarthy entrant likewise stiffens as we both reach for the weapon ​we aren’t carrying.
It’s Elmer, at least that's how I knew him, the gun-running second in ​command under Noriega, whom I had orders to **** and he had orders ​to do the same and we both tried our best to do so in those dark days ​before the pock-marked General got blasted out with help from ​Hendrix and The Doors --- but that's another story
"Hi Elmer," I grimace a hello.
He responds, "Buenos noches, Jose," and sits down next to me!
It’s been ten years since he'd last tried to ****** me at that shoot-out in ​the warehouse where he had to abandon the coke, $100 Million ​worth.
Thank God, it isn't like old times, or I would be dead.
Sitting there I have never felt more alive, adrenalin on high
Thank God, I don’t want to slay him anymore
Try making small talk with an ex-nemesis like him
You don't ask about the kids, where he lives, and where he stashed his ​loot.
We nod politely and discuss the mundane
He tells me he never like assassinations, and always thought I was a good ​guy, that I was lucky he wasn't much of a shot.
Jeez, this is a weird business
It was time for further socializing so we both move on
I keep my back to the wall for the rest of the party
And Katia by my side
Say, darling, what do you say we split this joint for a secret, special ​rendezvous?

You can’t take away the past
But it’s not going anywhere
The memories do last
But they’re going nowhere
They can keep you company
But they’re no substitute
When the train leaves the station
It takes your heart en route
To the blue horizon
Where dreams go to rest
You give thanks for the good times
Even though that’s all that’s left

Past perfect is grammatically correct
Along with question marks and exclamation points
That signal the shipwreck
That shall languish in the sands of time
No longer to sail the seas of romance
Slumbering on the reef of disappointment
It had its chance
But that ship long ago sailed
Only ghosts shadow dance

If I’m being elliptical
There’s a reason why
I don’t need to name names
The two of us would cry
If I made it public
In private we forever sigh
We had our once upon a time
Then we said goodbye

I was out by my lonesome
Happy being sad
That’s what I told myself
Poor little lad
Set adrift by my one and only
How dare she do that to me?
So I went sailing by myself
In the sea of this city
Chance meetings are rarely that
Not if you believe in destiny
I’m shy like everyone else
But I’ve learned to be
A bit forward
And she was looking at me
Tall, and such a doll
And she was looking at me
We were at the drinks counter
At the supermarket
There place where the chic
Go to eat; everyone looking pretty sharp
I asked what was in her order
That’s how it began
We had lunch on the outdoor porch
I hit a grand slam
Guess who’s got a date tonight?
No more shall I grieve
I have met my future
Here name is Alexia
She’s going out with me!

Let’s make this one about you
I like it when you’re amusing
You can do that as often as you’d like
What you pack in my lunchbox is always tasty
Thanks for keeping the house clean

If we hadn’t met this would be a very different poem
I’d be grousing about not having met you
Well I’m glad that’s over
Do you want to go for a ride?
Good, get in the car

I’m 32 feet in length
36 feet high
Been all around the world
Oh, the docks and sights I’ve seen
Enough to make me sigh
I knew the Sloop John B
We hung out in Nassau
Then we moseyed
To St. Barts, where many parties occurred
I like a choppy wind on glassy seas
With a group of sailors who know what their doin’
Don’t need any pleas
Had a woman fall overboard back in ‘21
That was a close one
Not at all fun
She got off at the next port
Fine by me, I’m a good sport

I’ve had seven skippers
They’ve all been pretty good
Mr. Bill is the latest
He does what he should
I’ve become a luxury cruise ship
That’s fine by me
As long as you keep me polished and clean
Call me the Seventh Sea

When I was young I dreamed of love
Who would she be?
When would she arrive?
Where would we meet?

As I grew older my hopes did smolder
But I carried on
I had many lovers
But never discovered
The one who would be the one

The years rolled by
The tears did not dry
Where oh where could she be?
Unsatisfied, I still tried to believe
She would come to me

This is a story that has no end
For now she is with me
We got together
I’m talking forever
This I know and believe

Yes, dreams and wishes come true
Before you know it tomorrows become yesterdays
And everything turns out OK

Welcome to the house of blues
I’m the maître d’
Have a seat anywhere
Some people never leave
Most don’t eat
They just drink and stare
Order up a double
Swirl the ice around
They are troubled
Very down
But so aware

Maybe jazz will soothe
A standard the pianist plays
The clientele get lost in thought
In dreams of yesterday
After all, it’s the house of blues
Where they come to stay

Welcome, have a seat
It’s like this every day

Never say never, not with me
I never give up as you can see
I’ll wait forever if that must be
I must do so, and patiently

I know what I want
So I want you to know
Love lasts forever
There’s no stop and go

With determination
I hope and pray
For your understanding
That someday you’ll stay
In our happy home
Where we share the address
And the whole world knows
Of our happiness and harmony
Where we’re never alone

I hear you, though I cannot see
Been blind since I was 13
Degenerative affliction got me
Nothing I can do, got this white cane
I’m listening to you
Including when you don’t notice
Like at the table to your right
I’ve been assigned to gather info
During times when you’re not uptight
Like at dinner at this fancy restaurant
Who would think I work for the Company
And do so at this haunt?

I know your voice well, I’ve heard it many times before
When you’ve been at embassy parties
I was near the door, my back to you
I heard all you had to say about those troop deployments
The retaliation then in play which I duly reported
And we dealt with that affair with one of ours
Stealth is my business, why I dare to be here tonight
With my good friend and confidant who watches out for me
Gives me cover on our jaunts

I hear everything, that’s what I’m trained to do
I’ve learned how to concentrate on everything that’s said
I can even feel it when you nod your head
And I’ve got this job, which truly I love
Good pay involving state secrets
Soon it will be time to leave
Then I’ll phone to my boss
Tell him what you believe

Love has made a fool of me
But then I’m a fool for love
A doggone crazy loon
Lost in that fog
Because I believe in fairy tales
Some do come true
She walked out of a blizzard
Right into my life
She is so beautiful
I can really tell
The way she holds herself
“Come and sit a spell,” I said
Indeed she did
Life only happens once
I’m not a kid
I thought we could be next to each other
No matter what occurs
I just have that vibe
I could be hers
She could be mine
Love has made a fool of me
And I’ve got the time

It’s a good morning
Good morning to you
Good morning to life
Good morning to all
A bright day ahead
Soon I’ll surprise
My lover and let her discover
That if we try
We’ll build her a future
A beautiful sigh
For today is the day
I’ll ask for her hand
Today is the day
When she’ll understand
How much I love her
That I always will
Today is the day
Today is a thrill

She’s awakening now
Those big bright eyes
Greet me with a smile
It’s a natural high
Hanging together
Hanging forever
Hanging today
For the rest of our lives

A string of pearls ever classic
On her, two classics aligned
When I’m with her
It’s classic
Just classic
Perfection defined
While I’m at it
I should mention too
That she brings out the best in me
She’s just that cool

Love doesn’t wait around
It didn’t for me
When my inamorata
For whom I had waited so long
Announced she was ready
Ready to be with me
I delayed, chuffed at her delay
Three weeks later she was gone
Married a business manager
Took me many years to get over her

Then there was the time I was a two-timer
Stupid me
I didn’t push enough to see which one was real
My true love left me with that last great photo
It’s all is that’s left is to conjure up what might have been
So take it from me
Be on your game
Because love is no game
That love was taken from me
I was robbed by my indolence
That robber is me

Drew was much older than Cecilia
No matter, his love was pure
Cece didn’t view him as a father figure
She knew he was the right one for her
Look, Chaplin had Oona
Then there was Serge and Jane
It could happen, it did happen
It was love by any name

In the desert they would roam
They lived to hike
He was a gourmet
Who cooked for her at night
Over a nice rose, by candlelight
They would nuzzle
As the years turned into decades
They aged without fear

So judge ye not
For they have got
As tight a bond you’ll ever see
Evidenced by what each never takes off
A matching wedding ring

Such a hot number the CPA thought
It added up in his head
June had a lot of what he needed
So he bought her a drink and gave it a shot

Betty looked criminally good the DA mused
With that demeaner any man would
Do what he could to convince her to go on a date
She was the judge to decide his fate

Dave is the MD from an Ivy League school
Mary is the nurse over whom the residents drool
Watch him spend more time than he usually does
Talking with her just because he’s taking her temperature
He says it’s for a just cause

They are so professional, these men seeking love
They get only such much from the self-esteem that comes
From having a job; they need someone to share all they do
Solitaire is a losing game; it’s like wearing one shoe

This is the give and take of each day
From here to everywhere, for eternity
Men seeking women; making a play
Hoping for romance to come their way

A sleuth for the truth
Your basic PI
Dogged, intrepid
A domestic spy
Cheating spouses
A daily routine
I find the missing
Track where they’ve been
Unobtrusive I am
Silent and stealthy
I get people in trouble
Out of a jam
Sometimes there’s bad news to deliver
To the one who hired me
Necessitating a new start
What I can’t do is fix a broken heart
Don’t get me wrong
I love what I do
Solving life’s puzzles
The old gumshoe
People are sneaky
With me they get caught
I’ve thought about it a lot
I’d make a good cop

Historical events, I’m reminded everyday
I see it in the news
The news of yesterday
I’m brought back to the times
What I was doing and knew then
It’s always about romance
Did I have a special friend?

Yes I did, I remember as I review the news of yesterday
I wanted to marry her
I made the play
Only to find I was yesterday’s news
She’d gone away
Had a new lover which I didn’t discover
Our ship had sailed

The news from then brings back sad memories
Not only for the world, but especially for me
A broken heart in a broken times
The former is me
I still smart when I recall what happened then
I’ve moved on but never all the way
Some of the hurt never ends
It doesn’t go away

The red leather banquette gives comfort to the jazz loving private detective Peter Bend as the quartet grooves in the half-filled, restaurant-bar that borders on noir
Nursing his gimlet with a lime twist, he considers the events of the day
He’s been hired by a billionaire, Archie Kuehne, whose wife, Edith,
disappeared a week ago with a complex ransom note seeking mucho bitcoins left in the house
Archie has now become a suspect ergo Peter has a proper retainer
and a client who swears he’s innocent
In cases like this, the husband usually did it
Doesn't seem to be any evidence of suicide
Edith had signed a prenup agreement so money doesn’t figure
Nor are there signs of marital discord
Police are baffled, in a tunnel
Investigative journalists hover everywhere including in this semi-dive
Where to start?
Archie already paid $1 million to the kidnappers to confirm she was alive but that didn’t get him anywhere
Cryptocurrency is not easily traced
“Guess I’ll have to learn about it,” Peter thinks
The retainer feels pretty good in his wallet
Because there’s a job to do, Peter pays his tab and marches
into the twilight
He’s paid to produce miracles, but miracles are hard come-by
He whistles a happy tune, then looks at his rearview mirror
Uh oh, somebody is following him
His gun feels comfortable in the holster under his arm
He wonders what this is about?

Finally, some respite
Finally, indeed
I need a break
Neville, take heed
You can only work so hard for so long
Time for a break
Get away from the slog

The manifesto is fun
A galloping fury of joy and laughter
Maybe a little rapture
We’ll get carried away
In a derby of pleasure and leisure
C’mon let’s play

Remember the days when we first met?
I’m bringing them back again
You and me lolling about
Cares thrown to the wind

I got my Mojo working  
Then it petered out
Must have been my fault
In need of the operational manual
I was flummoxed, at halt
So I asked myself
“What should Trevor do?”
So I hit default
And began to sway
To the music that was playing
Then she came my way
Together we just stood there
All we did was sway
Finally, I took her on the dance floor
We began to sway
All we did was sway
It wasn’t about the dance-steps
Just the rhythm we did feel
Comfortable with each other
So very real
Thus began our odyssey
Present, yes and still today
Oftentimes when we hear music
Together we just sway

I’m so happy they’re so happy
Life is good today
They’ve got an international love
So do we
I wouldn’t have it any other way
They got the paparazzi
We got her and me
Selfies are just fine for us
All we need to be
In love
Is love
Ain’t that the way for her and me?

Woe begotten, love forgotten
That’s what it appeared to be
Then she arrived and I survived
My darling EMT
Who gave me kisses,
Oh the blisses
With conviviality
We’re now a couple
Inseparable
No one can get between her and me

I’ve got the night beat
This is my town
Come with me
I get around
I know the clubs
Got friends everywhere
Know where the lovers park
We could go there
But first its time for a bite
At the Elbow Room
Cool jazz with some chard
Then we Zoom to the palace on the alley
The decor I swear is something to die for
From there, we go cruising down the boulevard
You and me with the top down in my Firebird
Yes I’ve got the night beat
You’re coming with me
The evening is young
So are we

With one hand waving we sail the sea
Baby ties her scarf on tight
It’s a perfect breeze
As we explore, contrast and compare
No, there ain’t nothing like this
Not anywhere

In waters turquoise we deep sea dive
Even the fish are friendly
It’s great to be alive
This is life at its best
With love as good company

I’ll bring home pictures
To prove what I say
Oh, and we’re coming back
If I do say
For feelings that emerged, and then surged
It’s been that kind of day

I could not help the thought
As I dawdled for a minute
Considering what we have lost
I know we could have made it
Had we gone around that bend
Sometimes I can’t help wonder where we’d be
If only now was then

If only now was then
If only there was time
To go back to yesterday
When I was yours
And you were mine

At least we had our love
At least we really tried
To take our magic to the end
I’ve carried it inside
From all the way back when
Sometimes I can’t help wonder where we’d be
If only now was then

If only now was then
If only there was time
To go back to yesterday
When I was yours
And you were mine

If only, if only, if only, if only
Today was yesterday

This is the scene, the place
Where my tears did fall
This is where she broke my heart
If I must recall
That dreary day so long ago
When she told me we were through
“I could not wait any longer,” she said
It was such bad news
I’d never cried before, not like that
She was someone I could marry
So I thought
Instead I went kerplat
Down and out
Into the land of funk
Somehow I made it out
Here I am back today
Ruminating, researching
What was that about?
It was a long time ago
But the wound still smarts
Life is not perfect
Ask those with broken hearts
Some never mend
They just go on
Take me for example
For I am one

A million thank yous
And so many more
We’ve come a long way
There’s no end in store
It’s just the two of us
Always and everywhere
One long adventure
Our future secure
This love is comfy, cozy
As strong as it is true
My life came together
The day that I met you

Do your best
That’s the goal
And be kind
Then life will be happy
So I try
Every day I try
It’s no secret
It’s what you do
You know what?
It feels really good
Time is short
There’s so much to do
Moving ahead
Liking and loving
Living life to the max
I better
As I ain’t coming back

Descending down to the tarmac
To reality
The good, the bad and the ugly
Having been away was good
I think
Isn’t it always wise to travel?
To see dear friends?
Meet new people?
This old soul needs to keep going
Grabbing the next rung
As the clamor and pressures of life
Rise up to greet me
Fortunately it’s a three day weekend
Look, I’m still showing up
Isn’t that worth something?

The perfect stranger she thinks
With just one good look at him
He finds her tantalizing
A match it is with a spark
With a fire that starts
Instantaneously
Effortlessly
Excitingly

He buys her a drink
That gets her talking
Gives him time to think
She’s about as perfect as perfect gets
She’s already entranced
There is heaven in his scent
It’s mutual attraction that lasts into the night
They can’t stop talking to each other
It’s seems so very right

One thing leads to another
They share a perfect kiss
Love has got got them covered
This is really it
At this moment they are planning
How their lives will intertwine
Togetherness it will be
Until the end of time

It was a moment that led into an hour
Then a day, then a month, then years,
Then a life
A life of love
From an instant to a minute
And then on
To an endless supply of mirth and merriment
And just plain contentment
As we ambled down the road
Together, together
Ever, ever
Never to sever
Locked forever
However we go
Wherever for we know
We’re not going anywhere without the other

Leap into love and the net will appear
When love calls, go
Anywhere may lead to forever
You must take the chance
When it beckons
Gamble on romance
Fly a thousand miles
Or maybe none at all
As long as you’re open to it
After all, it’s why you are here
To love and be loved
Your destiny is to meet
Your dearly beloved

She’s my rock and the way I roll
Solid and right
Up for almost anything
We just might
Climb a mountain
Fly that kite
Have a smooch
Ride a bike
See a movie
Visit friends
Just relax
It all depends
On the day
Where our hearts may lead

Historical events, I’m reminded everyday
I see it in the news
The news of yesterday
I’m brought back to the times
What I was doing and knew then
It’s always about romance
Did I have a special friend?

Yes I did, I remember as I review the news of yesterday
I wanted to marry her
I made the play
Only to find I was yesterday’s news
She’d gone away
Had a new lover which I didn’t discover
Our ship had sailed

The news from then brings back sad memories
Not only for the world, but especially for me
A broken heart in broken times
The former is me
I still smart when I recall what happened then
I’ve moved on but never all the way
Some of the hurt never ends
It doesn’t go away

We were all head honchos
That was way back when
With youth and vigor
We thought we could do anything
We almost did
But life caught up with time
In the middle class we hid
Making our way
Fighting to make a life
Some broken hearts along the way
I don’t miss the strife
I look back in dismay
At the love I have lost
The ones I still think about
Measuring the cost
Those ships have sailed
Gone to foreign shores
Memories are our buried treasure
One way we keep score
You can’t be indifferent to what really matters
We keep searching for more
Life is an adventure
Love is the fuel
We may no longer be young
But we’re very much alive
And dare I say cool