Love comes in all sorts of shapes, forms and sizes
It’s beautiful in everyone
Mysterious and wonderful
Cool and sublime
No more at the corner of sad and lonely
No, we’re gonna be just fine
It’s you and me and the wild blue yonder
It’s barge cruising down the Nile
It’s bicycling in the South of France
There’s no denial
We’re on to something and we won’t let go
I’m your man
And you, you’re everything
My woman
My woman for sure

An affair of the heart
I live for it
My lover loves me
Never to quit

So dear to me
So deep the trust
A perfect fit
Yes we must
Stay together
As we travel
Our merry way
This is what I dreamed of
She has come to stay

There was a boy who loved the girl
But it all went awry
I can’t say their names or give you hints
That’s not the way it works
If you think you know who I’m talking about you won’t be the first
It’s Sunday mourning
The spirit has come to town
Arriving with remembrances
Of when she used to be around
That boy really loved that girl
She loved him right back
Call it fate, bad luck or happenstance
Doesn’t matter much
It just turned out bad for both
They miss each other’s touch
Loving each other from a distance
Ever it shall be
They had so very much

It was chilly, the skies overcast
In our overcoats, scarves that matched
Our hands clasped, our faces bright and cheery
In love we were, in love clearly

We were one for the other
One for each other
Life wonderful, so free
As good as it gets
Giving the sense
Life is a dream

How I remember that December
The vows that we made
The fun we had just walking along
Protecting the other from the rain

Yes, those were the days
Those were the days
Those were the days for good
In my heart they still live
In my heart they stay strong
In my heart our love goes on

The first time I fell in love
I was so very young
Eight I think I was
Old enough
To know that she was someone special
What a girl!
I used to dream about her
Then she moved somewhere in the world

I lost her, even wept
Oh so long ago
But then came Julie
In the 10th grade
Oh, I loved her so
She was brilliant
Sunny too
I had my first kiss with her
But the next year we were through

Let me tell you about Paula
We were at university
Oh what we learned together
Of which I should not speak
Those were good times
Golden yesterdays
She became an actress
The movies took her away

Next is Sandra, so much sass with class
We worked together closely
I can’t remember who made the first pass
Let’s just say we were intimate
I wanted her to stay
But she went off to Paris, France
Fashion held her in sway

Patricia, my dear Tricia
Is the one who captured me
Irresistible, just plain marvelous
She fulfills my needs
With smothering kisses
A smile so ever bright
She became my missus
We’re together every night

Waves crashing
What do you want?
The end of the beginning?
Must it haunt
The love affair that never started?
The failure at that restaurant
You gave everything you had
No need to be ashamed
Chalk it up to fate
You’re home on the range
Just another dude with a lasso
Yet you’re waiting to be captured
Good life ain’t no hassle
There’s such joy in living
We see it every day
The waves keep crashing
Nothing gets in their way

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

To hear you sigh
To see you laugh
To know that you are near
Invokes the deepest feelings
One could ever have
Life may be evanescent
But our love is not
You make it real
You make it hot
Filled with warm love
Cooler than any breeze
We sail through life
Finally, I’m at ease
Which is all to say
My dear special one
I live for you
You are my sun

I used to write her name in longhand
Nearly every day
My first love
But it didn’t stay
Ooh it hurt
Long ago, yesterday

I don’t write her name anymore
I rarely think of her
In gauzy reflection
I remember the good times

I won’t recapture the feelings
Of this erstwhile lad
Just ruminate and reminisce
I’m no longer sad

Long ago and far away
I once loved that girl
But life moves on
And so have we
No longer in each other’s world

I know you’re dancing alone in your underwear
Me too
Not gonna show it
Turning off Zoom
Yep, hunkered down
In my aerie hideaway
Making calls to my friends
How are you doing today?
Glad to be here
Can you believe these days?
So we dance
We sing
We contemplate
Taking an enforced break
But not from life
Nor reality
We dance alone
In our underwear
Quarantined but still free

They towed my T-bird
Landlord is at the door
Trying to get ahead
Gonna make that score
Big blue sky
Still mine be assured
They can’t tow me
Just the T-bird

I got no cash but I ain’t down
It’s  just just an opportunity
Not gonna drown
For me to achieve
No mountain gonna stop me
You better believe

I guess for now I’ll taking the bus
I’ll make the best of it
Won’t cuss
Just **** it up

They towed my T-bird
I don’t need a car
I got two good feet
I can wish upon a star

They towed the T-bird
But they can’t tow me

My heart is warm again
We’re in a love so fine
That breakup nearly did me in
I cried ‘til I went blind
I’ll spend my life alone, I thought
Sometimes love is so unkind
A mystery unsolved, unresolved
A true romantic crime
Then we met and hit it off
We touched tentatively
Until into each other’s arms we flew
We are meant to be
And so my heart is warm again
Goodbye misery
I have hope and someone I love
And someone who loves me

No two ways about it
There’s only one of us
Two for all the good times
Win place and show
In the winners circle
We always go
The plan is to keep on
All the days and nights
To please each other
We won’t give up the fight
We appreciate our good fortune
We know what to do
Keeping it together
Each day something new

Our time I shall ever remember
So good it was
Lost in each other’s hearts
We were so young
With dreams and wishes
To carry us as we rolled along
Those were days of wonder and awe
We sure had our fun
Those golden memories
Of precious days gone
Our living history
Somehow we go on

The best night out
Is an evening in with you
A bottle of wine
I’ll make the stew
A movie to watch
Snuggles to be had
A night in with you
Perfect for this lad

If I don’t talk
That is because
I like listening to you
For you give me pause
To enjoy your brilliance
Your beauty just awes

We’ve got all we need
In this happy home
My darling you are
In the loving zone
Happy, so happy
Happy to be
Hanging out with my lovely
My baby and me

The reluctant goodbye it is
Always lingering in my mind
Your endearing whisper
I still hear
So far away, yet so near
Thus, still mine
No way to forget your tender sighs
It was love without fear
Hopes and dreams
Kisses and more
So very dear
A future we had
Coffee we shared on crisp days
Sharing plans of two lives becoming one
I wish I knew then what I know now
Looking back doesn’t get us anywhere
What’s done is done
Sometimes clouds come between
A glorious, warm, inviting sun

It only makes me sad
Loves I have lost
Their echoes return
And linger with frequency
When I have down time
It really is downtime
What good is it to reminisce?
I used to be the moonlight king
Kissing was a specialty of mine
Those days are gone
Am I at the end of the line?
Consider the embers of sorrow
Ever there, reminding me
Chasing me even
I can’t reason with them
They just taunt me
Ergo I weep alone
Jagged, frustrated weeping
For there is no going back
The past collides with my psyche
As I attempt, wearily, self-help
There has got to be a way out of here

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

Marie is his great love
So he is to her
Tom asked her to dance at the disco
It began as a whim
She was a student, he a young professional
It was magic
They connected
United in love
One morning as they awoke,
She asked him if he thought forever they could be?
He nodded yes, it was evident, their eventuality
But they were double-crossed
So cruel their fate
A car accident kept them away
Time would not wait
There were further misconnections
The years marched on
They grew older
Their love never gone
Marie thinks of him
Tom does of her
Life and love are not fair
Of that both are sure

I want an old-fashioned love
Starting with you and me
Starring each other
Giving freely
Strong as a rock
Gentle and deep
Each for the other
Ever to be
An old-fashioned love
We are destined to be
It’s all about you
It includes me
So tell me you’re ready
For the ride of your life
The ultimate journey
A man and his wife
An old-fashioned love
Yes, we can be
Cozy and comfy
In pure harmony
An old-fashioned love
So we shall be
Living and loving in pure harmony

All lips and hips
He shook it down
He took us out
As we all rode the mystery train
One long shout
Filled with vigor, imagination
All about
Rambunctious earthiness
And sweet desire
It’s what we deserved
Together, we built the fire

All hail to the King
And that leather suit he wore
On the Comeback Special
What’s more
Is the legacy
Never will it die
That magic music
Still shaking our insides

So it is with appreciation and fondness
Deep inside my heart
I give tribute from this earnest fan
Who gave us its start
Rock and roll is still here to stay
I know you understand
On top of that I hear
He was a very nice man

You intrigue me
Me and everybody else
Without guile, with style
Chiffon meets batiste with lace
You own any room

You’re much better than me
What say we stay together forever?
I’d play catch-up all the time
But I’m fun to be around
Especially since I’m crazy about you

The news gets grimmer
Hope combats desperation
We worry, we pray, we console, we stay
Embedded in our houses
As the world suffers
Still, life goes on amid the fear and pain
This is the human condition:
Times of happiness
Or of war
Or of fevers that are deadly and widespread
We cling to our family and friends
Those who need help discover who their true friends are
Yes, we are in this together, meaning we all have an obligation
to act and stay safe
To support each other
To stay optimistic
To smile underneath the mask
We are not the first people of the world to face a global disaster
We will get through this somehow
We have the will, the power, and God is on everybody’s side

No one has ever cared for me quite the way you do
You see that I stay healthy as all the way you coo
How much you love me, that I’m your very best friend
Yes you have really changed my life
For the better, for sure,
Thank you and amen

You softened up my grizzly life
I couldn’t bear loneliness much longer
Unaware that you were just around the corner
In spite of my sorry self you cozied up to me
Next thing we were dancing
The rest is history

It was worth the wait
Holding out for you
For no one has ever cared for me
Quite the way you do

Come sit by me
I’ve got tea and if you’re nice, sympathy
There are so many things to talk about
Let’s start with me, then we’ll head into you
Is this any way to start a romance?

I’ve had it with non-sequiturs
Stay on point if you know what’s good for you
I don’t like being the underdog
How did you get on top of me?
You’re all I think about, when I’m not thinking about me

All in all, life’s been good
But there are certain moments that stand out
When time stood still
When it was that outstanding thrall
Of peace in our time of love
Lying in bed
Certain of our future
Holding each other close
These are the moments I remember
Those moments stand out

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

It’s summer and not going away
This cool hot Summer
We’re ready to play
Me and the babe
Gonna stay at the beach
Get that tan
Eat a peach
Hang with our neighbors
That’s the plan
Lemonade on ice
Burgers by the bay
Ice cream I predict
Lots of come what may
No plans except having fun
Me and the babe
Consider it done

“I’m out of their league they think
Too shy to make a move”
That’s what Missy the singing star says
She’s in a mood
Worldwide acclaim she has
But she’s so alone
How do you meet someone?
Especially on the road?
With security everywhere?

Missy is all by herself
Cursing what’s acute
Her need for love
Love with someone cute

So she writes songs about longing
About being alone
About her need for another
She wants to get goin’
Find someone to care for
Who will love her as much
Yes, and be there for
Times of triumph or sorrow
The good and the bad
It’s sharing she wants
What others have
As much

I’m wearing my father’s tie and cuff links
Doing so to honor him
Who I am, what I’ve achieved
I owe to him
Oh, he was a blessing
Oh, how he is missed
By all
So many lives he enriched
Take me, for example
He taught love and kindness by example
With that joyous laugh of his
As I knot this tie it imbues me with strength and wisdom
To face the day
He had faith, and so do I
He still leads the way

You think she’s never gonna show up
That’s your single thought
As you venture out to parties
Go on dates a lot
The years are pushing you
Resignation reigns
Going uphill on a skateboard
Is no fun in the rain

Then one day you find her
She makes you crazy
You can’t sleep
Desire keeps you waiting by the phone
You get weak in the knees

That is when you hold on
For dear life
Hold on
For dear love
Buy a ring
And hold on
Hold on for the fun

Cowboys, they don’t say a lot  
But when they do they mean it
Me, I’m a cowboy, taciturn but not mean
Leaning back in my saddle
Living the dream
I never complain
Just do my job
Work on the plains
Cross rivers and streams
Content with joys it brings
Sunsets over the valleys
The natural hot springs
My co-wrangling partners
The songs that we sing
Campfires to chat, to maybe reminisce
About legendary trail rides
Maybe the wife’s last kiss
Sun or moon, we’re living like stars
Drunk on life
No time for bars
In the wide open
It sure feels like home
Just rolling along
Looking forward to home

I’m the loneliness minister
What a job
Trying to bring joy
Where it has dissolved
It’s a real endeavor
Of which many do make fun
But it’s serious my mission
To help the lonely one
For there are so many
Shut off by themselves
I must make them smile
Into their misery I delve
From creating socials
Where the lonely can meet
To educational suggestions
Of how to beat
The vicissitudes of being down
Of not giving up
As the czar of anti-all-alone
I shall be on top of the populace
While trying not to complain
That my position is nearly impossible
It’s a long, long train

He’s just not that into you
I am
Let me in
Let me pick up where you left off
He’s history
I’m the future
And I’m so into you
So what do you say?
Make this a happy day
I’m lost in your reverie
Waiting patiently
So that you will see
We fit together perfectly

Yes I’m into you
Yes I do want you
Yes, yes, yes
So you must know, know, know
You can’t say no, no, no
I’m so into you

Forget that dude
There’s someone new
That’s me in all regards
Happy to be endlessly
In your thrall and charms

I’m into you
I’m into you
I’m so into you

She looks a lot like her
Big blue eyes
And auburn hair
The perfect size
But she’s not her
And will never be
So I do surmise
The issue is moving on
From what you can’t forget
You take it day by day
Hope for the very best

If you really want to know
I’ll tell it to you straight
I thought we were in love
Until my heart did break
I gave her all I had
And then some even more
I was so very sure
I think I’ve found someone new
But she looks a lot like her

I should be moving forward
Instead of looking back
What can you do when all you do
Is think about the past?
What should be ancient history
Swims inside my head
I’m running from a bad dream
That’s why I hate to go to bed

She looks a lot like her
I guess I’m going to try
There’s only one way out of here
Otherwise I’ll just cry
She looks a lot like her
I guess she always will
But maybe she’s the one for me
With those looks that ****

I’m coming her way
But that’s about all
She, I won’t see
We’ve moved on
No regrets has she
Not the same for me
I wish we’d never met
That there was no history

I should have seen the signs
Besotted ‘ol me
She was smart and pretty
I wanted her
Lord I tried
She led me on
Then it was goodbye

So here I am
Years after
Ruminating about
This romantic disaster
Wondering if she thinks of me
Not that it matters
Her I won’t see
Just visiting her town
With my wife on my arm
As I try to forget
The heart she did harm

Lost love and might have been
Twins united in sorrow
The long yesterday
Facing tomorrow
There is no salve
Only time will wash it away
That’s what you hope
But some pain ever stays

So here we are
With our memories
She told me goodbye
I went weak in the knees
Now I’m in her city
Our love remains gone
Captured in time
As we carry on

Lonely in a large city
I’m not the only one
There’s probably a million of us
Trying to have fun
While finding the one
I’m not over and done
Just exasperated
I don’t want to be
So lonely
So solo I do roam
Hoping I will meet eventually
The one who too is searching
Searching for me

It’s a giant puzzle
A maze, this quest
I’m in a forest,
Searching for the path
Working without a compass
Looking for my lass

There are lonely people in every city
They congregate in bars, churches, and parks
But they never meet
Their hearts are open
Their lives incomplete
Internet dating works for some
Or it happens by chance
So random is love
But it’s there
It will happen one day
But you gotta believe
And maybe pray

Let’s create a time capsule
To let those that follow us
Know how we lived
I think we must
First we’ll put a picture in it
Taken when we met
On that beach that sunny summer day
From there began our odyssey
That leads us to today
Oh, we had our quarrels
But it all turned out great
You got your new kitchen
So we’ll leave some recipes
On which they’ll love to dine
Then perhaps some music
Songs we’ve come to love
They’re yours and mine
When we cuddled under our blankets
Watching the stars above
It will be clears to them
We shared lots of love
There will be a letter
Commemorating our stay
In this happy home
Where we lived out our days
We’re so very happy
As we hope they will be
If our time capsule is discovered
Underneath the initials
Of you and me

3/19/21

Tenderness
Such tenderness
You like to take it slow
Me too
You know the way
You’re in control
Taking me to the nether regions
Body mind and spirit
Oh my gosh and whoa
Each every time we touch
You devour me
I’m such a lucky such and such
I can hardly believe
That I’ve entered nirvana
Oh, it’s the place to be
You’re the prettiest flower on this planet
The sun to me

A weekend in the country
Just what we need
The fresh outdoors
Even more
Smell the flowers
Nature is secure
As are we in our cozy abode
I’m making spaghetti
She makes herself at home
We’ve got friends and neighbors coming over
Who will visit and imbibe
We’ll tell funny stories
How we survive
The tribulations
That with modern life arrive
Our weekend in the country
Just an hour drive

On the bridge of love
The day we met
Smitten I was
Caught in her net
Such a beauty
Natural, with charm
Finally, we met
Love then took charge

Oh, we ran headlong
With brave intensity
Together, happy
Young and free
Days that were made
For dreams, for kisses
We were saved
Until it ended
Though in a way it never did
For I still love the lady
I’m still in touch with her

Sometimes I savor
Those memories
We had a true love
Ever does it please

Jim never got over Sue
Nor she him
The big mistake occurred so long ago
But that’s the way it is
Lovers with an abiding spirit
They still share today
But they can’t be together
Such a shame, no way
I’ll avoid the specifics
But fate and circumstance play the leads
Conspiring to prevent their consummation
Only memories now struggle to meet their needs
They can only do so much
They’re no salve
There is no solution
Not for this love

All women are cool
Some so very hot
I appreciate them all
Not that I have got
The key to understanding them
As to that I’m lost
They are such a mystery
Usually, they’re the boss

I succumb to their humor
Liveliness and style
I like a woman who is demure
But tough as nails inside

Women rule the world
We work so hard for them
All to make them happy
To be a family man

It’s always been that way
Since Eve and old Adam
Women are so very cool
Ask any men who have ‘em

It feels so great when I’m on stage
Waving my arms, smiling, laughing
The audience goes crazy and I do too,
But then I leave the crowd and she’s still gone
Romantic love has its ups and downs
Why can’t I give her up?
I’m still in love with her
But she not with me
Everyone loves me
Performing is bliss, such a high
Singing songs of romantic love
How I warm their hearts
But it’s a disguise
For then it’s over, just like us
The joy departs
Tenderness, sweet kisses
All that is amorous
Is what I’m all about
But in real life, it’s a miss
I’m the poet of hope
All that’s good about love
But happy? Nope
Meet this sad lonely artist offstage
Walking a tightrope

It’s not like in the movies
There’s much more to it
You can’t be superficial
Or the spirit goes flat
It takes a lot of work
Sometimes there will be pain
Relationships require the will to work it out
Let me explain
Love’s a train of commitment
Understanding too
Faith in destiny
Forgiveness so that one forgets
Just keep moving on
It’s a daily effort, but it is no chore
When two really tango, there is so much more
To living, to sharing in every way
When you can turn to another and simply say
I love you, when and then it’s really real
There’s a joy that permeates
To the world you can’t conceal
You’ve found the meaning of life
Surely this is love
Relationships, ah relationships
When they work, when you spend the time
Of them you can’t get enough of

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

This existential love affair lived on its own terms
What were we waiting for?
Our Godot did not show
Life, death, politics
Then there was us
Mordant philosophers we were
Bathing in ennui
The *** was good
Almost always is
The conversation in cafes our currency
Who had the best bon mot?
So savory  
Everything mattered
And nothing at all
We fought for our love because we thought we should
It died of its own accord
It moved on
Orbits still a satellite in my thoughts
Searching for its heart

The Princess needed to get away
A humdrum life she led
Movies have been made about this predicament
But this one is real, at a head
She wanted, needed, a holiday
So one day she slipped out of the palace, no one could see
She was off to have fun on her own, for the first time sightsee
Our young man had a day off, did not keep track of royalty
He spotted our lass at the patisserie
Invited her for pastry and coffee
Conversation ensued
It went so well, it imbued in their thoughts
That it was right that they should be enthused
At the prospects, the sheer happenstance
Both so alive, both so entranced
He worked as a doctor, healing the poor
She was coy about her life to her new suitor
Eventually she relented, told him who she was
She was trapped in royalty, that big because
You’ll be pleased to know they found a way
To kiss in bliss before the end of that day
And many thereafter, so many more
They now have two kids, one more in store
She’ll be queen one day, her love life secure

Two for all the good times
Win place and show
In the winners circle
We always go
The plan is to keep on
All the days and nights
To please each other
We won’t give up the fight
We appreciate our good fortune
We know what to do
Keeping it together
Each day something new

Poncho, there’s a commotion outside
What’s going on?
Come pronto
It’s a demonstration
Almost a party
People are shouting
They’re happy
Seems it’s about peace
That it’s come to be
Smiles instead of placards
It’s a jubilee
A celebration of life
Come and see
Let’s join the march
You and me