I remember when I saw you
for the first time years ago
You brushed me off without a glance
I thought "that's someone I should know"

Time went by and walls came down
I softened your demeanor
It took some work, but I won out
Because, hell...you couldn't get much meaner

A first is always tougher
No matter what it is you do
But, each first is well worth living
If I can have my first with you

A few months in another first
You met my folks and friends
when I brought you to that birthday do
The one I wished would never end

You took your time and wore me down
Another first came soon
I remember how your body shone
All sweaty 'neath the moon

A first is always tougher
No matter what it is you do
But, each first is well worth living
If I can have my first with you

We married six months after that
In a year our first was born
I can't remember which one cried the most
You, or our baby, just new born

Our first house came, we bought a dog
Things were off and at full speed
But with all of our achievements
You were the one thing I'd still need

A first is always tougher
No matter what it is you do
But, each first is well worth living
If I can have my first with you

We opened up our business
The first of many more to come
It wasn't that successful
but it was still our number one

I remember that day's phone call
The doctor said "I've bad news for you"
He told me of the tumour
I'd passed first and was stage two

Through radiation and my chemo
You were the one who was always there
I remember when you came in
And you had shaved off all your hair

A first is always tougher
No matter what it is you do
But, each first is well worth living
If I can have my first with you

I've been gone now for a while
I know it's tough, but I'm around
I can see you and our child
Even though I'm in the ground

There'll be more firsts now together
I know it just won't be the same
But, still it's firsts and your'e together
Like when we first played out this game

A first is always tougher
Even though it's not with me
But, each first is well worth living
Just make it the best that it can be

I write long stories
Short, medium as well
I write because I think that
I have something to tell

I've met people in my writing
All living in my head
They come to me in daytime
And they speak to me in bed

I don't know if I've met them
There's a chance they may be real
But, they're there inside me living
Letting people know just how they feel

I've singers, painters, dancers
blindmen, kids who like weird things
teachers, stutterers and hobo's
crippled kids and kings

I'm not sure if I've met them
But, by now, I know their names
I know everything about them
And I know, no one is the same

They keep me entertained and
I hope you like them too
I've got to move some boxes in my head
To see if I can find somebody new.

Another dark day in this dismal old place
Snow clouds were moving in fast
The sky was so dark, and the wind had a chill
This was a storm that was sure gonna last

At Cy's, The Old Pawn Shop was empty except
For Cy and the stores old dog Gruff
The storm was en route and Cy figured that this
Was a good time to go through the stuff

Years of memories, years of tall tales
They were all on the shelves in this store
There was all sorts of jewellery, tvs and clothes
And in the back was at least 40 years more

The door opened sharp and the bell startled Cy
He was checking the watches and clocks
A young man came in, dressed all in black
Cy said "push hard or the **** thing don't lock"

The young man was tall, about six two I'd say
Cy had never seen him before in his life
He'd said "Sir, I've an offer, you can take or can leave"
"And it's the best one you've had all your life"

Cy looked at the man, intrigued though he was
He said "Sit, and I'll put on some tea"
He went to the door, checked the oncoming storm
And then he put the sign up..."BE BACK AT 3"

They sat and they talked, and they laughed as the wind
Blew the snow up against the front door
Cy pulled out some books, went and made some more tea
Then the man left and left Cy in the store.

Later that night, under cover of darkness
The man came on back with a truck
Cy opened up, and with Gruff by his side
They watched as the man quickly loaded the truck

Two days had passed, and the whole town was white
The storm closed the town for a day
The streets were a mess and the schools were all closed
And the kids had the day off to play

On the third day, the town, woke up almost as one
With people phoning up Cy's by the score
For as they all left for work, there all wrapped up in brown
Was a box, sitting by their front doors

Jim, was the first, opened his box outside
Saw the watch that he pawned with Old Cy
Gianni, and Mike, and others as well
Received items they'd pawned by  and by

In total you see, almost 200 folks
Opened boxes paid off that dark night
Christmas was early for folks in the town
Given by a young man, who'd done right

Cy gave the names of the people he knew
Even though it was against the Pawn shop man's creed
He'd loaned out the money in interest free loans
To these folks that he knew were in need

About  five thirty that day, the young man returned
Cy and old Gruff were waiting inside
They spoke how his stunt was a universal success
And at this, they both laughed till they cried

The man rose from his seat, shook Cy by the hand
Cy asked "Why did you come here?"
The man answered "I'm here after my Mum"
"Her names Mary, and I heard she serves beer"

Tales of ghouls and trick or treats
Witches, ghosts, and things to eat
The spirit world is here to greet
It's Hallowe'en again

Soaping windows, creaky doors
Begging like addicted ******
They keep coming,  they want more
It's Hallowe'en again

Haunted houses, ghostly frights
Witches flying brooms tonight
A zombie lawyer is quite a sight
It's Hallowe'en agin

Charlie Brown and Snoopy too
Get rocks as treats, I ask...do you?
Dressed as smurfs, all done in blue
It's Hallowe'en again

The smell of fall is in the air
Tonight the kids are out to scare
I stay downstairs like I'm not there
It's Hallowe'en again

It's time to get new glasses
I can't see right when I read
A stronger pair of readers
That's exactly what I need
I just rented a movie
I was appalled at what was on
I was getting ready for an epic
But, boy, was I wrong
I wanted to be enlightened
To watch a film that touched my heart
But, I knew from the first scene
That I was wrong right from the start
I need to get new glasses
It will make it easier to see
And from the mistake with this old movie
It will save embarrassment to me
I wanted rabbis and bah mitzvahs
And the Torah and good news
but, I got a **** shark movie
Not one about the JEWS!!

Christmas was coming and sooner than not
There was lists to be made and gifts to be bought
Nothing real special, since money was low
But something from Santa with a beard white as snow
Jewellery, not likely, a book, not this year
The gift for this Christmas would be real sincere
Not handmade, or tacky like a plastic gift card
Like the one I got last year, to put a pond in my yard
This gift must be special, one to tick all the squares
To show thought was given, to show that I care
Not clothing, not music, maybe something from France
Nope....I did that last Christmas with those real, bad, tight pants
A photo, would do it, that would be the right gift
The picture would surely give their heart quite a lift
Now, which photo would do it, which one should I use
With so many to look at it was real tough to choose
I went down to the basement and went deep in the box
You know the one that I speak of, the one with brass locks
After hours of searching through the musty old crate
I found just the picture and I thought it was great
It was a photo of...sorry, I can't tell you what
It's a Don't Open Till Christmas type photo...with thought.

Just a kiss
that's all I need
to show me how you feel

A simple kiss
And nothing more
will show me this is real

I've got this feeling
and I know you do
That our souls are as one
But you know what
I need from you
Just one kiss before we're done

I need a kiss
And nothing more
To prove you love me true

Just one small kiss
Is all I ask
To make me one with you

I've got this feeling
and I know you do
That our souls are as one
But you know what
I need from you
Just one kiss before we're done

I see your eyes
They tell me yes
But your lips must seal the deal

To make my heart
Be one with yours
And show me love is real

I've got this feeling
and I know you do
That our souls are as one
But you know what
I need from you
Just one kiss before we're done

I'll never ask
Another one
For something such as this

For you're my one
and only one
And you just proved it with a kiss

When do you really lose them?
Is it when they up and die
Or is it when the diagnosis
Is one that makes you cry?


When you forget just how they sounded
Or just how they really looked
Do you lose them over time?
Do you forget the food they cooked?

You know you can bring them back with music
One song will bring them here
You'll remember how they sounded
One song and they are here
You'll remember when you met them
You'll remember how they smelled
One song and you'll remember
All the feelings that you held

Do you lose them when they're buried?
When you put them in the ground
do you keep an old phone message
To remember how they sound

Just because it takes more time now
To get a picture of their face
Doesn't mean that you have lost them
They're still all around the place

You know you can bring them back with music
One song will bring them here
You'll remember how they sounded
One song and they are here
You'll remember when you met them
You'll remember how they smelled
One song and you'll remember
All the feelings that you held

You never really lose them
They're in the music and your heart
You can bring them from the ether
Just when the music starts

So know, they've never left you
They're as close as close can be
Though you can't remember how they sounded
And they take some time to see

You know you can bring them back with music
One song will bring them here
You'll remember how they sounded
One song and they are here
You'll remember when you met them
You'll remember how they smelled
One song and you'll remember
All the feelings that you held

If you want into my life
Leave your baggage at the door
I've got enough all packed away
And I've no room for any more

I know you want to be with me
And I want to be with you
But, box up all your past mistakes
And you know what you can do

I've room to house all sorts of things
My cupboards are all bare
But, baggage like you're carrying
It's not stuff I want to share

If you want into my life
Leave your baggage at the door
I've got enough all packed away
And I've no room for any more

I went through hell a thousand times
Packed a bag inside my mind
for every failed relationship
And times I was caught blind

I want to have you in my life
And share our hopes and dreams
But, pack those bags up in your mind
And help deafen out the screams

If you want into my life
Leave your baggage at the door
I've got enough all packed away
And I've no room for any more

Whatever you did long before
Or even just last week
I don't need it here inside
I don't want to hear it speak

I've room for things..material
Like books and clothes and more
But if you bring bags of emotions
Then you'll not get past my door

If you want into my life
Leave your baggage at the door
I've got enough all packed away
And I've no room for any more

The invitation had arrived and I was over the moon
It is really quite a mouthful, and it is coming soon
The Second International Gender Non-Specific
Inter-Denominational, from Atlantic to Pacific
Freshwater Synchronized Swimming Competition

It's been eight years since the first was won by China
It was held in Illinois in a place known as Medinah
Turns out the swimmers used were just not what they seemed
The chinese had a total of nine atheists on their team

So, the time has come to try again and bring it to fruition
The I.G.N.I.D Freshwater Synchronized Swimming Competition
No date has been decided yet, due to issues with each church
So, even though the invitations out, we're still left in the lurch

Saturday is out because the Jews are all at temple
Sunday, the Christians all must set a good example
Friday, cuts the muslims out for they are at Mosque praying
So we've four days to hold this meet, is what I am now saying

The Chinese team is back again, but the Atheists are out
The team's made up of Christians and two Jews who are devout
Their working on a movement that involves making a cross
The Christian swimmers get it but the Jews don't give a toss

The team from Israel's withdrawn because they are all sitting Shivah
They had a coach drown last week, he hit his head while in the River
The Arabs won't be back, you see they're not interested in the least
They get confused while under water and don't know which way is east

The I.G.N.I.D Freshwater Synchronized Swimming Competition
Will take place in the New Year, we just need to get permission
The Jews won't swim with Muslims, and the Sikhs are up in arms
Because swimming with their daggers may cause other swimmers harm

But, we've got a great location at the lake up at the park
We can use it when we want to , but it must be after dark
Remember keep an eye out for a poster where you pray
We don't know just when we'll hold it, it may just be today

This is your invitation and the event is coming soon
It is really quite a mouthful, and it'll be held beneath the moon
The Second International Gender Non-Specific
Inter-Denominational, from Atlantic to Pacific
Freshwater Synchronized Swimming Competition

See you there...

I've always been the sane one
Straight and narrow all the way
Never got in trouble
Always went the proper way

Class President in High School
College, results were just the same
I never got in trouble
But no one knew my name

Today, I stole a car in Texas
Drove away into the night
Today I stole a car in Texas
For Once I did what wasn't right
Today I stole a car in Texas
I must be out of my freakin' mind
Today I stole a car in Texas
I drove off and left my past behind

Two kids, a dog ....so normal
A picket fence, A loving wife
PTA and sports and lessons
You know I had the perfect life

I was not one to get in trouble
But, the time had come to take the ball
When folks were asked for a description
I was fat and thin and short and tall

Today, I stole a car in Texas
Drove away into the night
Today I stole a car in Texas
For Once I did what wasn't right
Today I stole a car in Texas
I must be out of my freakin' mind
Today I stole a car in Texas
I drove off and left my past behind


I led a life so mediocre
I'm non-descript, a nowhere man
I just blend in with those around me
Just try and find me if you can

My future's on the road before me
Each day will bring me something new
I owe my wife an explanation
But I just did what I had to do


Today, I stole a car in Texas
Drove away into the night
Today I stole a car in Texas
For Once I did what wasn't right
Today I stole a car in Texas
I must be out of my freakin' mind
Today I stole a car in Texas
I drove off and left my past behind

A is for anthill which I have in my drive
B is for buzzing from a hidden bee hive
C is for cockroach that run all round the house
D is for droppings, that have been left by a mouse
E is for egg sack that hangs in my trees
F is for flying which the bugs do with ease
G is is for gophers which inhabit my yard
H is for hillocks with which my yard is marred
I is for insects which are all I can see
J is for june bugs, they're as big as my knee
K is for killing which I try to do
L is for lugworms that are shaped like a *****
M is for Mickey and his mousey like friends
N is for never...this infestation won't end
O is for Oscar, my scared orange cat
P is for well...***...and he's good at that
Q is for quinine which I leave out to treat
R is for rodents, which I want Oscar to eat
S is for slugs which are killing my grass
T is for totalled, just give me a match and some gas
U is for underwriter who has insured my place
V is for vermin, that now own all my space
W is for water with which I started a flood
X is for poison, which will thin out their blood
Y is for Yertle, a turtle by suess
Z is me sleeping...to bugs and vermin on the loose

The game was on again on Friday
We've been players in the game
Sometimes we were the  winners
And others...hey, it's just a game!

The players have all lined up
there are five out on the field
Let's see if someone scores tonight
And which one of them will yield

Three guys lined up and facing
Two women opposing them
All were ready, set to go
Let's get started then

White sweater, jeans
The first to move
It looks like we'll see a pass
But, from here his jeans are baggy
5 yard loss for baggy ***!

The women laughed and smiled
They were on defence right  from the start
The guys would have to send their best
If they were gonna win their hearts

Red workshirt, chinos, ballcap
Makes his way and gets quite far
He's armed with two tequilas
He doesn't see their longnecks on the bar

They laughed and drank his offer
He made some progress
second down
He makes off to his buddies
It's left up to their friend in brown

He ventures out to the jukebox
Finds something upbeat
for a dance
But chino's turned right on his heels
He's called an audible....second chance

He reaches out to both the girls
He gets their before his friend
If he fumbles this, his game is done
He won't be here at the end

We've seen this game a thousand times
Every week at every club
The players..always different
But the game's the same and there's the rub

Back to our five players
The man in brown got blocked before
He even made it to the girls
But, he barely made it to the floor

Red workshop wins this time folks
It looks like he won't go home alone
But, the girls have got another play
and it involves phoning home

The sudden ring's resounding
It shakes the bar and stops the man
Because while they were out dancing
He saw the rings on both their hands

Like I said, the game is always
going on ...with newer rules
It's amazing how married women
Make the men all  look like fools

My head was pounding
My body ached
I was a stumbling, mumbling wreck
I needed help
And badly
And decided, what the heck

I ventured to St. Peter's
to get warm from the snows
You see, I'm not really religious
and the truth, the church was close

I sat there in ****** silence
My head just throbbing silently
I didn't even notice the woman
Who slid in next to me

She nodded, and knelt down a bit
You could hear her when she rose
Her body racked with aches and pain
Like me, from head to toe

She smiled, started praying
I sat dead still, but listened in
It's not because I am religious
I wanted to hear her sin

She finished, rose and smiled
Lit a candle on her way
I smiled back through cloudiness
I didn't have that much to say

I figured I could try it,
I'm one for anything new
I mean, talking out to no one
What harm could my talk do

"Dear father, forgive me for my sin
Our father"... I tried to start
"Just say what's in your insides son
That's the best way for a start"

Behind me, sat the woman
I didn't hear her come on back
"He's listening for all you ask
He'll get you back on track"

I told her, I just came in
To get dry and get warm
She smiled, said "so, while you're here"
"tell your tale, wait out the storm"

I said it would be worthless
I was past the point of no return
I would not go up to heaven
I was going where you burn

She said "Everyone is worth redemption"
"Even though they do not think"
"They are still a child of Jesus"
"He'll return you from the brink"

I sat and talked for hours
Told her all about my woes
She got up twice, lit more candles
I told her of my highs and lows

She said "regardless of your preference"
"God, won't ask your name"
"You do not need a reference"
"And you'll be really glad you came"

She told me how to start a prayer
To share my story with the Lord
I knelt, followed directions
I was really quite absorbed

I finished, rose and turned to her
There was now a man where she had sat
I asked him if he saw her
In her black scarf and blue hat

He said "The seat was empty"
"I saw no lady there"
I said "a little lady"
"with black and silver hair"

He smiled, said "come this way"
He took me out into the hall
And there I saw her picture
In a frame upon the wall

"She died so many years ago"
"She died of well, a broken heart"
"Her son's died in the Great War"
"It tore her soul apart"

"But I saw her, she was talking"
"She taught me how to pray"
"She was as close to me as I to you"
"She taught me what to say"

He said "son, she's no longer here"
"she's the one who comes the most"
"she finds souls who need redemption"
"She's our church's holy ghost"

I thanked him, head still reeling
I would have to think on this a while
But, as I left, I took one more look
And I'm sure I saw her smile.

Ads for Christmas specials
Litter magazines and such
Oooh another Christmas Carol
Tiny Tim has a new crutch

A Christmas Story musical
The Rockettes on TV
I'd rather watch old re-runs
Of Andy Williams 'neath the tree

The stores are stocked, the lights are bright
There's tinsel everywhere
There's Romney and Obama Christmas tags
I mean is this really fair?

There's Kingdom of Thrones nativities
And guess who plays the baby
There' s something wrong inherently
When you stop to buy it...maybe.

Christmas got away from us
It's more commercial than I've seen
There's more crap on the shelves these days
Than there is at Hallowee'n

It's only just September
and I'm already done in
by my Christmas Season overload
I can't believe the state I'm in

What happened to Goodwill to Men
And Seasons Greetings at the mall
They've been replaced by anger
And gift cards that are given out by all

This year I have decided
to change how I celebrate this silly thing
I'm going home to bed right now
And I will Hibernate till spring !!!

I see the sunshine in your eyes
Behind the blue and green
It is the brightest light I know
And it sets my being free

I know where you've been through the day
Your perfume lingers there
And at night when it's just us alone
I can breathe it in your hair

You are my one and only love
You are my reason to go on
for without you here and by my side
I could never be as strong

It's funny how our lives have gone
Crossing paths along the way
We've gone to places, we both know
But never met until that day

We've had our battles big, and small
Each resolved in it's due time
Each day begins with one small kiss
Just to show that you're still mine

You are my one and only love
You are my reason to go on
for without you here and by my side
I could never be as strong

As time goes on and we both age
Never changing who we are
I stand back and look at us amazed
At how we've grown and come so far

Love itself will change as time
Grabs a hold and leads our life
It's more romantic now that we are old
And we're still here as man and wife

You are my one and only love
You are my reason to go on
for without you here and by my side
I could never be as strong

You've just been gone a dozen days
And I've not been to sleep
The bed is just not comfortable
Without you there to keep

I've taken your old Harley shirt
And I keep it by my head
The scent of you still lingers there
Since I can't have you instead

I miss the presence of your spirit
And it's something I won't find
I lie here with my memories
Of your smile in my mind

The house it seems much smaller
In the time that you've been gone
It's just that you are missing
That's the only thing that's wrong

I know you're coming back to me
And until I see you once more
I'll be sleeping with your t-shirt here
Until you burst on through that door

I've taken your old Harley shirt
And I keep it by my head
The scent of you still lingers there
Since I can't have you instead

It's been six months since you went away
And you'll be home today
You don't know how my heart misses you
There's no words for me to say

I love you more than you could know
I see the sunshine in your eyes
But when you're gone, I'm not the same
I'm still me, but in disguise

You can have back your old Harley shirt
That I've slept with by my head
Because tonight you're home and here with me
And we can both now share our bed

I have some universal advice to give
To help with all you do
It's a simple little thing you see
It's as easy as one two

A girl asked me out dancing
This is something that I dread
Then I remembered my old grandad
He was talking in my head

He said...

Always lead with the left my boy
The left's the proper one
They're expecting you to use the right
But, it's the left that gets things done

I got drafted in the army
And at marching I was sad
I always got my feet mixed up
Then I thought of my grandad

Marching was a treat from then
With my grandad in my head
I'll break it down in squads for you
Here's exactly what he said...

He said...

Always lead with the left my boy
The left's the proper one
They're expecting you to use the right
But, it's the left that gets things done

I joined the army boxing team
I was skinny, quite absurd
There was no way I could ever win
Then I heard my grandads words

I took two rounds to win my bout
My master corporal was surprised
I had listened to my grandads words
And only got me one black eye

He said...

Always lead with the left my boy
The left's the proper one
They're expecting you to use the right
But, it's the left that gets things done

I met a girl while home on leave
I took her home to bed
And in the back I thought I heard
something grandad once had said

He said...

Always start with the left  my boy
The left's the proper one
They're expecting you to use the right
But, it's the left that gets it done.



..

I learned to be stronger
I am better by far
By leaving your orbit
with nary a scar

I'm a better man for it
I'm glad that we met
But, I'm thankful for all
that I lost on the bet

I want to say thank you
For coming into my life
Because now that you're missing
I have found a new wife
If I had not met you
I'd have gone on a course
That might not have ended
With our resulting divorce

I am stronger and nicer
I now know how to share
I do things without asking
And I know to be fair

That I have to say thank you
Because if we were still one
I'm sure that I'd have gone
and ****** on a gun

I want to say thank you
For coming into my life
Because now that you're missing
I have found a new wife
If I had not met you
I'd have gone on a course
That might not have ended
With our resulting divorce

I just had to say this
Thank you for the time
I am now very happy
And have been a long time

I'm a much better person
Than I was when with you
So I feel it is fair
That I tell you thank you

I want to say thank you
For coming into my life
Because now that you're missing
I have found a new wife
If I had not met you
I'd have gone on a course
That might not have ended
With our resulting divorce

Why aren't my dreams in colour?
On the nights that I'm alone
Why do I dream in black and white
Whenever I'm alone?

Is there something I am missing
Just because you're not with me
Why can't I dream in colour
and see my dreams as they should be?

Come back and bring back the hues
That add technicolour to my life
I feel that I am incomplete
I'm a fork without a knife

My world is not exciting
When your'e not here to share
All our words and thoughts and dreams
I always need you to be there

My world loses it's colour
Even for a little while
My world is stuck in black and white
When I do not see your smile

Help me dream in colour
You know I'm awful on my own
I sitting waiting for your swift return
For there's colour when you're home

Puff the magic dragon
Lives by the sea
We know him from our childhoods
Living down in Hona Lee

Little Jackie Paper
He loved that dragon puff
But, he's grown up  and he's moved away
He's too old for all that stuff

What happened to the dragon?
What is Puff doing these days?
Few children come to visit him
He's still swimming between the bays

Puff is writing stories
Of his time so long ago
He uses a computer now
For his writing was so slow

Little Jackie Paper
Is a doctor in Duluth
He doesn't think of Puff at all
He won't accept the truth

His imagination
Disappeared as Jackie grew
Puff was not a living thing
As far as Jackie knew

Puff is making money
But, longs for old pursuits
Like sealing wax and other things
And kids in rubber boots

Jackie came to visit
He brought his family to the beach
Puff was there in hiding
And he stayed just out of reach

Jackies son, he saw him
told his dad of dragon Puff
Jackie said, it isn't real
"Of this talk I've had enough"

Puff the magic dragon
heard this and he did cry
He missed his Jackie Paper
He never said good bye

Jackies son kept wanting
To see the dragon by the shore
So, Jackie took him down again
To find the dragon friend once more

Puff, he saw them coming
And he made his way on out
And to his little Jackie Paper
Puff, gave out a shout

He shot fire from his nostrils
He splashed water with his tail
He even showed Jackies young boy
How he could harness wind and sail

Puff the magic dragon
still lives by the sea
One day Jackie will notice him
And his mind will then be free

A child's imagination
Must be nurtured as they grow
Harness it as they grow up
Maybe they'll put on a show

Never, tell your children
to stop playing around
Play along and you will see
Puff is there still to be found

Puff, the magic dragon
Lives by the sea
He still frollicks in the autumn mist
In a land called Hona Lee

BRB, LOL
***, what the hell?
Can't today's kids learn to spell?
The things they write
I cannot tell
Has education
Gone to hell?
Can someone out there help me?

I can't read what they've written down
They're writing's really rotten
Penmanship's a basic skill
That most kids have forgotten

****, BRB
404 AND BBC
These don't mean a thing to me
Can someone out there help me?

Spellcheck is their holy grail
Without this app, most kids would fail
There'd be no words in tales they tell
Can someone out there help them?

I read a letter I received
The writing I could not believe
I've seen better on my sleeve
Can someone out there read this?

GFN, GFAP
FAQ, ASAP
Explain what I just wrote to me
Can someone out there help....please?

Does anyone remember when
Baseball fields were full
When you always saw a hundred kids
When you drove by every school
Pick-up games of baseball
On every field you'd pass
But now the only scrub that's there
Is just overgrown, clumpy grass

I drove on by a park today
One that I used to play baseball on
The backstop was all broken
And the dugouts, they were gone
The field was full of garbage
Weeds and echos of the past
I remembered times between the lines
With a long forgotten cast

"HEY MISTER...MOVE...WE'RE PLAYING HERE"
"CAN'T YOU MOVE SO WE CAN PLAY?"
"HEY BATTER, BATTER, SWING NOW BATTER"
"YOU'LL NOT GET A HIT TODAY"

I'd crossed into a baseball game
One from many years before
The ghosts of players long deceased
Were still playing here some more

I crossed back to the dugouts
Stepped behind and they were gone
But, as I stepped back to the old coaches box
I could hear their haunting song

"HEY BATTER, BATTER, BATTER, SWING"
"WE WANT A PITCHER, NOT A BELLYITCHER"
"HEY BATTER, BATTER, BATTER, SWING"
"WE WANT A PITCHER, NOT A BELLYITCHER"

I sat there watching the game take place
On a field not worth a ****
At least not in the present time
Then a kid hit a grand slam

He touched them all as he ran by
I saw it plain as day
The only thing I wished was that
I could join them and play

"HEY MISTER, STAND ON  HOME PLATE"
"THEN COME WALK OUT TO THE MOUND"
"WE KNOW YOU WANT TO JOIN US"
"WE KNOW IT'S HALLOWED GROUND"

I did the tasks directed
I joined the players from ago
And as I ran up to the rubber
I went as fast as I could go

I could feel myself get younger
I didn't know if it was real
But, they say as you get older
You're just as young as you may feel

I pitched two good strong innings
Then the echoes chose to fade
I knew it was just imagination
Of long lost players I had made

"COME BACK AGAIN TOMORROW"
"YOU CAN THROW THAT PELLET KID!"
"WE'VE GOT TO GET ON HOME NOW"
and...go back...you know I did!

Work was looming over me
It was never getting done
The family was tired too
It was time to have some fun

A trip away from madness
To a place away from here
Where work would not contact me
And I could rest and drink some beer

I checked the bank
The news was bad
I'd spent all the money
That we had
We wouldn't travel
on vacation
We were gonna take
a forced Staycation

We'd shut the doors
Shut off the phones
We'd make it look
Like we weren't home

I thought this seemed alright to me
Now, I must convince the family
We'd stay at home where it was free
And it was cheap as cheap could be

We'd do things like we always do
No surprises here and nothing new
We'd stay up late and sleep till two
I could see nothing going wrong

I told my wife
She told the kids
She put my life
On up for bids
If we stayed home
Like I had said
She'd make sure
I'd wake up dead

I went on down to see the bank
And see if I could see
A manager to loan some cash
To save me from my family
A staycation is something that
Is great at times in life
But, it will not do you any good
If you try to sell it to your wife

I'm not too lucky when I gamble
I lose more than I win
I would probably do better
If I tossed my money in a bin

Gambling is not just luck
It's timing and some skill
Some gamble for the fun of it
Some gamble for the thrill

To define exactly what it means
To risk money that you've earned
Means throwing out sensible thought
And not heeding what you've learned

For example, I played poker
And I lost most every cent
I lost my mortgage payment
Now, I'm living in a tent

To win it back I chose to go
And bet double at the track
The first horse that I bet on
Fell and broke his back

The second horse was scratched
I was in for a bad night
My fifth horse only had three legs
And he could just turn right

The next one had a jockey
Who's eyes were badly crossed
I won't tell you how he finished
But, I'll tell you that he lost

To gain back my small pittance
I went to the greyhound track
My first dog had a rider
A small monkey on his back

In the third race I got daring
And I bet on number three
Once the race got started
He had to stop and ***

I picked a dog in the fifth race
Just because I liked his name
It was the best one I had ever heard
"I'MBETYOU'RESORRYTHATYOUCAME"

The odds were long but what the hell
I was now gambling just for fun
Not only did he catch the rabbit
My ****** dog had won

I think I've got the secret now
I know just how to win
If I get tempted to go back and bet
I'll throw my money in the bin.

Days pass by and people change
Some for better, some for not
You don't know why you're together
You were in love, but now you're not
To see each other daily
Is this the life you bought?
You've gone different directions
You were in love, but now your'e not

Once day you were a couple
Your lives were full of fun and smiles
To stop each others heartbreak
You'd walk a million miles
But, now the light has dimmed
You've gone and switched the dials
To get away from one another
You'd walk a million miles

Once you had love
Much stronger than
Any love you've ever known
Now, you just get on with life
No affection ever shown
Your kisses leave a bitter taste
Your disdain for each has grown
You stay away and live your lives
You're happier alone

It's a love story familiar
With too many folks it seems
You fall in love, get married
And you share all of your dreams
But real life comes, And people change
Some for better, some for worse
Now, you look upon your marriage
As a god forsaken curse

Being happy's not a given
It takes work and lots of time
But, the end result is worth it
Even with all of the cryin'
You know that change is coming
Things aren't always status quo
So, embrace the change together
It's more fun with one you know

What exactly would you get
if writers changed the things they wrote
If painters changed their style
And singers butchered every note

Romance books by Stephen King
Horrors told by Suess
Comedic plays by E.A. Poe
And **** by Mother Goose

Dali paints like Monet
Monet paints like Degas
Van gogh would hang his brushes up
And go and detail cars

Michael Buble singing screamo
Operatic stuff by ****
Yoko Ono would seem right in tune
It's enough to make one sick

I hope it never happens
It would change things quite a lot
But you know, I think that **** by
Mother Goose could be quite hot!

The night that I first saw you
When our eyes had barely met
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

I was held fast by your humour
It was a night not to forget
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

Kenny Chesney sang a song about
How You had him at Hello
He hadn't even met you
Just how was he to know

We talked away for hours
At the end I was caught inside your net
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

You chased me 'till I caught you
I'm so happy that we met
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

Kenny Chesney sang a song about
How You had him at Hello
He hadn't even met you
Just how was he to know

Fifteen years we've been together
And now there's something you should know
Like Kenny Chesney said before
You had me at Hello .

Love ya baby. 15 years and many more to come.

There is a question I must pose
Where do spirits get their clothes?
For if you saw a naked spirit
Would you really venture near it?
Most ghosts we see are all in white
While other ghosts, they dress up right
They show up dressed for all to see
Decked out in all their finery
So, where do spirits get their clothes
It's a secret no one really knows
They can't just wave a magic wand...
They shop at Bed, Bath and Beyond!!!

All I smell's Hawaiian Tropic
My vision seems very myopic
Bikini girls my visions topic
It's time to hit the surf

Lime and salty margaritas
Hot and **** senoritas
Bikini girls my visions greeters
It's time to hit the surf

Sitting here upon the beach
These women are just out of reach
In my mind I'd love to teach
But...you're the one I love

Tanned, long limbed and in the water
There's one beauty, I wish I'd caught her
Still, I think she's someone's daughter
I wish that you were here

Sitting here was all unplanned
Where all I see is surf and sand
It's heaven in this tropic land
I wish that you were here


Sitting here upon the beach
These women are just out of reach
In my mind I'd love to teach
But...you're the one I love

Ray Bans cover up my eyes
As I stare upon their oiled up thighs
I hear them yell and hear their cries
Youthful beauty at it's best

A boat drink full of Cuban ***
Brings me back to why I'd come
It leaves me feeling rather numb
I'm glad I'm here alone

Sitting here upon the beach
These women are just out of reach
In my mind I'd love to teach
Now I know why we split up.

I can't see into the future
But, I know someone who can
She's a gypsy from the midlands
And, well, she looks just like a man

She says her name is Heather
But, to me she'll be a Hector
She said she had an accident
But, by god...it nearly wrecked her

One eye stares, it doesn't move
And this one is the best
The other follows you around
It never leaves your chest

She reads tarot, tea leaves and the bones
She's a reader of your life
She said she's still not married
I can't imagine her a wife

She'd know just what you're thinking
She'd know a lie before it's told
And if she's ugly nowadays
Imagine her when she gets old

The people go to see her
when the caravans arrive
She will read for twenty dollars
Her tent opens at five

If you want to know your future
Just take notice, listen close
Because her lips are slightly puffy
And she whistles through her nose

She's bent over looking downward
On her left side there's a ****
On her cheek there is a goiter
Behind her ear there is a lump

She weighs in at 300
Doesn't stand past 5 foot tall
But if you want to know the future
Then she's the one to call

She's an old afflicted gypsy
Has a daughter known as Marge
Says she's wanted up in Bristol
She's a small medium at large

A dropped ball on the goal line
A tackle missed down field
It's amazing how a football game
Can make a man's mind yield

We come to tears when our teams lose
Even worse when our team wins
It's when we show all our emotions
It's when we break the MANLY SINS

But our girlfriend gets real angry
When we don't utter a word
When they want to talk of feelings
It's a word we've never heard
We're MEN and **** proud of it
We show support for MANLY things
Like football games and racing cars
Not relationshippy things

We wear our hearts upon our sleeve
When the two minute gun has sounded
When the game has come to overtime
When the last corner has rounded

We sit upon our seats edge
Nothing can break us from this trance
Not even when our **** girl
Comes and does a naked dance

But our girlfriend gets real angry
When we don't utter a word
When they want to talk of feelings
It's a word we've never heard
We're MEN and **** proud of it
We show support for MANLY things
Like football games and racing cars
Not relationshippy things

We cry when our dog passes
We get upset when things go wrong
But we'll never show emotion
To a ****** Adele song

We aren't built to be emotive
At least not when women want us to
I'll tell you more about emotion
When the football season's through

Fall is here
With it comes colour
Hallowe'en
and dread

Not dread from having to rake
Not dread because another year slipped away
Not dread because the kids are back to school
Dread because Christmas is coming

Dread because you haven't taken down the lights
Dread because you haven't checked the lights

Dread because you haven't got your cards ready to send
Dread because you need to update address lists
Dread because you're hosting dinner and aren't ready
Dread because you don't know who is bringing what
Dread because you can't trust everyone to bring the right stuff

Dread because you haven't got sizes for everyone for gifts
Dread because you need paper, and ribbons and bows
Dread because the 3 spirits haven't visited yet
Dread because you haven't been to buy the spirits yet
Dread because you don't know how big a bird to get
Dread because you don't know if it should be goose or turkey
Dread because your son is bringing his vegetarian "friend"
Dread because you don't know if the "friend" is male or female and you've met twice already


Dread because your'e not ready for Christmas
and it's ONLY SEPTEMBER 3 !!!

Riding bikes
Skinning Knees
Time spent climbing
All the trees
Sit back and feel
the summer breeze
Remember how it was?

Swimming pools
Baseball games
Every kid had
funny names
The times they just
don't seem the same
Remember how it was?

Summer time was glorious
You only had a kids concerns
No school until September
You didn't care if you got burned
Summer time was heavenly
A pirates life , you led
You were out 'till past the sun went down
Then it was dinner, bath and bed

Marbles, swimming
At the creek
A hundred kids
playing hide and seek
Cadging smokes
Of which none would speak
Remember how it was?

Building forts
And running wild
Outside all day
where sunshine smiled
Living the life
Of every child
Remember how it was?

Summer time was glorious
You only had a kids concerns
No school until September
You didn't care if you got burned
Summer time was heavenly
A pirates life, you led
You were out 'till past the sun went down
Then it was dinner, bath and bed

Baseball, soccer
cards in spokes
Blood brothers
and ***** jokes
trading cards
and drinking cokes
Remember how it was

Running fast
and walking slow
A few weeks left
To school we'll go
Tag...you're it
Friend or foe
Remember how it was?

Summer time was glorious
You only had a kids concerns
No school until September
You didn't care if you got burned
Summer time was heavenly
A pirates life, you led
You were out 'till past the sun went down
Then it was dinner, bath and bed

Imagine going to a cliff
And jumping off to die
Hoping that you somehow grow wings
And that in a blink can fly

Now, shut your eyes
Do it again
This time, you make the leap
Is the cliffside still as steep a one?
Is the water just as deep?

You're a writer and you do this jump each day
When you post your words and rhymes
You put yourself where all can see
And can comment on your crimes
You took the leap, you're airborne
And sometimes you will soar
At other times you'll crash down to earth
Where you started long before

Now, go back to the cliffs edge
Write some words and sail away
You're out there high in the ether
And if you're good that's where you'll stay

Commitment to your writing
Accepting what the others write
Make you go and keep on leaping
Until you know you've got it right

You're a writer and you do this jump each day
When you post your words and rhymes
You put yourself where all can see
And can comment on your crimes
You took the leap, you're airborne
And sometimes you will soar
At other times you'll crash down to earth
Where you started long before

Go now, jump...make it a good one
One where you feel the wind as well
where you can see into the future
And where only you can tell

Each poem you post is gone now
You make the leap each time you post
A poem is something living
Unwritten ones are only ghosts

You're a writer and you do this jump each day
When you post your words and rhymes
You put yourself where all can see
And can comment on your crimes
You took the leap, you're airborne
And sometimes you will soar
Now, go, create and you will see
That you can with less fear than before.

Black, like a shark
Dead....who's in there?
What are you thinking?
Are you in there?

Green, smiling bright
Open to the world
And all it's glory
Your soul unfurled

Eyes, tell a story
And hide one too
What colour are yours?
For mine are blue
Eyes tell a story
They open doors
I'll tell my story
If you tell yours

Red, worn and raw
sore and tired
Have you been crying?
Or are you just wired?

Brown, smiling, somber
Showing your pain
Hiding your hurt
From loves refrain

Eyes, tell a story
And hide one too
What colour are yours?
For mine are blue
Eyes tell a story
They open doors
I'll tell my story
If you tell yours

Puffy, swollen shut
Were you in a fight?
Between two friends?
Or two lovers in the night?

Closed, showing nothing
Are you hiding from what is said
Or are you like a shark...?
with eyes black and dead

Eyes, tell a story
And hide one too
What colour are yours?
For mine are blue
Eyes tell a story
They open doors
I'll tell my story
If you tell yours.

I cancelled my bank overdraft
Cut my cards up in a small pile
Actually, it was quite large you know
And this act made me smile

Just deal with cash from here on out
Never buy more than I need
It released a weight off of my shoulders
And deep down I felt freed

fiscally conservative
financially responsible
My nation cannot do it
Without me as an example
No more fees for paying late
If I need it I pay cash
Budgets I will follow
And spending...that I'll slash

Can you imagine if a nation
Took this simple thought to mind
Just pay with what we make from tax
And leave what we can't afford behind

No missiles, and no foreign debt
We're just beholding to ourselves
It's politically reprehensible
But, we owe it to ourselves

fiscally conservative
financially responsible
My nation cannot do it
Without me as an example
No more fees for paying late
If I need it I pay cash
Budgets I will follow
And spending...that I'll slash

No government agendas
To trade for that we can't afford
It would ***** the nations bankers
And make the economists quite bored

To be responsible for our actions
We are taught right from the start
don't spend the money you don't have
Well, to me...that's really smart

fiscally conservative
financially responsible
My nation cannot do it
Without me as an example
No more fees for paying late
Spending I will slash
My budget I will follow
And from now on pay just cash

Winds were picking up again
Another storm was due
Would it be just like Katrina
Or would it just be an F2?

Windows boarded, cars filled up
Mandatory evacuation
Leaving their homes to stand
Alone in a dangerous situation

Among it all a flower
Grabbing on to gods green earth
Just flexing with the winds that blow
Waiting for the new storms birth

The storm will hit, the levees break
Again FEMA is on sight
And just like every other time
They never get it right

Each time the water comes in
Another parish, another town
No one comes back home to claim
What Mother Nature just beat down

Among it all a flower
Grabbing on to gods green earth
Just flexing with the winds that blow
Waiting for the new storms birth

Another storm, another season
Another choice to make
Do we come back home again this time?
Or would that be a big mistake?

Do we take the brunt of natures force?
Stay, and not know if we will die?
Do we stay here and ride out the storm?
Do we take the chance to die?

And through it all a flower
Rides the storm out to the end
I pray that those who choose to stay
Were like the flower and could bend.

A visit to the land cannot
leaves a mark on all you do
people never try too hard
they will leave things up to you

Cannotians are lazy
They aspire to the middle
They reach this level of success
And herein lies the riddle

Cannotians move onto won't
After years of doing naught
But wontians don't choose to leave
And move back to cannot

A person who is lazy
Gets special treatment in cannot
He is praised for doing nothing
And for those things he's not got

A cannotian moved to I will try
but his papers were all wrong
He forgot to get his visa
So he didn't stay there long

Cannot is not imagined
You can find it if you try
But please don't ever go there
And I'll give  the reason why

Cannotians are hopeless
They do not have get up and go
So please regard this message
as something all people should know


If you go there take a sweater
In cannot there is no heat
Cannotians won't turn it on
For doing something is defeat

Please move on up to cando
maybe go from there to might
It's a short journey from Iwill
And life there is outa sight !!!

Rules remain unwritten
They're known but left unsaid
You don't speak ill will of someone
Especially the dead

Keep off the grass
don't dare go there
Don't touch
and put that down
are nothing when you
hold them to
the people in the ground

You never ask a soldier
If he's seen somebody die
You will not get an answer
But, you see it in their eyes

They live with this deep secret
It burns a hole inside their heart
So, don't ever ask this question
Don't put the horse before the cart

Your grandad, earned our freedom
As did many others too
They fought for future generations
that means they fought for me and  you
Freedom is a concept
One that many do not get
It's a thing taken for granted
And that should make us all upset

The battles that they went through
both in real time and their mind
For a concept such as freedom
To which so many remain blind

You never ask a soldier
If he's seen somebody die
You will not get an answer
But, you see it in their eyes

Be grateful and respectful
To show they did not die in vain
don't ever ask a soldier
Don't make him show his pain

The two of us staring
At the stars in the sky
Making wishes on comets
And things that fly by

What will we be like?
Where will we live?
We will we both be successful?
Will we both take or give?

Questions unanswered
Questions not asked
Some are worth knowing
Some left in the past
Go in with eyes open
Your life will be grand
Just give it your damndest
And go lead the band

In the back of the pickup
My girlfriend and me
Make dreams upon stardust
At a quarter to three

We're out in the cornfield
In my old chevy truck
Planning out lifes direction
On a stroke of good luck

Questions unanswered
Questions not asked
Some are worth knowing
Some left in the past
Go in with eyes open
Your life will be grand
Just give it your damndest
And go lead the band

It may be a spaceship
That's come down from afar
Or we may be there wishing
On some shooting star

Our future is waiting
There'll be tough times ahead
Meeting those expectations
We made in that truck bed

Questions unanswered
Questions not asked
Some are worth knowing
Some left in the past
Go in with eyes open
Your life will be grand
Just give it your damndest
And go lead the band.

The grass is always greener
As far as you can see
but you always sit there whining
Why him and why not me?

A better job a better life
A better house and car
You know just what you have to do
If you're gonna get that far

If you want to make an omlette
You have to break an egg or two
You have to work to earn it
Not just sit there feeling blue

Nothing is a given
You rarely move on up by chance
You've got to get a handhold
Go grab life by the pants

Just sitting waiting idly
Never gets the job done well
You can not sit and listen
You have to ring that bell

If you want to make an omlette
You have to break an egg or two
You have to work to earn it
Not just sit there feeling blue

One who sits and wonders
Why someone else gets all the fame
Has never tried to leave the bench
And get into the game

Stay hungry, do your damndest
Do not strive for second place
But, if you don't move at the starters gun
You're not even in the race

If you want to make an omlette
You have to break an egg or two
You have to work to earn it
Not just sit there feeling blue

She was a Hatfield
And I  a McCoy
It was just love beween
A girl and a boy

Our daddies grandaddies
And those from before
Might think us irreverant
To open that door

She lived two towns over
It was love at first sight....
We would slip out and meet
Every Sat. night
The neighbors all thought
It just wasn't right
But we were in love
And it wasn't our fight

Only two counties apart
She lived in West V
My home was Kentucky
The suitor was me

To us it was foolish
The feud was so old
Even though it was famous
From the tales that were told

She lived two towns over
It was love at first sight....
We would slip out and meet
Every Sat. night
The neighbors all thought
It just wasn't right
But we were in love
And it wasn't our fight


We'd meet after dark
At a barn down the line
We were not feuding people
For that night she was mine

We would run off together
After school was complete
We'd change both our names
We would be real discreet

She lived two towns over
It was love at first sight....
We would slip out and meet
Every Sat. night
The neighbors all thought
It just wasn't right
But we were in love
And it wasn't our fight

Our folks would reject us
And spoil our joy
Cause here was a Hatfield
With a real McCoy

For now, we'll be secret
Share our love cross the fence
And we'll wait till our kin folk
Wake up with some sense

The Man in Black
The Silver Fox
Brad Paisley shows
That Country Rocks

Western's gone
But Country's not
Remember those
Who time's forgot

From Red Georgia Clay
To the Tennessee Hills
From Kentucky Blue Grass
I still get the chills
When the music goes through me
It's a feeling so strong
That can only be born
From an old country song



Loretta Lynn
Dottie West
Patsy Cline
They were the best

Old time country
Tennessee tunes
Mountain Bluegrass
My favorite tunes

From Red Georgia Clay
To the Tennessee Hills
From Kentucky Blue Grass
I still get the chills
When the music goes through me
It's a feeling so strong
That can only be born
From an old country song

The singers change
The tunes do not
They still sing the music
That others forgot

Williams and Jones
Acuff and Dickens
Old Buck and Roy
Still Pickin' and grinnin

From Red Georgia Clay
To the Tennessee Hills
From Kentucky Blue Grass
I still get the chills
When the music goes through me
It's a feeling so strong
That can only be born
From an old country song

Does anyone remember?
Do we really want to know?
When did things change?
Where did our innocence go?

Times were demanding
and secrets were hid
It was an easier time
When you were a kid

You might have a problem
With a bully at school
You'd take it out to  the schoolyard
And a fight would ensue

Now they are armed
Things just aren't the same
They have guns in their lockers
Just who is to blame?

What are we missing?
When did it all change?
Our kids sing of murders
Instead of home on the range

I wish there was a way
To go back in the past
When kids still were children
Now, they grow up too fast

Does anyone remember?
Do we really want to know?
When did things change?
Where did our innocence go?

I remember when I saw you
Dancing with another guy
I didn't have the courage
To come up and say hi
I kept watching you discreetly
Hoping I would catch your eye
I remember what you smelled like
As you left and passed right by

We crossed paths  a few weeks later
I was at the movies all alone
And I saw you in the foyer
You were talking on your phone
I didn't have the courage
To offer a lift home
Another lost encounter
Another chance I'd blown

Like a comic who's not funny
And a cover song that's slow
It all comes down to timing
That's what all the good ones know
If you miss the chance before you
step left instead of right
It all falls back on the timing
And you've blown another night

I know that one day I'll meet you
And our lives will intertwine
And I know from that first meeting
That one day you'll be mine
But, right now I lack the courage
To even go and cross that line
I just wish that you could see me
Can you just give me a sign?

When I see you just in passing
And I squeak out a small "hi"
You, just nod your head and smile
I just stand there and I sigh
Every time you're with another
A part of me just dies
I wish I had the courage
I wish that I'd just try

Like a comic who's not funny
And a cover song that's slow
It all comes down to timing
That's what all the good ones know
If you miss the chance before you
step left instead of right
It all falls back on the timing
And you've blown another night

The world's out of order
My life is a mess
I need a weekend of chillin'
To help decompress
A few days of football
And drinks and good friends
Will fix up my mood
And get this blackness to end

My wife's with another
And my car died en route
To my place of employment
So, I got the boot
The dog found a new friend
he met up with a skunk
And what's left of my house
Has a wonderful funk

I'm sitting here working on Sunday's headache
Even though it's still only Friday
I'm running a tab, cause the bank's overdrawn
It's a bourbon and beer and a rye day

My ex called this morning
Said our daughters in jail
And she has no money
to help pay the bail
That black cloud of dismal
Still over my head
I should have rolled over
And stayed home in bed

They say your problems
happen in threes
Multiply that by five
And it happened to me
So it's time to move on
Sit and chill for a while
Forget all the crap
And just sit, drink, and smile

I'm sitting here working on Sunday's headache
Even though it's still only Friday
I'm running a tab, cause the bank's overdrawn
It's a bourbon and beer and a rye day

From day one he was trouble
His parents knew on sight
Their bundle of pure joy and bliss
Was somehow, just not right

It wasn't in his nature
To be part of a gang
He like to be off by himself
He liked things that went bang

He was troubled in his school years
Never getting real good marks
He didn't get along with other
He was burning caps and making sparks

But when this boy found fire
Well, then....his world became real small
Never mind the big explosions
He would go and burn them all

Small fires set in dumpsters
Behind the shops, by where he ran
He'd set fire to the garbages
While he trapped a cat inside the can

He progressed on up to buildings
Made that jump, in one big way
He torched a crack house, all abandoned
Buy using gas and old, dry hay

But, the thrill was not a keeper
It wore off as fast as it arrived
He had to extend the feeling
That made his body feel alive

He knew to see his fires
He would have to volunteer
First he would go set them
Then, help put them out...I fear

It was a stroke of pyro genius
He'd set them and he'd put them out
He'd learn what gave them trouble
And he'd give them more without a doubt

He never killed another
Never burnt a persons home
He always set his fires
Where buildings always stood alone

They caught him late September
He'd burned a building late one night
It was supposed to be abandoned
But, was full of squatters, out of sight

The picture, it was famous
A hippie shaking someone's hand
It was on the front page of the paper
And it was shown through out the land

A fingerprint was lifted
A switch, that burned, not like it should
And from there, it was no problem
To lock this boy away for good

He was sent away to prison
He was gonna die there, bet on that
And on his first day in that prison
He saw an old man, who just sat

Sitting in the corner
by himself, no one around
Sat a man, all old and wrinkled
Lips were moving, but no sound

Came forth from this man's mouth,
his lips all cracked and dry,
You could stand right there and listen
And hear nothing if you tried...

Sitting in the corner
by himself, no one around
Sat a man, all old and wrinkled
Lips were moving, but no sound
Came forth from this man's mouth,
his lips all cracked and dry,
You could stand right there and listen
And hear nothing if you tried

Each day I walked the prison yard
this man sat in his place
Never talking to another
Just staring off in space
He sat, just sat, and sang his silent songs
No one else could hear but him
The men around the prison said
"He's just Old Crazy...him!"

He was kept upon another block
Not the one where I made home
He'd been there for eternity
Back when cars still had big chrome
I dare not ask why he was here
Some things you didn't do
so, I sat there watching this man sing
And I thought "just who are you?'

He'd sing his songs come rain or shine
Never looked out past the fence
The world out there meant nought to him
It held no consequence
The 809 would pass each day
Whistle blowing in the air
The rest of us, stared dreamlike
And we wished that we were there

But the old man in the corner
didn't blink or even look
Even though as the '09 passed
The ground around us shook
He held his place in silence
Rheumy eyes and cracked old mouth
Held the secrets of his lifetime
A man of wisdom from the south

I got the will and walked on up
to where he sat and sang
And back behind the others stood
And I could hear a few say "Dang!"
I stood there, right in front of him
And I couldn't hear a word
Except the soft and gentle cooing
Like a tiny, baby bird

I realized the sound was him
It was his singing in my ears
It was soft and smooth and gentle
It was almost bringing me to tears
He looked clear on, right through me
Sang his songs but did not budge
I blocked his way upon his exit
And I said "It's not for me to judge"......

I could hear the loud collective gasp
From the crowd who'd formed behind
And when they saw me stop his exit
They must have thought I'd lost my mind
I asked him in a gentle voice,
so no one else behind could know
about why he sang so silently
Like an angel, soft as snow

He said, "You know, I have no name"
"I've been here long enough, it's gone
"My name now is my number
"Although they sometimes call me John"
"I just don't know, if John is me
"he was from another time"
"So, I forgot just who I used to be
"And I sing my songs and rhyme"

"I used to have a name, I'm sure"
"But, now I need it less and less"
"They only need it for my marker"
"I'm dying here I guess"
"It makes it easy to get by here"
"When they think you're mad as hell"
"They just leave me to my corner"
"And to me that's just as well"

I thought a bit and smiled
At this man, who'd shared his tale
And I hoped I never lost me
That my name was not for sale
I refused to be a number
Although I knew that in the end
That I too, would die in here
And it would be easy without friends

So, I picked myself a corner
One where the man and I could see
I would sing to him in silence
As he would sing to me
The old man died a few years back
But I still sit and sing the same
I think I know still, who I am
But I'm not sure I know my name...

I met a man at urgent care
He was my roommate for a spell
I was there for dizziness
He was there because he fell

Tom, was old and in bad shape
Dementia ruled his world
He was found beside the toilet
All rolled up, his body curled

Beside him on the other side
Another woman lay
Dementia was her trouble too
That's two in just one day

What causes this mind madness
Is it chemical or a gene?
But, the numbers keep on climbing
To heights we've never seen

It used to be that cancer
was the one that touched most lives
But now, it seems Dementia
touches more as cancer dives

A prisoner knowing nobody
A fabricated world at best
A mind not knowing anyone
Puts a family to the test

Cancer is established
It has foundations and sells well
But, how do you approach Dementia
And help the people in this hell

Today, I had a roommate
His name was Tom, and he was old
I hope the world that he created
Is one where the streets are lined with gold.