I remember watching
Back in 1963
A Presidential funeral
There on my tv

My son watched his son
And he saw me cry
Then my son looked up and said
"Why did he have to die?"

Five years passed, a Memphis death
Was felt throughout the land
My son watched this and said to me
"I do not understand"

I looked at him, looked at the ground
And looked high into the sky
My son, said "Dad please tell me?"
"Why did he have to die?"

Again that summer, sixty eight
We stood along the track
We watched the train go past us
We knew he wasn't coming back

My son, a little older
watched as I tried not to cry
He said "it's ok to feel that dad"
"Why did he have to die?"

Years went by and he grew up
Got married moved away
I remember sitting watching
On that warm September day

Two Towers tumbled to the ground
My heart broke, and I cried
My son, went in to save them
"Why did he have to die?"

I'll never get an answer
Till the angel's song is sung
"Why did he have to die?" I'll ask
Why do the good die young?

Is it Christmas magic
That makes the moonlight brighter?
Is it Christmas magic
That makes him hug you tighter?

Is it Christmas magic
That gives the silver sheen to snow?
Is it Christmas magic?
I really need to know

Is it Christmas magic
That makes you smile for no reason?
Is it Christmas magic
That brings such joy into the season?

Is it Christmas magic
That makes us seem to share?
Is it Christmas magic
That really makes us care?

Is it Christmas magic
That brings out who we are?
Is it Christmas magic
Or is it the one star?

Is it Christmas magic
That makes us act as one?
Is it Christmas magic
Or is it God's true son?

Is it Christmas magic

Beware, if you should venture out
There's spirits in the air
Be on the watch for all about
when walking, if you dare

The wind is up, the moon is full
There are witches in the air
Be on the watch for all about
when walking, if you dare

Ghosts and ghouls are waiting
For the midnight bell to toll
They lie in wait there in the dark
For those who dare to take a stroll

The moon is bright, it lights the sky
You can hear the haunted howls
The coven forms, there in the dark
Hidden by their capes and cowls

Listen close, the wind will speak
You can hear it if you try
The voices of those long gone
Or is it just a ghostly sigh

The veil is lifted on this night
The darkness hides the evil there
You hear it now "rosebud" it says
Do you go out, do you dare

A simple word, between the worlds
Houdini, maybe so
I dare you to go out tonight
But, be wary if you go

For, ghosts and ghouls are waiting
For you to take that stroll
Do you dare to face the moonlight?
Do you dare to bet your soul?

T'was the night before Christmas
The kids were in bed
Dreaming of Santa
All dressed up in red

The wife was upstairs
Wrapping gifts in our room
I was watching old Scrooge
In old London gloom

when out of the blue
there was a knock at the door
I leapt from the couch
and i slipped on the floor

i answered the knock
i still got there quick
and to my surprise
there stood St. Nick

"Please, sir I pray"
"may I enter through here"
"My stomach is churning"
"an explosion is near"

I pointed the way
first door on the right
Santa went off
To relieve himself right

My wife came downstairs
She asked 'bout the knock
I said go upstairs
She'd think my tale was a crock

The bathroom door opened
Santa came out
Then he told me the tale
Of what this all was about

"All of these houses"
"with warm milk and cookies"
"get my gut growling"
"like a room full of wookies"

"Soy, two percent"
"almond and skim"
"all mixed together"
"the result is quite grim"

"It started to churn"
"and I was getting quite frantic"
"I was just coming in"
"from above the Atlantic"

"Most years it's fine"
"But, this soy...never try it"
"it should really be banned"
"not put in one's diet"

"Do you mind if I sit"
"for a while just in case"
"I've got more houses to hit"
"And it will be a race"

My wife stood quite still
In fact she'd not said a word
Imagine your toliet downstairs
Home to dear Santa's ****

I offered a drink
Something to settle him down
He said thanks, but begged off
And he gave a slight frown

"I've got to get going"
"Time stops just so long"
"Thanks for your help"
"It could have all gone so wrong"

He filled up our stockings
He called his reindeer by name
"I'll bypass the chimney
and I'll leave as I came"

I looked at my wife
We both said "oh well"
I mean when you take it all in
Just who could we tell?

So, in future please listen
take a second and think
It could end up quite bad
don't leave him soy milk to drink

I love to sit in comfort
At home watching TV
I watch my favorite movies
The one's that work for me

It's not a Christmas movie
Just because there's snow
That's something folks at Hallmark
Should be told, so someone knows

To me, A Christmas movie
Has Santa and a gift
It has a Christmas message
It gives people a lift

Getting lost in a big snowstorm
Finding love in a small town
Doesn't make it Christmas
In fact, it brings me down

I want music, Bing and Danny
Scrooge , Kris Kringle, silent night
I want movies I grew up with
I want films in black and white

I watch movies that will touch me
Make me feel what's deep inside
I want to feel the Christmas spirit
I want shepherds to abide

A Christmas film is something
I want to sit and watch each year
I want to understand what they are saying
I want the message to be clear

Entertain me, make me feel it
Films traditional and new
I want to travel backwards
To remember Christmas past....don't you

A real good Christmas movie
Brings memories into my mind
Of sitting down with Grandpa
Things Hallmark doesn't find

So, even though it starts a fire
No matter what you see
It may be a Christmas film to you
But, it may not be to me

No one calls me by name anymore
I'm the Poppy Man to most
At least that's how most folks know me

I've been selling poppies for the legion
Since 1946
Let's see...yep...it was 46
Went over in 43 at 17 years of age
Home in 45, and yep...46
Same spot too.
There's been two owners here at Danny's. Funny thing though....
neither was called Danny. Turns out Danny was the brother of the original owner, got shot down over Germany, so they named the place after him.
I guess that's why they let me come here and sell poppies every year.

Good thing.
Now, I'm getting up there, they let me sit inside the door. Have a nice little table for myself, and they keep my cup full.
I start selling November 1st, at precisely 11 o'clock. That's just the way it should be....11 o'clock.

Over the years, I've put up with wind, rain, snow and I've always held my post. Lost a few poppies in the wind one time, and the funny thing was...people came and paid me for them afterwards. Told me they found them blowing up the street, figured they were mine. Funny things that people do.

I'll tell you 'bout the name The Poppy Man. It started in 1952. A young mother and her daughter were inside having lunch, and I heard the daughter going on about saving change for the Poppy Man. I guess, I was the Poppy Man.
One of the waitresses put a sign up by the register saying "don't forget to save your change for The Poppy Man"....and it's kinda stuck.
That little girl came back every day with her mother, dropped her pennies in and saluted. You know the way kids do...hand open and all. I guess I owe the name to her.
I've collected lots of memories over the years, most of which I can only smile about now. If I start talking about them, I'd just tear up and you wouldn't get the whole story...so, I'll keep them to myself.
I'm a bit of a celebrity in these parts I guess.
Teachers bring their classes to me, every year to get their poppies. They always send me nice letters too, saying thanks Poppy Man. Cute little drawings, and big printing. Nowadays, I appreciate the big printing more and more.
Over the years, I've collected pennies, dimes, nickels, the usual suspects, bus tickets, candy wrappers, subway tokens, whatever someone had in their pocket at the time. I've seen it all in my tin.
The last few years, I guess since about 1997 or so, the cadets send someone down to stand with me for a while during my stint here.
Good kids mostly, dedicated, and with the same determined look I think we all had back in 43 when I went over.
Most of us didn't make it back, I'm one of the lucky ones. Some who did, never came back right if you know what I mean. But, that's all I'm gonna say about that.
There's only 5 of us left now from the old regiment. I can still see their faces when I shut my eyes....young, virile, strong. I miss them all.
I guess that's why I do it. Sell the poppies every year. It's for them. And for the new kids. New soldiers, new wars, it never changes in that way...just a different style of fighting.
Every now and then though, you know I hear that old bugler tuning up his bugle, and I think "not yet...I'm not ready to have The Last Post played for me"...."not yet".
So, that's about it for me, The Poppy Man....everyone knows me, and I'm easy to find ....just head to Danny's, I'll be at the table at the front.
Don't forget now....save your change for the poppy man.

The door opened, he entered
There was a whoosh of air
The Bluesman looked bedraggled
And he grabbed himself a chair

Cy, came out, he heard the bell
Saw the Bluesman, gave a smile
He said "I see the storm is worse"
"It's gonna keep up for a while"

The Bluesman looked around the store
Saw a guitar on the wall
"She's an old one hanging over there"
He called to Cy, now down the hall

He grabbed it, rubbed the neck some
He said "she's got a lot to say"
He went back to the wooden chair
And the Bluesman, he did play

"There's lots of music in this girl"
"So many songs not sung"
He looked back at the hook behind
Where this old guitar had hung

He sang songs about Jesus
about freedom, and the moon
Amazingly for the guitars age
It wasn't out of tune

Cy went to the pawn stores  back
returning with a flask
He'd brought the Bluesman medicin
The Bluesman continued with his task

"This old girls a treasure trove"
"She's just so full of words"
"Songs kept hidden for so long"
"Songs just waiting to be heard"

He played some more, the storm let up
He thanked Cy, took his leave
"An old guitar needs to be played"
"It's lost songs to be grieved"

"You know that you can play her"
"Whenever you come by"
The Bluesman turned and smiled
He held the flask given by Cy

"That old guitar is special"
"She's an old soul, just like me"
"I thank you for the offer"
"Time will tell, we'll see"

The Bluesman left the pawnshop
It was if he wasn't there
He went out back behind Gianni's
And sang his music to the air

It's safer in the middle
It's really plain to see
If someone tries to pick me off
They shoot others before me

A platoon is led by leaders
Some who aren't around
While those of us out marching
Get picked off without a sound

You know it may sound selfish
Listen up, it isn't dumb
It's safer in the middle
Than with the flag or with the drum

It's safer in the middle
At the back you're in the hunt
If the parade should turn around
You now are at the front

A Cowboys Christmas

We've been making this run
For twenty odd years
On up to Kansas
To bring back some steers

This time weather came up
The wind started to blow
And as it got colder
We were buried by snow

We needed a place
Where we could get cover
We had to find somewhere
One way or the other

Christmas was coming
And we'd not back it home
We were out here all frozen
But, we were not alone

The wind it kept blowing
The snow piled high
We lost three cows in the night
They were destined to die

They were weak when we got them
The walk was too tough
When the weather moved in
Well, that was enough

We hunkered down round the fire
Kept it tended real good
We'd gone and collected
A supply of wood

Christmas was coming
And we'd be away
It's the lot of the cowboy
To be away Christmas Day

The snow it got deeper
And more cattle were lost
We were stuck going nowhere
And dead steer were the cost

We were all round the fire
When the sky opened wide
The clouds disappeared
They all moved to the side

There in the heavens
Was a shining bright star
I'm sure it was one
All could see from afar

It lit up the country
With a sparkling glow
All we could see
Were the steers, and the snow

It was then that we realized
That Christmas was here
We had just gone past midnight
And the sky was now clear

We dropped to our knees
Said a prayer to the Lord
We still had our lives
And our feelings just soared

We'd beaten the storm
And would be on our way
We would still not be home
On this Christmas Day

We slept for a while
Then we ate, hit the trail
We all now had
A new Christmas tale

Christmas had come
With not presents or fuss
It was Christmas regardless
Inside all of us

A cowboy spends Christmas
Where ever he might
Whether out on the job
Or at home for the night

Christmas is Christmas
Without trinkets or beads
It's a feeling inside
It is faith, that one needs

So this cowboys Christmas
Was spent moving the herd
Kneeling down in a snowdrift
And sharing the word

Chicken little took a gun
The day that he turned 51
He put the gun beneath his head
Pulled the trigger...now he's dead

He made sure that he did die
And every birthday you will cry
You tried thrice to do the same
Try once more to win the game

The guilt you feel will fuel a fire
Face the facts...he did expire
You enabled like you always do
So that gun killed not one but two

It tore a family right apart
It didn't melt your blackened heart
So sit upon your stolen throne
And wait to die alone...alone

Sitting in a rocking chair
Hearing voices that aren't there
With a face full of despair
Where did grandma go

Grandma sitting staring into space
With a lost look on her face
In a dress all edged in lace
Where did Granma go?

Grandma' still in side we know
Her expression doesn't show
Her old eyes have lost their glow
Where did Grandma go?
Where did Grandma go?

She used to laugh and tell us tales
"Bout old Ahab chasing whales
Now, her thoughts slow as a snails
Where did Grandma go?

We'll keep coming by to see
Till the day her mind's set free
She will not remember me

Where did Grandma go?
Grandma' still in side we know
Her expression doesn't show
Her old eyes have lost their glow
Where did Grandma go?
Where did Grandma go?

Doctor's came on their last rounds
Grandma was nowhere around
Grandma died without a sound
Where did Grandma go?

Grandma now is gone
flying up close to the son
We knew what had to be done
Where did Grandma go?

Grandma' still in side we know
Her expression doesn't show
Her old eyes have lost their glow
Where did Grandma go?
Where did Grandma go?

London Bridge is falling down
falling down, falling down
London, Bridge is falling down
My fair lady

Terrorists are on the march
Taking lives upon the arch
The British show they're full of starch
My fair lady

Do not hide or they have won
no my son, no my son
We'll beat them like we beat the ***
My fair lady

We are made of stronger stuff
we are tough, we are tough
Teresa May we've had enough
My fair lady

London Bridge is standing tall
It won't fall, It won't fall
Band together, show them all
My fair lady

I got dumped on by a blue jay
While out sitting in my yard
The fact that I'm a Tigers fan
Made the bombing rather hard

I do not like the red birds
I mean, the team can't pitch or hit
But, I'm sure that if I pick on them
One will fly by me and ****

The Orioles, I do not like
I guess you've got the scoop
If I pick on them as well
One will fly by me and ****

There's a ball team down in Mexico
The parrots, to them I'll tip my cap
Because you know, if I 'dis them
One will fly overhead and crap

There are other teams named after birds
I don't know them all...do you?
So, I will let them off the hook
In case one comes by to pooh!

If, during your travels
you meet a soldier while you're out
Thank them for your freedom
That's what it's all about

To them the job is duty
Be the best that they can be
They represent our values
Our country, you and me

Say thank you to a soldier
It really isn't hard
So many never hear it
So many come back scarred

So, If, during your travels
You meet a soldier, Say the words
They're little but so powerful,
And are rarely ever heard

No matter what your country
No matter where you are
Say Thank You to a soldier
Those words can go so far.

The war began at Fort Sumter
It was launched by the greys not the blues
John Brown defended his actions
It was now the South's war to lose

Brothers were turned against brothers
The states were at war from that night
The country was clearly in trouble
And with one shot, did begin the fight

It's time to celebrate freedom
On a day eating hot dogs and pie
Towns decorated with bunting
As fire works light up the sky

In the summer of nineteen sixteen
On an island known here as "Black Tom"
Munitions reserved for the allies
Were sabotaged, bullet and bomb

The US now entered the World War
They were allies but not really allied
When another plant blew up in Kingsland
America, came in from the side

It's time to celebrate freedom
On a day eating hot dogs and pie
Towns decorated with bunting
As fire works light up the sky

The second world war was in progress
America was sitting it out
When Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbour
They were at war, of this there was no doubt

Almost one half of a million
Americans died in that war
They died fighting for freedom
Just think, there could have been more

It's time to celebrate freedom
On a day eating hot dogs and pie
Towns decorated with bunting
As fire works light up the sky

Television brought war to the masses
A young soldier seen from Ojai
Interviewed leaving for battle
He was leaving, not hoping to die

Veterans came back to no fanfare
They weren't hero's, the war was not theirs
Back home, they now fought a new battle
Thrown away, where nobody cares

It's time to celebrate freedom
On a day eating hot dogs and pie
Towns decorated with bunting
As fire works light up the sky

The Gulf War began in the nineties
A war fought like none ever seen
Targets were sighted by missiles
Watched on monitors all lit up in green

And then came nine eleven
The war was now brought to our land
I support the soldiers for going to battle
And if you meet one, go shake his hand

It's time to celebrate freedom
On a day eating hot dogs and pie
Towns decorated with bunting
As fire works light up the sky

Freedom is something you fight for
It's something you celebrate too
Sons, Daughters and wives have laid down their lives
So we can all live like we do

It's time to celebrate freedom
On a day eating hot dogs and pie
Towns decorated with bunting
As fire works light up the sky

Coast to coast
and in between
The greatest thing that I have seen
is Canada...my Canada

Mountains and valleys
Rivers and streams
All that one needs to fulfill their dreams
is Canada....my Canada

She's one hundred fifty years old
When God made her he sure broke the mold
Beauty unmatched
I'll love her till I die
My Canada....my Canada

A neighbor, a brother
A sister, a mother
Canada is all of these things
Rebellious nature
runs through our blood
This feeling, it gives my heart wings

Natives and immigrants
A patchwork design
Made this country that I love as mine
My Canada....my Canada

English and French
and others as well
Celebrate all....c'mon ring that bell
In Canada....my Canada


She's one hundred fifty years old
When God made her he sure broke the mold
Beauty unmatched
I'll love her till I die
My Canada....my Canada

Captains courageous
Out hunting for whale
Ghosts on the water
Still under sail

Whales are all gone now
Time goes so fast
Ghosts on the water
Still a'fore the mast

Yesterday beckons
But no one can see
The ghosts on the water
Still sailing the sea

Hunting for schools
That no longer exist
Ghosts on the water
Sail on in the mist

Captains courageous
Out hunting for blue
Souls lost in stasis
A captain and crew

Looking for something
Fighting waves and the gales
Ghosts on the water
Still under sail

A sailor's adventure
Going where the wind blows
When will the sea bite?
Nobody knows

Ships nonexistent
Hunting whales also lost
Ghosts on the water
Whatever the cost

I can't sing a song on stage
when the words don't come
Can't write a poem
or fill a page
when the words don't come

I can't tell you how I feel
when the words don't come
Can't tell the falsehoods
from the real
when the words don't come

when the words don't come
when the words don't come
I am all alone
when the words don't come

I can not even speak my mind
when the words don't come
No direction
do I find
when the words don't come

I stand here, watch you walk away
when the words don't come
can't make you stop
can't make you stay
when the words don't come

when the words don't come
when the words don't come
I am all alone
when the words don't come

Everyone's a sinner
I'm certain that is true
I am...that's a given
and I guess then...so are you

Argue if you want to
There's ten, so it's not hard
To break one on occasion
It doesn't hurt, and you're not scarred

I see bony little fingers
Twisting little tiny beads
Praying quiet for redemption
Rubbing little holy seeds

Sitting in the church pews
With rosaries in hand
Little wrinkled people
In churches all across the land

Some will pray in silence
Not a whisper will you hear
They're addicted to the motion
Of the beads they keep so near

I hope they get to heaven
If the beads help, then they win
They sit praying for redemption
From the earthly hell they're in

Some may light a candle
For a loved one they have lost
Then, they sit and ask redemption
No matter what the cost

Little wrinkled fingers
Working nimbly at the beads
They say their prayers in silence
Clutching tightly at their seeds.

We were like brothers
forever
We are still even today
When he moved
We both parted angry
With one word we never did say

My grandpa was something
so special
He passed while I was away
I miss him and I want to tell him
The words I did not get to say

I know I won't see you forever
I'll think of you until I die
I know I'll remember the good times
But I wish I did say goodbye

We did most things
together
Where I went you were there too
My shadow, my little brother
I missed a lifetime with you

I grew up and moved onto
college
Got married and started life's play
I felt trapped and so dear we parted
I left you with one word to say

I know I won't see you forever,
I'll think of you until I die
I know I'll remember the good times
But I wish I did say goodbye

Life leads us in different
directions
Paths cross, and sometimes they end
Lovers, and brothers remembered
One goodbye, would still make us friends

Old wounds can always
reopen
Once opened they can be healed in some way
Remember the good in your lifetime
And the one word you just didn't say

I know I won't see you forever
I'll think of you until I die
I know I'll remember the good times
But I wish I did say goodbye

Although I wished it different
It wasn't all that good
I'd been drinking pretty heavy
And I didn't have much wood

we fumbled in the back seat
I got her nickers past her knees
She leaned in close and whispered
Be gentle with me please

No pressure on this ******
I thought she knew her way around
Now, I'm drunk and she's all tensed up
I said "let's get outside upon the ground"

The cold air on my *******
Made things go from bad to worse
My ***** was a dead as
A corpse inside a hearse

so, I got on top and rode her
where I thought that other blokes had been
and after seven minutes riding
she asked me "is it in?"

There's a monument outside of town
I go there when the sun goes down
And I listen....

The names upon that granite slab
Are worn and rusted, slightly drab
Still  I listen

There's a silence hanging in the air
Hiding the thoughts of those not there
And I listen

I sit upon the steps below
In rain, or sun, and even snow
And I listen

Thirty men remembered here
Though none of them are buried near
So I listen

I've met others beneath this pigeon roost
Whose spirits I have tried to boost
As I listen

I wait to hear them from the grave
The voices of the dead, the brave
And I listen

None has spoken out to me
I know they watch and they see
As I listen

I keep watch throughout the night
I head home when it is daylight
And I listen

During the day there's too much noise
To hear the voices of these boys
But, I listen

So each night as the sun goes down
I venture once more out of town
And I listen

I listen.....

the galumphers book


Every child knows there's monsters
Hiding in the closet and under the bed
But, I have a secret each child should know
And it's about a Galumpher instead....

Galumphers are watchers
They help keep the peace
They help keep the monsters in line

Three eyes watch the closet,
Three on the monster
And three more...did I mention they've nine?

Galumphers aren't dangerous
They live under the bed
They eat socks and the occasional mouse

But, the one thing that's certain
With a Galumpher, well fed
Closet monsters won't stay in your house


If you believe in those monsters
You'll believe in these too
They're as real as the monsters you fear

Just remember Galumphers
Eat the mice and your socks
With Galumphers , the monsters aren't near

I've never seen a Galumpher
But I know they are  real
I know this, because I once was a kid

My dad checked my closet
Before he'd turn out my light
That's where the bad monsters  hid

One night  he told me
Of the Galumphers that watched
With their 5 ears and nine eyes to see

And as my socks went missing
And the mice disappeared
The Galumpher was a new friend to me

Should you meet a Galumpher
Out from under the bed
Just smile and pretend not to see

For he's probably out
To get the dust bunnies off
And to go and have a long ***.

A group of Galumphers
Rarely is found
Say you've seen them and folks say "harrumph"

But just so you know
If you see three or four
A Galumpher group is called a clumph

A Galumpher is quiet
He keeps out of sight
He's protective and knows what to do

They keep children safe
Keeping monsters away
Eating one sock of which you have two

Some might be orange
While others are blue
You don't know what color they'll be

But, they stay in the darkness
There under your bed
So, you don't know what color you'll see

Galumphers aren't scary
They might make you jump
If you see one, it may scare them too

Just smile and nod
And lie down and sleep
Let the Galumpher do what he must do

Back behind Gianni's
There was no one to be found
The alleyway was quiet
You could not hear a sound

The frost had not yet burned off
The alleyway was wet
The deliveries had not been made
No one was moving yet

In the sky  a rarity
Both sun and moon were out
But seen by just night creatures
Since no one was about

The back window to Gianni's
Opened to where Jim slept
There was garbage in the doorway
Since it had not yet been swept

The moon was getting lower
The sun just in the sky
The silence was then broken
By a blackbird flying by

The bird woke up the Bluesman
with his early morning call
And he watched the Bluesman set up
Perched up high upon a wall

The Bluesman had his guitar
Wiped some moisture off  his crate
Another blackbird landed
A rat peeked out from a drain grate

The Bluesman started playing
Singing low, just barely heard
More animals were showing up
And they took in every word

His medicine beside him
In a flask, engraved "For Dad"
His voice was smooth and smoky
You could hear him, just a tad

More birds came for the concert
More rats, some squirrels too
No humans yet were moving
In the early morning dew

He sang as he was known too
To no one special, just the sky
Songs of revelation
Songs of watching people die

The small flock that had gathered
Watched The Bluesman, moved a bit
As he took sips from his medicine
Not a single song...a hit

The world was just now waking
But The Bluesman didn't care
He was doing what he always did
Singing softly to the air

Normally, the street would fill
As word would spread around
That the Bluesman was out playing
But, today...no one was found

The window to Gianni's
Let Jim lie in bed and dream
That he heard the Bluesman singing
In his room, on a sun beam

The birds all flew away at once
The was movement in behind
Life was coming to the street
Where at night the vermin dined

The Bluesman packed his kit up
Snuck away from the day light
To sleep and rest his weary bones
To venture forth again that night

The rats went to the sewers
The birds had flown away
The squirrels, they were also gone
And the street began it's day

Jim looked out his window
The alley empty, no one thee
Where while Jim thought he was dreaming
The Bluesman sang songs to the air

An early morning concert
Full of music, 'neath the sun
A concert heard by many
A concert just for one

Two men were walking down the road
They met up with Lou Who
He said "I've not seen you men before"
"Now, tell me who are you?"

We're half the Who
Said the two
Half a who? said Lou
Not half a who
Exclaimed the two
we're exactly half The Who

We are now two
And as the Who
We were a group of four
Lou explained  A who is one
So now as two
you  two are just one more

You two cannot  be half a who
Listen closer Lou they said
Listen to us now my son
As these words spin your head

Long ago the Who was four
Keith died, making three
John died leaving only us
There's only him and me
We're half The Who
Not half a Who
Surely that is clear
Lou just stood there dazzled
As if he didn't hear
A who is one
Of which we're not
That is clear to you
We once were four
But, now we're not
We're half of what we were
Lou told them that he understood
These two were not who's
Two strangers walking in our land
Now, that is really news
But, gentlemen can you tell me
Exactly Who Are You?
Tell me sirs, where are you from?
And what exactly do you do?
We're all that's left
We're half the Who
We're singers in a band
We sing rock and roll music
We travel 'round the land
Let me see now said Lou Who
You're  half the Who now....yes?
No, Lou that's another band
This really is a mess
Confused, Lou said "I'm lost now"
Other bands and half a Who
Just answer my first question
Exactly who are you?
Lou, we're gonna say this once
We won't say it anymore
We're half of what was once The Who
We're now two,
we once were four
It' really very simple
Two died, and that leaves us
We have an opera that's called "Tommy"
And a song called Magic Bus
Lou said "I'm just a simple who"
My mind is all a buzz
I'm thinking now of half a who
And what a rock band does
A band of rocks
Poor Lou now moans
That makes no sense to me
If people come to see these stones
Just what do people see?
The Stones, are someone else Lou
They sing just like we do
But, they're another rock band
And we're still half The Who
Half of one and not of all
you're part of what was four
I'll take my leave of you dear sirs
And hope to see you nevermore

Out on a Georgia dirt road
Fully loaded, making time
I've gone a million miles
All on someone else's dime

From Utah to Kentucky
Nevada up to Maine
I've been on super highways
I've driven on one lane

America, America
There's just so much to see
I've seen the land, please understand
You help to make me me

I'm just another trucker, mother
Driving empty, driving full
Hauling loads for everyone
From wood, to steel, to wool

Dirt roads and paved highways
They're connected to my brain
I've driven all from coast to coast
In sleet, and sun and rain

America, America
There's just so much to see
I've seen the land, please understand
You help to make me me

Home, to me is driving
I don't have a fixed abode
I get my mail in dribs and drabs
My life is on the road

Just another trucker, mother
I just wish there was more time
To see the countries treasures
All on someone else's dime

America, America
There's just so much to see
I've seen the land, please understand
You help to make me me

This year is finished
A new one will start
For all those you lost
Keep them close in your heart

Make this year much better
Than the last if you can
Live each day for tomorrow
Each woman, each man

We lost famous people
Yes, a lot are now gone
So, remember them fondly
And now...Let's move on

Happy New Year 2017

Keep your stamps and letters
Don't invite me to a meeting
If you keep them coming
I'll treat you to a beating

Groups all seem to want me
But the feeling's not the same
Go and find your mailing list
And please remove my name

oh....
I won't join any club that would have me as a member
I've a memory like an elephant
so, don't send me application forms
Because you know I will remember

Oh, It must be freezing down  in hell
In fact it must be snowing
I came today, just to say
Hello, I must be going

Don't ask me to sign up again
Please don't be deluded
Check your list and you'll find me
In the column marked excluded

Oh
I won't join any club that would have me as a member
I've a memory like an elephant
so, don't send me application forms
Because you know I will remember

Oh, It must be freezing down in hell
In fact it must be snowing
I came today, just to say
Hello, I must be going

Save your money, save your stamps
You know just what to do
Stop calling, stop the letters
Please, I'm asking you

The only group with membership
Costs me more, due to my brothers
Is family, and even then
I think we had different mothers

oh,I won't join any club that would have me as a member
I've a memory like an elephant
so, don't send me application forms
Because you know I will remember

Oh, It must be freezing down in hell
In fact it must be snowing
I came today, just to say
Hello, I must be going

I will not join any club that would have me as a member
I'll tell you now, and then again, I'll tell you in September
The world is a much better place, if on your list my name's not showing
So here I am, with you to say...Hello, I must be going

I wonder if they ever heard
The noise that people made
Watching them up on the screen
Until the final credits fade

Did anybody tell them
Thanks for what you did
For just a while you took me back
And made me feel just like a kid

Once the greasepaint was washed off
And the curtains had come down
Did they know the magic that they made
Still filtered through the town

Acting like we wanted to
Up there upon the  screen
They filled the world with laughter
You know just what I mean

Most of them are gone now
Very few that we would know
Acetates and ashes
Are all they have to show

If we took the time to tell them
Thank you for the laughter
Would they ever hear us...
Those who have come after

The mantle never passed
The best are long now dead
The ones who worked in silence
With words seen but not said

The names are not all famous
Some are never known
But, we owe them for the laughter
In the movies that were shown

We'd remember lines that they said
And we'd think of them and smile
They took us out of where we were
If just for a short while

Think of your favorite actor
Who you watched and always laughed
Whether slapstick or through word play
They all chose to share their craft

I will not list my favorites here
The list may never end
But, to them I'd just say thank you
A message I must send

I wonder if the next time
Or even the next time after
If they would ever hear us
tell them Thank you for the laughter

I sold my soul

I sold my soul again last night
Six times up on the block
I traded for a friend of mine
I thought it was a lock

Don't speak to me of Jesus
Don't speak of what is fair
I sold my soul again last night
For a friend no longer there

Cancer took him early
He had so much more to give
I sold my soul again last night
In hopes that he would live

I guess the devil owns me
At least he comes to talk
God, just is a bully
But the devil walks the walk

My friend won't be forgotten
Of this fact I am sure
I sold my soul again today
To make sure someone finds a cure

A platter of black plastic
Spinning circles at a speed
That fill the air with music
The inspiration that I need

I close my eyes and listen
To every hiss and pop
I keep the arm retracted
So the music doesn't stop

The little worn out player
With the sweet distorted sound
Takes me back to being younger
It's where memories are found

It's magic made of plastic
Spinning out musical streams
That box that pops and crackles
And fills my vinyl dreams

Sitting in a darkened bar
Ten dead soldiers in a row
My bladder was now screaming
It's time for you to go

I ordered up another drink
Left my seat, went down the hall
And on my way back to the bar
I saw a number on the wall

Help...it said, is close, close by
It's nearer than you think
Call, the number that you see
Before you order your next drink

I thought, it doesn't make much sense
I've got my life under control
I haven't bottomed out quite yet
I'm only half way down the hole

Four more drinks and then again
I stumbled down the hall
And coming back, I once more read
The notice on the wall

Help...it said, is close, close by
It's nearer than you think
Call, the number that you see
Before you order your next drink

I put a dime into the payphone
I thought I'd give it one good try
Before I hit rock bottom
I'd call them up or else I'd die

A friendly voice responded
"out of service...try again"
I laughed at this short message
Then I tried it once again

I checked the number on the notice
Dialed it, and then I heard
the message "out of service"
I laughed at every word

It seems that "out of service"
Was a title I should hold
After all I was a soldier
Out of work, and drunk, and cold

Those three words, they described me
"Out of service" , right bang on
No one cared that I was falling
Who would notice when I'm gone?

I went back to my barstool
Downed my drink and got one more
I thought, I'd better have another
Before I stumbled out the door

Before I went, I ventured
To the jukebox, checked for change
The sign said "out of service"
I thought that that was strange

Twice now, "out of service"
In a message sent to me
Was I truly worth redemption
A hopeless case for all to see

I figured that tomorrow
If I found I woke up dead
"out of service" were the last words
That were emblazoned in my head

I went back to the barkeep
Ordered one more for the road
Then I downed another soldier
"out of service" number stowed

I'd laugh on this tomorrow
If I made it through this night
I was truly "out of service"
I need help to find the light.

A brand new sheriff came to town
I'm sure he's not the last
We've had fourteen in the past year
They leave here mighty fast

Some can't stand the pressure
Others end up in boot hill
It ain't easy being Sheriff
Here in Cactus Mill

He was tall, compared to most folks
That's what the undertaker said
"I'm just scouting for the future"
"In case he ends up dead"

He went into his office
Fired both deputies on sight
He said "you wanna get your job back"
"Then, you'll have to do it right"

"I don't hanker to disruptions"
"In the town ... I rule"
"The laws all must be followed"
"Now, boys...it's time for school"

"We're gonna have a meeting"
"You can follow, or can go"
"I'm gonna clean this town up"
"I just thought you both should know"

He'd printed off some flyers
Had them passed out by the men
It was scheduled for the Baptist Church
It was due to start at ten

He cleaned up and got ready
A good impression he would give
Because this man's demeanor
Chose who'd die and who would live

At nine fifteen he left and went
To the church, to say a prayer
He thought it would be empty
But found half the town was there

We waited till the church bells
Chimed ten times ...and he began
"I'm here to be your Sheriff"
"I'll do the best job that I can"

"I don't like injustice"
"Wrong doers...they must pay"
"I like to keep things, well..in house"
"I make decisions in  a day"

"I'm like a judge and jury"
"I hold my own cowboy kind of court"
"I'm like Roy Bean, I guess you'd say"
"It's my town...It is my fort"

"Gunfights, just won't happen"
"If they do, both men are dead"
"One, because he lost it...."
"The other, cause I said"

"Drinking...keep it local"
"Stay inside at the saloon"
"Don't wander the streets at night"
"Standing, howling at the moon"

"You can wear your guns in town"
"But, I don't want to see them out"
"If I do, then you can bet"
"You'll learn fast, what my court is all about"

"Now, coming in, two miles out"
"I saw a sturdy tree"
"The only one who hangs from it"
"Will be decided on....by me"

"Lynchings...not on my watch"
"Rustling....don't you try"
"The rules all must be followed"
"If not....you'll surely die"

"I have a length of rope with me"
"It's been stretched 'bout twenty times"
"Add one more...it's twenty one"
"So, don't commit no crimes"

"I also have two friends right here"
"Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson"
"Don't make them come on out to play"
"If they do , you'll learn your lesson"

"Back at the jail, there is one more"
"A right old sturdy gun"
"If Smith and Wesson do not work"
"Then you'll meet...Remington"

"I hope that you will follow"
"The rules that I lay down"
"Cactus Mill is pretty"
"I like this little town"

"I might be the new Sheriff"
"And I want to be your friend"
"The choice is which one do you want"
"A long life...or early end?"

He shook the preachers hand then
And he walked on out the door
The towns folk sat in silence
You could hear a feather hit the floor

Now, the question....Did this Sheriff
Clean up little Cactus Mill?
Did Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson
Keep his hide out of Boot Hill?

Last night I went out for a beer
Down to my local bar
While I was there I do believe
I saw a falling star

I ordered up a beer and shot
Sat down, to waste some time
When I heard a gruff voice rumble
Two seats down from mine

"Shut that juke box off barkeep"
"I can't stand to hear that voice"
"I'd rather rip my ears off"
"If I truly had the choice"

The barkeep wandered back a bit
Turned the sound down for a while
I kept on at my beer and then
I ordered two more, with a smile

"Send one down to him" I said
"Let him pick a song on me"
"He can choose whatever song he wants"
"And tell him, this one's free"

The barkeep served the beer on up
The man turned and looked my way
He said "I thank you for the beer, kind sir"
"But there's nothing there to play"

About an hour passed before
The band took to the stage
They broke into an old, old song
And the man, yelled out with rage

"I don't need to hear that song"
"I hate it, don't you know"
"Play anything else you want to play"
"But, cut that from your show"

The band continued playing
The man got mad as hell
"I hate that song, I told you"
"You can all now go to hell"

I watched the barkeep move in
He whispered close so none could hear
The man, sat back in silence
I wonder what was whispered in his ear

I ordered up a beer for me,
With two shots, and then moved stools
When I got beside me
He said "Do you think that I'm a fool?"

I said, "just have a drink bud"
"Let the band play what they want"
Then he turned and looked on through me
With dead eyes and face so gaunt

"Son, I wrote that ****** song"
"I sang it all my life"
"I wrote it for the one I loved"
"She used to be my wife"

"While I was  singing songs for her"
"She was flat out on her back"
"For everyone who came for me"
"She had two more in the sack"

"I used to play the music boy"
"And I used to play it well"
"Now, I'm just a stinking drunk"
"With one foot set in hell"

"I used to have a tour bus"
"Play two hundred shows a year"
"Now, I sit and wallow"
"I live on charity and beer"

"I started drinking on the road"
"Couldn't sing, I couldn't feel"
"I couldn't sing the words I wrote"
"The feeling wasn't real"

"I fell into a bottle, son"
"About ten years ago"
"I haven't reached the bottom yet"
"I've still a ways to go"

"She took my words away from me"
"Stomped my heart and made it dust"
"She took all I ever had"
"My words, my love, my trust"

"I thank you for the beer boy"
"But, I am just a hopeless case"
"I used to be a someone once"
"Now, I take up space"

The barkeep, set up two more beers
He said "These one's here  are free"
"Your words, they still have meaning"
"At least they do...to me"

The band struck up another
It was one that we all new
I could see him start to shaking
I guess he wrote this too

He told me boy "it's kinda tough"
"Knowing all I had is dead"
"I keep hearing myself singing these"
"But, only in my head"

"Three nights a week I spend the night"
"At the lockup, drunk as hell"
"Because, I just can't stand to hear my songs"
"And the stories that they tell"

I finished up, and shook his hand
Paid my tab and turned to go
From behind me, I heard "thank you"
"I just thought that you should know"

Tonight, I went out for a beer
I went to my local bar
Two seats from me I guess I saw
A real life falling star.

I think back to yesterday
climbing trees out in the park
and hearing papa once I fell
say "that will leave a mark"

life is full of times
when we struggle in the dark
hitting things and broken hearts
that will leave a mark

live your life the best you can
make your bite worse than your bark
leave it so when you are gone
you know you left a mark

playing sports, and racing cars
doing things just for a lark
back inside my head I hear
that will leave a mark

father always said play tough
when it rains don't build an ark
swim against the current son
make sure you leave a mark

live your life the best you can
make your bite worse than your bark
leave it so when you are gone
you know you left a mark

a scar that shows that you played hard
in life or in the park
always hear your father say
that will leave a mark

don't hide away from nothing
remember you can be the shark
when you do , do something
that will leave a mark

live your life the best you can
make your bite worse than your bark
leave it so when you are gone
you know you left a mark

Hunter was happy
The rain was now done
He could go out in the yard
And have some real fun

Staying inside
when there was so much to do
He had to go hunting
For his movable zoo

Hunter like letters
And numbers and things
He also likes dreaming
and the joy that it brings

He pulled out his toy box
And he dragged it outside
I'm going to go hunting
He put his hat on with pride

An old hunting helmet
And one wellington boot
A runner, his jacket
And a toy gun to shoot

I'm off to go hunting
I'll will fill a whole zoo
Just call me for dinner
And with that...he was through

A boy's mind is special
They can imagine the world
Is a magical jungle
That to them is unfurled

A zoo from a toy box
All in order....you'll see
He would fill up his zoo
From A back to Z

First came an aardvark
Then a ******, all stuffed
Then a cheetah, a donkey
All cuddly and puffed

E made him think
Yep...an earwig or two
It fit with the letters
And it would go in his zoo

F was a frog,
Made of rubber and green
G ...a gorilla
With a smile, not mean

H was a horse
with a cowboy as well
The zoo, it was growing
And to him, that was swell

I....had him thinking
It's my zoo after all
So, if I can't get a letter
It won't matter at all

J was a jacks game
Not an animal too
But, the jacks looked like spiders
And this was Hunters zoo

K...that was easy
A Kangaroo with a pouch
L was a llama
With three legs and a slouch

M was a monkey
A whole barrel he had
He played with these some
He wasn't doing half bad

In all of an hour
He had collected a herd
Of stuffed toys, ***** and jacks
And he still had no bird

N was a nerf ball
Or a dinosaur egg
It could be what he wanted
He'd now found that fourth leg

The llama assembled
O was easy for him
An octopus floaty
That taught him to swim

P was a parrot
With feathers all red
Q...that's a tough one
He thought to himself in his head

R was a rhino
With no horn, it was broke
S was a snake
His dad bought as a joke

T was a tough one
A terra-dac-til said he
Not knowing the spelling
And that it started with P

U ...under water
so he found a stuffed fish
This was not all that easy
V...well tosh tish

I'll catch two of another
If I can't think of one
Hunting out in the yard
Is really quite fun

W...a walrus
with a moustache and tusks
Like the gorilla before
made of coconut husks

X...was a tough one
Another dinosaur came
Made from his xylophone
And this dino was tame

Y was a yak
He didn't know what it was
But, he just liked the name
So, a yak ....just because

Z was a zebra
blue and black with no white
He'd colored it in with a marker
When he got bored one night

He'd been out for a while
When he heard his mum yell
Time to come in
Bring your toy box as well

All through his dinner
He told of what he had caught
Of the alphabetic adventures
And the creatures he'd got

He watched tv for a while
Then it was bath time and bed
Where Hunter the hunter
Now had a full head

Now, he was dreaming
Of all he must do
This was Hunter the hunter
And his movable zoo

Listen to the silence
It's louder than before
A Lion now has left us
We no longer hear his roar

A poet of the people
His voice a summer storm
The lion now is silenced
Now silence is the norm

Read the words he's written
Listen to the voice
The lion has entrapped you
You do not have a choice

We were in his story
He touched us to our core
Now, the lion...he is silenced
And Bart Wolffe will roar no more

I went fishing with two witches
Out in my new boat
There was me, the witches
Two black cats, and a little pygmy goat

We sat out on the water
The small odd group and me
And in the first few hours
Not one fish did we see

The witches looked on skyward
Grabbed hands to cast a spell
They said that this worked wonders
And then they both did yell

Icarus, thickarus, giraffes and wild dogs
Lizards, and giant gnu
Bippity, Boppity, snakes and we wish
An airborne callipoe stew

Suddenly the water around the boat
Started to steam, and then it did boil
The sun disappeared, the sky went all black
And the clouds went the colour of oil

The witches both gathered the nets on the boat
As the fish came on up from the deep
They were out of the water and up in the air
And through this the goat went to sleep

Icarus, thickarus, giraffes and wild dogs
Lizards, and giant gnu
Bippity, Boppity, snakes and we wish
An airborne callipoe stew

Fish were around us, high in the air
The witches waved nets as if mad
The cats didn't move nor did the goat
It was the best catch that I'd ever had

After a while the sky turned to blue
The witches sat back with a look
We'd netted hundred of fish from the lake
Now, they would have to be cooked

Icarus, thickarus, giraffes and wild dogs
Lizards, and giant gnu
Bippity, Boppity, snakes and we wish
An airborne callipoe stew

I took the boat in, and docked on the shore
With our fish all strung up just for show
Everyone there asked what bait did we use?
I just smiled, for they weren't set to know

I go fishing with witches at least once a week
My freezer is full and then some
Their spell is amazing, it works every time
They say it loud, and fish come

Icarus, thickarus, giraffes and wild dogs
Lizards, and giant gnu
Bippity, Boppity, snakes and we wish
An airborne callipoe stew

the air was thick and heavy
the sun was heating up the sky
And somewhere in the jungle
more men were gonna die

The streets were full of people
Feral dogs were running free
The haze was thick and murky
The sun you couldn't see

It's a Saigon Sunday Morning
Ten more men were going home
To  a flag tri-corner folded
And a marker of white stone

The men were all assembled
To load them up with care
It was a Saigon Sunday Morning
with ten men no longer there

The jungle was a minefield
The trees were blocking out the light
It was ***** trapped like crazy
And it seemed like it was night

A patrol went hunting "Charlie"
But, they were found out first
It only took twelve seconds
And it turned out for the worst

The city never noticed
The 'copters flying overhead
Whether bringing in supplies
Or taking out the dead

It was a Saigon Sunday Morning
It never changed one little bit
The air was always heavy
And the alleys smelled like ****

Back home the news delivered
The families destroyed
They were waiting for their loved ones
A short time were deployed

Ribbons tied around the Oak Tree
to support those coming back
On a Saigon Sunday Morning
With twenty bullets in their back

A transport with the bodies
Drops fifty more to play the game
It's a vicious, endless, circle
The procedure's all the same

It's a Saigon Sunday Morning
Ten more men were going home
To a flag tri-corner folded
And a marker of white stone

I admit I do not understand
People staring at their hands

A tiny screen controls their eyes
Electronic lows and highs

Folks all wander to and fro
Directed by Pokémon Go

One's free will is all but dead
With Nintendo now deep in your head

It's great to be out in the sun
But, can you really call this fun

The best part though, I think to me
Is the collisions between man and tree

The ten count is over
He's down for the count
The Greatest is gone from this world

But, we will remember
He will stay here forever
As we think of the quips that he hurled

As fast as his fists flew
His lip was much faster
He rhymed with the greatest of ease

Parkinson's slowed him
But, we will remember
The Greatest of All...ALI

Known by the masses
After his time in the ring
He was an angel sent to this earth

He had his convictions
Became a man of the people
He showed what a real life was worth

A true gentle giant
With the speed of a mongoose
The Louisville Lip...that was he

We all know his trademark
How he floated and stung
The Greatest...Muhammad Ali

If someone says that freedom's free
Then, they don't have a clue
Of the things they take for granted
And the cost to me and you

Freedom has a price tag
And it's measured out in lives
of sons and missing daughters
In husbands and in wives

The cost of freedom's heavy
No dollar value can be set
Think of those who gave their life
When you next go thank a vet

Freedom is expected
But, freedom isn't free
Sacrifices must be made
If freedom we will see

The choice to fight is simple
It's something someone has to do
A soldier is a hero
He made his choice for you

Next time you hear somebody
Say they deserve all that they get
Take them down to the town legion
And let them say thank you to a vet

Little Toy Soldiers going off to war
None will ever live to  see age twenty four
None of them even  know what they're fighting for
Little Toy Soldiers going off to war

The world has always been this way
With Emperors and Kings
Fighting with toy soldiers
And the glory that it brings

Land, beliefs, religion
The basis of the war
fought by young toy soldiers
Who all die by the score

Time has taught us nothing
But, it's changed the way we fight
War is a full day job
Now that it is fought at night

The boards of little armies
Are now shown up on the screen
With all the little soldiers
Lit in different shades of green

They used to be all metal
Painted up in nice bright shades
With a General on horseback
Leading all his smart brigades

Then, the men were plastic
glued to bits of wood
Behaving as a unit
Just like a soldier should

Now, the war is different
They're up there in different hues
You can watch them fight in real time
Just like on the nightly news

The only thing remaining
The thing that's stayed the same
Is that nobody in power
Know the Little Soldiers names

Little Toy Soldiers going off to war
None will ever live to  see age twenty four
None of them even  know what they're fighting for
Little Toy Soldiers going off to war

I'll start  with "Goodbye"
Yes, I'll start at the end
It's easier to leave
If we become friends

It saves us the trouble
It's best now to say
Goodbye at the beginning
In case friends we don't stay

It's not left on the table
There's closure right off
To me it makes sense
While you just may scoff

Next time at a meeting
Tell them, goodbye not hello
It may cause confusion
But, it's easy to go

So, I'm telling you now
Goodbye now my friend
That way it's all covered
At our relationships end

Children all see magic
You can see it in their eyes
Only little children see
Reindeer flying in the skies

A dragonfly, a lightning bug
No, a fairy ...can't you see
Through the eyes of a small child
What will be you know will be

Beneath the tallest mountains
In the glades and in the streams
There is magic that is hidden
And  magic makes the dreams

We know that wild ponies
Are all unicorns at rest
Their secret must stay hidden
And children hide it best

They're protected by the magic
By the fairies , just for one
The ponies live forever
Their job is never done

The magic shared by Santa
Is found on  fairy wings
It can be used when it's not Christmas
But, just for special things

A little girl name Sarah
Saw the fairies dance one night
She crept out her bedroom
To watch the fairy's  light

Everyone was sleeping
When little Sarah shut the door
She crossed the road in darkness
The girl was only four

She looked out at the darkness
Saw the fairies dancing 'round
Then into the woods she wandered
And she never made a sound

She walked toward the fairies
Always keeping them in sight
But the fairies didn't notice
As they danced away the night

She stopped, and watched them dancing
And she started dancing too
It was then it started snowing
What would Sarah do?

She turned back to the pathway
But, she was turned around
She tripped upon a tree root
And she tumbled to the ground

The fairies heard her falling
They all hid deep in the trees
Now, somewhere in the darkness
Sarah rose up on her knees

She looked around and wondered
Will I get back to my house?
The forest was dead quiet
You could not even hear a mouse

She cried and then remembered
What her parents always said
And if she didn't follow
She'd be home safe in her bed

Her parents said "Dear Sarah"
"When the fairies dance at night"
"Stay and watch them from the window"
"don't dare follow fairy light"

Sarah now grew tired
And soon she fell asleep
And into Sarah's resting head
Dreams did start to creep

She dreamed of Christmas Ponies
Her parents, winter snow
Santa Claus and puppies
And the direction she must go

She woke and looked about her
No tracks where fairies stepped
Grass and leaves, a blanket
were placed upon her while she slept

Standing right before her
As white as winter snow
Was a secret Christmas pony
Surrounded by a golden glow

He moved forward toward Sarah
Put his head down as she stood
She knew then that this pony
Would help her get home from this wood

She knew he was a Christmas Pony
Though his horn was not in sight
The fairies helped her climb aboard him
And walked them off into the night

The woods were lit by fairy magic
The trees glowed bright as if midday
The pony walked slow with Sarah riding
They met more ponies on the way

For near an hour they did venture
Until they reached the roadside wall
The pony stopped and she dismounted
The fairies helped, so she'd not fall

She climbed the wall and left the pony
The fairies and the woods behind
She went on in, and moved so silent
Not quite sure what she would find

The house was dark as Sarah entered
Her parents were still fast asleep
She knew that they would not believe her
So to her room, she did creep

In the morning, after breakfast
She went on out to have a look
All she saw was trees and grasses
And in the distance, the small brook

Time passed by, her secret hidden
She never told a single soul
But, every night she dreamed of ponies
And of the one she rode with eyes of coal

Christmas now was fast approaching
Every night she'd watch the wood
She never left and went out walking
She always stayed home like she should

On Christmas Eve as she was sleeping
A vision came into her head
Sarah woke, went to the window
Left the warmth of her nice bed

There outside, beside the road wall
Standing, watching in the night
She saw three transformed Christmas Ponies
Their horns were lit by fairy light

The fairies danced among the tree limbs
The ponies played and jumped around
They looked up where our Sarah smiled
Fairy dancing with no sound

A flash of light and they all vanished
The time had come for them to go
The fairies flew into the woodland
And left one pony, white as snow

Sarah looked down from her window
And watched the pony turn to leave
She knew the reason that she saw him
Was that deep down, she did believe

So, if you look for Christmas Ponies
You will find them if you look
Believe they're real and you will see them
They're everywhere...not just in  a book.

I remember my old Grampa
And the way he used to look
He had so many stories
He was much better than a book

I remember on our visits
While the folks would head outside
Gramps would get us grandkids
And take us for a story ride

He'd hitch up the hay wagon
We'd get up and off we'd go
Then gramps would start to talking
And so began the show

He'd tell us all the stories
Of our folks when they were young
Some he had to censor,
And sometimes bite his tongue

Now, Grandpa told the stories
Whether we were in or out
And we'd all sit and listen
To what they were all about

When we'd gather by the fire
He'd pull up his rocking chair
He'd have his pipe and all us grandkids
And his dog, Whiskey, always there

We'd all sit in front of Grandpa
We'd want to take in every word
And he would speak up louder
To make sure that we heard

He'd tell us tales of Cowboys
Of bank robbers and the trail
Of how the west became the west
And how his horse once lost his tail

The folks would gather round too
When it was almost time to go
But, Grandpa, being Grandpa
Wasn't set to end the show

See, he'd told the tales forever
To our folks and all their friends
You could tell that some were truthful
And in some the truth....well....bends

The older ones among us
Knew deep down that most were fake
But, to see old Grandpa work the room
Man, that man just took the cake

We'd get together monthly
All us kids stayed close to home
We weren't like lots of others
Who had that built in urge to roam

The stories, we'd learn later
Were mostly from TV
He'd be talking of those cowboys
And of how things used to be

A few years back we lost him
His dog had up and died
Gramps old heart was broken
He couldn't take it, though he tried

My brother tells the stories,
Not as good as Gramps at rhyme
But, the kids all hunker round him
I'm sure that he'll be good in time

We still go on the hayrides
Tell ghost stories now instead
To all us grown up grandkids
We still hear grandpa in our head

Each month we get together
There's near a hundred now in all
The kids go with my brother
And he tells tales ten feet tall

The stories are consistent
Of old cowboys and the west
I can close my eyes and listen
And still like Grandpa's versions best

I went into the pro shop
Paid my fees and turned to leave
The man behind the counter said
"you're new here...I believe"

I said I'd never played here
He said "there's things that you should know"
"I'll grab us both a coffee"
"Listen close...before you go"

"The first two holes are easy"
"nothing there gets in the way"
"no bunkers, and no water"
"just the way to start the day"

"It gets tougher on the third hole"
"There's some birds up in the trees"
"They buzz you while you're putting"
"Remember...birds on three"

"The fourth hole is a dog leg"
"It has a river on the right"
'Avoid the yellow caution tape"
"We had a drowning there last night"

I swallowed hard and stared back
"A drowning out on four"
"That's right" he said "don't worry"
"At least it's not the wild boar"

"The WILD BOAR?" I said aloud
He said "he's on five through seven"
"Don't worry much on those holes"
"He's been sighted on eleven"

"The eighth is fairy simple"
"A par three that you can reach"
"Water moccasins in the swamp"
"And lots of spiders in the beach"

"The greens are all receptive"
"They hold well, just come in high"
'But, land is short...there's quicksand"
"So...go in there...you die"

"you make the turn, and grab a dog"
"I give them out for free"
"The owner says it's wasteful"
"But, I say...just let it be"

"The tenth hole is a par five"
"It' one to reach in two"
"But if you put it out of bounds"
"I'd leave it...if I were you"

"you know about the wild boar"
"so eleven gets a pass"
"he's got some bite, that sumbitch"
"He might gore you in the ***"

"Now twelve...is quite a pickle"
"I'll tell you watch out now.....not later"
"We have a situation there"
"It's fairway's full of gator"

"What the hell is that you say"
"There's a gator out there then"
"Today there is but somedays son"
"You can meet as much as ten"

"You must be mad" I yelled at him
"I'm leaving...I'll not play"
"on a course so full of danger"
"There's no way...just no way"

I asked him for a refund
he pointed up above his head
"no refunds, only rainchecks"
"and then only if you're dead"

I sacrificed my forty bucks
And left, out to my car
The pro just sat and smiled
"I've scared off thirty one so far"

I know I'll not return here
not with friends or by myself
not with spiders in the bunkers
Or gators on the twelfth.

I'm sitting in the corner
With a whiskey and a smoke
The barkeep pours another
The waitress tells a joke

The jukebox is on auto
But still, people go and choose
I just sit here with my whiskey
Dropping ashes on my shoes

Another Day, Another Bottle
My life is dragging by
Another Day, Another Bottle
I'm just waiting here to die
Another Day, Another Bottle
I gave it my best try
Another Day, Another Bottle
I'm just waiting here to die

Beer no longer cuts it
It's just whiskey, hold the ice
A maduro or cohiba
Makes it go down rather nice

The barkeep keeps his distance
Knows I'll order when I'm dry
But, I nurse each whiskey longer
'cause I've just no cash to buy

Another Day, Another Bottle
My life is dragging by
Another Day, Another Bottle
I'm just waiting here to die
Another Day, Another Bottle
I gave it my best try
Another Day, Another Bottle
I'm just waiting here to die

The jukebox plays some country
It plays Cash, Nelson and Joe South
It doesn't play the new stuff
It leaves a bad taste in my mouth

I sit here in the corner
With my whiskey and my smoke
Neither one has killed me
But ****, they've made me broke

Another Day, Another Bottle
My life is dragging by
Another Day, Another Bottle
I'm just waiting here to die
Another Day, Another Bottle
I gave it my best try
Another Day, Another Bottle
I'm just waiting here to die

The graveyard
had been redesigned
The walkways had
been realigned

The biggest change
At least to me
Was the signs now out
For all to see

Five short words
that we all read
Not keep off the grass
Don't tread on the dead

Genius,
You'd have to say
Don't walk where we
The dead all lay

This sign,
It said it best
Don't tread on the dead
Let them all rest

Keep on the path
Respects may be paid
Just stay off the grass
One request made

The simplest sign
The words stay in your head
Not...keep off the grass
Just...Don't tread on the dead

Today I saw a man
He was sitting by the road
I couldn't see his face
But, his feelings...well, they showed

All of his belongings
Were beside him in a cart
I wanted to approach
But, my feet just wouldn't start

Today I saw a man
Picking butts up from the street
I crossed the road to pass him
And our paths, they didn't meet

He was searching in the gutter
For tobacco for a smoke
I didn't venture near him
Just in case he spoke

Today I saw a man
Sleeping in the park
It was early in the morning
It wasn't even dark

He was covered with a jacket
With a paper by his head
He slept just like a child
He looked like he was dead

Today I saw a man
In fatigues and baseball cap
Saluting at the cenotaph
I felt my heart fall to my lap

He saluted ramrod perfect
As just a soldier can
today, I learned a lesson
Today...I saw a Man