I know that I have loved you
sometime in the past
we're two souls out in the slipstream
with no sail upon the mast
two souls in search of someone
and I know that someone's you
we've been in love forever
at least a time or two

I have known you for forever
yes, I know that it was you
we are looking for each other
and each time, our love is new
we are souls without direction
we have been in love before
and we're destined to repeat it
in time forever more

we might skip a generation
ok maybe one or two
we are searching for each other
at least I am for you
we aren't famous individuals
just two souls on the wind
who are cursed to keep repeating
for once, we must have sinned

we are stuck inside the vortex
of an endless loop of souls
coming back to search forever
through a sea of timeless holes
we have been in love forever
and until we get it right
we are two stars always burning
in the cold dark winter night

we are souls out on the slipstream
we have played the lover's game
we both know we've been together
because our love it seems the same
it's a love built on the ages
we know we'll meet again
one day we'll get it perfect
so now my love...'till then...

Life is not pre-destined
One path is not that's there
Life is misadventure
The end...you know not where

Sometimes people lead you
Other times you make your way
But, paths they are all changing
Where will you end up today

Roads are twisted and forbidden
Some are dry and some are wet
The road may be straight or be a forked one
If it's forked you best take it!!

Start a path, don't look behind you
Change the scene of your attack
Start your path and take on others
Move ahead and don't look back

Life is full of trips and stumbles
It's not just a rosy road
don't always take the road less travels
But always help to share a load

People come and join your journey
Some may stay and others leave
The one's who stay may be unwanted
The ones who don't you learn to grieve

Listen to the world around you
Listen to those from before
They know the roads that are the safest
These are the folks who know the score

If you travel on with no one
And a forked road you do get
If you see a forked road take it
advice from Yogi...your best bet!!!

As one year end gets closer and a new one set to start
Why are we always looking backwards not forwards with our heart
We always think of things we lost not of things we gain
We just cannot find the sunshine for the rain
We talk of what might have been and what almost came to pass
We never speak in positives just negatives and sass
We look at what we do not have and what we didn't do
I know I do it annually, I'm sure that you do too
This year I gained experience and friends I've yet to meet
And I know that every one of them have made my year a special treat
But as I look back on this past year I think of what I've lost
Just in case I need reminding and I need to know the cost
It's just our way to do this so our goals don't get set too high
It's difficult to start anew than it is to say goodbye
As we move into our future we will learn from our mistakes
And we're sure to shed enough new tears to fill up the great lakes
But, moving on into the wide expanse of the unkown
Is something that scares most of us, It's the dice that we have thrown
That leads into challenges and friendships not yet found
To start the path to next year, you must hold the grass down to the ground
Next year is the grail for sports fans whose teams fail
There'll always be a next year but what of this year's tale
It's one we look at fondly and we always think they're bums
But it's written in a song somewhere that next year never comes
I've tried to learn a lesson from each year that I've been here
But because I'm always looking backwards there are lessons tinged with fear
Of doing the same thing once again and of not doing what I should
But if I look back at it rightly, I did all that I could
With next year soon approaching I will put this year behind
And I will think of the adventures next year I will find
I will make new friends and spend time with the people I hold dear
And I hope that you can do it too  in this coming great New Year.

You stare at me with bedroom eyes
A venus in relief
Unapproachable and untouchable
Is there beauty underneath?
Puppy dogs and rainy walks
And you hate men that are liars
But, what we all would like to know
What sets your soul on fire?
Spread on the page to all the world
Legs spread and showing all
You're a vision of such loveliness
I would wish for you to call
But, that is just a fantasy
Something buried in my mind
A woman half as gorgeous
I would spend all my life to find
Years go by you age in life
But you still stay twenty three
For the image that I have of you
Is the one that I still see
Your poses are just perfecet
I would love to lay one kiss
On parts of you...untouchable
But I'll just settle for this
All others who came after you
Were pale beyond compare
comparisons of body parts
and of course...your silky hair
The centerfold you posed for
such a long long time ago
Haunts me like no other ever
I just wanted you to know.

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.

It's been four days since Christmas
All I've done is watch tv
cooking with the leftovers
two on how to cook the tree
turkey this and rolled up that
jamie, gordon and the rest
it was all so ****** boring
then...Nigella...she's the best

that voice that melts the butter
the jokes that go both ways
a sausage roll from her soft hands
would go on and on for days
she makes it all seem easy
even though it may not be
i didn't know the girl had hair
until christmas of '03

i've cooked all kinds of pastries
turkey pies and turkey stew
but, watching her this christmas
she showed me something new
she made a nice pavlova
god, i love the way she speaks
now, i just can't stop my thinking
of nigella's nice stiff peaks

In seventy three it all started
A friendship, that's all that it was
But, their friends could only see trouble
They couldn't see it...and that was because

There was Blood in The water all ready
They were fighting, which they thought was fine
Dan and Maria were in the tornado
That had started in early Grade nine

They dated for five years before college
They promised to each other alone
But, alone only meant "we're together"
"At least....when the other's not home"

There was Blood in The water...real vivid
They're friends could all see it quite well
These two  were together, but cheating
The Blood in The Water could tell

They split when they both left for college
They said they'd stay friends while away
But, long distance...it broke up their friendship
I think it broke up in a day

There was Blood in The water, you'd see it
When these two got together again
They would fight like the devil incarnate
But their friends knew they'd hook up again

They could all see the blood in the water
They were doomed from the start...easily
They were mad more than madly in love so,
Their friends just stayed back,...just to see

That the Blood in The Water was spreading
They all knew that the next step they'd see
Was Dan and Maria get married
This was trouble with a capital T

Two years passed and Dan, he got fired
He took a new job in the east
They moved down there, though they were still fighting
Their life was just famine or feast

The Blood In the Water was scarlet
It was getting much redder each time
The one who'd be hurt by their fighting
Was their new son and that was a crime

The house that they lived in was smaller
Dan was drinking and that got him through
The days and the nights of their fighting
There was a storm coming.....we knew

But, The Blood in The Water was missing
For these two couldn't see what was there
They were a storm of gigantic proportions
And their fighting was not always fair

Maria, she'd always go shopping
Spending money she knew was all gone
While Dan stayed at home and was drinking
While he took care of their three year old son

Their friends saw the Blood in The Water
These two filling the waters with chum
They could see a divorce in the offing
They knew not when the end would become

It was obvious right from the beginning
These two were as diffenent can be
Their friends knew it right when it started
In the summer of seventy three

Now with all of this Blood in The Water
Choosing sides had to be done by all
Were you Dan's friend or her's really truly
How does one make that call?

They divorced after ten years together
It all happened with nary a fuss
Dan moved home to go live with his mother
No one was shocked...well, not us

There'd been Blood In The Water forever
There were fins following close behind
We all watched as they marriage dismantles
And as friends we feigned shock and were kind

So, Beware of The Blood in The Water
It will make all your water seem warm
You can't see it while you are both fighting
It's not there in the eye of the storm

The Blood in The Water's a warning
As a friend, stay away and get back
For if you tell either one that you see it
I'm not sure, but I think they'll attack

In seventy three it all started
A friendship, that's all that it was.

Mickey's Hallowee'n


The trick or treater stood before me
Dressed like someone from a story
He was looking good but really gory
I knew just who he was

The blood looked real and really icky
I knew the kid, his name was Mickey
The dried blood it looked really sticky
He never said a word

Zombie like, he stood there staring
It was a fantastic costume he was wearing
I'm sure that most kids he was scaring
He held his bag up high

I reached behind to give him candy
The treats were close, I had them handy
I gave him chocolate, a bar called "Dandy"
He smiled and walked away

I watched him leave and said "good haunting"
I hope he gets all that he's wanting
He looked at me, like I was taunting
He didn't understand

Each year he goes out trick or treating
One year poor Mickey took a beating
While he was standing, and his candy eating
He's never been the same

He's 24 and no one cares
It's not the same if he's not there
He always comes and stands and stares
Mickey makes our Halloween





       

Looking through the windows to the times that were my past
You blink and they're forgotten, they leave our mind so fast
Remember when you knew every program on tv
How you knew what time they started from noon till almost three
You knew each player on each team in every league there was
But now you know you know no one and the reason is because
We've gotten older, times are tough, our priorities have changed
We can remember all these things again, if we'd only rearrange
We look back and admire how things were simple then
How we'd like to go back there in time and do it all again
There've been improvements to our life since, but none that would mean more
Than getting up and looking outside and finding fresh bread at your door.
Folks our age miss the fifties and the sixties and the joys that they did bring
We can't stand todays new music, these new bands can barely sing
But if you listen close it's funny, it's not just us that miss the past
Look at retro nights for eighties bands, they've sprung up really fast
Our kids think going backwards might be better somehow too
So, while you may not talk about it, they think the same as you
Remember when the Beatles came and burst upon the scene
Now, our grandkids like their music, they're the best that's ever been
Nostalgia is emotional and I don't think it's a craze
We all have got a reason for going to those days
It might be just a teacher, how they treated you in school
It might be for your self esteem, back then you were real cool
But, whatever is the reason, we're here now, that's a fact
But we have a sure fire method that;s sure to take us back
Listen to some music, look at old time photographs
You'll be taken back in time again to where you had some laughs
A simple scent might set you free and move you forty years
It might just be so strong that it would bring you right to tears
So, take some time and ruminate on what it means to you
You can travel back in time each day to nineteen sixty two
Just keep your feet here, planted firmly on the ground
Or they'll lock you up forever more, because your mind it is not sound
Now, I'm off on a small journey, I won't be gone for long
I hear Captain Fantastic starting up by Elton John.

Everybody's learning how to wash their hands now,
C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
It's about as easy as a certain dance now
C'mon baby, do the Covid Motion
My little baby sister can do it with ease
It's easier than learning your A B C's
So c'mon,  c'mon, do the Covid Motion with me

(chorus)

You scrub your finger tips, c'mon baby
Now front, now back
Well now I think you got the knack...whoa whoa

Remember when you do it, leave some space now
C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
And you must make certain you don't touch your face now
C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
Wash for twenty seconds babe, that's all you'll need
Some soap, and water and I know you'll succeed
So come on, come on, do the Covid Motion with me


(Interlude)

Yeah yeah yeah, do the Covid Motion
C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
When you wash your hands, it's the Covid Motion
Standing still and dancing like the locomotion
It's the way to do it, just listen to me
Do the Covid Motion now 1-2-3
So c'mon , c'mon and do the Covid Motion with me

chorus

C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
C'mon baby do the Covid Motion
C'mon baby do the Locomotion

fade out

The word was out around the street
Tonight, behind Giannis bar
There would be really something special
From the bluesman and his guitar

For locals not for punters
Just for those upon the street
You'd better bring a lawn chair
If you wanted a good seat

The word spread fast and no one
Would miss this once they heard
New works from the bluesman
You had to take in every word

The bluesman was a legend
In this flawed, dark part of town
He only played back in the alley
That was where his show went down

At precisely eleven seventeen
The bluesman took his place
Upon his beat up orange crate
In his same familiar space

It was just like a cathedral
Underneath the golden moon
Quiet and forboding
As he started his first tune

The alley was the bluesmans church
As he sang to the street people
But this church had no walls or pews
No bells, it had no steeple

The bluesman sang of love and loss
Of dragons, ships and gin
He sang of Shubert, Bach and Liszt
He sang of constant sin

He looked but he saw no one
He was zoning, all alone
He sang songs of faith and hunger
Time to give the dog a bone

He played and drank his med-cin
For sometimes he got dry
The bluesman had the crowd entrapped
Beneath the shining moonlit sky

He talked of how his smoking
Through the years gave him his sound
It only took me fifty years
I'm surprised I'm still around

He sang of love and window panes
Of jealousy and trust
Of walruses and potholes
Of people turned to dust

As people sat in wonder
Of this prophet in disguise
You could see a certain twinkle
Deep in the bluesmans eyes

Gianni, stood off to the side
Timekeeper of the show
He signalled to the bluesman
One more and we must go

He had to close the restaurant
Turn the lights off in the back
So the bluesman took another sip
And grabbed a song from his minds pack

He finished up with something
Singing songs for all who came
He made them feel it was their heartsong
Although he never said a name

He sang of waitresses and barkeeps
Pawn brokers and of guests
of family and train tracks
of watchers and of quests

He finished up and packed away
His crate and his guitar
And he collected appreciation
In a two quart mason jar

The crowd left thirty dollars
almost ninety cents a seat
A fortune to the bluesman
And the folks here on the street

To ***
Or Not
To ***...
That, Is
The Question!!!!!

A life not lived
Is something that
I will not regret
The life I lived
Is something that
My loved ones don't forget

I fought an uphill battle
I was fighting at the last
Now, think on me and smile
Because, you know that I have passed

You know I am there with you
The pain will go away
Just think of me and smile
We'll meet again someday

Think of little things I said
Of how I may have looked
Don't think of me as done and gone
Think of how I cooked

Remember me a fighter
It was a battle from the start
Think of me and smile
And always keep me in your heart

.



He sat in back and passed the time

For every day in school

He didn't say he couldn't see

For glasses just weren't cool

Instead he chose a method

That didn't show his flaw

He made himself the new class clown

He would make the class guffaw

His marks were never stellar

His mind was always spinning fast

He used some misdirection

To make the teacher ask him last

He couldn't see the letters

And some were all askew

He just buried himself deeper

What was a boy to do?

Some letters came out backwards

At least those he could see

But he never ever wondered

"Is there help out there for me?"

Dyslexic and bad vision

Didn't make his marks stand out

No one really ever tried to

Find out what he's about

He sat in back in high school

Reputation well in hand

He was not destined for college

That was not what he had planned

Until one day a certain teacher

With long, blonde, golden hair

Made him move up to the front

"You can't see from back there"

She let him use his humour

To divert her from her work

But, this was one tough teacher

And to teach him, she'd not shirk

She knew he had a problem

And that he had alot of pride

She was bound and so determined

To find what he had deep inside

Away from other students

Talking quiet just to him

She told him, she had the same problem

She'd put herself out on a limb

She was proof that help was out there

That he'd not spend life in the back

And that they would work together

They'd develop an attack

Late lessons teaching reading skills

Getting contacts on the sly

He had found a sense of meaning

He could kiss the clown goodbye

He would never be the leader

But, he would be more than he'd shown

And at his graduation

He would show how he had grown

He wasn't keynote speaker

But he stood up all the same

He told the story of his changing

To all of those who came

He showed them how a teacher

Could change a single man

By doing what they're trained for

And doing what they can

There were tears out in the crowd there

Many people sat and cried

As they listened to his story

And came upon his ride

He talked for fifteen minutes

He had captured all these folks

By telling a true story

And not by telling jokes

He finished up his lecture

And he gave the room a thrill

When he said "I'll be a teacher"

And you know...*******...he will.

The Funny Man lies dormant
When the Dark Man come around
The Dark Man is oppressive
The Funny Man goes to ground

The Funny Man is hiding
From The Dark Man deep inside
The Funny Man can't beat him
The Funny Man has tried

The Funny Man's a rainmaker
Bringing laughter where it's not
The Dark Man is a monster
Full on vindictiveness and rot

The Funny Man is fragile
The Dark Man knows it's true
The Funny Man needs attention
The Dark Man needs it too

The Funny Man is worldly
But just what makes him laugh
The Funny Man is honored
When you get his autograph

The Dark Man needs no thank you's
The Dark Man has a goal
He will beat The Funny Man to a pulp
And The Dark Man gets his soul

The Funny Man is a fighter
He will give it his best try
But in the end The Dark Man takes control
And the Funny Man must die.....

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 !!!

Nothing left in this old town
I felt I didn't have much choice
I jumped on board a west bound freight
It was there I heard the voice.....

"Boy, this here is my car"
"You keep the rules, and you'll be fine"
"I don't know you, you don't know me"
"Boy, this car is mine"

I squinted in the darkness
I tried to focus on the sound
That voice there in the boxcar
As rough as any I had found

I asked him where he came from
He spoke but wasn't clear
Everywhere and Nowhere
And right now from right here

Now boy, Keep your distance
Keep quiet, leave me be
I don't like conversation
You keep to you, and I to me

Just then, the train car shifted
That there's the final shunt
You're safe now boy inside this car
The rail men stopped their hunt

He said that there shunting noise
Is the starting of a song
The train soon will start moving
Everyone is moving on

While the cars are stagnant
You know, not moving, sitting still
The rail men all go hunting
For us hobo's , if you will

That shunting sound is heaven
It means we are onto who knows where
And frankly boy, you know deep down
It really isn't fair

I asked him what he meant by that
He said, I've said enough
As time goes by, you sound some smart
You'll pick up on this stuff

The silence then took over
He was sleeping, so did I
He was snoring quite contently
I couldn't find sleep, I wonder why?

About an hour later
He sparked a match and smoke
And again from in the darkness
The hobo, well, he spoke

Boy, you are a new one
You could have killed me where I lay
But, boy, I trust your scared some
So, I guess I'm safe today

T'was a time a decade back
Got knifed, real hard and deep
Taken by another jumper
While I tried to have a sleep

Hadn't make that choice before
Most times I'm here alone
But, it was cold and wintry like
And I threw this boy a bone

See, it's dangerous riding rail cars
We are all on here to hide
And sometimes, well then, most times
This is not a pleasant ride

You know you asked my name back there
I ain't heard it for so long
They call me "The Conductor"
I'd give my name but, I'd be wrong

Life out here ain't easy
Your head is on a swivel
Listen boy, this is the truth
Not just some hobo drivel

Even though we're many
You are still alone out here
Some you think are friends one day
Would **** you for a pint of beer

So, keep your distance, bide your time
The choice is up to you
Stay out here and roll the dice
And do what you must do

I listened as he rambled
Sorted words that I could keep
Then as sudden as he started
He stopped, and went to sleep

Do I ride the rails a no one?
Lose my name inside my mind?
Or do I travel 'cross the country?
To see just what it is I'd find

I'm lost with no direction
Staying stagnant, that I know
But, the life of The Conductor
Is that where I want to go

I heard the old man snoring
I huddled up and grabbed my stuff
Between the lines from The Conductor
I guess I wasn't all that tough

Back home there is a fellow
The blues man is his name
He reminds me of this fellow
They could be one and the same

Next time I hear the blues man
Or hear the whistle of a train
I'll think of The Conductor
The man who has no name

Don't come round here flirtin'
If you haven't got the game
If you can't deliver
I don't want to know your name

Sending drinks and cutesy smiles
Don't go too far round here
You'd better send at least two shots
And at least a jug of beer

You'd better bring your "A" game buddy
Cause sometimes it gets  ******
Don't leave your "A" game on the shelf
Cause you'll go home all by yourself

You'd better give as well as get
Now you're in the south
Our cougars here aren't like those up north
Our girls ...they give good mouth

They've heard it all a million times
Don't come with a cheap line
They don't drink things with flowers in
And they don't drink cheap boxed wine

You'd better bring your "A" game buddy
Cause sometimes it gets ******
Don't leave your "A" game on the shelf
Cause you'll go home all by yourself

They're barracudas in this bar
They've got teeth, and they will use 'em
So, buddy you'd best be on your game
Or you won't go home a twosome

Our women here get treated special
And son, they're mighty proud
Look at someone elses woman
And they get mighty loud


You'd better bring your "A" game buddy
Cause sometimes it gets  ******
Don't leave your "A" game on the shelf
Cause you'll go home all by yourself

"Hello dear, I'm here again"
"the sky's a lovely blue"
"The birds are flying overhead"
"serenading me and you"
"I brought along some flowers"
"some hearty mums of gold
"You always liked them planted"
"in the fall, when it gets cold"
"There's some one new beside you"
"Two plots over and one down"
"I've talked to his girl Julie"
"You, remember Jacob Brown"
"He used to run the news shop"
"selling papers and the like"
"His daughter Julie, nice girl"
"made deliveries on her bike"
"I'm sure you too will meet up"
"I said I'd remember him to you"
"Julie said she remembered"
"all the little things you'd do"
"things I never noticed"
"took for granted you could say"
"how you, always picked the third one down"
"when you bought the paper there each day"
"you always took the second one"
"when you bought something from the shelf"
"and how you always stayed and talked at night"
"if she was working by herself"
"The leaves are blowing briskly"
"I've brought a little rake today"
"but, they pile up too fast for me"
"I think they're here to stay"
"The bench is getting worn in spots"
"It's the sap from the big tree"
"I know you'd really like the view"
"I wish once, that you could see"
"The boats are almost all gone now"
"The season's all but done"
"The water's getting dangerous"
"the days are short, with little sun"
"I come and visit as you know"
"each day so we can talk"
"I hear your voice inside my head"
"It kind of drowns out the birds squak"
"I won't be here as much you see"
"For winter's moving in"
"I'm not as young as I once was"
"And my skin is getting thin"
"The cold makes my bones ache you see"
"And real soon, it's bound to snow"
"So, I will talk to you in church my dear"
"It's a warmer place to go"
"I'll leave you now, with a small kiss"
"like you know I always do"
"I'll miss our talks out on the hill"
"And I hope that you will too."

Norman Rockwell and Jim Unger
Artists from my past
I've met one but not the other
A memory that  will last

Who the hell is Bertrand Russell?
I asked over a drink
A man who changed the world forever
Changed the way we think

I remember the Norman Rockwell painting
It's burned deep  inside my mind
But, I have got a copy
It's the best one that you'll find

An artist unknown to others
But, a special one to me
My father drew old Russell
It's quite a piece to see

It's never been inside a book
And never will it be
But, Bertrand Russells' wrinkles
Mean a lot to me

Jim Unger and his Herman
Were a favorite of my brother
The artist and his humour
Were unlike any other

We met him at a signing
My brother brought his art
He showed it to Jim Unger
He broke my brother's heart

My brother was an artist
Just like my Dad as well
Their art, not for the public
Their art, was not to sell

Their art should be remembered
Their art should be displayed
Like a vintage guitar  sitting
It's better if it's played

So, now two artists pictures
Hidden for an age
Will be shown, for everybody
On a printed page

I give you first, my brother
Ian Turner was his name
No longer is he with us
But, this will show he came

The second one, my father
John Turner, is his name
His drawing days behind him
But, man did he have game

So, here for your enjoyment
Rockwell via Turner number one
Followed by Ungers' Herman
That was done by Turner's son

Want to get a mortgage?
A loan to buy a car?
Tickets to a Aruba?
You need not go too far

You want to take a photo?
Check to see if it will snow?
Do a search and you will find
All you need to know

Oh...buddy, there's an app out there
For all you want to do
Even things you do not like
There's apps for those things too

You're in to online gaming?
You need groceries, maybe beer?
Don't worry, bud, it's out there
Thousands more show up each year

Lyrics for a song you like
You can find them in three notes
You want to lay a bet in Vegas
You need to buy some extra totes

Oh...buddy, there's an app out there
For all you want to do
Even things you do not like
There's apps for those things too

You want to find a certain app
There's an app that does that too
There's an app that knows just what you want
Before you know you do

If you want to write a novel
Who cares that you can't spell?
I'm sure that you have figured
There's an app for that as well

Oh...buddy, there's an app out there
For all you want to do
Even things you do not like
There's apps for those things too

So, now, in summation
Listen close to me
There's an app out in the ether
You can download it for free

If you want to buy your groceries
Get a girlfriend, buy a cat
You can always know that somewhere
That there's an app for that.

Voices in my head
Gain life on the page
Showing their all
Upon a new stage

Bits of me are in there
Some in more than most
You just have to find them
the paper is the host

I may be the blues man
I may be the painter too
But, just what parts are me
Well, that is up to you

Each character, each story
Is a part of me
But each part is well hidden
You have to dig to see

I'm in every story
Somewhere in the words
I may be just a shadow
I may be singing birds

Look and you will find me
And learn just who I am
In the river of the story
Or hiding near the dam

Each page contains a segment
Of me there in the rhyme
Look hard, I'm really hidden
Don't worry, it takes time

I'm in every story
Every character is me
Just know that I am with you
Look hard, I'm tough to see

Can you feel the excitement
There's a tingle in the air
There's gonna be a party
We just don't know where

The week is almost over
It's Friday and that means
There's gonna be a party
So break out them old jeans

Party Time is here tonight
The band is hot, the beer's on ice
Party Time is here tonight
It's party time y'all

The phone lines are all buzzing
Tweets are flying super fast
There's gonna be a party
Who knows how long it'll last

There's dancing and there's drinking
There's music by the band
It's our weekly celebration
We never know what's planned

Party Time is here tonight
The band is hot, the beer's on ice
Party Time is here tonight
It's party time y'all

I was strumming on my six string
Playing tunes to **** the day
When an angel walked  on past me
Stopped and looked my way

You may say it's corny
But I fell in love right there
It only took a second
And it only took a stare

Do not use the "L" word
It's too early for that yet
We don't know where it's going
Because we've only met

She sat down and listened to me
Never speaking, not a word
I only played and sat and smiled
No words shared but we both heard

Our hearts were both connecting
From the sounds of my six string
I knew that I did love her
She made my guitar sing

Do not use the "L" word
It's too early for that yet
We don't know where it's going
Because we've only met

We played the game all summer
We progressed but really slow
Her love was for my six string
Not for me, that I did know

We went down to the river
I used an "L" word there that night
I told her I was leaving
Me and my guitar were taking flight

Do not use the "L" word
It's too early for that yet
We don't know where it's going
Because we've only met

You know the day I died
I never ventured far from home
I never performed miracles
I never went to Rome
You know me through the stories
The disciples told my tale
I am surprised that I am famous
But at one thing I did fail
I don't think that I am holy
By some, but I am known
By different names by different groups
This, history has shown
You know me from the bible
Yes, I died upon the cross
But, when asked just what my real name is
Then most are at a loss
I was crucified, a true fact
My beliefs cost me my life
I died there in the sunshine
My story filled with strife
I know you think you know me
But, do you really know
That at my crucifixion
I was the first one in the row
Like I said, I am as famous
As the middle one who died
I knew you would not guess me
No matter how you tried
My name, it is Saint Dismas
I am the thief just to the right
Jesus Christ was in the middle
He was full of heaven's light
I am known in all the stories
Like I told you once before
I'm known as the good thief
I am known in all the lore
I died the same as Jesus
I died the same as he
Luke called me Saint Dismas
Now you will remember me

I've written now on many things, like Christmas and **** elves
But back inside my mind there's things just sitting on the shelves
They're waiting, sitting patiently, to venture to the surface
And knowing just how my mind works, this makes me kind of nervous.
I censor myself constantly while fleshing out my work
There's things I hide from everyone, dark things in my mind lurk
This year I wrote of soldiers and made some readers cry
That's not what I intended when I gave those poems a try
I want to make you think a bit when you read the things I wrote
I want to hear your laughter, not get choked up in your throat
There's things I'm asked a thousand times, like where'd you get that thought
I try to answer honestly with "that's not the thought I sought"
I sometimes write poems backwards, with the finish coming first
For 'till I get it on the page I can not quench my thirst
Of writing things you will enjoy and will share with your friends
That's what keeps me going, it's what gives my mind the bends
I've written verse on kid's Christmas plays, although I have no child
There's some still stuck up in my head, they just sit there un-filed
I have some thoughts for this new year that I am sure will please
And others that might tear you up, and bring you to your knees
All I ask is that you read and keep an open mind
I don't care if it takes a  month, your reading is not timed
I'd like to read your comments on what I've written down
Did my writing make you smile?, Did my writing make you frown?
For those of you who can't read fast, one thing before I go
This year since you can't read fast, I'll write my poems down slow.

Home is where the heart is
This, we all have heard
But, as a die hard baseball fan
Home is ninety feet from third

You're told you're always safe there
But know this much is true
You may not always be that safe
If the ball's there before you

You're parents say you are welcome
To come home any time
But, to diminish complications
Reach home before the end of inning nine

Home is where the heart is
It's the best place that you can be
But, it only counts if you get there
Before the outs reach three

Home is fixed it never wavers
It's where you start and will end too
But, how you make it back home safely
That last ninety feet is up to you

Every day I look at you
And I remember why
I may not remember when
But I look and  I know why

Whether you're awake or sleeping
Or you're just walking by
I'm not sure when
But I remember why

Why I fell in love with you
And why you won my heart
Why I asked to marry you
And why we'll never part
Why I'll always love you
And why you are my wife
Why you're mine and
why you are my life

I thought I did remember
The fine points of that day
Of when I asked you "marry me"
But those memories didn't stay

I know exactly why
But, I can't remember when
And if I could
I do it all again

Why I fell in love with you
And why you won my heart
Why I asked to marry you
And why we'll never part
Why I'll always love you
And why you are my wife
Why you're mine and
why you are my life

As I age my mind is clearer
To me that thought sounds fair
It's because I have forgotten things
But one thought is still there

I remember why I fell in love
And why I love you still
But, ask me when
And you'll have time to ****

Why I fell in love with you
And why you won my heart
Why I asked to marry you
And why we'll never part
Why I'll always love you
And why you are my wife
Why you're mine and
why you are my life

Playing songs to empty chairs
Taking bows when no ones there
We're on the road to famous town
But, no one really cares

House parties, and the legions
Around town and the region
We're on the road to famous town
But, no one knows we're there

One day we'll make it to the top of the mountain
They'll know our name and all will know our songs
It takes a while but we all have the vision
To be the best, so we will sing our songs
Our fans all scream for us to sing them for 'em
We'll reach our hall of fame one day
We'll play Ryman Auditorium
And when we do ....just listen to us play

Years of clubs and small time tours
Opening for kids half our age
We've walked a million miles
Just walking out on stage

A chance comes down the turnpike
Get recorded at a show
The Nashville people hear it
We're on the radio

Requests to sing our single
Come so fast, we take them all
We're no longer the shows opener
We're the top bill at the hall

More music and more albums
Larger tours and tv shows
We don't sing to empty bars no more
We're the name everyone knows

One day we'll make it to the top of the mountain
They'll know our name and all will know our songs
It takes a while but we all have the vision
To be the best, so we will sing our songs
Our fans all scream for us to sing them for 'em
We'll reach our hall of fame one day
We'll play Ryman Auditorium
And when we do ....just listen to us play




It's been twenty years in coming
We're an overnight success
We've climbed on up the mountain
You know where we go next...

An invitation to the Ryman
The Country Music Hall of Fame
A show where greats are thought of
And everybody knows your name

But, now...we still are playing
To our fans in bars, saloons
But, one day we will be famous
The Ryman...we'll be there soon

I want a location
To go on vacation
I need somewhere humid to go
Where sweet senoritas
All serve margaritas
Where no one has ever seen snow
With white sandy beaches
Where no one can reach us
Where everything moves rather slow
I just need a ticket
I'll tell winter..."stick it"
I'm off to where the warmer winds blow

chorus

The drifts are now sky high
To shovel...I don't try
I can't get my car in my drive
I'm stuck wearing snow shoes
I'm stuck with the snow blues
I'm doing my best to survive
It's time I was flying
Instead of just crying
To someplace with sun and white sand
Just get me that ticket
I'll tell winter ...."stick it"
As long as it's warm when we land

chorus

I hate this cold weather
My skins turned to leather
I'm leaving as fast as I can
This isn't living
It's snowed since Thanksgiving
I need to go work on my tan
I'll swim with the fishes
I'll use all three wishes
To get away south for a while
Just get me a ticket
I'll tell winter..."stick it"
with my drink and a mighty big smile

chorus

I am not made for weather like this
My blood is too thin and I'm old
It's not the adventure that I signed up for
I'm tired of being so cold

It's time to light the lanterns
Keep them lit real bright
For someone's out there hunting
On this the darkest night

Each Halloween folks say
A creature breaks the veil
And runs off with a child
And therein lies our tale

Keep watch when you are camping
Or just walking in the park
You don't know if it's watching
To take you far into the dark

They say it is a moss man
Made of spanish moss and sticks
Light and ninja quiet
You don't know just who he'll pick

The story tells of many
Who've gone missing through the years
Some say it's just a legend
To play upon our fears

Look around the circle
See the person close to you
Hold their hand real tight now
Before they're taken too

Feel a breeze so soft and gentle
Hear the wind there in your ear
Take care now when you hear it
You don't want to disappear

A creature from the dark times
As old as time they say
A thousand years or older
Still, it's hunting to this day

Feel that tickle on your ankle
Hear that twig break there behind
Is it coming now to get you?
Or is it only in your mind

Keep the fire burning
If you are camping in the wood
And have somebody watching
For when it's out, it is no good

Do you listen to it's whispers?
Do you try to run away?
Protect yourself with light now
And live to see another day

It's waiting and it's watching
From a distance or real near
Is that the animals there moving
Or is it him that you may hear

No one know where he is hiding
Those taken, never seen
You don't know he's out there watching
Hiding in his coat of mossy green

They say it once was human
But, through magic, is no more
The moss man, is he legend
Or is the moss man local lore

Light the lanterns, and sleep tightly
Make it to the new days sun
Count all those around you
For tonight,you may lose one

Feel a tickle, hear a whistle
Hear a twig, or gentle voice
Sleep tightly or keep watching
It's up to you, you make the choice

Goodnight Campers.

Every time I hear the phone ring once I've gone to bed
I shudder
I'm afraid of what the news might be if I go and answer
I shudder
I hate the sound of that **** phone
Late at night and all alone
Feel like a kid though I am grown
I shudder

I don't want to hear that someone died
That phone just reaches deep inside
And pulls me to a place I don't want to go
With parents ill, and others sick
That ringing phones a ***** trick
The news that comes with it ...I just don't want to know

My mind is racing like my heart
With images of life as we once knew it
I don't want to forget a single day
Of how we laughed and we would play
I just don't know how I will quite get through it
The thought of losing someone close...is tough
Of pain and grief, this heart has had enough.....

So....Every time I hear the phone ring once I've gone to bed
I shudder
I'm afraid of what the news might be if I go and answer
I shudder
I hate the sound of that **** phone
Late at night and all alone
Feel like a kid though I am grown
I shudder

Each day a new beginning
A new adventure will unfold
Of Princes, Kings, and dragons
Of silver and of gold

Each day is something wondrous
Strung together, they're a life
Of days and nights and normalcy
And full of love and strife

We build a wall
And tear it down
Things change as days go by
What once was good
No longer so
No matter how we try

There are certain rules to follow
There are choices to be made
But, direction of which road to take
Is seldom ever laid

We live our life as best we can
Doing what we choose to do
We make our minds up for ourselves
At least I do, do you?

There are no set directions
Of which way we should go
We set our sail and follow it
To the unknown we must go

Addictions alter our life's path
They take us from our route
But, overcome them we will try
To give them all the boot

We separate ourselves at times
From those that we love most
Until we become nothing more
Than a spectre or a ghost

Another wall that we have built
A new obstacle in the way
Another brick to tear apart
To get to a new day


It is a big adventure
And it includes no instruction
Just consider each days end result
As a life under construction

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

Ask yourself these questions
Before you choose to do just what you do
Would I ? Could I ? Should I?
Have I thought the whole thing through?
If there ever was a moment
To make my worldly dreams come true
Would I ? Could I ? Should I?
Have I thought the whole thing through?

I saw you from a distance
Knew I loved you from that look
I didn't know how to approach you
It wasn't written in a book
Your eyes looked clear on through me
In that second that it took
For me to know I loved you
I knew it from that first quick look

I worked my way around you
When I saw you at the fair
I knew then that I loved you
With your long and golden hair
You were with another
But you see, I didn't care
I knew then that I loved you
I could smell it in the air

Ask yourself these questions
Before you choose to do just what you do
Would I ? Could I ? Should I?
Have I thought the whole thing through?
If there ever was a moment
To make my worldly dreams come true
Would I ? Could I ? Should I?
Have I thought the whole thing through?

I first told you of my feelings
Though you didn't hear a word
I told you how I loved you
Though, it now seems quite absurd
For you were never near me
When I spouted every word
I told you how I loved you
And I know you never heard

I'm too shy to show my feelings
Going through this life alone
I will smile and turn away from
Every love I've ever known
I never show emotion
My heart is only mine on loan
I will never say I love you
And for this...I'm all alone

Ask yourself these questions
Before you choose to do just what you do
Would I ? Could I ? Should I?
Have I thought the whole thing through?
If there ever was a moment
To make my worldly dreams come true
Would I ? Could I ? Should I?
Have I thought the whole thing through?

A friend dropped by my shop today
looking for some grooming muck
I told him where to find it
And that he was just in luck

I said "is it a present?"
He said "no, it's for me"
I said, it's cream and shaving gels
You're talking stupidly

He told me that he manscaped
What the hell is that I said
It's a man's way of new grooming
From his feet up to his head

He told me he got waxed "down there"
I cringed and just said ouch
With out hair on our *****
Men just slide off of the couch

He said he kept himself real clean
In case the situation did arise
where his tan lines were quite visible
and showed white down on his thighs

He talked to me of ointments
and of implants in his pecs
i started going la la la
when he started talking ***

i told him do not tell me
of the grooming down below
we're friends, but there are some things
even friends don't want to know

i told him that my father
told me keep it clean down there
and never, ever, ever,
take a scissor to that hair

a woman wants a manly man
and i am certain of this sir
a woman will not ***** you
if you're prettier than her!!!!

I took a break behind the bar
Just resting on a beat up car
Strumming on my old guitar
And she came walking by

Playing music in the night
With only me in the moonlight
I saw her moving to my right
The third time she came by

I play music to the air
It's nice that no ones there
It's not something that I share
It's for me, the moon, the stars

she sat down with out a sound
she sat cross legged on the ground
there was no one else around
I now played my song for one

I watched her as she closed her eyes
beneath the moon and starry sky
I wonder if she'd realized
my singing now was done

she came out to hear me play
almost every single day
this was the first time she did stay
and I made sure that she heard

the songs I sang in broken parts
were songs of love and broken hearts
but to love, you must fall to start
and that was in my words

she never said a thing to me
she'd come on out where I could see
and I give a show for free
but it never grew from there

time has passed and I still play
the girl has grown and gone away
I sometimes wonder where she is today
and if she wonders...

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!!!

If you want to make a change

Stray a little from the norm

Be the first to rearrange

And be the one who fuels the storm

Never like the status quo

Go as far as life allows

Always try or....you'll never know

don't wait till then...just do it now

The world is waiting for your input

It's spinning round for all to see

To take a step you move just one foot

That single step will set you free

Take a stand and be aggressive

Don't sit back and wait and hide

The world takes note of who's progressive

Not just who sit on the side

Start a movement, force the action

set the bar and set it high

Make the move, not a reaction

Tee the ball and let it fly

If you wait for things to happen

You'll be always in the back

Tap your toes and fingers snappin'

Positive...you must attack

If you want to make things better

Be the one who's in the front

Swing real hard right at the letters

Make it so and lead the hunt

You have to be a bit abnormal

To take the lead and be the one

Be slightly mad and more informal

Pull the trigger on that gun

The world is great 'cause you are in it

Leave your mark before you die

You never know if you will win it

But, you'll never know...if you don't try!!

you can ask her why she loves you
and she smiles
she stops before she answers
and she smiles
you know she'll never tell you
it just isn't her style
you can ask her why she loves you
and she smiles

Did you catch her or vice versa
Did she use her lures and wiles
Were you hunter or the hunted
a victim of her guile
You can ask yourself forever
but, the answer isn't vile
for when you ask her if you caught her
and she smiles

you know just what she's thinking
not by miles
you know where this is going
check your files
she's smart with what she's sharing
like Cleopatra on the Nile
you ask her what she's thinking
and she smiles

She's a question never answered
A riddle in the sand
She's the center of your circle
The one who holds your hand

She isn't one to kiss and tell
It's best that you don't know
There just aren't words enough to say
What her eyes  and heart both show
Glances in a crowded room
The answer is right there
A kiss blown from a distance
That strong hypnotic stare

You can ask her why she loves you
And she smiles
She'll start to give an answer
And she smiles
you don't need to know the reason
you don't want to cramp her style
you just know deep down she loves you
when she smiles

A stained glass window come alive
Ten thousand butterflies , so alive
Monarchs on a barnyard board
Such beauty made by our dear Lord

I never knew that this I'd see
It's beauty there in front of me
It is the greatest thing of all
Alive on Capistrano's wall

They make the flight away from cold
Now here they struggle just to hold
A place inside this natures frame
Their life the goal of this strange game

A moving silhouette I see
Ten Thousand Monarchs  in front of me
This thing of beauty five feet tall
On a Capistrano barnyard wall

There is falling
and there's FALLING
and I was good at both
I swear to that completely
I'll swear that under oath
If there's a way to take a tumble
A way to fall on down
Then I'm the best example
I've spent a life time on the ground

First, we'll tackle skating
Couldn't cross and make the turn
I'd get caught and then I'd tumble
It's something I never did quite learn
I was always out there falling
While the others skated by
I could never make the motion
So...I no longer even try

Athletics, you know track and field
High hurdles, running track
It's evident, I couldn't jump
So from track I got the sack
Always had weak ankles
Was always falling down
While most kids shorts were crisp and white
Mine were stained all green and brown

I gave up and then tried camping
Just a tent, the woods and me
I never even got out once
I tripped over a tree
I mean, I fell out in the forest
And yes, I made a sound
I mean if anybody heard that noise
It was me hitting the ground

I'm not much good at anything
You can see that from my past
My body moves  at one speed
My feet just go too fast
I've always been a faller
Falling's the one real thing I do
And the last time that I fell
Was the day, that I met you....

I remember when I saw you
The night that you walked in
I knew I had to meet you
Or just think what might have been
It was something in my brain
That told me something in the stars
Brought you there that evening
And brought you to my bar

We did the verbal game plays
That strangers always do
I think you felt the same about me
As I did about you
Things progressed quite quickly
From the signals you did send
We were set to be together
Together 'till the end

You never want to say goodbye
Not until the day you die
You plan to be together
Until the day you die
You never think of this all ending
Until the day you die
You just want to be together
Until the day you die

We'd fight like cats and dogs would do
But, the make up *** was great
Our friends all kept their distance
When we'd fight out on a date
They could see the future
In fact bets were all laid down
On how long we'd be together
And which one would leave town

We had the perfect life to some
Two kids, a house, some pets
But, the truth of what we really had
Was still riding on those bets
Goodbye was never mentioned
At least I didn't hear
Because the words might just have been drowned out
As that bottle passed my ear

We'd fight all night and clean it up
Broken bottles, busted glass
The kids would spend more time at friends
As time would come to pass
You'd cook a meal, I'd come in late
And in the end you'd cover me
With whatever meal you made
Followed by some ice cold tea

They say that Tortellini
Makes me look good in the light
I think because it goes so well
With my clothes, the sauce so white
We planned to never say it
Until the very end
But one of us will say goodbye
And we sure will not part friends

We don't have matching glasses
At least one is smashed to bits
Thank god you're aim is awful
When you throw one of your fits
I know I'm not an angel
And I guess laughing isn't right
But, most times I sit there thinking
What meal I'll wear tonight

You never want to say goodbye
Not until the day you die
You plan to be together
Until the day you die
You never think of this all ending
Until the day you die
You just want to be together
Until the day you die

People watched and wondered
As the man screamed at the crowd
He just let the people have it
He was yelling really loud

He screamed of unpaid taxes
Greenspace issues too
He yelled about the buses
He asked 'WHAT CAN WE DO"

He waved his arms quite madly
He was a lunatic on edge
He talked of water rights and of the
Local canal to be dredged

He spoke of apathy among people
And how people didn't care
I asked "Is this man the Town Crier"
I was told "No, he's the MAYOR"

We all know time passes

Just blink and it is gone

But, you can bring it back a little

Just by listening to a song

A video, an mp3

You can travel through the years

It might bring you a sweet smile

Or may accentuate your tears

Time is such a fickle beast

It's a vesper you can't hold

One day you are young and fair

And the next day you are old

There never is enough of

And it vanishes so fast

You look into your future

And start remembering your past

Time cannot be captured

You can't trap it, make it yours

You can't keep it in a bottle

It won't help you open doors

But, just where does the time go?

Does it disappear for good?

If you knew you could just save it

Would you do it if you could?

I think I have an answer

Now that time has passed me by

I have less time in my mirror

That's the truth and not a lie

I think that time's immortal

It will never go away

It just hangs around and lingers

But, it's forever here to stay

So, back to our first question

Where exactly does time go ?

Time ...goes into your memories

Time goes into your mind's show

It feeds you little snippets

From the past, when you were young

It comes out from a scent you smell

Or you a hear a song that's sung

Time...it never leaves you

Though you don't know where it went

The memories stay with you

And will show how time was spent.

The cigarette butts were piling up out front
Where was that steady breeze?
So she wouldn't have to get the broom out
So, they would blow off to the trees
Way back in the corner though
One man continued to smoke inside
It was a right given to him years ago
No one ever argued, no one ever tried
The bar was smelling musty
No matter how hard she tried
The owner couldn't make it fresh
That's because all the food was fried
In the window, a brown and crumpled card
Notified the world "We're Open" now
But, outside of the old man, and the crew
No one in the outside world really knew
Visitors never came here,
they stayed away from here
The regs didn't care though
To them, it meant more beer
A college game was on TV
Two crap teams from the west
No one was really watching them
The regs liked the East the best
The carpet, full of burn marks
From cigarettes long burned out
Dropped from pursed and drunken lips
Who also no longer were about
The barkeep could tell stories
Though there was few there who hadn't heard
The stories of the past long gone
The regs knew every word
The posters drab and dreary
Selling beer from years ago
From breweries long since empty
And with tag lines nobody even knew
A poster for Black Label
and one for Jolly's brew
In the back sat a piano
Out of tune and never played
It had been out of use forever
The keys were cracked and grey
The bar itself was dying
A relic inside four walls
It was dressed in papered squalor
Like an old man with no *****
The windows showed their age
Shaking when the wind did blow
Ice was always building on them
There was more inside that in the snow
A breath of life was badly needed
The bar was really already dead
They hadn't made a dime in decades
They always ran it in the red
Today though, things would change
The door opened from the past
In walked a man of substance
Another character to the cast
He sat down on a bar stool
Ordered up, and looked around
And there standing in the corner
He saw the piano...with no sound
Asking if anybody played her
The barkeep said "No, she's long since died"
"Do you mind if I go and play her"
"It's been a while since someone tried"
He rolled it out from dark in hiding
Hit a key, and hurt his ear
Lifted the lid to look inside her
And then he ordered up another beer
He hit the keys and played a little
"Let's give this thing a whirl"
The sound it made was flat and pokey
"There's lot's of life in this old girl"
"I'll tune it up and come and play her"
"If you'd like...that is of course"
"Mr. if that's what makes you happy"
"But, I think you're beating a dead horse"
"By the way, they call me Johnny"
"Johnny Fingers if you please"
"I'll tune her up and play a while"
"I'll get her clean and bang those keys"
The barkeep offered up a contract
Tune her up and play for free
"If you're good, I'll pay you extra"
"The jury's out, we'll wait and see"
Johnny laughed and said "You got it"
"I'll play whenever you decide"
"I'll play whatever's asked for"
And he had a smile ten miles wide
The barkeep said "The venture's on then"
"Let's have a talk, and grab a seat"
"There are some things I have to tell you"
"Johnny....welcome to The Street".

I'm drinking for tomorrow
I gave up drinking for today
Because tomorrow never comes
Or so they say

I figure if I'm drinking
and tomorrow does arrive
then I have found a new way to survive

I was drinking yesterday
towards tomorrow, now today
It's a deep dark endless circle
that keeps tomorrow far away

I'm going to continue
Until tomorrow is today
though tomorrow never comes
or so they say

Somewhere there's a bottle
with my name there on the label
I have to find the tavern
and I have to find that table
one day I will find it
as long as I am able
to reach into tomorrow from today

so, right now I do my drinking
for tomorrow, not today
I did some drinking yesterday
but, that's now far away
I'll try to reach tomorrow from today

it is an endless circle
on a track without a train
tomorrow holds the sunshine
but today is filled with rain
one day I know i'll reach it
and forever I will gain
the fact I reached tomorrow from today

What the hell is X-Mas?
What does X-Mas mean?
It seems to coincide with Christmas
Is it something for the teens?

Is X-Mas from the X-Men
A Marvel comic sort of thing
I've looked it up on google
And no bells does X-Mas ring

Now, Christmas, that is different
I know exactly when that is
Well, not exactly to the minute
Is X-Mas the same as this?

I'm told that X-Mas is a way
to write down Christmas fast
I mean how lazy can a person be
To worry just what time has passed?

Christ is represented now
By an X and a small dash
Just think of all the time you saved
and of all the extra cash

Saved by companies on Christmas cards
It really makes you think
Three letters gone from Christmas cards
They save a ton of ink

An  X, it just does not make sense
At least it don't to me
If the X stands for his cross
Then why not use small T

To paraphrase a friend of mine
Don't send a card to me
If Christmas isn't printed there
Then it's a card I will not see

X-Mas is not a phrase
Even PC people say
They don't even understand it's use
They all say Holidays

So have a Merry Christmas
Celebrate, our saviour's birth
And bury X-Mas in a snow drift
Even that's more than it's worth.

My teeth are smiling back at me
From a glass beside the bed
I wonder "Do they look that bad"
"When they're positioned in my head?"

They looked all kind of cloudy
***** brown, and green
I think I need to change the way
I make my teeth get clean

Right now I use polident
To make my choppers shine
But, if this is the way that they turn out
I'm embarrassed that they're mine

I took them out and washed them off
I stuck them in a glass of bleach
I thought, "This will make them whitey white"
The colours will all leech

Out of my clean choppers
And will brighten up my smile
Then you'll see me from afar
Well, at least a half a mile

I left them for two hours
and they came out brown and green
I thought, they look no better now
They look totally obscene

I even took to painting them
A glorious shade of white
I left them on my workbench
To dry and harden overnight

They still look brown and greeny
Like they were buried in the yard
I swear, I've never had a thing
That's made me work so hard

I cannot put them in my mouth
with out cleaning off the crud
It's looks like I am smiling
With a mouth that's full of mud

I took a pad of wire wool
And scrubbed them like you do
They didn't get much brighter
But, now at least...they're blue

I went down to the chemists
To get something for my teeth
I needed something powerful
To relieve me of my grief

The chemist said "please shut your mouth"
"You're scaring all who passes"
"Your teeth are oh so snowy white"
"The dirt is on your glasses!!"

Power went down twice today
Once was just a flicker
In fact in terms of laughter
I would call that one a snicker

The second time we lost it all
The house went cold and dark
So, I got the dogs both on a leash
And I took them to the park

Five hours passed before they came
And said "The power's back"
It was just then I started to
Have an I.T heart attack

I'm not one for computers
The phone, or tablet too
They had gone down with the internet
And I knew not what to do

Each electronic item
That resides inside this place
Defaults to needing passwords
And well, me...I'm so off base

I couldn't watch the tv
The computer screen just stared
It kept asking for a password
and I admit, I was a bit scared

I didn't phone my spouse to tell him
That I didn't have a clue
I'd wait for my young daughter
She'd know just what to do

In our house things are different
We never phone up a help line
Our kids reset the passwords
And our kids are eight and nine

They'll fix what I can't restart
They'll get me back on the tv
And the best things with this I.T team
Is that all their help is free.