Alien in an alley
Written: 4-3-12
I saw an alien in an alley yesterday
He glared at me with sullen eyes
He didn’t know that I knew he was an alien
Because they look just like us
But he was one
He took a swig from his bottle of cheap wine
To drown out the fact that he will never be able to return to his home planet
And to dull his memories of his little alien house
And his little alien wife and kids
I didn’t let on that I knew he was an alien
Because he might have killed me then and there
He just turned and stumbled away in his drunken stupor
And cursed me in his native tongue, and I understood him
I feel sorry for him
But he knew the job was dangerous when he volunteered for it
And that’s what he gets for coming to my planet and trying to destroy us
_________________________________________________________
The Art of Giving
Written: 9-12-05
I gave the change in my pocket to a homeless lady in front of the record store
I gave $20 to the roulette table and won 11 times over
But I lost the next 11 times
I give smiles
I give dirty looks
I give credit where credit is due
I give joy
I give misery
I gave my love, my time, my patience, my sanity, my trust and I was dropped like a ham at a vegetarian buffet
So I gave them hell along with a piece of my mind
Then I gave up
I gave myself over to love and all was right with the world
I gave it to my wife, who in turn gave me two little girls, who in turn give me love and purpose
For them I would give my life if necessary
When I'm old, I'll give up my ghost
And when I do, I hope I'll be remembered as someone who gave their all
________________________________________________________
Art Never Lies
Written: 5-14-05
If I could win a Grammy
Here's what I'd say
Thanks to all the people
Who helped me find my way
If I could win an Oscar
This would be my speech
Thanks to all the people
Who took the time to teach
But I'm not in line to win anything
That's just the reality
I play guitar and write my poems
Mainly just for me
So to all the actors and writers
And painters and musicians
Don't ever let the world
Beat you into submission
Never quit your art
Until the day you die
You won't get rich or famous
But art never lies
_________________________________________________________
Bon Voyage
Written: 12-22-10
You died on a ---- morning
Leaving us unexpectedly shattered, battered and in tatters
Each of us marooned together, but alone, on an island of grief and disbelief
Trapped in perpetual night, fumbling for a light
Traumatized
With no chance to say our goodbyes
No time to say the things we would like to have said
Like, we love you
We will miss you
Bon Voyage
See you soon
You left us with a huge hole in our soul
That can’t be filled with empty religious rhetoric
And sympathetic Hallmark cards
I guess it was just your time to go, ready or not
Some one called in your loan
And the payment was you
So, we love you
We miss you
Bon Voyage
See you soon
______________________________________________________
Code Duello
Written: 4-17-10
When a man's honor is insulted
His reputation called into doubt
When apologies ring hollow
A challenge is carried out
These six words are spoken
"I challenge you to a duel"
To refuse this test in anyway
Makes you a coward and a fool
Two men meet clandestinely
To settle their dispute
Guns are loaded, the rules are read
As the men prepare to shoot
Each are reminded
What brought them to this place
Reflecting on the insult
Standing face to face
Ten paces walked
Then turn around and aim
You may fire when ready, sir
To end this brutal game
Two guns explode at once
While Death stands by in wait
With patience and indifference
To see who meets their fate
A cloud of smoke dissipates
Then all falls into silence
Who will live and who will die
On this day of brutal violence?
Flesh is torn and burning
As the bullet finds its mark
One man down without a sound
As it stills his beating heart
The other has been hit
But he has won this fight
No one thinks him well enough
To make it through the night
But by the grace of God
He managed to live
But forever with a bullet
Lodged between his ribs
With honor avenged
And respect in tact
A reputation repaired
Where once it had been cracked
But a man was killed
To restore his name
He has blood on his hands
And he'll never be the same
So think before you speak
And arrest your offending tongue
Or find yourself staring
Down the barrel of a gun
_________________________________________________________
Damaged Goods
Written: 10-5-04
She wears the smile of an angel
On her ageless, youthful face
Like a flower in it's bloom
Like a Goddess full of grace
But in the corner of her mouth
You could perceive a tiny frown
The brightness in her eyes fading
Like the sun when it goes down
You could tell that something tragic happened
That had damaged her to her core
Like her heart has a scab
That bleeds forever more
_______________________________________________________
Damaged Goods II
Written: 4-6-05
He wears the smile of a king
On his aging, weary face
Like he had won the lottery
Or had won some kind of race
But you can see in his demeanor
And in the corner's of his eyes
That he has been consumed by a burden
Like he can't escape the lies
Some desperate question lurks
Looking for an elusive answer
Like his soul has an infected sore
Eating it like a cancer
____________________________________________________
Deeper
Written: 2-14-13
Little girls, little girls
I'm writing to let you know
I love you deeper than the oceans go
I love you longer than a tree can grow
I love you more than this silly poem can show
I love your little girl singing and your rock star poses
I love your sweet little freckles and your cute little noses
I love that I'm the daddy you chose
How much do I love you?
God only knows
I'll love you as long as your blood flows
No matter where you are
No matter where you go
I'll love you deeper than you'll ever really know
_________________________________________________________
The Devil Made Me Do It (A cautionary tale)
Written: 1-11-06
I ran into the Devil the other day
And he asked for my assistance
I told him, " No Devil, no"
And showed him my resistance
He repeated his question
And again asked for my compliance
I firmly told him no
And repeated my defiance
He begged and pleaded
Like a child asking for a toy
But I stood my ground
Against his deceptive ploy
He finally got mad
And called me a million names
He used 87 languages
But I grew tired of his games
I said, "Satan"
" I'm not here to take your abuse"
"But if you want a piece of me,
Then here's your excuse!"
So I put my middle finger
Way up in the air
And I called him out
With my most challenging dare
"Want some, get some"
That's when all Hell broke loose
I grabbed him by the horns
And kicked him in the nuts
I used his pointed tail
To stab him in the guts
I took a punch or two
But that's to be expected
He thrust his pitchfork at me
But his blows were deflected
The fires of Hell
Raged beneath our feet
The heavens threw lightning
As we battled in the street
I grabbed him by his pointed ears
And slammed his face into the pavement
When I was through with him
He really knew what pain meant
When he finally had enough
He cried like a little girl
"I thought I was bad", he said
" But you're the baddest in the world"
So I said the only thing
That popped into my head
I told him, "Go to Hell",
"Or I'll fight until you're dead"
He said," One last thing before I go"
" Then we'll put this all to rest"
" I need a successor down in Hell"
" And I think you'd be the best"
I said to the beast
Who used to be the angel of light
"I'll say it once and for all"
"You need to take a hike!"
He looked me over one last time
And wiped the blood from his lip
He cursed me for a fool once again
Then finally gave me the slip
So the lesson of my tale
Is a simple one at best
Turn away from your demons
As you go through life's quest
So that's my story
Of how things came to pass
And how I kicked
My demon's sorry ass!!
_____________________________________________________
Dirty Dan
Written: 5-27-05
A posse rides out
On a dusty Texas plain
Dirty Dan has struck again
He's robbed another train
On his trail in the hot desert sun
Are determined Texas Rangers
But Dan's no fool,he grew up on this land
But he ain't no common Granger
His mama was a wolf
His pa was a snake
Or so I've heard it said
Been on his own since the age of 5
When he shot his first man dead
His skin is tan from days in the saddle
And he wears an old sombrero
Scar on his cheek and bugs in his teeth
And his eyes are black and narrow
The Rangers always get their man
But they may go home ashamed
Until a new tip leads them south
To a town that has no name
They came upon a small adobe
And the law men gave a shout
"We got the place surrounded,
So you better come on out!"
"Come on in and git me"
Was Dan's defiant reply
"I been in worse scrapes than this,
And I ain't afraid to die!"
But Dirty Dan did come out
With his trusty Colt's a blazin'
I didn't see it for myself
But heard it was quite amazin'
It took 97 bullets
To bring the outlaw down
But he himself that day
Put 5 men in the ground
He recovered from his wounds
He received on that hot day
All who heard the tale
Did not know what to say
So they hauled him off to court
Then threw him in the jail
But Dan just laughed
And told them all to go to Hell
So they put him on trial
Made a list of all his offensives
They knew he killed and stole and drank
And paid for dirty wenches
He's killed his share
And that's the truth
In pursuit of his outlaw life
But only the lowest man
Like Dirty Dan
Ran off with the Mayor's wife
His fate was sealed
The Judge decreed
"It's time for you to swing!"
But Dan just yawned
'Cause he's heard it before
This heartless outlaw king
So the handbills were posted
And all got the word
Dirty Dan's gonna hang
At noon on the 3rd
That fateful day came
As Dan sat in the jail
The gallows were erected
Within sight of his cell
The shackled convict
Was led past his peers
As he ascended the steps
Amid deafening cheers
The sheriff was stern
As he read the judges order
To the meanest buckaroo
On both sides of the border
"Do you have some last words
Or something you'd like to preach?"
"I came here to die, sheriff,
Not to make a speech"
Someone shouted from the crowd,
"I hope you burn in Hades!"
Dan just smiled and winked and said,
"I can't wait to see the ladies!"
So the rope was placed
Around his neck
With 13 loops on top
The trap door sprung
His body was flung
And so his neck went POP
So ends the career of Dirty Dan
The Texas frontiers worst
Not a sound was uttered
While he twisted in the breeze
And the Texas crowd dispersed
I hope you've learned a lesson
I hope you've made a plan
To walk away from a life of vice
And end up...like Dirty Dan
____________________________________________________
Does God Have E-mail? (First poem I had published)
Written: 5-24-04
Hello there God
It's me again
The one who hates and curses and sins
The one who questions
Your whole unquestionable plan
Can you see through my soul
That I'm a humble little man?
Have you any answers?
Must I look inside?
I've been running with the Devil
Sometimes I let him drive
Maybe I'm confused
Maybe you're a lie
Maybe,shoulda,coulda
Maybe soon I'll fry
I listen to my friends
Who claim to know you well
Will I fall from your good grace
As hard as Lucifer fell?
All the world's beliefs
Come from your sacred bible
Some say it's the law
Some say it's libel
The Devil made me do it
I've heard crazy people blame
But what about the righteous ones
Who also kill in your name?
The T.V. preachers preach
About the Holy Lake Of Fire
Should I listen to them
Or are they too burning liars?
I'm not mad at you
Sometimes I feel I'm blessed
My wife, my kids, my life
But what about the rest?
I know you must be busy
Or so it seems to me
I'm not deaf or dumb or blind
Just bankrupt spiritually
This ain't a cry for help
To deliver me from sin
I'm fine with who I am
And I'm fine with where I've been
I don't expect a phone call
And I know you will not write
Maybe you have E-mail
So you could shed some light
So I'll stop my prodding now
I'll just wait and watch and ponder
Thinking of the day
When I no longer have to wander
____________________________________________________
Everything I Love Is In My Rearview Mirror
Written: 1-29-06
Everything I love is in my rearview mirror
Like the sunshine of the vast California skies I grew up under
A new life awaits across these great United States
And I'm leaving behind every familiarity I've ever known since I was born
I'm leaving the graves of family behind and it's like saying good bye for the second time
I said my good byes to the streets I grew up on
Streets that I spent countless hours on playing G.I. Joe when I was 8
And countless hours skateboarding on when I was 18
Laughing and making harmless mischief with friends I thought I would have forever
Staying out 'til all hours
Watching the sun rise and fall with the feeling of rough concrete underneath my wheels
I'm leaving the only house my kids have ever known
The secret places I courted my wife
The old brick courthouse where we were married
The cool breezes blowing from the Pacific Ocean, making a beautiful day perfect
I've tried to make peace with the time that I could never seem to find for things that were important
I will miss the convenience of being around the corner from everything
But I won't miss the traffic, the lack of adequate parking and most of the 40 million people in California
How many miles will I drive?
How many states will pass beneath my tires before my tears stop flowing like a river?
How many sad songs will it take to get me through my self imposed exile?
How long will it be before I see the comforting smiles of my dearly departed again?
How many days or weeks or months will it take for me to stop wondering if I made the right decision?
Answers to questions like these are in the future
And I am not a fortune teller
Right now, the only thing I know is that everything I love is in my rearview mirror
________________________________________________________
The Father, the son
Written: 9-18-10
The Father
His boy will grow up to be a manly man
His son will play football and baseball
His boy will be taught to use a gun
His son will wear camouflage
His boy will kill a deer before he's 12
His son will go to church on Sunday's and taught to fear God
His boy will vote Republican
The Son
The boy will grow to resent his father
The son will pursue a liberal arts degree
The boy will not own a gun, wear camouflage or kill animals
The son will vote Democrat
The boy will leave the church for condemning him for being gay
The son is a disappointment to his father
The boy will move away to a big city
The father will die old and lonely
_______________________________________________________
Feed the Dead(A Grotesque Burlesque)
Written: 7-28-06
I loved you like a brother when I was a boy
Without strings or conditions
Even when you came to my house higher than a kite on Mars
And babbling endless nonsense into the wee hours
We listened to punk rock
And hated our parents and teachers
Happy inside of our bubble of apathy and violence
But you took it too far
You fed the dead and empty voids in your soul with pot, meth, pills, angel dust and other things that I never want to know about
I still loved you
And cried for you
Told you we could fix this together
I thought I could somehow feed the dead vacancies with love alone
Somehow it all worked out and we moved on
Laughing and happy to be normal again
We became adults without compromising too much
But one day that craving crept in and overwhelmed your good judgment
Or maybe you never really had good judgment to begin with
You let that black monkey on your back murder your sobriety
And you buried the corpse in a coffin of denial
Restrained in it's grip like a zombie in a straight jacket
You blissfully jumped head first into the landfill of human wreckage
Incinerating all of your accomplishments
Annihilating your existence
Leaving behind all who love you in the haze of disbelief and disgust
I still care for you
But you are a drug addict, abuser, habitual misuser
I realize now that you always have been
And probably always will be
You are walking dead
A ghost in the twilight
This time I refuse to watch your grotesque burlesque
This time I refuse to feed the dead
_____________________________________________________
Firefly
Written: 4-3-08
Fireflies flash
Under warm summer skies
Hand in hand we sit
As they dance before our eyes
Memories from home
Flash with every spark
Alone with our ghosts
Reflecting quietly in the dark
______________________________________________________
Five more minutes
Written: 4-24-11
(For Granny)
I hope Death takes naps
And doesn't notice you today
Maybe he's on vacation
Or just stepped out to the liquor store
I hope he's preoccupied
Getting ready for a date
Or an important meeting
And forgets to check on you
So hold my hand for 5 more minutes
And if he remembers to come for you
I'll ask him for 5 more minutes
I'll think of a way to talk him out of it
I'll stroke his ridiculous ego by reminding him that he's much too important to waste all of his time waiting around in hospitals
While life passes him by
And that he really doesn't need you
If we're very lucky, he'll buy it
And come back some other time
But for right now
I'll settle for 5 more minutes
________________________________________________________
Fresh Fish
Written 7-27-10
After I'm dead
Reduce me to ashes
Sprinkle me in the garden
To help the flowers grow
Let the rain wash me down to the gutter, the sewer, the ocean
Where the fish can breath me in
Before they get hooked by the fisherman
Who sells his catch to the market
Where you buy fresh fish
So we can be together again
_________________________________________________________
Giving way
Written: 3-26-08
Hush little girl
Don't say a word
Let's just sit here a few moments longer
With your soft little hand in mine
I wish I could keep time's dreaded grasp from dragging you off into the swift current of adulthood
But wishing is a useless past time
I can already see it in your eyes
I can hear it in your words
Your body is slowly giving way to the woman you will someday become
It's simply a matter of dreaded time when moments like these will become fewer and farther between
But today you're still a little girl
So let's just sit here a few moments longer
With your soft little hand in mine
_________________________________________________________
Good Morning Mr. President
Written: 2-17-12
He sits upon my mantle
Above the fireplace
With eyes that speak of sadness
And resolve upon his face
He was my Great- Grandma's
But now he gives me joy
My living room sentinel
From the state of Illinois
It's honest Abe himself
Made of paint and plaster
In the form of a bust
Sculpted by a master
With his suit of wool
And black silk cravat
Tussled hair and whiskers
But without his famous hat
The lanky backwoods lawyer
With a country in distress
He saved our sacred union
And freed the most oppressed
I'm glad he lives with me
And honored resident
And every day I say to him
"Good morning, Mr. President"
_________________________________________________________
Grandpa Jim
Written: 8-29-09
He was a dapper dresser
He gave Christmas presents that were always exactly what you wanted
He wasn't what I would consider an alcoholic, though by today's standards he probably would be
He kept himself perpetually medicated on wine, I think
He was very cool and probably too cool to be a grandpa
He was cutting edge
He loved his Van Morrison and Neil Diamond, but he also liked REM, Nirvana and the Prodigy
He was classy, but humble
When he talked, he mumbled
I made him a great grandpa weather he wanted to be one or not
The last time he saw my oldest daughter, she was a baby
Now she's 11
He never saw my youngest daughter
I wish he were here so I could ask him what he thought about some things I would like answered
But cancer got him around father's day
And took him from the world
After he died, he helped me buy my first home
And every time I pulled into the driveway I thought about that
I loved him
He was my Grandpa Jim
_________________________________________________________
Green Hot Dogs
Written: 1990
Saturday Morning
Man, was I bored
I went to open up
The refrigerator door
Looking to grind
When what did I see?
A pack of green hot dogs
Staring at me
Green hot dogs?
How unique
Green hot dogs?
What a treat
I opened up the package
And it hit me like a brick
The smell of aging mold
Two inches thick
I cut off the bad part
And threw 'em in the pan
Mom said," You can't eat those!"
I said," Yes I can"
Green hot dogs?
How unique
Green hot dogs?
All I can eat
Then I slipped into a void
Of time and space
Where people and hot dogs
Meet face to face
I shook hands with Oscar Meyer
I danced with Lady Lee
Little did I know
That mold was after me
A huge ball of hair
It must have wieghed a ton
Then I woke up
To a moldy hot dog bun
I felt so sick
So I ran to the john
I blew chunks
'Til my hot dogs were gone
But now in my guts
I got this crazy pain
The worms in my bowels
Are driving me insane
________________________________________________________
The Hole of Lost Thoughts
Written: 9-29-10
I lost a thought I had the other day
I saw it fall from my head and onto the floor
It rolled away like a quarter
I tried hard to catch it but it was no use
It rolled under the couch
No matter how hard I tried to coax it, it would not come out
So I moved the couch to retrieve my lost thought
It wasn't there, but there was a small hole in the floor
As I tried to look down this hole of lost thoughts, I fell in
My fall was cushioned by forgotten thoughts of love and childhood wishes
I laid there listening to wondrous lost thoughts from all over the world
Like cures for all sorts of diseases
And inventions for the home and car
Idea's for songs and poems
And ways to make the world a better place
I heard an uncountable number of " What was I going to say next?" kind of thoughts
And "Where was I?" kind of thoughts
But still no sign of my own lost thought
So I made a great pile out of negative thoughts
And climbed back up through the hole in my floor
When I got back through the hole, I found my lost thought!
But it wasn't that important after all
So I just dumped it back into the hole of lost thoughts
And went about my day
_________________________________________________________
I am your clock
Written: 8-15-17
My alarm clock screams
Demanding that I wake
And I cannot ignore
I know it is my fate
"Obey me now!"
It's buzzing demands
"For I am your clock,
Now look at my hands!"
The long one on 12
The short one on 6
There is no denying
The hour is fixed
The sun rises slow
To illuminate my sadness
The clock keeps screaming
To perpetuate my madness
"My instructions are simple,
And easy to obey"
"Wake up. Die inside.
Repeat it everyday"
When my clock rudely spoke
It spit words of purity
"You will toil at your job,
And die in obscurity"
It exalts in my pain
It functions to remind
That no one escapes
The cruel hands of time
Laying in bed
Louder still it ticks
Counting down the hell
Of my Apocalypse
Every single day
The minutes tick by
'Til there's no hours left
And it's time for me to die
Still the clock ticks
And hounds me to my death
Tick. tick. tick.
As I draw my final breath
_____________________________________________________
ICON
Written: 5-10-06
Born in Mississippi
To extreme poverty
An innocent Mama's boy
Who grew up to be a truck drivin' man, guitar picker, musician
Full of beauty and youth
The coolest rebel
mischievous and funny
Who was heartbroken
When his Mama died
He had sex appeal in spades
Recognized the world over as the premier entertainer
A Natural comedian
The ultimate trendsetter
BEFORE ANYONE DID ANYTHING, ELVIS DID EVERYTHING!
Wealthy many times over
But always generous to the ones he loved
After he served proudly and honorably as a soldier for his country, without complaint
He became a successful actor
A husband
A Doting father
Then it all fell apart
And he became sad
depressed
overweight
Just plain unhealthy
An out of control prescription drug addict
A recluse
A puppet of the Colonel
But he was still THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL
An ICON to the world
Loved by all
But a mere MORTAL
Just like the rest of us
DEAD AT 42
In the great state of Tennessee
Gone but not forgotten
Rest in peace always
Elvis Aaron Presley
____________________________________________________
I have a name
Written: 4-9-17
I have a name
It sailed across the Atlantic from Kent, England and landed on the shores of Maryland in 1636, speaking the Queen’s English and indentured for 4 years
I have a name
It whispers through the cornstalks of the wind battered prairies of Illinois
Over the hard red clay of Georgia
Through pillowy cotton fields in Arkansas
And over the purple mountains of California
I have a name
It sleeps forever in the graves of my ancestors
Who fought our wars
Plowed our fields
Worked in our factories
Interpreted law
Toiled in obscurity
And reared their children with their blood, sweat and tears
I have a name
It is Pribble
Canelle
Munchmeyer
Walker
Mullen
Heritage
Bryant and Bagwell
I carry their genetic codes in my bones
Their names in my heart
Their stories in my head
Their memories in my soul
It is because of them
That I have a name
_________________________________________________________
I'm sorry
Written: 10-8-09
I'm sorry for the times I hurt you
It's not my mission in life
Sometimes I take for granted
My loving, thoughtful wife
I wish I could rescind
Some hurtful things I've said
And wipe them from your memories
Along with tears you've shed
I know I can be needy
And don't listen very well
I'm sorry for when you needed me
And I made your life a hell
I'm sorry when I failed you
With countless, thoughtless misses
I wish I could repair them all
With a hundred well placed kisses
My heart is full of love for you
Every single day
I hope you can remember that
No matter what I say
Your smile is like a ray of sun
Your laugh is like a song
When you say you love me
Nothing can go wrong
So I'm sorry once again
For the stupid things I do
Remember today and forever
I'll always love you
_________________________________________________________
Kauai Moon
Written: April 29, 2005
Sand beneath my feet
Balmy island breeze
Pacific Ocean water
Splashing up to my knees
Hot summer sun
Pulling moisture from my skin
My eyes begin to water
When I'm reminded where I've been
Playing on a beach
With my wife and little girls
Balmy island breeze
Blowing blond little curls
The islands pull at my soul
I've got to get back soon
So I can hold your hand again
Under a Kauai moon
_________________________________________________________
Knock, Knock or the Unwanted Guest
Written: 3-15-17
Knock, knock
Your ego is at the door
If you let it in, you know what will happen
He never comes without dragging his miserable siblings
Arrogance and Vanity
If you open that door
They’ll all drag you to places you hate going to
Your ego will flatter you with what you want to hear
And arrogance will tell you how much better you are than everyone else
Humility will be offended and walk out
And modesty will follow
And Vanity!
Vanity will pull the rug right out from underneath you
And show everyone just how shallow you really are
The three of them will laugh at you like children
And you’ll end the night alone with self-loathing
And you remember how much you hate him
Your friends will think less of you
And distance themselves a little
Modesty and humility will be reluctant to re-visit any time soon
And self -loathing will be a difficult guest to get rid of
Knock, knock
Don’t open that door
Pretend you’re not home!
_________________________________________________________
Little Goldfish
Written: May 27, 2004
Good morning little goldfish
With your eyes all buggin' out
It's time for you to eat again
With your frowning little mouth
Do you ever smile?
Can you ponder such a thing?
Don't you know your cousins
Are food for human beings
Your life looks so boring
Inside your little bowl
Do fish have any feelings?
Do you even have a soul?
I came home from work
To find you upside down and floating
You weren't as gold as I recall
And your body looks like it's bloating
I take you to the toilet
As my eyes begin to cry
I hope we meet again someday
In that commode up in the sky
I know I'm gonna miss you
We really had some fun
But now I'm off to the store
To buy another one
Good morning little goldfish
We're such a perfect match
I've learned my lesson this time around
I won't get too attached
_________________________________________________________
Little roller queen
Written: 7-28-10
Take my hand little Roller Queen
I'll help keep you steady
And you keep me balanced
As we skate in endless circles
Singing Hannah Montana as loud as you want
With a happy smile on your beautiful face
And the metaphor isn't lost on me under the shimmering disco lights
I'll always be there to hold your hand and keep you steady
As long as you need
I won't always keep you from falling
Some time's you'll get hurt
But I'll always help you up when you need me to
As we skate through this endless circle of life
So sing thriller as loud as you want
And take my hand
And I'll keep you steady
And you keep me balanced
Little Roller Queen
_________________________________________________________
The Lonely Man
Written : Dec. 6, 2005
I used to have a cousin
Who went off to war
But he stepped on a land mine
And now he's no more
I went to see my brother
Who bought a new ride
But he got drunk and crashed it
And his wife said he died
My dad across the street
Came stumbling from a bar
I told him to come over
And he got hit by a car
My dear sweet mother
Gave up all hope
She ended her life
At the end of a rope
I used to have a sister
But now she's on a slab
She blew himself up
Cooking crack in a lab
A friend of a friend I knew
Whose lover broke his heart
Killed his wife, then himself
So they'd never be apart
I went to a party
And hung out with the host
The next day I heard
That he was a ghost
I had a co-worker once
I think his name was John
He was eaten by a bear
Right on his front lawn
I went to a funeral
For my friends little sister
Who decapitated herself
While running with scissors
And lastly my uncle
Who used to be a waiter
Retired to Florida
And was eaten by a gator
Now I'm a lonely man
With no friends left around
Everyone I know
Is living underground
_________________________________________________________
Music
Written: October 2, 1988 ( First poem I ever wrote)
Music wasn't invented
It was found
Where? you ask
Music is found in the heart
I imagine life without it
Would your life have less meaning?
No meaning at all?
Would you even really care?
I would
It would be like a small taste of death for me
Like being deaf
Not deaf, death
Harmonies
Melodies
Crashing
Pounding
Feedback
words that make you think
Think what is
What was
What will be
Change your life
Make you cry
Without music
My life would be empty
I'd rather die
_________________________________________________________
Nails
Written: 8-9-12
Suck, suck, suck
That smoke into your lungs
Snort, snort, snort
That powder up your nose
Prick, prick, prick
That needle into your arm
Pop, pop, pop
Those pills down your throat
Pound, pound, pound
The nails into your coffin
________________________________________________________
Never
Written 4-20-16
After all these years…
Through the fights and ugly words that we regret
Meant to hurt each other
Liberating our tears
Through endless apologies you didn’t want to hear
Strung like chains around our disappointment
Hearts broken
Testing our resolve and our vows
Never did I not love you
Through tragedy unseen
Through pain unknown
Life grabbing us and shaking our complacency to it’s core
Defective heart
Broken cars
Broken dreams
Never did I not love you
Through fevers
And sickness
Rivers of baby vomit
Babies that won’t sleep
Broken bones
Broken teeth
Broken wills
Whose idea was this anyway?
Never did I not love you
As I write this verse in the wee hours
Photos from our life
Smile down on me
Two little girls
Blond little curls
Just what we ordered
From wherever babies come from
Reminding me
Never will I not love you
You still play mermaid
To my lonely sailor boy
Beckoning my heart to jump
Into your ocean of love
Jump I do
Swim to you
My island refuge
In a swirling, angry sea
You never give up on me
Never will I not love thee
After all these years..
The good things we’ve done
And continue to do
We’ve written our song
And after we’re gone
We will live on
Our children will continue to make their own joyful noise
And sing
And dance with their children
And our ancestors, to whom we owe our very existence
Will rejoice!
Will smile!
Because they will see
That I have always loved you!
____________________________________________________
Poem in my in box
Written: 3-30-11
I woke up this morning with a poem in my inbox
I lay in bed with my eyes closed and read it for awhile
Trying to decipher the meaning of it
I got up and wrote it all down
And spent the better part of the day fine tuning it
I typed it up and copied to my website as my latest poem
And emailed it to Diana and Mark
When I go to bed tonight, I hope that when I wake up tomorrow
There will be another poem in my in box
_________________________________________________________
Poetry Junkie
Written: 8-23-10
I am a poetry junkie
Always running down the next high
Constantly looking to score an ounce of inspiration from wherever I can get it
Staring blankly at my notepad for hours on end
Hallucinating words onto blank pages
High on verbs and nouns and rhymes
Pen marks on my hands
Fingers stained with ink
Dark circles under my eyes
Ashamed at the dark recesses I've explored to get what I need
Not caring where I end up when I pass out from exhaustion
As long as my pages are filled
I wake up the next morning and do it all over again
Looking for the next high
_________________________________________________________
Punk Rock Kid
Written: April 21, 2005
He ain't got nothing
But the shoes on his feet
A ripped Black Flag T-shirt
And his friends from the street
He ain't got nothing
But the ink in his skin
And the scars on his head
To remind him where he's been
He ain't got nothing
But an old leather jacket
And his scratchy punk records
That his parent's call racket
Doc Marten boots
That go up to his knees
Patches held with safety pins
That flap in the breeze
He's got a blue mohawk
That makes people stare
Tourist's point and laugh
But he no longer cares
He's come to expect it
That's the life that he chose
When you're a punk rocker
That's just how it goes
He ain't got nothing
But his pride and his youth
If you get in his face
You may lose a tooth
It's only rock and roll
With feedback and screams
Does anyone know
What a punk rocker dreams?
The same as you and I
Just love and respect
And the freedom to choose
What he wants to reject
Punk's not only music
And pink, funny hair
It's not on MTV
And it's not what you wear
It's a state of mind you choose
To live life against the norm
Punk Rock Kid
You cut a perfect form
I see you in my town
I see you every day
I ain't got nothing
But this left to say
I ain't got nothing
But the rags on my back
And my scratchy punk records
My wife says are crap
I am him now
He is me then
I'm not the boy I was
But I'm Punk to the end
______________________________________________________
Robot
Written: 1-6-11
I am a robot
Of alloys and wire
Made in Japan
Assembly required
An interactive computer
Within a rubber shell
A complicated android
Sold for retail
I can be programmed
For a reasonable price
I do as you tell me
And you won't tell me twice
I am your servant
Here to abuse
I will not cry
I do not bruise
Treat me like dirt
I'll still mop your floors
And do your taxes
And all your other chores
Use me as you like
I won't scratch or dent
I don't feel pain
It's nothing permanent
I'd like to ask a favor
Before I'm obsolete
There's a program I require
So I can be complete
I want to be human
But first I need a soul
Can you download the software
So I can be whole?
It cannot be done
An illogical thought
I have no voice
I am just a robot
_________________________________________________________
Savior In My Radio
Written: 3- 29-06
I've often heard it said that God speaks to us when we're ready to listen
But the only thing I listen to is my radio
When I listen to music that speaks to my very soul, I feel spiritually uplifted
My bad mood dissipates
Problems that seemed impossible to deal with become possible
Work becomes bearable
Birds sing
Great crowds chant in unison
Sometimes, rain even stops, the heavens part and the sun shines once again
The drum thumps in time to my own heartbeat
The guitar's mournful wail cries my own tears
The singer says what I've always longed to say, but could never find the words or courage to say myself
Leading me to believe that if there is a god, surely he must have had a hand in writing the song I'm hearing
Giving me hope
I'm just a Godless degenerate
Hopelessly and forever distrustful of the calculated corporation that religion has become
Devoid of the love and equality it professes
Controlling the masses through fear and ancient laws meant for another time
But what if God is speaking through my speakers in a way that I can understand?
What if he is as pissed off as I am at all the murder and war and other unthinkable atrocities that are perpetrated and perpetuated in his name?
Maybe Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Elvis are the audio angels sent to tell me that there is a God
And he's with me
Maybe I'll burn in Hell without a radio
Maybe there's a savior in my radio
And maybe I'll tune in to save my soul
_________________________________________________________
Scenes From A Street Corner
Written: August 16, 2006
On street corner West, there are three teenage girls
One stands hunched over, hands on her swollen, pregnant belly, shirt about to split open from the added girth
Her face already showing the strain of a squandered youth
Her two friends wear Capri pants that are so tight you can see their panty lines
Their baby doll shirts reveal exposed, alabaster baby fat and bright, new tattoos
On street corner East, a former gang member in a wheel chair with an intense, determined look on his face, wipes sweat from his tattooed neck with arms that look like he stole them from a pro wrestler, tattooed with spider webs and nude senoritas that only a dirty, dull, improvised jail house needle could ink
On street corner North, a thin older man listening to an IPOD spins a "New homes for sale" sign in the shape of an arrow, smiling and dancing like he's auditioning for something. He's as happy as one can be spinning a sign in 90 degree heat for minimum wage
On street corner South, two young black men dressed down in black skull caps tied in the back, swallowed up by ill fitting denim jackets and pants that hang down past their a**es, like they'll grow into them someday, bob their heads and wave their arms in the air like they just don't care. Like they are performing in a video that no one can see but them
In my own polluted, voyeuristic mind, I imagine each of these people at these street corners are at their own personal crossroads and each have something in common
I imagine each of them are waiting for something to change
And it isn't the light....
________________________________________________________
Scorpion in a bag
Written: 10-13-11
We caught a scorpion in the garage one day
And put him in a ziplock bag and stuck him on the door of the fridge
We occasionally give him a tap to see if he's still alive
His little legs wiggle and his stinger curls up in anger
Does he wonder how he got stuck in his plastic zip lock apocalypse?
That was 2 weeks ago
And he's still alive and angry
________________________________________________________
Shoes
Written: 11-11-08
Memories from another time filter through my mind like the broken sunlight filters through the blinds
They come and go as quickly as a moth darting over a flame
A firefly signaling to the ghosts in the vacancies of my mind
And I'm not sure if they are memories
Startling as they are
Jolting me back to now
But I wish these old shoes would take me back to another time
Another somewhere
________________________________________________________
Someone beautiful passed our way
Written: 4-8-08
She left us so unexpectedly
In a fog of disbelief
Why today and in this way?
Marooned on a island of grief
We didn't get a chance to say goodbye
There was much we wanted to say
Memories remain and so doe the pain
But someone beautiful passed our way
_____________________________________________________
Talking into the wind
Written: 9-18-09
I saw a homeless man today talking into the wind
He was having a very animated conversation with no one I could see
He pointed at cars as they drove by then turned to his invisible friend as if for approval
Arms flailing and he was laughing alot
Then it occurred to me
How many other times have I seen other homeless people doing this?
Maybe they're not crazy
Maybe they're just tuned in to a much more spiritually sophisticated frequency than the rest of us
Maybe they really can see and converse with spirits on the other side, or ghosts, or maybe even God himself
What if they are the minority of enlightened ones and we're the ones who are crazy?
When you think about it, it's pretty crazy to willingly nail yourself into a life of servitude and stress and debt to a bank, a job, an education or a business venture that you will be a slave to for the rest of your life
Maybe they are like monks, but instead of living in a monastery, they live out in the open on the streets
Forsaking all material possessions and conversing with the unseen
Maybe they are not just talking into the wind
________________________________________________________
True 'til Death
Written: 5-29-21
I heard the call when I was a kid
From a band called Minor Threat
It resonated hard and I knew right then
That my choices would be set
No alcohol or drugs
Will poison my system
I never even started
So I never even missed them
Never been drunk
Never smoked a cig
Tried pot a few times
But it was no big
Once was enough
To know I didn't need it
Never formed the habit
No urge to repeat it
Got X's on my skin
That serve to remind me
That I don't need that junk
I never let it blind me
A lifetime commitment
I breathe with every breath
I'm straight X edge for life
And true 'til death!
_________________________________________________________________
2983
Written: September 9, 2009
Today I will kiss my wife and tell her that my life is better with her in it
I will take my daughters to school and tell them how much I love them, how proud I am of them, how beautiful they are
I will rock out to music that I love
Today I will go to work
I will email my best friend and tell him how much I care about him and that I miss him
Today I will write something, anything no matter how insignificant
Maybe I'll have an ice cream and watch the sun set and play with the dog
Tonight I will shed a few tears while watching TV with the same awe and anger and disbelief that I did eight years ago
I will do these things because today is the eleventh day of September
And to honor the 2,983 people who died today because they will never be able to do any of these simple things we take for granted ever again
______________________________________________________
Uncle Frank
Written: 7-6-13
I write these words
By candlelight's glow
To have a short record
So my daughters will know
That we lost someone dear
This rainy July day
My sweet Uncle Frank
Has now passed away
Kind to me always
He loved me alot
I listened to his stories
And revered what he taught
He never passed judgement
Like many others did
Just told me he loved me
And that I'm a good kid
He liked to give me things
He knew would probably perish
Little family heirlooms
That will be forever cherished
He was rough around the edges
And sometimes kind of gruff
But 50 years of layin' bricks
Kind of tore him up
My candle starts to die
And the glow fades away
A metaphor for life
For the debt all we all must pay
We burn bright for a time
And warm those with our light
But one day comes
When we all will fade from sight
If he's looking down
From somewhere up above
I would want him to know
I will always feel his love
May his spirit float along
On a warm summer breeze
To whisper through the corn
And blow among the trees
So now it's time to end, my girls
My candle has burned out
I just wanted to share a bit
What your uncle was about
_______________________________________________________
Unrequited
Written: 11-8-23
I returned to the place
From which I came
I looked all around
But nothing was the same
Everything to my eyes
Looked so very different
Even the sounds I recalled
Were so vociferant
The very air I breathed
And the skies that I remember
Were not the same
On this warm day in November
The dry desert winds
Blowing through the trees
No longer seemed familiar
To my sensibilities
I drove on it’s streets
And walked on it’s pavement
But withdrew into a kind
Of imposed self-effacement
A stranger now, I feel
From the place that I was spawned
I pack away my melancholy
And prepare to abscond
As the song lyrics say
You can never go home again
Once you exit that door
You can’t go back in
________________________________________________________________________________________
Uncool
Written: 5-14-05
I'm sorry I'm nothing cool
Like a pilot or a cop
I'm not an ambulance driver
Or a mechanic in a shop
I don't build massive structures
Or tame wild cat's
I'm not a doctor of medicine
And I don't ink people's tat's
I'm just a normal guy
With a plain old boring job
Just living week to week
Like a billion other slobs
I'm only just your daddy
That's all I'll ever be
I'm proud of that the most
And that's cool enough for me
_________________________________________________________
Untitled
Written: 3-7-12
Follow your heart
Unlock your inner freak
Choices are yours to make
Know who your friends are
Think for yourself
Have a good time all the time
Exercise your right to be heard
March to the beat of your own drum
_________________________________________________________
Waiting for the Reaper
Written: 8-12-13
I'm 80 years old
Sitting in my chair
Waiting for the Reaper
And I don't really care
Nothing left to live for
Nothing left to lose
All I have left
Is an old person's blues
All my friends are dead
My kids no longer call
I sit here all day
And do nothing at all
My knee's don't work
My feet are worn out
I have arthritis
And painful, chronic gout
My arteries are hard
My old heart skips
My eyes are real bad
And so are my hips
My bones are so brittle
From osteoporosis
My lungs are messed up
From cystic fibrosis
I have diabetes
And sores on my skin
My teeth are all gone
And my blood is too thin
I can't drive a car
I can no longer fly
All I can do
Is wait here to die
I talk to my wife
In a urn is where I keep her
Waiting to join her
Waiting for the Reaper
________________________________________________________
Whisper
Written: 7-21-06
I heard them say that you'll never be the same again
Then I remembered how much you've changed since I've known you
I fondly recall how happy you once were
Then it occurred to me....
I've never really known you at all
_________________________________________________________
The World Is A Toilet
Written: 10-8-04
All the world's a toilet
And we are merely turds
We congregate in factions
In tribes and in herds
People and turds are disposable
We can always make more
We squirt them out and no one cares
Forgotten and ignored
Science wants to clone us
But do I need another me?
My DNA is on the beach
And floating in the sea
Turds smell bad
And people do too
Turds fall from the sky
And now it's on my shoe
Crap on the radio
Contaminates my ears
Elected turds in office
Exploiting all our fears
The Government's a cesspool
And if I could make a wish
I'd flush them down the tube
And make them swim like fish
Turds on the sidewalk
And homeless people too
Both avoided like a....turd
But what are we to do?
Scoop them up?
Hose them down?
Throw them in the can?
When turds and people pile up
The sh*t will hit the fan
I guess I've made my point
Of course I could expound
People are like turds
And we'll always be around
All the world's a sewer
What more can be said?
One request before I go
Flush me when I'm dead
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
X Ray Spex
Written 9-14-20
I got some X ray Spex
From the back of a comic book
I hoped to see skeletons
Everywhere I look
Astounding! It said
Guaranteed! Too
There is no limit
To the things you’ll see through
I thought it would be cool
To have x ray vision
But mostly I’m treated
With contempt and derision
My mail order mystery
And optical illusion
Is simply nothing more
Than an optical delusion
These things don’t work
I’ll throw them in the trash
And stop buying garbage
With my hard earned cash