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Apr 2021 · 406
Haunted Heart
My heart is so haunted
By your lasting memory
A ghost that's undaunted
Seems to always follow me

Perhaps this is a curse
Chasing when I try to flee
Is this what I deserve?
Is this how it's meant to be?

Spirits always emerge
When I try to move forward
Visions of you preserved
Keeping up the torture

Whispering forgotten words
Echoing throughout my ears
When I think I'm over you
That's when you reappear

Haunting my heart for years
I can't seem to find a cure
As I fumble through the tears
You're a siren that endures

Copyright ©️2021 Michael Messinger
(All rights reserved)
Jan 2021 · 269
The Weeping Wind
This wind whistles a sad song
As it rumbles through baron trees
No humans left to sing along
No animals left to enjoy her breeze

It just blows around in the dust
People destroyed themselves for greed
Mother Nature finally had enough
"They loved money more than me"

"Humans polluted my waters
They kept poisoning my air
I warned them over and over
But they just didn't seem to care"

She tried to comfort the wind
Who's moans fell upon no one's ears
The wind is crying and lonely
There's no people left to hear

Dear Mother tried hard to explain
But the wind just blew harder
Trying to drowned out all the pain
Not believing that life was over

"Who will I cool in the hot summer?
Why did you do this, Dear Mother?
Who will play with me in the winter?
My breath will never be felt by another"

The angry wind was weeping
As her tears flooded the land
"Dear Wind, they did it to themselves
It was all done by their own hand"

She knew mother's words were true
But her rain continued to flow
The sky had never glowed so blue
As the healing began to show

The smog cleared from the skies
As the earth was again turning green
The wind had no more reason to cry
While Mother Nature continued to clean

The wind still missed the wildlife
As polluted oceans were now pristine
This has happened before in time
When dinosaurs were roaming free

"New life will soon return again"
This is my promise to thee"
Mother told the excited wind
My words are true, just wait and see"

The wind howled in pure delight
"Mother,  will you have to do this again?"
Mother Nature just answered in a sigh
"It all depends on them, my dearest wind"


© 2021 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Narrative Poetry
Dec 2020 · 250
The Weeping Wind
This wind whistles a sad song
As it rumbles through baron trees
No humans left to sing along
No animals left to enjoy her breeze

It just blows around in the dust
People destroyed themselves for greed
Mother Nature finally had enough
"They loved money more than me"

"Humans polluted my waters
They kept poisoning my air
I warned them over and over
But they just didn't seem to care"

She tried to comfort the wind
Who's moans fell upon no one's ears
The wind is crying and lonely
There's no people left to hear

Dear Mother tried hard to explain
But the wind just blew harder
Trying to drowned out all the pain
Not believing that life was over

"Who will I cool in the hot summer?
Why did you do this, Dear Mother?
Who will play with me in the winter?
My breath will never be felt by another"

The angry wind was weeping
As her tears flooded the land
"Dear Wind, they did it to themselves
It was all done by their own hand"

She knew mother's words were true
But her rain continued to flow
The sky had never glowed so blue
As the healing began to show

The smog cleared from the skies
As the earth was again turning green
The wind had no more reason to cry
While Mother Nature continued to clean

The wind still missed the wildlife
As polluted oceans were now pristine
This has happened before in time
When dinosaurs were roaming free

"New life will soon return again"
This is my promise to thee"
Mother told the excited wind
My words are true, just wait and see"

The wind howled in pure delight
"Mother,  will you have to do this again?"
Mother Nature just answered in a sigh
"It all depends them, my dearest wind"


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Sep 2020 · 126
Where Dreams Reside
I'm a man on a mission
To gather my redemption
Reaching for the stars
Gaining needed wisdom

I won't stop dreaming
So my life has meaning
Digging deep down inside
It's where my passion lies

It will never be too late
My dreams won't be revoked
Even if I make a mistake
I promise to never lose hope

I'll follow the unbeaten path
When it calls out my name
Even if I can't travel too fast
The destination is the same

I'll go over high barricades
And cross busy highways
I'll swim the rivers wide
I'll find you wherever you hide

I'll chase down the dream
I'll keep searching until I die
Time may be my enemy
But someday I shall find....

The place where dreams reside

©️2020 Michael Messinger
(All Rights Reserved)
Mar 2020 · 127
Beads of Night
You look so beautiful tonight
Sitting there in my mind
I faithfully see those eyes of blue
My heart and soul misses you

Remember when me met years ago
We didn't need anywhere to go
Each other is all we needed
Now I feel somewhat cheated

I know The Beads of Night
Flicker in the evening sky
I can't seem to forget those days
I can remember everything

I miss the times driving you to work
And sneeking in your back door
Those **** searchlights, anything it took
I wanted to see you more and more

I know you are my soulmate
And fate has put us together again
I'll do anything it takes
To make our happiness begin

Follow The Beads of Night
I'm here waiting for you
Our future is very bright
I know you know that too


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Feb 2020 · 125
All We Need Is Love
It could be what we all need
Is just alittle space to breathe
Have some time to think it through
Maybe listen to a new point of view

Their are so many different ways
That we can make things change
We can stop hating each other
Love the differences in one another

All throughout the world
Can't you see the day?
When we all want the same thing
And rid this planet of hate

All we need is love

Ignorance is a handicap
But the cure is in our hands
Together we can make things new
It all begins right now with you

All throughout the world
We react the same way
When you love it's like a flood
Let it wash away the hate

All we need is love

Day by day the storms are lifted
It's time to open up the door
Allow change to be unrestricted
It starts with us if we want more

All throughout the world
Change begins here with you
With everything that you do
Dig our way out of the mud

All we need is love

All throughout the world
Accept the winds of change
It's time to stop the blame
Only love can heal the pain

All we need is love


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Feb 2020 · 188
So Alike But So Alone
I remember what we had
Long passion-filled kisses
And lovingly holding hands
The same dreams and wishes

We knew what the world was
All those happy times together
We were very deeply in love
And we made our world better

And we are so alike
Yet we are so alone
Our love is still inside
Waiting to be shown

Our lives have always been tough
In between the years apart
But it seems love was never enough
Everyone doomed us from the start

But I know our love will never falter
Even though we are not together
It is firmly etched into our hearts
It will remain there always and forever

But we are so alike
Why are we so alone?
Our love is there inside
It is a love that we own

We never had to fake it at all
But we left a lot of things unsaid
The same goals we always talked
And together we planned ahead

I feel like I'm sitting in a corner
And your on the other side of the wall
I need you now more than ever
You're so close but can't get to you at all

You know we are so alike
Yet we continue to be alone
I see you but you're out of reach
Take my hand and allow love to flow

We had no temptation for any another
At the times when we were together
We were very deeply in love
And we made the whole world better

Maybe someday our hearts will touch
We were meant to be with each other
Many times we tried to no avail
No matter what our love will last forever

We'll always be so alike
But why are we so alone?
Our love is there waiting
We just have to make it known

© 2020  Michael Messinger
(All rights reserved)
Feb 2020 · 206
The Ballad of Jimmy Aldaoud
Jimmy Aldaoud was deported
He was American to the bone
He never set foot in Iraq
Arrived here at six months old

Jimmy was born in Greece
And Michigan was his home
He was very good at Chess
His health problems were known

Diabetes and schizophrenia
Is what Jimmy battled most
ICE showed up one day
And took him from his home

Jimmy was sent to Iraq
ICE said he had to go
They threw him on a plane
He landed in Baghdad alone

He was living on the streets
Jimmy didn't know a soul
He couldn't get anything to eat
His insulin was dangerously low

'I don't understand the language.
I don't understand the money.
I don't understand the street.'
Jimmy said in desperate worry

Jimmy couldn't speak Arabic
And he had nowhere to go
Someone found his body
He died in Baghdad all alone

Jimmy Aldaoud was fourty-one
He died in a place he didn't know
ICE just sent him to his death
This administration has no soul

Jimmy didn't have to die
In a far off land he didn't know
Today he would still be alive
America was his only home


'Donald J Trump is responsible for his death.'
- Andy Levin, U.S. congressman


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Feb 2020 · 172
Whatever Happened To Love?
The times have seemed to change
We want all material things
Whatever happened to Love?

Work so much the days to fly by
Making Less money to buy, buy, buy
Whatever happened to a living wage?

The times have seemed to change
Keep stepping on those in your way
Whatever happened to conscience?

The rich keep getting richer
The poor keep getting poorer
Whatever happened to Washington?

The times continue to disintegrate
Rich politicians keep breeding hate
Whatever happened to peace?

Keeping children locked up in cages
Out on the streets the animosity rages
What happened to love thy neighbor?

The one percent makes the laws
Why can congress break them all?
Whatever happened to consequences?

The times have really changed
Lawmakers don't care about anything
Whatever happened to love?

© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 126
The Sky Has Fallen
Everything is a memory now
I hope it was worth it
We'll have to carry on somehow
Destroyed all for profit

The waters are undrinkable
Masks cover our brows
The air is unbreathable
Ashes fall from the clouds

Science tried to tell us
Warnings were clear and loud
Politicians wouldn't discuss
No dissension was allowed

They kept up deregulation
All the money made them proud
Releasing all the contagion
Now the sky is falling down

It's hard to have a keepsake
When poison seeps from the ground
They didn't try to keep us safe
From the pollution floating abound

It's so difficult to understand
Why they just ignored the crowd
Corporations polluted the land
Our leaders ignored the sound

Everything is a memory now
There's no turning back
We'll have to carry on somehow
This was a blatant attack

And now the sky is falling down
Jan 2020 · 182
Mist
A cool mist falls
Feeling good on my skin
A lazy breeze calls
Dishevelling my hair in the wind

The phone hangs silently
Clipped sturdy to my hip
She has yet to dial my number
As I get prepared for my trip

The trees stand bare
Stretching in the wet
I just stand tall and stare
No good-byes have been said

The cool mist turns to rain
It trickles down my face
But it does hide the tears
For their's no warm embrace

© 2020  Michael Messinger
(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 259
West By God Virginia
The distant mountains are calling me
I need some fresh air
I can't stop fighting for what I believe
It's sad that most don't care

I'm from West By God Virginia
Where the mountains are no longer free
They feed us lies and propaganda
That big coal is just a necessity

It's just profit to those that destroy
The people it affects are just casualties
An acceptable sacrifice to those they employ
It's profit over people that they enjoy

I'm from West By God Virginia
Where big coal rules the roost
They feed us lies and propaganda
The state continues to hide the truth

Mountaineers are always free
The motto of our state
But how can that really be?
When big coal controls our fate?

I'm from West By God Virginia
Where coal slurry enters our lakes
I'm from West By God Virginia
Where our lives are at stake
Jan 2020 · 294
Dwell
If's and but's surround us in life
One step either way can change fate
A false move or a reaction to strife
Can make things go another way

One second too fast or too slow
Can shape what happens next
It's a crazy thing to undergo
These life decisions happen quick

'If I could go back' as the saying goes
'I would've done it differently then'
But in this life we'll never really know
The answers to what could have been

We can dwell on things from long ago
And wonder about what if's and when
But it will always still be the unknown
We still have to let the future begin

So make the decisions with no regrets
We must do so again and again
Don't forget that we are all blessed
That we are alive and it's a gift


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 164
Anything
Standing in the corner
Nowhere to run or hide
My mind deep in wonder
I'm nothing deep inside

I shouldn't be alive
Cheated death countless times
Wandering in circles
I'm nothing on the outside

But I'm not anything
I could've been something
Instead more of the same
Could've been something...Anything

Looking at the Sun
Wish I could fly away
My feet in standing water
Nothing for me to stay

I should've tried harder
I worked hard for all I have
My reflection in the water
Very little is left inside

So I'm not anything
I could've been something
Instead of accepting blame
Should've been something...Anything

They are out to break me
But I'm not broken yet
Standing in the street
Ignoring idle threats

Traffic passing by
Like I'm an invisible man
They will never break me
I will make my final stand

But I'm not anything
I could've been something
Instead of playing this game
Should've been something...Anything



© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 155
Counting Sheep
I lye here awake
My head keeps thinking
I roll and stare
At the whitewashed ceiling

My eyes are closed
Just waiting for sleep
It all seems pointless
As I lose count of sheep

I finally slip away
I dream that I am flying
To whom and to where?
As I keep on climbing

I feel your embrace
Is that you I'm hearing?
I can see your face
Could it be I'm dreaming?

I open my eyes
I was fast asleep
A renewed sadness arrives
As I start counting sheep


© 2020 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 145
Blue Butterflies And Angels
She was the most beautiful woman
That my eyes have ever seen
She will remain in my heart forever
Though she no longer needs me

I found beauty in her heart
And in the way we touched
Her warmth mixing with mine
Oh, I do miss her very much

I can remember everything
Her blue butterflies and angels
They always flew around my heart
Have I past into the lost ages?

I found beauty in her smile
Cheering me up when I was blue
Loving her all the while
Does she think about me too?

I wonder if she reads my poems?
Or ever thinks about calling me
I remember all our loving moments
Does she sees me in her dreams?

Everything about her was beautiful
That beautiful face and soft skin
I was waiting for life to begin
I fear that we will never touch again

I Found Love In You
Then I lost it again


© 2020 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 154
Until The World Ends
I'm a million miles away
In dreams that haunt me
Even when I'm awake

I look at your pictures everyday
I can't seem forget your face
My heart is lost and in disarray

Is that you on the crowded avenue?
I look for you everywhere I go
How come it's never really you?

It's so difficult to live again
In a world that you're no longer in
But I  still believe in miracles
Someday the world will end

I'm still learning to smile again
But not ready for love to begin
I wanted to believe in a miracle
I'm waiting for the world to end

I don't want you to fade away
I know you didn't want to leave
You fought so very hard to stay

If I could just stop dreaming
I could carry on without you
Your name I can't stop screaming

I barely manage to push through
But I can never stop loving you
And I honestly don't ever want to

I'm learning to love again
But it's hidden deep within
I still believe life is beautiful
Until this cruel world ends

I'm learning to smile again
I know you would want me to
I'm still waiting for life to begin

I know you don't want me lonely
But I will never stop loving you
You were always my one and only

I'm learning to live again
It's still hard to comprehend
I'll always believe in miracles
Until the world ends

Maybe we'll reunite in another life
I know we'll someday meet again
Perhaps it'll be when my life is over
I'll have to wait until the world ends


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 1.2k
Johnny Reb and Billy Yank
They stood across the battlefield
Facing against each other these days
When the guns silenced they'd meet
One wore blue and one wore gray

The two men shared coffee and smokes
Talked about family and life as soldiers
Laughing at some crude little jokes
And what they'd do when the war was over

Every conversation ended the same way
They'd look at each other and say
'I'll see you in hell Johnny Reb'
'I'll see you in hell Billy Yank'

They both knew that someday soon
Their paths may cross through the haze
And see each other across the way
Through that ****** and deadly space

So far luck has been their lady
Seemed like the war will last an eternity
Both longed for home and their family
Born brothers but now they're enemies

They both remembered it the same way
They'd look at each other and say
'I'll see you in hell Johnny Reb'
'I'll see you in hell Billy Yank'

Every battle could be a very tough time
Back home for their dear mother
She always just asked herself why?
What if her only children killed each other?

She was all alone in bluegrass Kentucky
Shielded herself from the news of war
Always praying for them to be lucky
Her poor heart just couldn't take it anymore

Her final words were written in ink
As she mumbled the words to say
'I'll see you in heaven Johnny Reb'
'I'll see you in heaven Billy Yank'

Cannons boomed from a nearby hill
Bullets whistled like hornets overhead
The ground was red from blood that spilled
One can't walk without stepping on the dead

The smoke cleared as the sun fell away
Two wounded men lay beside each other
One wore blue and one wore gray
Morality wounded they held one another

The brothers struggled for a final breath
They looked at each other to say
'I'll see you at home Johnny Reb'
'I'll see you at home Billy Yank'


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Narrative Poetry
Jan 2020 · 162
A Man Named Poe
Passing out coats and blankets
At Tent City on the river bank
No more room at the mission
Out of sight is out of mind
Is what town said about it's decision

The homeless didn't like being there
A cold wind blows hard off the river
A city that really doesn't care
As long as they continue to be hidden
They had no warm clothes to wear

I met a man that everyone called Poe
His real name or not I may never know
He had a million stories to tell
Everyone gathered around in the snow
A steel barrel was burning very well

"We are just like lightning bugs
We're Living in a big clear jar
There are holes poked in the lid
Without those we can't get any air"
He said while waving with his hands

He talked while trying on his new coat
"I had one just this a long time ago
When I shook hands with Kennedy
And that pretty wife of his, Jackie O
It was April 1960 I do recall" said Poe

"Boys, keep one eye on the ground
You never know what you'll find"
He stopped talking and turned around
Poe looked hard and squinted his eyes
The church van stopped without a sound

I was ready to hear more fables
But went to help unload several boxes
Serving food we set up folding tables
Hot coffee freshly brewed in paper cups
I started passing out brand new Bibles

I handed one to Poe "thank you"
He said in a voice that was shaken
"I had a Bible just like this one, it's true
Way back when I was in Vietnam"
A single tear fell from his eyes of blue

He opened the book skimming through
"It's sad when the country I fought for
Leaves us here and forgets about you"
Poe said as I handed him a cup of coffee
He took a sip from the steaming brew

We went back a couple of days later
We brought more food and coffee
I looked but Poe was not in Tentland
They said that they found his body
In his tent with his Bible in his hand

I found his obituary in the paper
Edgar Allen Poe it read in print
Congressional Medal of Honor winner
Two Purple Hearts for service in Vietnam
Awarded to him by President Johnson

In the newspaper's obituary photo
It showed a young Mr. Edgar Allen Poe
He wore the exact coat we gave him
And standing with Kennedy and Jackie O
I'll always remember the man named Poe

--On a single night in January 2018, just over 37,800 Veterans were experiencing homelessness.

--On the same night, just over 23,300 of the Veterans counted were unsheltered or living on the streets.

--A total of 552,830 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2018. This number represents 17 out of every 10,000 people in the United States

© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Homelessness Veteran's Poe
Jan 2020 · 150
Bring Up The Lights
The world is so brutal today
People don't respect anything
The politicians lie to our face
Nothing seems to ever change

My expectations aren't that high
Don't be rude or tell me lies
Be kind to each other in life
Obey the same laws we comply

Gunfire rings out in our schools
Lives these days have no value
Another mass shooting on the news
Thoughts and prayers will not do

Politicians line there pockets today
They no longer work for the people
Making millions to look the other way
They hide behind the church steeple

Let's take what's real here tonight
Just fire up the amplifiers
And bring up all the lights
Right now, everything's alright

Corporations pollute our air
Dump waste into our waterways
More money so they don't care
We the people are who pays

Don't drink and don't smoke
That's what they always say
Tax us so much we are broke
Pollution will **** us anyway

Billions spent on foriegn wars
While Veterans sleep in the streets
Ask for help they shut the door
Welcome home now struggle to eat

Our bridges keep falling down
It's a battle to stay on our feet
Tent cities for homeless in town
D.C thinks we want everything free

So, I'll take what's real here tonight
Just crank up the amplifiers
And bring up all the lights
Right now, everything's alright

Let's just bring up the lights
And take what's real tonight
Just turn up the amplifiers
Tomorrow we'll restart the fight


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 191
I Saved A Person Today
I saved a person today
She walked down the corridor
I was jumping in my cage
Maybe I could get her to adore

I tried to hide my mess
That was left in the back and such
But I had no choice
I don't get out of here much

I saved a person today
As she looked at my face
I didn't know what to do
So I sit down in place

The humans love the puppies in here
They don't hang around long
My humans died in a car crash
And I was left all alone

I can do tricks and go outside
I can sit on your lap when you cry
I can bark at the door
I will always be by your side

I know I'm just an old dog
But I'll love you forever and always
I'll even watch TV with you
I'll can fetch and play all day

I saved a person today
And she carried me to the car
I can walk on a leach
I can make a new start

I saved a person, you see
And that human saved me


© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Jan 2020 · 109
Fond Remembrance
Familiar places make me think of you
The times we shared are memories now
Fond remembrance in a love so true
In my heart I believe you can recall it too

I never mention it or say it out loud
Thoughts of you only for me to know
All those times I'll never forget about
In another time when we loved each other so

The days keep passing and so do the years
As with everything else, time dries up the tears
I look for you in every crowd I'm near
But your beautiful face never appears

I find myself hoping that you are doing good
Don't worry, I could never have any ill will for you
If we never meet again in this lifetime
These memories will stay until the day I die

© 2020  Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Dec 2019 · 148
If I Would've Known
It was a cold New Year's morning
That was the last time I ever seen you
The embrace I held you in was glowing
And the kisses we shared were true

I could feel your heartbeat as we embraced
Little flakes of snow fell softly to the ground
I could see the chill bumps on your face
And I didn't want you to go to town

But you had to go that early morning
And I knew you couldn't stay
But I tried hard to keep you from going
I wish I would've tried harder that day

If I would've known that was the last time
That I would ever be able to kiss you
Or had the chance to call you all mine
I would've dragged you back inside

If I knew it would be the last time
That I would see your beautiful face
And those mesmerizing blue eyes
I wish I would've said "I love you"
Instead of only  "Bye.'

© 2020 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
#if
Dec 2019 · 352
Walls
Lost in a sea of madness
Life seems so short
Ready for all the sadness
You build your fort

These walls are the highest
Just to keep people out
No more bricks, these are the finest
Walls that have been built

Time ticks right on by
As you sit in your fortress
The walls are so high
It gets real hard to focus

You can't climb this wall
But wish you could
So scared you will fall
Just wondering if you should

It's not easy to break barriers
But someone must try
Without that we will all wither
Will we give up and die?
Dec 2019 · 133
Goodbye
Our eyes met from the lighted stage
My guitar slung across my shoulder
You're the only one I seen as I played
In a packed house I could see no other

That same night you met my sister
She came out to see me play
You made sure she had your number
You hoped for me to call you someday

I loved you from beginning
I'll love you until I die
I loved you from the stage
And then you waved goodbye

I so much wanted to call you
But I didn't for several days
Not wanting to seem so desperate
But decided to call you anyway

No days were ever spent apart
After we met for a dinner date
It really didn't take that long
For you to steal my heart away

I loved you from the beginning
I'll love you until I die
I loved you from that day on
And we never said goodbye

The days and years passed quickly
Our children grown and moved on
Sipping tea on the front porch
Wondering where the time has gone

I loved you from the beginning
I'll love you until I die
I loved you at the funeral
The day I had to say goodbye

Goodbye


© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Dec 2019 · 160
Grandaddy's Corn Cobs
My great grandaddy was a farmer
He was set in his ways
My great grandma said he was a charmer
Always jealous of Edie May

He went on a date with Edie
Way back in 1908
He swore it was only one date
But grandma brings it up each day

I remember asking grandaddy
'What's the box of corn cobs for'
That were sitting in the outhouse
Stacked neatly on the floor

Never ask what the corn cobs are for

I stayed with them for a summer
Back when I was nine or ten
A feather bed was where I slumbered
Photos of ancestors scared me to death

They never smiled or seemed happy
In the framed pictures around the bed
I thought they were watching me
As I laid down to rest my head

Dancing corn cobs haunted my dreams

Grandaddy smoked a homemade pipe
With tobacco he grew from scratch
Told stories of how his great grandaddy
Crossed the ocean on a wooden craft

We rode his tractor across the hills
Rounding up cattle and mended fences
Grandma was in the barn getting milk
Oh how I loved her buttermilk biscuits

I couldn't eat corn on the cob she fixed us

They never owned a television set
No air conditioning could be found
So I caught craw dad's in the creek
My splashing was the only sound

I went back and can't hold it anymore
It's been a few days and I have to go
I stood up and walked out the door
I'd better hurry and not move so slow

Don't ask me what the corn cobs were for
Dec 2019 · 186
Alone
I look around the town tonight
My leathers hold my warmth inside
I reach for you but you're not here
Like I always did when you were near

Tonight I try with all my might
To hide the tears that blur my sight
I'm standing here like a statue of stone
Then reality hits me now

I walk alone
I'm all alone

Tomorrow is a brand new day
I wish I could go back to change things
I'm well aware that I can't fix the past
I'll make a future with another chance

Tonight I try with all my might
To hide the tears that blur my sight
I'm standing here like a statue of stone
Then reality hits me now

I stand alone
I'm all alone

I look around the bedroom tonight
My blankets hold the warmth inside
I call your name but you're not here
Memories hit and I can't steer clear

Tonight I try with all my might
To wipe the tears that blur my sight
Your perfume still lingering in the air
Then reality sets in again

I'm here alone
I'm all alone

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Dec 2019 · 289
Winter's Chill
No wrapping paper or bows needed
It's just a wish I'd like fulfilled
Maybe it will come to fruition
Before the end of Winter's Chill

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Dec 2019 · 166
Live And Love
I swung and missed
At fortune's sweet pitch
Now I'm just writing away
Working hard for little pay
But it gives me time to play

I'm too young to retire
And just too old to hire
But no need to fret about things
I'm feeling good and inspired
With hope that things will change

Tomorrow isn't promised
But it's a brand new day
I'm blessed to wake up safe
So there is no need to complain
Live and love for the rest of today

Things can always be worse
And I know I'm not cursed
Some people are sick and in pain
For them I'll always bow and pray
That their circumstances change

I've been blessed with this gift
To write and play riffs
In hopes it'll help you get away
Reading my words, hearing my songs
Maybe it'll help you forget the pain

Live and love for the rest of today
We're blessed to wake up safe
So there is no need to complain
Tommorow isn't promised
But it is a brand new day

The snow could be falling
Or the sun may be shining
It's so beautiful to be awake
Cloudy skies might be crying
So let's just go play in the rain

It will wash away your stress
Who cares if you get wet
Don't worry about fortunes won
The water will drown your regret
So now go out and do your best

Live and love for the rest of today
And tomorrow just do the same
We're blessed to wake up safe
Don't forget to go outside and play
Live and love every single day

Live and love like it's your last day


© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Dec 2019 · 117
Solace
Such solace that I seek
Everyone has forgotten about me
It shows the world as weak
For this must be my destiny

I work for the poor and homeless
But there are not many like me
Consumed in the corporate world
Never thinking about those less free

I see the elderly everyday
In need of a helping hand
Congress wants to throw them away
Even some fought for this land

Nothing is about me
It's about giving people a place to land
They fight hard to protect the unborn
Then they abandon them without means

This work has to be my calling
Not many will do it
To stand tall for the hungry
Our seniors in our land

If I had one wish
I'd ask you to help out
Just a few bucks to donate
Instead of eating out

But, as I honestly know
You won't do that
Only caring about yourself
You refuse to see what is going on

That's ok though,
That's why their are people like me
To take up the slack
Maybe you just don't see

I have no idea why I write such things
Most don't listen or just ignore it away
I have to seek solace
For there is no other way
Dec 2019 · 155
Ghost's In A Box
Close your eyes
Listen to what I say
I speak no lies
I have no games to play

Open your mind
Believe in your heart
Maybe you will find
An instinctive new start

We all have paradox
And a past that haunts
Ghost's sitting in a box
Abandon those thoughts

It's so hard to do
As Ghost's seem to rise
Closing doors to be with you
Those ghoul's will subside

Don't let The Ghosts of the Past
Stop you from moving forward
Release the demons from your grasp
Don't forget but just move onward

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Dec 2019 · 286
Puzzle
My puzzle of life is missing a piece
I've done everything I've set out to do
So missing a part doesn't bother me
And I've stopped looking for it too

I suppose It will find me in time
Because I've stopped searching
It's a piece etched in my mind
Just in case it comes looking

I would like to finish the jigsaw
But I can only do one part at a time
I'll just wait for the final piece to fall
I will not stand in line trying to find

It will come as a surprise to me
If it ever comes into my hands
It know it's only just one piece
But It's an important part to land
Nov 2019 · 206
Can You Remember?
Can you remember?
The dreams we shared when we were young
I can remember
The times we spent as we were one
So much fun

You made the sun
Come out and shine on rainy days
Ain't it strange
How the years quickly past away
Not without pain

Can you remember?
War called me away from home
That cold December
Married outside in the snow
****, It was cold

I am reminded
Home from war and on our own
Those were the tough days
Cash came in way to slow
We were alone

Now in our eightys
We've shared our live's as one
Now we can sit back
And watch the rising sun
I'm still in love

Can you remember?
The dreams we shared when we were one
We raised our sons
Sixty years have come and gone

I can remember
The dreams we had when we were young
I wouldn't change one moment
And baby, your still the only one
I wrote this about my Great Grandparents.
Nov 2019 · 252
Fading
Lost and not found
I can feel myself fading
With you not around
I can feel my heart aching

Sights and sounds
I can hear myself breaking
My hands are bound
My time is slowly wasting

I was in the clouds
My love for you was soaring
We hid in the crowds
To keep some from knowing

Then you pulled me down
A love forever lasting
I slammed to the ground
My heart truly smashing

Scattered all about
Pieces not worth saving
It was then and now
Emptiness enslaving

With you not around
I can feel myself breaking
Lost and not found
I can see myself fading

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Babe, I hope you're listening
You would have been so proud
The band and I were playing
In front of a sold out crowd

I missed seeing you backstage
I wish you were here right now
We really brought down the house
But I still feel empty somehow

Babe, I need to hear your voice
It's hard not to just breakdown
I know if you had a choice
You would always be around

I have that tape you made me
I listen to it when I'm down
But I wish you were here to see
Just how good we finally sound

All of this is because of you
Babe, you kept me going
You helped me to follow through
Even when frustration was showing

Babe I hope you're listening
But right now I have to go
We really have to get moving
Another town and another show

I'm going to listen to your tape
On the bus when on the road
Your voice is just so soothing
Your pictures are on my phone

I wish I could've stopped the Cancer
You were my hope and my dreams
I prayed we could've traded places
But heaven took you away from me

Babe, I hope you're listening
You would have been so proud
The band and I were playing
In front of a sold out crowd

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 606
Drinking Poison
You pollute our planet
Money rules your life
You are nothing but a bandit
Taking away our rights

You spilled toxins in our water
And didn't even care
Not worried about a slaughter
You continue to foul our air

You are killing us slowly
You contaminate our wells
We unknowingly drink your poison
As you cash in your company's shares

Almost Four-Hundred Thousand gallons of dumped oil
A poisoning in North Dakota
Keystone Pipeline's second spill Contaminating the soil
Over a million gallons leaked total

6,600 fracking waste spills in four States
Poisoning the watershed in all those places
So your pockets can be lined with green
While Republicans keep up deregulation

Flint, Michigan still don't have clean water
D.C  to allow fracking and drilling in national forests
Our climate continues to get hotter
Coal companies blowing up mountains don't matter

You are killing us slowly
You lace our children with cancer
We continue to drink your poison
You never give us straight answers

Water is a necessity of life
But corporations like money more
They don't care if we live or die
Bribes give our leaders a big score

You are killing us slowly
Death will come early for us all
You can't drink money
It will be America's downfall

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 414
Just A Passenger
The train roars from the station
I don't have a clue where I'm going
The Amtrak whistle is blazing
The hardest part is not knowing

The cars sway back and forth
As the blooming trees blur by
I know she was always worth
Every moment I was by her side

I am just a Passenger
On the train called life
I am just a lonely rider
Leaving the dark behind

For each long mile I travel ahead
Just a frontiersman of the modern day
For every ounce of tears I shed
I seemed to get lost on the way

I can tolerate the engine smoke
But I can't erase the smell her perfume
The train has no feelings to evoke
It just snakes its way from gloom

I am just a Passenger
On the train called life
I am just a lonely rider
Heading toward the light

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 286
The Kiss
The pale moonlight lights up your face
You are so beautiful as you look to the sky
I long for your sweet, loving embrace
You are next to me as the love we have shines

The nice, cool breeze flows through your hair
As you reach over to give me our first kiss
My arms wrap tightly around you in the crisp air
We are alone in the moment while our bodies twitch

There is no other place I would rather be
As our lips connect with the poise of lovers
So soft and caring with your arms around me
As the soft, full moon cast a shadow as it hovers

This seems to be an everlasting embrace
Our bright eyes seeing into each others heart
The pale moonlight lights up our faces
Our lips and bodies together, never to be apart

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
So many people worry only about themselves
Their worries and problems over-ride anyone else
It don't matter if you're married or alone
You're caught up in your own little world, don't you know?

It doesn't matter who you hurt along the way
As long as your happy, or it's hell to pay
You start to believe all your treacherous lies
Beautiful on the outside but ugly deep inside

There is A Stone Where Your Heart Should Be
You give a dollar to a homeless man on the street
But you only do that when everyone else can see
To prove a point and make yourself feel clean

You want the recognition that comes to you
You always say, ' I help out, you know I do.'
You only lend a hand when someone is watching
It's only your ego that you want flaunting

But the fact remains you only worry about yourself
Who can I manipulate? Make them think I seem to care?
The only thing you really have is a heart of coal
You even lie to yourself and believe what you told

There is A Stone Where Your Heart Should be
People that really care don't ask for awards
They do it because in the their hearts, they believe
It's the right thing to do and it's not about money

So when you look in the mirror before bed tonight
Ask yourself if your doing what is right?
Think about it and try to just believe
Is there A Stone Where your Heart Should Be?

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 162
Rise From What Remains
So you think your life is in ashes
And there is no way out
You thought about splashing
From the bridge of doubt

It's easy to hide from your fears
It takes real courage to stand up
And to fight for what is clear
You just have to make your own luck

We are alive and we are here
Our decisions is what we hold dear
Sometimes they are bad and severe
But we move on and learn to steer

It's easy to fall back into the wrong
The hard part is staying away from it all
Your conscience knew it all along
But your mind didn't make the right call

We can build ourselves back to elevation
For we can be our own inspiration
Who we need can't be any clearer
They're looking back at you in the mirror

Maybe you don't believe in destiny
Could be you don't believe in yourself
In one shining moment you will find clarity
Then you'll encounter your prosperity

So your life is not in ashes
It can be rebuilt only for you
You may have to take some chances
But a fire can be built that burns true

In your heart you know it's there
And it's true that life's not fair
But don't let ashes extinguish your flame
Be a Phoenix and rise from what remains


© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 281
Whispers In The Night
A candle's flame
Flickers in the night
Countless shining stars
Show a pinhole of life

This clear, dark sky
Reflects all the light
The flame will show
Tribute to the sky

But there's whispers in the night
Can you hear them?

A cool breeze blows
Here in the valley
Skeletons of stone
Shroud in mystery
An old tree groans,
Could it be happy?

There's whispers in the night
Can you feel them?
Whispers in the night
Can you hear them?

A stream rambles on
Cold and lonely
A cricket yells
Low and and hungry
An Owl screams out
Waiting on something.....

There's whispers in the night
Can you hear them?
Whispers in the night
Can you feel spying eyes?

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 120
Get It Together
Time is just a struggle to pass away
Minutes turn into hours then into days
Life seems to get in the way of living
Getting ahead just seems to be forbidden
Sometimes you feel you can rule the world
In a flash you can fall into ruins

Get it together, life just falls apart
Get it together, so just play the part

People lie and cheat through life
But I'm not one to cheat and fight
All I ask is to be true and real
I guess no one knows how I feel
I'm so loney and blue
I have no one who is true

Get it together, life just seems to start
Get it together, then life just falls apart

Time is a struggle to pass away
Minutes turn to hours then into days
I have no one to run to
All I've ever had was you
Now my life has gone away
This world i wish not to stay

Get it together, life just seems to start
Get it together, why? It just falls apart

© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 266
Clouds and Sand
The clock ticks away
as we forget about yesterday
What did we do? What did we learn?

Can you recall growing up?
Sometimes easy, sometimes tough
Just too young to care enough

Reach for the Clouds
Pray for luck
A handful of sand
forget the muck

Parents losing touch
Divorce is just so much
For a child to take
So don't make a mistake

This world is a harsh place
Criticized for the stand we take
I do apologize for rambling so
Clouds and Sand is all I know


© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)
Nov 2019 · 117
A Time To Change
Life changes from day to day
We all have to deal with change
Time leaves a mark on our face
As we sit here placing blame

Time changes from week to week
We have to work, we have to weep
Time leaves wounds we always keep
Even though the past is obsolete

Lives change from minute to minute
Decisions to make every second
Time gains knowledge we've collected
As we live the life that we selected

As we live our precious lives
Things change, they re-arrange
And we all go through strife
There is also a time for change



© 2019 Michael Messinger(All rights reserved)

— The End —