they said you can only love someone
if you first love yourself
but i loved you
long before i ever
loved myself

hello
my name is ...

Entangled in plastic
and  fishing line
eyes pecked by
crows; a new
America.

It is five-thirty a.m.
I step outside for
the newspaper,

not four feet away
a raccoon sits on
its haunches like

a paunchy Buddha,
smiling as only liars
and sick animals

can; I toss a half
eaten piece of bacon
between  its  legs, pick

up the paper,
back away,
away.

The man sleeping in the diner’s back booth
will not care  if your mother suffers  from
plantar diabetic neuropathy or that your
children read **** and steal *****.  

No,  trivial matters will be of no worry
to him because he ****** himself while
dormant and leaving  without  others
knowing will be of primary concern.

Your mediocre dog
does not partake in birthday

parties or attend weddings,
theatrical  events

bar and bat mitzvahs
nor dabble in oil paint,

yet the pooch makes
the most out its twelve

years of life and appears
happy when compared

to the seven billion
humans on earth.

Can you imagine
Where we would be
If I had not met you
If you had not met me

And if on that day
You had not said yes
I can't imagine
Can't even guess

And then if you
Had not said I do
Where would we be
If not me and you

And if that kiss
Had not sealed the deal
Where would we be
How would we feel

If we weren't here
At this point in life
Where would we be
If not side by side

If we had not
Taken those steps
If you and I
Had never met

If it weren't for Murphy and his Law
I'd have nothing to fall down on

Nothing that I could place the blame
Or have friends say, that's a dog gone shame

Imagine how boring life would be
If everything always went right for me

If nothing ever did break down
If all my dominoes stood their ground

And all my ducks stayed in a row
I'd never have to waddle home

If everything always ran smooth
Then I'd run out of things to do

If this chicken's sky did not sometimes fall
If this car I drive did not hit some walls

If all I do was set on cruise
Then I'd never stop to see the view

There is an advantage to Murphy's Law
That never have I seen before

If Murphy's Law wasn't there for me
Then never would I have a need

This is how you write a poem
When you're holding nothing
Find a line and set to rhyme
Until it sounds like something

Settle on a subject
Although you may not know it
You might want to Google
So that you don't blow it

Hopefully you have spell check
So you're not labeled an idiot
If you lack in the vocab
Go back to the Google bit

Do it all for the fun and
Keep those rhymes a coming
That's pretty much how you write
A poem straight out of nothing