There, on the edge of the Midnight river,
her cares get washed away.
Crystal clear, the endless current,
rides through the misty bay.

Through the fog, a tiny tear,
falls softly down her cheek.
For many years, she's nursed her wounds,
and fought through being week,

In the heart of the forest there,
she'll find that which she seeks.
Watching the tiny insects dance
Across the sky in streaks.

No secrets, no disguise,
No more fury in her eyes,
No deception, no more lies,
Just the glow of fireflies

I'm at war with the verses lying inside my head,
Should I have been a doctor or plumber instead?
Some other job to be content and productive,
And not chained to this verse, this lyric destructive.

If words can be weapons and a lyric hold power,
Then I grow more dangerous hour by hour.
Slave to the adjective, linked to the verb,
Trapped by each subtle nuance I observe.

A wellspring of discontent, driven by rage,
My life, my heart bleeds out on to the page.
It's not simple grammar but linguistic frustration,
That lends itself perfectly to my situation.

See now my soul spread out on the paper,
A storm of calamity that won't seem to taper.
I am the victim of an invisible crime,
Entrapped by a pattern, a rhythm, a rhyme.

Trying, but failing, I can't even think,
Stuck in this ******* at the whim of the ink.
Now see the other side to the life of a poet,
I am without direction or control and I show it.

Laid upon the sheets, my struggle abounds.
I want quiet right now but I hear deafening sounds!
I cannot get out of this word laden den.
This is my sentence, a life in the pen.

The Cosmos are quiet tonight.

Bright, vibrant, filled with marvelous wonders...but quiet.

Drifting through the starfield, I've got Saturn in my rear view.
The opaque beauty of Neptune awaits in the unending distance.

So cold it's striking, but I'll have to get over it.

The sun can't help me today.

So turbulent in the asteroid belt, I did not escape unscathed.
My hull may be damaged but my engines are intact.

The interstellar journey continues.

Below me I see the barren expanse of Pluto.

The tiniest of threads on the galactic blanket.

Then she fades into the darkness.

Earth is but an echo, Mars is but a shadow.

Out of the Solar system I fly.

Where to? Who knows

This is the beginning of the end.
This is the fall from grace.
This is the pain that's been given me.
This is the quiet disgrace.

There went the last bit of harmony.
There went the best chance I had.
There went whatever was left of me.
There went the good from the bad.

Now I have nothing worth fighting for.
Now there's no comeback to try.
Now there are shadows and emptiness
Now I just sit back and cry.

Don't tell me this isn't permanent.
Don't tell me things that aren't true.
Don't wish me well from this moment on.
Don't think I'm listening to you.

Leave me alone in my emptiness.
Leave me to drift in the sea.
Leave me and don't think a thing of it.
Leave me to be what I'll be.

Promise me you won't come in search of me.
Promise me you won't be the one.
Promise me you'll know it is finished.
Promise me you'll know it is done.

This is the road I will wander down.
This is where I lose my friends.
This is where the wall comes closing in.
This is the beginning of the end.

Your heart was pure and decent,
Your spirit kind and good.
I love you more than anything,
and I did all that I could.

I watched you from the first day,
I saw you learn and grow.
You changed my life and warmed my soul,
In ways you’ll never know.

Now you're where the angels walk,
Safe from harm and fear.
And one day when the sun shines bright,
I'll join you there my dear.

It's never easy with the emptiness,
I don't like to be apart.
But on this journey that I'm taking
I'll always keep you in my heart.

No matter where I go my child,
No matter what I do.
I know one day, where the angels walk,
Once again, I’ll walk with you.

There was so much I never told you,
A world of wonder left to share.
Now I’m left with a hollow place,
That’s difficult to bear.

But I know you're where the angels walk,
in the shining glory of the sun.
My precious darling sweetie bug,
Your trial on earth is done.

When I shall finally go there,
To the wondrous golden shore,
I'll meet you where the angels walk,
and hold you forevermore.

It was another sunny morning and I was in bed all alone,
My lower back would barely move and pain surged through my bones.
I stared beyond the window to the gorgeous day outside,
And from my bedroom prison I just cried and cried and cried.

I would give most anything to be the one I was before,
This disease has taken all my body had from me and more.
Now a constant stream of scripts and multicolored pills,
And each day in the mailbox, a brand new load of bills.

Doctors, nurses, hospitals and my insurance corporation,
They do their best to bleed me dry in my recurring desperation.
Surcharges, fees and copays, it's always much the same.
I grow so tired and weary of this wretched little game.

Now I'm faced with selling most of the meager things I own,
Just so that the debt collectors stop blowing up my phone.
I try to put a brave face on and smile for the world,
But just a bit below the skin I'm coming so unfurled.

I didn't decide to be this way, I can't help that I am sick,
But sometimes this society can lay the guilt on thick.
Don't judge what you don't understand, it's not a wise position.
I bet you'd feel differently if we shared the same condition.

Sometimes I really have no clue what I'm supposed to do,
but I have folks that love me and are trying to pull me through.
They're always there to make me smile and lend a helping I hand,
I want to make it up to them but I'm not sure that I can.

I wish I'd never heard the name of this horrible disease,
I wish there was some change in which I'd finally be set free.
Though I'm not at all too thrilled to face the fresh pain of tonight,
I want to make it clear to you: I'm not giving up this fight.

I sit alone in the darkness
I sit at the edge of my bed.
I sit alone in the darkness,
There's nothing but pain in my head.

I stand alone in the dust storm,
I stand far, far apart.
I stand alone in the dust storm,
carrying such a hurt in my heart.

I walk alone down the pathway,
I walk at the edge of the cliff,
I walk alone down the pathway,
Wounded and damaged and stiff.

I wait alone in the madness,
I wait in the rough of the night,
I wait alone in the madness,
Nothing left in me to fight.

I cry alone in the chaos,
I cry in the grasp of my fear,
I cry alone in the chaos,
Dreaming it would all disappear.

I sing alone by the seashore,
I sing a very sad song,
I sing alone by the seashore,
No more will to be strong.

I mourn alone by the gravestone,
I mourn for the ones who are gone,
I mourn alone by the gravestone,
As I wait for the empty of dawn.

I lay alone in my prison,
I lay alone so unnerved.
I lay alone in my prison,
The sentence has got to be served.

I drift alone in the ocean,
I drift in the swirl of waves,
I drift alone in the ocean,
For all of the rest of my days.

For so long I saw it coming,
but still I searched for an escape.
Now the book of life is changing,
and a new chapter's taking shape.

It's like the sunshine in my heart,
will not come out to shine.
Instead, I'm out here cold and lost,
What I have done this time?

You said we'd never change,
and I was your forever guy.
But now I've lost my range
and sometimes I wonder why I try?

I wish I could fly away instead,
but this thought's rolling around my head...

You're killing me today,
Like you've killed me every day.
And I wish that I could stay,
but it has to be this way.

Through the fire and the smoke,
We tried to make amends.
But maybe now my dear,
we're just better off as friends.

You know I never wanted this,
but I guess life had other plans.
I'll take what I can get out there,
but I don't have to be your man.

I wish I could fly away instead,
but I've still got this thing I dread...

You're killing me today,
Like you've killed me every day,
and you've lost your only sway,
'cause the truth is on display.

It's a bland looking place on the outskirts of town,
the sign is missing letters and the building's run down.
Sitting at the corner of an old gravel road,
a rugged, not too friendly looking distant abode.

Built back in the 60s on a small, ***** tract,
half the deadbolts don't work and the front window's cracked.
It's a glorified shack, only seventeen rooms,
And its thick with the grey fog of cigarette fumes.

But far from abandoned, there are plenty of guests,
they drive in from the north and fly out from the west.
From the old to the young, to the meek and the great,
they all find their place on this darkened estate.

It's played host to rock stars, to artists and writers,
corrupt politicians and heavyweight fighters.
They travel for miles to this little piece of hell,
the rusty old spot called the Sampson motel.

In the small cluttered office just beyond the wood door,
you'll find the manager Wayne, he lost an eye in the war.
He's a bit rough and tumble and he's got skin cold as ice,
but if you show him respect you might get a good price.

The ice machine's broken and the power cord's frayed,
so little of elegance or fancy displayed.
The plumbing is awful and the wall paint is peeling,
and most of the souls that you'll find here are reeling.

Housekeeping doesn't do much, there's only one maid.
She smokes a cigar and wears her hair up in braids.
She won't leave you a mint or turn down the sheet,
But if you mistreat her, you're out on the street.

It's the #1 choice if you don't want to be found,
as long as you don't mind the trash on the ground.
Folks aren't too friendly here so if you come stay
Mind your own business and go about your own way.

Guests come and they go almost quick as flash,
And you can be certain they always pay cash.
In darkness they'll be, transfixed by the spell
of the rusty old spot called the Sampson motel.

I came here on a dreary morning
and knelt down by your grave.
You always meant so much to me,
Strong, defiant, brave.

Even after saying goodbye,
My love for you still grows.
and I can feel your presence with me
through these cemetery rows.

It was ******* all of us,
Until the end you tried to fight it.
I know you need an epitaph,
but I can't bring myself to write it.

Now, I promise you my dear one,
even though you are departed.
You can count on me to finish
all the amazing things you started.

The funeral was a small affair,
Just as you requested.
A remembrance of a too short life,
with a lot of love invested.

And after it was over,
When they laid your coffin down.
I stayed there it seemed forever,
sitting on the softened ground.

Finally I found the strength,
to wipe away my tears,
Pick myself up off the dirt,
and set aside my fears.

I don't like you not near me,
Everything seems so unfair.
Life feels cool and empty now,
when I don't have you there.

Your room is as you left it.
Now that may seem a little much.
But there's nothing in there at the moment
I even want to touch.

There's no medicine to heal my heart
I don't like being all alone.
So every Sunday I come by the graveyard,
and spend awhile by your stone.

Endless Rivers

Come with me, my darling,
The night is waiting.
Let your hair down,
Shed your weary shell,
And let the moonlight dance along your skin.

Come with me, my darling,
The sand is white as can be.
And the water feels perfect.
Together we'll wash the stains away,
And we'll swim on until the stars meet the sky.

Come with me, my darling,
To that place beneath the trees.
Where a gentle breeze is always blowing,
And tranquility takes hold.
It's just you and me.
Come into the water and let it overtake you.

Come with me, my darling,
Where you and I can be together.
Strong, fearless, united, unstoppable.
I'll kiss you and you'll kiss me,
While the water crashes over us.

Come with me, my darling,
Let me hold you close.
The clouds will dance above our heads,
and then heavens will rejoice at the beauty.
and when it is over, the tides will carry us away...

Invincible and strong in the moment
Making the dream come true

Triumphant over every enemy
Heralded as one of the best
Excellence personified

Kinetic, frenetic, dominant
Inescapable force of nature
Nothing will stop me now
Going the distance

Outrageously agressive
Fit to **** them all

Total global *******
He who has no equals
Endurance forever lasting

Greatness is my mistress.
Angels sing my name
Man among men of the highest order
Eternal does he reign.

You won't find me in a busy crowd,
But not because I'm scared.
You won't find me at the party place,
But not because I'm boring.

You won't find me at the concert,
But not because I don't like music.
You won't find me in the airport line,
But not because I don't like to travel.

I'll be by myself walking the sandy beach,
Staring up at the stars on a cloudless night,
And wondering what treasures they conceal.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

You won't find me at a packed restaurant,
But not because I'm not hungry.
You won't find me at the street parade,
But not because I'm not festive.

I'll be by myself sitting on the rocks,
In the shadow of a great waterfall,
Watching the mists dance between the trees.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

You won't find me in a crowded house,
But not because I don't appreciate family.
You won't find me at the football game,
But not because I don't like sports.

I'll be by myself hiking through the mountains,
Staring in awe at the massive peaks before me,
Greater than any show man could ever conceive.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

You won't see me at the protests,
But not because I don't support the cause.
You won't find me at the New Year's bash,
But not because I have no hope for the future.

I'll be by myself in a rustic wood cabin
Somewhere in the rolling hills of Appalachia.
With a fire and a good book to keep me company.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

There’s a lack of information
On the current situation
That I hope does not cause me to go astray.

There's no evident solution,
In this air of revolution,
Just another dreary, cloudy, gloomy day.

You might be surprised to learn,
That the things of which I yearn,
Are beyond the measure of a simple man.

For I seek not destruction
But a path to reconstruction,
Unearthing all the wisdom that I can.

So if you see me in your nation,
As I wander God’s creation,
Be sure to give a smile and a wave.

There’s a purpose to my mission,
And any man in this position,
Would understand the very things I crave.

I may be travelling quite far from here,
But I promise you my love, my dear,
I will return one day before too long.

So send a little love my way,
For I miss you greatly every day,
Even when I'm lost amid the throng.

Let go, Let go,
I've got you.
Let go, Let go,
It's okay.
Let go, Let go,
You are loved child
And I'll never be going away

Let go, Let go,
Do not fear now.
Let go, Let go,
And find peace.
Let go, Let go,
Trust your heart now.
My commitment to you
Will not cease.

Let go, Let go,
Wipe your tears off.
Let go, Let go,
It's all right.
Let go, Let go,
I am here now,
And you don have to
Stay in this fight.

Let go, Let go,
I will catch you.
Let go, Let go,
You're protected.
Let go, Let go,
and I'll give you
The nurture and love
that's expected.

Let go, Let go,
I'm here waiting.
Let go, Let go,
Don't hold on.
Let go, Let go
It is finished.
And I'll carry you home
To the dawn.

I've got a date on the top of the world tonight,
The sky is brilliant and clear,
Spreading my wings, such glorious things,
Across the horizon appear.

Altitude 20 000 give or take a few miles,
As we dance atop this old earth,
The great sun gives way to the star filled foray,
As a new blanket of night's given birth.

In the distance grows a dim mass of grey.
Storm clouds are waving hello.
Nasty things in the air, they don't even care
That I've got my places to go.

A calming voice says there's nothing to fear,
Everything is under control,
But then there's a shake. a shift and a quake.
A dip and twist and a roll.

Old mother nature staking her claim,
stronger than the power of man.
But I'm here to stay, she won't beat me today,
That was never a part of the plan.

Soon the great landscape grows closer below,
with a slick and gradual dive.
At last the descent or whatever was meant,
By the mysteries that fill up the sky.

It's stings, this pain of soft defeat. I couldn't pay the debt.
A simple awful moment that I wish I could forget.

I don't need no prescription, I don't need no Dr. Phil,
don't need a wannabe physician trying to cure my ills.

You can stifle your encouragement, don't need a kiss this time.
The fall was mine alone to take, I went and crossed the line.

There's really nothing I want from you in the here, now and today
but if you are insisting please think of me when you pray.

You comfort me, I love you.

You hurt me, I hate you.

You want to be with me, I love you.

You're never here, I hate you.

You lift me up, I love you.

You tear me down, I hate you.

You treat me well, I love you.

You ignore my pleas, I hate you.

You smile at me, I love you.

You're angry with me, I hate you.

You honor me, I love you.

You mistreated me, I hate you.

You tell the truth, I love you.

You feed me lies, I hate you.

You stand up for me, I love you.

You let me suffer, I hate you.

You care for me, I love you.

You ignore my soul, I hate you.

You say the right things, I love you.

You never do them, I hate you.

You make me live, I love you.

You let me die, I hate you.

***, are u for real??
I can't believe you said it!
Did you really think I'd just laugh and go on
to forget it?
[bing...]

Why are u so shocked at this??
I knew what you were taking.
Do you even care about this stuff,
the awful mess you're making?
[bing...]

It's not for you to judge me,
You're just a stupid girl.
Who thinks she's ready to play the game,
and get out there in the world.
But u've got nothing, not a chance,
It will swallow you alive.
I'll be there to YouTube everything,
When u finally take the dive.
[bing...]

I'm only trying to save you.
After all, U R my friend.
And I've said a million times before,
I'll be there until the end.
[bing...]

I don't need you to save me!
Things are not as I had planned,
and I really don't expect that
you would ever understand.
I know we had some fun together.
I used to think you were cool.
The teachers couldn't stand us,
cuz we always broke the rules.
[bing...]

There's always time for another chance,
I'm here right now and waiting.
Can we set aside this bitter thing,
and move on from all the hating?
[bing]

You'll never get it will you?
I am not prepared to budge.
U hurt me more than anyone,
and now we've got a grudge.
[bing]

I ******* up, I admit it,
but the goal was never pain.
But I was hoping we could still be friends,
and act somewhat humane.
[bing]

That's never going to happen.
You shouldn't mess with me.
Or I'll put your business out there,
for all the world to see.
[bing]

And I still can't believe you hacked me,
I can't believe the gall.
That nasty garbage that you wrote,
there on my Facebook wall.
You've lost the heart about you,
You're growing cool and stiff.
And I will not be riding shotgun,
when you plummet off this cliff.
[bing...]

Now that's enough! Just go away!
I want to be alone.
I'm blocking you from my accounts.
And I'm turning off my phone.
[bing...]

Just a tiny little poem.
Not all that much to say.
A bland uneventful moment.
Just a quiet, boring day.

It's a short piece of writing,
a brief dalliance of prose
A few words splashed around,
in a curious striking pose.

You won't find deep thoughts here,
no existential musing,
Just a few stray stanzas,
of my own convenient choosing.

This is my tiny little poem,
and it could be so much more,
but if we drag it out much longer.
It won't be tiny anymore.

So you can stop your guessing,
as I think I've made it clear,
that if I am to keep this poem tiny,
I must stop it now and here.

On a rather lonesome autumn day I drifted through the trees,
Wandering round the forest floor with a soreness in my knees.
I'd come out to this quiet place in need of healing time,
For those moments I'd let slip away and walked the painful line.

I sat down on a dying log when the leaves began to fall.
For what seemed like forever I just tried to fight it all,
Every hurt and wound I'd caused, every fall from grace,
That led me down the jagged path and brought me to this place.

As I saw the ashes floating, there was an unexpected sound,
and I turned to see a pair of wings that were lifting off the ground.
With feathers thick and dark as night but fire at its core.
I stood there frozen by the grace as I watched the black bird soar.

Fly away,
Fly away,
Oh Black bird help me fly away.

The bird tore through the windy sky with an awesome show of force,
as if drawing on a passion fueled by some unknown source.
In defiance it let out its cry and that was when I saw,
The face of mother nature here in the cold and in the raw.

Valiant, stretched from wing to wing it carried on its way,
Sailing through the rugged skies and dreary clouds of gray.
It rode up to that horizon line and I watched it disappear,
Free from all its enemies and free from all its fear.

Fly away,
Fly away,
Oh Blackbird help me fly away.

I chased it down the muddy trail along the rivers bank,
and suddenly I saw two more join up along its flank.
Then three strong they picked up speed and rode towards the sun,
Separate though they may have been, they found their way as one.

I still walk through the forest floor on lonesome autumn days,
For it's there I find my quiet time where I go to get away.
And I look up in wonder and listen for the mighty cry,
Hoping that the black bird is still tearing through the sky.

Fly away,
Fly away,
Oh Blackbird help me fly away.

Our hearts are broken tonight,
the family is missing something.
No laughing, no happiness, no joy.
Just tears and an empty room.

Buried by guilt we ask the questions,
that will never have an answer.
Still we feel the need to ponder
"Why us? Why now? Why this?"

The thunder rumbles outside,
the rain splashes against the window,
Mother nature it seems,
is in a somber mood too.

It's an astounding thing,
how quickly graves can be filled.

It doesn't seem right,
it doesn't seem fair
but He must have had a reason
to call them home.

We cling to the memories of what was,
but warm and inviting as they are,
they can only fill the void so much.
The cold loneliness remains.

We search each other, for hope, for meaning
but will we find it?
No explanation is good enough,
No excuses will suffice.

You just can never replace a life,
that is gone, never to return.
You can't replace a heart,
that was unique as has ever been.

Maybe someday there will be new life,
new joys to be discovered.
But tonight, there's just endless quiet,
and soft tears in the shadows.

I sat down at my desk tonight,
and found I had no words to write.
No message that I could convey,
nor a funny or witty thing to say.
No nostalgic tale of days gone by,
or wondrous adventure on mountains high.

No princesses, kings or warrior knights,
No ice, no fire, no epic fights.
No clever yarn about my youth,
or a tactful dose of truth.
No sagas of love or burning rage,
not a single thing to grace the page.
In fact, it came as quite a shock
as I'm just not one for writers block!
It's disappointing because everybody knows,
I'm quite the man when it comes to prose.
But on this night, at this desk,
I'm so far from my very best.

I ache and I scream and I fight and fight,
but I just can't fight the words to write.
I have the pen, I have the ink,
"Come on now, man! You've got think!"
There's an easy way to break the curse,
just find a line, a rhyme, a verse.
Nothing creative bursts from my head,
It's just awash with fog instead.
My head is nodding, my vision fading,
what little hope I had? Degrading.
And this barreness my soul will reap,
as I lay me down to sleep.
I can only hope, as I retire,
that I do not think of things too dire.

Perhaps when I wake, in mornings light,
I'll finally find those words to write.