She looks in the mirror
At the age on her face
"I wonder what he thinks
of me this way?"

She considers her weight
and the pores on her skin
She thinks out loud
"I don't deserve him."

She picks apart
the woman he loves
Separating her worth
from all that she does
              
He looks in her eyes
and caresses her face
He sees it glowing with love
and full of grace

 The lines on her face
  he views with pride
  Recounting the victories
  each time they've been tried

The weight that she carries
 is that of a mom
 Nothing's too heavy
 She just marches on

These bodies will perish
 and mirrors offer no truth
True love abides
 beyond the corridors of youth

  No, she doesn't deserve me
  Perhaps God can see
  Conceivably, one day
  I'll be as worthy as she

Broken, shattered
Dreams unraveled
Yet new life springs
From empty matter

Bury me
That I might live
A damaged vessel
Is all I give

Bruised and battered
Full of sin
O wretched man
Abiding within

Bitterness watered
By the tears I've cried
Forgive me Lord
For I have tried

Arms outstretched
Mercy tender
For victory now
I must surrender

where boys become men
and men become memories
...freedom's cost

Too often, what many perceive as love
is merely attraction
Attraction will fade
love will grow stronger

He didn't meet many expectations
With the shell that he wore
Though the people gave nothing
They expected more

He'd stroll into town
With the clothes on his back
And the tools he would need
In an ancient, holey bag

He'd search out those
In need of repair
A leaky roof
Or a broken chair

This man seemed to know something
About every field
He'd smooth bumpy roads
Even doctored wounds 'til they healed

There was never a charge
For the service he rendered
One need only ask
And perhaps remember

If a stranger's in need
And passes your way
Just give him a hand
That's my pay

The more that he helped
The more tradesmen would fuss
This man's stealing the thunder
That belongs to us

So the tradesmen all gathered
And plotted and planned
The weapons they chose
Were not in their hands

They began to spread lies
This is our competitors' ruse
If he keeps freely working
Consider the business we'll lose

They convinced the masses
In spite of all he had done
This enemy among us
Is a dangerous one

So this strange humble servant
Who was mocked in the end
Had no one defend him
Not one single friend

If you'll lend me your ear
I'll return it with truth
The enemy among us
Is me and you

true love is not a declaration
     it is a demonstration

Consuming devastation
as if it's life-giving bread
Flesh, a merciless master
Ineffectual thoughts sway my head

With each indulgence
the captor becomes more emboldened
Betraying the true master
to whom I'm beholden

Surrender comes easier
with each new concession
Just one more link
in the chain of spiritual recession

Slaking every desire
as the senses grow cold
While the battle rages
between body and soul

One will be nurtured
the other put under thumb
Sin is spiritual Novocain
just making me numb

I'm really not a poet
But I do love to write
My words are pretty simple
And that exemplifies my life

I've never chased a dollar
But hard work's a faithful friend
Let no one think "he's lazy"
When the light of day's at end

Everything I've ever wanted
Live between these walls
And if I slip a little bit
I've a few good friends to call

Darkness had nothing for me
Just left me lonely, cold, and black
I learned to count my blessings
Not curse the things I lack

I believe in Christian values
But I don't always do what's right
I just do my best, repent the rest
And keep walking in the light

He passed in double yellow
Like he was heading to a fire
Really nothing to you
Yet it provoked your righteous ire

Would it make a difference
If you felt the fiery flames
Watched a simple man's dreams
Consumed in a flippant blaze

Would it make a difference
If you saw his baby trapped inside
Or counted the tormentous days
'til his agony would subside

That waitress was a little rude
Like she wasn't really there
She just found her husband cheating
And she's aware that no one cares

Her heart is shattered inside
But she tries to paint on a smile
The darkness is overcoming
Her future bleak and vile

Could it make a difference
To someone lonely, hurt, and lost
If we measured our words and actions
And we stopped to count the cost

You can climb to the mountain peak
But it won't set you free
You'll find it's lonely at the top
And the air is hard to breathe

You can search the ocean deep
For pearls pure and true
But in your search, I think you'll find
The water's cold and cruel

You can travel lands of brightest suns
In search of warmth to find
Abandon shelter that you've known
Just leave it all behind

But the sun will surely betray you
The mirage of bliss, scorched and burned
Perfection a dream that can't be reached
Another hard lesson learned

When your quest is finally over
You'll realize the love i had was true
But I won't be here with open arms
'cause you've no more roads to choose

Can he get angry
Without being convicted
Can she cry
Without being rejected

When she's hurting
Does he feel the pain
Is she fanning
The lover's flame

Is she suspicious
When he's late at work
Does he still embrace her
When she's at her worst

At the end of the day
Is he still the one
Whose fiery passion
Could melt the sun

When the day is dark
Is she still the one
Whose brilliant smile
Could pale the sun*

True love's the hope
We most all cling to
But to find it
We* must first be true

For we won't find it in strength
Inspiring awe
We find it in weakness
In the ugliest flaws

Thinking of you again
A bit of sadness creeping in

I know you wouldn't want me
to ever feel this way
But the debt that I now owe you
requires a lifetime to repay

The sadness is from the suffering
I know I put you through
With sweat and blood you cleared my way
for a better path to choose

So when I fall, I will get up
I got that much from you
I'll keep the faith and stay the course
I've far too much to lose

I was there when you were hurting
I was there when you were scared
I was right beside you
When you thought that no one cared

You're waiting on a miracle
That's right before your eyes
I've bottled every drop
Of the tears that you've cried

Just ask and you'll receive it
If only you believe
I'll calm the storm and dry your eyes
So you can clearly see

The trinkets of this world
Build a wall between you and me
You're trapped within your prison
I'm just trying to set you free

Take a look around you
How cruel the world can be
I died to save you from it
Just ask and you'll receive

Just ask and you'll receive it
If only you believe
I crushed the wall the world built
So you could get to me

I think somewhere down the line in our parents' efforts to give us everything they never had, they forgot to give us what they Did have~

Grandpa had grit
He knew how to fight
Not for sport
but for that which was right

Up at dawn
His trade was life
Doing what he must
Dusting off strife

He'd say "It's just a reminder
that we're all still alive"
He'd just square back his shoulders
and cut Hell down to size

All but gone are the days
of men standing strong
Everything's grey
there's no right or wrong

We sit back and wonder
where our glory days went
I saw them galloping towards purgatory
saddled with truth, upon common sense

There's no secret
just stories to be told
of Love anew
or lovers of old

Not just of people
But love of things
Perhaps a flower
Or bird as it sings

Whether it be nature
Or matters of the heart
The simplest of occurrences
Has a poetic spark

Observation
marrying fantasy
experience
begetting reality

A poet's table
Is a smorgasbord
Consume all you like
There'll always be more

A cloud of despair
A puff of hope
Every chance of redemption
Is but a screen of smoke

Behind the façade
Lurk arcane deals and shameless lies
Leave only the what ifs
And the wonder whys

Deception, despair  
Who really cares
Propagating the notion
That life should be fair

We've built a world
Where flesh is king
We must fill the king's coffers
With new, shiny things

We give money our worship
And fame our praise
We denigrate morality
And nurture the depraved

With ignorant audacity
We declare ourselves wise
Birthing debauchery and malevolance
As innocent blood cries

In the name of self-actualization
We reject a Holy God
Encouraging moral departure
With a wink and a nod

They say life isn't fair
of that there's no doubt
But don't waste a moment
Trying to figure it out

Well life's just a vapor
Carried by the wind
Uncertain where it's going
But rushing to the end

You can’t count tomorrow
It’s stolen away
Just count your blessings
You gotta live for today
Life lasts a moment
Then slips away
There may be no tomorrow
Better live for today

When you're hurting
Wrapped up in pain
You know there’d be no sorrows
Without life's greatest gains

So the heartache I'll face
Up to the end
I know I'll see her
I'll see her again

You can’t count tomorrow
It’s stolen away
Just count your blessings
You gotta live for today
Life lasts a moment
Then slips away
There may be no tomorrow
Better live for today

A merciless master

With the passing of every friend
my heart does strive against
the certainty of my own fatal end
While my youth is buried alive
my mind tries to rectify
how life’s simply given to satisfy time.
A life isn’t built, but reached
For you cannot carry with you
true treasures of yesterday
as time claims them as his own
Memories are traded for the life I’ve left behind
In a vengeful act, I defy time
Giving a piece of my life to those I meet, until there’s nothing left for time to steal
For time is the master of this mortal body
and a merciless master is he