The black sheep of the family
the one that just doesn't fit in
appears to have faults
that can be seen on the surface
but these faults are really quite thin

Now the white sheep
well they're not always so pure
often setting judgment in stone
only see with their eyes with no feeling of heart
and in truth their fault goes clear to the bone

I guess I'd rather be the black sheep
with a spot maybe two
than to sit in judgment of others
as some of those white sheep like to do

You see hate of what's different
and it doesn't matter from who
is one of the ugliest things
men here on earth tend to do

Soft music
filling the early hours
it brings me peace
but also a sadness
a sadness that we live in a world
consumed by an attitude of violence
people who think
“I will have closure through revenge”

I am sad for those who hold an attitude of
retuning in kind
wrongs they feel have been done to them

Revenge may bring
a certain satisfaction in their minds
but never peace to their spirit
the mind reminds them of the hurt they hold
their heart grows bitter
it is the vengeance that keeps them hurting

Forgiveness is their escape
but they fear forgiving will
allow a repeat of the moment that brought the hurt
that the offender may believe that it's alright with you
but the forgiveness is not for them
it is a letting go of all that has caused your hurt
and robbed you of your happiness
forgiveness is for you

****, that music is so important to me
but then, so is my hope that one day
the attitude of violence
will disappear from the face of the earth

I've been told it will be OK
that we'll be safe once again
I sit and question when
my hope squashed daily

extremism
driven by misguided fundamentalists
resident evil shouting out loud
through a hail of bullets
and the explosive vests of suicide bombers
will the time ever arrive
freedom from the terrorists
seems only a dream

bigotry
sparked by the prejudice of the ignorant
leaving death and pain in its wake
another evil that lives next door
these bigots seem bent on attempting genocide
the eradication of anyone who is not exactly like them
is building a  master race their wish
I was taught that those days were behind us
told it could never happen again
especially in this US of A
yet that is the political stage that we find before us
it never seems to get any better

I ask again
when will we be safe again
will there come a time men will respect each other
allow others to practice their own religious beliefs
without the ridicule
will the day come when men will put hate aside
a day they will share kindness rather than abuse
I dream of that day
but the wait
so tired

They live in boxes
no doors to pass through
no windows to accept the light
the world has to offer
their meals never change
and no longer have flavor

Been riding the bus
ever since I first can remember.
So many drivers.
So many different fellow riders.
Each and every one
totally individual.
Sure, they may have had some things in common
but no two were exactly alike.
Everyone had something,
it may not have been much,
but there was something about them that
changed me,
molded me,
made me who I became.
Right now I'm still riding that same bus.
I'm still changing every day.
I've not seen any purpose
in ending my ride at this time.
Some day the bus will reach it's final destination.
My ride will end.
My hope is that I've made a difference along the way.

Stinkin' thinkin'
goin' on
wishin' stress
would soon be gone

Every day
filled with strife
makes for man
an awful life

Gotta change things
find relief
make an exit
from the grief

Movin' on
to better things
where at last
the heart will sing

My stone of disrespect was always at the ready

The stones of prejudice and bigotry were my tools

I have thrown that stone of anger

And the stone of bitterness then weighed me down

While the stone of hate destroyed me

Stuck in the box
a steel trap of a mind
when rusted shut
a man falls behind

Our language is wicked
when with one single word
so many meanings can vary
with the way they are heard

For the mind that is closed
understanding's a chore
but once it is open
it can perceive so much more

The speaker had said
“success is not money”
and for some strange reason
the hearers thought this was funny

Then his words went unheard
future sadness he could have rid
and they were missing this message
as ignore him they did

You'll find success in your joy
which money can't buy
it's found deep in your heart
like you were a boy

The days filled with fun
the games played with your friends
I know, I know
that's not a means to an end

Yes I know we must work
to provide for our needs
but there's no happiness in it
when it's to further our greed

When there's never enough
and we always want more
we're not satisfied
and behind in lifes score

Thing is life is for living
enjoying our days
however they come
in so many strange ways

Whether with family or friends
or at the job site
it's happiness that's important
you must know this to be right

Though the statements I made
may seem kind of funny
the truth is success is much more
than accumulated money

How can we trust our congress
simply to work for us
it seems that each time we speak of our needs
they put up an awful fuss

They couldn't care less
if our needs are met
as long as they keep getting theirs
and re-election is set

What they really want are the dollars
that the one percent will give
and as long as the dollars keep flowing in
we'll be needing as long as we live

Sunshine
without the rains
allows the land to dry
without the water nothing grows
winds begin to strip away the topsoil
important are the storms of life
true joy will not be known
with nothing but
sunshine

Narcissistic superiority
demanding respect
receiving none
as it has not been earned

Tears spilt for children
the hungry
the dead
the dying

We can feed the world
but we don't

We can stop the killing
but we won't

How many more innocents
must die
before these tears
need no longer be shed

The morning sun
edges its way over the eastern horizon
she begins her daily chore
that of heating of the earth
the air above begins to warm
a thermal is created
a column of warm air
rising high
leaving a void below
cool air rushs in
filling the vacuum
they say the wind blows
while in truth
it really *****

There once was a Christmas at home
as kids we four spent it alone
see my mom broke her nose
as she tripped over her toes
and the truth of old Santa made known

The beginning
this must be the root
The end
seems to be absolute
The philanthropist
does he help all he can find
The bigot
I know there's more than one kind
The sea
more than seven to see
The land
tell me which one would that be
The title
can enliven ones mind
The word the
often leaves options behind

This word often says
there is only one
definitive as hell
for the writer no fun
yet we use it because
it's better than none
and quite frankly it fits
like a dog in a bun

The beginning
this must be the root
The end
seems to be absolute
The philanthropist
does he help all he can find
The bigot
I know there's more than one kind
The sea
more than seven to see
The land
tell me which one would that be
The title
can enliven ones mind
The word the
often leaves options behind

This word often says
there is only one
definitive as hell
for the writer no fun
yet we use it because
it's better than none
and quite frankly it fits
like a dog in a bun

This armed America
the one they told us
would be a polite society
when all carry weapons

our cities
they've become killing fields
we as a people
have become the worst of all animals

officers taking lives
claiming they fear for their own
snipers now returning the favor
as they fear the police

it seems as the road towards that polite society
has become paved with the dead
merely bricks mortered in place
with their blood

will we see be fewer combatants
as the body count rises
or are the re-enforcements
on their way

Violence begets violence, hate begets hate
this issue must end before it's too late

it's one thing to spank, quite another to beat
whether its done at home or out in the street

public embarrassment just angers your kid
resentment will grow of which you'll never be rid

families then broken bonds forever lost
public beatings have a terrible cost

this circle exists and there is no denying
in the end what you'll find is a parent who's crying

wondering why their kids have lost all respect
when their beatings have been a form of neglect

sparing the rod is not spoiling the child
when it's most often the rod that makes the youth wild

parents wake up, if it's fear that you want
what you will gain are regrets that forever will haunt

your child needs you to be their greatest hero
don't treat them in a way that you appear as a zero

the mother in Baltimore in that brief little session
has taught to her son a truly terrible lesson

there's a form of discipline, one that's way over the line
that when their child misbehaves, they've learned that beatings are fine

you see beatings get passed down to the next generation
when the kids beat their own kids, it's a regeneration

nobody's been listening, the problem's not gone
the circle continues and the beating goes on

The bird
in the cage
each day
woke with rage
squawking till loosed
the man
loved his bird
and his thoughts
often heard
of his wonderment
about its behavior
blind
to what love was
the bird died
became only fuzz
what he couldn't see
was the birds need
to be free

Thirsting for blood
expecting a flood
when the turnip goes dry
their greed does not die

no the blood from a turnip
is never enough
it must be ground to a pulp
it's a treatment quite rough

we're put through the mill
which is never a thrill
with too little pay
so they might have their way

but somehow we survive
although barely alive
as they leave us a crumb
no they're greed is not dumb

the field has been plowed
they've planted the seed
from our pockets they'll harvest
the next crop of their greed

stuck in his box
with no way out
frustration with life
he began to shout

where is my freedom
the walls he'd scrape
again raising his voice
he would beg escape

let me out he cried
give me new things to learn
variety is calling
and inside I do burn

the box holds me prisoner
with no way to move on
I long for that place
where knowledge will spawn

someone please help
come show me the way
I know I'll learn quickly
if you'll but teach me to play

it's joy that I seek
not the four walls of this box
help me open my mind
bring the keys to the locks

Without acknowledgment
The warrior has no foe
His war remains within
The only casualty
His spirit

The kids, that get beaten
by one or more parent
keep on passing this down
and it's become quite apparent
that the circle of violence
the one folks often drive
will not soon be broken
and will continue to thrive

If we could just fix this
and change our direction
learn how to respect
and show true affection
our world might find peace
we could find brotherhood
oh to stop all this violence
now that would be good

Those wonderful colors
almost black on the edges
the transition to a rich chocolate brown
becoming transparent as it moves toward gold
then yellow
that beautiful morning beverage
being poured from carafe to cup
I hear the voice of Joe Cocker
“You are so beautiful to me”
“You're everything I'd hoped for”
“Everything I need”

Good Morning World

many today
have begun to squirm
acting as
the lowly worm
as their secrets
begin to unfold
as finally at last
the truth is told
into the ground
hiding their faces
no longer visiting
their common places
ashamed of themselves
for what they have done
by pretending their actions
affect only one
their selfishness
has finally caught up
and what they are left with
is an empty cup

Some speak with words reminiscent of flowers
while others blunt with bare naked truth
the one tends to tickle the ears of the people
while the other is deemed quite uncouth

these words they offer when spoken so soft
lull the people to sleep
the speakers pretend to act like they're shepherds
treating the people like sheep

with the smell of their flowers that's hiding what's real
leading the listener to a false comfortable feel
carefully protecting what it is they conceal
what they really do offer is just a raw deal

wake up people
all they want is more power
if you don't read twixt the lines
there's a danger to flowers

Lost
confused
I know not my own mind
the day plods on
I cannot keep up
as soon as I see where I am
I am gone
it seems as if to some other dimension
a whole different world
one where I find so little in common
that my understanding is as I said
lost
confused

Alone
I feel no-one is there
for guidance
for consolation
to lead me back to the familiar places
that seem to have been left behind
to that safe place of in my mind
that holds on to my sanity

To return
even for a moment
then I would not feel
so lost
nor confused
as to who I am
and where I belong in this life

Held captive
in the emptiness of this place
my days without meaning
have led to places of darkness
ones that I wish to forget
yet they linger

How to move on

Which turn is to be taken

Is there any path that leads home
to the world I once was a portion of
tiny though I was
I was part of what made up the whole

There was purpose

There was reason

There was a feeling of sanity
of understanding
a closeness
with no confusion
during those times
and in that place
I never felt lost

The days of limericks
gone with the tide
thought as old fashioned
were they too hard to rhyme
or maybe thought childish
no longer taught in the schools
i hope we're not raising
a generation of fools
even old timers
seem to leave them alone
setting rhyme up with meter
is a skill that they hone
if we'd just write a few
and sharpen our mind
I think a lot of great poetry
is what we would find

Long has he lived
Finding fault as his aim
You see he was quite lonely
At the start just a game
A new target he'd choose
For every new session
But as his game progressed
It became his obsession
Well now he can't stop
He's grown a negative mind
And everywhere that he looks
The more mistakes does he find
There's become nothing of beauty
In his life there's no joy
Now he wishes he'd never
Begun this game as a boy

Egos
large enough
to steel the spirit
of entire societies

their self servitude
offering no help
to the people

their cold hearts
have no place
for love of others

their only need
to feel superior
as they tear down
all that is about them
through the misuse of
the position they were given
in order to become

as a child
king of the hill

whose lie
gave them the idea
they were above all others

do they not see the destruction
they leave in the wake of their walk
through life

In our minds we find questions
they're good for the learning
but to live life to it's fullest
our hearts should be burning.

They say all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy
as he's never chased his hearts dream
and that's robbed him of joy.

Yes to think is important
but to love so much more
discover the dreams of your heart
there's so much to explore.

Soaring high above the earth the eagle spotted it's dinner.
The rabbit, earthbound was minding to his own dinner
munching on grasses and leaves.
He was unaware of the danger that was far above him

The sharp eye of the eagle,
the silence of his lofty soar
gave the great bird an awesome advantage.
The great hunter dove toward the ground,
talons open,
ready to grasp onto his prey
and in an instant the rabbit was his.

The strong wings carried the eagle and his dinner high into the air.
Far from his nest, seeking the solace of his home to enjoy dinner
he climbed ever higher.
Spreading his wings to ride the thermals he lost altitude.
Again using his strong wings he ascended to the height needed
and again he found himself dropping back toward the ground.

This rabbit that he held onto in his talons
he found to be too much for him to hold onto and soar as he had hoped to.
He found himself struggling to fly.
The great bird began to wonder why he had chosen a meal so large.
The baggage of this rabbit had changed his life.
It was not for the good.

The world it is mine
if it is here you wish to stay
one thing to remember
you'll live in it my way
for there is no variance
and no we do not play

You've now heard the rules
what is it that you say
accept or decline
there is only today
it is time to decide
or your body to go on display

If I could just have my say
and live my whole life my way
you'd find me filling out my day
with a greater amount of fun and play

But society says that I must work
I look at them, begin to smirk
then realize if I want the perk
I must work or go berserk

I tell the mirror
I don't want to go
my anger builds
begins to show

I make the deal
for this one day
I'm so depressed
I cannot play

I've given up
I accept my fate
I'll go to work
but I'll be late

I drank in new life
my voice found
cried out simply to be fed
food for my bellies
activity to build my body
knowledge to nourish my mind

The feeding
often sweet
delivered times filled
with wonderful moments
and marvelous people

There were times the flavor
left a bitter taste
a feeling of aloness crept in
a time where I felt nobody cared
whether I was alive or in the grave
backs turned toward me

Depression
such a lonely place
empty of the one most important food
love

There across the field
happiness awaits
the grass is so much greener
the air so much fresher
from here I can see
the sparkle of smiles
the joy in the eyes of others

As I begin my trek across to the other side
the brilliance from their smiles
begins to fade
the grass grows sparse
joy seems to be making way
as sorrow moves in taking its place

I turn away
as the sight before me worsens with each moment
and as I glance behind me I find
the place I had come from is no more

There is no return to what once was

I felt the fool for stepping away from who I was
away from my place in life
thinking that the other side of the field
held the happiness I so desired

Now the happiness that I had
was gone as well

It has been said,
“The foolish man seeks happiness at a distance;
the wise grows it under his feet”
           ~James Oppenheim~

There's no turning back as the garden is gone
the blue marble has had its day
***** of her resources
Trees and grasses, the rain forests disappearing

The ozone rent
carbon dioxide
not being converted into oxygen
not at a sufficient rate to support life as we knew it

The ice caps melting
the lands receding for the rising seas
weather patterns being disrupted
natural disasters bringing men to their knees

Man pit against neighbor for survival
and must now accept his fate
as he has waited too long to turn the tide
from his own extinction

It will arrive sooner than the hoped for later

A gate to a castle
once breached
cannot be easily closed

Trust
how fragile
broken so easily
the misplaced word
the slightest deed
ruin a good name
leave the flavor of disgust
often forever

How can a mans word be his bond
when words are taken so lightly
an oath should have true meaning
in his heart
yet deeds often show themselves
contrary to that which he swears
to live by

We are taught as children
to trust the clergy

The few have breached that trust

They told us to turn to the police
when we need help

The few have breached that trust

The teachers in our schools
there to guide and protect our children

The few have breached that trust

It is always the few
that give the whole
a bad name
with their violation of trust
expected from those
who swear to be there for us

What change must come
to make things right

I sat in the shallow cavern behind the falls
gazing out at the fine mist
it was rising above the pool below
I watched as the sun sent forth its rays of light
as they passed through this mist before me
I felt as if I was receiving a gift
sent by the morning star
its brilliance
excited the millions of prisms
contained within the tiny water droplets
causing colors to burst forth
displaying the most glorious rainbow
more spectacular than I had ever witnessed before
all those wonderful colors
coming together
to make the whole of this vision in the mist
it was then that I realized
today this rainbow
that I was given the privilege of viewing
was not the promise spoken of
instead, it was a message
that all men
of all colors and races
of all faiths
believers or not
gay and straight alike
whether they're rich or poor
must at one point
all come together
if we are ever to be whole
for within us
it is the same river of life
being pumped through our bodies
by our hearts

The great divide
religious fanatics
cause it to grow wide
in the name of their god
think they're saving your hide
when in all honest truth
all they do is misguide

The great divide
separates families
groom against bride
splitting up marriage
conversation gets snide
from their stubbornness
that's based on their pride

The great divide
the different beliefs
relationship fried
run aground on the reefs
partners have cried
days together are ending
as this trauma takes them broadside

The great divide
organized religion
cause folks to take sides
rather than bond
total lives are shanghaied
and still they aren't seeing
that the great divide as always has lied

This great mist
brought on by the fog
I find myself walking within a cloud

Alone

I find myself in this is a place of peace
this place isolated
from the troubles of the world

Tranquility

The sounds of nature
that normally surround me
have grown strangely quiet

Thoughts

My mind so active
wondering where
my world has gone

Dreams

Enter my consciousness
of what life could be like
without the hate that exists in this world

Awakened

The sound of a train whistle
the closest tracks ten miles away
brings me back

Reality

Now leaving me wanting
to walk within the cloud
for eternity

Entering the forest
not really knowing why
I took chance to step upon a worn path

Though shaded beneath the canopy
the way was plain to see

Here and there rays of light
fought their way through the leaves
preventing the theft of my sight
removing the darkness
left behind from the night

The sun seldom dawns on the forest floor you know

The path I was following
was reminiscent of a slalom course
winding its way
through trees which were ever increasing
in their height and girth
taking me ever deeper
into the very heart of the forest

Before me appeared an opening
there was a great abundance of sunlight

As I drew closer
there at the center
I could see what must have been
the mother of all trees

The picture I saw
appeared strange to me
upon its branches
it looked as if there were the leaves
of the oak
of the elm
of the maple
of the birch and beach trees alike
all upon the same tree

My curiosity peaked
it was mixed with
the fear of the unknown

There at the base
of this trees great massive trunk
was the answer to why
I felt the need to enter this great wooded area

I had only heard of the Green Man before
never really believing that he existed

Then to my amazement
he spoke to me

“As the life of all trees are nourished
by the flow of the same life giving sap,
all human life is nourished
through the same blood”  

“As all trees are one with creation,
all men are one with the trees”

“All the minute portions of creation
are part of the one whole,
we are all one”

Entering the forest
not really knowing why
I took chance to step upon a worn path

Though shaded beneath the canopy
the way was plain to see

Here and there rays of light
fought their way through the leaves
preventing the theft of my sight
removing the darkness
left behind from the night

The sun seldom dawns on the forest floor you know

The path I was following
was reminiscent of a slalom course
winding its way
through trees which were ever increasing
in their height and girth
taking me ever deeper
into the very heart of the forest

Before me appeared an opening
there was a great abundance of sunlight

As I drew closer
there at the center
I could see what must have been
the mother of all trees

The picture I saw
appeared strange to me
upon its branches
it looked as if there were the leaves
of the oak
of the elm
of the maple
of the birch and beach trees alike
all upon the same tree

My curiosity peaked
it was mixed with
the fear of the unknown

There at the base
of this trees great massive trunk
was the answer to why
I felt the need to enter this great wooded area

I had only heard of the Green Man before
never really believing that he existed

Then to my amazement
he spoke to me

“As the life of all trees are nourished
by the flow of the same life giving sap,
all human life is nourished
through the same blood”

“As all trees are one with creation,
all men are one with the trees”

“All the minute portions of creation
are part of the one whole,
we are all one”

The inadvertent excavation left a hole
it seemed large enough to swallow the world
people said not to worry
it can be filled in again later

with the loss of a child
later never comes

The individual
not the sheep
thinks for himself
with no lost sleep

Secure in himself
approval not needed
what an advantage
of a life that's well seeded

To be raised as a person
with a mind of their own
rather than sat in a pile
as just one more stone

for none are the same
all have different needs
and to be the best us
we must have individual seeds

Lives lost
a terrible cost
for the stupidity
of men seeking power

Many children do starve
with no turkey to carve
for the stupidity
of men seeking power

Many more are now homeless
as the people grow hopeless
for the stupidity
of men seeking power

It's this power they seek
that paints a picture so bleak
for their stupidity
of caring only for power

Why this journey
with no rhyme or reason
so many directions
throughout each new life season
each time I feel comfort
up pops a change
all becomes new
with a feeling so strange
but it's how we are molded
it shapes who we are
then it's how we react
that makes us a star
so play along with the changes
as if life is a great tourney
it's a wonderful game plan
for a winning end of your journey

The killing fields
right here at home
are somehow different
from those that we've known
no longer war
on foreign fields
but there's a body count
this new war yields
students and teachers
professors and preachers
murders committed
by horrible creatures
are there no answers
to the question why
these monsters keep killing
causing mothers to cry
life is not ours to take
nor a game that we play
when will this madness end
will there come such a day
a day of beautiful peace
love shared man to man
the tools of killing laid down
would be a wonderful plan
but I know it's a dream
one that can never come true
and that thought and the stress
leaves me ever so blue