Expectation hangs round my neck
It pushes me further towards the brink.
I could turn out like Marie Antoinette
If I don't take a moment to stop and think.

I feel my life looming ahead of me
Without any thoughts or plans.
People say there are endless possibilities
So where on earth do I stand?

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there
in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.

OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a *** to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

NO!
That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

An bhfuil duine ar bith ag tabhairt aird orm?
Níl, táim i mo thaibhse, ag siúl gach lá
Gan duine ar bith ag rá, conas atá?

Chomh imeallaithe leis an teanga álainn atá in úsáid agam.
Ní thuigfidh daoine an dán seo.
Ní thuigeann daoine mise.

Within these walls I feel so comforted
The familiar routine fills me with contentment.
Homemade brown bread and a cup of tea,
Guaranteed banter from the moment I arrive
Not to mention your hearty laugh which fills me with delight.

So many memories are kept safely in this house
From when I was young until now.
It is the anchor.

You gave us sweets for the journey home when we were little,
You and Papa planted trees for us in the garden,
You slagged Dad's turned up shoes,
You told me about your love of dance.
Your never failing cheerful disposition is admirable,
A lesson for which I am eternally grateful.

When I come home the smell of your house lingers on my clothes,
The familiar scent.
I have a quarter of your treasure, your delicious bread.
Your unending generosity means my pocket is lined with a crisp note.

Despite all this, the thing I value the most is you,
And that you are in my life.
You are more valuable than treasure.
Everyone loves and respects you,
Higher praise I cannot imagine.
Everyone loves my Nana.

While I sit here and reflect I remember the good times,
The unforgettable experience that was being with you,
I realise I don't regret any of it.
I loved you and I'm not afraid to admit it.
But things change and time heals.

Now I appreciate the time we spent
But look forward to moving on,
To make new memories with someone else.
Someone who will love me like you did.

It wasn't meant to be but the memories I have I will treasure forever.
My first love.

It encapsulates me,
even wrapped up warm I feel cold.
Where are all my friends now?
Where are you all now?
Oh that's right, forgetting about me,
getting on with your lives,
you just leave me be.

Stuck in a rut,
nothing excites me anymore.
Not the sun shining,
or the funny memories.
I'm numb yet overwhelmed,
constantly tearful.

There was a box of Cheerios today.
All I could think of was you,
Of being so enraptured,
So close.

But now we are miles apart.

You were always so sweet,
So caring and loving.
Your smile lit me up inside
Your kiss had me in a daze.

I saw the other woman,
Guess I can't complain.
But that doesn't make it any less hurtful,
I'll always feel that pain.
The crushing revelation
Of your deceitful flirtation.

We talked about this summer
But now it cannot be,
You have made your choice
And it doesn't involve me.

Why should I still be so taken with you?
You're only a man.
A man with flaws and weaknesses,
Those I always saw.

I saw because you showed me.
I thought you were honest.
Now I question everything.
Was it love? Or just my young naivety
That someone could love me so passionately?

The questions race through my head
Like water in a bath's drain.
I write pages upon pages.

Not seeing you makes it easier
Yet not talking to you hurts,
Hurts deep and no-one can see.

I used to cry I missed you that much
All I yearned for was to feel your touch.

The smell from your jumper has faded.
Faded like our love?
I long for just one sniff,
To remind me of what was.

The Cheerios will be finished,
The milk drained from the bowl,
Like it was that wondrous night
That is now forever destroyed.

It's going to be ok.
That's what they say.

Listen to them.
They will help you comprehend.

Why oh why do I do this?
Talking to you is a bad habit,
One that I can't break,
You pull me in.

It's easy, I drift away like a kite in the breeze.
Back to when we were together,
Talking about everything and nothing,
Being perfectly content.

This is dangerous.
We broke up for a reason.

I begin to wonder if it will always be like this,
If I will always want you
Now I can't see myself with anyone else,
When I think of you my heart melts.

This is hard.

This refreshing sensation fills me up,
I exude optimism and happiness.
I realise what makes me happy,
Family, friends, occasions to celebrate.

Celebrate the life that we have,
Our success and our wins.
Learning to grow and be happy,
to accept things which have happened.

Experiences are great. I yearn to be more open minded than I am, to take every chance I get. I want to experience life to the fullest, the good times and the bad because, as clichéd as it sounds you do only live once. What do I want to do? Travel. Meet new people. Push myself out of my comfort zone. Learn another language. Go skydiving. Write a good poem.  Eat new foods. Reunite with old friends. Relax. Enjoy the view.

There is a fragility to you now,
Your hands wrinkled and cold,
Your memory fading.

I hate the talk of your death,
It hangs in the air like an icy dagger
Long after the conversation has finished.

Though I know it's inevitable it fills me with dread.
Within the walls of your house
I feel safe and comforted.

A cupán tae offered to us immediately on arrival
To the ever-welcoming 'St. Philomena's'.
The treasured home made brown bread for tea.

Your hearty laugh rings out
Through the old bungalow,
The lines in your face falling into those familiar creases.

Nothing will be the same when you leave,
The heart of this dear house will be hacked out
Leaving only our memories of you.

Thanks to you we have many of them,
Each as precious as the last
Encapsulated in a golden haze.

I over-analyse words you send
Sometimes I think we're just good friends
You're just like a brother,
Is that what we are?

Drunken messages.
Sleepy messages.
Happy messages.
Meaningful messages.

When I see you I secretly wonder
What is this feeling that consumes me;
Your arms so comforting
Your smile filled with delight
You lift your drink with your left hand
That somehow makes me grin.

You are such a wonderful person
I don't want to lose your friendship
So instead I'll just keep quiet
Try to calm my swirling head.

This sting penetrates my being,
I want to wail aloud to mourn what was.
I want to hit you, kiss you, scream at you.
You've cut all ties with me,
A fresh start for you,
A reawakening of pain for me.

I wish it didn't have to be like this,
I wish we had had more time.
Don't do this.
Please.

It was a chance encounter after my exam.
While we made small talk something he said struck me
like the smell of meat in a butchers:
''she has the weight of the world on her shoulders''.

Something so simple provoked my thoughts,
Revisiting memories I had put in a box.
The day you came home, and lay on the couch
You cried silently like a terrified child.

What had happened I couldn't have known,
I didn't understand your troubles.

I know you're different, more fragile than most.
But somehow I forget, while I get caught in my own life.
The baggy under-eyes, the pure exhaustion,
It somehow becomes commonplace and I think nothing of it.

But of course I should.

The wilted rose, so beautiful even after it's withered,
So too is your face as you worry, about us, about everything.
Is it rude of me to think you shouldn't care?
That we're old enough to look after ourselves.

I wish I could show you more how much I love you.
How much I want to take the weight of the world off your shoulders.