two things
we can give our children:
roots and wings

I’d never met Mr. Campbell
Or heard of Mr. Stone,
But now I’ve ceased to ramble,
They’ve provided me a home.
A place for old and older,
Not poor or broke nor rich.
For meek and mild and bolder,
It runs without a hitch.

A bus to take us shopping
Or cruising to the mall,
And even island hopping
There’s something for us all.
Pat Pepper keeps us busy,
Not anchored to a chair
Al Widener’s in a tizzy
If we’re not happy there.

The staff is neat and clever
At Bradshaw’s restaurant
I plan to stay forever,
‘Cause it’s my favorite haunt.
No need to roam or gamble
For we are not alone,
God bless you Mr. Campbell
God keep you Mr. Stone

Somebody bundled
it into a clock
and slung it up high on a wall,

with numbers
like bars between us,
where there had been nothing before;

before,
my days had come open,
open and endless like sky,

but boxed on the wall
there looked no room for all
of the rest of my lifetime and I.

She seems strong - so she speaks,
She seems alive with life complete.
She shrugs a shoulder, couldn't care,
Love is war, a life's  dare,
She has loved and seen it go,
Love wilt in the midst of snow...
But say goodbye, gently, if you will,
Her heart is warm, fragile still.

She has laughed and she has smiled,
Dreamed enchantment on an isle.
She has risen,  heights soared,
She has seen closed doors.
She has fallen, again, to stand,
Dreamed a dream in never land...
But tread softly, on her, if you will,
Her dreams are young, fragile still.

She has seen loss and pain,
Prayers lost,  hopes slain.
Her heart in hands, she has wept,
Tired and weary, troubled, slept.
Transience is eternal, well she knows,
But her heart stronger never grows...
Break her  gently, if you will.
Her heart is tender and fragile still.

There's a way to get there, though the cloud,
is threatening and the thunder loud
One road will take you to the scene,
where dreams come true and grass is green.
There are many paths from which to choose.
One will win, while most will lose.
How do I make such great decisions?
I wish I had clairvoyant visions.

You stumble barefoot
Across thorns
Towards broken glass
Everyday
You fight against the tide
The tide of the tears you've cried
Never going down
Refusing to drown
And all that I can do
Is send my words  to you

                                            By Phil Roberts

You came to my life
And taught me a lot of things.
You inspired me
Beyond what could have been.

You were the storm
That changed my calm skyline.
You were the sun
That lit up my dark world.
You were the fire
That burned my worries away.
You were the catalyst
That propelled me forward.

You gave me everything I needed
To grow, to prosper, to be better
Than I used to be.

You gave me so much meaning to my life
But I can't give anything to you in return.
And I'm so, so sorry
That there's nothing I can give
To be able to return what you've given me,
To be able to mark your heart,
To make you remember me,
Like how I will always remember you, 'till my hair turns grey.

The cloth I gave it as cover for chill
is lying still.

Christmas eve was its last night.

Not that I knew
when picked it up
and gave it back
to the cold night.

I'm still holding it
heavy and invisible
on my heart
as my eyes repeat the scene
of crows pecking out its eyes
the head rolling on the earth
eyes closed.

I close my eyes
scared life could be so thin a thread
barely holding
and incredibly uncertain.