Banners and balloons were flying,
The mood was bright and gay.
No one knew what was occurring,
Less than a block away.
The band was marching all in tune,
The drums were all in beat,
No one knew what was occurring,
Just down another street.
Cotton candy and toys being sold,
The sky wouldn't dare to rain,
No one knew what was occurring,
Just down another lane.
But I knew what was occurring,
While the town was on parade,
I walked into the valley of death,
And laid down in the shade.
And saw the banners and the balloons flying...
And heard the band just pass me by,
I felt the percussion of all the drums,
And not a cloud was in the sky.
They knew not of me, not of my pain,
Yet I knew of their fun,
I'm not the only one who died today,
No I"m not the only one.

I feel the arms that hold me now,
But they do not touch with care.
They don't know my heart like you,
Or the hurt that lingers there.
They do not know my damaged pride,
They'll never know my fears.
They will never come to love me,
Or wipe away my tears.
But if I squeeze my eyes shut tight,
My heart almost thinks it true,
That the arms that hold me now,
Belong, my love to you........

I will set the guiding tempo, the rhythm of each day,
And not by every meager wind, be up and blown away.
But hold fast to an anchor, secured in solid ground,
So when all the storms arrive, I won't be tossed around.
I'll just breathe in and out, shut my eyes if the need arise,
Open them when the fury passes, to brighter, sunny skies.
Shut out all of the chaos, that man breeds, and always try,
To dwell in that safe haven, that was made for you and I.
An a-ged oak waits on a hill, waits for us, or so it seems,
We planted it together, and it's growing in my dreams.

You will never bridge the chasm
Or know the greatest depth
Of an unleashed soul's sole passion
Nor find what gives it breath
It's fed by an unknown catalyst,
That urges onward total war,
And loses it's very own battles,
Battles it's lost before.
And though you start with armor,
And resolve in your facade,
You will only descend halfway,
Then retrace the steps you trod.
But do not feel disheartened,
For you are not the first who's tried,
And failed upon this journey,
Who has turned to run and hide.
And the soul discoverer, rest assured,
He will find no treasure bin,
Just an ugly face and a twisted mind,
And a broken heart within.

If the wind blew me to your door,
Would you open it fast or slow?
Would my heart swell with a joy,
Of a love that I think I know?
Would it be like coming home again,
Would you invite me to stay,
To sit and share and pass the hours,
Until we've lost the day.
Would your eyes mirror everything,
That mine are sure to show,
If the wind blew me to your door,
Would you open it fast or slow?

There is a despair of sorts,
Of which no one can tell.
When a soul fails to breathe,
And dies to certain hell.
Elongated and underlived,
Monotonous, empty, vain.
Joyless, careless, hollow,
And filled with only pain.

There must be a greater purpose,
For mans' existence on this earth.
Mere epitaph on marble,
No justice to his worth.
After all these many years,
The secret's still unfound.
Or if ever known by any,
Entombed within the ground.
And many men more brilliant than I,
Have searched with no reprieve,
For the answer to the same question,
For a clear reason to believe.
And will I be laid to rest,
As unfulfilled as they?
Or will I discover purpose
On my departing day?

Let the tears fall easily,
Like a long awaited rain,
And let them fall as long as,
It takes to ease this pain.

Sometimes people just don't love you back,
And they choose to go away.
And you'll never understand the reasons why,
And it doesn't matter anyway.

Feel free to run away my pet,
You will return, that I will bet.
Once you're missing the way that I,
Wipe the snot out of your eye,
And pick the fleas off your back,
Wash your paws when they are black,
Rub your belly, kiss your nose,
Allow you to always lick my toes.
I have helped you grow and grow,
What this poem means I only know.
You see my pet, your awful dumb,
And when I called, you didn't come.
So enjoy your freedom for the night,
Don't look here, you'll see no light,
I've turned them off, and have no doubt,
That I'm not here , and you're locked out!!!

If today was my very last day,
And only one wish could come true,
I'd wish to be there in your arms,
For I'm known by only you.

I love to turn my back to the wind,
And let my hair blow about my face.
Stand real stern..like "I'm not budging."
Then give a flinching, desperate chase.
Say what's on my mind sometimes,
Better yet - exert control.
Show intriguing bits and pieces,
But teasingly hide the whole.
I love to wink across a room,
And quickly exit when they pursue.
Whisper false promises in a passion,
With no intention to follow through.
Yet there was a single real encounter,
That will define me to the end.
The moment I looked in a mirror,
And called myself a friend.

Might my words be enlightening, pure of purpose; clean of soil,
May they offer some solace for a pain, or rest from endless toil.
Might they beckon a long hoarded tear, from a long pent up soul,
Or a smile from a widowed heart, who longs to just feel whole.
May they bring peace to the restless one, who wanders all around,
Or gravity to the flighty ones, and gift them with solid ground.
Comfort to an aching core, words like fingers, stroke their hair,
A promise that all things do pass, when today is too much to bear.
A hope shining into the darkness, when all of the lights are out,
Faith, sweet faith, that comes to rescue, one who's full of doubt.
May my words be a lighthouse, for those who've lost their way,
And a reminder that all is possible, if they would only sit and pray,
May my words strike an inner voice, as is now, and always the plan,
To make GOD known and hear his praise, on the lips of every man.

Of all the ornaments, on the crowded tree,
The one, by far, that means the most to me,
Is the one that reminds me of a true friend,
Who has filled my heart and helped it mend.
For when my days were troubled,
And I was feeling so very lost,
He stayed by my side, even closer,
And never once counted the cost.
And with his help I am now able,
To be myself once again,
And there is love in place of where,
An empty hole had been.
And He did it because he wanted to,
No motive that I can see,
For being someone who gave it all,
Gave it all... just for me.
Of all the ornaments, on the crowded tree,
The one, by far, that means the most to me,
Is the one that reminds me of a true friend,
Who has filled my heart and helped it mend.

What if tomorrow
cancelled....                                                 Late?

Without any notice and
cheated....                                                     Fate?

The predetermined tasks
would....                                                         Show,

At early dawn, with no place
to....                                                                 Go.

And they would wander
all....                                                                Around.

And search a many
stomping....                                                 Ground.

And join up with a
random....                                                    Soul,

To achieve their
given....                                                         Goal.

Fate no longer to guide
and....                                                            Hence,

They would now just be
simply....                                                     Coincidence.

Can I be the spark
That doth ignite your flame?
The prompting of your pen,
To express us both the same.

The quill and talent yours.
May the catalyst be me.
Separated, intertwined,
One product.........poetry.

I have so many memories....

Of Friday night poker games,
Where no one ever really won,
Of holding a fishing pole on the boat,
Half-naked in the sun.

Of moonlit rides out in the woods,
With those who seemed to care,
Of hanging out at the sports bar,
Debating whether a call was fair.

Of so many cabin vacations,
With the gang in Tennessee,
Of all the underlined greeting cards,
That he used to give to me.

But I can't remember one single time,
He ever looked me in the eye,
Or any genuine sign of remorse,
When he was caught in another lie.

I can't even remember how I felt,
On my only wedding day,
And not even a single moment,
Where he said what I wished he'd say.

All the memories are so bitter,
What never was? is bitter yet,
And oh! how I wish that all of it,
Was much easier to forget.

Truth is always real.
What seems real isn't always truth.
If you're having any doubt,
Wll then, you should ask for proof.

A phrase once given me,
By a friend of poetry,
When I asked ....if he too,
Talked in his head just like I do.
He made me feel much better because,
He replied, "Yeah. Sure. Everyone does."
And so I deemed myself not so insane.
For the "internal dialogue" spoke in my brain.

When my heart ceases to beat,
So that I have not lived in vain,
While my whole's no longer here,
I pray some pieces will remain.
In the smile of my daughter,
When she sees a rustic swing,
And the humor of my only son,
And the hope that it can bring.
In laughter of shared memories,
Of all those who really knew,
Just what I truly believed in,
And just what faith can do.
In all the lessons, even hard-learned,
The reward of giving, and of love,
The peace of daffodils I so admire,
The healing power from above.
In tears that are cried , shameless,
With a courage to endure it all,
In the books which I so cherished,
In old photos on the wall.
In the honor of a priceless ring,
And a renewing field of green,
The fruits of a long ago planted tree,
That yields the sweetest tangerine.
In the promise things can always change,
And the possibility to start again,
In every new dawn that now is counted,
As a new story that may begin.
In the hearts, minds, and souls of those,
With the beauty of passion delayed,
The taming of needless restlessness,
And forgiveness of those who betrayed.
In an old and tattered bible,
That was neglected for too long,
That always held the only way,
To make right of any wrong.
In every dream held with iron grip,
And each October's healing wind,
Knowing that things don't have to break,
But that they must, and always,.... bend.
Oh, yes! I hope to leave behind,
Some truth's, that life, to me, has shown,
For those I never had the chance to meet,
And to those I've called my own.

I will re-teach myself the lesson,
Which I failed to learn again,
While shoving tiny fragments back,
Into where my faith had been.

And in proportion to your worthiness,
I'll offer a little piece of me,
Will you treasure or make shards of it,
I'll watch, and wait, and see.

For with ample time and a cunning gaze,
I'll know exactly what you lack,
If proven true, I'll give some more,
And if not, I'll take it back.

For you see, I'm a fierce protector of,
This gift I call my soul.
And unless you surrender yours to mine,
You'll never have the whole.

For I have an eye that misses none,
And a heart that's just as keen,
So be careful dear, while you discern,
What your loss of me would mean.

She has eyes that see right through,
The heart that holds the bits of you,
The pieces that you now can't give,
With her goodbye, love ceased to live.
No genuine smile shows in your eyes,
Longing for her, while telling me lies,
Be true to yourself; be true to me,
Her face is the one that you wish to see,
Sitting right here, holding your hand,
But it's just me and I don't understand.
Just what is it that I don't possess,
Is it the way I laugh, the way I dress?
Don't lead me on, please don't pretend,
That I'm the one and there is no end,
I know that I'm being settled for,
And I just can't take it anymore,
You cry at night,.. I hear,.. I know,
But I'm hurting too, and I must go.