I slid along the Avenue until I reached your place
I must admit I'd had a few and longed for your embrace
The steps were barely salted, and I cursed them as I fell
and peppered my possessions on the sidewalk iced from hell.

Face down upon the Avenue I breathed the cold of night
and realized to my surprise my hip had twisted right
And not a soul was present there to raise me from my dread
no not a one to hear my cries or anything I said.

And never I've felt so foolish, though a fool I've been before
and every time I've done me wrong I'm laying on the floor
with roots in Jersey City, bought my boots right here on sale
Bayonne to blame, I'll take the shame if just one cab I hale.

I laid upon the Avenue, each minute like an hour
and I prayed that God was having you come down from your high tower.
to find me there, an old time square without a New Year's ball
much better to found alive than not be found at all.

Well it's been my vain conception that I'm good in any storm
I'm graceful, no deception, all my landings, perfect form
pride reserved an answer for the blasted state I'm in
only New Years Eve will bring out all the things I've never been.

Well it must have been near midnight, turned my head to hear the riff
distant music on the river and my mind began to drift
when something kicked my ankle like the tip of someone's shoe
could it be the boot of heaven checking if my soul was due?

I'd landed near a tire, whose tread was laced with snow
which buried in the mire, had nowhere else to go
and glimpsing my reflection in the hub which shined like new
I witnessed my deliverance, 'twas the light of God, it's true!

From somewhere deep within the smoky bellows of my ire
a verse from someone else's song which rose up like a choir
"Is it you my sweet beloved, come to raise me from my plight?...
for I've fallen in my drunken state this cold dark News Years Night!"

"And what have we beheld here, it's a woman in the snow
her hip looks out of socket though her face is all aglow"
They rushed me to the hospital and just in time for tea
which warmed the cockles of my heart and thawed my love for thee.

Never I've felt so foolish, though a fool I've been before
and every time I've done me wrong I'm laying on the floor
if maybe someone else's song will save them from their grave
I'll take the shame on New Years Eve if just one soul I save!

All these years I've been a sinner, running circles, chasing youth,
with my hair as gray as winter I've come face to face with truth
Lying flat out on the sidewalk on that News Years Eve from hell
I learned to trust correction and I hope you're doing well.

Now I'm singing Someone Else's song, for me it ain't that true
I don't get drunk on New Years Eye and rarely think of you
Well If one day you should meet me on the street where you might live,
just be sure to wave and greet me if you've got the time to give.

And never you'll feel so foolish, though you've been a fool before
and every time you've done you wrong you're lying on the floor
if maybe Someone Else's song will save you from your grave      
then take the shame on New Years Eve, if just your soul you save!

Love lets go
of whatever it must
in order to remain loving.

Caught a glimmer of joy in his eyes, icy cold
as I left on that bus, he was smiling,
though the memory's quite old and the shimmer has dulled,
it's a full-color framed, out of filing.

Sepia pictures more often I hold
old negatives covered in grime
it's a shame, though foretold, that we're all growing old
with limited space and less time.

Considering self, I'm content on that shelf,
with my picture fresh smile set in stone
just like Walter Mitty, whose lost in a city
of thought, I am mostly alone.

Despite all the charm which my countenance exudes,
these tattered old blinds can't conceal
soft light filters truth from my cheap platitudes
and the good from the dark stuff I feel.

Over there in the closet, a huge bank deposit
I'm saving for something worth while
been trusting the Lord. yet can never afford
that 'single and lovin it' smile.

The clock on wall tells me just where I stand
and it's chime brings the heartache of doom
as the seconds tick by, I can't help but cry
all alone in my heart's old dark room.

Watching my step, I tread deep within
without the desire to save face
I gaze at a skin, done by guilt of that sin
in the light of God's love and sweet grace.

Though my heart is your home I've n'er let You roam
through these passages marked 'Do Not Enter'
they lead to the room where the waft meets the loom
forming poems wherein I am the center.

The fabric you see in that heap seems to weep
burdened down with my aches and my pains
I've asked that you'd heal all this stuff while I sleep
but I wake and the damage remains

Your Spirit reminds me, at home in my heart
how you've taken my sin to the grave
it's your pleasure to clean up, yet I must forgive
and let go of the garbage I save.

Afraid now to look any further for fear
we'll discover the worst yet to come
You tell me to follow, for You hold me dear
since we're no longer two now but one.

Beginning to see how I'd lost all my hope
when I left on that bus in the rain
I forgive him for not being able to cope
without love and the will to remain.

You Lord, my comfort have been here within
you know how my heart is in shambles
You've rolled back the stone, I'm no longer my own
and you smile though my poetry rambles.

So welcome, my friend, yes it's been quite a while
since we've bathed in the sun and run free
got a mind for preserving your beautiful smile
in my state of the heart gallery!

The last he spoke he said it all
he said your back was to the wall.
and far from being her best friend
a man who'd rather see it end

You just can't argue
with his truth
it's just his way, for in his youth
He dreamed of places
make-pretend
big open spaces
where he'd spend
In long embraces
hours on end
through fields chasing closest friend.
but that's not how
it's gonna go
he won't reaping what you sow.

Born at night
but not last night
I see the problem with his plight
He wants to make
the pieces fit
complete the scene his mind has writ
but forcing love
to take it's place
to glue the pieces down, a waste
just take a picture
make it last
'cause that one will be fading fast
Let her go
and shut the door
Sow true love and reap far more.

the last we spoke
I said it all
my tendency to blame the fall
and all the angst
scorned love could spare
on fires of Hell, which can't compare
how well I argue
with the truth
it's been that way since troubled youth

I dreamed of forests
not pretend
of wooded hollows with my friend
where trees grew tall
but wind could bend
where fires could rage but love would send
the rain which hastens
souls to mend
that's not our story, so, The End.

Wanting for something worth having and waiting around
having seems better but wanting is all that I've found.

I stood on the ledge of my sleepy blue sorrow
back from the edge, guess I'll see you tomorrow
can't lie, not the first time I'm thinking of you
but the night bugs are out, life's distractions will do

I looked to the west as the day slowly faydeedid
turned up the volume of cricket and katydid
rhythm rubs life in the darkness outside
steer clear of the blue light or get yourself fried

With the zapper you took out the skeeters and flies
while spiders and ants faced the raider's demise
yellow jackets and wasps, you chased from their hives,
but these night bugs are here for the rest of our lives
bittersweet bugs for the rest of our lives

Back in the house now, I roll down the screen
protecting myself from the lurking unseen
from the critters, which drawn by the lure of the light
make feast in their famine on food, flesh and fright

we handle the things that intrude in our spaces
the bugs in the dark and the unwanted faces
we roll down the screens and we listen to voices
those sweet summer sounds, and this night bug rejoices

With the zapper you took out the skeeters and flies
while spiders and ants faced the raider's demise
yellow jackets and wasps, you chased from their hives,
but these night bugs are here for the rest of our lives

too many months have passed without hearing
the music which blends with the night bugs I'm fearing
I nearly lost hope for those sounds in my life
but these night bugs revive good ol' summertime strife
bittersweet bugs, for the rest of my life

Stood on the ledge of my sleepy blue sorrow
back from the edge, guess I'll see you tomorrow

When I was a child, heard many a thing
'bout God in His Heaven and angels who sing
of streets paved of gold, and the one at the gate
whose keeping a record of me on a slate

I wanted to know how the God of great love
could measure our worth by the things we think of
the things that I do and the things that I say
It scared me to think that I'd sin anyway

Deep in my soul I longed, from my youth
more than religion, the absolute truth
so I prayed to the One, asking right from my heart
tell me true, are you there, have you been from the start?

can you please help me sort through the myth and the magic,
my doubts when I'm faced with the hopeless and tragic?
can you meet me right here, just where I am
in my darkness and failures, are you really I AM?

and what of the others who labor for nothing
who have not and hunger for turkey and stuffing?
on the streets, in the cold, stumbling drunk in the alleys
red-handed, white lies, and deep blues in dark valleys?

at our weakest, and numb from the heartache of losing
the ones that we love, left behind with a bruising
will I find you in throne rooms in the back of my mind
like some Wizard of Oz that I'm seeking to find?

A whisper, an answer, a thought I just had
was it me, was it You, could it be, that I'm mad?
But wait, there again, as I stifle my pride,
"Open the door and invite me inside".

"Ask Me, I'll tell you, I'll lead you along
Not a word which is written disproven or wrong"

"And as for the poor and the weak and your past
Your sins are forgiven, the first shall be last."

"I've chosen the weak things to confound the wise
I turn it around for the greatest surprise"

The ONE that I love, the dearest of all
the babe in the manger with the horse in the stall
He grew to a man and we know him as Jesus
fulfilled the great plan and wow, how he sees us

He bore all our burdens and gave us the ring,
we are his bride and HE is our King
and the more that I trust him, the more I debate
I need to ask questions regarding our fate

Is God all around us, is heaven for real
does He care for our flesh and the way that we feel?
is one day like a thousand, as thousands are lost
in the floods and the fires and the wars and the frost?

I'll wait for the answers and try to be still
like the child in the manger and the cow on the hill
I will study to find myself well in Your sight
while we sit by the fire and chat through the night

and when Christmas has finally dawned on our days
and we celebrate giving in so many ways
I must keep in mind how you wiped clean the slate
for once and for all you reopened that gate

and I must not forget though I'm often at fault
that you want me to shine, to be light, to be salt
and always remember that You are the reason
I celebrate Christmas, no matter the season.

I'm told a man from Nazareth
a carpenter, had planned His death
from somewhere way before the birth of time
would be a thing worth finishing
for none could wear His wedding ring
until the final pardon for their crime.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

And taken from the midst of sin
an undeserving place I'm in
beneath the cross, I stare up at The One
whose blood poured down that gruesome day
in pain the man was heard to say
with his last breath, "That's it, My Work is Done." *

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

They took his body torn and dead
removed the thorns which pierced his head
and crying for this Man they'd come to love
wrapped him gently in the way
as was the custom of the day
without a doubt, they questioned God above.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Now placed inside a darkened tomb
and sealed in stone by soldiers whom
could not be caught asleep lest they would pay
but something happened as He planned
His tomb was somehow left unmanned
as angels rolled the stone aside that day.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

So WHO IS THIS who claims to save
in three days risen from the grave
who paid a debt which we could n'er afford~
now written into history
He wrote the world a mystery
and solved it one day, cause that's my Lord.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Fulfilling every prophecy
the Only One my heart can see
is Jesus Christ, be sure you cannot hide
you'll face Him on your dying day
my One True Love who's made a way
to cover and protect his precious bride!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

There was once a young woman who,
possessing the disposition of ice,
icy cold and somewhat frigid
went walking  in the snow
slipped on the black ice
and down she did go
tried to get up but
it was too slick
and so, she
lay there
frozen,
alone
like
an
I
C
E
C
I
C
L
E
but
then
a nice
man with
warm hands
reached down
and lifted her up
he held her close and
warmed her heart, melting
her in his strong arms. She'd like
to think that he was her guardian angel
and he thought she was his own snow angel.

Home, you are sweet
you are loving and warm
never judging or lonely or haunted
Home, off the street,
both in spirit and form  
you're the shelter that I've always wanted.

I've had many homes
they've been awesome to me
they call from the living room window
"bring wood won't you dear
I am waiting, up here",
says the fireplace, longing to kindle.

So awkward, this home
though it's all that I'm needing
I'm only a guest for a while
my confidence shaken, I've taken a beating
embarrassed and faking a smile.

Jesus you're sweet
and you're truth is forgiving
make yourself right at home in my heart
you stood there and knocked
I opened, you walked,
now you're building a fire at the hearth.

And Lord though I've wandered
in search of a life,
and regretting the place I was in,
You drew me back home
without anger or strife
and so quick to forgive all my sin.

from afar I could see you
right at the door
with that fire alight in your eyes
you came out to meet me
and brought me back in
to that hearth, where I'm safe from the lies.

From the mounting confusion
a crazy delusion
old thoughts
which controlled vain decisions
but at last I delight
in my Lords shining light
and am home thanks to God's
sweet provision!

Home, you are sweet
you are loving and warm
you are everything I've always wanted.

What leads a man
to embrace false conclusion,
biting the hand
which is feeding his own?
sad sacks and poor hacks
who sport vain delusion
and spew rotten fruit
though good seed was once sown!

To know Truth
followed me
shining light
creating shadows
of my sin
shrinking and powerless
in the power and might of His Spirit
come to seek and find me in these rags...

to know Love
and grace
that was given freely
out of Love
from Love.
to know myself
without the veil of sin
like a child
only with the knowledge of
what I have done
forgiven and forgotten
once and for all
no condemnation
in Christ Jesus
once again and for all time
innocent and free
oh such a lovely one
who truly matters

much time spent in useless pursuits
hungry for something more
thought I had to know
the darker side to
truly appreciate the light
thought I had to go there  
to find my souls delight
before I knew the hands which made the vine...
I had to taste the sweetest wine
and dabbled in the works of men
and found it left me cold and shattered

knowing that I had left you
like a prodigal daughter
ashamed and wanting you back
if only...
then you found me here
the only One my heart knew mattered
and came out and got me
shined a light in my confusion
and I asked you to forgive me and
lift me up...

Nothing short of grace
unmerited
what you came to offer
nothing short of beautiful
rising to the task
buying back this misery
and trading life for agony
killing you fulfilled your quest
so prophesied in Isaiah 53.
and rising on the third day
they had come to see
stone rolled away
and there you stood
a miracle and so delighted

there is
now no condemnation
for the heart that you are living in
a walking recreation
now You see me here without my sin
I'm clothed in your salvation and it's
nothing short of beautiful
it's not a thing I've earned or done
you came out here to me...

You are everything I've wanted in my life,  oh JESUS
thank you Lord for saving me
and giving me your Holy Spirit
there is nothing else that cares for me as much as you.

To know the truth
within the shadows
to know yourself
oh such a lovely one
who truly matters

The hillside before me rolled out like a wave
awash in my thoughts 'til I noticed the grave
the headstone was tilted and covered in rot
a memory of someone forgotten, but not.

The scene triggered feelings which drew me way back
to a time when I dwelt in a one bedroom shack
the love of my life had grown cold, and despairing,
my heart shriveled up like an unpickled herring

I remembered thereafter, and oh, what a mess
I led me to places too dark to confess,
dying for flowers from somebody dear
I'd fill up my window box year after year.

and soon the depression grew into a hedge
though flowering plants kept me back from the ledge
"I'll never be happy! " I quite often thought
a forgotten old headstone all covered in rot.

I swore if I ever recovered again
I'd wait for the right one, the Boaz of men
but for all of the damage, the shape my heart's in
be blessed if he'd notice, so how could I win?

With all of these memories weighing me down
I slapped myself silly and turned up the sound
and opened the windows to let in some air
the sun on my face and then suddenly...glare!

I veered off the highway which cut through the land
a two lane construction of asphalt and sand
took the embankment at an ungodly pitch
and suddenly airborne, shot over a ditch.

Landing my vessel across the divide
I hoped for the best for it's brave underside
the dust settled soon, and how foolish I felt
Thank God I'd remembered to buckle my belt.

And there in the front seat, assessing my plight
dazed, but amazed at this beautiful sight
as 'Love is a Battlefield' blared in the grime
Wildflowers grew in the trenches of time!

You the forgotten who languish for years
ditched and bedraggled and drained of your tears
thinking you're nothing, a sunset that's fading
grieving love lost while your best years are waiting

Tend to your gardens wherever they are
keep yourselves fresh with the watering jar
Remember, like flowers, the wild ones too
your maker, your husband, will take care of you.

For your Maker is your husband--the LORD Almighty is his name--the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
Isaih 54:5

Well they call me Uncle Rumpkin
my body's just a pumpkin
my hat, the pointed core
with a smile, I deliver
warm you up when you shiver
leave me lighted on the floor

Hey  I'm not a nasty fellow
in fact I'm rather mellow
an ordinary guy
on the porch, a Jack-0-lantern
with a torch, but the man turns
and I'm churned into a pie!

and I
would rather die
a broken shell smashed in the street
to be a trick, over a treat
for all your kids
who'd rather eat

well my face is close to human
my teeth can almost chew men
though I'm not that kinda dude
in the end when our eyes meet
you will see who's the pie's meat
when they're servin' up the food!

"Minding my own
making it rhyme..".

                Coming back?
         don't even know
      haven't heard
      can't be sure
   of anything
anymore

"It's all coming out,
there's dust in the drought
but the rain comes in time."

even now
   while the sun sets into this chilly November evening  
      I can hear a song  
         and into the dark starry night
it warms my heart
    memories set loose
       and the ones I keep to myself.

"Nothing held back
I got nothing to say"

I sit alone
on that porch swing
swinging in the dark
hearing nothing but wind
rushing  by
moving through bare
branches.

"Let it roll off my shoulders
puts less on your mind and it's easy that way."

coming back?
     i don't know
from here I
      can't be sure,

"I said nothing at all
it's that horse in the stall..."

no human voice
no radio
no tv
just that old record in my mind
wind through bare branches

"my foot fell asleep but I'm not gonna weep
I can drag it or crawl."

just as well
liking silence
never mind
it's okay....
it's silence
I need
in my heart
    
"distracted it's true
idle chatter won't do"

the matter of me
the matter of us
the matter of time
never mind me
just wait
and see

i don't know

"better nothing to say
put the music on play
and be quiet with you."

Not sure how it landed here,
I found it in my lot
and bending down to pick it up
amused at what I'd got

I looked a little closer
since I had a little time
It's a good thing that  I bothered  
for the thing inspired this rhyme.

Though you can't tell from poetry
if the writer knows your name
I could see by four lines in
the gender and it's aim.

The poem, it was well written
on a scrap and by his hand
just two lines in, I'm smitten
although four is my demand.

and this one was a couplet
seems he'd written it for fun
just four lines to tell his girl
she's got his heart undone.

as giddy as my thoughts can be
this struck me sad, my dear,
since poems that mean to say as much
are often less than clear.

The first two lines he scribbled down
were warming at the start
" I'd love to drive you home tonight
and fire up your heart."

The second two I do believe
had crumpled note in part,
"If I could have that honor, dear
I'll need some gas to cart."

I understood his poetry
weird rhymes can flow with ease
apparently his bottom line
was not a point to please.

Or maybe he had never passed
that note, and thrown it down
perhaps the wind had taken it
and blown it through the town

and just perhaps it ended up
this couplet, just for me
to understand how words can halt  
or fuel my love for thee.

even if there were to be
something like an EMP
nobody could ever stop the rain
nobody could keep the soil  
from bringing forth, by hands which toil
and harvest crops from field and fruited plain.

nobody could stop the day
and nighttime falls here comes what may
no man-made wind could move the weather vane
winds will blow and sun will burn
wood to chop and butter churn
work till dusk, and sleep to keep us sane.

God, HE IS and always was
came to Earth in flesh because
Love is stronger than the ones who ****
Jesus is the only ONE
the promised Savior, God's own Son
made Father's peace with Man
and loves us still.

Was a time, I di'nt believe
that God made Adam
then made Eve
and though it took me years to realize
He wants us all to know His Love
He's here right here now, the Maker of
the universe, but still this great surprise!

A perfect lamb was sacrificed
God's only son, Yeshua Christ
said he would take our sin, and wash us clean
my heart is flesh where once stone
God raised me up so He'd be known
and I can truly trust in the Unseen.

Yes, even though these eyes can't see
or touch the One who made us free
the Spirit, God's own Voice, does not deceive
We who hear, his precious sheep
the shepherd guides, and wills to keep
and even when we fail, He'll never leave.

and even if the floor falls out
and walking dead all roam about
and then we're forced to find a place to stay
and even if no food or water
Hell on Earth and then the slaughter
God would somehow help us through that day.

Walkin' along
I hear his voice and get a skip in my step
I have to watch it cause I'm getting a rep
for acting crazy when I'm walkin' along

I hear his song
and nothing else is makin' me tingle
could be the way he puts the gin in the jingle,
the **** 'n bull is always brimming with fizz
ain't no wonder 'bout the best that there is

though he's old
and it's said
being old is better off than dead
well we know
where he'll go
Who saved his soul and for his sins He bled

and when I'm blue
his voice can reach me in the worst places
bears the burden, then he ties up my laces
and lifts me like the sun in His song
staying with me while I'm walkin' along

The randomness
the senselessness
you strive to make life count
and then it comes to this

and in the end
you're left with pain
and someone writes this song
and it just seems inane

there is no way
to justify
find meaning in your loss, you know
but still we try

there are no words
you need to hear
you only want the comfort
and it seems so clear

it's in our hearts
we want to take
your misery,
to share your grief
and ease the ache

well-meaning words
it's just the thought
and sinking down
too weak to stand
with arms you're caught

held up and loved
in silence there
is something more
than words can say
to show we care

a gentle touch
a quiet prayer  
the presence of
your faithful love
just being there....

just being there.

the randomness
the senselessness
you strive to make life count
and then it comes to this

and in the end
you're left with pain
and someone writes a song
and it just seems inane

there is no way
to justify
find meaning in your loss, you know
but still we try

there are no words
you need to hear
you only want the comfort
and it seems so clear

it's in our hearts
we want to take
your misery,
to share your grief
and ease the ache

well-meaning words
it's just the thought
and sinking down
too weak to stand
with arms you're caught

held up and loved
in silence there
is something more
than words can say
to show we care

a gentle touch
a quiet prayer  
the presence of
your faithful love
just being there....

just being there.

What can you say
out there in the fog
in want of your old flame
you burnt your last log.

The memories are hot
the pain you remember
beneath all the ashes
that last glowing ember.

Don't bother to fan it
there's no fuel to burn
let it go out
save the ash for the urn.

Turn your attention
to the wood
that needs chopping
do something worthwhile
like sweeping and mopping

Sweep out the soot
and mop up your tears
clean out the attic
let go of your fears

Put on the blues
then something upbeat
get on your warm clothes
walk out to the street

Follow it down
to the steaming creek bed
the mineral water
is something it's said

Melts away saddness
and heats up your head
without all the smoke
without all the dread

Don't need a fire
the water is good
cleans away everything
and better than wood

The Word is water
still living and true
all that you need
all that you do

Lie back in the warmth
pulled free from the mire
be free and be healed
and forever on fire

you take the wheel
and I'm left standing there weeping
you won't turn back
that's just the way that you feel
it doesn't matter much, 'cause soon I'll be sleeping
time and again my heart heals.

waiting around
well i'll wait for a season
seasons will pass
think it's all in my head
I'll buy a calendar and ponder the reason
some things are best left unsaid.

This is my song
though the music is fleeting
and these are the words that are harder to sing
i'll write about it since there's nobody reading
nobody's needing a thing.

another mistake with a miserable ending
questioning why I'm left standing alone
I'll pour my heart to the woman who's tending
love has a mind of it's own.

Here are some words, honey
free for the taking
leave him alone don't be there when he phones
change your number and be done with the aching
you've got a life of your own...
you'll have a love of your own.

This is my song
though the melody's fleeting
and these are the words
that are harder to sing
I'll write about it since there's nobody reading
nobody's needing a thing.

another mistake with a miserable ending
questioning why I'm left standing alone
he tore my heart out, now I'm left with the mending
love has a mind of it's own

You were still asleep
        when from music I awakened
                to a sudden gale
And to my delight
      chimes played wildly in the night
                 wind is slicing wooden rail

Got me out of bed
       frozen in my sleepy head
                   clinging to the words
Could I keep this song?
      write the lyrics all night long?
                  theme for lonesome birds

stood to stretch and see
    caught a glimpse,  eternity
                 moon was center stage
sparkling diamonds perched
         far out in the universe
                glitter snow on page

beyond ice laden trees
    snow had nature on it's knees
          mean subzero chill
Funny just today
      sun broke icicles away  
           outside window sill        

Winter snow then ice
      weather man's advice, not a
                 time to drive alone
Not to drive at all!
         would be a better call to
               hunker down at home

Opened up the door
             chilled my carcass to the core
                   music of the snow.
Back inside again
         in the warmth of down and friend
                I decided to forgo

Winter lullaby
        soothes and lures a tired eye
                           back to dreamy home
Hearing starts to fade
       while wind chimes serenade
                           long and winded poem

what can I say that has not yet been said
and where can I go that my heart hasn't led
when faced with the truth, let it go to my head
it hurts, but at least it's an answer
and where is the one that I've wanted to date
yesterday's leftovers still on my plate
coming to grips with the fact that he's late
and he's probably out with that dancer

Oh he may come and he might go
and I can't follow, I'm too slow
but I can sing a song I know, it's called my soul needs patching
you can sing along with me, the humming bird and buzzing bee
for all we know you're just like me, two souls whose hearts needs patching.

And when will I have what that other girl's got
love for a lifetime, guess this is my lot
I've scared off a few with the end to this plot
how those mystery dates made me shiver
and who is this person that I have become
sometimes just lazy, and snapping my gum,
I've tried to play smarter, perhaps I'm just dumb
but I'm all that I've got to deliver

Oh they may come and they may go
but I can't follow, I'm too slow
still I can sing a song I know,  it's called my soul needs patching
and you can sing along with me, the humming bird and buzzing bee
for all we know you're just like me, two souls whose hearts needs patching.

how can I slow what is driving me on
roll down the window, I'm more like a song
Set on the breeze that the wind blows along
with the fragrance of long summer days
So why all the longing when now is enough
precious and sweet are your words off the cuff
i'm happy to have you to read all this stuff
while the worlds smallest violin plays

Oh they may come and they may go
and I can't follow, I'm too slow
but I can sing a song I know it's called my soul needs patching
and you can sing along with me, the humming bird and buzzing bee
for all we know you're just like me, two souls whose hearts needs patching

A strange and eerie silence just before the midnight train
in the distance rolling thunder, through the darkness,
here's the rain
now wind is whipping sideways, tearing limbs from massive trees,
it's a wonder, jolt of thunder, every man's not his knees!

In a frenzied call to sleepers, get your loved ones up, she screams
it's the grimmest of all reapers come to rob you of your dreams
and it's grinding up the ground ten miles south, a mile wide
and it's headed your direction, so you'd better run and hide!

So panic takes the front seat while we quickly dive for cover
and we pray for God's deliverance, 'cause no one wants to hover
and we wait upon hell's plunder,as it devastates the land
and leaves it's monster's calling card, demise of all things grand.

lighter than a feather, yet never made for flight
carried on this wrecking train through blackness of the night
butcher knives! and power tools! an airborne metal shed!
A rabbit cage! an auto harp and someone's unmade bed!

the stuff which neighbors value, all their papers, jewels and cash
have been caught up in the whirlwind, torn to shreds and churned to trash
it's then I hear the grinding of the wheels upon the track
and brace myself with others in the bowels of my shack

a locomotive bearing down, we hold on tight and pray
the shrill wind screams, you can't believe it's happening this way!
and all we care about right then is staying on the ground
and keeping those we love alive, intact and safe and sound.

The way it goes, no one quite knows the way it's gonna be
we trust that God is here to lead us through the deep Red Sea
though man's no match against it, we'll find shelter in the storms
and pray escape the reaper in the whirlwind as it forms

An ordinary day arrived again and ticketed talk
it cost me just to say "one second more- let's go for a walk"
"Yes- if you will promise-just to see me as yourself
and not the thing you made of me, that clock upon your shelf"

We strolled through misty meadows on that ordinary day
I learned to love my freedom and the things which come what may
We had our time together, now I can't recall the date
I want to say an extra-ordinary day but just you wait

"Why is it every day can't be like this one is today?"
and Ordinary looked at me and pointed towards the sway
"That same old wave is NOT the same no ordinary roll
and waves through placid water seem to change the water's soul.

The ins and outs, the ups and downs of every single day
are separate parts of sameness but unique in every way"
"try not to over think it be quiet, or you'll miss
the things you take for granted make for silence, calm the hiss!"

and so my ordinary date  had tried set me free
to wander down the road without a single peep from it to me
a silent celebration seemed no ordinary day
reset my pace for living and now no fine to pay!

"Where do you think you're going? as the sun sets in the west
"I've got to get a move on  but you've been a splendid guest
I'll be back tomorrow just an ordinary mate
but if you care to have some fun we'll make another date!"
.

old hands :(
cold dry unseen
can't remember when
these hands were touched
when the last time
they were held
clasped
MISSING the music of these hands
the music in my ears
the plans I need to make...
hope rising
feeling...like I need to buy myself a guitar and a cello.
and some hand lotion.  :)
I have beautiful young hands!!!

he waved her down to where he stood
but lost her in the neighborhood
of several hundred thousand other people
and by the time she found him there
his drink was lost, she couldn't care
she stood there drenched in sweat beneath the steeple

and never mind the dusty ground
with legs to watch, and Stanky Brown
is dragging through his medley, nasty fella
next time, carry her own chair
and iced cold water, put it there
a shady spot, not hot, beneath the 'brella

whining eyes,
like her mother
he never knew it, but she cries
like no other
he'll see her through it
'til she dies
oh no~

it's better now, she doesn't care, he'll find her here, or meet her where
the mist is cool, and nearer to the porties
she only wants to find her place, a laggard in the human race
and rather cold, she's old, for in her forties

sometimes it takes you years to learn the smartest way is not to burn
though some folks like to hang out in the trenches
next time she will plan ahead and carry her own banner head and wave it high above the other wenches

these whining eyes,
like my mother
I never knew it,
but
she cries
like no other
I'll see her through it
'til she dies
oh no

Where are you?
I looked for you.... everywhere
but then, I noticed that you weren't looking for me
and well, it became embarrassing.

Well I can see the sadness in your eyes
though I will not share your darkness, drinking in those subtle lies
call me friend, but I'm not with you and I know,
how you just keep telling others that you're out there in the snow
in the cold, when you've got fires right here inside
lots of love to keep you going, keep you warm and satisfied.

And I've heard the stuff that beckons from the grave
all the guilt that you have carried, while your friends all say you're brave
time to lay it down and listen to the truth  
there's no point in hanging on to broken promises of youth.

being true
feeling blue
being you,
keep on walking in a circle  
till you're done then come on through
being free
is the key
letting go of what you see
hanging on to what you hope for
in the end here's where you'll be

You are strong and you are good and you are kind
got more love within your pinky than the stuff you left behind
and I urge you just to let bygones be gone
sometimes love can pull the trigger, though so sorry, we are blind.
You've got years ahead to practice what I preach
stuff I've learned from all you've taught me,  now it's all within your reach.
Turn the page and take a lesson from the past
we are not the stuff we've lived and life is more than what's been cast.

being true
being blue
being you,
keep on talking in a circle  
till you're done , then come on through
being free
love's the key
letting go of what you see
hanging on to what you hope for
in the end here's where you'll be

It started with a couplet
quite easy to direct
but blossomed into something else
beyond my intellect.

I am only one,
I ask you, what can one girl can do?
You fed thousands fish and loaves
though you only had a few.

You healed the sick and dying
saying "Greater shall you do"
But I am only human, Jesus,
how can that be true?

And then You say You are 'I AM',
"I AM alive in you".
And I say "Okay, Good enough,
The Truth will have to do".

So how 'bout we just keep in touch
if You're that close, sweet Lord
It won't take long to reach You
and that's a call I can afford.

Very clever little g,
you're starting out just fine
and when the need is there
just speak the water into wine.

Heal sick and broken hearted
lead a soul out of the flame
It's not your job to worry how
just do it in my Name.

Do not worry how you'll look
or what you're gonna say
just be yourself and let Me
be The Light that shines The Way.

Jesus was a real man
the books will verify
at 33 they nailed him
to a chunk of wood to die.

And to be sure that he was dead
hanging naked on a cross
they speared him though, and left him there
my Jewish carpenter boss.

And not a word was written
that He would not fulfill
the scene was painted well before
the making of the hill.

All men can be redeemed
that is,
bought back with His own blood
we cannot pay the price for sin
He freed us by His Love.

Written long before his birth
their KING would rise day three
and so it was, and so it is
that I AM lives in me.

And to many, it may seem absurd
but this is not a game
I am aware of the price He paid
and the power of His Name.

I've no stake in religion
there's nothing there for me
but I will follow Christ alone
His Love has set me free.

And though I am just one girl
and crazy into rhyming
In prayer I find my comfort
and I trust him with the timing.

awakening in the middle of the night
I find myself lying there
pondering 12 foot ceilings
opening eyelids to the space above my head
the tall windows
wondering what the point of all of that space is
aesthetics, historically accurate
to create a sense of largeness, grandness
to draw the buyer in
to provoke a sense of having a better home, a better life?
not very practical
costs more to heat
and cool
difficult to clean
or reach for any other reason
and certainly not inviting shelves for storage.
And at least a gallon more to paint the 12 foot walls.
I conclude that this is simply a waste of space, of money,
designed to please the eye regardless of cost, efficiency or practicality.
just what the people wanted, I guess, if you can afford it.

Zzz the day
Let's let this one get away
it's okay,
gave our best to yesterday
overtime
never was my cup of tea
yet they squeeze
press the very best of me
piling on the sugar now
promising the moon and now
complaining drains
life's pleasure out of me
gimmee Z.

Skim the soup
otherwise we'll get too fat
trim the sails
and I'm off to where you're at
winter winds
sting my chin and mess my hair
better stay
wrapped in cozy blankets here
icy patches forming
on the windows
we lay warming
under covers, unaware
nothing bothers, not a care
let the phone ring
when in doubt
never mind,
I'm calling out

Stay up late
watching oldies on TV
lick the plate
leave it on the floor for me
it's okay,
make another can of soup
take a bath
and then shower off the bloop
wasting water, wasting time
waste not want not
never mind
let the toilet run and find
everything will
wait for you
you'll see~
catch your z
wait for me.

one more day to go around
nothings lost
but somethings found
the buzzing fan's
a welcome sound
draw the blinds
cause no one's gonna call
after all.

Captured there in orange
beneath the old street light
a cloud of breath exhaled
hangs heavy in the night.

Waiting on the 409
has never been this bleak
the fierce wind nips your ear lobe
and ice cold stings your cheek.

I watch you turn your collar up
your back against the bite
one hand on that coffee cup
the other out of sight.

Each morning
getting colder
the forecast is for snow
in fleece and wool you face the frost
and how I'll never know

I see you’re green
my blue faced friend
the green before the fall
you've never been about the perks
it's conscience above all.

The last thing on your mind just now
would be to get a Lynx
traffic is lame
road rage insane
And air pollution stinks.

Don't EVEN get you started
on the SUV
spews out nitrous oxide
and guzzles Texas tea.

Public parking,
another rare find
for what you get,
they rob you blind.

and what they miss
the vandal takes
leave you with migranes
the car alarm makes.

better for all
we all take the train
or one car per family
'stead of one car per brain.

Watching you stand there
with ice crystals forming
I despise all your stubborness
you NEED global warming!

I know you're no girly
my Ever-Ready mate
but my Duracel is waiting
and the 409 is late

I get out of my car
and approach you from the rear
my work cut out, without a doubt
the ice lymric is near

poetic license pending
I call for a herione's ending
like a frozen filet, without word or delay
I can lift you without even bending.

Once inside and thawing
you start in about the gas
I turn down the heat,
but turn up the seat
that's warming up your ****.

I'm all for the planet, I tell ya
and doing whatever is best
but for mornings like these
with your jewels in deep freeze
come with and we'll heat up the Quest!

With a beaming smile that could warm the tile
She came flying down the corridor
the sun was setting, so i asked her heading
and she said, "I'm going to Florider!"

Well she seemed to like to talk
and I really love to listen
so I pressed her for the details
and her eyes began to glisten.

"I been staying in this rest home
since I lost my dear departed"
and I asked her when he died and she said,
"No, I meant my leg".

So we stood there, well I stood there and
she sat in her new wheel chair
I asked her what's her hurry.
and if she's gonna get a peg.

And she said:
"Maybe if I lose this weight~
Gotta get down to 220
but the trouble is I love to eat.
I know it's not that funny."

"I've had my share of heart attacks
and twice I had a stroke
Buried my husband, lost the house
and gee I love to smoke"

"I can't move these three fingers
but I manage in this chair
on nice days take it to the road
for excercise and air".

She went on to share her story
was from somewhere up in Queens
married twice without children
and lived well within her means.

She talked about her childhood home
and how chemicals from the pool
splashed onto the strawberry patch
and the fruit was the size of a stool.

The best of all of her stories
was one about her dad
who had worked for Sunshine Biscuits,
but once fell into a vat.

no sooner had she told me
that I knew I'd have to write
a lymric for this lady
whose smile brings such delight.

The folks at Sunshine found him
pulled him out but hound him
was one lucky catch, 'til he met his batch
when those lady fingers done nearly drowned him.

when I was a child, heard many a thing
about God in His Heaven and angels who sing
of streets paved of gold, and the one at the gate
whose keeping a record of me on a slate

the things that I do and the things that I say
It scared me to think that I'd sin anyway
and I wanted to know how the God of great love
could measure our worth by the things we think of

not knowing Him then, well I listened to men
who knew less about God than they did their own end
so I prayed to the One, asking right from my heart
tell me true, are you there, have you been from the start?

can you please help me sort through the myth and the magic
the lies of religion, the hopeless and tragic?
can you meet me right here, just where I am
in my darkness and failures, are you really I AM?

and what of the others who labor for nothing
who have not and hunger for turkey and stuffing?
on the streets, in the cold, stumbling drunk in the alleys
red-handed, white lies, and deep blues in dark valleys?

at our weakest, and numb from the heartache of losing
the ones that we love, left behind with a bruising
will I find you in throne rooms in the back of my mind
like some Wizard of Oz that I'm seeking to find?

A whisper, an answer, a thought I just had
was it me, was it You, could it be, that I'm mad?
But wait, there again, as I stifle my pride,
"Open the door and invite me inside".

"Ask Me, I'll tell you, I'll lead you along
NOT ONE WORD WAS WRITTEN, disproven or wrong"

"And as for the poor and the weak and your past
Your sins are forgiven, the first shall be last."

"I've chosen the weak things to confound the wise
I turn it around for the greatest surprise"

The ONE that I love, the dearest of all
the babe in the manger with the horse in the stall
He grew to a man and we know him as Jesus
fulfilled the great plan and wow, how he sees us

He bore all our burdens and gave us the ring,
we are his bride and HE is our King
and the more that I trust him, the more I debate
I need to ask questions regarding our fate

Is God all around us, is heaven for real
does He care for our flesh and the way that we feel?
is one day like a thousand, as thousands are lost
in the floods and the fires and the wars and the frost?

I'll wait for the answers and try to be still
like the child in the manger and the cow on the hill
I will study to find myself well in Your sight
while we sit by the fire and chat through the night

and when Christmas has finally dawned on our days
and we celebrate giving in so many ways
I must keep in mind how you wiped clean the slate
for once and for all you reopened that gate

and I must not forget though I'm often at fault
that you want me to shine, to be light, to be salt
and always remember that You are the reason
I celebrate Christmas, no matter the season.

Eb pulls back, he holds his peace
he's done with Flo, he's wined the beast
and as it's said, 'don't tread where sands are shifting'
ebb and flow, they come and go
ebb draws us out, the tides are low,
but as we yearn, return, and stop our drifting.

i stand on rock, alone at last
and mourn for what is done and past
but still, with broken heart, recall the surges;
the times when you were out at sea
and when you finally wrote to me
I laugh at how you satisfied my urges.

The words we shout from distant shore
the ones which fall on heavy oar
which make the trip back home far less than pleasing;
far better are the words on wing
which land with olive branch and sing
a song of love which keeps the flow from freezing.

but even in the closest knit
where scarcely will the piece not fit
there's comes a rhythm known as ebb and flow.
and marriage is a special bond
and Eb and Flo they looked beyond
and understood the way it had to go.

and through the laughter and the tears
and late night dances, sharing beers
they always knew the highs would lead to low.
and now Flo waits on lonesome shore
for time apart was forced before
as time would have it, 'twas Eb's time to go.

In the Summer of Love
I was just a young dove
but for all my eight years
it was all I thought of
and he slipped me a note
just a sentence or two
with my name and the words
"I Love You".

and I thought it was sweet
see I knew him from Pete
a mutual friend,
we all played in the street
and I never would think
that he'd give me a wink
less a note with the
words "I Love You."

Well I tucked it away
in my pocket that day
and I smiled at the boy  
and said "Hey, let's go play"
But the recess bell rang
and I thought then, "Oh Dang",
since his classroom was one door away.

I never did kiss
that olive-skinned guy
with the ***** blond hair
that hung over his eye
I'd fallen for John
and I guess he moved on
and we parted
without a goodbye.

Many years later
I'd think about Glen,
that first little crush
the paper and pen
the thought and the hand
that bothers to write
with intent
and the courage
to send.

And one day by chance
I sat in a chair
entrusting a stranger
with all of my hair
she pulled through the cap
the strands to be bleached
and though it was painful
they had to be reached.

I asked for her name
and discovered, the same
as the boy I had liked,
my childhood flame
I made the mistake
of informing the goat
the wife of the boy,
about one little note.

And never you mind
she pulled my hair blind
I don't think I've ever
run into her kind.
And the moral I say
and my very hairs pray
"please leave your old love notes behind!"

In the Summer of Love
I was just a young dove
but for all my eight years
it was all I thought of

There was a time, I was a child
and I could climb the wooded wild
and see out over treetops way beyond this place called home
Now I am grown, can barely climb
but give me time and I will find
another way to rise above and see beyond this poem

The paths I loved when I was nine
are overgrown with thorny vine
and streams beside, which I would sit
polluted now and hardly fit
but give me time and I will find
another path, a sparkling stream
which winds around and satisfies
a quiet place where we can dream.

Where there's a will, there is a way
and there's a path that's yours today
and if you come upon a place that somehow seems impassable,
the answer still, the same today
That if you ask and if you pray
the things you hope for, come what may
will rarely seem impossible.

I was thinking 'bout my life and how it's gonna be
Left it up to God, He put it back on me
went lookin' for direction but I'm just your average Jane
don't like all these decisions, the unknown mystifies my brain

I pondered over all the things I've done before
thought I could walk on water, knocked on every door
nothing much was scary then and nothing much was out of place
Walked by faith, and left the rest to Grace.

I'm thinking that my life here is beyond halfway
I found myself with bills I can't afford to pay
playing hard was easy yeah, but paying back is hard to do
tracing all my steps, it seems they always lead me back to You.

When I said that I would follow God, I meant it too
stayed away from magic, idols, and taboo
and doing the right thing, the only thing that mattered
You planted the Word, and by the wind those seeds were scattered.

Turned my back on old religion, not the way for me
well you can keep your catachism and your rosary
never being sure your gonna get into the promised land,
God showed how much He loved us when He took the nails in his hand.

Your raised me out of darkness way before I'm dead
left the puzzle all undone, and lit the way instead
I'm thinking again, but far much higher this time
It's not my will but yours that I am hoping to find.

I've got some time to spend and time is on my hands
I wanna do your will and follow your commands
I know it's not by might, and not by useless power
But by your spirit I will serve to my last hour.

And as I'm on my way, just doing what I do
I'm gonna try my best and kiss it all to you
Well I make mistakes and I've seen some wicked days
but out of every darkness, your faithful love, it lights my ways

Holding out hope
Hardness of hearing
Hardness of heart

they wandered down the path alone
and hand in hand she longed to own
a place inside his cautious heart
but never told him from the start

the pieces of that puzzle fit
but never did they speak of it
and waiting on the words to say
in time her hair was feathered gray.

but who'd have known and who'd have guessed
they had their time together
they spent their days and both were blessed
in clear and stormy weather

And all this time you'd think she'd know
since everything he did, did show
and almost sure, she'd never ask
but left him to that silly task

the years flew by and they grew old
and still no word of love was told
and in the end he held her hand
and knew somehow she'd understand

they spent their days and both were blessed
in clear and stormy weather
with three small words, she breathed her last
and left him there, together

Nothing's ever what it seems,
I wait around 'cause in my dreams,
you're something more than what I am
not Spam 'n eggs, green eggs or ham

but what I've dreamed in slumber's car
is not beyond the farthest star
but just above the highest cloud
where frozen skies can't scream out loud

or laugh or cry or live or die
or touch the apple of His eye
or grasp a thought, and catch a smile
or take a nap and rest a while

or lie outside in fresh cut grass
the summer sun, the day to pass
and when I'm rested, let it go
autumn comes and then the snow

life is short, and I am smitten
but hardly had the fruit been bitten
anger cuts the evening short
hopes and dreams meet TV sport

angry tones, a hot debate
and deep-set hurt will always wait
words are spoken, much regret
at least you're free now from the net

darkness comes but evening's fires
thaw the chill, and warm desires
hope for love, a life so sweet
calms the rage and stirs the heat

not so fast, the damage done
the fear rekindled in His son
faith moves mountains, this one still
cannot be moved beyond his will

all I wanted, something good
something blessed, a God who could
give me more than fleeting hope
far beyond my simple scope

and looking at that brightest star
reminded what a fool I ARE
I wish I may and wish I might
not have the thing I had tonight

to leave it to the Greatest One
is often hard and not much fun
less difficult, yet worse to take
is love's enormous bellyache

reminded there's a better plan
a place within His loving hand
and taken there one autumn day
the dream's allure just fell away

what I had thought 'true love' would be
far less than what He has for me
with oneness as it's greatest goal,
forgives the hurts and heals the soul

His final passage
all it took
to get this girl
to read the book
he'd asked her twice
before he died
she said she'd started it
but lied

His point was made
she'd do her best
fulfill this day
his last request
for now, what's sure
she's hanging on
to every word
because he's gone

and once aboard
she's hauled to sea
no pleasure cruise
but misery
she stands her watch
from noon till nine
he drinks his scotch
she sips her wine

He holds the course
and surely keeps
the surging seas
from where she sleeps
and once her grieving
eases some
she's finds his voice
a comfort from

the memories
she reads his words
through tear filled eyes
her ears have heard
and now she enters
into his
her mind alive
with images

of life beyond
this mortal soul
of turquoise seas
and sandy shoal
she mulls each chapter
of this book
and smells the sea
and baits the hook

and climbs the mast
up to top
unties the sails
and let's them drop
and pulled into uncertainty
the ship sails through
calamity
but never does
she doubt the man
who said he could
she knows he can

and reading on
she comes to see
the trip was really
meant to be
for all her days
she's been alone
sometimes by choice
though seeds were sown

but landing here
on troubled water
no one found
his only daughter
and left to find
her own way home
to settle down
or wait and roam

she's simply learned
to stay afloat
while others love
and others dote
on children born
to entertain
she'd prayed for babies
but got rain

the wind kicks up
her heart still bleeding
blames herself
for never heeding
youthful dreams
for fear of failing
SUDDENLY
she's out here sailing!

now rising from
the galley door
the smell of fresh
baked bread and more-
sea-salt blends
with airborne yeast
and draws her down
to taste the feast

she swings the rope
from deck to ladder
there's her Dad
a little fatter
the captain calls
all hands on deck
a storm is brewing
still they check

to see what's cooking
time to eat
for work requires
mortal meat
and in the middle
of the story
here's her father's
pride and glory

pictures taped
upon the wall
his two best girls
and that's not all
a golden key
on nail in teak
she'll watch him knead
while floorboards creak

she stands beside
and learns his ways
for he was gone
most of her days
out to sea to make a living
and mama said
he's always giving

now she listens as he praying
for wife and child
what's this he's saying?
"Bless them both
while I'm away,
lead them safely
through the day"

while fishermen
have dropped their nets
he speaks of losses
and regrets
that one small daughter
missed her dad
he never knew
just what he had

and once again
the ride resumes
across a sea
of oil plumes
and men are hardly
scarce she finds
her father's story
now unwinds

he fought this battle
with his crew
while stirring up
a *** of stew
his Guif, the sea,
was once so clear
he loved to fish
and held it dear

the tales within
this mariner's log
Would pull her head
out of the fog
he's taught her how
to sail the sea
to feel the wind
which sets her free

from thinking it's
about the past
to taking hold
of things which last
and using what's
inside of you
to break the cycle
cook the stew

to forge ahead
and let it go
you must read on
or never know
now seeing that
his book will end
she slows her eyes
and takes his pen

and writes a note
on every page
attempting to now
quell the rage
for how could he
who claimed to love
allow her pain
to rise above

the peaceful calm
she's found within
his final passage
'tis a sin
and still, one day
he shouts "LAND **!'
the end approaches
heart in tow

she will not greet
the writer's end
nor leave this place
of make-pretend
She will not listen
anymore
but drops her anchor
just off shore

and won't accept
the last surprise
but stills his voice
and shuts his eyes
she fights against
the frothy foam
while bailing water
from her own

she cannot bear
to lose him twice
his loving presence
his sound advice
on written pages
this the book
about his life
at sea
the cook

for days to come
the text will sit
with marker near
the end of it
for this her only
comfort now
to know he waits
for her somehow

and days will come
and days will turn
to weeks, then months
a year to burn
the only way
for this old lass
to ever move
beyond the pass

to go and read
the final pages
put to rest
her rock of ages
to do the only
thing she can
to free herself
from limbo land

She finds the book
upon her shelf
and opening
it for herself
She'll read the words
the man had written
years before
when he was smitten

on that page
and by his hand
a blessing that
he'd always planned
to read her on
her wedding day
the daughter he
would give away

"Be sure to love
the one you're with,
and this my girl
your wedding gift"
and tucked within
the jacket there
a little clipping
of her hair

a poem she'd done
when she was nine
and two more things
within the spine
a lock box number
and that key
this man, he loved
a mystery...

.@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@>@

Today she rides
upon the seas
and sails around
the Florida Keys
she drops her anchor
swims to shore
the waves won't scare her
anymore

and just last year
she met a guy
a salty sailor
with just one eye
he'd seen the movie
lived the book
this, not the ending
just the hook.

no, just go
please. keep on writing
sometimes slow
yet so inviting
I'm compelled to keep delighting
moon is full,  there's no use hiding

let the thoughts flow freely through you
open up and see what's in you
sometimes we don't know just how to
say what's meant and yet it's all true

every word is dreamlike flowing
meaning something deeper, knowing
what you need to say it's glowing
like the moon, not always showing.

so just go
please keep on writing