how the river cures
this malady of yearning

Quenching the thirst of a dried up old root
And where no fisherman goes hungry
That has ever cast his rod
And when the lonely and the sick come calling
We listen, with an open-ear, and nod

I’m spinning off the rails
At catastrophic speeds
Flying off the handle
To fulfill my childish needs
I’ve busted my back
I’ve paid my share; my dues
I no longer wish to offer up
My services to you
The flag I wave is of surrender
The universal sign of truce
My mind is fed up and tired of‬
‪This mental warfare of abuse ‬
Throw down your weapons
Your words can open doors
Instead of seeing bloodshed
While financing all their wars

I say this with a heavy heart
Destruction tears our world apart
Every layer peeled straight back
Under duress, under attack
Burning buildings, burning cars
Cuts so deep, they turn to scars
But the wound is still too fresh
Heavy pounding in my chest
Figuring out how to deal
With an unwanted guest
That leaves behind a mess
With no time to digest
The guns and bombs
And the men at arms
While trying to stay calm
Between the sirens and alarms

They run the tightest ship in Brunswick
The warden sees to that
Never one to say too much
Gossip, talk, or chat
He just goes about his business
Marking off his chart
Making sure that every inmate
That each one does his part

Daylight comes
Fresh and new
Spread vast over the land with dew
The clouds are scarce
The sky is blue
It’s where lovers love
And the flowers bloom
There’s dazzling colors
In plain sight; view
Offering up
Its sweet perfume

Get there with flare
Style and pizzazz
Spread your wings and fly
Towards the horizon
Past snow covered peaks
And wave with one hand, goodbye
Or run through the grass
Jumping off knolls
Into a somersault
Tumbles and rolls
Leave an impression
Wherever you go
And always be patient
No matter how slow

He stayed up in bed
He was smart and well read
He had very thick glasses
That he wore on his head
He tried to capture his dreams
To arrange and rearrange
Every thought he could think of
No matter how weird or strange
He managed to do it
It all now made sense
To take aim at the bleachers
And swing for the fence
He wasn’t an athlete
But he surely might try
To hit a home run, run the bases, and slide
His anticipation was growing
And the message was clear
He could take on the challenge
Or cower in fear
He instead chose the former
In turn, accepting his fate
He’d not only be good
But undoubtedly great!