Beaten and busted
Loved all the same
Fabric and cotton
With an obvious name
Teddy, the teddy bear
Had seen better days
He’d been through the ringer
He’s mangled in ways
But with a pure heart
Soft as could be
These memories
Have stood longest with me

The painting manifested
Into a work of art
Encompassing the beauty
That was envisioned from the start
Hummingbirds fly feverishly
Around emerald green sachets
Which drape over divinity
In the most complimentary of ways

I’m approaching a doorway
With the doors now ajar
That’s been protecting the contents
Of a once fallen star
They tried to contain it
But the bright light shone through
They were told not to enter  
But their curiosity grew  
A sacrifice, a martyr
With caution, subdued
They burnt into ashes
As if right on cue

I’ve come unraveled
I’ve come undone
I’ve been burned by more than just the sun
I’ve made mistakes
I’m not immune
My walking music’s out of tune
It’s as if I don’t know what to do
What it is, I want to pursue
So I dillydally, and wait my turn
I guess some people never learn
Thanks so much for your concern
But my urge is gone, set fire, burned
Extinguished for posterity
And sealed tightly with a kiss
In a hundred years
There’s not a chance
I’ll be remembered well or missed

There are few things that give me peace
Like the hesitation, just before release
Having comfort in my skin and home
The two places I spend my nights alone
What’s unbeknownst, will set me free
Instead of mulling over my misery
Filled with broken hearts, and catastrophe
Not trophies for my victories

I can’t get over our insignificance
What’s it all matter for?
What’s the purpose of our being?
Who’s tallying up the score?
What’s my motivation?
Why’s there rich and poor?
What’s inside Pandora’s box?
What lies behind each door?
A speck of dust on a speck of dust
On a speck of dust we are
In a universe containing
An immense amount of stars
The number is too lofty
The mind can’t hold a grip
Of the infinite amount of knowledge
We’re simply unequipped
We couldn’t fathom
Couldn’t grasp
The swarms of trillions
The size, the mass
And here we are on planet earth
The weak, the strong
A death, a birth
Evaluating what we’re worth
Until we’re buried under dirt
There are no answers for the questions
But someone has to ask
Nothing lasts forever
So let’s enjoy and have a blast!

The fear is severe
When the unknown’s unclear
Until we gather our gear  
Then ****, disappear  
Into the night
While traveling light
Solemn; contrite
But well equipped for the fight
The battle of self
With poor mental health
A monopoly of wealth
For the pills that get dealt
Out of the cupboard  
And into our hands  
Along with the side effects  
And a list of demands
There may be reactions
They’ll come out in waves
Searching out healing
What the body most craves

Staring at a ticking clock
Wondering where the time has gone
Instead of living for each moment
And pretending to belong
The monkey looks
The stork rolls dice
The view around the room looks nice
I took two looks
I looked twice
Then fell in love and paid the price

Somewhere in the distance
The world comes to an end
Some call it a horizon
Some call it their only friend
Either way, the sun will set
The moon will rear its head
And gleam just like a lamppost light
Through the window on my bed

I’ve avoided the places that clutter my mind
While getting lost in the labyrinth
With walls too high to climb
A large maze of my thoughts
With shivers down my spine
In the cold early morning
When I feel most alive

‪A clock reminds us that time never stops ‬
‪Never forgoes it’s hold‬
‪So take time to read ‬
‪It may plant a seed‬
‪Of ideas that continue to grow ‬
‪There’s no time like the present ‬
‪Or a particular segment ‬
‪Of time to relinquish control ‬
‪So squeeze every minute ‬
‪While you’re still in it ‬
‪And you have some semblance of soul‬

There’s no one breaking down my door
Believe me, rest assured
That if they showed the current score
Your jaw would drop and hit the floor
It’s unfathomable to think
I could just see a shrink
For all of the many thoughts I have
That have me on the brink
The brink of destruction
The brink of despair
The brink of extinction
And I don’t even care
Broken and beaten
Unfit to fight
I’ll pour on the gas
And watch it ignite
Not to die as a martyr
Just to shed light
To a life without meaning
And a death out of spite

I caught a bit of a breeze
When I noticed shaking leaves
In the evening, before the sun went down
We were in for a cool night ahead
So, I wrapped myself up and laid in bed
With big blankets and pillows underneath
Cozy by the fire, until we fell asleep

I made a mistake
I trusted a snake
That slithered and hissed
Was conniving and fake
He reared and he bit
Uncoiled and spit
His venomous poison
Right where I sit
By what has transpired
The situation is dire
I need the anti-venom quite quickly
Before I expire

The words fly off the pages
The pages fly out of the book
Becoming doves towards heaven
At first glance or look
The sunlights on the water
The sailboat sets its sail
On to great adventures
That’ll someday turn to tales
About the fierce encounter
With the granddaddy of whales
🐳
Or the serpents in the water
The shark fins in plain sight
Then there’s the squid 🦑 with its long tentacles
That put up the biggest fight
These are tales that will be read
In books with written word
Then all will know first hand accounts
From the sailers that returned

You can lead a horse to water,
However, you can not make him read
Unless of course, that same horse
Joins a book stampede
With flamingos, turtles, monkeys, elephants, and geese
All carriers of literature
Carrying three, four books apiece
Ingrained in imagination
When nursery rhymes made sense
Hidden between the pages
Is where the situation’s best
The anticipation of conclusion
The ending of the tale
Will it be successful?
Or like so many others, fail?

The pages lift our conscious mind
Through stories that stand the test of time
Truth and tales can both be found
On pages that are leather bound
Imagination is in full effect
And is often how our time is spent
A holiday, or some time alone
Can inform with more knowledge known

I daydream in my daydreams
About the bright light up ahead
That’s even bright when my eyes are shut
Or just lying in my bed
I daydream on a colossal scale
Great goals to reach and more
But the light always shines its brightest when one is on the coastal shore

Time fades away
The wind blows the sand
Into forever
As the clock turns it’s hand
I stand alone in the silence
The tickings gone dim
It’s my quest for survival
And my chances are slim
I’ll take the odds
If it’s all the same
And live for each moment
While the moments remain

Two illuminated butterflies
Are dancing in the air
Giving off an orange glow
To which nothing else compares
Frolicking and fluttering
Around the humans hands
That are reaching out to touch them
Or to see if one will land

She walked in puddles
Under the willows in the rain
With an umbrella, for the weather
Walking down the lane
Her cottage around the bend
With chimney stacks; red
A short walk to reach comfort
For a hot meal and soft bed
She wore a simple yellow dress
Not dressed to impress
Because she knew the weather forecast for the day
She entered into her home
Made of mortar, bricks, and stone
An inviting home, in every sort of way
She settled down to rest
And wasn’t expecting any guests
When she heard a sudden knock ✊🏻 upon the door
She was startled quite a bit
The porch light wasn’t lit
So she couldn’t make out who it was for sure
She asked who it was out loud
But didn’t hear a sound
And that only made her concerned that much more
She turned on the porch light
There was nothing there in sight
But the knock was way too loud to ignore
So she went and got a knife
To fend off for her life
Or for whatever they had in mind or in store
Then came broken glass
A man was coming fast
Now that he had worked his way into the house back door
She screamed for all to hear
But her voice had disappeared
She was frozen in her fear
And quite as a mouse
🐭
He chased, she swung
They fought, he won
And now that man is sleeping soundly on the couch
He knew it wasn’t good
When she was lying in her own blood
When he woke up and saw what he had done the next day
He took some time to think
Had several high proof drinks
And decided to keep her as a conversation piece
ashtray


It’s sad when evils done
And even sadder when it wins
But now that story’s over
So a new one can begin

It was only for a moment
Less than a second of our lives
That our two paths crossed
In a place where love thrives
But the moment never lasts
As time does take it’s toll
When you grabbed me by the heart
Without ever letting go

There’s truth hidden below the dust
That’s gathered over time
There’s unspoken words that never need be said
There’s secrets covering lies
By spies who’ve centralized
That use metaphors
To send mixed signals to your head

I left her there in the dust
What I thought was love
was just lust
I believed only her I could trust
About intimate secrets discussed
But she sold me out for a price
What she said wasn’t very nice
Before I trust again, I’ll think twice
Too scared of rolling the dice

Feet touch down on brittle ground
Dried up from the drought
Waters scarce from scorching heat
No water from the spout
The sun is fierce without a cloud
To shade the light of day
Leading to the cracks in earth
Across the dirt and clay

Between the blades of grass
On a sun-rich day
Where flowers are done blooming
And the hare hop free in spades
There is an open meadow
Where memories are made
And magic tends to happen
In early June, late May

He gathered all his knowledge
Of what it means to be
The center of attraction
Without causing a scene
He wrestled with rejection
While still chasing his dreams
Crying for salvation
Unafraid to scream
He picked up all the pieces
While learning how to breathe
And upon further consideration
In a harsh reality
He shouted towards the heavens
Dropping to his knees
Begging and repeating
On just how much it means
To be dependent on the outcome
Of a long forgotten dream

You are a whisper in the chaos
A tender, lonesome, dove
Always a bit obscure
However, full of love
You are the seeker of horizons
In an endless sky above
A survivor of the mayhem
When push comes to shove
But love shall overcome
Of this, I’m certain of

He saw it clear as day
Even in the night
Visualizing everything
He aimed to bring to light
Each step he had to take
Grasping, holding tight
To the promises he made
After putting up a fight
With a goal to be achieved
When it seems nothing’s going right
Or when doubters; non believers
Disregard you out of spite
That’s when things get clearest
That’s when dreams take flight
Then putting pen to paper
Turning into a passion overnight
When all ideas flow freely
With whichever hand you write
And with a flicker of a finger
We watch it all ignite

Tattooed on her shoulder
Was a colorless rose
Outlined as if it were dying
Given its pose
Hunched and dejected
By the path that it chose
Just to end up as colorless
And the ghost of a rose

Resting teddies under sheets
Blankets tucked in tight
Bunny rabbit counts his sheep
That leap, to sleep, at night
Little teddy smiles in bed
Big teddy wears a frown
They lie awake, with different takes
While bunnies safe and sound….   asleep

The reenactment of something beautiful
Was a preeminent show of life
An oscar worthy performance
On stage, under lights
The roses tend to fall, but lift
The spirit from down below
And a thunderous applause, at length
Can be felt deep inside your soul

They tell me you have ****** eyes
That I should look away
That you’re a victim and a killer too
That I should hope and pray
My instincts are to vacate
To dissipate and flee
Not sure where it all may lead
But I’m curious to see

My fear was evanescent
But it happened all the same
Shouting out my own inadequacies  
Wondering who’s to blame
Instead of being whimsical
While dancing in the rain
If just not to face reality
And return from whence I came
Back to meet my maker
The collector of my soul
I’d leave today if it were up to me
But I have yet to meet my goal
To overcome my obstacles
And forgive my biggest foes
And to strip myself of armor
And be totally exposed

It’s the illusion of protrusion
A not so subtle hint
Something that’s so massive
You barely need to squint
It’s visually appealing
It’s precious, worth a mint
It’s worthy of chasing after
Whether a marathon or sprint
There is no serendipity
There is no second chance
Only becoming a believer
Based off of happenstance

Meet me on the other side of your boundaries
Where vulnerability resists
And the passage to your beating heart
Is proof that one exists
Or meet me in the middle
So that I may soothe your pain
And combat what’s been ailing you
That made you become what you became
The essence of your being
The crystal ball within
The end of the beginning
And the beginning of the end
It at least will serve its purpose
Like when meetings are adjourned
To focus on the soulless
And to all of those concerned

He never felt harassed
By the bonny little lass
Who was distant and detached
Because of her troubled past
He loved her all the same
Smiled at the mention of her name
They had long kisses in the rain
With little chat
He asked her for her hand
Which came highly in demand
But she took off and she ran
And that was that

The crack of the whip
Doesn’t sit well
With whiskers or kittens
Or a cat-o’-nine-tails
Leather and laughter
In a distinct frenzied smell
Wrapped up in ribbons
In a hard candy shell
Was it an omen
Or can’t you tell
If it was more of an archway
Than a gateway to hell

Prisons built by prisoners
Who also act as guards
While running interference
That most will disregard
Confined to the matrix
Where freedom isn’t free
And where brainwashing is abundant
At peak capacity
A form of communication
Where no one is to speak
Profiting the rich
By abolishing the weak

I know I know too little
A minuscule amount
In order to commingle
Without having a doubt
Just some basic knowledge
So I can fit in
And communicate with others
Behind a crooked grin
Showing I have interest
In the subject that’s at hand
Spoken very slowly
So that I can understand

As the year comes to a close
Another year starts anew
With new resolutions
And dreams to pursue
A celebration of ending
For what we’ve been through
And a new understanding
Of what we must do
So walk in the footsteps
Of another man’s shoes
While accepting the change
When you’ve paid all your dues
And sing to the heavens
To drown out the blues
So that your prayers will be answered
And not misconstrued

Will I sit and reminisce
About the opportunities I missed
When focusing on what’s wrong instead of right
Will I stumble all through life
With my struggles and my strife
To end up old and bitter out of spite
Or will I concentrate and learn
Ways that I can earn
A living, and turn around my plight
I must be methodic and precise
Without having to think twice
About how to get my fire to ignite
So I’ll stand up and be strong
And face whatever comes along
Then you can stand back, and watch me taking flight

A streamline strip of light
Streaks across the sky
The star I see is shooting
Then gone without a goodbye
I have that star to thank
For lifting my head up high
To gaze in awe and wonder
And amazement all combined
Asking questions to the universe
Half expecting a reply
With the earth firmly below me
It couldn’t hurt to try

I played a ****** on a fiddle
I plucked a concert harp
To play melodies that strike a cord
And see if there’s a spark
A connection to your ear and heart
Until you can’t tell the two apart
A symphony of both sight and sound
A perfect work of art

The inner glow of oval eternity
Saturated in love
A child’s first communion
Connecting with the above
Expressing every phenomenon within
Telepathically relayed
And just before the moments gone
Can a bond be made

I am the noisemaker
The loud, obnoxious sound
That heightens the awareness
Of those that stand around
Putting off pretenders
The defenders behind masks
That reside and hide in solitude
From questions no one asks

I was sent to spend my days
In a partly hidden cave
In the woods somewhere far from out of town
Not for reasons bad
It was simply all they had
To offer me, but I’m not currently sleeping safe and sound
Icicles are sharp
It’s really very dark
And sometimes the ice falls to the ground
But I’m inspired by the light of day
Which makes the darkness fade away
So I could make my great escape
From conformity abound

Our viciousness may be our demise
As we’re malcontent and compromised
Seeing things with bloodshot eyes
Before our last goodbyes
What we perceive to be as strong
Has been weakening all along
When what we hear are cries, not song
Our passion fades away

Costume jewelry
Beads and pearls
A pretty gown
A twist
A twirl
A million ways
To right the world
Let’s start with number one
Let’s dissipate all fears
I’m open to ideas
On what to do to change the way things are
Whether near or far
Wishing on a star
Praying that it won’t leave a scar as proof
Proof that it was here
For many many years
They tell us what we want to hear
Just not the truth
The staging is all set
Moving forth without regret
While it’s prevalent
And I’m somewhat in my youth
When the damage has been done
And the stars replace the sun
That will allow us to regroup and recoup

Is it tomorrow yet?
Have I woken up too soon?
To see the yellow sunlight
That illuminates the room
I’m unaware of my surroundings
I’m in a spun cocoon
With the outcome to be beautiful
And avoid impending doom