Stored deep inside my memory bank
Are my memories of her
A reconstructed cocktail
You need only to stir
To jostle my brain
The despair and the rage
And render it clear
From anymore pain
Remembering the good
A smile, a wink
And a good conversation
That made me think
Her caring, her kindness
The love of my life
Taken too soon
And just doesn’t feel right

I wish I was in love
Or just the feeling of
The euphoric bliss
The sultry kiss
Together, when push comes to shove

I wish I were elite
Head down to my feet
The hero of the day
While bringing color to my gray
Completely mesmerizing
In your own special way

Powerful pictures
Can be seen with the eyes
Theres universal displeasure
For the incessant lies
They tease us with tall tales
Promises and bribes
But all that they’re producing  
Is the country’s own demise
They wear masks with smiles
Then sell us the dream
But the evil’s always lurking
And they are not who they seem
So take notice of photos
They may be all that we have left
For the path that we have chosen
Breeds contempt and neglect

Those cemetery gates
Iron bars of wrought
Climbed over by hooligans
Some of them, they caught
Others, they went missing
Never to return
Some say they were eaten
Others say they’re in hell getting burned

They travel towards the sky
As expression of our mood
Explosive bits of joy, ascending
Past the full lit moon
An enormous color spectrum
Magnificent and loud
A demonstration of celebration
As we stand together, proud

My story is an oddity
A cool saga; epic tale
despite the misconceptions
I’m no savior to the frail
Just a humble servant
Too stubborn to fail
Wandering through the universe
Sizing up to scale

I’m mired in new war decals
Complete from head to toe
Most of them are anti-war
But some of them are pro
Where there’s conflict
There’s unrest
I’m not easily impressed
We need love
We need a splash in the pan
A gunman undercover
And some coffee in a can
We need joy
A crack of the whip
One solitary lover
That’s pretty well equipped
We need hope
A crash on the shore
An anti-revolution
And the reason that it’s for

Running free in high spirits
Their manes flow in the breeze
Together in herds
On the vast open greens
The mares fall in place
As the stallions lead the way
Through fjords and through valleys
They prance and they play
At one with the landscape
Cohesive, untamed
Loose and unbothered
By rigid constraints

The tree stands alone
It’s only ever known
This place as it’s home
So it starts to wonder
Are there any others
Am I free to go
Then it wears a frown
Realizing it’s got its roots
Planted firmly in the ground
So it stands alone
The wind that blows
The only friend it knows

In the winter I shiver
From morning till night
Near the frozen river
That glimmers on sight
It’s not for beginners
On thin sheets of ice
As the stars shine and shimmer
Like diamonds; quite bright
Using only slightly a sliver
Of silver and gold
To enhance the quality
Of a cold piece of stone
And entice the giver
With no cold nights alone
While being kept warm by the fire
Inside our new home

I still hide you in my poetry
Through the lines and curves
You’re in each letter written
An honor you deserve

I still hide you in my poetry
In every single word
Because not to have you in my poetry
Is a thought I deem absurd

I still hide you in my poetry
Through each gap and nook
Because you’re in each thought
that’s in my mind
And you’re everywhere I look

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

He begged her to stay quiet
He had a lot to lose
He gave an ultimatum
An honest chance to choose
She chose a lavish lifestyle
Loud pocketbooks and shoes
He had plans to trick her
An elaborate, calculated ruse
But the tension grew too heavy
What if he’s accused!?
For pushing her off the building
Then blaming it on the boos
He took some time to ponder
What on earth to do
Then he made up, in his mind
To never tell the truth

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

I journeyed and took off to uncharted lands
To quench my thirst and my list of demands
I traveled the planet by myself all alone
Just to make it back to the place I call home
Where there’s comfort and solace and freedom to roam
Familiar surroundings that say I’m in my zone
I’ve got home-cooked meals and a comfortable bed
The place I call home is where I lay my head
I’ve come back to the town of which I once fled
With a new strong desire to paint the town red

You make me want to spend
Tease my inner beast
Hold you down, restraining
Biting flesh for feast
You conjure up my feelings
To escape; release
All my inmost inhibitions
Until I find some peace
And realize all life’s secrets
That put my mind at ease

I’m in line on the runway waiting to take flight. Not sure where I’ll be landing or what the weather will be like. Will I reach my destination? Will I get up off the ground? Will I slowly make my way or will I reach the speed of sound? Will I seek out self-destruction and contribute to my own demise? Will I believe in all I hear or what I see with my own eyes? Will my life be good to me?
Will I grow up strong?
Or will I be proven right for what I knew all along?

Dim lit lights on an empty street
There aren’t shadows in the rain
A maniac is on the loose
He’s no longer being detained
He’s on his way home
To seek his revenge
In a homicidal fit of rage
So be sure to lock the doors
As not to put fuel on to the flames

A view of all the city
Looks like ant farms far away
And all of its complexity
Where some might go astray
Take in all the scenery
The horizon, passed the bay
Breathe in and get comfortable
And know that all will be okay
In the end, nothing more matters
Up the hills with rolling hay
Far away from city life
Is where I want to stay

I asked if she was happy
She said “she’d never been”
I said “is that your final answer”
Then she looked at me and grinned

There was no dress rehearsal
Life was coming fast
No time to sit and wallow
Over events of the past

She sat there filled with wonder
Like a kid on Christmas Day
Filled with thoughts of passion
For the intimacy she craved

She’d become a nonbeliever
A penny for your thoughts
He was a champion deceiver
Until the day that he got caught

That was the basis of her sadness
As I could clearly see
That’s when I held her in my arms
And said “you’re safe with me”

She swallowed a star and spit out a wish
Then said with a scowl and a raised arm and fist
“My dreams should come true, and my wishes be met”
Then she dodged all my questions like a goalie deflects
I varied my angles
I was upfront and direct
But she shunned my advances with abandoned neglect
So I took off my gloves, and I pleaded my case
She looked in my eyes and we got face-to-face
Then she turned, and she left, for her trip into space
And I was voted to savior of the whole human race

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 reveled until daybreak
They drank, and sang, and cheered
They welcomed anyone to join
Offering everyone a beer
A smile that’s so inviting
Completely, and utterly sincere
May as well see what’s going on
And gauge the atmosphere

You’re my object of desire
You’re my succulent, my sweet
My friend for every battle
In which we’ve never met defeat
You’re the air in which I breathe
My every want and need
You’re the love they tell in fairy tales
In every book you read
You’re my heart and passion
Of this, I will concede
You’re the red I see in roses
And my bandage when I bleed
You’re the fire in my sternum
The flash of sudden heat
The one that gives me goosebumps
Every time we meet
And that is nonrefundable
You can’t take back what’s truly mine
The feeling that you give to me
Every time you come to mind

How do I begin to explain
The spark that you turn into flame
You’re my only desire
That ignites my fire
My only hope is that you feel the same
I long for your kiss
The touch of your hand
Walking the beaches with our feet in the sand
You’re my lover, my friend
Until the end
And you make me feel like a man

Cherries, berries, nuts, and cream
Dipped in chocolate, what a dream
Milk, and sugar, and cocoa butter
Chocolate tastes, like no other
Some will say that vanilla’s better
They need to get their act together
Cold, or hot, or melted down
Chocolate’s king, and wears the crown

I swim in ink and paper pools
You’re the queen of hearts
I’m the king of fools
Whisper as the pages turn
Feel the lust, the yearn, the burn
Whimsical, without concern
Mistakes made and lessons learned
Then punctuate my stained veneer
As the letters one by one appear
Don’t drown in ink and paper pools
Explore your mind and become consumed
Walk in someone else’s shoes
And see things from all points of view

‪When the train runs off the tracks‬
‪When the odds are too high stacked‬
‪When the tide runs low‬
‪Yet, the tears still flow ‬
‪Keep resisting the attacks
‪Whether self induced ‬
‪Or sustained abuse ‬
‪Find peace in where you’re at‬
‪Stay safe from harm‬
‪In extended arms‬
‪By those that have your back
And if you can’t find love
At home, or above  
At least find peace and love within
For life is short
So why resort
To live in hell within your skin?
‬

I crumpled
I shattered
I split into two
I spun out of control
With a nice front row view
It was nothing that new
But I already knew
There was no more I could do
No one more to pursue
So I gave up my happy
And developed my sad
Because when she left
She took all that I had
All of my spirit
All of my will
She left me bitter and salty
To swallow my pill
Was this my creation
Was it brought onto myself
Did I get way too greedy
Did I squander my wealth
Did I don the right mask
Did I laugh? Did I smile
Or did we just grow too distant
As our problems compiled
Well, whatever it was
And what it shall be
Is that there’s finally peace
And I’m free to be me

Mother bird builds her nest
Sticks, and twigs, and feathered crest
Camouflaged well, for the eggs she protects
All while prepared for whatever comes next

Hidden away high up in the trees
On a thick sturdy branch
surrounded by leaves
She tends to her eggs for whatever they need
And keeps them afar from any sly thieves
While singing love songs with the greatest of ease

Mother bird, she’s soft and clean
Vibrant, yet seldom seen
She clings to her tasks
But still has her dreams
Of all that’s real and make-believe

And if and when her tasks complete
She’ll revel in her ambiguity
Turning something ugly into beauty
And living each day wild and free

The mirror shows the face I almost know
I seem to recognize from a long time ago
He looks familiar, like a guy I once knew
But I’d never dare to take a step or walk a day in his shoes
He had it rough growing up
But he made it out fine
He stayed under the radar and never did time
Except for the time in his head
And the struggle within
And feeling discomfort inside his own skin
That I can’t handle
That’s when I quit
Cause who the hell has any time for that ****?

An iceberg floats at level seas
But what you can’t see, lies just beneath
An untold story of catastrophe
That ripples the waves with a stiff breeze
And robs you of your humanity
Just like robbers or petty thieves
They’ll leave you hopeless, down on your knees
As you sit there and you beg and plead
For things you know you can’t achieve

A man could lose his mind
Hanging out with Father Time
Knowing that his day would surely come
But until that very day
He’ll have much more to say
Even if it’s marching to the beat of a different drum

‪Her tears were shed‬
‪By what he said‬
‪As he turned to walk away ‬
‪He was harsh and bitter‬
‪Without thoughts considered ‬
‪As he had many things to say‬
But ‪something occurs ‬
‪When weapons are words‬
‪And all colors turn into gray‬
‪It’s a persons right ‬
‪To stand up and fight‬
‪Making the world a much nicer place‬

‪Just below the treetops‬
‪A nest of jet black crows‬
‪Are nestled in the branches ‬
‪As not to be exposed ‬
‪They’re a metaphor for longing ‬
‪For a connection of some kind‬
‪A slight telepathic notion‬
‪Unlocked by the mind‬
‪Once they are connected ‬
‪Over lengths and lengths of time‬
‪The crows decide to migrate ‬
Just by reading telltale signs

I let it win
It took control
I held it without letting go
It held me back
The fear surpassed
The closing act
To events of past
I gathered strength
I forged ahead
Continued on with life instead
I carried on
With scars as proof
Now just faded events
Of a forgotten youth

Reminiscing of days past
Through broken frames
And shattered glass
The spectacle
The all too familiar scene
The twisting plot
My hopes and dreams
A chance to ask to be redeemed
If I only had the means
Meandering through social thought
Glasses fogged with steam
Taking in the panoramic view
The likes I’ve never seen

Under the cover of the tall elm trees
A hallow path is set
To walk through and be guided
Without certain harm or threat
The path is dark and dingy
With echoes haunting sound
Bouncing off the bark facade
Of every tree around

I pray the day will never come
When I somehow cannot smile
Being undisturbed
Conflicts not my style
But it’s true I haven’t had a good fight in a while
So I scrummage up some courage
That I had many years back when
And I stand in solidarity
With whom many I call friends
I’ll fight for your freedom
As I hope you would fight for mine
We’re together in this battle
And together we’ll be fine

Searching in the distance
For a sign or subtle clue
This mermaid panders outwardly
Seeking out her proof
The existence of a two legged man
Or so the tales been told
A story she’s heard for years and years
Since she was three years old

Art is motivational
Creation by design
An opened door philosophy
Keyed into your mind
Color, contrast, illusions
Bended squiggly lines
Shapes turn into new energy
Giving form its life

I stood and watched in disbelief
I couldn’t help but stare
The perfect image; specimen
Completely naked; bare
She was a stunning beauty
With pouty lips and long blonde hair
But alas I couldn’t have her
No one said that life was fair

‪Achieving peace is no easy task‬
‪It’s contagiously spread throughout ‬
‪Both land and sea, respectively ‬
‪That’s what it’s all about‬
‪Calm, serine, like a waking dream ‬
‪No need to scream and shout‬
‪Just birds in air, without a care‬
‪Vanquishing all doubt‬

His body could not contain
The thoughts within his brain
He must diffuse the news
It’s too hard to refrain
When all is said and done
When there is no one left that hasn’t heard
There’s still anticipation
Before each and every word

‪The fires lit‬
‪The sparkles fly‬
‪The only question is‬…
‪For how much time? ‬
‪Enjoy the moment ‬
‪While it lasts ‬
‪Memories, they form our past‬
‪See brilliant colors ‬
‪In the moments shared‬
‪It can’t be purchased ‬
‪By a billionaire ‬
‪It’s celebrations ‬
‪It’s feelings felt‬
‪And being at peace with yourself ‬

or run rampant
Act a fool
Decide the rules don’t apply to you
be resistant
Runamuck
Maybe you’ll have better luck
But always question
Never trust
The world we live
Is not kind and just
Be resourceful
Be aware
Try not to be caught unprepared

And if life hits you
Disregard, don’t react
They’ll just drink up the teardrops
Then manipulate facts
Use wit if you have it
Wisdom reveals gold
Someone once said that
That shattered the mold
An out of box thinker
Who’s expression is art
That can’t be hung on the wall
But felt in your heart
A pendulum *******
Not a battle, a dance
of light and dark shadows
While giving patience a chance

Blind leading the blind
A tale as old as time
Hate breads hate
We ourselves create
Because we welcome in the lies

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

Moonlight blue
Over a white drenched earth
Winter’s here
For what it’s worth
Snow and sleet
Log cabin heat
A vacation home well built
Our final chance to get away
Snow up to the hilt
An escape from the every day
If only for Gods will
And a small attempt
To extend our youth
If only for the thrill

A moment of reflection
A distant memory
You can kiss goodbye those yesterdays
They’ve been swallowed by the sea
I was swooped up by a gale
A forceful gust of wind
I remained cool, calm, and collective
With a Cheshire grin
A twinkle in my eye
As I contemplated sin
A whispered little murmur
I’m ready begin