I once was fresh and vital
Young and full of pep
I’d climb up the highest peak
Leaping each and every step
But today I sing a different tune
I sleep while I’m awake
And perish with unripened fruit
Now that I’m a dried up grape

Tranquility of the infinite
The all-knowing center eye
For the dream that lasts eternity
To live before we die
To avoid the tempting darkness
By capturing the light
And to harness it eternally
From morning dusk till night

The dessert was dressed and garnished
With a wafer, thin and crisp
Eaten by the mayor
Who spoke with a small lisp
He gobbled up the sweets
Then went on to make a speech
Of how to build up unity
And whom he’d like to reach
The children in the city
To the homeless on the streets
He told anyone who’d listen
And with that, he packed the seats
It’s how he swayed the voters
The election his to keep
Winning in a landslide
Will history repeat?

Along the open meadows
Near the trees lined in a row
Horses run and frolic
Like they did so long ago
They’re left alone, and free to roam
On acres of green grass
It’s sure to be, a sight to see
Anytime you pass
They’re big and bold
With manes of gold
They’re muscular and fast
They’re majestic and they’re statuesque
They’re elegant, with class

The seashell washed ashore
That rode in on the tide
Looking for a hermit crab
To seek shelter inside
A cover for protection
A most welcoming host
Then to head back to the ocean
And vanish off the coast

Writing is the chance to have my voice be heard
With a sentence, word for word
That I may speak my own ideas
In black and white, as it appears
And when I’m gone
My words will last
In the archives of days gone passed
When something old becomes again new
All written from my point of view

She set the night alight
She set the world ablaze
It all came second nature
In the most spectacular of ways
She took a vow of silence
But she had something to say
So she spoke a different language
With visual displays

Abundance and prosperity
Comforts built by smiles
Religion and conformity
Living in denial
Wears a mask of happiness
Shakes your hand in jest
Has a million new ideas
For you to invest
When you fail to see
The evil powers that be
They crack open your dome
Hid safe inside your home
And leave you there to die
Like garbage tossed aside
So be careful where you step
Speak your mind in depth
Speak clearly for the world to hear
No longer secrets kept
Now the world’s abuzz
We do what we must
To represent the working class
Predicated on their trust
Rising up to meet the snake
No need to make a fuss
But I stand; no longer sit
Through the grime and grit
Hands filthy even when washed
Shiny clean with spit
With terror in their eyes
Forces mobilized
Form a wall of blatant lies
And build it to the sky
Dare to make a scene
Working for the dream
They feed you on the television
Yet they know you sight unseen
Disregard the law?
They’ll be at your door
To lock you in a cage
Filling you with rage
The key got thrown away
That look upon your face
Tells of self defeat
And that the system can’t be beat

Freedom isn’t free
But all we want is more
When all the world can see
Is just another casualty of war
Between methodical submissions
To our ideals placed on hold
We’re all zombies walking aimlessly
Doing what we’re told
But I can sense the future
Past the horizon up ahead
No longer am I filled with hope
No, instead I’m filled with lead
Working for the minimum
Hungry, trying to get fed

The seagulls lift their wings to fly
Scavenging with their beady eyes
In a flock, above the beach
There’s nothing safe or out of reach
They’ll plot their course
They’ll take a risk
They’ll dive on in
For bread or fish
They’ll take and take
Then fly away
To try again another day

It happens around midnight
When the clock strikes twelve
Such a specific time of day
To be chiming from the shelf
Cuckoo bird peeking out
Percision and precise
Right on time
As it’s designed
A magnificent device

Poetry in motion
Plucked out of thin air
A waterfall of passion
Without worry or a care
A healthy liberation
As free as one can be
Floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee
Diamonds barely sparkle
Their radiance surpassed
So is it any wonder
That you’re equal to the task

You’re prone to laughter, causing grief
A joker and a common thief
Stealing hearts from trusting men
A confidant and a long time friend
Just to throw it all away
I tried to run, but had to stay
I wondered more about what I would say
If a world of color, turned to gray

I can’t comprehend it fully
What it takes to be a bully
It isn’t something I would ever do
They belittle the small and weak
Then turn the other cheek
And acts like that, really get me fumed
They say “be the bigger man”
But I say take a stand
And deliver with one punch a sonic boom

If home is where the heart is,
Then I am broken hearted
Home is where I long to be,
That’s where it all started
Home with trees and fences,
Family, and friends
Ever since I left; departed
My hearts been on the mend

His battle scars dug deeper still
Along the ridge and up the hill
He’d been up for days on end
He lost his will and lost close friends
He was last man standing
His body numb
He called for help
But there was none
So he sat
Awake and scared
He was lost inside
And unprepared
To walk the walk
To heal and mend
Those grueling days
The bitter end

I got artists hands
I got artists feet
I got no surrender
I got no retreat
Like Jack, I grew a beanstalk
Using magic seeds

Don’t stand in my way
I got some place to be
There’s no telling where I can go
Or who I can be
Or help me go where I want to go
If I only just believe

I spent time in the devils corner
But never once knew defeat
Looking back over my shoulder
For the ones who were chasing me
Now every time when I come around
They’re taking me more seriously
Because they know that I’m on fire
I combust spontaneously

So don’t stand in my way
I got some place to be
There’s no telling where I can go
Or who I can meet
To help me go where I want to go
If I only just believe

Took out the devils daughter
I asked her to marry me
Devil said “I’m going to get my gun
They’ll find you dead mysteriously”
Took her across the border
Chasing after both our dreams
Now this might sound a little peculiar
But nothing is as it seems

So don’t stand our way
We got some place to be
There’s no telling where we can go
Or who we can be
Or help us go where we want to go
If we only just believe

Had a baby with the devils daughter
Named her Angeline
Had her christened in holy water
Took up a new philosophy
Raised my hands up to the clouds
Screamed out victoriously
Said “I’m an artist from down below
Is there someone there that I can speak?”
God looked me in the eye
Said, “Son, you’re a freak!”

“I wouldn’t stand in your way
You’ve  got some place to be
There’s no telling what you can do
Or who you can be
Tell me where you want to go
But I recommend you come sit next to me”

Woke up the next morning
Back in New Orleans
And the girl sleeping in my bed
Was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen
And that’s when I said to myself
“That’s the last time I ever drink!”
It was all just a dream.

I’ve been coming under scrutiny
For starting up a mutiny
Before, I never had the time

I preached about our unity
And sought out my immunity
For never failing to commit a crime

I looked in your direction
You drew out my attention
And ever since
I want you to be mine

Take your time, don’t answer
Be my private dancer
Until one day
You up off and resign

Then I’ll play my favorite solo
Pay the final total
And everything will all work out just fine

The sun creeps over the horizon
Shines down on the sea
As if the sun were shy at first
Mixed in with curiosity
Yet, grows bolder with each moment
That goes passing by
Until finally, the sun is full in sight
Covering the sky

To you, I propose
To join me; making one
Together, we’ll fulfill our dreams
For my heart you’ve won
Please accept this token
A token of my love
A ring that’s made to shine
Just like the stars above
May it bring us peace and joy
May it free our minds
From now until eternity
Or until the end of time

Black and white
And neon lights
Vivid colors
Stars and stripes
Brighter days
And dim lit nights
Undiscovered
Or in plain sight
To be revealed
When the moments right

A guilty pleasure
His chance to peek
To see what secrets
Grown-ups keep
Threw the hole
He sits to see
But he mustn’t move
And he mustn’t speak
He knows that trouble
Would be in deep
And the lessons’ cost
Would not be cheap

A single dandelion seed
Gets carried by the breeze
That flies along the wind
But gets tangled in the weeds
And that’s where it sinks it’s teeth
With utter disbelief
And starts to grow a stem
Followed by a leaf
A complete and total metamorphosis
With maximum relief
Hell bent on growing old
But a moments time is brief

The stigma of my hysteria
Is a rollercoaster of a ride
The ups and downs
The ins the outs
And also side to side
It’s enough to make one nauseous
Completely sick to death
Not knowing how to cope at all
With the thoughts inside my head

I inspire with my drive
My enthusiastic fight to stay alive
I impress with a set of skills unmatched
My experience runs deep
I’m the lion amongst sheep
With the ability to walk a different path

Wilted roses flushed of life
Long are days they brought delight
Once filled with color, now with spite
Goes the evolution of their plight
Seems just yesterday they were in bloom
Tender touch and sweet perfume
Now left for dead and all consumed
From sunshine to a darkened gloom

Driven till destruction
The facade falls away
All the bits and pieces
Among the wreckage and decay
Driven into extinction
Cut open and displayed
As an industrial work of art
Bare bones and remains
The tires have grown tired
The rubber dried and strained
Plastic all now broken
Scattered like my brains
Upholstery torn and tattered
No two quite the same
Steering wheel in place
Nothing much else changed
Unlike forgotten memories
In the sunshine and the rain
There in all its glory
Painted, pinned, and framed

Medals of honor
Of allegiance and pride
Fought for, or earned
A recognition of lives
Of performers, performing
Their duty, through pain
To be adorned and admired
For goals achieved and attained
Through hardships, struggles, and toil
They still produced change
When they could’ve stood idle
Dormant and tame
But the lion inside them
Was ferocious, and roared
It demanded attention
It would not be ignored
The renegades, the heroes
The legends, the lore
A celebration of people
Who went beyond, and did more

The child was obstreperous
All throughout his days
He was a borderline miscreant
In oh so many ways
They gave him meds
To calm him down
To harness all his rage
Then one day it clicked
Despite the war he waged
And he grew into a fine young man
Freed from his ball and chain

The crowd stood still in awe
But what they failed to understand
Is that no rules or laws were broken
Just some slight of hand
A card trick or two
A disappearing act
Step aside folks
And enjoy the ride
As he pulls a rabbit from his hat

We drifted into the moment
Two passing ships gone by
Out into the great beyond
Under darkened skies
We drift into the horizon
Chasing after the sun
But it vanishes and is gone
Finished, complete, done

Staring into the twilight
A yellowish orange glow
Resigned to the horizon
By entering below
My line of sight
My rhythm; flow
To wherever it decides to go
And if with patience
It does not show
Then flip the script
And take control

Under the fog
In blades of grass
The bunny must decide
To continue on his current path
Or to hop and hide
Danger’s always lurking
Predators often thrive
He must do what he can
To continue to survive

Crickets in the quiet night
Wishing on a star
I grow silent as the autumn air
Captured in a jar
On to a winters eve
As December rears it’s head
With snowfall within hands reach
Nothing more need be said

I understand the rain
Its tears to ease its pain
In the form of droplets from the sky
When the clouds begin to cry
But with the sun brings hope
A vibrant glowing star
To warm and dry, those crying eyes
That make you who you are
I understand the rain
Too drab to entertain
And too lackluster of an appearance
To ever make a name
But it’s recognized on sight
Which contradicts my plight
To answer every call
When the rain begins to fall

Art is everywhere you look
Art is every living thing
The music in your ears
The songs that people sing
Art is in the buildings, the countryside, the hills
Art is filled with history
Art gives me the chills
Art is daring
Art is bold
Art is inspiration, waiting to explode
Art is paintbrush drawn with hand
Art is always in demand
Sold, if someone’s most impressed
Art is beauty, thoughts expressed

‪Her memories are fading‬
‪Her children are all grown‬
‪But they cannot be bothered‬
‪And the house is not a home‬
‪She wonders where the time has gone‬
‪And what still lies ahead‬
‪When just today she had trouble ‬
‪Getting out of bed‬
Her husband has been dead for years
She looked to him for all
She had everything invested
But had no crystal ball
She was helpless, scared, and lost
And she paid a heavy cost
Just in order to maintain some balance
She was alive, but dead inside
With nothing to decide
It’s been years since she last cried
It’s like she’s in a fog without a forecast of it clearing

Naked, I’m here baring all
When I tripped, I never knew how far I’d fall
I tried to be evasive
But my captors were persuasive
I couldn’t know that they would have the gall
To pluck me for no reason
Now I have a lesion
Going up and down the back of my skull

Cozy by the fire
Engulfed by your flame
You filled me with desire
Without knowing your name
Resting by a tree trunk
Lying in the sand
You, the woman of my dreams
Highly in demand
Sitting there, with auburn hair
Lying on the beach
I put you on a pedestal
Far beyond my reach
But I’d climb any mountain top
Until I reached its peak
Hovering above the clouds
Swept up off my feet
I’d go to any measure
If I had to, I would leap
Just to spend my time with you
I mainly play for keeps
I’d hope that you’d reciprocate
And not leave me to hang
Since I caught a glimpse of you
Things have never been the same

My hand in father’s hand  
As we stroll beneath the trees
Up and down the dirt path road
Amidst the evergreens
Which branch out near the bottom
Sharp and pointy at the top
Housing forest animals
Like Mother Nature’s prop
My fathers hand so strong
Grips hard and firm like steel
A kind and gentle man at heart
But his presence you can feel
We dip into the shadows
Until we disappear
Then resume our nature walk on foot
Strolling in the clear

I want to wake up in my dreams
sail the seven seas
Put paint on the canvas
Make a masterpiece
I want to wake up in my dreams
Flying over trees
Dancing with the butterflies
hair blowing in the breeze
I want to wake up in my dreams
where the outcome comes with ease
I want to take each day as if my last
and let my soul be free

Today’s world might seem bleak and grim
Without much color, decor, or trim
Yet there are things that still fill my heart to the brim
That nature provides seemingly on a whim
Like the birds, the trees, the fields of grass
And the mountains, sky, and their sheer mass
When the moments arrive and the moments pass
Stop for a second, because life goes fast
Smell the roses, count to 10
Then continue on, back again
Take a breath and take a bow
And live in the moment because the time is now

From the moment that I saw her
It was her radiant allure
Having left a trail of broken hearts
In pieces on the floor
It added to her mystique
Her abilities, and more
Whispers heard from ear to ear  
Grew her legend and her lore

He’s accepted his condition
That’s hindered his ambition
Putting on an exhibition
Rooted deep within tradition
He takes on all opposition
Then redefines the definition
Making his own rendition
Using verbal ammunition
Thoughts he’d hide away from others
Which contradicts his inhibition
There isn’t that much thought involved
It’s his own conscious decision
To spread the love, the vision
Of an unsigned Welsh musician
That’s still overcoming obstacles
And put in an unwanted imposition
Yet, he continues on his mission
Turning dreams into fruition
Rising tides so big, they’re renvolutionized
Based in facts, not superstition

Disintegration of my foundation  
Leads to thoughts and contemplation
Of the nation and it’s *******
Which just leads to more frustration
A puff of smoke; inhalation
Leads to more reiteration
Of lessons learned
And of our own creation
Destination to inevitable annihilation

Mother nature on full display
By way of a tidal-wave
Enamored by its splendor
This heavyweight contender
The power it possesses
And the obliteration rendered
Washing away our memories
Our future, our dreams
Mother Nature is by no means
As innocent as she seems

How can I fill that void within?
Consume knowledge, so my head won’t spin
Why do I reach and grab for air?
Conduct my life, that I deem not fair
When will I heed my own advice?
Advance in life and not think twice
Where will I go? What will I do?
Have a dream I must pursue
What will I say, not hold my tongue?
Breathe in air with my iron lung
And if I do not adapt soon
Will I fall ill to my impending doom?

Off to stay at the bungalow
Come rain, or sleet, or snow
That’s the place we always go
When Summertime comes around
A Long tumultuous trip
To get there just passed dusk
With lakes and streams
And front porch swings
And metal turned to rust