What do you see when you're looking back at me?
A smile so personified
You're unaware you've been deceived

But if you look deep into my eyes
You'll catch a cloudy undertone
A sadness that you'd never guess
Is mixed with the grandest rage you'll ever know

The mask we wear acts as a filter
To shield others from the truth
But the most jovial of my days
Were lost way back in my youth

The smile, a reminder
Of days from long ago
No longer any relevance
****** into the undertow

Inside the belly of a whale
My life ended, as a meal?!
Let's take a look back on it now
And all that it entailed

To quote the great Captain Ahab
"Thar she blow"!
Or the Doors' Jim Morrison, who said "This is the strangest life I've ever known"

To send away the demons
You must cast the first stone
But be sure to have a witness
Never try it while alone

This ensures your safety
Keep your distance from the scene
Maybe you'll wake tomorrow
And it will all have been a dream

Be sure to check all of your limbs
Try remaining in one whole piece
Compelling as this may seem
Still no need to call a priest

Nor the admiral of the Navy
Or our commander in chief
They'd just as soon have you locked away
Right after they've been briefed

Thrown inside the dungeon
Tossing away the keys
Oh, you'll have your day in court
With a story that not a soul believes

Instead just hold your head down
Walk away, sight unseen
Accept it as a learning tool
Claim you were only being green

The curiosity of a cat
Landed you inside the belly of the beast
And if you hadn't thought quickly on your feet
You'd have been a savory feast

However unbelievable
This somehow is the truth
Not just another fairytale
But be sure to have some proof

Something from your journey
Something visible and real
Unfold it like an onion
Shed a tear with every peel

Help to remove every layer
Until you reach its core
No more self discovery
For you to explore

Just misguided youth
Pent up energy in spades
Clear of all transgressions
That caused you to disengage

Fall back on your laurels
Wash away the mange
Look over the horizon
Start fresh and turn the page

Reread every chapter
With the knowledge you now hold
Except this time around
Try doing what you're told

You'll be shocked by what you see
No more cloudy haze
No more hiding behind masks
Only clarity for days.

Like a boat
I thirst
Parched in life
Since birth
Mouths gone dry
Under cloudless skies
So barren I could burst
Brittle like the earth
End scene in the play of life
Where nothings been rehearsed

Trivial

Trivial

Nothings unexplained

So many times I’ve asked how?
Before I realized there’s a way.

So many times when people, have left me in dismay.

Overcoming fear; being unafraid

All of those unhappy, until they made a change

No longer getting hurt, when we stopped to ease the pain

No longer getting wet, when we step out of the rain

Overcoming obstacles; getting out of our own way

Not putting off tomorrow, what you can do today

Giving others credit, without throwing any shade

Taken from the wild, in order to be tamed

Building up the courage, to set aside the shame

Content with who you are,
Instead for seeking out false fame

All can be explained

All can be explained

‪Buildings, count them, one by one ‬
‪Down the narrow streets ‬
‪A vast array of colors ‬
‪On the façade of the concrete ‬

‪Independent structures ‬
‪A motley of abodes ‬
‪Close to one another ‬
‪But decently exposed ‬

‪All the roofs and windows ‬
‪All the chimneys and the doors‬
‪All built by men in dungarees ‬
‪Like the men who came before

Just a moment of silence please
No point in looking back
Prayers for all our fallen men
For their-heroic acts

Dreams were lost in battle
Fathers, brothers, sons
How are we to carry on
With no more smoking guns?

There’s simplicity in chaos
Our bodies still feel numb
Underneath the battle scars
Are layers tightly spun

What act of valor did our soldiers learn?
Watching men die never to return
Life goes on, until it burns
Wasting time, no great concern.

They’re still fighting far from home
Into the abyss of the unknown
Caught up in a spiderweb
Made from flesh and bone

We owe a debt of gratitude
While our way of life remains
A safety measure as it were
And all that it contains

Stand up tall and salute
To the flag we share with pride
While nations all around us fall
How many more must die?

Wars are fought but never won
That’s why we must carry on
We pray for peace under the sun
Embracing all that we’ve become

Our voice and thoughts burn in our brains
There’s still hope which we now contain
Nothing comes without change
A life of peace, that still remains

The Fate Date


I held the pizza box over our heads
As the rain poured down from the sky
We smiled and kissed
Was an opportunity missed?
Memories fade with the passing of time

We stepped over a puddle
Despite the fact that we were wet
Who thought something so trivial
Would ever lead to such regret

What may have happened
Or what should have been
Has been replayed over and over again in my head
I try to recall every word that was said
As I lay down for slumber
Alone in my empty bed

A connection that never had a chance to take flight
We were just two passing ships
On a dim moonless night

When our date had occurred
We were only nineteen
And a lifetime it seems
Has passed by in between

It was fate without question
That it was not meant to be
Was our meaningless lusting
Why God intervened

Like a scene from a movie
I can still visualize
Myself frozen in silence
Like a deer in headlights
As I watched her drive off
And right out of my life

There's been a long line of lovers
Attempting to lead me astray
But none made the cut
Not a one made the grade

I left the past well behind me
So that I could move on
But the thought of another
Felt as much right as did wrong

I often still wonder
What may have or not been
If the clouds had all scattered  
From a strong gust of wind

I can't quite remember
How it all came to end
From the magic of a first kiss  
To a now past distant friend

We were too young and naive
To be bound and restrained
With the whole world awaiting
To discover our names

I pray you're now happy,
Well-established, and set
I pray you've come to love another person you've met

I hope you're not searching
The heavens filled with regret
But sitting warm by the fire,
dry and not wet.

I used to have dreams
Like most people do
Expanding my horizons
Just to get back home to you

But would it even matter
Do you even have a clue
I'm a walking/talking disaster
The opposite of you

You gave me hope
When I was down
You lifted me up high

You encouraged me
When all was lost
I still can't look you in the eye

You helped bring out the best in me
And for that, I thank you dear
You saw what I didn't see
Even through you shed some tears

I do not want to make you cry
Or suffer any heartache
The day we met I should have known
It would all end up in heartbreak

I can't take that day back
My hearts under attack
You knew just where to find it
Like directions on a map

I hold you in the best regards
No apologies are needed
The only thing that I can do
Is make sure it's not repeated

Now my dreams have all been realized
Your smile has returned
There is nothing to fear at all
No need to be concerned

You're the love of my life
There is no denying that
I just wish I knew the ending
The last and final act

I am getting closer
To the time when things go right
This is my greatest fear however
Gives me nightmares late at night

Something has got to give
As I live and breathe
Trying to be someone that clearly I am not
Has got me dropping to my knees

I will pray for Gods help
I will beg and plead
Until I start believing
I have all that I need

Show me there's a glimmer
Of hope I can achieve
A triumphant minor victory
Not unlike the air in which I breathe

I reach but cannot grab it
A forgotten memory
Recalling my lost childhood
Back when I held a lead

When I still had time to catch up
No matter what my speed
The challenge set before me
The final victory

The Grassy Knoll

I fell into a deep sleep on the grassy knoll in the field
With the wind rustling the leaves of the trees in spring
Leaves of yellow, orange, and gold
As the leaves danced with the breeze in perfect harmony
I slept, and I dreamed
I dreamt of the leaves in the springtime 🍁

From outer space
The great beyond
The human race
Awaits response
For a signal that we’re not alone
Or a welcoming from the unknown
An alien that comes in different forms
Much less than the mundane norm
Abductions, sightings, strange events
And an answer from our welcomed guests