I found myself on the verge
Of tossing out this poem
But the green in me said wait and see
It might just be recyclable

Perhaps someone else could use it
Bits and pieces, if not all
They could have a line or two that rhymes with a few
Of the stanzas I used to make up this poem

So, I set it out on the curbside
With a sign reading free to a poet in need
Which didn't take long till one came along
And snatched up the poem from the weeds in my lawn

Feeling proud of myself for the effort
In this poetic environment
Showing the world that I care and am well aware
Being willing to share with what little I have
in the recycling of this poetic trash

And to think I almost tossed it
Which should be a lesson to us all
If you think what you have is nothing but trash
The trash that you have could be recyclable

We're all told to be careful
It's been known to break some hearts
In the mad rush to be helpful
The jealousy of love

It'll slip up on you in a frenzy
Ripping out your foolish heart
When you least expect you have the need
The jealousy of love

How many times have you been warned
Far more often than not
And yet here you are back at the door
The jealousy of love

Like a fruit, forbidden you
Bitter to the tongue
As it sits in wait to make its move
The jealousy of love

Caught up in the dilemma
Do you stay or move along
With no one the clear winner
The jealousy of love

If everything was perfect
And life was but a breeze
I'm not sure exactly
How that would feel to me

If life was but a song
That we all could hum along
I'm not sure how right that'd feel
If something was not wrong

If everything was right side up
And not a thing was upside down
Would we ever really know
When the good times roll around

Can we take this opportunity
To realize what we should know
How things would not feel right
If something was not wrong

If you're late coming to this party
In the perfection that you seek
How on earth can you be happy
If you never have a need

I believe they both go hand in hand
Never travel far alone
Because right would not feel right
If something was not wrong

Pardon me, please
While I sneeze out some lines
About these allergies
That have put a halt to my life

They’ve got my eyes running
Same as my nose
Whether I'm out here flat-footed
Or over there on tippy toes

I find it hard to breathe
With this pollen floating around
Beaten up in this brutal fight
Daily down for the count

My eyes itch so bad
Driving me over the edge
To where I could take a garden rake
And scratch them out of my head

Downing fistfuls of Zyrtec
Like they're going out of style
These allergies are not done yet
On this there's little doubt

That my head is beyond stuffed
To where my ears can barely hear
I would not be lying to say I've had enough
Of the pollen count this year

These days I keep you will find me
Footloose and relaxing free
On some far-off sandy shore
The thoughts I weave, I guarantee
You're soon to see are not too deep
On that you have my gentle word

If by chance you could, you should
If you would in all likelihood
Somehow find the perfect time
To some degree be more like me
A connoisseur of no needs
At this time...
with time out of mind

Over time you'll find that I
Am the kind to fit the crime
And easily could get used to this
Here's the thing, if you spread your wings
And dream your dreams inside the dream
There's not a thing in life that you will miss

So, hop on here if you dare
A place where there are no cares
Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride
Guaranteed to feel free like me
When you come to see you have no needs
At this time...
with time out of mind

I needed to do some shopping
On poem ideas I was running low
So I checked out the local flyer
To the downtown Poet Store

Just to see what they had on sale
Some of my friends they call me cheap
But why pay full price if you don't have to
On all the rhyming words I need

The front page slapped me in the face
With the Spring Cleaning Sale Galore
Everything I needed was half price
So I headed straight to the Poet Store

I ventured up and down the isles
Filling my basket with the best of rhyme
Getting a few extras of every word
So I'd have them when the time was right

I stocked up on love and encouragement
The right words I carefully chose
Because in my experience
You can never have too many of those

I even took a few from the back
Down a darkened isle where the lights were low
Being a poet my mood can rapidly change
And what words I might need you never do know

With my basket full of wonder
I felt my day of shopping done
Confidant and ready
To go home and continue in the writing of poems

Only if...
Things were different
Or at least not the same
If there were a wish I would wish this
That I would have far less pain

The pain that comes from being alone
In the middle of a crowd
When you too often grin and bear it
There is still real hurt behind the smile

Only if...
More or less
There was less time in the day
That I would spend in this bed
The equivalence of a BALL & CHAIN

If only I had answers
As my active mind overloads
It's the only thing that seems to work on me
With other body parts being one big joke

Only if...
I must insist
Can I kindly have a do over
On this twisted shell that I call myself
Inner parts as well as outside cover

I'd like to keep the personality
That has been with me through thick and thin
The better part of me on which I lean
Quite heavily to be who I am