Have you heard the joke
About the economy
Of course you haven't
Because it isn't funny

About the way
This is all going down
Like my bank account
Heading straight South

You can blame it on congress
Or blame it on greed
Not much of a difference
If you're asking me

There's nobody else
That wants to pay my bills
And I can't remember when
My gas tank was last filled

Both my roof and shoes
Are competing for holes
And the line of bill collectors
Won't leave me alone

I used to dine out
In 5-Star Restaurants
Now I can barely afford
A cheap burger joint

Once a man of gain
Now I've nothing to lose
As I'm running late
To pay all that I do

How many of us
Believed the promises
That it would all work out
On that you could count
Then life came along
And found they were wrong

Don't give up, don't give in, don't give out

There's an innocence we wish
We could and should have kept
A blind trust
That all was just
Once shooting for the stars
That now seem, oh so far

Don't give up, don't give in, don't give out

When you're at one step
And then two back
Seem to give more away
Than you ever save
When in the line you stand
Begins at the end

Don't give up, don't give in, don't give out

Hold me when I’m tired
Rock me in my sleep
Nothing is ever better
Than you loving me

Listen to my words
Silence when I need
Tell me I am yours
Always comforting

Give me your best smile
Know I am enough
Say without a doubt
Just how much you love

Hug me when I cry
Make it all okay
Cling tightly to this life
Never go away

Adding to my worth
How you value me
Stories of my birth
Fulfilling both of our needs

we do our best
to conquer death
and if not that
at least run from it

all we can hope
is compromise
given the chance
to say goodbye

as we move along
this winding path
the up's and down's
there and back's

on this one thing
we all agree
we hope to go
out peacefully

yet still stick
around till late
not burn out
in a ball of flames

and that we find
when it's time
we have a chance
to say goodbye

With flat head shovel, steel tooth rake
Out to do whatever it takes
Nothing you see is that easy
When you're in the mood for life gardening

Aching muscles are for keeps
Patience hides in piles of leaves
Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall
There's always something going on

With this plot in which I live
Myself, and I, my wife and kids
Pulling teeth like pulling weeds
All in a day of life gardening

Growing up at a steady pace
Equal parts of pleasure, pain
Trying my best to not cave in
With heavy heart and calloused hands

Plowing steady as she goes
Keeping straight my set of rows
Thankful for all my blessings
This daily dose of life gardening

I've had more than enough
If you count everything
I'd gladly give it all up
And end up with nothing

How many years now
Have I up and lost count
The True meaning of life
And what it's all about

Take all that I have
And learn to accept
If it's not from the Lord
It's all meaningless

I've lived off the crumbs
That wither and rust
Ashes to ashes
Dust back to dust

Like a lost child
That plays in the mud
When it's all said and done
A mess is all we end up

Take all that I have
And learn to accept
If it's not from the Lord
It's all meaningless

this poem will be here for just a moment
soon to be dust in the wind
in the shortest of time it will eventually find
it's way to the bottom of the bin

it might bring a touch of joy or sadness
but that depends on you
and at the time you read it
the frame of mind your mood

it won't take you to the mountain top
soaring to the very heights
or move you to the depths of despair
where it keeps you up at night

it won't bring peace to the nations
or have us holding hands
it won't repair any of the damage
that's been done over the course of time by man

it won't open any minds
or close doors on the best forgotten
in the least amount of time
it'll come and go from every noggin

chances are it won't be remembered
five minutes after it's gone
and without a tune to carry it
it may not even last that long