This is a poem
That comes straight from my heart
Bypassing my brain
And all other parts
From there to my pen
In writing it down
This poem in your hand
That you're holding now

This poem breathes into it
Its very own life
Brings its own tears
If there's a need to cry
This poem has it all
With a need for no more
This poem that you hold
This poem from my heart

This poem comes with no title
With no need to explain
Something so simple
As a given name
All that it has
Is all that it is
This poem from my heart
Is all that it gives

You're just...

One line away from the beginning
One line away from the end
One line away this day made
One line away from where you're at

One breath away from being happy
On breath away from being sad
One breath away from living life today
One short breath from certain death

One thought away from what you're thinking
One thought to what's been said
One thought away from the meaning
One from putting that thought to rest

One nod away from agreeing
One nod from the opposite
One nod away from seeing
You could care less

One beat away from the answer
Is there a heaven or a hell
One beat away from a lifetime of guessing
One beat, too late to tell

One move from all that matters
One move from front to back
One move away with nothing left to say
One move from the very last...One

What can you say
But to say, we've been played
For the genuine fools we are

Guaranteed to follow through
In a trail of drool
Knuckles dragging on the floor

This Mob mentality
Is no great mystery
Just skipping along the beaten path

That for years we've been
Following
Not thinking one iota for ourselves

Whatever flavors made
Of the Kool-Aid
We gladly guzzle down

Then ask for seconds
To what they're handing
For us to happily pass around

The more the merrier
As things get scarier
But what else can we do

When time after time
We've moved the line
In this life where the Mob Rules

With their lips a-flapping
and only half a mind to boot
The sound is one hand clapping
off beat and out of tune
When your life's been zombified
what else can you do
Flying with...
the latest flock of fools

Like a drowning man with no arms or legs
bobbing in a pool
Going down for the 3rd time and
never learned to count in school
The only form of education
was learning to break the rules
Flying with...
the latest flock of fools

Feeling like you're owed this
without paying any dues
Frantically waving a list
of the hardships you've been through
Before you do I think that you
should ask for a clue
Flying with...
the latest flock of fools

Claiming to be the resistance
has the friction loosened screws
With the few that you are missing
do you rattle when you move
Remember righty tighty
and always lefty loose
Flying with...
the latest flock of fools

Teleprompter this
Teleprompter that
Agenda, mindbender
Forging the facts
Rolling towards the right
Leaning to the left
Dim the lights inside your mind
...Talking Heads

Toss the line
Cast the net
Spin, real them in
Quite the catch
Hook, line, and sinker
Believing all that's said
Filled with fear, glad you're here
...Talking Heads

How long can this go on
Hedging their bets
Hold tight, no end in sight
At least not yet
Don't let it bother you
Worry your weary head
To tell the truth, it's what they do
...Talking Heads

You can black out the windows
Bolt all the doors
When you hear someone knocking
Prostrate on the floor

Press the mute button
With the ring of the phone
Where you're always alone
In a country of one

You can construct a sign
Raise high your fist
Write out demands
On your latest wish list

Scream till you're horse
At the top of your lungs
All this and more
In a country of one

Call a single summit
To bring about peace
Declare that you've won it
Then set yourself free

But can you talk
And at the same time chew gum
Walking the walk
In a country of one

You can tell yourself lies
Until you're satisfied
Question the answer
With no reason why

Subtract the hate
Add in the love
But still jump the gun
In a country of one

I'm a man of many faces
I've carved out over time
I carry them around with me
In a leather bag strapped to my side

Usually I'll leave it up to others
How it is they set the mood
The way we interact
To what face it is I choose

I have a face I use for concern
One I have that looks deep in thought
I'm still working on the one that looks like it's in love
But I'm not sure I'll use it a lot

I've got one that's fairly happy
It's taken years to carve it out
Five different ones in stages of sadness
Two that are riddled with doubt

I hold onto one that no longer fits me
I haven't worn in quite some time
It's the face that I was born with
The innocence of a child

One I've carved over and over
Cause I wear it out all the time
It's the one with the look of disbelief
When it gazes on the state of mankind

I have a face with which I greet strangers
One I use with friends
Also a face that says I'm sorry
If I need to make amends

But there is one I don't carry with me
The face I leave at home
For when I lock my door at night
It's the face I call alone...

There's a rise in the East
That sets fast in the West
That those in the middle
Happily accept

Where what others say
We eat, sleep, and breath
Giving our souls away
With an insatiable need

Having those in our lives
That we've never met
Hiding inside
All but our regrets

Would we know a righteous voice
If we heard one out loud
Given the choice
Alone in the crowd

Crying out for understanding
Screaming loudly for peace
Not only want it but demand it
With conviction skin deep

With the do as I say
Not as I do attitude
All think they're right
Without a single clue

With the set in the West
That comes back around
As the beast in the East
Lays it all down

In Narcissist Nation
It's all about self
What's in it for me
Forget everyone else

The views you cling to
I do not approve
In this all the above attitude
Without a clue

In Narcissist Nation
Only I have the right
To say what I say
False truth in my eyes

I'll follow the crowd
To the dark side of town
Then light a fire
And burn it all down

In Narcissist Nation
There's no need to discuss
I'll scream at you
While at me you cuss

With new slogans and sayings
On which to feed
As the world continues baking
In insanity

In Narcissist Nation
This will not end good
If we continue forsaking
All that we should

If we only focus inward
In this I, Me, Mine, time
And not see through into
This narcissistic lie

Just when you thought that you'd had enough
Craziness is making another run
Remove the fork cause it ain't quite done
Grab your **** and buckle it up

We are all in for the wildest of rides
Pushing and pulling us out with the tide
Too late now to somehow change your mind
We've all slipped knee deep in the slide

Mad as a Hatter slather up buttercup
Here comes the batter looking for a home run
Out of the park when it comes to undone
At a loss for words feel free to hum

Beat your chest and drool on yourself
As you watch the world round you melt
These are the cards that we've been dealt
Where danger dangles under the kilt

Sand yourself down when things get rough
Craziness is making a lunge
Just when you think that you've had enough
Grab your **** and buckle it up

i once was a child
many moons ago
innocence and wonder
is where i made my home
then into life's fabric
reality was sown
i miss the child
now he's grown

i once was a child
without a care in the world
till the day i found
myself in the world
the only thing keeping me
is gravity holds
while it all spins
out of control

i once was a child
in the hope i'd find
happiness beyond measure
with the treasures in this life
but the days grew longer
then came on the night
many moons ago
when i was a child

I carry around a Phillips head
To tighten up loose screws
An empty bag I keep in hand
To collect all the marbles that I lose

The elevator I'm riding in
Doesn't stop at all the floors
Happy with insanity
Who out there could ask for more

The toys that are in my attic
When they come out to play
Take my hand as we skip through Bizarro land
On any given day

Card games are entertaining
But always over so fast
When what I'm holding in my hand
Is not quite a full deck

Being four quarters short of a dollar
I will never strike it rich
Nor live in the nicest of places
Having a load that's short a few bricks

So if you come a knocking
And find nobody home
I'm out on the streets of crazy
But believe me I'm never alone

sometimes my dreams make a living
sometimes they barely make out
sometimes it seems that sometimes my dreams
are more than just riddled with doubt

sometimes my dreams dream me
that's when i have to pinch myself
is this all a dream or mostly reality
and at what point do i figure that out

sometimes my dreams take a minute
sometimes they go on and on
feels like i've seen it as they all have me in it
sometimes with strangers, sometimes alone

sometimes i dream in slow motion
sometimes i dream i can fly
sometimes it seems that sometimes my dreams
are just a long drawn out dream in the question of why

sometimes i dream in color
though i'm told it's all black and white
and with that being said it's all in my head
as i bid you all a goodnight

I'm not looking for your pity
That party's done left town
If you ever decide you miss me
You won't find me around

Though who here am I kidding
If you must know the truth
As sure as I am living
I can't seem to get over you

As long as I've been standing here
In both word and deed
We know the truth is clear
I'm no good for you nor you for me

It's a hapless situation
But what's a man to do
When he has a heart that's beating
I can't seem to get over you

A rocky path that must be followed
Leading heaven only knows
To a promise that is hollow
With far less highs than there are lows

It's a daily situation
And me here without a clue
As life around me caves in
I can't seem to get over you

I've turned the sound up loud
Set the lights aglow
Looking high and low
for the words I hope
Searching, searching for the perfect poem

Removed all of the locks
Off every single box
That in my life I've tried
my best to open up
Searching, searching for the perfect poem

I've rounded corners here
Taken flights of stairs
From this point of want
to who knows where
Searching, searching for the perfect poem

I've tossed the coin and caught
My lucky share or not
When it rains it pours
flooding my life's lot
Searching, searching for the perfect poem

You can shake your head
At the daily circumstance
Giving into whim
with another chance
Searching, searching for the perfect poem

...searching for the perfect poem

Happily ever after
With children at play
Amidst the skipping and laughter
Where love has its say
On all that matters

Tell me a story of...

All people, all nations
Coming together
In what we have to say
Listening to each other
Sister to sister
Brother to brother

Tell me a story of...

Where it's not about self
But about others
No matter nationalities
Religion or color
Remove all the hate
Pull back the covers

Tell me a story of...

Happily ever after
The rest of our days
Where we look at each other
All the same way
Where all that matters
Is love has its say

Tell me a story of...

I went to the deepest part of the forest
to seek the wisdom of the owl
Asked if he knew just where to find it
and if it was allowed
He said that he had no idea
where it was or what it means
So he sent me further on my way
down along the sea

I went to the edge of the ocean
and asked a dolphin passing by
If he could tell me where it was
and if he knew the reason why
He told me he's swam the seven seas
enduring all of life's inclement weather
The only advice he gave to me
go my friend and check the desert

So I ventured to the desert
what I found was a dry and dusty land
I searched for days in the suns beating rays
for someone to answer this one question
With a bit of luck I found a shady spot
underneath a Mastic tree
Where I sat down from my journey long enough
to find the answer to my question is 'me'

I have this simple if not profound question
No way could I be wrong
What would be the harm in living
Inside a Jimmy Buffett song

On a cool calming beach way out of reach
A tropical paradise further south
Than anyone could find some
Way of finding me out

With the latest in concoctions
Sipping back at the thrill
Having a few boat drinks
In Margaritaville

While defying gravity
On this big round ball
Just look at me pretty as you please
Inside a Jimmy Buffett song

Taking it all in naturally
Living in 3/4 time
Tell me my friend what could be the sin in
Making it one day at a time

I hear Livingston went to Texas
I'm about to do the same
As I raise a toast to those I know
Along the Gulf Coast way

I knew my life would end up
Sooner here than not
It's more like a grab than a give up
Inside a Jimmy Buffett song

When you make your way from Paris
To all points in between
You find there's no sense in caring
For the things that you don't need

I'm going to change my latitude with a new attitude
As I gently move along
Keeping the beat in the key of Sea
Inside a Jimmy Buffett song

Most things never work out
Exactly as they're planned
Finding out there's not enough fingers to count
All of life's daily demands

Not much to-do with running smooth
That you could hope to find
With judge and crew keeping a thumb on you
Guilty in your prime

Sentenced to hard labor
The remainder of your days
You could sell your soul for early parole
As the jury in your case takes points away

Try as hard as you might you'll never quite find
Even while raising your hand in demand
The slip and slide on the smooth part of life
Never goes as planned

do you remember me
like i remember you
did time plant a seed
overtime that grew

remembering the best of times
or the times that all went wrong
has it helped to change your mind
since our time now is long gone

does the one that holds your heart
have a grip on love to last
or will he be eventually like me
a distance thought in the past

although we're past i still have kept
you in the corner of my mind
where it grows inside the fold
i pull out from time to time

more often than not
where i get my gum
is not off any shelf
but underneath table tops

though the flavor is off
you can't beat the cost
and with only a chew or two before you
have it all back to soft

embarrassed or not
just drop out of sight
as you're coming back up
use your knife to slice

there's an array of variety
that is so cheep it's free
to tickle the tongue
and dazzle the teeth

so next time you see
that you're out to eat
and you drop the knife on my advice
there's no need to thank me

Turning the tide
On this Etch A Sketch life
Drawing on reason
Erase what I find
Still colored clueless
In black and white
Memories useless
Most of the time

This Etch A Sketch
Takes just a sec
Before it's all over
Turned on its head
Abstract in sand
Makes its own bed
Shaken not stirred
Till there's nothing let

Can only hope
That's not all she wrote
Cleaning the slate
No water, no soap
Turning of knobs
Continues to grow
This Etch A Sketch life
I draw on alone

She's the cover that draws you in
From the front to the back
She's the book I'd love to read

She's a real page turner
Dog eared from right to left
She's the book I'd love to read

You just can not put her down
And with that being said
She's the book I'd love to read

With a voice angelic
From the vast heavens above
She's the song I'd love to sing

Sweetly hums her melody
From here to kingdom come
She's the song I'd love to sing

Is there anything more welcoming
Than the air filled with song
She's the song I'd love to sing

Sweet fragrance to the point
Where that is all I need
She's the air I'd love to breathe

Feeling all a-flutter
Light headed in her breeze
She's the air I'd love to breathe

Far more than my lungs could hold
But not less than I need
She's the air I'd love to breathe

We're living in a world of confusion
From one moment into the next
The grinding of gears twisting our fears
Bubble trouble inside of our heads

We're living in a world of confusion
Where we don't know who to believe
The flapping tongues wag as fast as they can
Without ever skipping a beat

We're living in a world of confusion
Causing this spinning of heads
From the upside of down to the inside of out
Until there's not any sense left

We're living in a world of confusion
Where guessing is anyone's game
The eyes used to hold the lies being told
Now everyone's wearing dark shades

We're living in a world of confusion
Sit, the table's already set
With dull forks and knives to carve up our lives
Would you like seconds on that

We're living in a world of confusion
Where the everyday rules have been changed
What once was okay is no longer in play
From one day into the next

We're living in a world of confusion
Where normal seems odd at its best
Crazy now hides out in plain sight
Right skedaddled at the first chance

And with all of this being said
I'm calling off all bets
Toss it all in into the losing bin
We're living in a world of confusion

Who bangs the drums of war
Our so called leaders in search of more power
That insatiable itch that can't be scratched
Off the broken country's back

Who bangs the drums of hate
Dishes out decisiveness onto our plates
Server, cook, and maitre d'
Yet leaves the trash for the least of these

Who bangs the drums of deceit
Making us all out as enemies
Tells us do this while they do that
Through backroom deals and secrets kept

Who bangs the drums of fear
To keep us on edge year after frightful year
Just when we think we've had enough
They pull something else out of the box

Who bangs the drums that keep us off beat
Takes the steady out of our feet
Won't leave us alone until they're done
There's more than one that bangs the drums

Every time I start to think
I think I shouldn't think at all
Whether or not I'm thinking big
Or I am thinking small

It all has more or less to do
With the way I think my thoughts
And if those thoughts I'm thinking
Are even thoughts at all

I think I think of things that count
As I tighten up my belt
Some thoughts I think out loud
While others whisper to themselves

Some thoughts I have are set on snooze
Befuddled through the day
Not quite ready, hanging loose
Always running late

And if I'm called to have a thought
I put it all on hold
Because throughout this process
I'm mostly lost in thought

I sit behind this one candle
When after last year I figured out
There were way too many on this old cake
To attempt or even dare to count

I've watched the years flow like cheap wine
Some sweet, some bitter to the taste
A metaphor to this life in kind
So easily poured down the drain

As my so called friends and family
Gather with practiced smiles
Knowing this may be it for me
Slowly counting down

With no need to blow the candle out
As it sits and melts alone
How much further I don't dare say
Though I know it won't be long

where is this month's messiah
today's saving grace
to pull it all together
put it back in place

take the mistakes we've all made
write them down in song
take it early before too late
before this month is gone

the one we've all been hoping for
the one with new ideas
as a people we're running short
on the hit and miss

a master filled with miracles
bookoo up their sleeves
to do the tricks, leave the bill
shut the lights out when they leaves

i've picked out the colors
chosen the brushes
now to find a corner
in which to paint
one way or another
without any rush
i'll have it done
by the end of the day
and then i'll sit back
with my back to the wall
with no excuse
in the mess that i've made
with the over used brushes
dipped in an excess of colors
that in this corner
i so often paint

I've had my eyes wide open
I've had my eyes shut tight
I've had the right idea
But left it out of sight

I've had the question asked
I've been the answering
I've had the quota met
I've dug in mighty deep

I've had a show of hands
I've had a hand to show
I've had a thought that counts
As far as I think I know

I've had an even break
I've broken all the odds
I've had this as of late
A bobble head of nods

I've had it all this close
I've seen it far away
I've had it if you must know
Without a word to say

I've had it up to here
I've added to my list
So when I've had enough
I can say that I've had it

We all want world peace
We all want self love
We all want happiness
More than enough

We all want free money
Growing on trees
We all want that
We all want these

We all want fun
Double it up
With all the above
Isn't it obvious

We want perfect health
Above everything else
But we don't want to have to
Work at it ourselves

We want a rich Uncle
We never knew, die
To leave us his money
Without guilt on the side

We want to lay around
Have it all done for us
Is that asking too much
Is it that obvious

We want it all now
With gold fork and spoon
Like it's yesterday news
With little or nothing to do

We want more than our neighbors
You know the Jones
All that they have
All that they own

We want it all now
Cause there's never enough
Before we're up and done
Isn't that obvious

Last trip he jumped ship
Off life's ocean liner
Asking you what's that got to do
With the price of tea in China

Uninspired he grew tired
Of the massive here and there
Another sign of the times
With the man who doesn't care

Taking all he's given
In opinions over time
Says a fool will only do
Enough to get by

According to the warning
In the buyer beware
Much the same in what you give away
The man who doesn't care

No need to borrow sorrow
In these days of make believe
Easily seen within reach
As they hand it out for free

Time is wasted in the making
If all you do is stop and stare
That's why each day he goes the way
Of the man who doesn't care

In the year 65'
pulled by raciest tides
Thrown into a time
on the verge of a fight

You're not like me
or so it seems
To play a part
in this American dream

When did the color of skin
ever make a man
Or what a man said
get so out of hand

And why when we judge
is it not in righteousness
But what we think that we think
is better for us

Who all would be hurt
if the tables were turned
How much kindling is needed
for a generation to burn

Tossed into the lie
that not being alike
We can't get along
when it comes to this life

We need to open our hearts
help free our minds
Learn from lessons taught
in the year 65'

See what it really means
to have a dream
That we are all equal
in the scheme of things

Where generations to come
will live it in love
Not the hate that is made
when we don't know enough

As clear as day and night
in this do or die
The place we should be
is in the love of mankind

No matter what we look like...

i've thought this forever
forever it seems
it's captured my thoughts
encapsulated my dreams
took me to task
the direction i leaned
removing its mask
showed all that it means

took all of my questions
filled in the blanks
opened the windows
turned on the lights
moved all the wrongs
over to right
with nothing to hide
easy to find

of course what i'm speaking
of is the love
in holding out hope
it will kindly show up
then all the thinking
and dreaming i've done
will come to fruition
in the opening up

...of love

We seem to have a problem
No solution is at hand
Smoke em if you got em
High on risk, low demand

Daily searching for the answers
Question are all we ever find
Over here as well as over there
With no escape, it's all world wide

Easier to place the blame
Following the beat of society
Losing ourselves along the way
Don't look at me, I'm not my brothers keep

The seed is sown, the hours late
No way to stop the times
Breath in, breath out, exacerbate
With no escape, it's all world wide

The root grows deep, far, and wide
Watered by the acid rain
Collected in the cistern of the heart
Over fertilized with hate

Flipping low the two headed coin
No control in calling sides
And with that said, place your bets
With no escape, it's all worldwide

The boy who cried wolf
Is the media of today
They have lied so many times
It's hard to believe a word they say

They're tried so many tactics
To get us all to play along
Hook, line, and sinker, here to grab us
But we're starting to see what's going on

They call themselves professionals
But professionals at what
On a fast track to bypass the lawyers
As the worst of the worst top spot

They wouldn't know true news
If it slapped them up side the face
And they wouldn't know what to do
With true news anyway

So they continue on in their crying
Not knowing those they're trying to fool
Are licking their lips growing tired of all this
Making us into the real wolves

You might think I'm sitting here
listening to you dear
But my mind right now is miles
away from here

At night I find I sleep
like a baby tight
Then when the morning hits
my mind takes to flight

I can't help but lean
on my daydreams
Taking me to oddities
I ain't never seen

From far off mountain peaks
to a deserted tropical beach
I might even be hanging at
the bar right down the street

There's no telling where my mind
will find to fly
Or where it knows to go
when the time is right

It might be giving a go on a rainbow
into a *** of gold
Or in a room full of manure
looking for the horse I'm told

Where ever my mind decides
at that moment to take me
You can believe I'm far from here
in another daydream

I woke up this morning
Before the rooster started crowing
Without even knowing
What the day held out for me

Turning on the lamplight
Wiping sleep from my eyes
Waving my bed goodbye
As the floor reached for my feet

Two or three cups of coffee
I'm thinking aught to do me
Right about now justly
As I ready myself to leave

With the keys in my left hand
The right attitude of yes I can
Take this world on like a man
Just you wait and see

I bring with me my 'A' game
It's a lot like 'B' but less lame
Otherwise they'd both be the same
Which doesn't make sense to me

I stumble out to my car
As I no longer walk that far
Used to but not anymore
The age of modern day conveniency

Into traffic I merge
Under other drivers select verbs
Most of them 4 letter words
That cause my ears to bleed

Make it to the job on time
Earlier than expected I find
Somewhere along the way lost my mind
As it is Saturday

I gave them my love
Deep down to the core
All that I had
Till I had nothing more

Lapped it all up
Like a thirsty dog
Then gave me a look
Is that all you've got

I pulled out my cash
Intending to buy
All the love I could
I can not deny

But love can't be bought
At least not for long
When boredom sets in
It moves on along

With this moral made
Before you give love away
Make sure there's enough
Of love you have saved

So you don't try in a jam
To buy it all back
When there's nothing left
Of the love you once had

How do you behave
With the day you face
Do you go it alone
As you make your way

Or do you take
The hand of grace
To help out those
Along the way

Those running short
Those running late
Those who need that
Much needed grace

What do you say
About the day you face
Are you there for those
Along the way

with a heart so hard
it's hard to tell
when did i become
so cynical

skeptical
in my beliefs
in all they do
in all i see

tossed out the trust
which raised my doubts
pessimistic in
what i have found

wry in my
thoughts i find
i'm cynical
most all the time

cynical
in my daily mocking
unbelieving
in my nightly scoffing

with this heart so hard
it's hard to tell
when i became
so cynical

these are the last words
that i'll ever write
the very last poem
to come cross my mind
the last line of rhythm
the end of the rhyme
puddle of ink
to spill out in time

these are the last words
that i have to say
the very last that
i'll put down on page
i've given enough
of my soul away
what little is left
i'm trying to save

these are the last words
i'm holding out hope
the last string of lines
that i'm letting go
the last of this deal
as far as i know
the very last words
the very last poem

inside this home
with the lights barely on
it's my dim reflection i see

while the storm outside
beats on the windows
angrily staring back at me

with the rain
         pouring out
                   and the tears
                               holding in

these windows are mirrors
of both take and give

where inside this home
with the lights barely on
it's my own dim reflection i see

they're beige
they're brown
lounge about town
Vinyl Recliner

you snooze
let loose
in the afternoons
Vinyl Recliner

you sweat
you stick
leave skin on it
Vinyl Recliner

they start off
with sass
but eventually crack
Vinyl Recliner

it's filled
with stuff
comes out in clumps
Vinyl Recliner

until it's
thrown out
rain soaked no doubt
Vinyl recliner

Garbage in garbage out
Ain't that what they say
Not much here to talk about
Please move along your way

I know that I have issues
No need to point them out
The parts of life I've misused
Leaves behind little doubt

With so much that needs sweeping
You don't have to look hard to find
In the corners of my kitchen
In the corners of my life

I remember me when life was a breeze
Young and unconcerned
Always seemed to land on my feet
While the world inside me churned

Not till later years did it come clear
How high the trash had piled
Did my best to keep it hid
But aren't all secrets eventually found

With so much that needs sweeping
You don't have to look hard to find
In the corners of my kitchen
In the corners of my life

Hide your tears of misery
In plain sight for all to see
Without skipping a single beat
Pull the wool over the sheep

Hide your tears like crocodiles
Behind your Cheshire shy cat smile
Inside grinning all the while
Pull them out for when they count

Hide your tears in fits of rage
When you do not get your way
When you do not have your say
Save your tears to throw this way

Hide your tears out in plain view
Throwing in a sniffle or two
Whatever program best suits you
If it helps you make it through

Hide your tears in plain sight
Whether or not you think it's right
This is how you deal with life
Hiding tears in broad daylight