I shot an arrow
into the sky
pierced a cloud
that was passing by

Roaring thunder
causing pain
crying out
in sheets of rain

Which flooded fields
where flowers grew
I choose this one
to give to you

I can see from the front
That we can't take it back
All the years that we had
All the years that are left

All the tears that were spilt
All the laughter we spent
All the comings and goings
In the then's and the when's

As we move towards tomorrow
Where there's more yesterdays
The less that we save
In the giving away

From the time that was borrowed
Our pants pockets filled
With the lint of our sorrow
And the change that we feel

When we find there's a hole
That continues to tear
Losing it all
To the forgotten years

i can't stand the sound of silence
it gives me time to think
because after all, it brings on the thoughts
of what's become of me

in thoughts of where i'm going
and those of where i've been
and how this hole inside my soul
needs more than needle and thread

and yet the sound of silence
will not leave me be
placing demands inside my head
the thoughts i shouldn't keep

I met a man in a playful tune
Who had a thought I thought I knew
He said to me goo goo g'joob
Does anything sound more real to you

We were out standing in a field
With fresh strawberries dancing at our heels
In a moment a bit too surreal
Continue on Bungalow Bill

We moved past a four-man line
As we slipped into dream #9
Being there for the benefit of Mr. Kite
When Lucy and her diamonds fell from the sky

A day in the life left tragically
Our mystery tour on a yellow submarine
The revolution of love has now left the building
In a puddle of memories out on the street

She held your hand to comfort you
The color of love now the color of blue
Till the bitter end, you sang passion true
Goodbye to you Goo goo g'joob...

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 hindsight had two eyes
To look ahead
And look behind
I'm sure then
I'd realize at

How much I needed you

Before it is
I let you go
In the passion
Of the throe
I wish then
What I now know is

How much I needed you

Before my world
Came undone
Before I learned
The meaning of true love
Before I knew
How much the cost was in

How much I needed you

Now that it all
Is different
At the very
Bitter end
All I can think of
Is back then and

How much I needed you

December chill
Is the sound
All this past year
Has  allowed


The ups and downs
The ins and outs
The tears of loss
The Wayward found
The picking up
The setting down


December chill
Brings to an end
All this past year
Has thrown in

Every now and then
the darkness
Seeps through my walls
Drips from my ceiling
Covers my thoughts
Paints me into a corner
With me at a loss
Every now and then when
the darkness
Seeps through my walls

i just happen
to stop by
happenstance?
or
the right time
circumstance
you could be right
on this
coincidental rhyme

takes me where
i need to be
on this wild
imaginary stream
from point a
to point b
on through
z
in reckoning

in the light
of ties that bind
bring it all
into light
line by line
by
inticing line
on this
coincidental rhyme  

in the turning
of the page
secrets there
to give away
brought to you
this truth
face to face
as this rhyme
makes its way

wrap the finger string
and pull it tight
keep it there
to remind
of the day
you chanced to find
the jest
of this
coincidental rhyme

it's strange to think
my friends will die
and stranger yet
so will i

leaping to
the great beyond
will i leave
with a smile on

and will that smile
say goodbye
when i reach
the other side

waking to
the sweet by and by
is that when
i'll know i've died

will there be
room for me
when i reach
eternity

and what will i do
with all that time
when all my friends
and i both die

this is a little poem
with not a whole lot to it
before you know it's up and done
quits before it blows it

moves about along its way
haphazard merrily
there's not a lot it has to say
in desperate need of no upkeep

this is a little poem
in need of no one else
generally gets along
happily all by itself

although it's new to the scene
it doesn't waste much time
it's not here to dive in deep
it's not here to wine and dine

this is a little poem
to some, it's known as the peep squeak
one line at a time is how it rolls
one roll of the drum is how it beats

with packed bags at the ready
always ready to make its leave
this little poem
here and gone in a blink

You look at me and all you see
Is the simplest of clowns
In all I do acting out the fool
Whenever you're around

Not just the nose that's red of course
As I embarrass myself too much
Trying to impress with what little I have
This fool for you in love

With the atmosphere of a Circus here
I pull out all the stops
If you can imagine me in Center  ring
Giving it everything I've got

A clown that hopes you like bad jokes
And can't get enough
You can take that thought all the way to the BigTop
With this fool for you in love

Juggling with all my might, this crazy life
To bring you close to me
The Greatest Show on Earth for what it's worth
That you have ever seen

With painted smile wide as a mile
This clown making his run
All a part of me, you can clearly see
I'm a fool for you in love

Play for me a melody
Something in a far off tune
One that brings the sounds together
The way it's meant to do

A symphony to fill the need
Of those who have lost sight
As woodwinds permeate the air we breath
Setting music into flight

Play for me a rhapsody
One that takes me to cloud nine
Swoon me into ecstasy
As euphoria waits in line

With a hand held over my warming heart
As it flutters to the beat
Play for me a melody
That is ever so soft and sweet

This ain't vacation so quit your daydreaming
And get back into line
Ain't here to play, ain't got all-day
Stare off into the distance on your own time

Looking back you're pretty sure this isn't it
The thoughts you had as a kid
Adventure was at the center of how you would live  
Now all you are is a Working Stiff

The punch of the clock beats up those dreams
Every morning right at eight
Where long ago the towel was thrown
Along with everything else you've given away

You made your plans as life made your bed
When you dosed off and lost the list
Now all you are in all of this mess
Is nothing more than a Working Stiff

You watch it all as the camera rolls
This tragic comedy
For the life you want, hold all your calls
You'll have to wait until you are free

You've learned to accept, this life you're left with
As the curse of it is what it is
You may have lost where you're at on this fading map
But it still points to a Working Stiff

He's a man of second chances
Not much at keeping score
Won't hold you to what you're left with
If he can right it by giving more

He holds true to mind your manners
It's a choice in how you live
When asked his name he rightly answers with
Begin Again Finnigan

Mistakes should remain in the past
With every breath a brand new day
Never dwell on what you once had
But what is placed today on your plate

If you've got an ear to hear
His wisdom is cheerfully given
An attitude we all could mirror in
Begin Again Finnigan

Of course, he's had his days of falter
Otherwise, how's a soul to learn
With mistakes being the greatest teacher
When it comes to lessons learned

Sometimes it's hard to take to heart
But that's exactly what he did
Known by those around these parts as
Begin Again Finnigan

Must I be blind before I see
Deaf and dumb with ears that bleed
Call on the young to intercede
On what lies in front of me

Die to all before they hear
Wipe away the infants tears
Hold up the lonely widows fears
Note to self the way is clear

Bring about all that is left
Take this moment to clear my head
Whisper loud what others said
Laying in my unmade bed

Clear my throat and breath in deep
As memory escapes from me
I grab a few before they leave
And let those go that won't let me be

To keep in time strike up the band
See those in need help if you can
From the dead of night to the bird in hand
Every speck of dust, every grain of sand

If you don't mind could you find
I wish I may I wish I might
Give it away without a fight
That which is of pure delight

I know somebody
That has a crush on you
They may not say it
But I know that it's true
Cause all they do all-day
Is think of you
You being the galaxy
That around them moves

I know somebody
That you fill their dreams
During the day
And at night when they sleep
They never do mind
That you won't leave them be
As they really would hate
To see you ever leave

I know somebody
That you cross their mind
From this very moment
And every other time
It's been that way since the day
You came to light
Now the thought of you
Is all they can find

I know somebody
That has eyes for you
That become glued
When you enter the room
No force of nature
Could tear them loose
When this somebody's eyes
Are stuck on you

I know somebody
That you're the air that they breathe
Which must make you
Their greatest need
I know all of this
Believe you me
Down to a T
Because that somebody is me

i used to think this way
that everything would be okay
then life came along, took my needs and wants
now nothing is the same

i used to think i'd find
the rainbows end in life
held a *** of gold instead it held my calls
when reality spent my dime

i used to think the best
would happen at my bequest
but who could have guessed the things i asked
would turn out such a mess

i used to think in dreams
but now i think it seems
that life's cruelty has played its joke on me
and i think i'm in way too deep

At a glance, all you see is a dancer
Making her way across life's stage
With multiple questions to fill in blank answers
Never quite sure of what she should say

Dancing away all her troubles
That bubble up inside her brain
It's hard to keep count with the sound of doubt
Being the tune that continually plays

That's why she's a bit off in rythme
Explains the half-empty smile
Still, she'll keep on in her dancing
Until the day her feet completely leave the ground

Where she'll dance with the night to the stars delight
As they wait in line for their turn
To twist and to twirl with this Galaxy girl
With the answers to questions she’s finally learned

After all these many carnivore years
You can call it guilt or you can call it fear
I've made up my mind to decide
I'm going vegan this November time

So I broke down hard and read some books
Heard some tapes on what it took
From veggies steamed to veggies raw
From beans of green to yellow squash

As my nightly dreams were all filled with meat
I pushed back hard with collard greens
But still had no clue of what to do
With a turkey substitute

And that is when a friend came in
Who Tofu's the line at turkey time
So I read more books and heard more tapes
On Tofu fried, boiled, broiled, and baked

Opening up my kitchen to fine cuisine
Minus the best part...that being meat
As I promised myself I can make this work
My Tofurkey would be the finest in edible art

I had bought  my Tofu by the pound
Lucky for me it is pliable
As I stretched and pulled and pulled and stretched
Until I had something that looked like a head

With my artistic abilities seriously in doubt
I'm pretty sure what I conjured was the head of a cow
So I pulled and stretched and stretched and pulled
No ones going to call me an abstract fool

As I bring to boil the "Rodin" juices in me
And baste at my skills repeatedly
Where I come up with a turkey, giblets and all
And just for good measure I gobble a turkey call

Of course cooking the thing is another road and
I sadly lost Tofurkey 1, 2, and 3 in the explosion
When 4 hit the score I invited my friends
Whose friendship with them will take time to mend

Just because a turkey looks like a turkey, don't mean that it is
I'm now learning all this while I clean up the mess
As forks went to the mouths at the very same time
So did the retching along with the crying

But in a month they'll forget this entire sordid ordeal
When they get the invites for my Christmas holiday meal
With my time in the books and tapes I will spend
Looking forward to Christmas and a delicious soy bean ham

We may all appear
To be perfect in health
But there's something about ourselves
We don't show and tell

With a spring in our steps
On our lips a song
We all move along
In a dead man's walk

Back and forth being torn
On the day that we're born
From the growing of up
To the growing of old

It's a trip that we take
On life's glamor runway
Modeling at the cost
Of this dead man's walk

Some take it slow
With others, good to go
All it in keeping
With this daily death row

Where comes the time
We walk down to a fault
Talking the talk
In this dead man's walk

These days I find
I struggle to breathe
Amongst the ruins
of humanity
Dust and Rubble
are about all I see
a simple life
so hard to conceive

These days we strive
but not for the best
It's all I, me, mine
forgetting the rest
One step forward
two steps back
With short memories
we've left what we had

Broken windows
glass in the streets
Deep in the hoping
barefoot we don't bleed
Here and abroad
sea to shining sea
But at what cost
to humanity

No one is digging
for the truth anymore
In need of mending
the tear is far worse
A hopeless ending
continually knocks on the door
Humanity in its bidding
has run out its course

I say y'all with a draw
And a slight nasal twang
I'm from the South is about
The best way to explain

To me it sounds quite normal
And to those I hang around
Ain't taking a back by my accent
As they too are from the South

It's clear here that life is slower
We take all that we're allowed
With no time to waste on an endless chase
For things that do not count

Down here we do it differently
Just take a look around
As it all blends quite perfectly
Down here in the South

It's not about the money
It's not about the fame
It has more to do with the friends that you
Make along the way

There's no need to read the daily news
To find out what it's all about
I'm telling you all need to do
Is down here in the south

we fuss over this
we fuss over that
who cares who is right or wrong
when it's feelings over facts

who gets to decide
who tells the biggest lies
a lie you find is still a lie
whether black or white

what if you don't know
a lie is what you're told
does it then make it innocent
if you pass it on

if it were up to me
if it were up to you
wouldn't we both want to be
ambassadors of truth

somewhere along the line
somewhere along the way
we can see we can't believe
a single word we say

i find it rather sad
diving headfirst into the deep
before we even check the facts
all based on our feelings

which has us fussing over this
fussing over that
not caring who is right or wrong
these feelings over facts

There are ghosts in-between us
Haunting all our thoughts
The joy we thought we'd found
The joy we know we've lost

They float themselves in and out
Of our well-worn heads
The mess we wish we could put to bed
Won't give it any rest

These ghosts that we don't want
That won't leave us alone
Everywhere we dare to care
Following us all home

Ghosts of the here and now
Ghosts of the haunted past
Reminding mist of what we're left with
And what we no longer have

Ghost we know that often float
Us like we're in a dream
Making this life hard to cope
Caught up in mid-scream

These ghosts that are in-between us
Haunting all our thoughts
The joy we thought we'd found
The joy we know we've lost

To the right or left of me
Maybe somewhere in-between
Is where I tend to find myself
Or could that be somebody else

I nod my head with the up and down
To the twist of it in the twirl of round
Doing my very best to keep
It all from spinning off of me

Sliding North and slipping South
Here and there and there about
Or am I still standing still
All of it against my will

Short and long, tall and small
More or less, less is more
Of this, I am almost sure
But don't ask me because I'm torn

Inside is where I find out
All my fingers are used to count
But only up to the number ten
Then I begin to count again

To the front and back of me
With chattering teeth and wobbly knees
I find that's where I stand my ground
In the here and there and there about

All that I want
Is to be left alone
Is that too much to ask
Is that too much to want

Solitary confinement
In my own mind when
I raise my hand then
I'm done with the crowds

Jump off the bandwagon
Stepping on toes with
Years of psychosis
Poured out in doubt

My only dream
Is they'd leave me be
Free to be me
How does that sound

Make my way clear
To disappear
I'm outta here
Bye, bye I'm gone

Cause all that I want
Is to be left alone
Is that too much to ask
Is that too much to want

winter springs forward
summer falls back
cold as forever
hot desert sand
take it in season
till there's nothing left
who needs a reason
taking what little is left

passing out numbers
to those waiting in line
is it any wonder
they chose #9, #9, #9
you can surely bet
some will lose their heads
all the more reason
taking what little is left

as the leaves brown
then fall to the ground
ever so gently
without a sound
much like a life
pays its last respects
in its goodbyes
taking what little is left

I'd like to write a simple poem

Simplify my life along

With the words that make their way

Onto this blank white simple page

Try my best to relax a bit

And with that said, get over it

Whatever is stringing me along

Keeping me from this simple poem

Lifted up and then put down

Far too many times to count

A simple rhyme before too late

The right words needed to say

To open wide the flood gates

And simplify my life away

Is that too much to ask, too much to want

A simple life, a simple poem

How many times have I said goodbye
Only to return
So many times I wonder why
You take me back with open arms

A lesson earned this lesson learned
As I keep shifting gears
Unconcerned with bridges burned
Where the smoke has yet to clear

A wanting heart with false starts
Rusty from the tears
Although it's dark there's still that spark
That shows the way back here

Where I find I said goodbye
Only to return
So many times I wonder why
You take me back with open arms

I once had an Elephant
That kept all his junk inside of his trunk

From colorful maps of the Far East
To recipes of food, he loved to eat

His collection of Roller Derby star cards
A hot pink Leisure suit from the 70's he wore

A hamster wheel he feels he may one day need
If he happens to run into a hampster family

A Checker flag in case he makes it to the races
A bottle of water, if in the Desert without an Oasis

Plans for building the worlds tallest skyscraper
Peanut butter and a box of Vanilla wafers

At least 2 colorful metal Kazoos  
Cause when you Kazoo, you need a friend with you

And last but not least believe you me
A picture of the herd he calls family

The only problem that he keeps repeating
Are his bouts of constant sneezing

Which blows all the junk from out of his trunk
And he spends most his time picking it up

Which really isn't all that much fun
Which is why I say I had an Elephant once

I might say I know the way
But is it the way I take

I might say I'll love today
But will it be a love I fake

I might say I have the time
But do I spend it wise

I might say I'll give in kind
But on who's hard earned dime

I might say a lot of things
But are they things I mean

I might say you have my word
But how true does that word ring

I might say I'm here to help
But what all does that entail

I might say above all else
I mainly only think of self

we're much like
a flock of squawking birds
ruffled feathers
angry words
repeating what
others say
lately early
early late

like a flock
of squawking birds
all caged up
in a crazy world
the door's wide open
so we think we're free
who's wrong we're hoping
it's you and not me

like a flock
of squawking birds
running mouths so loud
we're hardly heard
high on a wire
still talking dirt
much like a flock
of squawking birds

We are all losers here
All losers you will find
Whether library books or our good looks
We all lose things over time

When we're tiny we lose our teeth
Then again when we get old
Some memory, others sanity
But with those aren't you always the last one to know

Some lose their sense of direction
Some their sense of time
Some just lose their sense
Which gets back to that memory and sanity line

And what about your sense of humor
Can you lose that or does it just get odd
Ask my friends and their friends family
I'm sure they'll all agree with a Bobble-Head nod

The older you get, loss of the eyesight you had
Helps to hide the ugly in life
As the hair on your head loses the grip that it had
When into the shower drain it does a high dive

So my guess is yes we're all losers in life
From beginning to the end
Then when all that is left is a date with death
We'll be losers once again

I sat down to write another poem
Spill out a slew of rhyme
Sat down to write another poem
Jot down a mess of lines
Conjure up a new idea
Knock loose my noggin in finding it
I sat down to write another poem
But nothing comes to mind

I sat down to write another poem
Not too lame, not too deep
Sat down to write another poem
To entertain both you and me
Climb rhymes tree to the furthest limb
The one with the swing to take a swim
I sat down to write another poem
But can't seem to take the leap

I sat down to write another poem
Of all  I have to say
Sat down to write another poem
But this blank wall is in my way
With inspiration everywhere
But it's over there and I'm stuck over here
I sat down to write another poem
Perhaps today is not the day

Who has control over you
Who do you bow down to
Giving it the righteous nod
Who to you is the lastest god

Pray today you don't skip a beat
To the saving grace of technology
Gaze away at the trip and fall
The latest craze, your wailing wall

Is it faith or blinded trust
You love to hate and hate to love
What you have is personable
Leaving all the others out

Shallow out on the cracked surface
Bow down to the screen for purpose
In the end, will it all be worth it
In the afterlife of market

Who do you toss prayers to
What new device is your guru
Giving it the righteous nod
Who to you is the latest god

homogenized people
soft-spoken and plain
look through the peephole
appear the same

in the way that they walk
talk their point of view
sticking together
dried Elmers glue

homogenized people
sneeze pasty white
life in a puddle
side with the tide

without a paddle
without a clue
of where they are going
of what they should do

homogenized people
slip-sliding away
vanilla icing
covers white cake

on the same path
early or late
homogenized people
never do stray

I have this Portable Pocket Giraffe
Who kindly came with the name of Ed
I just happen to know of this
Because that's what Ed's name tag says

Ed loves to play with pocket lint
Rolls it into fur ***** and tosses it
From pocket right to pocket left
It's easy to entertain a Pocket Giraffe

He loves the warmth in which he's kept
Inside my corduroy Winter pants
The loose change he finds he loves to spend
On bubble gum and Polo mints

When not doing that he loves to snack
On Oreo's and licorice
Double stuffed and of course black
Says that only the black is real licorice

(But then again we knew that)

If you get the chance I recommend
Getting you one too my friend
There's nothing more fun in life to have
Than your very own Portable Pocket Giraffe

the people in congress
say that they're for us
but honesty bleeds
short on memory

here to help us they tell us
while they up and sell us
play us for fools
knee-deep in their greed

then there's the senate
right smake dab in it
pants on fire liers
without skipping a beat

here to undo you
it's just what they do
power that leads to
a game played for keeps

there's a call for our government
and they need to answer it
from you and me
to leave us be

it's hard to remember when
with all these shenanigans
as honesty bleeds
short on memory

Do you feel the pangs of hunger
Do you feel the driving need
From one place to another
And all points in between

The music that we play today
Is slightly out of tune
But it's okay, we'll find our way
As we're all just passing through

You could complain about your circumstance
And the life that you've been thrown
Gaze around when you get the chance
In this you're not alone

Most times you can make a choice
In what you choose to do
So hold on tight and run the course
As we're all just passing through

You can press ******* the throttle
And watch it quickly pass you by
Fill your rear view mirror with sorrow
Speeding through this life

Or you could sit back and relax
Enjoy it all on cruise
Did you hear the fact when I said that
We're all just passing through

we're the conductors
the engineers
the ones in charge
of what we have here

at its very best
it's anyone's guess
yes
this is our train-wreck

so all aboard
for this wild ride
pack em tight
no cutting line

we'll crisscross like a boss
on rusty tracks
no turning back
from this train-wreck

and when we come
to this one ride done
we'll start again
on another one

so all aboard
there's little time left
to lose our heads
on this train-wreck

I wake up each day
With the best of intentions
So get out of my way
Because I'm a Christian
The first thing I do
Is pray of course
And with that out of the way
I check off the box

Head down to the kitchen
To put coffee on
Search for my Bible
Now where could it have gone
I find it, I dust it
Read chapter and verse
I then close it up
And I check off the box

Get myself dressed
In my best conservativness
Making sure not to forget
The cross around my neck
Wanting the world to know
I'm saved and not lost
In case my actions don't show
As I check off the box

I step out the door
All about the Lord's business
Looking for unsuspecting souls
To which I can witness
It's what I've got to do
Like it or not
And as soon as I'm through
I check off the box

I pray before meals
Thankful what's set before me
And thankful for not
Being like the sinners I see
With their salvation plan
I wish them good luck
Not like they haven't been warned
As I checked off the box

With another satisfying Day
Under my belt
Along the way I heard someone say
They had Jesus in their heart
Which got me to thinking
A lot of meaningful thoughts
But in the meantime
I'll just check off the box

They're fighting over here
We're fighting over there
We say that we're concerned
But do we really care
About what all goes on
"Just leave me alone"

Riots in the streets
What's that got to do with me
Waving signs about
Could you keep the noises down
Watch where those rocks are thrown
"Just leave me alone"

Too many now to count
Of people going to Hell
My attitude in that is...
Oh well
It's not like they were not warned
"Just leave me alone"

Babies in the womb
Too often rhymes with tomb
What do you want from me
What am I supposed to do
When I'm warm and safe at home
"Just leave me alone"

People on the streets
With no food to eat
Nowhere to lay their heads
No place to wash their feet
I turn my head and move along
"Just leave me alone"

Just leave me alone
I'm fine by myself
You do what you want
It's not my place to help
How many sing this song
"Just leave me alone"

Watching ants
Reminds me of man
Scurrying in a hurry
Wandering in plans

Acting like
It's all do or die
Running for their lives
Pants on fire

Finding themselves
Worn for worse
Running the course
The back and forth

Time being spent
Building this and that
Deadlines to be met
Having heart attacks

Slip sliding in the sand
Both man and ants
Pouring into this
Pouring out of that

Watching ants
Reminds me of man
In the hear and now
With no future plans