Poor Man says...
If I had money
Then I would be free...

Rich Man says...
If I had more money
Then more money is what I'd need...

Poor Man says...
If I had a Mansion
Then who could want for more...

Rich Man says...
I have three Mansions
I'm working on my fourth...

Poor Man says...
I'd have all these friends
I'd shower them with much...

Rich Man says...
I have friends
But don't know who to trust...

Poor Man says...
With my money
I would buy happiness...

Rich Man says...
When the money arrived
Is when the happiness left...

There's a love hate relationship
Between you and alcohol
You love the feeling you get from it
But hate its constant calls

It's become a daily battle
This long drawn out desire
When you say no way will I drink today
And again it makes you out the liar

It all started out so simple
Having social drinks with friends
Where the only time you drew that line
Would be on the weekends

But stress comes along in many forms
As you find sips take off the edge
Soon enough though it won't leave you alone
A little secret the bottle seems to have kept

And this battle you are fighting
Some days afraid that you might win
Where there is no denying
Deep down inside you'll miss your friend

Where there's a love hate relationship
Between you and alcohol
You love the feeling you get from it
But hate the way it too often calls

Detroit city was the last to see
The last of you, the last of me
All these years later I'm fit to cry
I love you still, hello goodbye

I bring with me now a whole new game
I'm not the same, I swear I've changed
It's strange to see what years will do
Hello to me, goodbye to you

If I could take us back in time
Would I still lose what I found hard to find
Would Detroit city then sing out
Goodbye to then, hello to now

Years down the road, here's the thing
I didn't mean to make a scene
Down to the  "T"  down to the letter
Hello for now, goodbye forever

Call me Gillespie
At the thought of choosing sides
This all makes me Dizzy
Where ones befuddled and the other lies

White toothed grinning alligator
Beady-eyed crocodile
Which will we regret later
We'll find out for sure after awhile

One to build a wall to keep us all
Safe from those who want a home
The other swinging doors wide open
Sweeping out deplorable's

Reading from the dictionary
They would make a lot more sense
Starting out with the B's
Blah, Blah, Blah, He said, She said

I wonder when we the sheeple
Will stand up and call their bluff
Give this all back to the people
Finally say enough's enough

Is this the best they have to offer
Who's to win this losing game
Will it be the constant cougher
Or the billionaire that's clearly insane

Sadly, this crazy train needs a conductor
To carry this fragile freight
Watch out for the Loco-motion though
As we jump track on this runaway

I tie the perfect noose
Pull tight on the cord
Kick the chair from underneath me
As my feet both touch the floor

I take the electric toaster
Set it on the edge of the tub
Knock it into the water
But forget to plug in the plug

Laid myself down on the train tracks
Waiting for the 9:05
Little did I know my watch had stopped
Right at a quarter till 9:00

I step out into traffic
Sure this is my last deed in life
Not knowing it was a crosswalk
And I was at a red light

I found the tallest building
On my city block
Made my way to the top floor
Where none of the windows unlocked

Never had such a hard time in life
Trying to do myself in
Apparently I need a new tactic
Apparently I need a new plan

Think I'll just go to bed
Catch me some much needed winks
Maybe when I wake up
I'll have died in my sleep

They're soon to make a Broadway play
Out of all our yesterday's
A musical extravaganza set the scene
Of a younger you and younger me

They'll have to hire the brightest stars
To play the part of who we were
They'll build it out from center stage
Displaying out our younger days

Music will highlight it all
Bringing the house down with loud applause
To keep it real they'll add some truth
A younger me and younger you

We'll be a part of rank and file
For days on end they'll talk about
With our names in Broadway lights
In how we spent our younger lives

I am secretly enamored by her beauty

I watch her reflection in glass

I follow at a distance to catch her sweet fragrance

I sometimes sit where I know she sat last

I trace thoughts of her in my memory

Hoping I'll soon see her again

And that the day will be breezy

So I can watch her hair blow in the wind

You know how I know
This was meant to be
Your heart and my heart
Both have the same beat
Perfect in their timing
Using love to sync
Your heart and my heart
Both to the same beat

The buildings in the city
Love to talk about
All the hustle that's within
And bustle that's without

Downtown people always
Scurrying here and there
As the buildings windows
Take on a reflective stare

Everyone around them
Always on the go
Not knowing where they're going
But staying with the flow

Not at all the least bit concerned
With other peoples lives
As they take another rung
On the corporate ladder of lies

If the buildings could they would
Try and help them out
They feel they're partially to blame
Since the city came about

When men all got together
To give progress a name
Not knowing this same progress
Would be their ball and chain

If the buildings only had
Warned some time ago
That most of what man attains
Leads to his downfall

Woke up this morning feeling colors pull
So taking crayons in hand
I meticulously went from one room to another
Creating my own inner land

Each room became my landscape
As my crayons they set me free
Splashing colors into each other
Such beauty set before me

I no longer have the need to visit
The cold cruel world outside
I'm in the process of creating everything
And my crayons bring it to life

The colors that I choose to use
Bring to my walls that life
From the brightest brilliance of the day
To the softest hues of night

The magic like a whirlwind
Spins round in my head
As crayon colors blend into each other
Greens meshing with pinks, blues folding into reds

Creating purple mountains majesty
Along with my own fruited plains*
Where I can enjoy my solitude
This silent kingdom in which I reign

I'm impervious to the chaos
The "normal world" throws my way
These crayons I hold create miracles
*A land of wonder in every  room brought to life this day

Land of the free
Home of the brave
From sea to shining sea
In between golden waves

From the fields farmers plant
Across the vast Mid-West
In this Americana Panorama

Northern cities touching sky
Scrapers lighting up the night
As the Carolina shore
Echos back the oceans roar

Along the Texas plains
Where freedom loves to sing
In this Americana Panorama

With the Grand Canyons openness
To Alaska's wilderness
The mountains majesty
Powerful in its reach

In all the time that's spent
There's no other way to live
In this Americana Panorama

The colorful blue fescue
On a Kentucky afternoon
Under a Live Oak tree
With Spanish moss as company

To the California sunset
Being the last thing said
In this Americana Panorama

monkeys talk and they make sense
about as much as the business men
in central park on their lunch break
or after dark when they escape

monkeys dance to the disco beat
like the hooligans on city streets
weaving in and out of traffic lanes
forget the face, forget the names

monkeys yawn in college class
then raise their hands as if to ask
when you grade is there a curve
have they heard a single word

monkeys love their party hats
and extra special party masks
it all seems odd but then again
it all makes perfect monkey sense

They're out there on the streets
I can see them as I crack my blinds
They're passing by so silently
I'm to freaked to go outside

I know that if they catch me
They'll put me in an imaginary box
And keep me there till midday
Where they'll have my brains for lunch

Or tie me up with an imaginary rope
To an imaginary tree
And force me to watch them preform a rendition of Thriller
Like a bad episode of Glee

Yes, those Zombie Mimes are freakzoides
Long before they became the preforming dead
I've been uncomfortable in their presence
Could it be because of something they once said

Wait...now here they go
Pretending to walk against the wind
Will I ever be able to step outside
Will this silent madness ever end

I don't know where they contracted the zombie virus
Or even how this all went down
I only hope and pray it doesn't infect
Any of the Circus Clowns

Every morning I head to the airport
Where the daily poems depart and arrive
I'm always hoping to catch a rhyme
Coming in on an early flight

When at Gate #9

I saw what appeared to be a famous poem
One that looked awfully familiar
I think that we might have worked together in the past
Early on in our careers

But so many have flown in and so many flown out
It's so hard to keep most of them straight
So we nod as we pass each other by
On our way to another of life's gate

Right then comes a gaggle of poetry
Newly fresh poems down on the tarmac
This is moment I'd come here for
And need to think fast on which ones to grab

...and I did grab me a handful,
took them straight back to my place
This should give me enough of something to do
At least for a couple of days...

You can go home
When you run out of dreams
When there's nothing left
By any means
When you've spent all you have
And your left all alone
When your dry to the bone
You can go home

You can go home
When the end has been met
Of fond memories
Of what you once had
When all of your needs
Out way all of your wants
That's when you will know
You can go home

You can go home
Because homes always there
With the door that is open
With the people who care
No matter where
Or how far you have gone
Your not to far away
That you can't go home

My daddy taught me when I was young
How to be a gentleman son

Open doors for all ladies
Say yes sir, no sir and may I please

Never speak unless spoken to
Keep this advice close to you

It will help where e're you go
And if your mother smells nice then tell her so

If your walking a girl down the street
Walk between her and where the cars do meet

And when going up and down the stairs
He didn't want to leave me unaware

Stay behind when going up
And when heading down stay in front

Because if a lady trips and calls
You'll be there to catch her fall

Never speak when your mouth is full
Cause no one wants to see your food

And elbows belong on your arms
Not propped up on the table son

These are just a few things my daddy taught me
To be a gentleman in the first degree

How many times must I ask*
For forgiveness for this sin
Just when I think I've conquered
It rears it's ugly head again

And with it comes the guilt, the shame
In my moment of despair
The vicious cycle starts again
A well traveled road that leads nowhere

My inner being knows what's right
And yet I do what's wrong
My spirit yearns to stand and fight
The flesh that holds me down

Without the power of the Cross
My life will not concede
Until I've finally had enough
There is no hope for me

So who will save this sinful man
When I have nothing else
Praise be to Christ, the Great I Am
*Who saves me from myself

early 50's
don't mean maybe
here i come
slap the baby
hear me screaming
now i'm breathing
the proud parents
really beaming
mid december
it is chilly
named me mike
instead of billy
adolescence
before you know it
kind of shy
don't you blow it
moved away
because of dad
left behind
friends i had
teenage years
finally settled
florida
from seattle
culture shock
plus the weather
all i had
sonic sweaters
took no time
skin to leather
from the color
alabaster
here's the years
i discovered
full time friends
part time lovers
a few times
things got drastic
drank to much
acted spastic
laid around
worked on fattening
mom and dad
were not laughing
as they begged
on their knees
find a job
so you can leave
i joined in
the military
with no war
not too scary
found a girl
we got married
had some kids
now it's scary
lost my job
lost my dime
standing in
unemployment lines
found a job
things are fine
moving to
the prime of life
with the kids
still at home
things are moving
right along
from the left
to the right
that's the story
of my life

I stroll daily through the Garden of Rhyme
Picking from the fruit of the vine
Making sure it's perfectly ripe
Where I slice it into poetic line

Then take it and bake it into Poem
Out from the oven the moment it's done
Sharing it whole while it's still warm
So others may enjoy the taste of the Poem

And when the Poem has all been given away
It's back to the Garden for more of the same

I hear my father's voice
Everytime I speak
Left with little choice
That he's a part of me
I hear it in the slang
My Southern nasel twang
In everything I say
As I venture through my day

When I look into the mirror
It's my father's face I see
The older that I get
Looking back at me
I see the many lines
He had in his sly smile
The kindness that he held
When I gazed into his eyes

I also hear his laugh
In the jokes I tell
When the aftermath
Doesn't go so well
Trying to get the crowd
To smile I still try
The way my father did
As he made his way through life

I always feel his love
From beyond the grave
The preciousness in the gifts
That my father gave
Every single piece
Of his memory
That my father placed
With love inside of me

All my older poems called a meeting
They don't like what they're seeing
As the newer poems are being read they're being left behind

At one time they we're top dogs
Now just another bump on the log
They want to do something about it and feel now is the time

So they started every now and then
Throwing one of their old friends in
With the pile of newbies to try and even out the playing field

Which has the new poems fighting back
Asking what is all this crap
You old guys have had your day in the sun now it's time to yield

You've had your spot of glory
You've rhymed your poems and stories
It's time to release the reigns, bring on some new ideas

That's when the poems of love stood up
And loudly proclaimed they'd had enough
Can't we all live peacefully and learn how to forgive

The words that spread the words of hate
Were all taken off of the page
Now all the poems on my site wonderfully get along

They all learned the art of compromise
Seeing the good in each others lives
Harmonizing fully now in each others poem

See that you've found the circus
We're so glad that you got the invite
Entertainment that is certainly worth it
As it's all being televised

Whether or not Republican of Democrat
Go ahead and stand in line
It's moving along rather quickly
The clowns are waiting inside

In the center there's the Ringmaster
Keeping his face hidden from view
Just pretend he's not even here
As it really doesn't concern any of you

Enjoy a 20 dollar cotton candy
Washing it down with a 16 ounce Tasty Freeze
Remember all are eligible to vote now
As we no longer require an I.D.

Might want to keep an eye on the lions
As they all bite the hand that feeds
Right before they go back into hiding
Until there's something else that they need

Hope you don't mind if we turn down the lights
There are things you don't need to see
We know what's best for you anyways
So there's really no need for you to worry

Here at the greatest show on earth
Filled with rumors, innuendos, and lies
If the truth here is ever heard
You would never believe your own eyes

So bring your family out to the circus
With open arms we welcome you all
Of course we keep our hands behind our backs
Hiding that which you really don't need to know...

This poem was built for comfort
But also built for speed
Gets you to that place real fast
The warm fuzzy feeling that you need

Cuts out all the middle men
Standing in the way
Gently gets down to brass tactics
With just what it wants to say

So please sit back and relax
As these verses strap you in
For that high speed marshmallowie feeling
From beginning to the end

0-60 in less seconds
Than you can blink an eye
But still has the softest shoulder
On which a man can cry

Runs on pure adrenaline
No need for gasoline
This poem that's built for comfort
But also built for speed

it ain't none of my business
but still breaks my heart
dropping my spare change
into your empty cup
no idea how
all this went down
it's none of my business
so i move along
as it sets me to wonder
how many of us
are one paycheck away
from our own paper cup
hoping above hope
that there is enough
change during the day
to at least buy some lunch
no it ain't none of my business
but still breaks my heart
dropping my spare change
into your empty cup

My daddy was a mountain climber
Cause life's a mountain all men must climb
From the foothills of adolescence
To the last days of our lives

My daddy always raised me
To do what I thought right
The lessons that my daddy taught
Have helped me throughout this life

He lived on mountain wisdom
And showed me in my youth much of the same
Said son don't spend all your days in the valley
Cause in the lowlands there's no gain

And boy don't take the path well worn
That's been cleared out all soft and smooth
Take the one with rocks and ledges
So you'll have something to hold on to

That's why today I'm a mountain climber
Cause life's a mountain all men must climb
From the foothills of adolescence
To the last days of our lives

Daddy somebody shot that man
I heard this eleven year old say
I didn't really understand at the time
I just knew a man was dead

But with the years that followed
I came to learn how much he meant
To this world in its great need
And how well that time was spent

He preached of equality he preached of peace
As he spoke of man as one
He marched his way down city streets
Facing adversity with the face of love

He was done with all the hatred
That fills so many lives
To him color was a vision
Of equality in his eyes

A life so young a life cut short
By the wicked in us all
Will you stand with me and follow him
Will you heed his righteous call

To call every man your brother
The way Martin Luther King Jr. did
To keep the vision of this visionary alive
A reality in which all mankind should live

The jealousy of poetry
Stirs like a vengeful heart
Takes the rhyme from out the reason
Leaves behind the bitter parts

Takes a hold the dreams of old
Sends them on their way
Giving back slight glimpses
Of the thoughts you've had of late

Clinging tight to the lines that bite
In jealous fits of rage
The jealousy of poetry
Pours out on the written page

It took long enough
To figure it out
At the age that I am
I still act like a child

Aren't too many thing
That I do differently
Than when I was young
In the way that I think

Was told the older you get
You grow out of it
Think I'm way past the point
Where I'll ever quit

Doesn't run in my genes
Or my family tree
So far what I've seen
Is it's only me

So bring on the wrinkles
The aches and the pains
With this attitude
It's all a childish game

If you don't believe me
Or have serious doubts
Ask any one that I know
I still act like a child

The world today is a massive stage
We're all two-bit actors with parts to play
Some better than others along the way
I see an Oscar in your future but not today

Some people act like they don't have enough
And they could better pretend if they had more stuff
With talent out the window they rely on luck
But if luck is all you've got you'll never have enough

Some act like they're on permanent holiday
Party all night and sleep all day
Don't take any advice that comes their way
You'll never get that Oscar if you act that way

While some are naturally born to play the lead
Others suffer daily to even be seen
In the part that they play in their B-movies
Where before the end credits roll the crowds up and leave

And those that do play the lead
Always seem to be envied
But do we really see what it is they see
And don't we all have the same basic needs

With so many actors out there you've got to stay on top
Play your part with all your heart give it all you've got
People are always watching whether you know it or not
Life's light is always shining, you just need to stand in its spot

As daily we take to this worlds massive stage
Playing with all of our hearts the parts that we play
Some better than others along the way
Where that Oscar is looming but not today

I want to see what makes you laugh
I want to see what makes you cry
I want to see deep inside your heart
And know the reason why

I want to see the time it takes
To get close to where you are
I want to see where love comes from
As we're held in each other's arms

I want to see our beginning
But I never want to see our end
I want to see it now
And I want to see it then

I want to see the sunshine
Reflect off your morning smile
I want to see it once
And then again a million times

I want to see all your desires
Mixed in with all your needs
I want to watch you sleep at night
So I can see inside your dreams

I want to see the playback
When all of this comes true
Then I want to see it rewound
And watch it all again with you

I'm feeling so up these days
I hope your down with that

Things have seemed to turn out right
Since my girlfriend left me

She moved up North
When our relationship went South

I'm a grown man
But I'll miss her calling me baby

Her sweet mother was
A Drill Sargent in the Army

Her family always ordered
Breakfast at dinner time

Then one day my girl did eat
Ketchup on her hot dog

At that very moment
Was the beginning of the end for me

Who doesn't know Ketchup goes on a burger!
Mustard goes on a hot dog!
Am I right!? Uh? Well am I!
Oh I'm sorry...where was I?

Oh yea, one more thing...
Her father liked to smile upside down

I called it a frown
But he called it the way he felt about me...

I spent my early life
Looking out from behind
The chain link fence on the turkey farm

There they fed me right
Fattened up my thighs
After all, what could be the harm

If it was up to me
I would never leave
It's where I prefer to spend my years

But alas will come the day
When all good turkey's have to say
Arrivederci...I am outta here

          I was born to be a Butter Ball
          Unlike those sloppy pigs that live next door
          To be a tender turkey is my call
          And all you want to do is eat me
          Yes, you wanna eat me

They just took Turkey Jack
To the shed out back
Where we never heard from him again

Just like yesterday
With my friend Turkey Dave
Strange they haven't messed with Turkey Slim

Am I the next in line
Could this here be my time
My head placed on the chopping block

As I say my goodbyes
To all the gals and guys
I gobble to Mary Lou as an after thought

          I was born to be a Butter Ball
          So delicious they're coming back for more
          Tenderized to the very core
          All they want to do is eat me
          
          I was born to be a Butter Ball
          A slap in the face to the Honey Ham
          To be a tinder turkey is my call
          Heavy on the gravy with a side of yams

Now that you know my tale
I hope I told it well
Enjoy this day with your family and your friends

So remember then
Don't leave the stuffing in
And dinner will go the way that it was planned

          I was born to be a Butter Ball
          The highest honor of them all
          Into the open oven I must fall
          Cause all you want to do is eat me
          Yes, all you wanna do is eat me

I once knew a man
Who kept a monkey in his pocket
Why, he never said
If it was a joke, I never got it

Every now and then
It'd stick out its little monkey hand
Shaking yours for all it's worth
Expecting you to shake his back of course

He took that monkey with him
Everywhere that you could think
The monkey especially loved the movies
But not the ones too scary

And the monkey for all pretense
Loved to chew on Junior Mints
If the Concession stand was ever out of them
The monkey threw the biggest fit

None of this makes much sense
If you stop to think about it
Just making mention of the man I knew
That keeps a monkey in his pocket

Life is a game of Chutes and Ladders
At every step you roll the dice
What you think really doesn't matter
Each day you'll either climb or slide

With every move you take your chances
You will either rise or plunge
Don't ask me, I have no answers
You'll never know until you're done

Where every step along the way
Is a case of do or die
It makes no difference in how you play
With every day a roll of dice

In this game of Chutes and Ladders
That some out there fondly call life
Where your next move at any given moment
You will either climb or slide

I met Emily Dickinson on the edge of the wood
With paper and pen in hand
Know not what she wrote but knew it was good
As I've always been a fan

Looking at me she gave a sly wink
As if I understood
How strange it was that nature does not knock
And yet does not intrude

She then curtsied in a goodbye gesture
Handing me a rhyming book
Whispered,,,happily ever after
Before she vanished in the wood

We turn on the T.V.
When we get hungry
But all that they feed us today are more lies

We keep on eating
The garbage they're feeding
Losing all meaning to the gourmet of life

So open up wide now
And take what they're serving
Cause what they are serving you'll soon grow to like

With a smidgen of truth
To sweeten the lies that are bitter
That go down much easier when it's tasting just right

So turn on your T.V.
There's a smorgasbord of choices
Grab the remote, choose your poison on the channel of life

You never listened much to what she had to say
Don't act surprised now that it's over
Why do we always see the truth when it's much too late
Did you ever really know her

You should have listened to her heart
That if nothing else
Then you would have known
Exactly how she felt

You spent all that time looking into her eyes
And yet can't recall the color
Now you wonder what was on your mind
When you were together

You should have listened to her heart
As the heart will speak the truth
Then you would have known
Exactly what to do

You've been given lessons but have yet to learn
Back to the same old you come morning
Spent all the brownie points you have ever earned
As you were deaf and dumb to any warning

You should have listened to her heart
Perhaps you would not have been set loose
Then you would have known
Exactly what she needed from you