as we move on through our day to day
heading who knows where
the hustle and bustle of the there about
seemingly without a care

the ups and down in this show of life
the taking of the offering
if we could see i think we'd find
that we mostly are sleepwalking

we slip and slide the routine
one foot in front of the other
along the way we eat and breath
so as not to blow our cover

making sense in all of this
mumbling as if talking
doing it like nobody's biz
the artful art of sleepwalking

wheeling as we're dealing
faking savoir faire
the sleepy path that we are on
is filled with our nightmares

we make our way through drowsy days
no hesitation in the balking
all we have made in this display
effortlessly sleepwalking

I have seen those that suffer
At the hands of their own make
Thinking problem solved if they could all
Just up and move away

But they don't know what comes will go
With you to the place you are
Unless you change your attitude
And have a change of heart

Because problems will all follow you
Whether or not you want them to
You can break the chains and let them loose
But with no change of heart they'll do what they do

So before you plan out your escape
Thinking to run and start anew
It's not the ones you hang out with
But what hangs out inside of you

You can try a brand new landscape
Where no one knows who or where you are
But all will stay the same unless you take
With you a change of heart

The pigs want a part of this action
No way are they going to oink this alone
They don't know  how but they're going to make it happen
The only draw back is the lack of thumbs

How in the world did those cows hold the hammers?
Where did the sheep get all their ideas?!
After all it's the goats with the brains!
Them and all of their kids

They don't need that big of a rocket
Room enough for a bucket of slop and a couple pigs with a grin
Asked how many were in the mood for adventure
Not by the hair of their chinny chin chins

Some of the little piggies were off at the market
Some little piggies would rather stay home
To eat all the newly purchased roast beef
Which left the other piggies with none
But most of the piggies would rather just wee wee at home

I guess when it comes to the pigs
And adventurous spirits they seem to have none
They find enjoyment on earth in the back yard
Laying around wallering in mud

Ready or not here he comes
Best you batten down the hatches
Unless you were one of the smart ones to run
Like a **** Hound in July chasing rabbits

Alright, alright, alright
As you turn and face the wind
Open the door to a Category 4
And let Matthew come screaming in

Oh me, oh my, oh my, oh me
Is that Grandma in the yard below
Hanging tight with all her might to the clothes line
With her cat Skeeters in tow

This is getting rather exciting
As I see trees by the dozen crack in half
With my Boy scout skills I might need to later build
A sturdy family size raft

But for now we'll all hunker down
Try and stay away from the windows
And all the flying debris that I decided to leave
In the yard scattered between plastic Flamingos

I'm here wondering at this moment
Which of the two could be worse
Being blown away by a hurricane
Or eaten by a gator face first

Still you've got to love Florida
With 20 foot waves crashing to shore
As I step outside to grab that branch floating by
I think I need to start whittling some oars

I have this horse
As good as a horse can be
And I love that old horse
She's a good ole horse to me

I named her America
When she was young and in her prime
She was good stock and breed
America stood twenty hands high

My horse America
Won all the races she did run
There was no stopping her
First out of the gate with the starting gun

My once proud America
Stood tall in liberty and life
But now I'm afraid she is getting
Old and of feeble mind

She no longer knows which way to go
No longer knows her left from right
I know this has been a long time going on
Though it seems to have happened over night

Not sure what it is that I should do
She's been too good to put her down
Plus she might get over this
She might just come around

She's always been out there running
Free and brave along the plains
And I do believe that kind of freedom
Will win out for America in the end

You might find this tid bit
A bit hard to believe
But I swear my cat sees thing
That I ain't never seen

I'm thinking that it's spirits
Floating all around
You can most often tell
With her constant peculiar meows

She'll sit there and she'll stare
At one spot to no end
It seems to me it must be the dead
As sure as I now live

Or when she ups and jumps
Batting at nothing but thin air
I doubt that it's the micro dust
But rather the spirits floating there

I know that all cats automatically come
With a total of nine lives
Which leaves me to often wonder
How many live on the other side

Yes, my cat sees ghosts
But you would never know
Cause she seems to see the strangest things
That no human eye could ever hope

6 days of work
On the 7th day you rested
Seeing all was good
In all you had invested

Took the hand of man
And gave to him the charge
The taste of freedom and
You his loving God

To ward off loneliness
Made for him a helper
Inside of Edens bliss
Paradise the shelter

With only one stipulation
Listen what you're saying
Do not eat from the tree
The only rule you're making

Listened to that snake
Lying in his hissing
Made the fatal mistake
He was just a henchman

**********

Eating from the tree
Who told you, you were naked
Sin has been set free
Paradise has left ya

Look what you have done
Kicked out of the garden
Hear the whole earth moan
Nothing's more alarming

Nothing now has been the same
Since the apple then was bitten
Think I'll give this poem the name
Let the festivities begin

I have a confession to make if you please
About some of the poems that I happen to read
I've never been much at swiming the literary sea
And the water for me can be a bit deep

All I am is a simple guy
That's learned over the years to simply rhyme
That's what I do time after time
That's how it is line after line

I might come up with some crazy ideas
But after all has been done and all has been said
What you have sitting here is all that is left
Just rhyming thoughts that pop in and out of my haed

There it is, my confession that I make to you
As I dip my toes into this poetic pool
Wearing my rythmic floaties just in case I do
Fall flat on my face like a poetic fool

have you ever heard a song
that all you can do is cry along
as the sadness of the sound
overwhelms...

not even really sure it's true
did it do to you what it intended to
rounding up
the elephant in the room

with a voice that cut's the diamonds edge
as what was said needed to be said
screaming what most of us whisper
3:39 with no time left

if he misses her then so do i
memories that seldom die
still some things to laugh about
dig deep enough and you will find that out

never once did i catch her name
even if i did nothing much would change
how we go out no one gets to choose
the elephant in the room

i've heard this song a dozen times
why this time did it make me cry
guess this time it brought along
some friends of mine long gone

after all after all of this
whose to say how long we have
and with what we have what will we do
with the elephant in the room

I found an old love on a social site
Opened up the book and saw her face
Can't help but notice the years have been good to her
And the life that she has made

I foolishly went and messaged her
Said we both seem to be doing well
But on these sites we sometimes lie
So that can be really hard to tell

She took it on herself to traveled North
As I left home to grab the world
It must be cold where she placed her feet
Me, I'm back on Florida soil

We both have families now going on 30 years
Her a Grandmother, me two daughters and a loving wife
Seems just yesterday she was standing here
A big part of my life

We exchanged our pleasantries
And at that time we realized
There was still that spark in our heartbeats
Something we could not deny

She said it's been nice but feel that I must go
I said you probably are right
That we're both happy that's good to know
As we both said our goodbyes

Could somebody out there teach me
The finer points of levitation
I can only get off the ground an inch at a time
There must be some mistake I am making

Am I not holding my breath long enough
Do I need to cross my eyes
Maybe I'm concentrating way to much
Perhaps I should clear my mind

Only levitating an inch off the ground
Makes it awfully hard to get around
There's far to many obstacles to run into
At that low of an altitude

I'm looking to add another five or six feet
That should keep me above ground clutter
Anything higher would only scare me
After all heights make me shudder

So if anyone out there could lend me a hand
I'm more than willing to pay them
If they could just teach me all they know about
The  fine art of levitation

Who would have known who would have guessed
That you'd say no and I'd say yes
When all we do is argue all the time

I bring with me my best of game
Which is kind of feeble and kind of lame
But it's the only game that I can find

If either shows that they are weak
The other jumps in with both feet
With claws extended looking for the ****

Would I do that...yes I would
Would you do that...if you could
Enjoying all along the cheap thrill

We come to this party all prepared
Hoping that the other is unaware
Of the dangers that lurk around the bend

You smile at me with the greatest ease
I smile back with sharpened teeth
Knowing where we're going and where we've been

Have you ever stopped to wonder why
We always fuss we always fight
Isn't it time we put this to an end

And since I know the way you are
You should be the one to start
Cause your the one that started it in the beginning

I often hide behind
The poetry I write
If you only knew
What I was going through

You might not come to grips
Or even come to like
This poet here
That keeps on fooling you

In and out of seasons
This reasoning of mind
Who's to say
What is false or true

Warmer comes the weather
Colder stays the heart
With straight face
No one has a clue

As I press pen to paper
In another roundabout
Way of making
Rhyming words for you

This whole time hiding behind
Theses simple words I write
Where no one has a clue
Of what I'm really going through

Far to beautiful to ever hide
Reflected in these tear filled eyes
Who am I to ever deny
The love I have for Alice

You lay still the day you were born
With the angel wings you adorned
In heaven they rejoice yet here I morn
Over the love I have for Alice

Inside of this mothers heart
Is where the memories of you are
With every beat it leaves a mark
Of the love I have for Alice

Eternal flame the sweetest fire
Burning true this hearts desire
Nothing for me is any higher, than
The love I have for Alice

As I read the news today
The papers all are sad
They're starving in Bombay
Bombing in Iraq

People seeking shelter
From Communist Regimes
Back home is not much better
Brother shooting brother in the street

They're turning blue in Red China
With the pollutants that they breath
A population in the waiting
With millions in the street

Jumping off rooftops in Japan
Rather than disappoint
Growing Poppies in Afghanistan
To fill Americas needs and wants

Ebola ravaging Nations
In the heart of Africa
As race relations crumble
In the bowels of America

They say no news is good news
That rings so true today
As I crumble up the paper
Toss it in the trash and walk away...

If I could go back
To the day that we met
You know what I would do

I'd still say hey
Tell you my name
Then say that I love you

Why take up the years
It took to get here
To come up with that truth

Now that I've thought it out
Beyond a shadow of doubt
That's exactly what I would do

The day I said hey
And told you my name
I would tell you that I love you

Can't think of much of nothing
That I like any better
Than a big ole spoonful
Of my favorite peanut butter

And as I lick to have it stick
To the roof of my mouth
A thing I do more often
Than I could ever count

I like the crunchy better
Than I do over plain
But when it comes down to it
I'll swing either way

I'll even toast to honey roasted
When I'm feeling sweet
As long as it's peanut butter
Makes no difference to me

It compliments chocolate
And you should taste it in a pie
You'd think you'd died and gone to heaven
After the first bite

If you're into veggies
It goes good with celery
And the way that it sits on a Ritz
Is like a masterpiece

But if neither of that suits you
You can fill in a banana
Add a little honey
But only if you wanna

And what kind of sandwich
Would jelly be like
If it didn't have peanut butter
To share the other side

So now you know how it is
And exactly how I feel  
With the substance peanut butter
Being the real deal

Spoon it out of the jar
And thickly spread it on
Cause peanut butter even
Goes good with a poem

Pardon me waiter
But there's a fly in my soup
Doing the backstroke

I have these two Cherubs
That sit on my shoulders
After all these years
It's hard to keep them in order

Every time it is I try to have fun
Or do what I think is exciting
The one on the left says go for it
While the guy on the right says look out for lightning

The problem I have is I listen to
The wrong Cherub most of the time
It's so hard to tell which one holds the truth
And which one of them is lying

After all of our time together
You'd think I would have learned my lesson
Do they both really know what's going on
Or are both of my Cherubs just guessing

I seem to remember all the little things
About me and you
The up's and downs, the in's and outs
All we used to do

All a part of life
In what we both went through
Still I wonder where I was
On the day that I lost you

Bringing into mind
All the memories
The ones that stayed behind
The ones that never leave

As quickly as they come
That's how quickly out they move
Which has me in constant wonder
Where I was when I lost you

There is no one more than me
That stands alone in the dark
Over where we were and used to be
Over where we both now are

We both shared the one key
To every door that we passed through
Now I'm here just trying to see
Where was I when this fell through
On the day that I lost you

As I stand firmly on the edge of the abyss
Knowing full well it has come down to this
Take a step forward, over the line
Falling forever into the recesses of time

And yet as I fall, hurtling through space,
I see threads past and present fall into place.
Wings slowly emerge as I shift focus again
And follow the threads through worlds unending

Passing by stars like a bird in mid flight
As imagination and I with strange worlds collide
Bringing to tip the entire galaxies scale
Stripping all of it bare as I pull back the veil

And yet further it expands, limitless, unbound.
Edging just from my grasp and falling around
My body, just a slip of flesh
Curled in ephemeral folds of a space time mesh

Just as quickly as it started I am back in a flash
Standing where I once stood on the abyss's edge
With the flexing of muscle and the spreading of wings
I fall into face forward to do it all over again

All that I have left to say
Is I need a place to hideaway
As life sends me to an early grave
Sooner than ever, never late

Feel like I've been punched in the gut
Stuck here in this daily rut
No one around to wish me luck
Knocked down hard where I can't get up

All the excuses that I have made
From yesterday up to today
Leaving not much left to say
'Cept I need a hideaway

From the back up to the front
To late now to order out my lunch
Call it what you will but it's still a hunch
One again my teams been cut

Standing outside the city gate
As I watch them give it all away
Not sure I can face another day
Certain I need a hideaway

There's a castle in Duluth
Made out of sugar cubes

And the moat that flows out front
Is filled with soda pop

Fruit that grows on trees
Is the finest in jelly beans

In the nearby spring fed lake
People swim in grape Kool-Aid

The streets where those people live
Are cobblestoned with M&M's

In their houses made of brick
From different flavors of licorice

With picket fences in the lawns
Constructed out of candy corn

When cotton candy clouds
Move in from the South  

The crowds open their mouths
As the skittles come raining down

The days are always sweet
In the Kingdom of Kandy

Where the King and Queen rule fair the days
With scepters made of candy canes

In their castle of sugar cubes
This Kandy Kingdom of sweet tooth's

I had it all in my hand
Still I did not understand
How cruel this life could be
When it took it all away from me

Now I am nothing but a shell
Of what I once knew so well
Among the lessons that I learned
How quickly life can turn

So don't count upon tomorrow
Live life for today
Make the most of every moment
Love life along the way

For what may come tomorrow
No one here can say
Make the most of what your given
Then give it all away

You used to be a part of me
Now all I do is make believe
What friends are left, now all they see
Is how my life is incomplete

I went ahead and changed my name
To Incomplete as of late
At any given time of day
That's the statement that I make

Through all intents and purposes
I'll make it through the worst of this
Remembering our relationship
And all that I poured into it

Now as Mr. Incomplete
I walk alone along these city streets
Remembering the better half of me
And how it all used to be

Things have never been the same
Since with your help I changed my name
Want you to know it's not to late
To change it back if you'll just say

But as it is in all of this
I'm living out my emptiness
All of this came more or less
On the day that you left

You made me out to who I am
That, no more than half a man
Mr. Incomplete is where I stand
Known far and wide throughout the land

Would it be considered suicide
If I failed to see the truth
Or listen to friends time and again
That the gun in my hand was you

Who was it that purchased the bullets
Who spun the magazine
Who left the fatal shot in the chamber
Who caused this horrific scene

As it goes it doesn't much matter
The shot has already been fired
The end couldn't have come quickly enough
The hole straight through the heart

So I ask...

Would it be considered suicide
If I failed to see the truth
Or listen to friends time and again
That the gun in my hand was you

I dress in
this skin I'm in
Some days thick
while others thin
It all depends
the mood I'm in
To how thick or thin
I wear my skin

I also have
different degrees
Of thick or thin
that cover me
From one coat on
to two or three
Adding color
to my skins needs

Be it thick or
be it thin
It all depends
the mood I'm in...

I just bought a turkey
In dire need of tenderize
Also a quick summer thaw
As this chick's as cold as ice

Must have froze it in the tundra as
I dive deep into the internet
Where it's got me wondering
Why I myself didn't think of this

It says to tie up both it's legs
With a nylon stringy thingy
Hey! Get that out your head!
This ain't nothing *****!

Hook the turkey to the bumper
And take it for a ride
I watched it from my rear view
And mirror on the side

I watched it twirl and tumble
I watched it twist and shout
I watched it as it changed its shape
From inside into out

I thought I heard it gobble
As it bounced itself along
Checking progress at every red light
Tenderized...yes, but not yet thawed

The roads must be colder this year
Than at first I thought
I hop back into my jalopy
For a few more jaunts around the block

I make it back to my place
Thinking all is perfect all is well
Untie the turkey, if that's what it is
It's a little hard to tell

Now with that part of the preparation done
With the turkey and I safe back home
I plop it into the waiting oven
And gently turn it on

Here we are a few hours later
As the conversations and good times begin
Sitting around the dinner table
My guests all marvel at my hen

There's only one slight question
And they asked me if I knew
I reply...why yes that is white meat
It's just a tad bit bruised

I have had this by my side
Since my days of youth
A very valuable priceless gem
I'd like to share with you

It's not made of silver
Copper or shiny bronze
But of the purest gold
You yourself can pass along

It doesn't really matter
What your race or creed
Or even to what god
It is you bend your knee

If it is we all did this
We would change the face
Of the world we live in
The entire human race

Words spoken by Jesus
That hit the vain of truth
No need to be a Christian though
For it to speak to you

For lack of a better name
It is called the golden rule
"Do unto others as you
would have them do to you"

I know that it sounds simple
And yet it's so profound
That this little gem of gold
Could turn the world around

Like I said before
I've held this since my youth
It was given to me to give back freely
As I pass it on to you

I hear love's building a casino
Taking bets on itself
A few chips laid on red, the others on black
Love is set to take the house

With a quick turn of the cards
And a swift toss of the dice
Open 24/7 with inside betting
There's nothing about love that you won't like

Love will soon be making millions
Turning hands over fists
Second to none a hundred to one
It's time we all placed our bets

The more I deal with you
The more I see the truth
In what I've found as time rolls round
That I'm not good enough for you

When I sit back, relax, look at the facts
They only stir me to think
Do you love me for the man I am
Or just for sympathy

With either way I'm okay
Though we still both know the truth
After all this time there's no sense in lying
I'm not good enough for you

With you being the beauty
And me playing the beast
I once again go back to where I was at
Why are you still here with me

Cause we both know the secret told
Is not the best of hidden truth
As I have seen and still to this day believe
That I'm not good enough for you

She's the girl who whispers tomorrow
Leaving behind the thoughts of today
Pain, despair, heartache, and sorrow
That's where she'll leave them all lay

She's the girl whose taken misfortune
And held it tight in her hand
Hears the stories told in the shadows
Along with the whispers of men

She's the girl who breaks from the moment
Unraveling all of life's strings
Retrieving with whispers unspoken
Yesterdays left behind dreams

5:09 in the morning
I slap the alarm a second time
Guess I best be going
If I plan to catch the 6:09

That's all I seem to do these days
Is travel the salesman's life
But what else can one man do
With three kids and a wife

I hate the life I'm living
Of never being home
I know they love and cherish me
But I still feel so all alone

With the T.V. as my only companion
In this dreary hotel room
Each time I leave a part of me
Knowing I'll be back real soon

The life of a traveling salesman
Is nothing if it's not hard
Most days they barely look at me
As they hold their hand out for my card

I still must brave the days ahead
For the little ones and wife back home
To give to them a better life
Than the one in which I roam

5:09 in the morning
I slap the alarm a second time
Guess I best be going
If I plan to catch the 6:09

are you one of yesterday's broken
or at least bent out of shape
does tomorrow have you hoping
that today will go away

have you considered this a lesson
in spite of the troubles made
it doesn't take a detective
to see the blessings that it gave

turning you from the direction
of a full blown catastrophe
changing your whole life's perception
to that of a greater need

where today will be a treasure
tomorrow, something to look forward to
and yesterday can be finally laid to rest
along with the worries holding you

Here we sit...

On the front porch swing rusted
The two lives that we've trusted
All these many years

We have lived...

The best of what life had to offer
The only thing saved up in our coffers
Is the joy of our tears

We've got our dreams...

And the young'uns that surround us
From the years of love that has found us
And still hasn't let go

So it seems...

We've still got much more living
Never taking, only giving
That's how we know

We've made it through...

Rough seas as they tossed us
Holding tight whatever the cost was
Each others life preserve

Lord only knew...

All these years were meant for each other
Best friends, husband, wife, lover
Living life for all of its worth

Reflecting...

On the front porch swing rusted
The two lives that we've trusted
All these many years...

Why do we judge from the outside in
As if that has to do
With the fact, the way we act
When our looks don't give a clue

You could be a crook with the best of looks
In a three piece suit
Or a millionaire with unkept hair
In a line for soup

We need to realize it's the eyes
That so often decieve
And from the start look with the heart
If we're to truly see

And not bat our eyes at the outside
But instead look deep within
After all a person's soul
Is not made up of skin

Why Yes, I DO realize...
I'm **** naked in the middle of the road
And NO Officer, I DON'T know how I got here
NOR the whereabouts of my clothes

The last thing I DO remember
I was heading to work and all was fine
Wait a minute...now that I think about it
There was this bright light?!

At the moment I was inserting my key
Into my heap that I sometimes call a ride
My friendly neighbor was waving to me
On the row of hedges from the other side

There was a strange humming sound from above
Both of us looked up in awe
Then I remember bright lights shooting down
That's the very last thing that I saw

NO, I HAVEN'T been drinking!
NO, I'm NOT insane!
It's only 9:30 in the morning!
Of course I have no idea what day?!

WHAT?
You want me to get in the back seat?
And tell the Judge what it is that I saw?
To tell the truth Officer, I'm not sure I can sit down
For some odd reason my butts a tad bit raw...

Thought I'd start off with a clean slate today
Completely clear my mind
Sit in a darkened room
Give it a little time

See what there is inside of me
Digging deep what I will find
Grab a hold the poet soul
Spend the extra dime

I found I like it better here
Without the fuddle of mankind
Just me, the darkness, and my mind
In the deeper meaning of the rhyme