I saw my first killing
At the tinder age of thirteen
Two men fell outta the towns saloon
And commenced to fighting in the street

It was at that very moment
My Momma she grabbed me
But Momma couldn't keep me from seeing
What it is I seen

It broke my heart when Momma
Stood on that dusty street and cried
But I still went about my business
When she covered up her eyes

I grabbed the dead mans gun
That's when I told my lie
I told my Momma that I'd be home
Later on that night

But my Momma she never saw
Her young boys face again
'Cept on the wanted posters
Nailed up by many a lawman

Many a lawman lately
That's gunning for my hide
'N' to think it all got started
When the first owner of this here gun of mine died

My killing spree started in Colorado
Then went south for a spell
Every town that I rode up on
Became a living hell

A living hell that no one ever
Had the nerve to give me back
I almost feel sorry for the men
Who ever dared to cross my path

No matter how far or fast I ran
Death was always close behind
In his right hand he holds a flaming sword
On the handle engraved the name is mine

The name is mine
And he knows it well
Deaths one desire
Is my soul in hell

I was twenty one years of age
When a coward shot me in the back
Shot me in the back
Cause it was courage that he lacked

The courage that he lacked
Stopped my deadly run
As fast as it all got started
The day I pick up that dead mans gun

You say your not religious
Well neither my friend am I
It was man that made religion
It was Christ that came for us to die

He came to earth with a purpose
And that purpose was to set us free
From the guilt, the sin, the daily shame
All chains of captivity

It was the religious leaders of his day
That used their power as a tool
It was Jesus that came to do away
With all the man made rules

Rules that held the people down
The same as they do today
Invite Jesus into your heart right now
And let freedom have its way

You say your not religious
Well neither my friend am I
It was man that made religion
It was Christ that came for us to die

Some people don't
Some people do
Get their just deserts
In what they're going through

Some people bring
It all upon themselves
While others are hit blindly
Out of left field

Who's to say
In what life tosses your way
Could be yours could be theirs
When we make mistakes

Hear now what I say
Mark my every word
Sometimes we do sometimes we don't
Get what we deserve

You can smile the smile of perfection
Leave a twinkle in the eye
Move in every direction
As the camera hides the lies

You can take the shot over
Adding dark shades with the brightest of hues
Keeping off camera one thing or another
Hiding what blemishes you choose

Touch it up with Photo Shop
Dress for success in this life
Keep the negatives in the dark room
As the camera hides the lies

Put on an air of achievement
When you haven't really done a thing
Except pose and make love to the flashbulb
Bringing us all into your make believe scene

If we ever knew the real you
Would what your selling, we'd buy
One thing I know as the truth
The camera hides the lies

I saw you walking down the street today
And thought about your life
I really have no idea who you are
Nor how you spend your time

I sent a little prayer your way
In hopes that you will find
What gives me strength throughout my day
The saving grace of Jesus Christ

Then as your day progresses
And you pass someone new
You can give to them the same blessing
That I just gave to you

All the poems I seem to write
Remain a mystery
Until the voice inside my head
Says it's time to set them free

Don't remember when I first tuned in
To all the inner noise
And don't recollect it giving me
A say in any choice

I'm just along for the ride
In this topsy turvy game
A conduit of sorts
If you must give it a name

As I put pen to paper
My hand twitches as it flows
What will be is guaranteed
Only do the voices know

Look what I found when I opened my eyes
I found a world much like me
Though we may share different views
We all want to see the same things

Look what I found when I opened my mind
I found we all think much the same
In this world we think that it's time
For all of mankind to make a change

Look what I found when I opened my heart
All the cares of this world
I never knew what those cares were
Until the day I opened my heart

Look what I found when this I realized
We all want happiness and a chance to be free
Look what I found when this I realized
The world's pretty much like me

I've decided I'll do it Monday
At the cost of again putting it off
If not then I swear then one day
If my mind doesn't wander off and get lost

It seems these days it's harder and harder
To motivate this weary old man
With the joys of life getting further and further
From where I find that I now am

There must be a point in the breaking
All a part of some master plan
What little time I have left I am taking
To find out who I think that I am

And when I do I'll get around to it
Since I've put it off already this long
If there's a lesson here feel free to use it
As I move on to another poem

i catch myself talking to myself
but there seems to be something missing
because just like everyone else
to myself i barely listen

sometimes i'd like to shake myself
did you hear what you just said
yes, i've heard it all before
a conversation with myself i've already had

whether it's with me, myself, or i
be it morning, noon, or night
yapping like there's no tomorrow
all i seem to do is gripe

so half of the stuff i don't listen
to half of what i have to say
half of it is missing
and the other half gets in the way...

Mother Earth decided
To have a yard sale
From the sands on her beach
With all of its sea shells
Including all the forest green
And mountain tops as well
Even all the in-betweens
Along with everything else

Selling all her waters
The entire lot
Ponds, lakes, and winding streams
What's clean and what's not
Even comes with the fish
All ready to be caught
Puddles go for 50 cents
If that's all you've got

Feel's she's getting way too old
To take care of it all
From the largest that there is
To the smallest of the smalls
With the creatures that can walk
And those that slither and crawl
Trying her best to get full price
Before she has to discount it all

She'll pay the price for adds up front
Advertising in the almanac
Get it in early enough
So she's not stuck in the back
Make it all day Fri
And half a day on Sat
With a chance to buy it all
Wherever you are at

As Mother Earth delegently
Sets up her yard sale
All must go as you can see
Take it home for yourself
Once it's all sold and gone
She has yet to figure out
Just knows that she desperatly needs
Some time alone to herself

We met over beakers*
In the back of the class
Both knowledge seekers
Young scientists

Looking for answers
To the stars and beyond
My sweet little Alchemist
Has it going on

Mixing solutions
With the solutions she finds
Answering questions
To where mystery's do hide

Her scientific equations
How could I ever miss
That smooth chemical sensation
From my sweet little Alchemist

With a little of this and a little of that
Always adding just the right touch
Wherever it is and wherever it's at
What she adds is never to much

If you need to find her
She's at the top of my periodic list
In case you need a reminder
*She's my sweet little Alchemist

The four letter words that barrel from your mouth
Could put a sailors reputation into serious doubt
What spews to the surface is what brews within
Do you kiss your mother with those nasty lips

You say everyone's doing it so what's the harm in you
If I showed you the bridge would you jump too
As you sit in your wonder at the fuss and the fight
I'll let you in on a secret, two wrongs do not make a right

Seems these days cursing is rampant and free
As were running in place to get where we need to be
But in the end it's a loss to us all
If you can't curb the tongue then what can you control

Next time there's a fire, try not to cook
Put the recipes back with every name in the book
Then the new words that come from your mouth
Won't make us all cringe when they come spilling out

Me and Mary Lou
Were married right out high school
Her soon to have a baby
Me with nothing much to do

Didn't get much of an education
From the high school social scene
Life is now one big social frustration
If you know what I mean

Got a job on the dead shift
Down at the Jiffy mart
When Mary Lou went to labor
Emptying out her shopping cart

Got the call at 2am
Telling me I had a boy
I went straight to isle 3
And bought him his first of many broken toys

Cause broken toys prepare us
For the book of broken dreams
That most of us later in life
Tend to sit and read

Got the call not that much later
Telling me Mary Lou had died
Pretty shortly after that
My boy let out his first of many cry's

I wish I could have been there
Though not much I could have done
Except to give last minute comfort
To the mother of my son

Still down at the Jiffy mart
Whats a man to do
With a now 2 year old by your side
Sitting on a stool

He loves to hear the stories
Of when his mom and I were young
But he always adds the saddest end
When he asks why she is gone

I tell him she's still living
Only now she's in our hearts
I'm not sure that he believes me
As that's when the tear drops start

But life goes on as always
Like the purchases that I ring
With both us boys missing Mary Lou
If you know what I mean

I've been looking up
I've been looking down
I've been found looking all around

I've been searching here
I've been searching there
I find myself searching everywhere

I've dug deep within
I have given out
As I waded in a humanities lake of doubt

I've been to the East
I've been to the West
All the different places that I thought were best

Been leaning with the left
Hanging with the right
I have jumped ahead and I fell behind

I have searched the North
I have combed the South
Caught myself looking here and there about

I am searching hearts
I am searching souls
Searching everywhere a mans allowed to go

I am looking in
I am looking out
Listening intently for the slightest sound

I am looking high*
I am looking low
Looking everywhere
*I think that love could grow...

My daddy turned life into living
By raising ten ornery kids
A righteous man, daddy was given
I only hope to live life like he did

He was brought up on old mountain wisdom
That's the best kind of wisdom he said
Don't just hear with your ears but also your eyes
But don't let it all go to your head

Don't trust no one named Uncle Sam
Cussing don't make you a man
If you see your brother in the gutter before you check with another
Be there to lend him a hand

Don't pick a fight if you ain't planing on winning
Don't ever miss church on Sundays
If your caught in a storm and can't make it home
Get down on your knees boy and pray

Make sure you take the advice of your mother
And that you show your sweet sister respect
If you've had your fill of a good home cooked meal
Give a hungry man what is left

My daddy brought us up on mountain wisdom
You can always fall back on when there ain't nothing left
A word to the wise, not just your ears but your eyes
That's what my daddy always said

We said...
we'd stay together
forever till the end
the end came rather quickly
before we even had a chance

We said...
we were meant for each other
and that we would always stay
that was the last thing that we said
before we both walked away

We said...
that what we had
was written in the stars
but I no longer know you, you no longer know me
we no longer know who we are

I guess what all we said
in a way now has come true
as we both turned to leave, you said goodbye to me
as I said goodbye to you

What I'm getting ready to lay out for you
You might find incredible but it's nothing new
In today's world you're as good as *******
If there's no more than two or three of you

That's why I'm fixing to make a couple of clones
That I can sit back and call my very own
One for the office and one for home
With the three of me no one the wiser will know

The one at the office I'll teach to say yes sir
Keeping his lips pursed, a genuine **** kisser
Of course he won't have to do all that much work
They'll all get suspicious if he goes overboard

The clone at home will love the wife and the kids
Wash the dogs, the cars, make sure the cat's fed
Mow the yard if there's any time left
Then round about 9pm start nodding his head

While the real me will be down in the Keys
Living it up in Florida luxury
The only action from now on that I'm going to see
Are the bluest of waves as they're pounding the beach

So who could blame me for going it clone
Things are much easier when you don't go it alone
Would have done it much sooner if I had known
Everyone should have one or two clones

Today I found my long lost Pet Rock
You know, the one from the 70's
I was sure years ago I'd lost him for good
Go ahead, ask if I'm happy

I found him on the side of the road
Just relaxing at doing nothing
I guess without me in his life
He was major bored or something

I picked him up and we both hugged
It was a very emotional moment
I know what your thinking to yourself
Kinda brings a tear to your eye now don't it

After exchanging the usual pleasantries
I placed him in a kerchief of silken lining
If I didn't tell you I skipped all the way home
You know I would be lying

Getting back to the house all tuckered out
We went early to bed
I fluffed a pillow up just enough
So Buddy could lay his weary head

I can't tell you how good it feels right now
To have my Pet Rock back home with me
At last my life can get back into
A mode of normalcy



Wait....You didn't honestly think I would end it here did you?



When we woke up early the next morning
I poured Buddy a bowl Fruity Pebbles
He looked at me rather strangely
As if questioning, what do you think I'm some sort of cannibal?

After that little speed bump in our relationship
To get our friendship back on track
I suggested we go somewhere special
Buddy suggested we take a nap

I'd forgotten after all these years
How much he liked to lay around
Guess nothing much has changed
On this, his side of Gravel town

Buddy and I do everything together
My Love for this rock, can't get out of my head
Where my life was once filled with immeasurable sadness
Now overflows with loads of joy instead

That is until the day we went to the park
And he wanted to skip across the lake
At that point I realize
He and I might have made a grave mistake...

Everyone in town knows
That Philmon is a mad scientist
It's not his little hunchback buddy
Or the crazy smocks in which he's dressed

It's not the thunder clouds that hang over his house
Or the strange sounds which from his basement grew
No, it's not any of those things
That gives the town it's clue

It's not all of the dark birds
That hang out on his fence
Or his subscription to weird science weekly
And all those wild experiments

Not even when things turn up missing
Down at the local graveyard
No, it's the HONK" if you love Mad Scientists sticker
On the bumper of his car

He sees his reflection while shaving in the mirror
She sees hers in a pool of tears
He reflects back on the here and now
Her on the forgotten years

Prepares his day with suit and tie
She gets the kids ready for school
This is how it is, he never questions why
She's found out old is nothing new

When did the pull of pressure replace the tug of love
And marriage bliss up and pack it in
At what point in life do you say I've had enough
When all that's left is the remember when

Chasing deadlines and deals again he's working late
Alone she puts the kids to bed
He'll get home exhausted with little left to say
How long can she go on is anybody's guess

He never feels providing for family is a crime
Her heart is under lock and key
Maybe if he'd stop for a moment he would find
That a husband and father is all his family needs

When did the pull of pressure replace the tug of love
And marriage bliss up and pack it in
At what point in life do you say I've had enough
When all that's left is the remember when

I have a friend who's in a way
Don't worry none, won't mention names
That daily battles bitterness
It drives them nuts, I'm sure no less

Where they've been wronged so many times
It's tuff to focus on this life
A wall they've built that's hard to scale
Could use a window if nothing else

To help see in and also out
Raise the shutter on that room of doubt
Let the breeze of trust blow in
Where it can flow back out again

Although I'm sure they're unaware
My friend is always in my prayers
And no matter what they're thrown in life
True friends stand by each other's side

I seen a people being lead away
Miles and miles of railway trains
Fingers cling to chain link fence*
Seen them once ain't seen them since

I seen chimney's bellow out angry smoke
So thick with sin a man could choke
Is this how far down we've taken life
Jesus wept as the nations cried

I seen power hungry grow like weeds
I seen them prey on the least of these
Rise almost as fast as they fall
Still festering beneath the soul

I seen lessons that we never learn
I seen the pain, I seen the hurt
It goes by different names but I seen it strike
*The snake that takes the bite of life

How many say
Life is killing me
I do believe
The very same thing

It's like a give away
Of our history
No need to see
A past that's buried

What did you have in mind
As your moving through time
It is your dime
Spend it however you like

But in the meantime
Your still going to find
Life is very much like
A slow suicide

Even holidays
Will not delay
That one more day
From your everlasting fate

You pay the freight
On mistakes that you make
Though there may be a delay
It's never that late

What else did you have in mind
As your moving through time
Spending your dime
However you like

You can try and hide
But your still bound to find
Life is very much like
A slow suicide

If I should ever lose my sight
No longer seeing through these eyes
I still will gaze upon the prize
For my eyes they've seen the truth

If words no longer fill my mouth
If what I had to say did not come out
There would never be a doubt
I would continually sing my praise to you

If both my legs they were cut off
I would still be standing for the cause
Continuing in my faithful walk
Each day in you I stand anew

I know I'll never lose my heart
For it loves and knows How Great Thou art
To the very end from the very start
Jesus, I will always be in love with you

Uh Oh
I use quite frequently

Uh Oh
Words made just for me

I use them everyday
In all of my mistakes

Uh Oh
Proudly leads the way

Uh?
If you have no idea

Oh?
When your questioning

Whether put together
Or whether pulled apart

Uh Oh
Shows the moment where you are

There's a certain beauty to the skyline
On the edge of this Texas town
Conjuring up the days last events
As the sun is sinking down

The day wrestles with the memories
Drawing them closely to an end
A sweetness that holds the fragrance
Of this beautiful Magnolia sunset

As the brushstroke of truth sweeps pinks and blues
In a mix between silver lined clouds
So much beauty to behold
Could make any sky cry out loud

Painting with perfection in pastel
God saves what colors are left
To use again the next evening
For another beautiful Magnolia sunset

I've been here a little over a year
And never would have guessed
That in the reading of some poems
I would end up so depressed

Have these people ever stepped out in the sun
To breath in the fresh air
I'm not trying to put them down
I am one who really cares

I've found in life it's all in the attitude
So if your one of those on the brink
Please back up a step or two
Before you take the final leap

And try to think of happy thoughts
Like skipping in the park?
Butterflies and puppy dogs?
Might bring you from the dark

How about cotton candy?
The Circus or the Zoo?
You might want to try something fast
Before you totally come unglued

Well, I'm felling much better now!
I hope that you are too and this diatribe has helped you
Cause if you stay on this demented path
I'm afraid the best of life you'll lose

I'm building a bunker
Deep and down under
Away from the crazies
Is it any wonder

It's come down to this
Land of misfits
Add it to the list
Kentucky fried crisp

I buy all my groceries
Where nobody knows me
I'm in such a hurry
It causes a nose bleed

Cans of sardines
Boston baked beans
Astronaut Tang©
For when I'm thirsty

Take it back to my place
Till dark shows its face
Then make a bee line
With guns, groceries, and mace

I shut the trap door
Place it all on the floor
Plug in my phone
Ring me up when it's over

Just a couple ornery worn out cowboys
Reminiscing of younger days
On the front porch swing rocking to the rhythm
That they're still both out on the open range
  
Around these parts everyone knows them
And the wild stories that they tell
Of highfalutin adventure as if they are still there
Lasso in hand roping and wrangling the cows

Just a couple over the hill worn out cowboys
Swinging to the rhythm of latter days
As in their minds they rope and ride biding their time
On what is now their final open range

Memories often linger
Till time takes their hand
Leads them down the lonely path
Of never back again

They start off bright, easy to recount
Clear as a churhes bell
As if they promise to always last
But they never fail to sing farewell

Has anyone else noticed that the world's on fire
Kindled by the wickedness of man
Strike a match, watch it catch,
fan the flame, add some gas
Do we really need to give Satan a hand

As it all goes up like a funeral pyre
Will there be anyone left to mourn
Professional Wailers are hired
with crocodile tears to cry
Just don't tell them the truth of what's going on

Be careful of where you walk these days
Don't step on the burning coals
That are tossed aside
out there to disrupt daily life
Do those with the matches even know

That the world they are burning is their very own
Caught up in their winds of change
Being blown this way and that
till there will be nothing left
Of what normalcy once remained

Welcome to the new
Millennial scene
Where most the guys you meet
Are more nightmarish than dreams

These are the ones
Your Mama warned you about
But you're too far in now
To ever get out

Where have all the good guys gone
And how long
Must you be all alone

Another Friday night like
The Friday before
And with Saturday knocking
On the same door

You have your Mom
To watch the kids
As you sit here and wonder
Who's watching his

Where have all the good guys gone
And how long
Must you be all alone

Either they're married
Or soon divorced
And are they here for the company
Or just looking to score

You've never been much
On playing the game
But who wants to play
Real life anyways

Where have all the good guys gone
And how long
Must you be on your own

Feel free to call me
The Ever-Changing Man
I can turn on a dime
Change on a whim

There's not a direction
I haven't tried
It's not about correction
I just have no spine

It's easy to see
I'm the Ever-Changing Man
The direction I lean
Doesn't come with a plan

Without convictions
It's easily done
No learning of lessons
At every wrong turn

I only look to my needs
The Ever-Changing Man
If it's easy street, I'll dance to the beat
Just strike up the band

For the Ever-Changing Man...

Arrested Savior in the garden
Satan feels his job is almost done
Betrayed by a Judas kiss
And a handful of silver coin

Like a lamb being lead to slaughter
He spoke not a single word
From the time before time began
All his trust is in his Lord

Conviction comes on quickly
Testimony being the lies of man
Still all in Gods perfect timing
Still all in Gods perfect plan

Soldiers spat on him and beat him
Shoved on his head a thorny crown
Mocked him for the king he is
Still uttered not a single sound

They forced on him the cross to carry
Like any common thief
This he did most willingly
Even for the least of these

The pounding of nails through his feet and hands
Being felt in his fathers heart
But both he and Jesus know
This is the important part

They hang him tattered on that wooden cross
On the shameful hill they call The skull
Satan smiled all the while
If only he had known

Father please forgive them
For they know not what they do
A statement that to this very day
Still has a ring that's true

It is finished...
The last thing on the cross he had to say
The perfect sacrifice of the last given lamb
For sinful man has paved the way

Three Long Days Later...

HE IS RISEN!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
SINS CHAINS THAT HELD US CAPTIVE
HAVE BEEN BROKEN FREE!

All in Gods perfect timing
All in Gods perfect plan
That Jesus Christ would be the one to die
All for the love of man

In my every day travels of traveling on
I found a mood ring on the side of the road
Instead of my pocket where things I find go
I was put in the mood to put the ring on

Immediately it went from orange to pink
Happy with my find
It's not everyday you run across a treasure like this
Outside of the five-and-dime

Every minute or two I kept checking my mood
To see just how I felt
Between bouncing back the red and the black
Getting nervous I was overly stressed

Deciding to actively seek my mood ring to green
I went light blue instead
I had no problem with that as a matter of fact
With the feeling of being relaxed

Still I'd like to go back to the mood I was in
Before I  knew about it
So I took a detour a smart move for sure
And dropped the ring back where I found it

This life I lead
Is a wide open door
You can see through me
Like a glass bottom boat

Read my inner thoughts
Like a comic book
Know what I'm about
From just one look

I'm a recipe
That's pretty simple to follow
A bit bitter to taste
Yet easy to swallow

You can write what you like
Be it right or wrong
Take what you find
You won't be too far off

A familiar tune
That's easy to sing
An under breath hum
In the key of C

In a wide open book
That begs to be read
Take just one look
You'll know me from beginning to end

The spleen can be a peculiar thing
Riding high just above the jeans
When it no longer serves its purpose
And the doctors say that it must leave

Oh how the spleen once stood so proud
With the vertebrates in the local crowd
Now we give it the old collage wave
As the doctors toss it out

Where it goes nobody knows
To spleen heaven? Do they have those?
If all dogs go to heaven
Then with spleens we can only hope

That one day we will reunite
With our missing spleens in paradise
If you ask me that sounds real nice
I just hope they keep it on ice

16 tears
welled up in her eyes
it was at that very moment
she knew she would cry

16 droplets of rain
fell from the sky
into the cistern
that once was so dry

16 men
all waited in line
for the opportunity
that would only be given to 9

16 candles
burning so bright
holding tight to the future
that will be laid out in time

16 hands
like those of the blind
reaching for something
not sure of what they will find

16 minutes
is never much time
though it depends on
where your heading in life

16 tears
fell from her eyes
when they reached the floor
that's when she realized

There's nothing new I'm telling you
No rear view mirror on top of your head
There is no time to look behind
But what's ahead instead

When I looked last the past is past
Where down the drain it goes
There's not a thing you can do to bring
It back, that's all she wrote

It makes no sense to dwell on it
When it is up and gone
With each new day,  yesterday fades
With the coming of the new mornings dawn

So if you should ask about the past
I'll say what's done is done
No need to look back on what has been left
Just keep on keeping on

As time quickly approaches
On the planed escape
Gunther smuggles the files in
While Mildred bakes the cake

But that doesn't much matter
For our two on the run
In all the confusion
The oven was never turned on

So they slipped out the front door
When Gladys the receptionist was gone
Out for her morning coffee
And cigarette on the lawn

They made it as far as the sidewalk
As far as the authorities could tell
When they both turned around
Before their bladders gave out

They need a new plan of escape
One that can be followed with ease
Before it's to late
Since they're both weak in the knees

Our hero's will have to wait another day
For their chance at freedoms song
For now they'll hang up their walkers
And devise another plan on getting gone

It was a heated night of Bingo
When Gunther got the idea
They'd go out with the wash
In a basket both hid

So they packed up their dentures
Along with their Poly Grip
As both of them readied
For their laundry trip

Now in the back of the truck
Rolling down 95
Same age as our escapee's
If you care to count time

They later hijacked the truck
When the driver they sacked
Now they travel life's highway
With nothing but the wind to their back