Let me start off at the start
Where this tale begins
I was turning 5
Wishing I were 10

Always did I feel
Youthful years they held me back
There was so much more that I could do
But so much that I lacked

As sure as I live
Then I turned 10
Hoping soon to be
The tinder age of 13

I knew as a teen that I would be
Footloose and fancy free
13 seemed to hold me back
Had to be 16 is where it's at

16 soon arrived
I took the car to drive
But had nowhere go as an adult
Hoping 21 would make it so

Say hello 21
I took it on the run
Never looking back
Still something that I lacked

The big 3-0
Would be the age I know
The one to satisfy
The apple in my eye

What 30 did
Was came and went
40 hit me up side the head
Like an angry brick

Then I blinked and
50 learned my name
Nothing since that moment
Has ever been the same

Now with 60
Staring me in the face
Can I go back to 5
If there is any way

If you want to write a poem about the Sun
Make your way to the horizon before the morning comes
On a day that is clearly not a cloudy one
Pick yourself a rhyme before he comes along
That to me is the best way to get it done
If you want to write a poem about the Sun

If you want to write a poem about the Moon
Try these simple steps to help you through
All it is that you have got to do
Is throw yourself into a midnight attitude
And watch in the sky for the moon to wink at you
If you want to write a poem about the Moon

If you want to write a poem about the Stars
Find an open field where the sky is dark
Away from the city lights and the running cars
Lay upon your back for the view of Godly art
Enjoying as they make their way spark by tiny spark
If you want to write a poem about the Stars

If you want to write a poem about Love
Then you'd better know about it well enough
All the in's and out's with the down's and up's
Still you'll barely scratch the surface of
But never in your life should you give it up
If you want to write a poem about *Love

There's a kid in me that wishes he
Wasn't wearing this old suit
That looks to show the age of old
If only people knew

This thinning skin that holds me in
Also holds this childish mind
If it were let loose what it would do
Is run fast, free, and wild

I'm not thinking that of past regrets
I've loved the life I've lived
I just wish the shape I'm in
Was still that of a kid

It's hard to run, skip, and jump
Acting out the fool
When all adulthood tells you how you should
Follow at the rules

I just want to see this kid in me
Having the best of times
Which was easier to do when this suit was new
Tailored more to this childish mind

the day that she see's
i'm not what she thinks
it's ta-ta

when little ole me
no longer fits all her needs
it's ta-ta

sooner or later she's bound to find out
i'm not all this nor any of that

the day i skip a beat
and she figures out me
it's ta-ta

when her brain finally meets
the one and only true me
it's ta-ta

you can only fool someone so long
soon enough forget the words to the song

when she finds my heap
is not really that deep
it's ta-ta

when she takes a good peak
causing her then to freak
it's ta-ta

She has a new poet in mind
One she likes better than me
Fills up her time with mostly love rhymes
Satisfies her poetic needs

Leaving me stuck in mid-verse
Stumbling over all of my words
It used to be me that she'd only read
At what time did my rhyme take a turn for the worse

She has a new poet in mind
One that now fills up her time
Makes her feel special and no telling what else
Enticing her with the smoothest of lines

Never did I stand a chance
Left here with pen and paper in hand
He writes about rainbows and lord telling who knows
Where now she's his number one fan

She has a new poet in mind
Leaving this one behind
Could I have been napping when all of this happened
As I never saw the metaphorical signs

The size and shape of your Chiclet's teeth
Remind me I need some gum
Don't want the rank and file of my breath
To make you turn and run

The cold neon lights of this restaurant
Really highlights your pasty skin
Bringing out the true beauty
Of your darkened eyes so far sunken in

I knew this would be special, our first date
So I did my best to comb over my thinning hair
My Uni-Brow didn't part so well
But I knew by the looks of you, you wouldn't care

When it is we that hug
My hairy back tickles your sweaty palms
Our mumbo lips fit perfectly
When the awkward kiss finally rolls around

We're a match made in heaven
Or somewhere there about's
There's someone out there for everyone
Is what we've both just happily figured out

This kind of has me worried
As it's sort of getting late
When am I supposed to grow up
Once again has crossed my plate

Quickly pushing at the 60's
Quite the unfamiliar scene
Still stuck in adolescence
Those that know me, know what I mean

You would think that at some point in time
I would have had enough
And somewhere down this age old line
I would have found time to grow up

But as the game is played so far
So far with what I've found
Maturity may not be for me
In the cards this time around

Guess I'll leave be with the degree handed me
And the cards I have been dealt
Handing this growing up business over
To everybody else

I see you drive your frantic life
Much like you do your car
Jostling for position
To get beyond the point of where you are

Running through the cautions
Not knowing when to stop
Giving all that you have
Beyond all that you've got

Each day is faced with fits of rage
As things don't go according to plan
Could it be your low self esteem
That is too high in demand

And yet you drive faster and faster
As if this is a race
But when the checkered flag is dropped
Which ever after will be your final resting place

Move fast from out the fast lane
To get beyond the point of where you are
And stop driving your frantic life
Much like you do your car

There's a sweetness
in the presence
to the glory
of the Lord

Come and taste
all he gives
the sweetest taste
you've ever known

The taste of mercy
and forgiveness
no bitter taste
on the tongue

No better taste
sweet satisfaction
come and taste
the Lord is good

Some very good friends sat around in their basement
I think we've all been here before
The room of course was smokey and wasted
The four buddies were bored right out of their gourds

They all thought they should do something special
So they decided to build a rocket ship
Throwing a bunch of old plywood together
They then sat around, smoked some more, and planed their spacey trip

Jody spoke up first and said let's go to the moon
But they'd heard that had already been done
That's when he came up with the brightest idea
I know what!  We'll go to the sun!

Go to the sun?!  We may be high but we're not crazy!!
They replied, this ships made out of wood
That's when Jody explained his brilliant idea
Nodding like Bobble Head dolls they all understood

As Jody dug deeper into his intricate plan
All the guys seemed to like it a lot
They would go when it's dark in the middle of night
When the suns put out and it isn't so hot

Since Jody's the genius, they put him in charge
He seems to have a grasp on what's left of his brain
There were four of them but only room for two
They drew straws 'cause they were having difficulty remembering their names

The straws turned out to be the same length
Cutting them, somebody forgot
So they picked Jody as their Captain Kirk
And Jason as his sidekick Spock

Out in left field, the excitement was contagious
Jody yelled, 'To infinity and Beyond'
They knew that quote came from some famous movie
But had a memory lapse so they gave him more Bobble Head nods

At that point they realized they had no engine
Being impaired, not a one of them cared
They all went back down into the basement
And took another kind of trip without going anywhere

If you want to know

Just where I stand

I'm with the beginning

That has no end

Leaning on

The promises made

To righteousness

I am it's slave

Holding tight

To Jesus Christ

The cleansing blood

The bread of life

The precious hope

That is to come

The continued grace

I fall upon

To the very one

I owe the most

Father, Son

And Holy Ghost

If you want to know

Just where I stand

I'm with the one

That died for my sin

you're the figure in the window
with secrets hard to keep
double paned fogged over
turning up the heat

makes it so hard
when you can hardly see
all that you have done
why do you do this to me

you would think that you'd know better
with your reflection glimmering
that it really matters
in word and in-deed

life isn't always
always what it seems
a fault line runs through dreams
why do you do this to me

in way too deep
with my own company
with friends like me
who needs enemies

closing of the curtains
so even the fog you can't see
in charge of my own keep
why do you do this to me

I really appreciate all of the poetry
But some of you are way too deep for me
I'm like a deer in headlights
When I read some of your writes
Some even cause my brain to slightly bleed

Of course I wouldn't say I'm surprised
Okay maybe just a bit
But when I order up writes
I prefer mine with fries
And a little something on the side I can sip

So please pardon me my stupidity
As this all plays out on the run
Like I said what I find
With some of your writes
My brain goes into severe deep freeze numb

i may go to pieces
i may fall apart
i may  lose direction
and miss out on the mark

i may wander off the path
take a completely different road
end up further than i have
from what it is i know

i may look behind me
more often than i should
in a last ditch effort to find me
if i only could

i may give this a bit more thought
as it all comes into play
give awe and wonder to the four way stop
then choose another way

To me and many she's sugary sweet
Perfers to come calorie free
Dresses up to do in pink or blue
Looks pretty sweet in yellow too

Likes her nights out on the town
Most everywhere she can be found
Goes by different names which is part of her charm
Don't you know this girl's got it all going on

She melts at the sight of coffee or tea
Hot or cold makes no difference you see
In her circle she moves smooth calorie free
Out and about on the town, sugary sweet

Find humor
when told of the tumor

Smile
when the answer is cancer

Laugh
at the heart attack

Kick back
in the face of death

Yawn
when you're not given that long

Whistle a tune
when they tell you it's June

Have no remorse
as the disease runs its course

Bow your head
when there's nothing left

Could you?

SHOTS  .   .
.     .*         ANGRY   .
      .           .
       SHOTS   .    .
.         .                      MANIC  
SHOTS  
  . . .      .
    .        UNFORGIVING     .
                                  
                          ­ SHOTS
.         .          .
  . ...       . RING OUT IN THE NIGHT  .  .

DEATH   .      .
                    HUNGRY
    .           .         .
                      .                DEATH
.      .  ­       THIRSTY  
  
DEATH    .         .

.           ******    .      .

                             DEATH
.              .
             FEEDING OFF LIFE

THEY DO NOT GIVE BACK
           NOR SECRETS THEY KEEP
                 THEY TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE
                            SORROW THEY LEAVE
.             .                     .
     *.   .         SHOTS    .        .      .

What is the description of love
You know that funny feeling you get
That takes where you are and flutters your heart
As butterflies race through your chest

Is it in the face of a child
Or when your holding hands
Is love something spoken out loud
Or whispered on the wind

Is love something you get
Or is it something you give
And after it is you give it away
Can you get love back again

Does it come in a selection
Of different sizes and shapes
And if you happen to mix it
What are the colors love makes

What is the description of love
Is it to lay down your life
In the service of your fellow man
Or the ultimate sacrifice

Is love just a four letter word
That you might have once heard
Or is it the best of all cures
For the long broken heart

Is it in the beginning
As well as in the end
Is love the golden thread
That helps all things to mend

Is love something you say
Or is love something you show
I guess the description of love
Is all this and much more

We're six months past December
Smack dab into summertime
One thing I forgot to remember
Would you be my Valentine

Here's a big box of chocolates
With some flowers on the side
If'n you like the notion
With you as my Valentine

We could hold hands since it's summer
Walk along the oceans sand
I would not look at another
With you as my Valentine

Maybe next year I'll remember
To set my watch around February 9th
Instead of six months past December
To ask if you'll be my Valentine

Okay, who stole my body
I had when I was young
It was never in the best of shape
But far better than this one

Semi smooth and silky
Not a wrinkle on the lot
I feel I fell asleep for a century
And this is how I ended up

I now have wrinkles on top of wrinkles
With wrinkles on top of that
Could someone point me in the direction
Of where my body could have been left

It had fingers that worked without aching
Steady hands that knew not of shaking
A memory that...I'll get back with you on that
And a face you wouldn't mind dating

My body had knees that were noiseless
A smile that wasn't so toothless
A libido that you could rely on
Instead of the one I now have that is useless

My other eyes were filled with wonder
Not these made dull and steely gray
If anyone has seem my body
Could you kindly point me in the way

This heart of mine
        Has a mind of its own
                Filling in all space and time
                        With its own needs and wants

This heart of mine
        Plays double time
                Brings me close to loves edge
                        Then does what it likes

We need to talk
      I wish my heart would listen
            Come to my way of thinking
                    See all that it is missing

This heart of mine
        Has no reason nor rhyme
                For most of what it does
                           Most of the time

This heart of mine
         Leaving the scene of the crime
               Before it's caught and does the time
                       This heart of mine

Feels like forever
Though she's only five
With a purpose in life
To ask the question why

A tiny Shakespeare
To be or not to be
The reason she's here
Is to make me think

Why is the sky blue
Why is the grass green
Why when birds clearly whistle
They say that they sing

Why do frogs leap
And bunnies hop
Why do dogs and trees
Both have a bark

Why do bees that sting
Make honey so sweet
Is there a man in the moon
And does he like cheese

Why are Summer's so hot
And Winter's so cold
Why do cat's get nine lives
And do dogs have souls

These are just some
Of the questions that come
My way each day
As I try and answer them

Feels like forever
Though she's only five
With a purpose in life
To ask the question why

The night often comes with a disguise
One at times that's hard to recognize

From the face of a hapless child
To a young man just this side of wild

Or a wife not sure where her husband is
The night though can go much deeper than this

It can also be the elderly alone
Or a lost love with no one home

The nights disguise could be a suicidal teen
Who will try to take life out by any ways or means

The night at times could use a friend
One to gently talk it off the ledge

The night also dresses as a man estranged
From a family that no longer speaks his name

Or a mother who decided that the drugs
Were far more satisfying than a family's love

If you look hard enough you're bound to find
That the night often comes with a disguise

Why do people make excuses
For all that they get wrong
Why not just say, I made a mistake
Then kindly move along

Is it because they swallowed
The poison pill of pride
Where they need to list their accomplishments
No matter how dark the lie

When did the pretending of perfection
Become the sea that we swim in
When did the learning of life's lessons
Get buried too deep to dig

When you make a mistake don't make your way
To the side of do no wrong
Telling the honest truth in everything you do
Is the best way to play along

What takes a moment and moves it beyond
... a touch of love

What is the one thing you can always count on
... a touch of love

Can change the direction of any given day
... a touch of love

When in an argument, has the last say
... a touch of love

Able to bring beasts to their knees
... a touch of love

Grabs hold the captive and sets them free
... a touch of love

Surpasses understanding to the warm hearts delight
... a touch of love

Never demanding always just right
... a touch of love

Can calm any fear, true or made up
... a touch of love

Perfectly balanced, the perfect touch
... a touch of love

I'm losing it
Standing at the precipice
One foot out in the open
The other stepping off of the ledge

I'm losing it
Falling now as fast as I can
Not exactly what I was hoping
But one that I have grown to expect

I'm losing it
What little I tend to have left
These days I'd say I'm barely coping
And with all of that being said

I'm losing it
Standing at the precipice
One foot out in the open
The other stepping off of the ledge

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

I took sanity out for a walk today
And it seemed to slip my mind
We haven't been getting along as of late
And I hate it when it hides

If it were up to me
I'd keep it locked up all the time
With my sanity out running free
There's no telling the trouble that it'll find

This isn't the first time this has happened
Not the first time it's escaped
Followed by wild eyed giggling and non stop laughing
As it skipped along its merry way

So if you happened to see my sanity
Would you kindly send it home
Me and its next of kin "In"
Are starting to feel a little paranoid

Lord,
Turn my eyes from worthless things
That which do not matter
Like the dust blown on the breeze
Or no rungs on a ladder

That which gives the world pleasure
Keep far from my heart
Where you are is all that matters
Bring me close to where you are

Lord,
Turn my heart from worthless things
Let it beat in your pleasure
May your love flow in and out of it
Blessings beyond measure

Let all that I've been given
Be given back to you
May my heart beat bold till days of old
Always in time with your truth

Lord,
Turn my mind from worthless things
Keeping me ever mindful of you
In knowledge grow as your word is sown
By your Spirit I'm renewed

May I think about you often
As I make it through my days
Contemplating all you are
Keeping me mindful of your ways

Lord,
I guess what I am asking
Is for your Holy Spirit true
In all I am and all I can
May my all be filled with you

We need another Martin Luther King
Today now more than ever
Someone to take the faithful leap
That will bring us all together

Who sees the plight of man for what it is
All one race, no color
Where together in harmony we all shall stand
Sister to sister, brother to brother

A leader with a vision
With open arms and callused hands
That will peacefully fight for all that's right
Over every square inch of this land

To lift us out of this world in doubt
Not silent on what really matters
Raising our voices in joyful sound
A world where we love each other

One who hears the righteous call
And says here I am send me
For freedoms sake above it all
Like Martin Luther King

I've never been to Poughkeepsie
But that's never stopped me
From saying it all of the time

It runs fun off the tongue
Here try yourself some
As you read it inside of this rhyme

I hear that Poughkeepsie
Is above New York city
Not too far as the crow flies

So won't you say Poughkeepsie with me
Like run away gypsies
From Poughkeepsie having the time of our lives

there's one car missing from the two car garage
one dinner plate from the table
is this the point where i give up
count the losses if i am able

there's one toothbrush missing from the bathroom
one pillow from the unmade bed
the only conversation that carries on
are the things we left unsaid

only one book on the nightstand
where the light remains off
i've cried as much as i can
but can you ever cry enough

there's one heart that's broken in this man made tomb
one glass that's always empty
with nothing here and nothing i can do
a promise kept all too well lately

there are two smiles missing from this one house
one fragrance that no longer lingers
i'm sure you've figured out by now
there's one person that misses you being here

A bat needs a ball
The way a snail needs a shell
As far as I can tell
They fit together pretty well

A kite needs a string
How a finger needs a ring
The way Winter months longingly look
For the covering of spring

A book needs a read
The way a field needs a seed
Like any minute
Needs a second to help it breathe

A baby needs a bottle
A fork needs a mouth
A thought needs a cranium
To help it bounce around

A song needs a tune
Like the morning needs the dew
Where everything that is now old
At one time was brand new

Would right ever be right
If there never was a wrong
And what good would be life
If love never had a poem

Hold your breath as you deeply dive
Just out beyond the Atlantic tide

There my friend is where you'll find
The thrill of the famous Octopus ride

Swim out fast and don't be late
This ride has only room for eight

Pay in clams if that's what you have
Our 5 Starfish Hotel has the best in Oyster beds

Take a Seahorse ride through Seaweed Pass
You'll barely have time to catch your breath

Enjoy our Sea Garden Restaurant's specialty dish
Of Sandy Bottom Peanut Butter and Jelly Fish

Come for the day, stay for the night
Enjoy the food, enjoy the rides

With casual attire you can come as you are
For the best of times at Atlantis Park

i take pills for minor headaches
pills for major anxiety
if you've looked out at the world today
then you know i take a lot of these

i take a pill when i need to sleep
another when i need to wake up
the one that i use to sleep with
i take sometimes when times get rough

i take a pill to help with hair growth
i take a pill for my allergies
with the pollutants that are floating in the air
i sometimes find it hard to breath

i take a pill when i get angry
a special one that calms me down
it takes me to a better place
to the very center of happy town

a pill to help with motion sickness
when my world begins to sway
fish oil pills to help with blood flow
plus garlic...to keep the vampires away

i take a pill when i eat something spicy
a pill that helps with gas
a pill when i'm feeling in the mood
that helps the mood to last

i take a pill if i ever forget
to ever take a pill
and if i forget to take the second one
i take two more to relieve my guilt

i guess you get the idea
if not this poem is nil
so i'll just put down my purple nexium pen
and go take another pill

if you ask me
out of the blue
i know no thoughts
i have no clue
about what all
i'm supposed to do

at any given time

after all
i've hemmed and hawed
kicked the can
but that's not all
empty handed
dropped the ball

at any given time

i've moved beyond
the does and don'ts
straight into
my needs and want's
just happy that
i've yet been caught

at any given time

Am I winning at this game
Or is life beating me
Sometimes it's hard to tell  
Sometimes it's hard to see

When my chips are down
I try and quickly pick them up
Are you ready for another round
Or have you had enough

Sometimes it's hard to tell
If you're the monkey or the cage
I have yet to figure out
Am I the turkey or the baste

On life's shinny lock
I often fumble with the keys
When you find I'm in mid-sneeze
Would someone please bless me

While enter and exit signs
Loom everwhere I go
Not sure if I should stick around
Or pack my bags and hit the road

Sometimes it's hard to tell
If you're the noose or the rope
I have yet to figure out
Am I the grass or the goat

If ever there was a sliver
Of sun in this shade of doubt
It's that in life it is hard to tell
And even harder to figure out