I'm making it my goal today
To get my act together
But before I can achieve this major feat
I'll have to check the weather

Cause if it is to cloudy
My act will not step foot outside
And if the sun is shiny
My act acts like it is blind

Raining? Forget it!
An act that's soaking wet
Takes much to long to dry itself
And shrinks till there's hardly anything left

With temperatures to hot or cold
You know that really matters
Guess when it comes to my act
Weather permitting, I'll do it later

I looked at my watch
It's a quarter till four
I'm not so sure
I want to be here anymore

They called me and your mother
We called up your friends
When the doctor informed us
This might be the end

You'd been in an accident
Out on the interstate
Which begs of the question
Why you, why this

Here with you broken
I think of your smile
The one I am hoping
To see again in time

With all the tears flowing
Among mournful cries
There's no way of knowing
If this is goodbye

That's when I open my eyes
Much to my surprise
I'm in my bedroom
Lit by the blinking clock light

Flashing the time
Of a quarter till four
My mind set on you
As my feet touch the floor

I head towards your room
In a daze from the dream
As my hand turns the ****
I hear the phone ring...

I'm certainly no theologian
And I know I don't read my bible enough
Still it amazes me how people don't see
The answer to life is God's Love

And how some people blame all their problems
On everything else but themselves
With a wink and a nod, they are quick to judge God
For the poor circumstances they're dealt

They think that God owes them a favor
Not sure where they got that idea from
What have they ever done when it comes to God
But to rely on their own righteousness

And though I am no theologian
I certainly know right from wrong
And that the answer to all of life's problems
Is still the Love of God

if i broke my promise
would it break your heart
the one i made between you
that night and all the stars

the one where i took your hand
and looked into your eyes
the promise i made between you
and the nights open sky

could i use the excuse
that the days have brought a change
when i woke that early morning
and the night no longer remained

If you can let Love
Take you by the hand
Never under pressure
Never by demand
Let it have its say
On all the paths it takes
Clearing hate from the day
Let Love have its say

Better still let Love
Have its open will
In sickness and in health
Love is here to heal
Let it play its part
In everything you are
Love is where you start
Let Love play its part

If you can let Love
Take you by the hand
Comfort where it hurts
The very best it can
If it's not found the first time
Don't give up in trying
If you can let Love
Take you by the hand

I've got serious poetic issuses
The rhyme in my mind never quits
I've seen countless shrinks over the years
That asure me this is it
When  along comes another snag
Here yet comes  another riff

It starts off all sweet and subtle
The way purring kittens do
Soon enough to a roaring lion
Salivating over poetic stew
I'm at the point where I now realize
There's not a lot that I can do

So it's back to pen and paper
Pounding out the daily poems
Like a mess of party favors
Take your favorite flavor home
Guess with me and the insanity of poetry
I'm destined to never be alone

They say that age is just a number
And although mine is rather high
If I had a chance to pick another
I think I'd stick with mine

It took me years to get here
Through all the ups and downs, the aches and pains
One thing that has been made clear
I wouldn't change a single thing

Because with age comes the wisdom
To learn from our mistakes
And believe me I've made plenty
Of mistakes along the way

Although I've made some winning
Decisions to back them up
I'd have to say this life and age
Is one I truly love

So if I had the chance
To do it all again
I believe I'd take the stance
Of No Way, No How, No When

For when it comes to life
The good far out weighs the bad
So I think that I'll just stick with
The one and age that I now have

.












...and THAT'S how I single handedly defeated  the aliens and saved the world.

I remember used to be
When there was you and there was me
That was before we split the scene
Now all that's left is used to be

I remember way back when
Boys and girls now women and men
Too far too fast, the way it went
From off the cuff of way back when

I remember giveaways
And what it was that broke that day
The tears that flowed at my say
And how I regret the giveaway

Tick, Tock
Tock, Tick
You never do get used to it

Tock, Tick
Tick, Tock
Give away all that you've got

Tick, Tock
Tock, Tick
The lines of time will not stay hid

Tock, Tick
Tick, Tock
Sweeping hands on life's time clock

Tick, Tock
Tock, Tick
As memory slips in what you did

Tock, Tick
Tick, Tock
Give a penny for your thoughts

Tick, Tock
Tock, Tick
Passing time the time you live

Tock, Tick
Tick, Tock
Hard to find when time is sought

Tick, Tock
Tock, Tick
You never do get used to it

one thing we are never told
pictures taken in polaroid
have a way of fading over time

very much like you and me
and the picture we used to be
no longer has that kodachrome shine

it happens to the best of us
the color fade of wanderlust
bringing out the worst in black and white

one thing i'm relying on
although i'm barely hanging on
is the picture of us left in my mind

if it were up to me
there would be no worries
there would be no problems
to all that's going on

every side of the street
if it were up to me
would be the sunny side
with the grass always green

we would all be free
living life together
if it were up to me
in peace and harmony

everybody's needs
would outweigh all the wants
then we'd have all we need
if it were up to me

BLACK & BLUE
are the colors that
you turn to
like the others that
he once knew
when he met you
and let loose

where you find
he is not so
nice a guy
truth or dare
it's a lie
every time
he'll apologize

promising
he will not
do it again
till he raises his
angry hand
low on promise
high on demand

still, you stay
with no plans to
run away
but will you
survive the day
his fits of rage
who's to say

where he leaves you
with no clue
every time he
backhands you
will you even
make it through
the next round of
pity you
BLACK & BLUE

Candy's always first in line whatever the cause is
Doesn't much matter what it's all about
Feels it's her place to counter balance the losses
Until the truth is known or a cure is found

Candy wakes early scanning the papers
While the bluelight in the background plays local news
Finding what park or office to picket
Because all the causes gives her something to do

Wears wristbands of colors supporting others
Red, yellow, pink, green, orange, blue
Even has one that swirls like a rainbow
That she proudly wears for a gay friend or two

She likes to think that she's socially conscious
And with nature and life she is in tune
Proud of herself cause she knows she has got this
Though without a cause she'd have nothing to do

One thing Candy's learned is it's never ending
As ones taken down another is found
The way the world is we're just beginning
Lucky for Candy there will always be causes around

I believe crazy has finally stepped up to the plate
Here for its meet and greet
As we hang on the ledge by the thread of our pants
Sitting forward on the edge of our seats

With skyrocketing prices
Everywhere that you go
You've gotta be a gazillionaire
Just to walk through the door

without your morning dose of ordeal
you'd almost forget how normal it feels

And heaven forbid someone knocks on your door
Which sends you scurrying off into hiding
When clearly you've posted above the bell
A "NO SOLICITOR" sign

Not to mention the fighting of traffic
As the traffic fights back with you
Try not to frown or even smile
When the person in the next lane comes into view

Yes crazy is here to shake all our hands
Put us all into a spin
I'd like to tell you more about it
But it's hard to know where to begin...

It's times like these
I'm never sure
If your the disease
Or if your the cure

I know your an angel
But it gets hard to tell
If your one from heaven
Or if your one from hell

With broken hearts
it always rains
Still you never do
wash away the pain

I used to be much taller than this
If that you can believe
But you've taken me off so often
Right above the knees

I'm not really sure
Who you are
And how a broken heart
Can still be pulled apart

*With broken hearts
it always rains
But never does it
extinguish the flame

She keeps on digging at nothing
Not knowing where they've been tossed
With the feeling at least nothing is something
If you're searching for what you have lost

But before she can leave it all behind
There's a simple urge of tidy and neat
So she fills in all the empty holes
That once held her childhood dreams

She wants no one around here tripping
Into that vast emptiness
Because even empty dreams can be captivating
If they are dug with enough finesse

With these hands
There is so much they can do
As I wave hello and wave goodbye
On this journey passing through

With these hands
I can lift you up
Pull the hurt into my arms
Comfort with a hug

Yet with these hands
I can ball a fist
If anger gets the best of me
So I must be careful with them

With these hands
I can hold your hands
Walk with you in what you go through
Be a helping hand

With these hands
I can work the field
Helping feed the poor in need
Use these hands to heal

Yet with these hands
I can hold you at arms length
They can also be used to abuse
With them I must clearly think

With these hands
I come baring gifts
With palms held wide open
It is what it is

With these hands
I can heal or destroy
With these and others hands
You just never know

I've jotted the oblique
Scribbled the sublime
Communed with Mother Nature
While holding hands with Father Time

Dipped my toes in the poetic pool
Swam in the extreme
Question is does this make me out a fool
Or genius with a dream

I've taken my pen to absurd heights
And to the very depths of low
I've written what I fantasize
And that which I do not know

I've peeked around some corners
That set my minds eye free
Taking up the meaning
Of treasures hidden in the means

I've placed my writers kiss on all of this
As I've moved slowly through the rhyme
Tasting tiny morsels of oddity
In the words I've wined and dined

What this all boils down to
Is I've about covered it all
But before it is I give up on this
Think I'll squeeze out a couple more

everyone has an itch

that is begging to be scratched

complicated, simple, poor, or rich

everyone has an itch

where they feel the need to scratch

on the itch that they have

wants or needs, immaculant, unkept

everyone tries to scratch

on this itch that we have

that seems to give us all a fit

it's part of life, this life we live

with this need to scratch the itch

I have learned more in life
From just the Earth and sky
Sitting on a mountain top
Beneath a moonlit night

In the whisper of the woods
To the openness of a field
Nature in her glory
Has so much to revel

When floating down a river stream
That pours out to the sea
There is so much to this life
That she teaches me

The birth of Christ
We celebrate
The one who brought life
Truth and the way

The greatest of gifts
To ever receive
Come celebrate
The new born King

The gift of grace
To all of mankind
Taking the place
Of a world that is dying

In swaddling clothes
The perfect gift wrapped
For all of those
On this vast global map  

This special gift
Shows how our God cares
In receiving it
We can't help but share

The birth of Christ
That we celebrate
Giving true life
On this Christmas day

i keep nothing in my pockets

that i occasionally pull out

when i find i have nothing

on which to talk about

i don't have to go searching

when looking for nothing

just slip a hand into my pants

and pull out something that is nothing

but still when you have nothing

you find you must do something

you can't just let nothing like nothing sit

because when you have something

that is more often nothing

in your pocket stuffing

you find there's nothing to it

I'm tired of seeing all the bad
That is continually thrown our way
When there is so much to be had
And thankful for today

Just the fact that we're alive
And not six feet in the ground
Giving us another chance
To turn our wrongs around

And though there may be rain
On any given day
The sun is just a peek behind
Those darkened clouds of gray

Also who doesn't love to hear
The laughter of a child
Or enjoy the wonder of a dimple
That is brought on by a smile

How about the feeling that you get
When you hold a loved ones hand
Or when the words are heard
As I love you is said

There's really so much good around
I find it rather sad
That all we mainly focus on
Is the world gone bad

To turn it all around
For survival is a must
Can't be done by just one
It must be all of us

Out of every song*
That God has ever sung
First and foremost among them all
You are his favorite one

For you are the poetry of God
His best to grace the stage
Out of all of his creation
His favorite in what he's made

While nature proclaims his glory
It is man in whom he delights
Taking the dust with hands of love
And breathing in the poetry of life

Out of all the wonders in this world
That so clearly can be seen
The miracle of man by Gods own hand
*Is you, his poetry

Certain things my dad said round me
I still remember to this day
Like when he'd ask how much is the cheese
In turn the waitress would say

Why it's only ten cents sir
Would you like to add a slice
You could see his eyes spin as the notion kicked in
I've never paid that price for a slice of cheese in my life!

Years later when I order a burger
And they ask me if I care for cheese
Just like my dad I ask with a tightening in my chest
Finding it hard to breath

Coming in at well over a dollar
I have visions of dad spinning in his grave
If he wasn't already dead this would be the camels back
That sends him on his way

There once was a man who quickly became loved
And treasured in this land
He seemed to have it all looks, brains, and women
All in the palm of his hand

No matter what he did he achieved
Blessings seemed to over flow
But from where he came and what was his game
Not a soul seemed to know

He helped the towns to prosper
Gave to charities and was adored
He quickly climbed the social and political ladders
So it didn't seem to matter where he had been before

Until that one day where everything changed

The changes at first were very subtle
Like lines of age upon the face
As he started grasping at straw this man of the world
In his laying it all to waste

One day a woman slipped through his door,
the straw that broke the camels back
As she disappeared, rumors grew and whispered
with each and every passing day
Stripping away the peoples trust much like eroding soil
His world that day started crumbling and exploding all around

This man of mystery, this man of burning straw
Would soon succumb to the pleasures in shame
Below his line of character and above it all
Lies burn away held to close to life's flame

The people learned a valuable lesson
When trusting mere man he can let you down
The man who once made them all smile
Now has left them with a frown
As he now crumbles and falls down
Like wasted straw scattered on the ground
This man of straw, this Straw Man

Right out of the starting gate
Your tongue quickly makes its way
Wagging in and out of lanes
From minute one to hour late

Takes with ease all of life's hurtles
Up one side and down the other
Clearly the rabbit to the turtle
Could soon out run the seven wonders

In the lane of truth with laps of lies
Is where your tongue runs all the time
Hard to believe, harder to find
For you there is no finish line

I started a wave

Right where I was at

Out in the open

I raised up my hands

Over my head

Then I let them fall

Someone down the street

Well they saw it all

So they in turn

Raised their hands up

As fast as they did

They let them both drop

A chain reaction

Took over from there

Spreading out quickly

Just like a wild fire

It went from city to city

Then state to state

Soon country to country

In one gigantic wave

It circled the globe

Then came back to me

I saw it approach

As it came down the street

Today with the wave

I made a world of new friends

So much so I raised my hands

And sent it again

I found this poem from when I was young
What it speaks of is hope in the form of love
It was written in youthful innocence
The part of me these days that I most miss

I laid it out as a younger giant
Line by line sometimes by simple rhyme
And yet it holds true to this day
All the things I still feel the need to say

Brought on by the views often held by youth
Through the filter of innocence that hides most truth
That brings out the hope often covered with love
That I found in this poem from when I was young

just a clown looking for laughs
around every corner, behind every desk
every iota of chance that i get
now's not the time to lay back and rest

every opportunity afforded me
into the laughter pool i'm diving deep
becoming captain of this wild crazy sea
i'll have them all laughing while slapping the knee

i'll even take time to learn how to sign
so those who are deaf can laugh at my lines
i'll hold back on the props for the sight of the blind
no one ever said that i wasn't kind

always in search of the highs and the lows
for the punch line to the latest joke
if you could be kind enough to let me know
if you have heard this one before...

The Devil is nipping at our heals
Knowing that his time is near
He'll take what he has
What little is left
Down the path of destruction and fear

The Devil has his hand out for a song
Inviting the world weary to sing along
He hasn't much time
Begging all for a ride
Hoping your going where he's going

The Devil's got a wink in his eye
Keeping those from the great by and by
As he shows off his stuff
More often than enough
Keeping himself out of the light

The Devil knows his time is nigh
See you later alligator, bye, bye
You can go straight to hell
Where the folks know you well
Skating away on the lake of fire

Life started playing games with me
Instead of the other way around
It pulled the rug from underneath my feet
The kicked me when I was down

What hurts worse is life and I
We used to be the best of friends
I'd like to go back to the way things were
But feel it's to late to make amends

Out of the blue life up and moved
I hear he's not doing well
Seems the way he's treated all his friends
Is finally taking its toll

I must say that at times with life
And I've learned this lesson well
How to handle most of it
Is really hard to tell

with so much set in front of me
how best to spend my time
should i talk of darkened thoughts
or lay out lines of love

a poem to bring about a change
from the condition that we're in
as these thoughts bounce about
where should i begin

how about one with hidden meanings
you must dig deep to find
or a poem that's leftward leaning
keeping with the times

perhaps one that keeps you laughing
bellyaching with a sigh
or a different direction all together
a poem that makes you cry

should i write a poem on the moon and stars
let nature have it's day
or how man has lost all touch
with progress in the way

maybe fill it with the very fact
that we've wandered from the truth
what should my next poem be about
i haven't got a clue

here i am
just a man
flesh and bone
alone i stand
i play the part
mouth to hand
standing here
just a man
there is no need
to envy me
as i'm a product
of all you see
a thin disguise
of wants and needs
just a man
i do believe

the day that he was born
held tightly to the cord
pulled himself back in
had heard about the world

said i'm not sure i'm ready
for this crazy social scene
i'll just stay here holding steady
till something better comes to me

evidently here it's very clear
inside the warmth of the womb
is a safer place for restful days
than this world of ****** tunes

Her name was Gayle
She blew in and out
Of my life like a forcible wind

Knocking down trees
And me in between
I still remember back then

Like it was yesterday
The storm never fades
In the mind of the strongest of men

There is no doubt
As my minds river floods out
We'll never pick up who we were again

These words I have are simple
These words I have are true
The ones in my possession
I've been holding them for you

I've held them for a reason
For the stars to perfectly aline
For you are the only reason
I'm letting these words go at this time

Although they may be simple
A massive truth they do convey
It's you I love and you alone
Are the words that I have saved
That I now wish to give away

At first he takes your hand
Leads you gently across the sand
Takes his time in his long stride
As you consider him a friend

In thoughts of younger days
He seems to stand in place
With knowing smile he crimps your style
As you have no need to wait

Then in the blinking of an eye
Time quickly slides you by
Now holding hands in the swirl of quicksand
Too many questions as to why

Coming to the age old turn
Finding you're too far immersed
And the crooked line with father time
Has finally run its course