I stole this tune from a mockingbird
Where outside my window he was perched
I kept the rhythm added rhyme
And the words, well they're all mine

The song he sang was a happy one
I think he got from another bird in love
When you whistle love it's hard to keep
So much so it inspired me

The tune I kept inside my head
Until there was no whistle in my whistle left
That's when in my mind I did decide
I needed to add a few rhyming lines

But I kept the tune of the mockingbird
Just thought it could use a few good words
Cause words can be a powerful thing
When added to a bird that sings

My Granddaddy said
A whole lot to me
To prepare for the things
A young mind couldn't see

He peaked around corners
And underneath beds
Here are some things about life
My Granddaddy said

Life if you ain't careful
Can grab you by the throat
It's a dress that is red
It's a glass bottom boat
It's a beautiful smile
With the sharpest of teeth
Life's a kiss on the head
And a kick in the knees
It's a shake of the hand
A knife in the back
A shoulder to cry
A belly of laughs
Life it can be
Most anything
From the roar of a lion
To a bluebird that sings
It's a shave that is close
A miss by a mile
An old man at most
A soft tender child
A moment of wonder
A sneeze never blessed
Pouring out more
Then taking it back

My Granddaddy said
A whole lot to me
To prepare for the things
A young mind couldn't see

He peaked around corners
And underneath beds
These are some things about life
My Granddaddy said

Say goodbye to Hollywood
The glamour and the Grace
Before the trip came to the cliff
No amount of fame could save

Say Goodbye to Hollywood
Before the big melt down
Where the Stars last ride was a fall from the sky
Leaving behind their golden crown

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Goodbye to the golden age
Where what they had in the past
No longer is passe

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Where the direction that they lean
Is so far left in their heads
They believe their own make believe

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Goodbye to the royalty
Take it to the bank that what they think
Is no where near reality

Say goodbye to Hollywood
Turning heads from this train-wreck
It's more than sad this unmade bed
When all that's left is the shake of heads

I have this winter coat
That I often wear
Whenever I am told
That you will soon be here

You can't help but chill
What ever room you're in
With the icicles
You start conversations with

And that cold shoulder
That you have for me
Makes me want to order
Up an early Spring

When in a bank of cold
You drift in alone
That is when I know
To wear my winter coat

At a galactic social greeting
The universe had a major meeting
Over an issue that needed some work

Seems they'd all about had enough
Of the bad boy on the block
Commonly known as the Earth

Seems he's caused quite the ruckus
Since day one among us
Is what most planets and stars had to say

And when it comes to the Moon
We've all but about lost our view
Since Earth came along and got in the way

Plus all of the loud noise
From the parties to the wars
The occupants should really quite it down

Yes nothing's been the same
Since the day the wild Earth came
And settled in on this side of town

From all of the rocket ships
And circling of the sputniks
It's like a giant game of dodge ball

We have all tried to get along
Holding hands, Kumbaya...well you know the song
But this isn't working out at all

Wondering what all they could do
You simply can't turn the Earth loose
Creating havoc from one end to the other

There was not one single thought
From any in the entire bunch
As they all stared blankly at each other

That is until the planet Mars
The mischievous one of course
Said I have an idea that just might work

We'll all do something to upset the Sun
When he flares the Earth blow up
Then we can take all the left over dirt

Where we'll fill in all the holes
On the Moon with the Earth's soil
Putting it back into original form

And once that deed it is we do
All of us and the new made up Moon
Can enjoy the life we had before Earth came along

...so when you see the brightest light
quickly kiss your **** goodbye
as that flare soon enough will end the play

can't say it hasn't been loads of fun
once medium rare now very well done
Kraft would be proud at this ultimate Shake 'N Bake

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

I look at all your Facebook posts
Is that you I really see
Or did you just put makeup on
And do my eyes deceive  

Pick out the perfect lighting
**** that belly in
Angle the camera perfectly
To erase that double chin

You post a few comments on
How life could not be better
In your plight to help humanity
And all things that really matter

I see you care about what you share
With the pushing of a button
But does it go beyond, who knows
Guess it's better than nothing

Our Facebook lives I often find
Is just like Hollywood
Where we hide behind white lies
To make ourselves look good

So as I gaze at your Facebook page
I wonder if you're who you say
Or if you're someone other
Than who you try to portray

I walk along these city streets
Traverse these country roads
Conversations with the souls I meet
Setting down our heavy loads

Helping to build it brick by brick
The pathway of mankind
Placing markers along the way
In case I come back to visit sometime

Arriving at the center
Where man has made his stand
The crossroads of all humanity
With high hopes and less demand

I come here bearing gifts
Everything it is I have
As the years have filled my pockets
With empty promises

Of all man has to offer
Of all that man has done
No one is the victor
In life's battle never won

So I continue to walk these city streets
Traverse these country roads
Conversations with the souls I meet
Setting down our heavy loads

She said my dear I know you love me
I came back with the same, you know I do
What she said next took away my breath
As she had me chew on this hardened truth

She said yes but are you in love with me
No need to even guess how I was taken back
That question dug in deep as she was once my greatest need
At some point I had let that need inside me lapse

Which brings about a time for deep soul searching
As I let life get in the way of my love for sure
In busyness we loose the best we have to choose
Which to me is falling back in love with her

Early the other morning
I took my Boogaloo to the park
First thing that happened to us was
We got in trouble with the law

We had blown past the sign at the entrance way
Which was certainly news to me
That stated in both English AND Spanish
All Boogaloo's must me kept on a leash

So I took my Boogaloo to the ocean
Cause you know how Boogaloo's love to swim
With both us at play splashing the waves
That is until we saw the sharks fin

Have you ever seen a Boogaloo walk on water
Or try and hide it's head in the sand
Boogaloo's often do a lot to make the news
But they're not really known for acting much like a man

I then took my Boogaloo to the zoo
So he could see a monkey or two
To tell the truth that's what Boogaloo's love to do
If you were a Boogaloo wouldn't you do that too

After a day of fun with my Boogaloo in the sun
It was time for the both of us to head home
Where it is we can get a little relaxation in
Because come tomorrow we're going to do it all over again
But this time we're going to bring along all of his friends

How many out there
Are always searching for love
That think it comes in a package
And when they open it up
They quickly find out
It's never enough

But what love is
that some do not know
Is a seven course meal,
best not eaten alone

But then you have some
That treat love like a jewel
Where they keep it hidden away
Thinking it might get stole
So that its everlasting beauty
The heart seldom knows

When it comes to love,
that's the way that some live
Love is a treasure,
that is well worth the dig

When love comes into bloom
Some can't see the forest for the trees
The difference between love
And the over taking of weeds
Use your heart as a trowel
And tend the soil in need

*When it comes to love,
don't give up hope and know
Love is a garden with its share of weeds
but still grows

Who do you bow to
What do you sacrifice
Is your altar the mirror
Reflecting lies

Who do you run to
When there is a need
Who do you turn to
When you scrape a knee

Do you find when you suffer
That you count it all joy
Do you wish for another
What you'd rather avoid

How closely do you follow
To your own creed
And does it ring hollow
In your beliefs

What do you worship
Who do you sacrifice
In your altar, the mirror
Do you see what you like

Everywhere I go
My rear is there for me
It gives comfort when I sit
Should I decided to bend the knee

With strong advice from my wife
I need to keep my cheeks pinched tight
So everywhere I go
My brains don't spill out on the floor

There's something about a poem
That makes me want to rhyme
Get straight to the point
Read between the lines
Open up the stream
That flows into the mind
There's something about a poem
Where I love to spend my time

There's something about a poem
That has a certain beat
Inviting you along
Helps you find your seat
Like a favorite song
A poem can also sing
There's something about a poem
That sets the spirit free

There's something about a poem
Has a comfort all its own
Happily holds your hand
Taking off the load
Helping you to cope
With its open door
Makes you feel at home
There's something about a poem

She blew in
A Gayle force wind
Far more of a lover
Than ever a friend

Young storms never quiet
With thoughts that we might
Ride it all out together
In 75'

But as weather would have it
Winds blow this way and that
So that what really mattered
Changed up in its pattern

With the pouring of time
Flooding forgotten streets
Like cars, years passed us by
Splashing tears at our feet

What's it like having money
In your land of milk and honey
Where people applaud you everywhere

To go to all the parties
With all the artsy fartsy's
Pretending that you don't really care

What's it like being rich
In the style in which you live
I'll take a few more of these and a bunch more of that

With your servants and your maids
Your modern day daily slaves
Kissing your **** while taking your crap

What's it like having millions
It looks mighty thrilling
Where all you have is all you need

All of the wills and wants
More do's than you do don'ts
Does it make you feel fancy free

What's it like worrying over your dough
Afraid that it may blow
Any moment off into the wind

And what is it like
Going through your life
Wondering who are your true friends

What's it like giving all of your money
To your latest honey
When all she wants you for is your stuff

Or hanging from a cord
When life becomes too bored
Cause the one thing money can't buy is love

I found a hundred dollar bill
In the Target parking lot
Placed an ad with some guy named Craig
To find who's bill it was they lost

I truly am amazed
At the people calling me
And how many lose their money
Like it was grown on trees

When I asked the question of
Round about what date
There was silence on the line
Guess they really couldn't say

But they all swore up and down
That it was their hundred bill
I informed them all that I'd get back
As my phone would not stay still

I had so many heartfelt calls
That it made me think
Of this one grand idea
As I headed to the bank

I really felt so bad
For all the people and their woes
That I emptied out my account
Of all of it's doe

I looked all the people who called me up
And drove out to their place
It was worth the money
To see the joy on every face

Now I'm broke as I can be
No more money have I got
Spending the days left to me
Scouring the Target parking lot

In order to save some money
Which in hindsight wasn't smart
Me and my buddies got together
To make our own fireworks

And as luck would have it
We found all we need under the kitchen sink
The whole time looking to do this cheap
Instead we came out free

Knowing this day would draw a crowd
As soon as the rumor mill filled up
So in our vast wisdom with a few cells missing
We mixed the batch up in Jimmy's tub

Not being exact on science
As illustrated in that magazine
We felt no need to measure
And might have gone a bit extreme

As soon as the stuff started bubbling up
That thought did cross our minds
Remember at the start, saying it wasn't smart
And that little mention of hindsight

With the size of the flash, little wonder we're not ash
And still have all our fingers and our toes
It's hard to explain the size of the bang
And why now Jimmy's house is one big hole

But we did put on a show not soon forgotten
That could be seen from outer space
And where Jimmy's house used to be
There's now a community pool in it's place

So come and join us on this holiday
Burgers, beer, and of course fireworks
In fact we're heading to Davy's house now
To mix a few things up...

I dove deep into the mind of Albert Einstein
In hopes I could find his view point on life

With that being said who better to ask
Expecting his answer much to do about math

Clearing his throat he looked straight at me
As I thought here it comes, relativity theories

Instead of that jargon I got a wink and a smile
As he said life is like riding a bike

To keep your balance in all that you're doing
You must in this life be continually moving

I'd always heard Mr. Einstein was a genius per say
But simply put I learned a lot from Albert that day

For thirty years now
We've penned this book
A mystery the direction
Each chapter took

With our share of laughter
In its comedy
Mixed with a few tears
But not in tragedy

Chapter one started
On the day that we met
Destiny?
After thirty years, I'm still thinking yes

We fit each other
Like a well worn glove
Bound together to each other
With the tight thread of love

In both chapters two and three
We got to know each other well
Before we decided we no longer needed
To be by ourselves

So we bought extra paper
Along with more pens
In hopes that we could
Write a family in

So in chapter four
We wrote in our first child
Stock of blonde hair
With a touch of heavens smile

Two chapters later
We added number two
With the cry of perfection
If I may tell the truth

All of the chapters following
Have been quite the read
A national best seller
To say the least

And it could not have been done
If it weren't you and me
Taking the time to write this book
Of our destiny

To this day my co-author
I'm still standing with
That beautiful girl I still love
That thirty years ago I first kissed

And whatever writings lay ahead
I'm sure those final chapters will be
The very best that we've written
My co-author and me

There are so many souls
Running a muck
Out on a limb
Down on their luck
Playing with time as they try and piece it all together

Shows what can go wrong
When you try and go it alone
With only earthly ideas
Of whats going on
How can we predict our lives when we can't even predict the weather

Too many lives are like sailing ships passing by on a moonless night
Birds in search of food on a wingless flight
Trying time and time again to get it right

Out there like tall buildings in a city standing side by side
No way to run with nowhere to hide
Just empty shells with nobody inside

They tend to bend to the whim
Of society's call
Blind to the truth
Bugs in a jar
Surroundings are clear with no idea of how to get there

Without God on their side
To draw from in life
They keep running in place
They keep biding their time
No ones keeping score but the feeling is sure, they could do better

Too many lives are like sailing ships passing by on a moonless night
Birds in search of food on a wingless flight
Trying time and time again to get it right

Out there like tall buildings in the city standing side by side
No way to run with nowhere to hide
Just empty shells with nobody inside

A gaggle of Mad Scientists
Shrunk me down in size
Placed me in a tiny syringe
Injected me into a woman's mind

They gave me special instructions
While there to  look around
Report back to them immediately
All the mystery's to be found

I entered into this giant room
Dozens of doors surrounding the sides
I believe to be the main control center
I am a man in a woman's mind
(Wait a minute...that doesn't sound right)

I skip the rooms RESENTMENT, JEALOUSY,and GOSSIP
No need to open those
I've seen what they can do to a person
Best to keep them locked and forever closed

I come to the door labeled ***
Being a man I try the **** first
Of course it's locked so I knocked and knocked
Go figure, there was no answer...

Before I realized what I was doing
I opened the door labeled NAGGING
All my ears hear is Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah
What in the world was I even thinking

I may be crazy but I ain't stupid
I also pass by the door I'M UGLY, I'M FAT
Why can't women see what the rest of us see
The inner beauty that they all seem to have

Right next door is the room that holds her feelings
I've never been so scared in my life
I do this in the name of science
And for the better of all mankind

As soon as the door swings open
I immediately break down and cry
I've got all of these mixed emotions
And I don't even really know why

I'm not sure if science was ready for this
As I climb out the ear canal blocked by a phone
Not much that a man can do in there
Best to leave well enough alone...

Let's raise a glass high to all the times we tried
And never quite succeeded
To those who lend a helping hand
Where it is mostly needed

To all the odd among us
Who never got an even break
And to those whom heaven knows
Need heaven for heavens sake

Here's to those considered losers
By those who themselves have never won
Who feel the need to put others down
To lift their own selves up

To those who are self made
That never really made it
To those who showed up late
But still made it to the banquet

Here's a toast to all the questions
That never get an answer
And here's to all the answers
That no one ever asked for

And last but not least
Here's to you and me
And all those that surround us
And all those in between

As we all raise our glasses high
On this side of life
Toasting to the future
And to all it's better times

I will lay out for you life's riches
Afford you my last name
Fulfill you all your wishes
Then do more of the same

I'll treat you to golden slumbers
Give to you, a child eyes of blue
Not holding back the joy and wonder
In all I give to you

Lay out the path to the ever after
Holding hands we'll walk it new
Where the days are filled laughter
As we both stand on the truth

I will blanket all your troubles
Cover all your fears
What you desire I'll give you double
But most of all I will be here

Come 6 o'clock
There's the turn of the lock
As her key slips in the door

That's the moment when
I start wondering
Where she was again the night before

Always with the excuse
She loves to use
Out on the town with her girlfriends

If I've heard it once
I've heard it more than enough
No need to hear it all over again

As she floats past the bed
I'm playing dead
The same with our love life

Hard pressed to say when
Or how long it has been
Since we shared this bed at night

I could question it all
As I'm played for the fool
Though not the only pawn in her game

If you think about
There is somebody else
On the other side she must treat the same

Do we first need to learn to get up
Or take a lesson in the art of fall
Then after we've taken the fall
Learn to get up from it all

The best of intentions that fall into these lessons
Can only get up to be learned
When we are making the best of the situation
In our search for the upturn

On no,
Not another poem
I hope it's not too long
You know how they make me yawn

Oh great,
What's this he's trying to say
You know how his rhyming schemes
Seem to get in the way

Oh man,
Here he goes again
Thinking that he's clever
When he's just hard to understand

Oh shoot,
What am I going to do
If he asks me what I think
When I haven't got a clue

Oh heck,
I hope that this is it
Once this clown gets started
He never knows when to quit

Oh no,
Not another poem
I hope it's not too long
You know how they make me yawn

have you ever stopped to think about
the lives that we pass through
on the paths we take from day to day
and the effect it has on you

from the rub of infancy
to the running stride of youth
those whom you touch along the way
end up touching you

with the awakening of adulthood
to the age of who'd have thought
along the way the paths we cross
become a part of us

Time was...

before sin came along
man once walked with God
where did it all go wrong

a garden of pure paradise
a serpent hissing out his lies
till man saw man in his own eyes

Time then...

took a drastic turn
a lesson yet to learn
even though it hurts

clearly thinking we know best
when will we get it through our heads
that the wage of sin is death

Time closes...

quickly in on us
what doesn't fall apart will rust
ashes to ashes, dust to dust

When all this time
blinded by distorted love
instead of from above when
Time was...

Tabitha Tadpole can't seem to get it right
She has been a tad slow for her entire life

While all her friends are out playing leap frog
Tabitha has yet to see her tail fall off

All the ribbits that she hears makes it very clear
Tab can't seem get herself out of first gear

With all her friends time being spent growing shiny teeth
Tongues that slurp, lungs that burp, legs to help them leap

Tabitha finds she can only swim about
How to morph into a frog, she's yet to find that out

Though she's never lonely in her dark green slimy pond
There's thousands more tadpoles like her where Tabitha comes from

While all the friends that she makes one day hop away
As all tadpoles turn into frogs when natures call they all obey

All except for Tabitha who may never know The taste of fly's when they tickle the sides as they slide down the throat

Poor Tabitha may never figure it all out
And until then she'll continue to swim chasing her own tail

One thing about love
That I don't understand
Is how it does what it does
Without making special plans

How it comes along
Shows up at first sight
Or arrives quite slowly
Taking its own sweet time

One thing about love
Is it's high in demand
And if it ever does get lost
It can be found again

Sometimes starts off easy  
As a simple thought
Or leaves just as easy on a cold North wind
Not counting out the cost

One thing about love
Is it's learned how to bend
Through all the mistakes and brakes it's made
That it's had to live  

Love can be frugal
In the feelings that it likes
Sometimes can be easy to read
Most times harder to find

One thing about love
It knows how to make amends
Whether as a lover
Or a best friend

Love takes it all with a grain of salt
Adding to life it's spices
Once love is out of the bag
It's really hard  to hide it

I want to see you cry
One tear at a time
With or without sound
As they hit the ground
I want to see you cry

I want to hear you beg
With what little pride you have left
But this time around
Turn up the sound
Cause I want to hear you beg

I want to feel your pain
Hotter than any burning flame
As your world in and out
Burns to the ground
I want to feel your pain

I want to smell your fear
Before you leave here my dear
If there is a doubt
What it's about
I want to smell your fear

I want to taste something sweet
From the hand of bitterness to the kiss of relief
Where you're no longer around
To drag me down
I want to taste sweet relief

We fight and we fuss
We fuss and we fight
We all draw straws
In the choosing of sides

We fuss and we fight
We fight and we fuss
We say that they're wrong
They say that about us

We fight and we fuss
We fuss and we fight
Can both sides be wrong
In thinking they're right

We fuss and we fight
We fight and we fuss
Can we stop long enough
To see what's happened to us

Today I'm happy to say
Is a day like no other
All the haters in life
Turned into life lovers

All the protesters went home
Cause they didn't care anymore
"Oh, what a beautiful thing"

Everyone took time to smile
And wave to their nighbors
They stoped long enough
To do each other favors

It was a sight to behold
The seed of love being sown
"Yes, it was a beautiful thing"

People went out of their way
To go out of their way
If there was anything good
That is what they would say

It caught on so fast
Hate was a thing of the past
"Oh, what a beautiful thing"

It was a finally tuned storm
That took over Americas shores
If one gave their all
The other gave even more

It was a pleasure to see
Love the way it was intended to be
"Yes, it was a beautiful thing"

Yes it was a beautiful thing
But it was all just a dream
I woke up smak dab back
Into lifes reality

I still feel it could come true
It needs to start with a few
How about me and you

"Wouldn't that be a beautiful thing"

Let's sit back, relax
And all count out the cost
As the initial wave of shock
Wears itself thinly off
One side had to win
While the other side sadly saw
The beginning of the end
In what is now their loss

But aren't we still Americans
When all of this is said
Some voted with their hearts
While others with their heads
No need to roll over
And wish that you were dead
With history in the making
We've all gone through worse than this

While a select see a set back
To others it's a gain
What may have come as a flood
To some it's needed rain
True a few must lose
For another cause to win
But when it comes down to it all
Aren't we still all Americans

I've always wanted to write a drinking song
But my drinking days they are long gone
My favorite saying was...
I'll turn one up before I turn one down
But only if you buy the next ten rounds

Beer, beer, whiskey, & beer
They were the friends that I held dear
Apparently I was too drunk to see
The day they turned their back on me

In a drinking game that I was playing
Can't remember the name cause they're all the same
Forgot who I was and from where I came
But isn't that the point of a drinking game

Wine, wine, Mad dog, & Ripple
I drank so much that it made me simple
Was I a fall down drunk, well maybe so
But only at the bar when I would let go

Beer, beer, whiskey, & beer
They were the friends that I held dear
Wine, wine, Mad dog, & Ripple
*I drank so much that it made me simple

Once upon a time
There lived an old man
Who held the world tight
In the palm of his hand

He took from the poor
He took from the rich
No matter to him
From which hand he fed

His hold was so tight
He couldn't let go
And wouldn't you know
It choked out his soul

All he did was take
From those who held a loose grip
Till the day came
When there was nothing left

In his blinding greed
He'd taken it all
And that was the day
He was left all alone

And alone he did die
In the town center he sits
Years now it has been
Never letting go of his grip

Why is the sky blue
The same as the sea
And on the other side of the road
The grass is always green

Why is there joy in the heart
When a baby cries
And when you hear about a death
That you think of life

Why do we go to war
To bring about peace
Why do we always want more
When we have all that we need

Why is it women want love
And men they want respect
Why after all this time
We can't grasp that concept

Why do we judge others
In the moves they make
But when it comes to us
We don't have much to say

Why do adults act like kids
In their needs and wants
And then on the other hand
Kids act like adults

Why when your looking for answers
You still feel the need
To ask more questions
Like you don't believe

Why does all this go on
Until the day we die
Before I close I'd like to finish with this
Why, Why, Why, Why?

the more we look
the more we see
i look like you
you look like me

the less we tend
to disagree
on the little things
that are bothering

the more we talk
and get along
the more is right
the less is wrong

the more we love
the less we hate
we more or less
will find a way

the more we hold
each other up
the less chance of
coming undone

the more we look
the more we see
we more or less
will all agree

that i'm like you
and you're like me
all one big happy
family