Both convicting and convincing
Pointing to what's true and right
My Daddy's worn out Bible
Always comes to mind

The pages torn and tattered
From years of loving use
My Daddy knew what mattered
From his early days of youth

As he poured over the pages
Daily in blood, sweat, and tears
No if's, and's, but's, or maybe's
His God he both loved and feared

Highlighted, both pen and marker
Words that touched his very soul
As the days grew ever darker
He knew the light to hold

And also where his strength came from
In the faithful words he'd read
Of God's grace to us poured out in love
To all who have the need

Both convicting and convincing
Pointing to what's true and right
My Daddy's worn out Bible
Always comes to heart and mind

I woke up this morning
With this thought in my head
What's going to go wrong
Once I get out of bed

I don't go looking for trouble
I'd rather let it be
But trouble in life
Always seems to find me

So I take a deep breath
Place my feet on the floor
Stepping right into the present
My dog left me the night before

There's a love hate relationship
Between you and alcohol
You love the feeling you get from it
But hate the day of constant calls

It's become a daily battle
This long drawn out desire
When you say no way will I drink today
And again it makes you out the liar

It all started out so simple
Having social drinks with friends
Where the only time you drew that line
Would be on the weekends

But stress comes along in many forms
As you find sips take off the edge
Soon enough though it won't leave you alone
A little secret the bottle seems to have kept

And this battle you are fighting
Some days afraid that you might win
Where there is no denying
Deep down inside you'll miss your friend

Where there's a love hate relationship
Between you and alcohol
You love the feeling you get from it
But hate the way it too often calls

Today was a slow day on the news wire
Nothing at all going on
The people and things that cause trouble in life
Must have decided to call it quits and stay home

No earthquakes or tornado's to speak of
No mudslides or fires to ravage the land
All the people who bring us the bad news
Stood around just scratching their heads

Not a person was murdered or robbed
No kidnapping or spousal abuse
Nothing much exciting to speak of
That we've grown to expect in our news

No bombs in the Middle East went off
No politicians were caught in a lie
No Hollywood Star said something stupid
No one famous or not even died

Yes today was a slow day on the news wire
Nothing at all going on
Which has the rest of us wondering
If this is the calm before the storm

Write it down
Slap its rear
Another poem
Is outta here
Look at it once
No more than twice
To sit and stare
We ain't got time
As another poem
Is being formed
While we talk
About this one

...and when this poor body
lets go of its soul
no longer trapped
by this cruel world
where it is bound
heaven only knows
but I do know that I am ready

...and when I have done
all that I came to do
when I am old and now
no longer new
and the parts that I have
are worn out and used
I'll know then that I am ready

...and when the sweet breeze
whispers my name
then will my loss
be more my gain
I hope and I pray
that soon comes the day
because I know that I am ready

...and all the loved ones
that I leave behind
will then wipe with joy
the tears from their eyes
thinking of me
reminiscing on life
knowing full well that I was ready

You can throw all you've got my way
Everything you've saved up to today
All of the problems I ever gave
All of the issues I ever made

With all there is to miss I'll be standing in line
For the signature kiss that says goodbye
Add this to the list, I will not lie
I can only cry one tear at a time

You can blame me for every mistake
When all that you see are the ones that I've made
From the beginning of us until this very day
That you've had enough is all you need say

If it's sympathy your hoping to find
Then right over there is where they're forming the line
From early day till late in the night
I can only cry one tear at a time

You to often want more than you receive from me
As the ocean's wide as the sea is deep
Yet never able to fill your needs
Has you turn on me

Expecting I'll somehow fill in the blanks
Take on your darkness with my light
What I've always said you can't seem to find
I can only cry one tear at a time

can anyone tell me
what happens to lost love
one decided long ago
it's best to give up

does it actually
ever go away
or does it hide out
to come back another day

another day
when you least expect it
coming on strong
right where you left it

where you have grown old
the love lost has stayed young
back now with a vengeance
to hold you under its thumb

where now there's not a thing
that you can do about it
after all of these years
of living without it

i can tell you what happens
to lost love if you want me to
it comes back after years of neglect
out of hiding to haunt you

Words come in different shapes
They come in different sounds
Words come from up above
They come from underground
You can dress them up real fancy
Take them into town
But you best be on your guard
When words are around

Words come in different sizes
They come in different flavors
Some of them are bitter
While other words you savor
Words can be uplifting
Words they can be hateful
Some of them are free
Other words you pay for

They hold onto their meaning
Until a new one comes along
Words are living and breathing
As they stand in lines of poems
Words will slightly whisper
When they don't want to be known
They'd rather speak than listen
Words need other words to feel whole

Words can speak of evil
Words can hold the hand of God
They can also be deceitful
When dealing with the heart
Words can leave you hanging
Always needing more
Words will always have their say
And are well worth waiting for

So much can change in a lifetime
So much can change in a few
At times you can't get that change back
Obviously I'm still not through paying for you

Bound and determined with what we had
Caught up in our meadow of time
Clinging to the right of each other
While holding that thought in mind

Not privy to our destination
Or at what point we would step off
With no hindsight in the mixture
Only the innocence of thought

So many years have come and gone
So many passed us by
To be replaced by second thought
In the haunting question why

I just wonder if you remember
What we held in the secret parts
And also the boy that let you dive*
*Deep into his heart

In crazy times these days I find
A word I often use
When forced on me these sufferings
In todays to-do's

So don your masks and your name tags
In this new faze of meet and greet
The word in hand if need be said
...Seriously?!

With no simple rhyme nor heart-felt reason
To all that's going on
My guess is it's just in keeping
With this societal breakdown

When common sense loses its essence
And everything smells fishy
I've said it before and I'll say it again
...Seriously?!

What comes out of people's mouths
These days is quite insane
Not taking time out to think about
The way they are behaving

I've about had enough to the point of done
Someone please stick a fork in me
Have you not heard it's all absurd
...Seriously?!

I had a series of dreams last night
All involving you
Holding hands on the beach the other in flight
Out beyond the blue

Dancing away until the break of dawn
Both light on our feet
Me turning to you giving my all
You giving everything to me

Alone on an island gazing at stars
You and I side by side
My love for you flowing wherever we are
In dreams or in real life

I often wonder on this side of the dream
If perhaps they do come true
I had a series of dreams last night
All involving you

Look at all these buttons
How could we live without them
From tightening of the collar
To buttoning up the lip

Buttons on your tired blue jeans
That keep your barn door closed
And look at how cute Penelope looks
With her button nose

Buttons on appliances
To turn them on and off
Buttons on our game shows
People pound with little thought

Buttons that are ill placed
By who's authority
Make us turn to those and say
Could you help me please

Then there is the red one
That could quickly end it all
In a handcuffed suitcase
Fondly called the Nuclear Football

And if that isn't bad enough
How about Buttons, the creepy Clown
That gives kids heebie jeebies
Whenever the Circus comes to town

Then there's button down the hatches
Or is that batten, I can't be sure
I'll try my best to let it slip
In hopes of no Google search

Here at this time, I find that I
Need to wrap this up
And instead of a bow, well you know
I'll just sew it up with a button on top

What was then
Is still now
Holding tight
The love we found
All it is
That we're allowed
That is what
Our love's about  

Though we've had
Our ups and downs
We've not let
In any doubt
It's not hard
To figure out
That is what
Our love's about

We do not follow
Any crowd
Our love for us
Is our own sound
The very best
Sound we have found
That is what
Our love's about

Set the controls for whats coming next

                                                    Today
                                      Away
                           *Fly
             We'll
And

No sense in wasting time on goodbyes

All's been said that there is to say

We'll navigate our way to the brightest of stars

Enjoying the sights along the way

For the best of times will be where we are

And the New World we're soon to make

We'll not focus on our differences

The old worlds mistakes we'll toss not save

Love will be the name and the focus

*Of the New World that we make

I often wonder what others think
As I pass them by on city streets

What thoughts they have run through their minds
And if they're happy with this life

Are they happy where they are
Or do they wish for something more

Do they feel like giving up
Do they have someone they love

Does loneliness invade their space
Inside of their day to day

When it is they look at me
Do they think the very things

Could the differences we have be solved
If one day we stopped to talk

These are thoughts that I find
Often running through my mind

This poems for me
But feel free to read
If you've taken a gander
Already peeked

The poems that I write
Are for everyone else
I felt that this time
I'd write one for myself

It's nothing too deep
Or one that boggles the mind
Just a simple rhyme
That passes the time

Took paper and pen
Flicked on the light
Wrote down this poem
That I was inclined

So this poem is for me
Not anyone else
Just thought I should write
This one for myself

Yesterday's gone
And it's not coming back
Still saving the memories
That you once had

Keep them all tidy
In your bottom drawer
Pulling them out
Whenever you're bored

The ones that you're proud
Showing off to your friends
The ones that you're not
Never mentioning them

Does it not make you wonder
Why the bad ones we save
Wouldn't it be best
To toss them away

So clean out your drawers
Of the ones that don't shine
And keep only the good memories
You have in this life

the best time in life
is when you're wanting for nothing
when nothing is all that you have

that's when you find
that nothing is something
that nothing will ever give back

if you just look around
to those who are striving
to always have something in hand

what they will find
is that nothings worth finding
if nothing was the something they planned

i went left, she stayed right
expecting to meet up
again in time
but sometimes life
isn't quite so kind
we lost each other
in the prime of life

i stayed south, she went north
as we both let out
for a different course
there was something else
knocking at our doors
destiny
of a different sort

she said yes, i thought no
sometimes in life
that's the way it goes
hearts of warmth
with shoulders cold
sometimes in love
you never know

she is there, i am here
the toss of life  
threw off our cares
at the time
it wasn't clear
but we both ended
exactly where

we're meant to be...

Standing in the shadows
Of the many years
Between wars amongst our fathers
In the shape of mother's tears
Shadows growing long as
These days that now they pierce
Standing in the shadows
Of the many years

Standing in the shadows
As we're killing time
Hoping for the day when
We're saved by candlelight
Blending in the best we can
By way of the shifting night
Standing in the shadows
As we're killing time

Standing in the shadows
Because the shadow knows
There is no where else about
For a soul to go
That has gone through all of this
So many times before
Standing in the shadows
Because the shadow knows

Standing in the shadows
Out of our own fear
Rumors of the end times
Are drawing ever near
Between wars amongst our fathers
In the shape of mother's tears
Standing in the shadows
Out of our own fear

You may think me a hero
Because of my cool name
Super in appearance
Some might even say

The secret that I hold
That's both my curse and fate
Is there's nothing deep inside of me
To stand in the way

If you ask me to revel it
If anything is left
Take my identity and seal it
For I am the Hollow Man

Not looking for sorrow or pity
There really is no need
I've learned now to accept it
What has become of me

Although I walk the lonely streets
Of the city's night
There's not any part of me
That's here to fight the crime

The only reason that I'm here
Is it's all that I have left
For this, the last of the boy wonders
Known as the Hollow Man

There is no telling appearance
No mask or fancy cape
The only thing I have going for me
Is my planed escape

Hollow in my knowing
Both inside and out
Take the emptiness I'm living
And blend in with the crowed

It's where it is I'm going
And where it is I've been
Yet no way of knowing
It is me...The Hollow Man

was that an ache
or a pain
hold on a sec
here it comes again
if i had
to give it a name
it definitely
would be a pain
now to guess
where it comes from
up or down
back to front
in or out
out to lunch
points in-between
is my hunch
can it be helped
with advil
or do i need
something stronger still
to try and take
the pain to nill
or at least
bend it's will
this ache that i
now know as pain
that makes its way
into my brain
that is the best
at playing games
disappears
shows up again
it's such an ache
to deal with pain

words are made for keeping
best you write this down
figuratively speaking
unique in their sound

colorblind in black and white
spilling off the page
different as day and night
on what words have to say

words, when they join forces,
go from door to door
charting out their courses
in the use of words

What has been my worth
While here on this earth
Have I paid my way
Since my day of birth
Have I taken advantage
Of what's been given me
What has been my worth
In this my history

Where's my time been spent
In the black or red
If I had it to lend
Would there be any left
And if there's any left
Would it come back to me
Where's my time been spent
In this my history

Have I given enough
And asked none in return
Can I truly say
What I have is what I've earned
All that is around
Everything I see
Have I given enough
In this my history

Who can tell me
What it is I need to know

               *About the moment
               Between fast and slow

About that slight tick
Between on and off

               About the silence
               Between what's here and whats lost

Who can show me
What is good and bad

               The importance of
               The opposite of sad

What it is once
That we all had

               The knowledge of
               What we all now lack

Who can tell me
What is right and wrong

               The subtle heartbeat
               Between here and gone

The coming showdown
Between old and young

               The major let down
               Of what we thought and what we've done

Who can tell me
        Of these mysteries
                 Who can show me
                           *Because I'd love to see

I'm writing you a love poem
One to call your very own

With how I feel about you in it
Before my love to you I give it

Like holding my heart in your hands
As you read what this poem says

Filled with special meaning
As to you I pour out my feelings

It's sure to blossom as it grows
This love poem that's your very own

Nothing will be left unsaid
In the love that this poem gives

This love poem that I'm writing
In perfect harmony and timing

The more I write the more I'm finding
Flows with love in its rhyming

I just wanted you to know
I'm writing you a love poem

There's something crazy going on these days
Down at the city zoo
The giraffes have joined the high society club
While the monkies are getting tattoos

The elephant's are packing up their trunks
And moving to the Bronx
With all the hippos on a diet
In an effort to lose their junk

The Lions have stopped lying
The cheetahs have stopped cheating
And as far as all their drinking
They're both going to A.A. meetings

The orangutans are the ones to blame
For a pyramid scheme gone bad
Left the zebras all in the red
When they lost everything they had

The crocodiles are out sunning themselves
By the pool drinking Piña coladas
While the mother snakes go on Maury
To try and figure out who is the father

Yes, things are a little crazy these days
Down at the city zoo
But if you were locked in a cage all day
Wouldn't you go crazy too?

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

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

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

If for a moment or two I lose heart
It still will know how Great Thou Art
To the very end from the very start
Sweet Jesus I will always be in love with you

Did you just think what we think you thought
What we think we thought you thunk
Well you, my friend have just been caught
Thank you very much

As we go through what we know of you
When you're awake and when you sleep
You might have made a grave mistake
We shall see say the "Thought Police"

Did you think to do what you shouldn't do
Then in the Queue change your mind
At the slightest clue, we let the Hell Hounds loose
You'll think better when you think next time

We're reigning in the cranium
Flatfoots on the beat
Try and think that thought again
You'll think twice around the "Thought Police"

When you think to think you better think
Long before you do
With us nearby monitoring
We've got ears and eyes on you

Have you ever thought to turn yourself in
Tell us what you think
We're bound to find out eventually
After all, we're the "Thought Police"

The church of today is as bold as is strong
But by the grace of God could we be doing it wrong

Do we serve other's with softened hearts
Or with fists of pride mixed with hardened thoughts

We see the world as it is in its unrest
Having played our own parts in the reason this

Standing by watching in feigned righteous rage
Not giving love time in which to have its say

We see the world in the worst of fallen states
Yet fail to realize that we're much the same

We must stand apart as the hour grows late
But in God's righteous love and not man's sinful hate

For the world shows itself as it's always been
The problem with us is that we've fallen in

And how can we save those from the pits of Hell
If looking at us they see only themselves

Take what's left from out the portion
And give back to the day
Measured salt from the deepest ocean
So to season life in waves

Take all that's left of the righteous
And give to all the wronged
Take what's left over from the melody
And set to breeze a simple song

Take what little there is left of peace
For to soothe the worried soul
Take the answers to the questions
And share with those who do not know

Take what's left out of the moment
What's left from the memories
Take from out the calloused hand
And feed the ones in need

When you've taken out all that you can
And you feel there's nothing left
Sweep the floor beneath your feet
And take out even that

Right here, right now, right off the cuff
I must say that I have stuff
Possessions or obsession
Either way it's way too much

I've been collecting all these years
Moving forward, grinding gears
Stuffing boxes here and there
Piles of purchase everywhere

Knick knacks piled on top of shelves
Collecting dust above all else
Each one seems to be mid scream
Could it be a cry for help

I even buy extra stuff
Where I can stuff my stuff
From massive sheds with metal lids
And still it's not enough

A problem for me I say maybe
But at least it's one I love
After all as I recall
Is there ever enough when it comes to stuff

We're back in time
Where cavemen rule
I've got mine
And I want yours

Swinging clubs
With angry grunts
Simple minds
Out to lunch

Fighting fascists
In a fascist style
What the hell
Is going on

In this monkey see
Monkey do
Monkeys seem
To all lose

In this daily rage
Of social discourse
Use your brain
Before it gets worse

With this caveman rule
Of do or die
Not a soul
Will survive

Portrayed as the perfect family
In the stillness of the picture
The high gloss of the 8x10
Hide the imperfections of those who live there

Practiced smiles are questionably painted on
With a quick snap of the Polaroid
Which doesn't do the family justice
To what is really going on

You can put it in a fancy frame
Covered glass to muffle out the screams
Place it on the bedside table
Pretend everything is as it seems

But eventually the frame will separate
And the glass will shatter from it's own weight
There's just something in a photograph
That picture perfect still can't fake

How could I ever be me
If I don't take some sort of lead
Try being myself
Instead of somebody else
If I don't see the need
To be who I'm supposed to be
Stay true to this thought
Not something I'm not
If I never feel free
How can I ever be me

How could you ever be you
If you only do what others do
Or you don't find the time
To do what feels right
Don't have a say
In the way you play days
If you're never once moved
To stand up for the truth
If this you don't do
How can you ever be you

How could we ever be us
If we don't do it all out of love
Don't try the best that we can
On our promises kept
If we don't take the time
To live out this life
Give an answer to it all
To stand and not fall
When the time comes
How can we ever be us

Pardon me miss
But have you seen a kiss
It was here a minute ago

I ask if you could
Give it back if you would
As it was just a loan

If you find the kiss
It belongs on my lips
That's where all good kisses go

I won't hold it against you
But my lips they want to
As if you didn't know

They're sneaking in
They're sneaking out
They're diving deep
Swimming about

They're here, there, and everywhere
Having the time of their lives
All of the thoughts in my mind

They're standing up
They're sitting down
Raising their cups
Toast of the town

Keeping up with the excitement
Leaving the dull ones behind
All of the thoughts in my mind

They're drawing lines
Speaking their minds
Saving a place
For better times

Hoping the path they're using
Draws them into the limelight
All of the thoughts in my mind

I've dipped into this well so many times
Expecting any day now it's going to run dry
Trying my luck, tossing my dime
Hoping against hope it'll work one more time

Being high on ambition, low on ideas
If you care to listen then listen to this
Whether it be a hit or it be a miss
Each poem that I write I send off with a kiss

But alas a kiss is not all they need
To make it or break it, help it to succeed
Can I let you in on a secret between you and me
Poetry can be freeing but not always free

So here I am at the well again hoping to find
The inspiration needed with the other poets in line
Some say they don't need this but that line I'm not buying
We're all individuals here but still one of a kind

We all live on the edge afraid of that day
The words up and leave us with nothing left to say
And through all this I wonder if that will make
Me happy or sad for sanity's own sake

So could someone kindly lend me a dime
Seeing as through all this I've misplaced mine
Up one end and down the other steeper side
Till I've finally reached the end of this rhyme

Is it right to take this gift
That's been given graciously
Opening up the fragile words
Tearing at them carelessly

Treating them with little regard
In their stability
Knowing that if we pass them on
They might fit someone else's needs

They could give a hint of time well spent
Along the line of love
Or encouraging words not often heard
In the lifting of someone up

These very words could be read on a day
Someone is contemplating death over life*
And they are the push that's needed for the change
To end the daily strife

So I ask is it right to take this gift
That's been given graciously
Opening up the fragile words
*Tearing at them carelessly