She paints freely
Whenever she is around
Then draws briefly
Either a smile or frown

She's good at building texture
Less is more where it counts
She paints by numbers
When she's out and about

She wears a smock
So there's less of a mess
But when it comes to abstract hearts
No promises are kept

Mistakes are hard to erase
When using an angry oil base
She paints by numbers
Helping to cut to the chase

She makes you feel
Life is but surreal
With you as her medium
Nailed to her easel

Using you as her landscape
In her brushstrokes of give and take
She paints by numbers
The only way she can keep life straight

i once wrote a poem
that touched both our hearts
way back when
we were in love

so much so
with the feeling then
that i'd love to have
it all back again

where i pledged my life
to you in rhyme
from the here and now
through eons of time

that's where you said
you loved me back
in your very best
poetic finesse

two lovers caught up
inside of the rhyme
when i wrote a poem that time
of your love and mine

Chicken Little had it right
When he ran for his life
No time for 911 calling

All he had time to do
Were a few **** a doodle doos
All the while screaming the sky is falling

You can always hope for the best
But who out there studies for tests
Hello, this is history calling

Won't you come please join us
There's plenty of room on the bus
As life on this side is rather daunting

Pretty sure we've been here before
But hey, who's keeping score
Are we forwards or backwards crawling

Chicken Little had it right
When he ran for his life
All the while screaming the sky is falling

I find over time that I have want's
As my life grinds along
I don't want to fit into the mold
I want to know more than I've been told

I want every time I can to take the chance
Be the one to lead in my own dance
I want my own flame that I can fan
But not so much that it gets out of hand

I want to be happy with where I'm at
Every chance that I get
I want to know the truth in what's been said
Smile where it counts, till my very last breath

I want to sing in harmony
With every single person that I meet
I want an open mind that helps me see
When someone disagrees with me

I want to give a hug and take one home
Learn to forgive those that have done me wrong
I want to do even if they don't
Be the glue that keeps it on point

I have found over time I have my want's
Before my life grinds to a halt
I want to know more than I've been told
And pick from the goodness that all life holds

When I was young I used to dream
Of all in life that I could be
From astronauts to presidents
And all things in between
There wasn't a single thing
That I did not dream

The middle years soon came along
Taking me to task and then to town
I lost sight of what I might
Could have been and could have done
When the middle years
Haphazardly came along

And now I hear them say
I'm as old as I am gray
The life I had no longer has my back
As time gave those years away
Along with those youthful dreams
Now that I am old and gray

have you seen
me as i fly
off the ground
but only 3 feet high

at that altitude
it's hard to impress
when fields of grass
tickle my chest

keeping eyes out
for one thing or another
being slapped in the face
by all the ground clutter

with super hero's
it's hard to compete
when you're off the ground
at only 3 feet

but i still find
that fighting crime
at ground level
suits me fine

because seriously
it's hard to fly in the sky
when you find yourself
afraid of heights

I might say I know the way
But is it the way I take

I might say I'll love today
But will it be a love I fake

I might say I have the time
But do I spend it wise

I might say I'll give in kind
But on who's hard earned dime

I might say a lot of things
But are they things I mean

I might say you have my word
But how true does that word ring

I might say I'm here to help
But what all does that entail

I might say above all else
I mainly only think of self

This is where I'm happy
And this is how I smile
This is right before the moment
I turn it all into a frown

This is me excited
I don't remember why
A picture snapped so long ago
That it's in black and white

This is me in memory
As distant as it seems
This is me dreaming
Kodachrome the color scheme

This is me swimming
Deep within my thoughts
This is where I'm counting
Soon enough to learn the cost

This is where I'm younger
This is the day that I turned old
Though  they're both in color
The older me has faded more

This is where I wing it
And here I plan it all
Picture this if nothing else
Right before a fall

As you're starting out this life
Being taught the wrong from right
By those close to you inside the home

But then again adolescence kicks in
Where the troubles all begin
As you start to believe everything you think you know

And you can't just be told
By all those old-fashioned fools
Who are clearly way past their dawn

Soon enough though you'll know
The more row's you *** in your growth
You should have gone and left your well enough alone

You can fill your silly head
With what you think you know is best
But it is mostly talk with little show

Where one day you're sure to see
We all must pay for our on keep
In the throwing of life's dog a bone

And those that helped to raise you
Know a lot more than you knew
You learn now that you're grown

You finally find you realize
In the wisdom of hindsight
You should have gone and left well enough alone

I told myself
I no longer need you
But I myself
Do not believe that's true

How can I
Resist those eyes

I told myself
We were no longer lovers
I told myself
That I would get over

But how can I
Resist those eyes

There's a part of me
That's stronger than most
And a part of me
That won't let you go

Whenever I
Can't resist those eyes

There's a part of me
That hates to admit it
The part of me
That never will quit it

When I find that I
Can't resist those eyes

Well me myself  
One of us must be lying
It might help
If I just stop trying

When it's hard I find
To resist those eyes

I about have had enough
Of this constant bashing Trump
Daily in the news
There's not a thing the man can do

He could **** out bars of gold
Cure the common cold
Put an end to the world's hunger
Keep the young from growing old

Help Nancy Pelosi cross the street
A Granny that's in need
Have Israel and Palestine
Over for tea which brings world peace

He could become vegetarian
Call Peta amongst his friends
Give Hillary another chance
And let America vote again

To tell you the truth
There's not a thing the man could do
That the left might find that he does right
Or try to misconstrue

Took all the winks at me you ever gave
Stuck them in my pockets so that I could save
Every single one of them for a rainy day

When in need you never know

Every time you said that you love me
Put it in a jar so I could clearly see
How much I mean to you and you to me

When in need you never know

Every kiss from you, you know I hid
But I won't let on to where that spot is
Someone might try and steal a kiss

When in need you never know

Every time it is I think of you
I take out your winks and kisses too
Mix them all up with the I love yous

When in need you never know

You know you bring me
Much further along
Than I shoulda, coulda, woulda
Ever on my own

And I will ride that wave
All the way up to the crest
Because you know I like it best
Whenever you say  ~yes~

Where there's never room for wrong
When there is only right
As I'm filled with mounds of hope
Of you here in my life

Take all the other words
And give them their due rest
Cause like I said I like it best
Whenever you say  ~yes~

You're the farmer with the seed
To my every dream
Planting rows and rows of what I need
In the dreams I reap

There is nothing more that could be done
Once our eyes both met
Except to say I like it best
Whenever you say  ~yes~

I stood on the city street
And asked the passers by
All the folks I chanced to meet
What they thought of life

I got a different answer
From everyone I spoke
But isn't that a well known fact
That I should have known

Some said life's a circus
With all these clowns around
3 rings to be exact
If you care to count

Others said life's a minefield
So be careful where you step
One wrong move and you'll go boom
Leaving nothing left

Life is also a roller coaster
With a slow climb to the top
But once it is you get there
Hold tight for the drop

Then there was life's a puzzle
Built piece by piece until your done
But be careful in the end
You don't find a missing one

But also life's a symphony
So let's strike up the band
And just hope you play first row
And all the notes you understand

Not forgetting life is a game of cards
Where you play the hand your dealt
Hoping while your in mid-bluff
That your not found out

Yes everyone I asked that day
Had a different view on life
While some of them could be wrong
I'm sure most of them were right

I'm caught up and being kept
Inside poetry's spider web
One strand of rhyme at a time
Cobwebs the corners of my mind

Drawing deep from my life's blood
It can't seem to get enough
In this web of poetry
The spider keeps an eye on me

Through the struggles and the strife
Tangled in its web of rhyme
The more I fight the less I'm free
As poetry has a hold on me

How many folk you meet
are one step from the street
One paycheck away
from nada in the bank
Today's society
could give a hill of beans
Stuck on the same roundabout
with no one to let you out
Broke Down

Families that are forced
to live out of their cars
Can't afford the gasoline
to keep the running heat
In these times of lean
deemed mean on the streets
Too little too late you find this out
you are the faceless face in the crowd
Broke Down

Another day another find
Confronted by a bold-faced sign
Doors padlocked with no one there
Fine print reads, closed beyond repair
Pay no heed
As strong men weep
Beyond a shadow of a doubt
All around a hurtful sound
Broke Down

Rambling Boy
Where you been
Fell down hard
Got up again

No telling now
Where you have gone
In your quest
To ramble on

Moving on
From coast to coast
Hitting highs
Missing lows

Adventure seems
To know your name
Here one minute
Then gone again

Tried your best
To hold the line
Found that to be
A waste of time

Rambling Boy
Has the need
Above it all
To be free

Free from the bricks
That have been laid
Down along
Lifes motorway

Stepping to
A different beat
Shaking dust
Off of his feet

Nothing settles
Where he goes
As Rambling Boy
Rambles on

as i stand on the edge
of life's precipice
with the question of why
being the only one left

why am i not satisfied
with any of this
where all life seems to give
is a Judas kiss

all of life's qualms
nothing new to add to it
with all its goings ons
i find mostly useless

i've made it this far
but what is the purpose
with numerous battle scars
was it all worth it

i look at the past
and see better days
as the present and future
give them away

with nothing new
under the sun
why do i feel i have lost
this race i have run

Life is a must
But who can you trust
Before we turn back
Dust into dust

These days being more
Than wish upon a star
In this nightmarish scene
We've become who we are

I used to laugh at the circumstance
Now wonder what's up with that
Packed its bags then up and left
Making brotherly love a thing of the past

When arguments
Are no more than screaming fits
Which makes it hard
To try and convince

This is not just a slice
Of American pie
This tasteless desert
Is served up world wide

I used to laugh at the circumstance
Now wonder what's up with that
Packed its bags then up and left
Making brotherly love a thing of the past

Seems there are only two sides
One on the left, one on the right
Where the ground in the middle
Is used for the fight

We're quickly to choose
Without a moment to think
Where all that we do
Is stand there and scream

I used to laugh at the circumstance
Now wonder what's up with that
Packed its bags then up and left
Making brotherly love a thing of the past

We've got fascists on the left
Nazis on the right
Supremacists in the middle
All dressed up in white

As commies come in colors
That are hard at times to see
They're still a colorful array
Of daily catastrophe

Socialists here to tell us
As a matter of fact you can
Take candy from a baby
And put it in someone else's hand

With elitists at the top
To tell us how to breathe
And the poor without a paddle
At the bottom of the stream

And while I'm at it, what life doesn't matter
In the grand scheme of things
Be it red, black, yellow, white
Or fluorescent Martian green

All I really want
Is to be left alone
In my lower middle class
Without your fine tooth comb

Hate who and what you like
Just please leave me be
And I'll leave you alone
To your insanity

After all these many carnivore years
You can call it guilt or you can call it fear
I've made up my mind to decide
I'm going vegan this November time

So I broke down hard and read some books
Heard some tapes on what it took
From veggies steamed to veggies raw
From beans of green to yellow squash

As my nightly dreams were all filled with meat
I pushed back hard with collard greens
But still had no clue of what to do
With a turkey substitute

And that is when a friend came in
Who Tofu's the line at turkey time
So I read more books and heard more tapes
On Tofu fried, boiled, broiled, and baked

Opening up my kitchen to fine cuisine
Minus the best part...that being meat
As I promised myself I can make this work
My Tofurkey  would be the finest in edible art

I had bought  my Tofu by the pound
Lucky for me it is pliable
As I stretched and pulled and pulled and stretched
Until I had something that looked like a head

With my artistic abilities seriously in doubt
I'm pretty sure what I conjured was the head of a cow
So I pulled and stretched and stretched and pulled
No ones going to call me an abstract fool

As I bring to boil the "Rodin" juices in me
And baste at my skills repeatedly
Where I come up with a turkey, giblets and all
And just for good measure I gobble a turkey call

Of course cooking the thing is another road and
I sadly lost Tofurkey 1, 2, and 3 in the explosion
When 4 hit the score I invited my friends
Whose friendship with them will take time to mend

Just because a turkey looks like a turkey, don't mean that it is
I'm now learning all this while I clean up the mess
As forks went to the mouths at the very same time
So did the retching along with the crying

But in a month they'll forget this entire sordid ordeal
When they get the invites for my Christmas holiday meal
With my time in the books and tapes I will spend
Looking forward to  Christmas and a delicious soy bean ham

Some view the world
As a math equation
Where nothing seems to ever add up
Or a nursery rhyme
With child misbehaving
Fresh out of the stories of love

Some view the world
Like a picture puzzle
That seems to be missing a piece
Or a night on the town
When drinking doubles
Brings no relief to the daily heat

Some view the world
Like they're stock car racing
An endless going of round and round
Or a lost treasure of gold
That finds men craving
Where the degree of greed is never in doubt

This seems to be what the world is about...

You say you don't know how to pray
Just spend one long and lonely day
In the middle of the storm
Not knowing if you'll make it home

Or in the doctors outer room
Hopefully there for some good news
Waiting for results to come in
On the longest day you've ever lived

It can be hard to ignore
You've said a few prayers before
If you've ever had a child that's sick
I'm sure a few have crossed your lips

There are so many opportunities
To fall down daily on your knees
As each day can be a fight
To try and do what is right

There's no formula in how to pray
Just open up with what you have to say
What is on your heart and mind
With God you're just spending time

Where do you go
In the wake of tomorrow
When the thoughts of today
Go up in flames
Will you hold tight
The cold hand of sorrow
As you try your best
To explain away life

Where is the hope
That you can cling to
The bitter sweet
That understands
Still holding tight
That cold hand of sorrow
As you reach out for
This moment to find

Do you find it harder to forgive or forget
And what about those lasting regrets
Do you keep them by your side
so they never die
Remembering every last thing that was said

And still you try your best to forgive
Knowing your quota has not yet been met
In looking for the signs
sometimes you feel you're running blind
Knowing all of this you won't forget

To make sure that I don't
Wrap myself tight
When I spin to the left
I spin back to the right

However many times
I turn around
I make sure as I do
That I do not lose count

I can't have myself
Twisted in knots
It's hard enough these days
To keep straight what I've got

So as I spin to the right
I spin back to the left
Confident as long as I
Keep count in my head

I'd be like a spring
Wound ever tight
If I didn't spin to the left
The same amount to the right

There's no place for a man to hide
When he continues to struggle through life
When he takes what he gets
Turns it into a mess
There's no place for a man to hide

There's no one to take this man in
Give him a chance to begin again
If you must know what you must
It's a matter of trust
There's no one to take this man in

There's no place for him to feel safe
Whether night fall or noon of the day
Is it any surprise
He won't look you in the eyes
There's no place for him to feel safe

Nowhere can a man hide his face
When his foot's forward in a life of disgrace
If he hangs his head low
It's because he knows that we know
Nowhere can a man hide his face

There's no place for a man to hide
When shame brings him into the light
He gives it all up
He's had more than enough
There's no place for a man to hide

The person I am
And the person I've been
Doesn't always reflect
The person within
If you only look
On the outside
Because the outside
Can sometimes tell lies

The person within
Should be the person without
So the people around
Will have no doubt
Of who you are
And what you stand for
The in and the out
Of a mans worth

You need to dig deep
To truly see
The ripeness of fruit
That's hidden beneath
To tell the truth
You never can cheat
On that simple fact
Believe you me

We are all losers here
All losers you will find
Whether library books or our good looks
We all lose things over time

When we're tiny we lose our teeth
Then again when we get old
Some memory, others sanity
But with those aren't you always the last one to know

Some lose their sense of direction
Some their sense of time
Some just lose their sense
Which gets back to that memory and sanity line

And what about your sense of humor
Can you lose that or does it just get odd
Ask my friends and their friends family
I'm sure they'll all agree with a Bobble-Head nod

The older you get, loss of the eyesight you had
Helps to hide the ugly in life
As the hair on your head loses the grip that it had
When into the shower drain it does a high dive

So my guess is yes we're all losers in life
From beginning to the end
Then when all that is left is a date with death
We'll be losers once again

I've been in love with you know who
Since it is that you know when
And if it is that you know why
Could you tell me then again

And if it is and you know how
Could you tell it to me now
Then meet me out at you know where
Cause you know that I still care

Then you can tell me you know what
If I would like it now or not
After all, this I believe
That I know you and you know me

And you know what it is I like
This you've known for quite some time
I've been in love with you know who my friend
Since it is that you know when

This morning when I rubbed the sleep from my eyes
I heard a cry coming from the outside
And wondered at it as I reasoned to why
Of course it was the Earth again

Things have not been going so very well
In fact you could say it's going to hell
Any hand baskets you'd like to sell
To help out an old friend

Everything that can has been going wrong
Sold down the river for a nickel and song
The good times Earth had is all but now gone
On the verge of a has been

With all the pollution clogging her pores
Not to mention the headaches with all of the wars
Vibrating her brain with the planes, trains, and cars
Mother Earth feels about done in

So if you ask her what her problem is
She used to say nothing but nothing is no longer hid
Just add everything onto the list
Who was she trying to kid

All she needs are people to hold her tight
Tell her all's well and is going to turn out alright
Tuck her in bed, kiss her goodnight
Keep her warm until she mends

Then start the abuse all over again...

This morning I'm going to the community bank
So that I can take out a loan
Once they give me the loan
I'm coming straight to your home
With the change for your way of life
Cause your way of life needs some change
Before you go completely morally bankrupt
I thought it best be today

I see you too often out on the streets
Begging life from total strangers
This one may be sweet
But the next one may be danger
That's why I brought this change for your way of life
Cause your way of life needs some change
With all the grief that you've been given
I knew this would be the perfect day

Of course this change I'm giving you
Doesn't come interest free
I'm more than a little bit curious
How this change you will receive
This change for your way of life
Cause your way of life needs some change
I just hope that it is soon enough
And I pray that you spend it today

I'm the very last man on earth
Take that for all that it's worth
In this space and time
This is the last place you'll find
The very last man on earth

Once I pack my bags to leave
I'm the last person you'll ever see
The world will no longer face
The hurdle of the human race
Once I pack my bags to leave

We did this all to ourselves
That's why there's only me and nobody else
Had it coming all along
That's why we're now gone
We did this all to ourselves

So that I'm now...
The very last man on earth

As the world is spinning left

I am running right

As fast as these feet can carry me

In the hopes I might

Reverse the spin that it's in

And get back some of life

I have lost along the way

I would love to find

With plenty of traction

As these shoes are new

Well aware an old slick pair

Never would they do

To counter act the years of spinning

The day this world took flight

With motion moving to the left

And mine fast to the right

I'm a tad bit curious
As to who made up the rules
That I'm supposed to hate you
For what you do or do not do

And you in turn hate me
For what you do and do not see
In my life that does not align
With what you believe

Why can't we all
Just try and get along
Take a chance in this dance
Harmonizing life in song

Can't I just be me
And can't you be you
You and me, free and easy
Living life by our own rules

I like to sip
Life through a straw
The tighter the grip
The more in control
The more in control
The smoother the flow
All when you sip
Life through a straw

What ever flavor
That floats your boat
Sip with a crowd
Or go it alone
Bound to find out
Things you don't know
Whenever you sip
Life through a straw

Never enough
Whatever size cup
With an acquired taste
You'll grow to love
Add to your dreams
With cherry on top
All this when you sip
Life through a straw

Excuse me
Mr. Poetry
May I ask a question
Of you please before I leave

It's something that's
Been on my mind
For longer than
The longest time

Why I'm just a simple poet
If you must know the truth
But I promise that I'll try hard
To give a good answer to you

So go right ahead now
With what you have to say
Do your best in all of this
Don't be shy, fire away

I was just wondering
And this may sound dumb
But where in your poetry
Do all your ideas come from

What ticks the tock
Inside your head
Is there a subject
You haven't met

I'm not really sure
Of just where it starts
Perhaps the tiniest of sparks
Deep inside the heart

Or a tiny voice
Somewhere in the mind
Feeding me what I need
In the daily rhymes

Are you kidding me
Surly you jest
There must be more to it
Than what you just said

I've seen you take the sorrow
Of all of mankind
Pour it out on written page
Line by saddened line

I'm sure that that
Has something to do with it
After all you can not write about
What it is you have not lived

And if you have not lived
While in this life
What would be the sense
In what it is you write

Dear Mr. Poetry
Those are the wisest words
I belive this day
That I have heard

Thanks for explaining
It all to me
That answers my question now
As I take my leave

From the air
Everything looks so different

From the air
It all looks so peaceful and serene

From the air
Way up here I really don't care
Because all that I see is so little to me

From the air
All my problems seem so far away

From the air
Can't see the issues that I face

From the air
I can't hear what I don't want to hear
What most of the people below have to say

From the air
Wish I could stay up here

From the air
The sky always looks so clear

From the air
All I see is what's in front of me
Not what's down below, the world that I know
Of confusion and fear

hello goodbye to me now
ever since she found out

that it's all been one big scam
hello goodbye to who i am

not sure when or even how
all of this went due south

i'm about to give it up
as i'm passed the poison cup

drinking of it willingly
only enough is here for me

to partake your not allowed
hello goodbye to me now

My heart it seems to have two sides
Better yet, a front and back
One talks to your face while the other walks away
Both sides with much left unsaid

My heart beats like a bass drum
With a little treble in the mix
Hitting the high notes when you are close
As you help strike up the band

They say the heart is a muscle
Needing exercise to survive
From the stress and strife of daily life
Or the ache of the passing by

My heart has taken its share of tumbles
More often broken than not
This is how I describe what's beating inside
This thing that's known as my heart

When the last here on Earth hears the word
The skies will part as they give way
Ushering in the coming of the Lord
That's the day we all shall change

All darkness then will disappear
As the Mighty Lord gathers up his Saints
Where we shall meet eternity clear
As Heaven shouts out Jesus' name

As those asleep pour forth from their graves
Oh darkened death where now is your sting
The Bride of Christ shall mark this day
Bowing down before her King

Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and Heavenly Host
Will welcome in those with no more sin
Where we now stand on that hope
Then face to face to be with Him

We all shall meet on that Heavenly shore
With tears dried in the coming tide
Peace, love, joy ours forevermore
As we arrive in the Sweet By-and-By

When the last here on Earth hears the word
We'll also hear God say open wide the gates
Where all shall be free in one accord
As we all change in Jesus' name

There's no one here that knows me
He says to himself alone
The single plate from which he ate
Long ago grew cold

Hoping for a reason
To continue on
But each day life's beating
Chips more off of his soul

He once had a menu
Now tear-stained, tattered, torn
Like his life in black and white
Faded long ago

He can't remember of a time
That his plate was full
Whoever dishes out this life
Serves it rather cruel

How many times in life
Have you thought, what about me
Looking for a place to find
A spot to fill a need

Hoping for a sign
Any way to deal
Soon enough will come to light
As we're all spokes in this wheel

One works with another
Holding each other in place
In the spinning of life
In this running of race

With your saying what can I do
I'm telling you, you are a big deal
Life would wobble if it wasn't for you
As we're all spokes in this wheel

You help keep it turning
With a yearning to your wonder of why
Continually in the searching
Up till the day that you die

Now that you know your purpose
It being that you're here to help
Makes it all very worth it
As we're all spokes in this wheel

if you don't want my love
i'll find someone else who does
i've about had enough
to the point of giving up

i have offered you my love
more times than i can count
if you won't at least sample it
how will you know what it's about

if you don't want my love
it doesn't make much sense
hanging out here wanting yours
long ago I should have left

they say it takes two to tango
and you don't care to dance
if you don't want my love
i'll give someone else a chance

everyday
a lesson's learned
something borrowed
something earned
even from
mistakes we make
lessons are learned
everyday

everyday
a lesson's learned
some bring pleasure
others hurt
to be sure
the ones that hurt
more valuable
the lesson learned

everyday
a lesson's learned
concrete jungle
sidewalk dirt
it may seem like
a lot of work
but everyday
a lesson's learned

we come and go
stay and leave
while some get stuck
in-between
the modern age
social scene
all misfits
if you ask me

you do it too
i do believe
make a pact
with secrecy
test the water
see how deep
all misfits
if you ask me

take the blame
to some degree
some if none
with hurt feelings
how many here
have earned their keep
all misfits
if you ask me