If wrong was right
Then I'd be right
Mostly every time

If do or die
Was the way to live
Then I'd be doing fine

If problems would
All disappear
Blink and they go missing

If answers came
In sheets of gold
I could not afford to listen

If what I said
And what I did
Were one and the same

Who am I
Trying to kid
It'll never go down that way

Because right is right
And wrong is wrong
Proudly on display

So get a clue
Not as I do
And certainly not as I say

i keep trying to catch the meaning
but this film is silent
with the entire front row
signing all the highlights

three rows back the crowd is loud
laughing at life's tragedy
what i was blind to, my eyes open now
they are laughing at you and me

they give to those who have a choice
tokens slightly measured
they can spend at the refreshment stand
on whatever is their pleasure

while actors on the big screen
pause for the applause
pretending to be who they'll never be
in a last ditch effort to get their point across

as i ask the darkened corner
if they could keep it quiet
i'm in the middle of trying to understand
this film that is silent

Have your people call my people
We'll set something up
Solve a few world problems
Over a simple lunch

Discussing all the does and don'ts
All that needs to be done
Serve up a delicacy of world peace
Before the taste is off our tongue  

We'll lick the icing on the energy crisis
In the middle of dessert
A rather tasty morsel
Before we head back to work

Oh and when it comes to world hunger
We'll both get doggy bags
That is if in our gluttony
There is anything left

The only thing is we seem to argue over
Is this slight problem we both have
Who's turn is it this time
To pick up the tab

what you now hold
is a simple poem
with simple words
to help it along

as it makes its way
to simply state
less is more
in what it has to say

no long-drawn-out lines
have been slipped in
or tangled meanings
in which to trip

with rhymes that have
been simply kept
open to
pure simpleness

simple enough
in its plan
this simple poem
held in your hand

I'd like to write a simple poem

Simplify my life along

With the words that make their way

Onto this blank white simple page

Try my best to relax a bit

And with that said, get over it

Whatever is stringing me along

Keeping me from this simple poem

Lifted up and then put down

Far too many times to count

A simple rhyme before too late

The right words needed to say

To open wide the flood gates

And simplify my life away

Is that too much to ask, too much to want

A simple life, a simple poem

this simple write
i found at night
underneath
a dim street light
hanging low
in its glow
with a sign
that read
late night poem
i took it home
fed it well
heard the rhyme
it had to tell
of sad affairs
where no one cared
the day it left
those unaware
we became friends
this poem in hand
it taught me well
to understand
the ways of life
this simple write
i found underneath
a dim street light

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

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

This life is like
A slow suicide
Where you hang yourself daily
Till the day that you die

More often than not
You shoot yourself in the foot
As your **** and your brain
Take turns working your mouth

You'd write a note
Explaining way
But life is too short
And you don't have the time

This life is like
A slow suicide
Where the daily problems
Poison both heart and mind

You find yourself
So tired of it
But in life's confusion
You don't know how to quit

So you live it all
For sufferings sake
Till death comes along
And takes life away

I'm conducting a social experiment
Stepping out to socialize
See if I can turn some heads with it
Watch as I roll some eyes

I'm going to be quite friendly
Say hello to everyone
With a nod and a wink I will indeed
Have myself some fun

I'll share all of my findings
With the world out there at large
Who too often needs reminding
That yes, it still has a heart

I'll speak out loud of promise
Not just of promises
To be brutally honest
Doesn't the world need more of this

I'll step out and learn to live
In the time that is
Not stuck in the past
Or on a future wish

I'll take it all in and be a steady wind
Not just a hit or a miss
When it comes to doing that
Or implementing this

With all that's found I'll draw a crowd
And teach them to do the same
With this social experiment
There's no telling what will change

So hold on tight while this I try
Stepping out to socialize
See if I can turn some heads with it
Watch as I roll some eyes

after all is said and done
after years of too much fun
i'll look back on all of this and i will see

that I spent way too much time
working this assembly line
in the wonder of where and why it's gotten me

no where nearer to life's bliss
when all i have to show is this
the misery of my own lonely company

with the only relationship i have
being the time clock i'm meeting with
and it's only a matter of time till it's done with me

so i'll just keep slapping on the parts
like a one eared artist who's lost his heart
and wonder when i look back if this is the only bliss i'll ever see

Let's talk about
How this world spins round
Funny as it seems
Crazy as it sounds
It's not too hard
To try and figure out
We're in full tilt
And quickly heading South

People running round
Over here and over there
With no earthly idea
Of who, what, when, or where
Not a single clue
Or a daily care
Anyways who told you
That this life was fair

On top this big blue ball
That we bounce about
Moving side to side
Jumping up and down
Being far too many
Times to ever count
As we talk about
How this world spins round

Carved David out of marble
What else could Michel do
Searching for an angle
Immortalizing you

Did the same with Elvis
He too was a king
We put him in velvet
David in a museum

Where we keep him under guard
For all the world to see
Take all the pictures that you like
But no autographs if you please

Elvis on a pedestal
Amid the screams and crys
Kept his fame though lost his way
Where alone he died

David fiddled around with sling shots
Elvis sang and played guitar
One relaxed on roof tops
The other bought people cars

These are different days
Those were different times
Both of these men caved
To sin in their lives

Man can succumb to pressure
When given everything
A show of pain and pleasure
A tale of 2 different kings

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

at any given time

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

at any given time

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

at any given time

This is the place
I find my rest every time
I rest my case
As loves shadow steps into the light

I gladly pay the fee
As your love fills my every need
This being the guarantee
At home in your hands

You being the break
I take from my mistakes
Of the past I've made
Before I find it too late

You are the first thing I ask
When I ask of anything
That is to be seen
At home in your hands

Keep this in mind
Time after time if you can
With you in my life
I'm free of its demands

In our shared belief
Between you and me
Safe in your keep
At home in your hands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two lives so young and tender
Yet old enough to know better
If they had only kept her
Would it have really mattered

Would anything have really changed
Would what is right still have turned away
Letting evil grab hold her hand
Leading her down the road of the ******

Would those that kindly took her in
Be thrown out as next of kin
For all the hell in what they did
The rapping of the innocent

Would the angels still stand and cry
At the evil in their sight
Would they know to pose the question why
The sin of man is piled so high

Would they see her cope with this life on loan
From man to man from home to home
This Child of God now fully grown
By His Grace come into her own

To follow along a different path
One she and her son can draw the map
To know for sure where they are at
Finally on the final path
In what is right, right where they're at

Well I'll be a monkeys uncle
If that old King Kong
And the lizard Godzilla
Did not one day fall in love

It was the wildest looking of all affairs  
One of the strangest scenes
With all of that burly bristley hair
Mixed with all that slimy green

They both met on the corner
In The Big Apple downtown
Amid all the screaming heebie jeebies
Of people running around

Between the two of course you knew
It would be love at first sight
And what love story isn't tragic
Without a few squished passersby...

In the cool of the morning
The fever ran high
With no earthly warning
Darkness challenged the light
You can toss out the past
What little we had
One bite of the apple
Hello cruel world...so sad

It's that attitude, we've held on forever
What ever the mood
It's a crazy tune, we're humming whatever
Forgetting your words too soon
Because of our attitude

There are dark clouds above
To wash the sin from below
You showed us, you warned us
We swear we still didn't know
You drowned out the past
And the sin of man's grasp
As in the time of Noah
The flood waters here are rising so fast

With our attitude, we've held on forever
What ever the mood
It's a crazy tune, we're humming whatever
Forgetting your words way too soon
With our attitude

From present time to the fall
If we've learned anything at all
It's that God has a plan
But lets us make the call
Still with the need to ask
Why it's all gone so bad
Blaming everything else
When all this time it's been ourselves

And our attitude, we've held on forever
What ever the mood
It's a crazy tune, we've been humming forever
Forgetting your words way too soon
With this attitude

You sent us your Son
To take on the sin of the world
Laid down His crown for us all
A crucifixion so cruel
To reconcile the past
The only option you had
Bringing creation back together
Washed in your glory forever will last

To change our attitude, we've held on forever
What ever our mood
Now singing praises to you, in the tune of forever
Giving our all unto you
With our new attitude

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...

I met her Sunday in the park
Between our hearts there was a spark
We'll have to wait and see
If we are each others need

Monday rolled around and then
A bit of luck we met again
I laid on the manly charm
Her hands were soft and warm

Tuesday came and Tuesday passed
Her number I forgot to ask
What a fool I was
Did I just lose true love

Wednesday she somehow found me
Standing below my balcony
I looked down into her eyes
A very pleasant surprise

Thursday it was burning love
A girl like her more than enough
For a man like me
She's all that I can see

Friday a day like I've never known
With cloud nine far down below
I am flying high
The best day of my life

Saturday all I could see
The whole of the week was but a dream
I woke up Sunday in the park
The afternoon sky was cloudy and dark

Haven't I seen this all somewhere before
It looks like a familiar line
Seems these days I see it more and more
As I write more and more over time

The more that I write
The less that is said
Like taking in air
In the middle of breath

When it comes to the words that I use
There is nothing new under the sun
The words on display to help me convey
Seem over time to blend into one

If a line or two looks familiar to you
Even at quite a distance
Look back on a few of my poems from the past
They may have  already made an appearance

I often find
A woman's mind
Is much like a woman's purse

Both deep and wide
With much to hide
And plenty of room to learn

Where she keeps all her stuff
More than enough
To get her through the day

Plus even some
Items for fun
When she feels the need to play

There's so much stuff in
If she started to dig
That even she doesn't know about

That's one thing I like
About a woman's mind
It's so hard to figure out

Plus a diary within
To hold memories in
Of the best and of the worst

And that's why I find
A woman's mind
Is much like a woman's purse

The day starts off bitter and dark
Splattered and splotched with watermarks
From tears of us forced to watch
Battle cause against battle cause
Shoulders flaked in hatreds frost
Rolling rocks collect no moss
Foes and friends this war has cost
Who could have thunk who would have thought

A world like this would take top billing

A time like this would come of age
Raising fists in fits of rage
Here's the pauper where's the sage
Keeping truth locked in a cage
Same old look different name
Nothing's changed it's all the same
Unknown ghosts make us afraid
Set the date cut the cake

A world like this is quite revealing

Unless you find you like the lies
Being spewed out on all sides
From the upper left to the lower right
As we feed the hand that bites
It's a case of do or die
Whatever it takes to win the fight
Sign of the times I  me mine
Raise your hand and close your eyes

In this world of truth concealing

They're keeping score behind closed doors
Where they have mine and they have yours
Where the disease thinks it's the cure
And only peace can come through war
If that's not enough there's more in store
Times are rotten to the core
Days like these are hard to ignore
Once we've opened Pandora's door

A world like this is hard in its dealings

A world like this is primed for stealing

A world like this has lost all meaning

A world like this is in it's keeping

A world like this...

There's no reasonable explanation
As to how this all went down
When the world woke up one morning
All made up as clowns

Not a single person across the land
Did this phenomenon not claim
With big red buttons on their chests 
Spelling out new funny names

There was Patches and Petunia
Floppy and Cupcake
Winky and Bumper the Clown
Were just a few that they displayed

Everyone went about their business 
Only now they all carpooled
You could see clowns piling out of cars everywhere
From businesses to stores to schools

Crime it did die down
Because all the guns that people have
Instead of shooting bullets
Shoot out brightly colored Big Bang Flags

Of course the circus lost its glamour
With an audience made up of clowns
It's hard to tell who's there enjoying 
And who's entertaining all the crowds

People stopped taking each other seriously 
Over anything they had to say
Pointing at each other and laughing
As they go about their day

Who knew a thing like this would happen
When the world went to bed last night
That the very next morning
They'd wake up clowns for life

Oh, I almost forgot the Politicians
Were the only ones to stay the same
It's already a simple known fact
When you're already a clown you don't need to change

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

a younger you
every now and then
shows up with a sly smile
mischievous grin
happy go lucky
in your attitude
before the cold world
shivered in you

a younger you
every now and then
shows up to wonder
where have you been
with the mounting of worries
leaving a sickening taste
in what all they feed you
on a daily base

a younger you
every now and then
shows up for adventure
in the remembering when
life was more meaningful
back in the day
before all the simple
fell out of place

a younger you
every now and then
wonders in silence
if it could be done again
the wide eye experience
the innocence
of a younger you
when life you once lived

Tiny fingers
Teeny toes
Crooked smile
Turned up nose
Wisp of golden hair
In your blue eyes
Makes me happy
You are mine

Jelly belly
Baby breath
What are the thoughts
Running through your head
You'll soon be grown
And gone in time
No matter where
You'll still be mine

Infectious smile
Contagious laugh
Giving all the joy
In all you have
Impish nod
Twinkle eyes
I'm so happy
You are mine

And what is best
Above the others
You're the spitting image
Of your mother

It's been a month of Sundays
Since it is that I set face
Anywhere near this band of angels
In this most Holy Sacred Place

Guilt may overwhelm me
Shame may do me in
This day set forth may break me
Great sinner that I am

No one is less deserving
For I am the least of these
As I am covered in God's glory
Awashed with an inner peace

The days that I've been vacant
Are all apart in the grand scheme of things
Bringing me to my knees in my need of saving
And back to the Eternal King

As my brothers and sisters in Christ surround me
Pouring out love, not ones to judge
Tears of joy like flowing fountains
As another Prodigal son returns

I'm going back to basics
Tossing technology out the door
They say life is what you make it
I'm going to make it a natural world

The stars at night will be my candlelight
The open meadow my unmade bed
The Moonbeam will hold my calmest dreams
As I rest my weary head

When the morning peaks I'll have the mountain stream
To provide me with cool drink
And the berries from a nearby tree
Will be what I daily eat  

I won't have any more deadlines
To stress my life upon
The only time that I will keep
Will be the season of the Sun

I will move when in the mood
Will be my whole new attitude
And sitting back relaxing
Will be the hardest thing I do

I'll carry on conversations
With the animals of the wild
I'm sure they'll make a lot more sense
Than those, I've left behind

If you think you'd like to join me
There's no need to pack a bag
I guarantee you'll be happy
With the little that you have

I'm going to need a backup plan
Just in case it all goes bad
Seeing there is little doubt
That it all is heading south

Something I can cling onto
A way out, a sudden move
Whether it is short or long
Before my goose gets good as gone

Hide it all behind my back
Pull it out fast as I can
All the confidence that I need
When I find myself knee deep

Just in case I lose it
And can't remember what comes next
If it all heads quickly south
I need a backup plan no doubt

the way we huff and puff these days
seems we're in a backwards race
going back to where we lacked
the progress that's been made
where we don't see eye to eye
being now the case
wave the checkered flag as we finish last
in this backwards race

we place the blame call each other names
in this backwards race
we think we've won as over others we run
in our endless chase
in our searching for the next big thing
keeping it all up to date
here we go again, fingers in the wind
in this backwards race

it's one for one as we run
in this backwards race
no more than a few that we speak to
in our daily face to face
we idly chat in phone tag text
or snap chat along the way
and with that said i best get
back to this backwards race

Don't dare hang up the phone
Please don't touch that dial
I've got this idea a-brewing
If you'll kindly hear me out

I often have these hunger pains
Throughout my busy day
And seldom find the time to stop
For a meal along the way

So I got my brain juices flowing
And came to this conclusion
Baloney flavored chewing gum
Could be this man's solution

But how to get the flavor
Onto the stick of gum
When it's baloney that I savor
It must be in the rub

So I go buy top shelf baloney
Take the gum from my pocket...
...remove the lint
Rub-a-Dub this grub like in a tub
Then call it baloney peppermint

I'm now on my way to success
Never stopping off for meals
Ain't got time for none of that
In my world of Wheel and Deal

I've now quite the variety of meat
In the daily meals I chew
If you care to call 1-800-Baloney Peppermint
Then you can chew it too

There's a big difference
Between love and hate
While one gives away
The other one saves
Using their hearts
Like most do a bank
In the deposit
Of love and hate

Love in its interest
Runs rather high
With not many willing
To pay the price
Though when banking on hate
Most people find
Borrowing from love
Would have been wise

Because there's a big difference
Between love and hate
Where the dividends
Of love far out way
Anything at all that
Hate has to say
So be wise
In where you choose to bank

I heard a shout from the crowd
Set the guilty free
To this day I still think about
Why him and not me

I'd heard the man was innocent
That he'd done nothing wrong
As he said underneath his breath
Forgive them, they no not what they've done

I made my way that day out of harms way
Swearing never to look back
But felt the urge, wouldn't call it courage
That held me down where I was at

Following at a short distance
The one who took my palce
With a strong need for forgiveness
I still hold to this day

Through it all with him on trial
I felt the guilt, the shame
Could not help but think about
Me being partially to blame

As he stood there in silence
A lamb being led to slaughter
The hungry wolves would have his head
He'd be dead by tomorrow

Guilty came the verdict
To the worlds sigh of relief
As once again I wondered
Why him Lord, not me

I followed along as he carried his cross
Hoping not to be recognized
You never know how far a crowd will go
Or when a mob could change their mind

This is the other side of the story
From the day I was set free
The day my life was changed when I
Watched the Prince of Peace hang on that tree
Dying for the sin of you and me

barefoot she knows
wherever she goes
does not own a shoe to her name

all that she needs
is a sandy beach
and a day of refreshing waves

stays grounded in life
watching seagulls in flight
where their call sets her soul free

spends the time of her life
at the peak of hightide
always carefree in the breeze

what's not to love
a day in the sun
basking in its lasting warmth

where barefoot she goes
being all that she knows
who could ask for anything more

What's a simple man like me
Doing in this part of town
Especially at a time like this
When the sun is going down

I crank my Barry Manilow
Up on my cassette deck radio
Letting all the boys round here know
That I'm down with the sound and flow

That's when this old rusty Ford
Creaks up to the light
His girlfriend turns and gives a wink
And a great big green teeth smile

I get the notion then and there
That he's the jealous type
As he spits a wade of tobacco juice
All over my Pintos driver side

Steps down from his conglomerate
Lumbers over to me
The kids in school are sure to hear of this
As I'll soon be history

Roughly pulls me out the window
Shaking me off like a bad habit
Saw my life flash before my eyes
Luckily I had enough sense to reach out and grab it

Just then he catches the music
That's now playing loud and clear
Turns with a look plastered to his face
Asking who is that he hears

I tell him Barry Manilow
He's the one who writes the songs
Just then he starts a-humming
If he knew the words he'd sing along

His girlfriend calls up all their friends
Who quickly show up to the scene
Looks like we got us a Copacabana
With the lights flashing from red to yellow to green

It all came to a ******
As Barry, Mandy sang
There wasn't a dry eye on the street that night
As I quickly saddled my Pinto and drove away

I let out a huge sigh of relief
As I sped through all the lights
With "Looks Like We Made It" blasting through the stereo
Thanking Barry Manilow, once again for saving my life