I can’t breathe;

           it’s as if someone is sitting on my chest—

                       shortness of breath.

Excruciating pain;

           it’s spiraling from deep within my bones

           all the way to my brain.

Nervousness;

            I’m so anxious I can’t even think straight—

                                           anxiety.

Faith;

             though I’m in an overwhelming state,

             I believe I’ve got just enough faith

                            to move this mountain.

My Flag,
Draped over this
          Box,
makes my mother cry,
my father cringe,
my friends mourn,
          But,
I do not.
This was my choice,
This is my life.
I gave it,
     in defense,
of an ideal I believe in.
I gave it,
     for my children.
I gave it,
     for the men still,
           climbing those mountains,
struggling to fight,
     an enemy disguised as a civilian.
My son will never know me,
  My daughter will have a faint recollection,
and My wife will always cry,
    when My Flag,
          Flies,
Proud and Bold,
Every Fourth of July.

Render Your Salutes,
And say your prayers.
The night will come and go.

Follow me from this misery,
to the land of immortality.
Where you will shine,
like the brightest of stars,
and I will be,
your shadowing moon.

Take a glimpse of the Earth,
As we slowly fade into,
The Universe.

My hand will guide you,
while my love confides in you.
Together we will see,
the sunrise on Mercury,
or spend our days,
wandering the Milky Way.

I will take charge,
of controlling the march,
of this absently ambling asteroid.
And you will be,
the courageous Queen,
of this cleverly considerate comet.

Hold my hand,
and maybe we can see,
this awesome galaxy,
from where Pluto and Neptune,
watch the constellations congregate.

I want to be your shadowing moon,
if you will be my shining star.

I was bold;

Sarcastic and Young.

I could run

Ten thousand miles,

                         and then some.

I was never more sad

Than I ever was Happy,

            and I guess I didn’t quite understand

That I really wasn’t all that lucky.

Yet, I didn’t care,

            because I was as tall as the clouds.

Yet, I didn’t care,

             because I was born to go far.

My mother gave me her wisdom.

    My father gave me his strength.

And that gorgeous girl,

        whom I get to hold in my arms and enjoy life with,

Well, she’s the one who’s helping me understand,

                     just  who I truly am.

I am great.

I am kind.

I no longer have to live in my past life.

I am Nate the Great,

            and I am here beside you all,

                 smiling as we risk the fall.

Take me down to the bank,

Where the Guadelupe flows calmly through the red dirt

         that I love so dearly.

The trees cast their shadows on the river’s surface,

                 and I pretend to explore the Nile

                 as the waters carry me from West to East.

When I crawl out onto the bank,

                               and stare up at the clouds floating on high,

                               I think of how lucky I am to live under this brave Lone Star.

Texas is a land I love more than I can express with words.

It’s my home,

   my first kiss,

        my first fight,

              where I learned to play catch,

                   and how I caught my first fish.

It’s my fairy tale,

        my childhood dreams,

                   where I learned that you have to work for what you want,

                                 to say “Yes Sir,” and “Yes Ma’am,”

                                                  And to love God with all my heart.

Nothing beats a Texas girl,

     and mine is the fairest of them all,

            in this land where our kids will grow up,

                  and our family will dig its roots deep.

                        Though life will run its course,

                              I know this land is where I plan to love her ‘til we rest in peace.

I may grow old

        and stop wearing my boots

                   when I feel my time coming to a close

Yet,

When it’s all said and done,

I’ll remember a life lived to its fullest

and that my first Love was Texas;

                                                       a special place I wish to never leave.

The wind fills the sails
of an old galleon
in the bay, that is
set on course for the
far away land of
Saracen and Turks,
while the farmer, “Jacques,”
follows the horse and
plow, that is gently
creeping, so as to
not disturb the seed.

The cavern island
is the boy shepherd’s
reverie; his dream
to leave this flock that
he loyally tends,
and explore the world
like Sir Lafayette.

Fading
is the art of the world
as the distance
becomes distance
and the sails
faintly
decay.

I lie here on this beach
     starring up at the clouds above me
while an infinite volume of sound
surrounds me.
I cannot help but think
    that my life should’ve ended more peacefully
but we can’t always receive every wish
we plea for.
Yet,
    2 years ago
       I wouldn’t have thought this
is where I’d be:
     dying slowly
        on the forsaken beaches of Normandy.

The ramp drops
    splashing the sea water high above us,
and already
       four lives are lost.
Captain Morrell moves to the front of the landing craft
    and yells:
HIT THE BEACH!
        only moments before he is incinerated
by an artillery shell.
    that lovin’ 88!

I close my eyes and rush forward,
    screaming as I do,
praying the bullets won’t become lodged
       in my skull
as they **** by we few from 3rd platoon
who survived the landing.

Congregating behind these steel tank traps
         almost a dozen men seek the shelter
from cover that is almost non-existent.
But the German mortar rounds neglect our cover
     and begin showering our position with
                     molten, lead shrapnel
and **** both men and boys.
    so many boys.

The deutsch machine guns spray our position
        with their hypothermic needles
and as more men are landing on this deadly shoreline
     the water turns red from the blood
     of the youthful dead.

Another explosion
    sends the sand showering on top of us again
and my only response
       is to fire my drenched rifle
carelessly at the large, fortified seawall
    that stands between
us and victory.

Sergeant Feretti runs to our position
    and screams at us,
telling us to advance;
ordering us to leave these skinny steel bars of safety
      and the overwhelming comfort they provide us
and take the fight to the ***,
whom so ardently oppose us this day.

I’m frozen from the fear
      surging through my veins
as I stare at all the dead boys from New York,
Wisconsin,
                Michigan,
Florida,
        and Texas,
lying face first
    in the French sand.
I’m convinced that I crouch here alone
    on a beach in France;
God left this place long before the first ramp dropped.

Finally, after what felt like hours,
I muster the strength
    to begin sprinting towards
the German line,
    and it seems as if every **** gun is now focused on me;
setting their sight picture on my center mass.

With only twenty five meters between myself and the first seawall,
        I have hope that I’ll survive this cruel crusade,
but all that hope dissipates
      as four bullets pass through my right lung;
             stopping me in my tracks
like the cold channel water behind me
     as it is repelled by the European land mass
that will consume my body soon.
I slowly fall forward
    landing on my left shoulder,
my hands clutching my wounds.

It’s fascinating in a sense;
      this slow collapse of my lungs,
and how I can feel every single second that my soul has left on this Earth.
Suddenly,
    death becomes more real
than the gunpowder and smoke that is still stinging my nostrils.

I lie here on this beach
     starring up at the clouds above me
while an infinite volume of sound
surrounds me.
I cannot help but think
    that my life should’ve ended more peacefully
but we can’t always receive every wish
we plea for.

When you wake up this morning,

I may not be lying next to you,

               Nor will you feel my arms wrapped around you,

And though you wish I was there,

You’ll smile anyways,

                Because you know my Love resides deep

                        within every atom that forms you.

As you eat your breakfast,

           and get ready for the day,

You’ll look forward to our impending rendezvous

            on this night of romantic celebration.

And, when the sun sets on the edge of our Texan world,

             we’ll greet each other with a passionate exchange

                             of kisses and “I Love You”es…

I LOVE YOU TOOOOOOOO

Sure, we might go to dinner,

           Or indulge in chocolate covered bliss

          while watching your favorite chick-flick.

Yet, the only thought that will traverse the length of the evening,

Will be how lucky we are to be entangled in each others’ arms.

                              The Love we share is so wonderful and strong,

               that it’s too Lovely to be overwhelmed by the nuances of

                                              this romantic holiday.

You, and I, both know

That we’ll be in Love until

The sun no longer

Shines, and we lay in peace; still

Intimately embracing.

the beets are looped in grass,
the squash is on our plate,
the river runs so smooth,
while the rapids take their break.
the trees begin to sway,
at the slightest hint rain,
but there’s nothing we can do,
there’s nothing we can say.
my toes begin to curl,
when the fan is turned on high,
your heart begins to race,
when the bullets hit your thigh.
the sauerkraut,
and carrot sticks,
are never done on time,
leaving us the thoughts,
of a dream world gone awry.
there’s nothing I have heard you say,
that will take away the pain,
there’s nothing you have done,
to close this little gate.
my trust is so gullible,
to the sound of open arms,
your deception was the pawn,
that swept this poor king’s heart.
forced upon my knees,
with a trademark on my arm.
there has got to be a way,
to remove this purple yarn.

Crisp is the sea-bound breeze,

as I sit here on the banks

                 of lovely Queen Lake.

       I can’t begin to fathom,

the journey this wind has,

                traveled.

        The countries it has seen.

       The smells that it has breathed.

      The tastes it has gorged on,

                   Oh!

            How I envy the wind.



       A boat sails by,

            and two jet skis race around it.

Their wake is generous,

                   and the waves tumble o’er each other,

     as I sit here and wonder,

where the red leaves fly,

       when they die,

   here in Boston.

No.

       No.

Don’t push them away,

    for they need to hear this too;

all living things,

      come,

           and go,

before we even know what’s around us.



I watch the dogs splash on the shore,

      as the old church bells sing,

in Philipston;

            how can this be the land of war,

                                   and revolution,

      when it’s plagued with beauty and peace?



I lift my eyes to the trees above me,

       and watch the leaves fall,

floating in a wind that I cannot see.

    I believe that I too,

while sitting here on this bank,

    am meant to fade away,

  with the breeze.

The sheets are in a twisted mess

      and the pillows indented where your head was,

     but I’m alone here in this bed.

Your scent clings to the fabric,

             and I can still see your smile drifting above me,

                           as if you were still in this bed with me.

I see all of this and it’s got me missing you more than ever.

The warmth your body provided me

                          beneath these sheets,

          no longer radiates here

and I have to curl up even tighter to keep warm.

                 You left one of your shirts on the floor

             and this further solidifies in my mind

that you’re not here with me now.

I feel all of this and it’s got me missing you more than ever.

I close my eyes and try to hide in the security of this comforter.

I drift off to sleep; dreaming only of your face.

         Then when I wake,

      I slowly open my eyes,

                         and there you are above me,

                         quietly smiling down at me.

I am suddenly filled with an overwhelming joy and smile back,

       and you lean down and press your lips to mine,

letting me know I was never alone.

I touch your lips and it’s got me loving you more than ever.

Coffee
    Heath
        Bar
            Crunch
Will sabotage those taste buds,
Like Dublin and its Mudslides.
So blast off with that,
Fossil Fuel,
And don’t let me
Catch you.
‘Cause I’ll keep you,
My Maple Blondie.
I’ll capture you,
And hold onto,
Those Cinnamon Buns.
You’re the Crème Brulee,
Of Chocolate Macadamia,
And the Cherry Garcia,
In my every breath.
You’re the Chunky Monkey,
To this Chubby Hubby;
The Dulce Delish,
for this Americone Dream.

Can’t you see I’ve just got,
A sweet tooth for you,
And your Phish Food?
Your Chocolate hair,
Key Lime Pie eyes,
Strawberry Cheesecake lips,
And your skin is a delight,
Much like Vanilla Caramel Fudge.
Did Ben and Jerry create you?
Please tell me they did!
So I can eat you,
With my cup of Boston Cream Pie,
And I’d eat you all up, Well,
Everything but the…
Half Baked,     Karmel Sutra,
Which I’d lick,
Like a cone of Cake Batter,
And then dip into,
Like Cookies and Milk.

Imagine Whirled Peace,
On top of this Mudpie,
And then Split,
Like a Banana.
That’s the kind of Brownie Batter,
I’d stir with you,
And then add a scoop,
    Or two,
Of Turtle Soup.
And you would yell,
PISTACHIO PISTACHIO!
    Where for art thou pistachio?
And with a bowl of Peach Cobbler,
And a spoon of Vanilla,
I’d look at you,
    wink,
and offer you a pint,
of my Mint Chocolate Chunk.

Paint me a Texas sunset

O’er the Brazos

And love me like a pickup truck:

                    If you treat me right, I’ll carry you through the rough times

                    and get your heart pounding as I race us down this old, red dirt road.

Keep me in your heart and remember me always

Like a priceless photo from your childhood

Don’t let me fade away into the hills

          like those near San Antonio.

I’ll be your cold Shiner

If you’ll just be my one and only.

I’ll Love you like Texas;

            Big, Bold, and Humble.

The Shadows dance about me;

Taunting me;

Consuming me.

They torment my every breath.

They contort and conform with my every move.

Following me everywhere I go,

haunting my troubled soul—

                        Except at Noon.



The Shadows dance about me,

and I do not know where to go,

nor where to hide.

so time I’ll just bide,

until it comes time to die,

and the Shadows will follow me,

no more,

no longer,

the Shadows dance about me.

The trees seem to come to life

As the the wind blows through their branches

                                                    helping them to dance;

giving them the courage to sway

                                          in this sunset.

The world is just a little town

That gets ready for bed

As the sun goes down

And I’m stuck here in this pasture

Looking for my clouds

Through the veil of darkness.

            There’s a scent that catches my attention,

But it’s gone before I can mention

                                                                      what it reminds me of.

The sound of crickets comes from all around,

      and I hear some coyotes moving further south,

But I’m just sitting here in the bed of this pickup

                         letting my thoughts get mixed up

in the world that surrounds me.

                It’s calming to see nature

                in its natural environment,

and it’s interesting to see

the world through these eyes,

                                               because these eyes aren’t anything like yours.

Though I do often wonder

What it is that your eyes see

As they hold my gaze

And stare back into me.

It rains on the best of us,

So let your blossoms flourish,

In the midst of a torrential downpour,

Especially when your world seems to become an instant disaster,

Full of mud and strife.

Tomorrow,

That big ol’ Texas sun will shine on you again,

And you’ll run through fields of wildflowers—

                  a sight that you and I both know can out-do any old ocean view.

Give it a chance little Cowboy,

And I promise you’ll smile again,

As you ride off into the sunset you were destined to see.

Swelling up deep Within,

It is the Song of Generations

passing to Present

from Past presents.

Swimming through the maze

of Life’s blood

                         and Pleasant longings.

Let us be equal

              in body and ambition.

Always in danger, his life on the line
Death being ever present in this land
They sent him here to defend his country
Thus is the life of a US soldier

The native peoples in this dying land
despise his presence; his merciless work
Thus is the life of a US soldier

His woman leaves him lying frozen, and
forgotten on an Afghani mountain
Thus is the life of these US soldiers

Bullets unleashed by the Mujahideen
cause American blood to mix with the mud;
the same blood that covers the young medic’s hands
Thus is the life of a US soldier

The mortar lands only a few feet away
and the boy becomes apart from his legs
Thus is the life of a US soldier

While the sergeant is screaming
               Return Fire!
A private cries out for his distant mother
Thus is the life of a US soldier

Eventually their tour comes to an end, and
they board the plane that is pointed towards home
yet fifteen seats are empty; no soldiers
               will use these seats to return home this day.
Thus is the life of a US soldier

Having done their job, they can rest for now;
rest until they are sent back to the land
they have so rightly named “the nation of death”
Thus is the life of a US soldier

The plane soon lands; the men will stand, anxious
to lay eyes on their forgotten homeland
Thus is the life of a US soldier

He will exit the plane and she is waiting
but she won’t be able to recognize him
because the scars on his face disguise him;
his sunken eyes betray his identity
Thus is the life of a US soldier

Another warrior weeps as he hugs his wife
and she hands his daughter into his arms;
he holds his infant for the very first time
Thus is the life of a US soldier

Twelve months later the men will board that plane again
and leave the land they have sworn to defend
Thus is the life of a U.S. Army Soldier.

Reminiscent of

Times lost, when I would stay up

And write until my

Heart had nothing left to write;

When my soul could rest in peace.

Mile Two-Six-Two

Is the place where I fell in love with you.

Holding your hand on “forty-five,”

            I reckon I ain’t ever felt this alive.

Now we’ve got it on cruise control

                   as we shoot down 635,

         and time just seems to fly

                          while I’m staring into your eyes,

     because you’re the only thing on my mind.

Honey, for as long as I can hold your hand

       I’ll never forget that it was there,

                at mile Two-Six-Two,

       that my heart fell—entirely—just for You.

                                                            …and I plan on holding your hand forever.

Time will tell our story
As we navigate across these waves,
                     and these clouds;
       Daring to be bold!
Seeking the adventure
                        that only we can take together.

Hold my hand, Darling,
and let us chase our dreams.
    I’ll be by your side the entire time.

I’ll be there beside you;
                                  holding you tight when the thunder
                          echoes across the sky.

I’ll be there to love you
            when the world comes crashing down.

I’ll be there to kiss you passionately
                         after we’ve said “I do,”
               and the preacher pronounces us Man and Wife.

I am your strength.
You are my mind; my heart; my Love.
I may be your Superman,
              but you’ll always be my foundation.

Your heart is where I’ll seek refuge when I’m weak.
Your eyes are where I’ll remember love.
Your hand will always be within reach.
Your lips will always comfort my soul.

I Love You more than anything in this world.
You are my all, Baby,
                        so please be my
                                    Valentine
For the Rest of Our Lives.

They tell me I'll be fine all by myself,

But I sit here waiting to talk to you, My Love.



              It's strange how we try to be so strong,

          yet we all need a shoulder to cry on.



I was lost in a sea of self-loathing

                          and it was there you saved me.



       A train whistles through the cool, still air.

               Not much longer will we be left in this moment.



                            I pray you know I admire you, Baby.

                  I hope you know my love for you knows no limit.



I wander under these storm clouds,

         wishing it would just rain love on me; on we.

Wanting reverie

Leaves us tangled in moonlight;

Do not wish for them

To find us carving tonight’s

Memories in space and time.

Distorted words, and

The common misconception

Of glamorous fiends,

Help to destroy the sanity

Of hopelessly subtle, old kings.

-

Dastardly provoked

To implore, or deceive, the

Faint of heart—cowards—

To commit themselves to war;

To attempt courage for once.

-

Yet, not one of them

Is capable of such strength.

In today’s battle,

One man here, is simply just

Another broken, dead boy.

-

Scream “Hallelujah!”

They do, but it comes as a

Whisper. They whisper,

Because they are afraid of

Their own voices; the noise scares them.

-

Circumstance may have

That those faint of heart—cowards—

Cannot see their chance;

This inexhaustible resource.

They know not their own power.

-

Brother: Please humor

The condemned souls in this town,

For they are no more

A concern for the Killers,

And Invaders moving through here.

-

The rippling muscles

Of defeat swarm this dead town,

And those who stood by

Were consumed by the vultures,

And the wolves who haunt the woods.

-

Those who could not stand

And confront the oppressors,

Because their voice was

Inaudible and weak, were

Burned at the stake, like Bruno.

-

               Yet, these plebes, could not look Him in the eyes because their guilt weighed their chins down.

-

Wickedly the cruel,

Conquering enemy will

Capture the souls of

The less fortunate who hide

In their own puny shadows.

-

Yet, even when the

Strong make their stand, and fight

Those wicked demons,

Their victory is in vain,

Because the cities still burn.

Tears form at the corners of her young eyes.

She cannot suppress the fear inside her.

The demons taunt her from the room’s shadows,

And she flees—helplessly—to her mother.

I remember the days when my room at night

Was a scary place; a place of perceived

Evil. Yet in my twenties, the dark I

No longer fear, still blankets my old room.

Easily I sleep at night, with little-

To-no fright now. However, the demons

Still lurk in the dancing—but void—shadows.

I may not see them as I once did, like

She can see them now, but I feel their claws

Cling to my skin when I close my tired eyes.

Languish in language; the one only I know.

Spare me your sensitivity, Miss Queen,

And may my honor align with the truth.

I don’t want to get left here now in this

Miserable old town, where love fades slow.

Give me the aftershock of a Martian glow.

It doesn’t make sense, to sit here wasting

On this church pew when my trust has left them.

You can find me floating down a shallow creek,

Savoring the chance to taste the morning dew.

I’ll find peace in the glance between mirrors;

Where my reflection cannot follow me.

I can make you laugh,

And I can sing out loud;

       I can make you feel like a bird

       Floating in the summer Sun.

I can hold your hand,

And I can take you far;

       We can see the whole wide world

       That we only thought existed on postcards.

I can breathe you in,

But I won’t breathe you out;

       You’re as intoxicating

       As the smell of an ocean breeze.

I can kiss your lips,

And I can stare into your eyes;

       I don’t really mind

       Being lost in them tonight.

I can show you my heart,

If you’d only give me yours;

        Let’s just have fun

        While we see what God has in store for us.

I’ll wrap my arm around you,

And you’ll lean your head on me;

        We can fade away

        To the sounds of our favorite songs.

I can dream of you,

And know you’ll always be with me;

      Honey, I guess that’s all I’ll ever really need.

I’ll sit next to you,

And you’ll sit next to me;

       We’ll leave this world in the dust,

       While we’re soaring through the stars.

Baby,

           Lovely Lady,

Won’t you take this ride with me?

Let me provoke you.

Let me stir you.

Let me make,

           That chair you are sitting in,

Not as comfortable,

               As it was a second ago.

Move with your words.

Write your heart.

Get mad once in a while.

Feel love once in a while.

Witness beauty once in a while.

Feel disgusted once in a while.

                    Let Me provoke you.

Let me stir you.

             I want to make you cringe!

I want to make you move!

              Write!

                      Write!

Write like Shakespeare,

      But curse like Dangerfield.

Provoke Me!

                               I want to feel your grit,

   your emotion,

          your constant devotion.

Write.

I’m Standing,

Proud.

Let these,

Words,

Fall on you.

My lips,

Are strong.

Let them,

Smother you.

This Hate,

Decays.

Let my love,

Devour you.

Spoil you.

Let these arms,

Consume you.

Embrace you.

Gently,

Carry you.

You and ‘Quila make me crazy, Baby.

I’d take shots of you until I was drunk with your Love,

            and then I’ll mix me a ‘Rita and feel the buzz.

Emotions running frantically,

                      and friction causing insanity,

but the only thing I want to say

is: “Babe, I love you”

because I truly do Love You so very much.