We’re all actors on a stage
I do it for real
I learn my lines
Wear costumes
Pretend it is real life
But sometimes something happens
When one cannot conceal
The emotions being displayed
Are truly, really real
Ask Jenny, she played my female lead
We didn’t write the lines
But what they meant to her and me
Grew with each performance
As if meant to be
With every encore as we bowed
Electric chemistry
That play had a long run
So have we
You see, we got married
Happily
These days we write our own lines
There’s a joyful family
Wait for our Christmas card
Then you’ll see

To hear you sigh
To see you laugh
To know that you are near
Invokes the deepest feelings
One could ever have
Life may be evanescent
But our love is not
You make it real
You make it hot
Filled with warm love
Cooler than any breeze
We sail through life
Finally, I’m at ease
Which is all to say
My dear special one
I live for you
You are my sun

They’re recruiting me
MI6
And the CIA
Land sakes alive
Dual citizenship
No hindrance to me
Helps to have a major in Slavic languages
And an Oxford degree
How they latched on to me
I don’t really know
That Dad worked at
Arlington might have put them in the know
Interesting life choices being offered
Investment banking has its rewards
That’s on the table
I’m inclined to VC
I could have a capital time
Avoid DC and endless bureaucracy
See the world
It’s nice to be wanted
I feel like the girl everyone wants to dance with
I’m still at the prom
I’ll ask my parents
I know they’ll have thoughts

I’m consistently overwhelmed by your generosity
Your constant kindness
What you do for me
How you deliver
It’s the big and little things
I’m in deep
In love
You’re so good to me
So lover, let me thank you
I’ll do the best I can
To make you happy
To be your loving man
You’re the best
You really are
I’m awed
I’m overwhelmed
At who you are

On the bridge of love
The day we met
Smitten I was
Caught in her net
Such a beauty
Natural, with charm
Finally, we met
Love then took charge

Oh, we ran headlong
With brave intensity
Together, happy
Young and free
Days that were made
For dreams, for kisses
We were saved
Until it ended
Though in a way it never did
For I still love the lady
I’m still in touch with her

Sometimes I savor
Those memories
We had a true love
Ever does it please

To hear you sigh
To see you laugh
To know that you are near
Invokes the deepest feelings
One could ever have
Life may be evanescent
But our love is not
You make it real
You make it hot
Filled with warm love
Cooler than any breeze
We sail through life
Finally, I’m at ease
Which is all to say
My dear special one
I live for you
You are my sun

I could not help the thought
As I dawdled for a minute
Considering what we have lost
I know we could have made it
Had we gone around that bend
Sometimes I can’t help wonder where we’d be
If only now was then

If only now was then
If only there was time
To go back to yesterday
When I was yours
And you were mine

At least we had our love
At least we really tried
To take our magic to the end
I’ve carried it inside
From all the way back when
Sometimes I can’t help wonder where we’d be
If only now was then

If only now was then
If only there was time
To go back to yesterday
When I was yours
And you were mine

If only, if only, if only, if only
Today was yesterday

There’ll come a day when I’ll look back
At everyone I’ve ever loved
You’ll be at the forefront
Though so long ago
I still think of you
With fondness and regret
I loved you then
As I will when
It’s my time to go
I often wonder how you are
I get only tidbits
A picture here or there
A memory that flits
Like a butterfly
When we did this or that
When I simply held your hand
Hanging at your flat
Life is full of love
More than I could expect
I love you now, as I did then
As I will when it’s my time to go

The best night out
Is an evening in with you
A bottle of wine
I’ll make the stew
A movie to watch
Snuggles to be had
A night in with you
Perfect for this lad

If I don’t talk
That is because
I like listening to you
For you give me pause
To enjoy your brilliance
Your beauty just awes

We’ve got all we need
In this happy home
My darling you are
In the loving zone
Happy, so happy
Happy to be
Hanging out with my lovely
My baby and me

The world may have its problems
But as for you and me
Nothing comes between us
We’re together, you and me

Life may have its ups and downs
That doesn’t affect us
Our love is indestructible
Never envious

The road ahead is paved with gold
I can hardly wait to see
What’s around the corner
What’s next for you and me

This is golden time
Becoming twilight
A kiss to last forever
A kiss to start the night
Continuity
Locked hearts
Constantly amusing
Everything is perfect
Everything is all right
Our love is a constant star
Our love has the might
To last forever
Indeed it will

Golden time
All the time
As good as it can be
Life is good
Yes it is
The good life of you and me

I want to be trending
Nothing gives me more delight
Than to know I am wanted
For my wordsmithing and insight
That I’ve moved enough viewers to be worthy of a click
Maybe even a like
When I’m trending I’m self-satisfied
It’s a high
Trending is tough
The competition fierce
From writers with taste
Making good sense
I try so hard to be worthy
Seeking perfection
Imagining smiles I may cause
Or a tearing eye
To trend is to live
To trend is to fly

The stars of Dan and Merritt shine bright
Amidst fine friends and family
How fortunate we are to share these special moments
For this is what life is all about
The love we’re meant to see
These two lovers
Now weren’t they meant to be?

This is a celebration unlike any other
They have volunteered to make the world a better place
May they grow old together
May they have a grand old time
With much mirth and joy
Shooting for sublime
Welcome to our family
As we join with thine

Everything is copy
So Nora’s mother said
Same for poetry
That flows from my head
Random notes I tuck away
To be used later on
To make a point about something
Pro or con
Everything is copy

Life teaches lessons
It’s how we learn
In the quotidian existence
The day to day
What’s important becomes apparent
What we do and say
About the need for love
For friendship
For trust
For meaning
For hope

It’s all copy
What I know and see
I’m evaluating
Sifting
Trying to live a life
Extraordinary

Me and the Babe
First Class all the way
The Missus insists that no one will miss us
We’ve got 14 days
Well, I earned it and I deserve it
That is what I say
One needs to enjoy life
At the level A-OK

Life is an adventure when you’re hangin’ with your hon
Love is the ingredient to ensure its fun
With commitment as the glue, there’s no going wrong
All provide the words and music to this song

I look over at the Babe, she looks back at me
She gives a little kiss, then let’s me know she believes
In our future, and that’s all we need

It’s me and the Babe
First Class all the way
Me and the Babe
What more need I say?

I used to call him “the man without a face”
I surmise he’d been burned
He was tough to look at
I’d see him on the street
Always alone
I wanted to approach
To maybe get to know him
But I was reticent, apprehensive
I suppose because of the brutality of his injury
It’s human nature to look away from sufferers
To not acknowledge that person in a wheelchair
I missed out on this one
I missed making a friend
Of learning
Of compassion
I’ve never stopped thinking of him
I always will

Confident sassy and brave
All of 13, on her way
Chasing a boy she thought she could love
She’s coyly flirting
Civilizing him
As only the fairer *** can do

They’re innocents
Pulled by that mysterious force
It usually starts around this age
Of course, there are missteps
Guffaws along the way

Romance at any age
Exciting, enticing
So inviting
Young emotions
Are volatile, fragile
Compelling
Dangerous
Wholesome
Sometimes puppy love
Turns into real love

Michael Morton is his name
He was wrongfully convicted
For the ****** of his wife
25 years in prison, he did
You don’t want to imagine that life
An innocent man
In a horrible land
Christ, it’s so terrible

DNA rescued Michael
And fine lawyers who believed in his innocence

Turns out the prosecutor, Anderson, was corrupt
For sure
He withheld material evidence that would have eliminated
Our hero — for he is one — as the perpetrator
That’s the real crime

There is more
Anderson was so out of line that it cost him his job as a judge
And he lost his law license
And he went to jail
For ten days
First time in American history a prosecutor went to jail for misconduct

There is more
Michael found the Lord in prison
Which greatly helped him so
On his release he found a church
Invited to speak about his experience
He told those assembled if they wanted to know what prison was like
They had to ask him out for coffee
So Cynthia did
It went well
They talked and talked
There were many dates
They are now married

Michael reconciled with his son, Eric
Who was three when his mother was killed
And thereafter wrongly believed it had been by Michael’s hand

The real murderer was convicted and went to prison

They passed a law in Texas to ensure this travesty would not happen to another
It’s named the Michael Morton Law

They are going to make a movie about these facts

Count your blessings

The foregoing is a true story

I’m on my way to San Antone
Gonna cowboy up
There’s a filly there I need to see
Sure enough, we’ll build a fire
Take in the Alamo
Then we’ll dance at The Wagon Wheel
The best *****-tonk I know
I’ll be on my best behave
The whole weekend through
I met her through Cowboy Date
The internet is cool
This solo buckaroo
Don’t intend to be single for long
This is our fourth rendezvous
I’m not usually wrong
I got a new Stetson hat
Took my spurs off
There’s a spring in my gait
I look like George Strait
In my fresh-pressed cowboy shirt
I even got some cologne on
Now, that’s a first
I could go on and on
I told my Mom she’s the one
I’ll tell my gal tonight
We’ll ride off into the sunset together
Assuming everything goes all right

The smell of eucalyptus
The solid thunder that roars
The beckoning of the sea
Sensory impressions
That bring you back to me
Back to me you come
I can’t turn away
For you’re locked into my heart and soul
A joyous memory
All good thoughts you bring my way
When I hear and smell and see
What we used to share
When it was you and me
Those were the good old days
I’m sure you agree
When you smell eucalyptus
Do you think of me?
Sometimes I get wistful
Longing for those days
Nothing beats young lovers in love
See the sun shine through the haze

It’s summer and not going away
This cool hot Summer
We’re ready to play
Me and the babe
Gonna stay at the beach
Get that tan
Eat a peach
Hang with our neighbors
That’s the plan
Lemonade on ice
Burgers by the bay
Ice cream I predict
Lots of come what may
No plans except having fun
Me and the babe
Consider it done

Is it possible to be too beautiful, she wondered
After the effect she had on men?
Did they love her for who she was
Or her looks which took them aback?

A dilemma real
She was born that way
One with a true heart

Beauty is a flickering candle
An evanescent light
Occasionally a hindrance
But usually it turns out right
Yes, she’s a high paid model
But graduated with honors
Her degree in business
She’s paid fashionably
With covers on Elle and Vogue
Deserved, you’ll agree

She concentrates now on finding her man
To having kids, a must be
Some very fine candidates are pursuing her
She plays wait and see
For one will rise above the rest
She will then commit
To a love so beautiful
Never to quit

Paris in the rain
Our tete a tete
That rendezvous
Just me and you
Our date with fate
A melody to remember
So melancholy
Paris in the rain
Just you and me

Just you and me
I thought we would be
The answer to what is love
Your kiss made me tremble
As we did assemble
Memory upon memory
Smitten by the kitten
How we did glisten
Wearing tears of joy

Now when it rains
To myself I explain
That love is a mystery
Sometimes there’s a solution
Sometimes just confusion
As for you and me
I remember our rain
Our Paris walk
Our Paris talks
And what was not meant to be

No one has ever cared for me quite the way you do
You see that I stay healthy as all the way you coo
How much you love me, that I’m your very best friend
Yes you have really changed my life
For the better, for sure,
Thank you and amen

You softened up my grizzly life
I couldn’t bear loneliness much longer
Unaware that you were just around the corner
In spite of my sorry self you cozied up to me
Next thing we were dancing
The rest is history

It was worth the wait
Holding out for you
For no one has ever cared for me
Quite the way you do

It took so long to arrange that date
He stood her up the first time
As he had to operate
That’s a surgeon’s life
(She’s an MD too)
Sometimes you’re late
Finally, they got together
They watched zombie movies
Along with Indian food
At 3 AM, she turned to him and said
“Aren’t you gonna kiss me?”
Which he did
And now they’re wed

It’s a good morning
Good morning to you
Good morning to life
Good morning to all
A bright day ahead
Soon I’ll surprise
My lover and let her discover
That if we try
We’ll build her a future
A beautiful sigh
For today is the day
I’ll ask for her hand
Today is the day
When she’ll understand
How much I love her
That I always will
Today is the day
Today is a thrill

She’s awakening now
Those big bright eyes
Greet me with a smile
It’s a natural high
Hanging together
Hanging forever
Hanging today
For the rest of our lives

I’ve had a good life without you
But I’m still in a daze
Whenever I see you
And remember those days
When we were together
So amazed at the power of love
How it changed us both for the better
It was a long time ago
I’ve always loved you
I know you know
Every day since
And I’m not kidding about this
I’ve thought about you
I reminisce
That I miss your sweet voice
One so sincere
Our love was real
It won’t disappear
You’re happy, I know
A great family
I am too
The way it should be
It’s been so great to visit
You mean so much to me

She’s my rock and the way I roll
Solid and right
Up for almost anything
We just might
Climb a mountain
Fly that kite
Have a smooch
Ride a bike
See a movie
Visit friends
Just relax
It all depends
On the day
Where our hearts may lead

Lawyers aren’t all bad
Some do a lot of good
Advocates for the public
Fighting for your rights
With justice the crucible
Fraught with difficulty
Conflict is the norm
Determination and cleverness required
I admire these colleagues of mine
Their spirit energizes and inspires me
They make a difference
A big one, in the lives of many
All for our common benefit
God bless them

Falling into love
Then staying there
What a fabulous ride
She’s so smart and cute and wise
And I’m her guy
I surmise we’ve a beautiful road ahead
It’s our twelfth anniversary
Good reason why it’s time to celebrate
Look each other in the eye
Then smile, simply smile
It’s been a good time for the two us
Through thick and thin
She’s got a mind of her own
That’s for sure
And, oh the places we have been
She packs my clothes
Sees that my tie is on straight
If I’m talking nonsense
Asks me not to elaborate
Without her I’d be toast
So here’s a toast to her now
Cindy, you’re the best
Yes you are, and how

The summer wind breezes through the screen door
Cindy relaxes on the chaise lounge
Still my baby, she calls to me to lie next to her
So I roll into her arms
These hot summer days
Under blue open skies
A smattering of warm rain
We cannot disguise our ardor
Our joy at it all
We’re living the dream
There’s no shortfall
Not a care in the world
Just a mighty sigh
Of gratitude, no need to ask why
Pure relaxation
Some contemplation
Mostly just sharing
Without guile or guise
Then comes the kiss
Maybe some more
A snooze is in order
It’s not even four

Too many years
Too many tears
Too many nights she was alone
Waiting and wishing
Hoping and dreaming
He would come ‘round

He felt the same
But he was resolute
Where was the girl for him?
He waited and wished
Hoped and dreamed
She would come ‘round

One night it happened
A stroke of luck
They were at the valet
A casual conversation
An info exchange
Cut to the next day

A tete a tete
Then more than that
A tentative then emboldened embrace
A spark then a fire
Commitment met desire
Cut to today

No more loneliness
Just a bright light
Love heard their call
After too many years
Too many tears
They now have it all

Things weren’t going well
They fought too much
Tony decided to move out
Couldn't take another punch
So he got into the Camaro
Then he headed east
Back to Memphis, where he grew up
To Beale Street
All the while he drove
Racing through his mind
Was the question of what he was doing
Was it all about his pride?
Molly wanted commitment
You can’t blame her for that
No more playing house, she said
“Where are we at?,” she had demanded
Tony had misgivings
She was the best that ever happened to him, he recognized
As his life’s truest fact
Another hundred miles he drove
Finally, he turned back
She was his home
Where he had to be
They would make it together
It was their destiny
She opened the door with surprise
Imagine her two bright eyes
Then came this, he spoke
“Every mile I drove was in the wrong direction.
I now realize what we have is golden
What we have is love
What you want, you now have got.”
Then they both cried

That was many years ago
They now own their home
Donna and Jimmy are their kids
How their love has grown
No more wrong direction
Never since that day
As evidenced by the doormat
Which to all they say,
“Welcome to our happy family.”
Indeed they are
In this true story
It turned out that way

I’m a little person
Not even five
What is going on?
Where’s my Mom?
Why am I in this cage
Like some dog?
Everyone is crying
This is a mistake
I’m being punished
What is my wrong?
Who will help me?
How long must I lie here
With nothing to do?
Who will help me tie my shoes?
And where is my sister?
She’s only three
I’m scared and I’m lonely
Mister, help me
You’re not allowed to pick me up
What’s that about?
Don’t you see
We’re all in this together
In the land of the free
And the home of the brave
Brave, I try to be
After the criminals in Guatemala murdered my father
That’s my family
Somebody help my sister and me
I need my mother
My mother needs me

He was late to his own funeral
The hearse finally arrived
The driver got lost
Thank God Mr. Dead had died
The mourners were reasonably mournful
There was a party afterward
Paid for by the dead man
To give them all one last thrill

The memories were aplenty
Helped by a fine Cabernet
Friends and enemies communed
Yeah, those good old days
“Jeez, we’re all getting older,”
So many of them said
Annoyed at the inevitable
Each would be there some day

If you gotta go
Do it right
Honor the good times
Celebrate the life

Drew was much older than Cecilia
No matter, his love was pure
Cece didn’t view him as a father figure
She knew he was the right one for her
Look, Chaplin had Oona
Then there was Serge and Jane
It could happen, it did happen
It was love by any name

In the desert they would roam
They lived to hike
He was a gourmet
Who cooked for her at night
Over a nice rose, by candlelight
They would nuzzle
As the years turned into decades
They aged without fear

So judge ye not
For they have got
As tight a bond you’ll ever see
Evidenced by what each never takes off
A matching wedding ring

So many, too many
So many gone
Men who fought for victory
But they lost
Their lives
Their loved ones
There’s nothing good about war
We, the people of the world,
**** each other
Repeatedly, regularly
It’s always going on somewhere
Since the beginning of time
Why can’t we all just get along?
I’m afraid we never will

It’s an eight second partnership
The bronc, an angry participant
And me, I’m just trying to keep my legs in the stirrups
My hands on the reins
My wits about me
In one piece
Welcome to my world
It’s a family affair
Me and my sons, Troy and Dusty
Traveling day and night just to fight
For a living, one unforgiving
But exciting as the day is long
And to keep that ranch in Utah going
200 head of cattle and worries about enough rain
Are in our thoughts as we live the literal ups and downs of rodeo
We’re in the saddle for good
For life
Living our destiny
As we should
As we want to
As we have

He went into life an underdog
Orphaned at age 3
From one foster home to another he was shunted
What would he be?
He just wanted to be wanted
The basic need
Nowhere to go, he joined the Navy
There he got structure
Guidance he could trust
An education, even more
He grew up to be person
With a heart made of gold
He went on in life even-keeled
More than that, he found his soul

You see, there’s more to this story
What he achieved after that
Now adopting a swath of foster kids
Giving backpacks to foster kids
No more plastic sacks
He’s going to heaven for sure

So honor him and thank him for his service to life
Maybe take his lesson, it’s kindness, be nice
Be thankful for what you have
Give back to society
And how about this underdog
And his humanity!

I’m the loneliness minister
What a job
Trying to bring joy
Where it has dissolved
It’s a real endeavor
Of which many do make fun
But it’s serious my mission
To help the lonely one
For there are so many
Shut off by themselves
I must make them smile
Into their misery I delve
From creating socials
Where the lonely can meet
To educational suggestions
Of how to beat
The vicissitudes of being down
Of not giving up
As the czar of anti-all-alone
I shall be on top of the populace
While trying not to complain
That my position is nearly impossible
It’s a long, long train

I’d like to have a talk with Time
Tell me its story
Why does it exist?
What’s in it for me?
Does it understand its power?
Does it even care?
Why is it so mysterious?
Why does it not share
What is coming tomorrow
And after that?
Who does it answer to?
Is God concerned that
Too many waste the time they have?
(I can sure relate)
Who uses time the best?
Whom does it appreciate?

I wouldn’t waste the time of Time
Nor run out its clock
I’ve got so many things to do
But  we should stop and have a chat
We would not just be passing time
It would bemore than that
We could unburden ourselves
Take stock of where we’re at
Have a story for all time
About when together we sat

I’d like to thank the universe for bringing her to me
There’s no explanation why I should be so lucky
I’m flabbergasted, delighted, at what turned out to be
So thank you, thank you, thank you serendipity

In her blue bandana she dances in the sun
Points to a rainbow, says to “Come and join the day,”
Then she kisses me, while I just sigh at love’s mystery
This is typical of how we play

On her hand she wears a ring given to her by me
It was meant to cement our love
Never shall it leave
Two hearts entwined we are
From morning coffee ‘til we lay in bed before sleep
Recounting the day

It’s not always perfect
But very nearly so
I get such a big kick out of her
Always have, always will
She’s pretty as a daisy
Daily, a thrill

I thought I was over her
Now this
Of all the gin joints in the world
She walks in
Bringing me back to where we used to be
When
Way back when
We were two
United
Complete
Or so I thought

After she walked out on me
I stopped thinking about her every day
I was free
Or so I thought
Of thinking about what we used to be
I thought I was over her
Until she walked in on me

So, again we connect
As I reflect in retrospect
On the magic she worked so easily
I’m helpless as can be
There she is smiling at me

Such a hot number the CPA thought
It added up in his head
June had a lot of what he needed
So he bought her a drink and gave it a shot

Betty looked criminally good the DA mused
With that demeaner any man would
Do what he could to convince her to go on a date
She was the judge to decide his fate

Dave is the MD from an Ivy League school
Mary is the nurse over whom the residents drool
Watch him spend more time than he usually does
Talking with her just because he’s taking her temperature
He says it’s for a just cause

They are so professional, these men seeking love
They get only such much from the self-esteem that comes
From having a job; they need someone to share all they do
Solitaire is a losing game; it’s like wearing one shoe

This is the give and take of each day
From here to everywhere, for eternity
Men seeking women; making a play
Hoping for romance to come their way

Fundamental, sentimental
That’s you and me
Falling in, being in love
Is the degree with which we’ve graduated
What we have and believe
A unified spirit are we
A force of nature that breathes
With excitement and gratitude
A great story it is
Full of hope and dreams
A by-gosh and by-golly cornucopia
Of amazing memories and scenes
Like the time we kissed on a mountaintop
That week in Paris
Traipsing through Iceland
All starring you and me
We just keep going
Cannot get enough
So very tasty, delectable
Just constant good stuff
More, please

It was the rascal in him that  
So enticed her
Sheila was a tease, almost unnerved
By this interloper who dropped into her life
A casual glance when she got her first look
Suffice it to say, that’s all it took
Oh, he’s a charmer with unruly hair
A taste for adventure
A houseboat he shares
Grows his own veggies
Rides a motorbike
Denies he lives a bohemian life

Sheila is stunning, leggy and lithe
Educated, perfect, so blithe
But unprepared for the pull that she fell
Coming from Tim
She wanted to know him, come high water or hell

Thus began the world’s longest date
Started at noon, then three whole days
During which there was kissing and more
A mutual attraction, a tie score

I can now report these two are ensconced
In an old Victorian some claim haunts young lovers
With a feeling they cannot escape
That when love arrives
You surrender to fate

Stormy weather
I’ll say
More like a complete downfall
With new facts raining down like hail
To the chief, who ignores the call
For explanation
With those all red
There each (mis)step along the way
All those pro bono lawyers
Seeking glory days
A fox-hunt it is with a very crafty fox
Into the woods we go
There is a clearing somewhere ahead

He chased her once
How he did
All around the world
He went for her, half mad
She would be his girl
But it didn’t turn out that way
He lost in the end
Someone else got her heart
Disconsolate
He fell into a sadness
That feeling of dread
For she was gone
But he wanted her back
Was there a light ahead?

He spent a lifetime missing her
Decades, alone in his home
Filled with memories and her spirit
Poor guy, nothin’ goin’
Then one day she reappeared
That was that
Said she’d come to her senses
He was where it’s at

They now live together
His dream a reality
He’s a new man
They’re in love, you see

She’s back in his life
He in hers
Never give up is the lesson
Love always comes first

It wasn’t over
It still isn’t over

True story
Life 101
Mom and Dad are near the end
God bless themselves
For their love of 65 years
Married bliss
For real
Forever
One long passionate kiss
But they are failing
Together they must be
Look, they’re in their nineties
Still, you can grieve
But you have to smile at what happened today
They wanted to be together
So the two hospitals arranged
For them to share a room
Here’s a picture of them holding hands
Together, two lovers
Together at the end
It’s a beautiful ending
Of two lives well led

Please don’t mention her name
I can’t hear it anymore
It used to be my favorite
No more
Not since she done did
What I hoped she never do
Our love went AWOL
It wasn’t me who said we’re through

I shake my head
I did my best
I even learned to bake
Me, a chef?
But our love no longer cooks
It’s on ice

If you see her
Tell her I’m not all right
Tell her she got me good
That’s right
Tell her I miss her
That’s everyday
I’m a tough guy
Just not today

So please don’t mention her name
It just hurts my soul
It takes all I have
To remain in control