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13
Neville Johnson Aug 2018
13
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
Neville Johnson May 2022
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
Neville Johnson Dec 2019
I’m a better man for being with you
Doing my best today
Sorry about my failings
I just want to say
I need you
To love me
Forgive me
Lift me up
Help me pray
That I make this life worthwhile
Neville Johnson Jul 2020
I know you’re dancing alone in your underwear
Me too
Not gonna show it
Turning off Zoom
Yep, hunkered down
In my aerie hideaway
Making calls to my friends
How are you doing today?
Glad to be here
Can you believe these days?
So we dance
We sing
We contemplate
Taking an enforced break
But not from life
Nor reality
We dance alone
In our underwear
Quarantined but still free
Neville Johnson Jun 2020
An affair of the heart
I live for it
My lover loves me
Never to quit

So dear to me
So deep the trust
A perfect fit
Yes we must
Stay together
As we travel
Our merry way
This is what I dreamed of
She has come to stay
Neville Johnson Dec 2016
She loves me
She tells me every day
With everything she does
With every kiss I taste
She loves me
Especially when I give her love me nots
She's got attitude
It never stops

Affection in my direction
The perfect remedy
For all that ever ails me
Descending down to the tarmac
To reality
The good, the bad and the ugly
Having been away was good
I think
Isn’t it always wise to travel?
To see dear friends?
Meet new people?
This old soul needs to keep going
Grabbing the next rung
As the clamor and pressures of life
Rise up to greet me
Fortunately it’s a three day weekend
Look, I’m still showing up
Isn’t that worth something?
Neville Johnson Jun 2021
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
Neville Johnson May 2019
Daddy’s typing
He usually is
On deadline, he always says
That’s his biz
Covering politics
See him fume
Sometimes we talk about it at dinner
What’s the world coming to?
Fake news?
Daddy’s typing
Click, click, click
On deadline

But he is always there for me
Advice and consolation
Little league
Good conversation

He does investigations
Of big problems in our nation
He discovers
He uncovers
Then he relates
To the public
In the paper
It often excites

So we love him
Yes we love him
Daddy types away
Click, click, click
Daddy’s typing
Daddy saving the day!
Neville Johnson Oct 2019
All for you baby
You’re always number one
I’ve had other lovers
But they’re over with and gone
It’s just you and me from now on
The way it shall be
It’s you I love
It’s you and me

Can we make it together?
You asked, as we lay side to side
I nodded yes, I knew inside
We are true lovers
We are meant to be

It’s knowing and believing
Faith and hope combined
Perfect clarity
Two lives defined
The future so bright
Our souls entwined

So good it felt
So good it still feels
We found our truth
It’s you me
Neville Johnson Jan 2023
Love is real
Love is all
Effortless cool
She’s got it all
All for me
All for us
All in all
Neville Johnson Mar 2020
All that’s left are memories
Of the one who shares them with me
Memories, sweet memories
But not enough to be
Satisfying
After all I’m still alone
We’re still apart
It’s going to stay that way
In the lonely zone
It hurts in my heart
Of course it must
For the dreams don’t go away
But at least I’ve got these memories
Of our great yesterday
Neville Johnson Sep 2022
This story wanted to be a poem
But it didn’t make it all the way
It’s content to be just that
Who’s to say it can’t stand on its own?
Neville Johnson Nov 2016
Lovers just want to be alone  
With good reason they say
They need time to kiss and talk
And while the time away
Lovers are lucky
We all want the same
To feel that fine
Living for the other
Cruising through time
Just being with each other
Away from the daily fray
Alone together
Lovers day by day
Neville Johnson Jun 2019
From the first time we met
To today and forevermore
You’ve been and will be in my heart
That’s for sure

It’s your kind and gentle spirit
The insouciance
Those knowing eyes
That tantalize
Make me realize
That I always have
That I always will
Love you
Yes I always have
I always will
Love you

Today is like every other
We’re secure and OK
We’ve got each other
Always all the way
And I know you and I
Are meant for each other
That’s why
I always have
I always will
Love you
Yes I always have
I always will
Love you

It’s the way that you comfort me when I’m down
It’s knowing you’re there for me
That you’re always around
It’s the past, present, future
Always to be
It’s us together
You and me

I know you and I
Are meant for each other
That’s why
I always have
I always will
Love you
Yes I always have
I always will
Love you
A million thank yous
And so many more
We’ve come a long way
There’s no end in store
It’s just the two of us
Always and everywhere
One long adventure
Our future secure
This love is comfy, cozy
As strong as it is true
My life came together
The day that I met you
Neville Johnson Jun 2020
Amourfou
It’s a crazy love
Crazy in love are you and me
Amazing, with grace
So go we
Building a future
On our great past
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
I am on my way home to celebrate
Ten years of pure happiness
I can hardly wait to see the one who loves me so
We really relate
She makes my life worth living
Let me bring you up to date
We met some years ago
Happenstance
Combined with serendipity
Led to romance
Such comfortable ease
The years have spun by
We're having so good a time
Next thing you know another year is gone
Isn't it divine?
It's down to you and me
Middle-aged kids living a dream
Another anniversary is here
We are in love
Everything is fine.
Neville Johnson Jul 2018
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
Neville Johnson Sep 2016
Rachel and Adrian met at a barbecue
Kate and Jake at summer camp
Marlin and Samuel have been together since second grade
All of this unplanned
True love arrives and once there
Turns into forever

Garrick went to the home of a childhood friend
Meghan was there
Seven years later they married
Amy and Wayne met through mutual friends
You just never know where and when it will happen
Somehow it always does

Then there's Emma and Benjamin,
She went on 116 dates, almost a lost cause she thought
It was only his third date off the internet, but they took
These are announcements in the newspaper on this very day
How the married couples met
To the world they are now united
This is about the get
They went all the way

Meet Nora and Samuel, who both worked at a sandwich shop
They took off in a car to see the states, platonic at the start
A first kiss led to many more, now they are of one heart
It was a dinner party for Kelly and David
Nathalie and Max met at Georgetown U
So the only question remaining
Is when it will happen to you?
Love romance relationships marriage weddings
Neville Johnson May 2022
The difference she’s made
Loved this sad sack of a man
Into a winning dude
Grumpiness left
What a success
Life finally arrived
We hooked up together
It’s so much better
We do it in style
Yes, the difference she’s made
Now I behave
Doing so willingly
She showed up
Once she did
Finally I arrived
I went there to be alone
I went there to cry
Cry I did until I could cry no more
She is the reason why

When a romance is over
When there’s no getting over
Only sadness survives
Oh, I was alone, all right
From then on, and most every night
It wouldn’t be the first time I cried

The tears are gone
Somehow I carry on
It’s been a long goodbye
I still miss her so
But when she said no
Then began what is now
A silent cry

Goodbye can be so sad
Neville Johnson Jul 2021
Some things you want to remember
Some things you can’t forget
Some days are filled with joy
Some days are full of regret

Some days are meant for love
Some days that love is gone
Some feelings last forever
Somehow you just carry on

Everyone’s got a someone
Their good old used to be
Someone who still lingers in a heart
But will never be
That one and only
Yet is a lifetime love
Here’s to those special loves
Some have more than one
Neville Johnson Nov 2019
He went to all my Little League game
“Attaboy,” he’d shout
My biggest fan
Went on Boy Scout campouts
Played touch football and catch
With that big smile of his
He always made us laugh
Daddy was great fun
The leader of our clan
A great guy was he
The perfect man
So Daddy up in heaven
I hope you’re proud of me today
I owe my accomplishments to you
“Attaboy” you’d say
Neville Johnson Aug 2021
If life is love
And love is life
What am I doing wrong?
I try so hard, try my best
I sing a happy song
But it’s to myself
My one and lonely
The man who has a heart
That needs someone he can care for
Where does he start?

I guess it’s just a matter of time
Optimism, I say
Here she comes
I just haven’t met her yet
I know I will someday

So I hope and pray
Try to meet her as best I can
From church to meet and greet events
I understand
That could be her at the end of the bar
I’ve got that sense
I just might be her man
Neville Johnson Sep 2020
Autumn brings falling leaves
The need for a fireplace
For hugs and coziness
Regular embrace
Hot chocolate is necessary
Good books and scarves
Plenty in the refridge
Lest you starve
A great companion
With whom to share the nights
Brings it all together
So everything is right
Neville Johnson Apr 2023
I’m in love with the teller, but how do I tell her?
I try to deposit my interest
Obtain some currency
But I always withdraw
I come up short
This deficiency will not last
On account of my ardor
Wait and see
Neville Johnson Aug 2017
Bar talk and Bartok in the air set the scene
Astronaut haircut made his move into the next red leather banquette
Missy Jean sat demurely as Mr. On-the-make explained
He was very new in town, just off the plane
He'd been a pilot, assigned to Afghanistan
Now here he was in NYC, trying to fit in
He would appreciate some conversation after all he'd seen
It was good to be back in the States, he said
Some of his compadres, they ended up dead
But that was being morose, so he toasted to life
To making the most of it anywhere, including this bar near Washington Square
He was glad to be there, in the moment, alive
He was was clearly sincere, sans any jive
Clean-cut, neatly dressed, Missy J sighed
For here was a man with a story to tell
And she had the time and interest in what he had to sell
Which was friendship, which could lead to more
Life and love are so random, what was in store?
She was was from Virginia, not long out of school
Working in fashion, in a job that was cool
In search of a future, a new and good day
An auspicious start, it was time to play
Neville Johnson Aug 2019
Feisty as a hurricane is she
Kind and fair and soft
Who changed me for the better
Improving me by far
I want to please her
Every day in every way
And she loves me
What more need I say?

It’s everything about her
Her touch, her lips, her smell
Her class, her energy
We get on so well
She believes in me
As I believe in her
Neville Johnson Jan 2018
It all came together at Telegraph and Bancroft
Swami used to hold forth there
Doing his rant
One vendor sold freshly squozen OJ
Though he had a law degree
That’s the way it was in 1970

The entrance is still the same to UCB
New arrivals come each day
Where they will work and learn and play
And maybe fall in love, as I once did
Now long ago and far away

I made friends, I grew up, I miss those days
Filled with wonder and amazement
That set my life ablaze
Neville Johnson Sep 2016
It's one after another
Big business on parade
Groveling before Congress about all the loot they made
Millions upon millions on the backs of you and me
Hurting all of us, not just metaphorically

Then there is Congress, passing laws for the rich
And the mighty corporations, how I wish
We had in real life, Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith

At least Elizabeth Warren is out there kicking ***
And thank God, we've still got a free press
Exposing the dishonesty, e.g. arbitration is very bad
And old Bernie sure raised a ruckus, it's not over yet

Still, I have hope, I love the USA
So full of character and characters
What did that candidate say?
Vote your conscience (and your intellect) come Election Day
We the people will finally get to play
Oh yeah, and for real, God bless each of you today.
Neville Johnson Aug 2019
I hear you, though I cannot see
Been blind since I was 13
Degenerative affliction got me
Nothing I can do, got this white cane
I’m listening to you
Including when you don’t notice
Like at the table to your right
I’ve been assigned to gather info
During times when you’re not uptight
Like at dinner at this fancy restaurant
Who would think I work for the Company
And do so at this haunt?

I know your voice well, I’ve heard it many times before
When you’ve been at embassy parties
I was near the door, my back to you
I heard all you had to say about those troop deployments
The retaliation then in play which I duly reported
And we dealt with that affair with one of ours
Stealth is my business, why I dare to be here tonight
With my good friend and confidant who watches out for me
Gives me cover on our jaunts

I hear everything, that’s what I’m trained to do
I’ve learned how to concentrate on everything that’s said
I can even feel it when you nod your head
And I’ve got this job, which truly I love
Good pay involving state secrets
Soon it will be time to leave
Then I’ll phone to my boss
Tell him what you believe
From my collection of secret agent poems, soon to be published.
Neville Johnson Mar 2022
Somewhere between bitter and sweet
Where the moon greets the sun
In the thicket of the tall grass maze
Such is love when finding its way
Unsure how it will end
Losing yourself into someone else
You bend and bond
And graze on the touches, the kisses, the asides
When it works, oh boy,
Will it be golden moments?
Or golden memories?
So delicate is love
And the chase that leads to it
Braiding the bond
Braiding the bond of love
No more pain and sorrow
That’s it for me
I’ll just look for happiness
From the desert to the sea
I won’t be looking back
I know the cure
Each day is a new day
I will be sure
To look upon the bright side
There’s so much going on
Who knows what awaits me?
I’m gonna bang that gong
I’m happy to be anywhere
I’m happy to be alive
My inner sense is telling me
I’m surely going to thrive
Neville Johnson Jun 2021
Nobody wants a broken heart
Especially me
Broken hearts are for losers
Who wanted to be
In the thrall of it all
Vulnerable
Having a ball
Chasing love
Embracing love
And then it ends
What was infatuation
Became elation
Turns into desperation
Why must that be?
What am I to do
With this emptiness?
What’s to become of me?
Neville Johnson Sep 2023
Bronco is adrift in the city
But walks a straight line
Some slicker said he liked his costume
Bronco doesn’t mind
He got it that no one wears spurs in Durango
That’s just fine
He’s moving along with the times

He’s in town to find a wife
They met on the Internet
Emily teaches the second grade
Hasn’t met her dude yet
She grew up on a farm
Where there isn’t much shade
Attractive she is, prim and petite
They are each out to find that someone to meet

Arriving is Bronco with no swagger there
He takes his hat off, brushes his hair
Rings the doorbell, he could swear
He’s never seen anyone prettier before
She invites him in, he sits in the easy chair
The dinner she’s made is succulent and sweet
Magic is in the air, “Ain’t life a treat,”
Bronco says to himself and almost clicks his heels
He’ll be back next week, will soon seal the deal
Neville Johnson Apr 2022
We watch in horror at the inhumanity
Death and destruction, so many pleas for
Help that doesn’t come
Please!
What’s it gonna take to stop this from going on?
The world sits on its hands
We must not let the Ukraine fall
Prayers and guns for sure are helpful
But that’s not all
Let’s go NATO, stand tall!
Bosnia, Rwanda, Syria, just to name a few
Are reminders of what happens
When the world ignores the call
Humanity is being challenged
Build this needed wall
Neville Johnson Feb 2019
Male fraud
That’s what she called him
After that good start, she thought
Lean and handsome
Hair down to his jaw
Coulda been a model, she reckoned
That he split the check on the first date
Shoulda been a sign
Then the kiss that didn’t come
She was blind
To the narcissist he is
23 dates in three years
Still, she soldiers on
Bumbling through life
She thinks she’s gone through every bachelor
This city has to offer
There’s got to be more
Dating’s a long, arduous chore
The next candidate has a nice pedigree
Ivy League, cool job in the Industry
A production exec who green-lights rom coms
He seemed nice on the phone
The date is on
I’ll report back
Tomorrow at dawn
Neville Johnson Jan 2021
Finally, some respite
Finally, indeed
I need a break
Neville, take heed
You can only work so hard for so long
Time for a break
Get away from the slog

The manifesto is fun
A galloping fury of joy and laughter
Maybe a little rapture
We’ll get carried away
In a derby of pleasure and leisure
C’mon let’s play

Remember the days when we first met?
I’m bringing them back again
You and me lolling about
Cares thrown to the wind
Neville Johnson Aug 2019
This is certified for publication
Let the whole world know
Shout if from the mountaintops
Let the football horn blow
Put it on billboards
Say it on the evening news
Everybody has got to know
About me and you
Neville Johnson Sep 2017
The stun-gun you are arrested me at dawn
I stopped in my tracks at your radiant liveliness
Inviting me to play
Isn't it great when an unexpected chance encounter
Hitchhikes into your life?
A dream you didn't know you had comes true
We were both at the beach that overcast morn
Strangers gazing at the sea
Watching the white birds walk on the wet sand
You with that smile, playful and inviting
And that white sweater stolen from Marilyn Monroe's memory
I had no choice in this unplanned meet
Sometimes you just know
It was coffee and tea and welcome sympathy
As we were getting to know that maybe
Really maybe ... this could wind up a long show
Here we are now, back where we met
So many years have passed by
Still a good fit, we stop to sit
Share a kiss of fire
Remembering when, remembering how
A chance encounter led to a vow.
Neville Johnson Apr 2021
I can be better
I know I can
Choo, choo, choo
So I am
Trying and trying
One day at a time
I’ve got to be good
If all will be fine
We fight ourselves
Every day
We struggle
We succeed
If we’re doing our best
Bad thoughts and deeds
Don’t get in the way
No, go away!
I am getting better
As I choo choo all day
Neville Johnson Nov 2022
The aroma of cinnamon and clove wafted from her cup
That and the smell of perfume let me know I was in the right place
This was the room where it all began
I’d seen her come in before which is why I was there
I intended to run into her
I tried not to stare
For she is a beauty beyond compare
And I am a connoisseur
Neville Johnson Oct 2023
This is a city with secrets
Surely it knows I'm in love
With one if it's residents
Who is playing hard to get
I can't get enough of her
I want her yes I do
It's just a matter of time
And time can be so cruel

I wander its cobblestones
Thinking what to do
Step by step I plan my moves
I try to play it cool
But this city knows I'm in love
And that I'm no fool
For she's the one
The only one
As I wander through
Its nooks and crannies
Under a jaunty sky of blue

I know I'd be good for her
She's perfection to me
We could live so happily
In this city of secrets
I have got to win her
I know she'll understand
She is my future
I am her man
Neville Johnson Oct 2021
This is a city with secrets
Surely it knows I'm in love
With one if it's residents
Who is playing hard to get
I can't get enough of her
I want her yes I do
It's just a matter of time
And time can be so cruel

I wander its cobblestones
Thinking what to do
Step by step I plan my moves
I try to play it cool
But this city knows I'm in love
And that I'm no fool
For she's the one
The only one
As I wander through
Its nooks and crannies
Under a jaunty sky of blue

I know I'd be good for her
She's perfection to me
We could live so happily
In this city of secrets
I have got to win her
I know she'll understand
She is my future
I am her man
Neville Johnson Apr 2020
It was chilly, the skies overcast
In our overcoats, scarves that matched
Our hands clasped, our faces bright and cheery
In love we were, in love clearly

We were one for the other
One for each other
Life wonderful, so free
As good as it gets
Giving the sense
Life is a dream

How I remember that December
The vows that we made
The fun we had just walking along
Protecting the other from the rain

Yes, those were the days
Those were the days
Those were the days for good
In my heart they still live
In my heart they stay strong
In my heart our love goes on
Neville Johnson Feb 2022
I caught your stare
Come hither it said
So hither I went to your side
And said hello with my trademark smile
Thus began an adventure so wild
First there were jokes
You liked my cracks
I liked your style
Classy and hip
All the while
We teased each other
It was becoming worthwhile
One thing then led
To another and then
We became lovers
More than good friends
Many kisses later
And a couple of kids
I still go for your stare
Come hither it says
Neville Johnson Oct 2021
I’m coming her way
But that’s about all
She, I won’t see
We’ve moved on
No regrets has she
Not the same for me
I wish we’d never met
That there was no history

I should have seen the signs
Besotted ‘ol me
She was smart and pretty
I wanted her
Lord I tried
She led me on
Then it was goodbye

So here I am
Years after
Ruminating about
This romantic disaster
Wondering if she thinks of me
Not that it matters
Her I won’t see
Just visiting her town
With my wife on my arm
As I try to forget
The heart she did harm

Lost love and might have been
Twins united in sorrow
The long yesterday
Facing tomorrow
There is no salve
Only time will wash it away
That’s what you hope
But some pain ever stays

So here we are
With our memories
She told me goodbye
I went weak in the knees
Now I’m in her city
Our love remains gone
Captured in time
As we carry on
Neville Johnson Oct 2023
I can’t forgive or forget
Oh, the big word is regret
And who is to blame?
Me, the master of deception
Or you, who brought the rain?
Sadness, regret, blame, time
They were all involved
And here I am
Shaking my fist at the past
How do I explain?
What could’ve been?
Will never, never will be
Yes, blame can be assigned
Maybe it’s starts with me

Yet, here I am
The other one gone
It’s ancient history
I need to move on
I have to
I will
Good ole complicated me
Neville Johnson Feb 2019
The house of Mimi is welcoming
She makes him feel at home
A warm fire, empathy
Cinnamon tea and scones
He’s not alone on Valentines Day
At least he’s got her
Both in the same situation
Each nursing the hurt
That comes from a romance gone south
From a dream that turned into a lie
Two broken hearts on the mend
Seeking shelter in a darkening sky
Love when it works is a fairy tale
Satisfying, a high
But it can be a gang of sadness
When it goes awry
So they commiserate
Laugh at their misfortune
Maybe hug and cry
The hue in the room is not always gloom
Sometimes it glows with a gentle light
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