The battlefield was here, where these cattle graze
The cavalry and Comanche fought the better part of a day
Guns against arrows, savages against the savagery, they were out-drawn
Braves against the bullets, so helpless their plight
Defending their land and families
Maybe they were right
Now, it’s just a valley
The way it was back then
The day before that massacre of forty honest Indians
This is their memorial
This bright day above
A view that lasts for miles
The many trees and shrubs
And the wild flowers
That grow between the rocks
Their maidens wore them in their braids
Before their loves were lost.

If only you
Could see me today
You’d be impressed
Maybe even say you were wrong
There should have been a way
For us to be together
Just like the good old days

I wish I could call you
But that’s not practical
You’ve got a life with a family
It’s been too many years
But I know you would be proud to see
That I turned out OK
So I sent my best silently
By these words you’ll never hear
You may be far-away
But in my heart you are near

Never say never, not with me
I never give up as you can see
I’ll wait forever if that must be
I must do so, and patiently

I know what I want
So I want you to know
Love lasts forever
There’s no stop and go

With determination
I hope and pray
For your understanding
That someday you’ll stay
In our happy home
Where we share the address
And the whole world knows
Of our happiness and harmony
Where we’re never alone

The red leather banquette gives comfort to the jazz loving private detective Peter Bend as the quartet grooves in the half-filled, restaurant-bar that borders on noir
Nursing his gimlet with a lime twist, he considers the events of the day
He’s been hired by a billionaire, Archie Kuehne, whose wife, Edith,
disappeared a week ago with a complex ransom note seeking mucho bitcoins left in the house
Archie has now become a suspect ergo Peter has a proper retainer
and a client who swears he’s innocent
In cases like this, the husband usually did it
Doesn't seem to be any evidence of suicide
Edith had signed a prenup agreement so money doesn’t figure
Nor are there signs of marital discord
Police are baffled, in a tunnel
Investigative journalists hover everywhere including in this semi-dive
Where to start?
Archie already paid $1 million to the kidnappers to confirm she was alive but that didn’t get him anywhere
Cryptocurrency is not easily traced
“Guess I’ll have to learn about it,” Peter thinks
The retainer feels pretty good in his wallet
Because there’s a job to do, Peter pays his tab and marches
into the twilight
He’s paid to produce miracles, but miracles are hard come-by
He whistles a happy tune, then looks at his rearview mirror
Uh oh, somebody is following him
His gun feels comfortable in the holster under his arm
He wonders what this is about?

She sat next to him
Simple as that
A lovely lass she is
They began to chat
Age appropriate
Common interests
In nothing flat
They began to bond
Which then led to that
Evening dinner
A date thereafter
Each day of the week
Then they moved in together
After a mere few weeks
The they got married
Then they had a kid
They live happily ever after
As you so wish they did
They sit next to each other
Every time they fly
Holding hand as they discover
The very friendly skies

Night in the city awaits
After light from the day
Wandering about
I'm finding my way
Some people are pushy
That’s OK
Adventure awaits
I will react at the right time and place
That’s a natural fact
I'm at ease but alert
I got my own back
When darkness arrives
I head into it
Alone in the masses
Most of us fitting in
I like the action that comes with the night
Elusive my quarry, but my attitude conducive to it all turning out right
With no expectations, I put up no fight
I roll with the waves, take in the sights
It is night in the city
Adventure awaits

Nights of passion, days of wonder
Life is a dream
Love is better than that
There’s no in between
So we have become
A miracle that has come to be
Each day better than before
She’s still with me
Good fortune and a good life
So naturally
I’m in love and I love it
Let’s hear it for love
Let’s hear it for us

It’s in the bag
A matter of fact
Stone cold sober
He realized he was in over his head
A word to the wise
You better fly straight
And never blind
Before you’re cut down to size
Time is money
Money makes the world go round
Life is short
Love is blind
Misery loves company
All is fair in love and war
Except when you’re shooting blanks
When everything is picture perfect
You just give thanks
Which is no cliche
Try to rank at the pinnacle
With a touch of class
It’s now or never
Just a matter of time
Right out of the movies
Yet truth is stranger than fiction
For the camera never lies
But watch for those who’ll drop a dime
Don’t need reason or rhyme
Unless the train has left the station
And you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed
Instead of a fish in water
Then it’s a pirate’s life for me
You can’t make this stuff up
Or you’re barking up the wrong tree

We turned off our dating apps at the same time
We both knew
We were in this together
Going forward
It took one dinner
Followed by drinks
Then a kiss
Here we are today
Oh yeah, it all worked out
Enough to say
Wishes come true
And dating apps work
Here we are today
Exhibit A

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
Neither am I
Bewildered I am at how it turned out this way
Dreams and reality have to coexist
So they say
Unfortunately
That's the truth today

You see me and Casey had a good thing going
We were more than compatible
This was a love incomparable
We held hands, kissed on the street
We were happy, it was neat

This is the part where I get hurt
One day it was over, all in a blur
Something about us not being right
She moved out of the house and into the night

I'm not big on introspection
Now, I've no choice
I'm at the intersection
Of dreams and reality
With love somewhere in the middle
In search of a compass
Pointing to where I need to be

I recently directed my first romcom
Starred new talent who met on the set
There was a spark between them
The grips and gaffers could see
They didn't need much direction
When it came to the love scenes
They wanted more retakes
They insisted on rehearsing outside of my presence
They told me it was method acting
Then they stopped acting altogether
It became the truth
The show was a hit
Oh well, I’m onto the next production
They got married and had a kid

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

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 went on and on
Oh so many years
We were best friends through thick and thin
With romance in arrears
When I was ready
She of course was not
Then I married someone else
She also tied the knot
I was even there for that one
It hurt a lot
I believe you call it sadness

Love sometimes feints the heart
Sometimes you gotta wait
You do the best you can
Try not to make a mistake
But I did and so did she
So we became two not so gay “divorce-eas”
Still talking to each other
Still with a lot to say
Like how about a date?
One turned into two
And then another
Until I could no longer wait
Came the day on blended knee
I asked her to be my mate
"Oh my God, it's been you along,"
That's what she said to me
Followed by, "I have always loved you,"
Which I took as yes to my deeply felt query
We are now married
Since March 25, to be exact
Our romance is permanently intact

I want an old-fashioned love
Starting with you and me
Starring each other
Giving freely
Strong as a rock
Gentle and deep
Each for the other
Ever to be
An old-fashioned love
We are destined to be
It’s all about you
It includes me
So tell me you’re ready
For the ride of your life
The ultimate journey
A man and his wife
An old-fashioned love
Yes, we can be
Cozy and comfy
In pure harmony
An old-fashioned love
So we shall be
Living and loving in pure harmony

Historical events, I’m reminded everyday
I see it in the news
The news of yesterday
I’m brought back to the times
What I was doing and knew then
It’s always about romance
Did I have a special friend?

Yes I did, I remember as I review the news of yesterday
I wanted to marry her
I made the play
Only to find I was yesterday’s news
She’d gone away
Had a new lover which I didn’t discover
Our ship had sailed

The news from then brings back sad memories
Not only for the world, but especially for me
A broken heart in a broken times
The former is me
I still smart when I recall what happened then
I’ve moved on but never all the way
Some of the hurt never ends
It doesn’t go away

Historical events, I’m reminded everyday
I see it in the news
The news of yesterday
I’m brought back to the times
What I was doing and knew then
It’s always about romance
Did I have a special friend?

Yes I did, I remember as I review the news of yesterday
I wanted to marry her
I made the play
Only to find I was yesterday’s news
She’d gone away
Had a new lover which I didn’t discover
Our ship had sailed

The news from then brings back sad memories
Not only for the world, but especially for me
A broken heart in broken times
The former is me
I still smart when I recall what happened then
I’ve moved on but never all the way
Some of the hurt never ends
It doesn’t go away

How will I be remembered?  
The iconic me?
Me in my twenties?
Me in my forties?
Or some kind of average me?
As if I all the people I’ve been were thrown into a blender?
Kindness, did I show it?
Respect, did I give it?
Integrity, did I have it?
Friendship, did I honor it?
How will I be remembered?
My life, what did it show?

One night and then a week
That’s all it was
One night, the night they met
What a night it was
Wondrous, enticing
Juan fell fast and hard
There followed letters
For this incipient love
Then came a week, that week
That week of love
The time spent together
Still resonates today
For everything they did
Was perfect in all ways
Young lovers for each other
The same values they had
The future was almost theirs
It’s so sad
For reasons I need not go into
They were kept apart
Each now nurses a very broken heart
But at least they had that week
It lives on today
In their hearts and their memories
The week, that week
They will never replay

Another day, another year
And the road stretches out ahead
Side by side, strong together
Invincible our love, full-speed, good stead
Through life’s hills and valleys
Looking back only to reminisce
For there’s still so much for us to do
So many places to see in this life so rich

If there’s a moral  to our story
I suppose one might say
If you hold out for the right one
He or she will come your way
And so it was, so it is
Bringing us to today
Our anniversary
We’re on our way!

It feels so great when I’m on stage
Waving my arms, smiling, laughing
The audience goes crazy and I do too,
But then I leave the crowd and she’s still gone
Romantic love has its ups and downs
Why can’t I give her up?
I’m still in love with her
But she not with me
Everyone loves me
Performing is bliss, such a high
Singing songs of romantic love
How I warm their hearts
But it’s a disguise
For then it’s over, just like us
The joy departs
Tenderness, sweet kisses
All that is amorous
Is what I’m all about
But in real life, it’s a miss
I’m the poet of hope
All that’s good about love
But happy? Nope
Meet this sad lonely artist offstage
Walking a tightrope

I was born the day I met you
And I died the day you left
It was perfect in between
We were on a quest
Chasing rainbows
We found the gold
Walks on sandy beaches
We never got cold
Rainbows are ephemeral
They only last so long
I’ve never figured out
Why it is we went wrong
Dreams can become reality
That happened to us
Then it all evaporated
There’s nothing left to see
Sometimes I dream of the past
The way we used to be
When I see a sunset
I think of you and me

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

He stood in front of the apartment
Staring at her floor above
He wanted to see her so badly
So much was he in love
Tantalized, he fantasized
What their life would be
It was as close as he would ever get
In the land of make-believe

That was many years ago
Yes, he has moved on
But some days he still passes by that place
As early as dawn
And he remembers, and softly says to himself
“How happy were those days,
When we took the chance on our brave romance,”
Then he sighs and goes on his way

Lost love, sad love
Better than none at all
He still loves her so very much
He gave his all

He will always feel this way
One of these days he hopes to see her again
Still his one which makes him so lonely
God bless her, Amen.

On the train Trevor couldn’t help but notice
Miriam’s eyes, the perfect shade of green
He didn’t have much time to make his move
So he wrote on his card
That she was the prettiest he’d ever seen
After she got off, she looked him up
He was a happening guy
So she emailed him that he wasn’t the first
To give her a card on the train
But he was the one who made her smile the most
So she explained
They dated of course then came the day
They had to take the train
In the car, as they moved along, an a cappella group began to to sing
“I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” the refrain
Trevor then dropped to one knee
Now she carries his name

It was a battle we both lost
All that back and forth
Up and down
And everywhere
And down to earth
We fell in love
It feels so good
It never hurts
Oh, we tried to fight it off
Our breakups never took
For we are meant for each other
We just cook

It’s not about me anymore but the pact we made
We’re in this together
I’m not gonna lose her
No way
I’ve got my faults
But I get better every day
She knows I do
Sometimes we pray
That it will all work out
Sometimes we say
Nothing can come between us
Not tomorrow nor today
It’s all about us
And the pact we made

We share sweet memories of the good times
When we were young
And free
Full of brio and confidence
Daring and delighted to be alive
Memories of love and laughter
Of our belief in each other
Of being close and trusting and hopeful
But we broke up leaving these memories
Such treasures that bring warmth and joy
They are ours alone to share forever

I don’t like to hear our song
I turn it off
Since we’re not together
It’s not our song anymore
It’s somebody else’s song
It’s there to make another couple happy
I used to love that tune
It reminds me of a special time
Now, long ago
Funny, how a happy song
Can later be so sad
I used to know the words by heart
Now I just feel bad
It will always be a great song
Just not for this lad

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

Paris in the rain
Paris sous la pluie
I prefer it that way
It drowns my sorrow
That lingers from yesterday
When the sun shined
When nothing was in our way
I sit in solace
With this tasty cappuccino and crème brûlée
But sugar is no sweet substitute
No way
For those delicious memories
Which shall never go away

Mais je suis si triste
I am so sad
L'amour est parti
Love has gone away
Ne laissant que moi
Leaving me alone
C’est seulement moi
It’s only me
Avec une richesse d’antan
With a wealth of yesterdays
Paris in the rain
Paris sous la pluie
Beauty despite the gloom
Le beaute malgre la tristesse
What shall I do?
Que dois-je faire?
Je ne sais plus
I don't know

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

She’s my partner in life
My partner in love
My dear loving wife
Sent from above
It’s the seventeenth year
Our anniversary
Good gosh almighty
She’s sticking with me

So I tell her she’s stellar
How I’ve come to be
Enthralled by her magic
Her mystery
The arc of our lives
Her mastery
Of the loving arts
So soft is her touch
As she rules this lair

My partner, my lover
My best friend is she
We’re on the right course
The way it should be

You left me with all these memories
The way you stir your coffee
That eyebrow you would raise
Your quiet confidence
Your understated
Elegant style
Your knowing ways
You had me at hello
And now at goodbye
Always and still you amaze

I'm a better man for loving you
A sadder man for losing you
I'm not going through a phase
Just reminiscing, maybe convincing myself
That I'm gonna be OK

Dreams come in two varieties
Those of tomorrow or the other
For me, for us, there is only the past
Why I dream only of yesterday
I have no choice
It just turned out that way

I can almost touch you at times
But when I try, you turn away

Patches on his elbows
He lumbered along
He no longer smoked his pipe
He still wore tweed
He'd often sit on the bench where he courted Mary back in the day
When they were young and so in love
With merriment they played

She died too young, kids still in their teens
He remained a professor of the classics
A student of dreams
Much like the one he once lived and knew
That life was not fair he knew to be true

A miracle happened, the skies opened up
When he needed it most, she showed up
A graduate student he once mentored
Now an assistant professor,
He was on her mind
She knew not to come on to him during graduate time
When she was his student, that was fine
She would wait, as she did
For she loved him and his mind
And now it was right, now is the time

First was coffee, then a dinner date
For the first time they kissed
They could not wait
Now they're holding hands
Both making the same wish
That this will work out
It's all so new
It's sure looking good
Stay tuned.

There will never be another you
Nor another us
What we have is so perfect
Excellent A-plus
Perfect company
At a ball or on the town
Or hanging in the desert
With no one else around
There will never be another love
Like the one that’s ours
Nothing could takes its place
How it has flowered
Each day is nirvana
Just to see your face
To surely, simply love you
Always been the case

The perfect stranger she thinks
With just one good look at him
He finds her tantalizing
A match it is with a spark
With a fire that starts
Instantaneously
Effortlessly
Excitingly

He buys her a drink
That gets her talking
Gives him time to think
She’s about as perfect as perfect gets
She’s already entranced
There is heaven in his scent
It’s mutual attraction that lasts into the night
They can’t stop talking to each other
It’s seems so very right

One thing leads to another
They share a perfect kiss
Love has got got them covered
This is really it
At this moment they are planning
How their lives will intertwine
Togetherness it will be
Until the end of time

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

Her face is like a poem
Her heart a willow tree
Bending softly in the moonglow
Beating always for me
She’s the bell in my distance
The hearth at home
With me everywhere
Even when I’m alone
In the desert she is water
She’s the forest and the trees
Everything she is to me
Everything

Know that I love you
Know that I care
Know that ours is a love to share
Forever I am yours
Here and now
And everywhere

Strong and lovely
So lively and pretty you are
For I loved you then
As I love you now
My precious star

I’m pre-old
Yep, not ready to say
I’m elderly
No way
Consider my energy and gumption
Hey! You want enthusiasm?
All you have to do is say
Something along those lines
Just don’t call me old
I’m not, no way

Pret l’amour
Love to go
Available and free
Let me know
Come and see
No history
To make you go slow
I’m here all the time
Ready to be
Totally open
No man of mystery
Pret l’amour
I’m ready to love
"

I’m here for you and you’re here for me
Looking pretty good
You and me
Me and you
Sounds good to me
Constantly
Inevitably
What has to be
I’m here for you
You’re here for me
Looking pretty good
Pretty good to me

The prisoner of love
Marches in the rain
Melody is so far away
Insane is his pain
He’s been abandoned
Separated by fate
If they could only reunite
Wouldn’t that be great?

But it’s not gonna happen
No how, no way
His train left the station
The boat sailed away
Tim is down in the dumps
As blue fades to gray

This is how it must go
She for sure is gone
But their love still burns
It heats up their nights
Despite the twists and turns
They will dote on sweet memories
Yes, and longing desire
An invisible flame forever bright
For a love that has taken flight

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

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

Congratulations, I see you’re doing well
Me? I’m hanging in there notwithstanding what befell me
The end of us and your going away
I’m trying to buck up, doing so in my own way
I’m not over you yet, that’s for another day
This is my happy face, and by the way
I still have some things of yours
I don’t need the lingerie
How should I return it?
It just gets in the way of my memories
The dragon I must slay
It’s not easy not remembering the things we did
Yes, it’s a beautiful afternoon
It’s funny running into you
Don’t assume I planned this
“Life is so random,” we used to say
Like two lovers who once were in love
Then each went their own way

I’ve waited so long for this day
Got to hurry, load the sleigh
Tonight we shall ride
Mrs. Claus by my side
Up to the sky, with hot cocoa to assist
So many children asleep in their beds
Waiting for morning to be surprised
With all sorts of goodies
I’ve spent the year working inside
Santa’s Workshop
See the elves wave goodbye
The reindeer are itching now to fly
So away we go, oh what a sight
Christmas is here
To all a good night

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

Those were real tears
Those I cried for you
I went all the way to see you
Then you told me we were through
I had never wept like this
Not before or since
This prince became a pauper
He has been ever since

When you give your heart to someone
When your hopes are on high
When you give everything you’ve got
When you don’t wonder why
For you know in your heart
Truly, she’s the one
Only to find out it’s over
Over with and done
It’s a mountain of heartache
With so much more to come

That’s when the real tears descend
They burn through your soul
Sleeplessness is de regueur
You lose control
Overcome by sorrow
No longer whole
Just feeling empty
About what could have been
Never will it be
For the future is foreclosed
Deliver that woe to me