Mom’s words cut like a knife, honed razor sharp
Which saddened my new wife
Mom now, after years of strife
Says I married up in life!


© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.

~ when love precipitates, selfishness evaporates ~




© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.

help stop coronavirus - public service senryu

real danger that lurks
moments of forgetfulness—
wash your hands often

real danger that lurks
moments of forgetfulness—
cough into elbow

real danger that lurks
moments of forgetfulness—
stop touching your face

real danger that lurks
moments of forgetfulness—
stay six feet apart

real danger that lurks
moments of forgetfulness—
feel sick then stay home


© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.

The 5 precautions are part of a public service announcement Google is running.  May we all keep ever vigilant in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crazy COVID-19 has us all in a tizzy
Too much information making all of us dizzy
Most who’ve been exposed self-quarantine
Running out of toilet paper making us mean
“Social distancing” is the phrase du jour
Scientists now scrambling to find the cure
Hurry!

(Chorus)
COVID-19 apolitical
Proper testing so critical
Slow response hypocritical
Naysayers hypercritical
Division and strife
Don’t take my life
Give it back!

What started out in China as an epidemic
No respecter of nations totally pandemic
All around the world countries shutting down
Even New York City looks like a ghost town
Is there no end to this viral mess
As our way of life’s forced to evanesce?
Scary!

(Chorus)
COVID-19 apolitical
Proper testing so critical
Slow response hypocritical
Naysayers hypercritical
Division and strife
Don’t take my life
Give it back!


© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.

H e ' s   r e a l l y  
Nowhere, man—
Living life
Sans plans
Stuck on roads
Kicking cans
Buying time

H e ' s   r e a l l y
Nowhere, see—
Used to be
A maitre d'
For a cruise ship
On the sea
Finally escaped

H e ' s   r e a l l y
Nowhere, son—
An enigmatic
Friend of none
Playing hard
Having fun
Dying inside

H e ' s   a   r e a l
Nowhere cat—
Doesn't care
Where he's at
Growing old
Getting fat
Trying to forget


© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.

In your parched desert land
As the pendulum swings
And your friends are all gone
Still you’re moving right along
Like it doesn’t mean a thing

In your parched desert land
Thinking life’s unforgiving
Why not swallow your pride
Take an honest look inside
Join the land of the living

In  your parched desert land
Your manufactured death valley
Kind response was so important
Yet your manner was discordant
Isolation’s blind alley

In your parched desert land
When they take the final tally
You’ll surrender the fight
Find exquisite delight
In your brokered finale


© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.

Jammin' in Jamaica
Driving my DeSoto
Being pursued by
My foe Quasimodo
Lying on the dash is
The missing person photo
When my phone rings
I hear "Hello Moto!"

(Chorus)
I don't have to work
When I'm in my pajamas
Acting like a ****
When I'm in the Bahamas
Really go berserk
When I'm feeding my llamas
We all go to pieces
When we’re talkin' to our mommas

Jammin' in Jamaicaaaa...
Jammin' in Jamaicaaaa...
Jammin' in Jamaicaaaa...
Jammin' in Jamaicaaaa...

Rush hour traffic
So I park my DeSoto
Nowhere in sight
Is my foe Quasimodo
See a man who looks like
The missing person photo
Then his phone rings
Shouting "Hello Moto!"

(Chorus)
I don't have to work
When I'm in my pajamas
Acting like a ****
When I'm in the Bahamas
Really go berserk
When I'm feeding my llamas
We all go to pieces
When we’re talkin' to our mommas

Jammin' in Jamaicaaa...
Jammin' in Jamaicaaa...
Jammin' in Jamaicaaa...
Jammin' in Jamaicaaa...

Jammin' in Jamaica
With the man in the photo
Who's not really missing
Just roving incognito
Suddenly appears
My foe Quasimodo
Truce as we pose
For a group selfie photo

(Chorus)
I don't have to work
When I'm in my pajamas
Acting like a ****
When I'm in the Bahamas
Really go berserk
When I'm feeding my llamas
We all go to pieces
When we’re talkin' to our mommas


(Repeat chorus and fade, with "Jammin' in Jamaicaaa" playing in the background with lines 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the chorus.)

© 2020 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.