As silence is magnified
So sound taken for granted-
undergoes instant amplification
Every nerve tuned to 440 hertz
A note encapsulating every word
Hammering a barre chord , bringing
the world to order , defying previously established borders* ..

Thespians and publicans have something in common with me ..
I trust both of them about as far as I could throw 'em !

I hear the four o'clock bound for Columbus
It sound's like a harmonica wavering low and
running south
I can feel the ground tremble
The store windows reverberate
Every wheel churning
Every length of track burning
Hurry on down , thundering freight
through tiny towns* ...

Rain was made for me
A shower from every shaken tree
Bird bath's filled to the brim
Fledglings taking turns on a bare -
oak limb..

Rain was made for the depressed
To wash away thoughts of loneliness
Lovers neath umbrellas with a million dreams
Thoughts of dry home with
simple , romantic schemes*..

Waiting on a storm but its only rain , someone upstairs playing with my brain
We wait on the pain with our guard down struggling through the lesson it contains
Plywood cities with little toy trains
A newspaper stuck in the storm drain
A town crier bellowing the morning news
Matchbox delivery trucks ,
A mercurial dove cooing the blues
The Queens bowl of Corn Flakes with a silver
spoon , railroad tracks bound for the midnight moon
Hydrocodone Hannah and her morning town
Music deep inside with no audible sound* ...

Silver raindrops bounce from top
to ground , yellow bells dance to
the rainstorm sounds
A postman makes his delivery , cars
crash into puddles in the showered scenery ,
hounds bray in the mid-morning rush ,
jays cackle from the mulberry bush
A young sun peeks then hides away ,
hopefully blooming in full candor on another day* ..

Shelley Baker , how have you been
My first crush at the tender age of ten
I still see your Brownie uniform
at a distant busstop
When we first sat together my jaw dropped
I watched you giggle with your girlfriends
in the lunch room , knowing full well that our
romance was through
Trees in the old neighborhood still bear
R , W , S and B , chalk on Orly Terrace has long
since disappeared
Two bluebirds reminded me of our tumultuous
two days , sharing candy , simple ways* ..

In the cold , gray hardwood entanglement
Beside red shouldered dirt roads
Within earshot of the morning crow
Tis where I belong* ..

The bell tower announces each hour
The town center inhabitants rush through an early lunch ,
a gaggle of blackbirds inhabit a tiny forested
patch containing statues , flowers and iron
benches , pigeons work the sidewalks in search of a
quick brunch
Her elders search morning papers with quick smiles
and "how do you do's"
This masterpiece of city squares rest at the end of converging busy avenues , with period brick shoppes and tidy store fronts , swanky
restaurants and courthouse patrons , drug stores , trinket parlors
and hand lettered windows
Gossip , breaking news and metro innuendo pass from ear to ear
Parking meter constables , free magazine stands , a **** and span
county seat add a certain rote of good cheer to southern suburbia ,
she's quickly turning from lunch mode to all business , she's a busy bee , the Queen of the Southern Crescent in royal splendor , the pride of the county and her gracious members* ...

Our sexuality is determined by the right person* ....

It's time for the B-52's in Syria and Yemen
Time to air drop food non-stop for ninety
days* ...

In the midst of darkness
her light did appear
I am forever drawn to
its occupation* ..

Stoic hardwood
O '  the despair thou has witnessed
Tyranny begetting forgiveness
Brilliant dreams beaten into indifference
Winters of anguish
Summer vegetable banquets
The conformity of Fall , Springs
April thaw
Loves , lives , their mourning , their passing
Weathered footsteps , beside a corporeal reductive homestead amassing thought and sadness*...

The protester , the president and his secret agents
The fourth estate , the staged presser
The water boarder dysfunctional
The rationalization of nationalism
The symbolic elephant , the star turned *******
The hated black man and his maniacal incumbent

The thought of an African-American in office sent
you over the top
You cursed his high office , strapped on firearms ,
mobilized the churches and forever changed your
country ...
Welcome to the dangerous present
..
A hateful precedent ...

Tunneling into Sunday with a
gift of self
I'm the number twelve on the clock
The copied , most followed bird in the flock
A dominate loblolly
The general of a fictitious army
I'm the sunny side of the yard
A one eyed jack wild card
Let my contemporaries be the paddle ,
for today I am their handle*....

Hello sunny day
Melt the wax figurines
that pass my way
Erase the demons of  plasticity , ignite paper
causing harm and misery
Shine across rolling valleys
of piedmont greenery
Turn the crayons of a child into free flowing color , images unlike any other
May they brighten and cover the world
May the sails of imagination be unfurled*..

The tomato soup and the onions
are committed to the sweet potatoes
destruction
Ramin Noodles have nothing but revulsion
for a container of raisins , a box of aluminum foil ,
a pack of crawfish boil
The oven pursues the death of the microwave ,
the refrigerator turns on a bottle of cheap Kroger wine
The toaster oven whines , the kitchen faucet continues to
shine , the asparagus awaits the end of time in a salted
brine , the full sink resembles a modern shrine
Paper plants gather dust , drain pans rust , the garbage is left
untouched , the ceiling fan is in a diehard , unbalanced rush
The house occupants are post vacation slovenly , piles of
clothes are where they want to be , dust bunnies will be handled
another day , a chilled goblet , an old movie , the dress code
pajamas , its residents lie exhausted and anonymous* ...

Gray hardwood Creek saga , hillside natural harmonies
Woodland musicians and warriors blended into
Coweta flora with piedmont songsters
Sip sip cha shree mockingbird melody
Whoo -reet bobwhite chantey from floor to -
windamere operas brushing live oak canopies
Land blushing with evening blue , stippled in
magenta and lavender cirrus sunset* ...

Water birds are flying into the western sun ,
the pool bar opens with Kentucky bourbon
The crystal telegraphing ocean turns
ever mysterious and more mesmerizing with
every shot
The canopy ***** with fifteen knot gust
Salt water pretzels and crap dip are a must ,
Long Island Iced Teas and ****** Mary's ,
Sweetwater brew , stuffed jalapeños with
a local yocal strumming the blues
The greatest generation mingles with the baby
boomers , like the shrimp boats , the yachts and the
wooden schooners* ...

Thanks to everyone that travelled to Panama City with me this week ..

Full ashtrays , lipstick stains on
white coffee cups
Hashbrowns and waffles , Dwight Yoakam
on the jukebox , waitresses calling orders ,
a lone cook 'in the zone' , the whole scene
becomes a country song
The patrons begrudgingly lip synch along* ...

Morning people shelling in
drafts of ocean breath , a compelling blue visage housing
the lonely , the lovers , the forlorn
an the unaddressed
Sandpipers hammer for their dawn feast
Laughing gulls hover before me
The blue plane speaks of eternity
Crashing waves recall bitter journeys
New sun speaks of redemption , of
seashore nurture and admonition* ...

The marriage of sunshine and seawater
turned to bristling diamonds is a form of communication , a plea from an alien nation , a call for a congregation* ...

A connection atop the oceans circuitry ,
exchanging the tug of maritime electricity ,
moving into dawn , at mercy of the undertow ,
within the timpani flam of inquisitive waters
slamming the morning shores
Receiving her fury and knowledge
from the sea oat ridge
Connecting the bridges of unsure men* ..

She's focused on the sea
I think I'll call her Miriam this
morn , she's right sure of her
place along the shore
The ocean is a teleprompter , a
memory barometer , a gauge of the past ,
something that'll last
A living photo in a seized thought process ,
a pretty blue gown in a beauty contest
Best of luck to all the Miriam's on the beach
I pray thee peace and inner strength* ..

Waters wrinkle at their destination
Lakes are born , the slate of yesterday
cleaned where the baitfish teem
Gulf Lady perfumed in salt , ocean myrrh and
sugar within her tropical breath
Hysterical gulls forage the breadth of her
shoulders , where picturesque blues rise and fall ,
where pelicans answer a silent call , where magenta
cirrus wisp disappear when the sun calls the day
to order , purple long casting hues and sugar sand
borders* ...

Where the city spills into the sea  
Where amber lights reach o'er the invisible waters
God is saving blue ocean and sunshine for tomorrow
A miracle for the sinner , to touch the heartbroken ,
for wayfarers in the throes of falling , for his forgotten
In turbulent upheaval striking the sea wall
For the receivers , the wallowing and the swallowed* ...

Concentrating on a star
Like lightning bugs in a jar
Like a roman candle in the dark
A yellow streetlight in the park
She's occupies the same nighttime place
Like the lines on my face
Like feet unable to run the race
A thundering beach where memories
are made
The riddles of youth solved in the crucible
of age
Its just another beach scene added to the page* ...

Undulating jade , juvenile days
Cold , salty rain
A seventh floor balcony
The gulls , the pelicans , the
sandpipers and me
Precious memory , precocious with crab bucket and flashlight ,
cut squid , open face reel , Panama
Jack mariners hat
Snorkels and sand dollars , shells , frothy
waters
Daughters , saltwater taffy , dolphins ,
mullet , catfish and boogie boards
Early breakers , soul shakers , thundering surf
The release of material worth
Sun melting into the western world
Gulf zephyrs kiss naked flesh ,
softening the man* ...

Tying the stray dog in my psyche
In view of wind racked palm trees , boats out to sea ,
an introvert with his ecumenical tools , watching for dolphins in his
cutoff jeans , with Pecan Sandies and hot green tea , his silver thermos
and his Sandburg poetry , sandals and tie dyed tee* ..

Grayish-white cloud banks are touching the ocean
in wind driven devotion
White capped angels do soar above
the morning , turquoise confusion
The dilution of nighttime sins in salted solution ,
white sand epitaphs are being pulled into hellish black horizons

Chalcedony breakers
Amber light horizons
Footprints dissolving in -
the very blood of earth
My hand reaches for hers
Our bodies share warm froth in the pull of
crystalline surf* ...

Lands end begs so many questions

Her expression is that of a child
Filled with wonder and mild
Panning deep blue waters
She is the gulfs daughter enthralled-
in the afternoon sea-breeze , longing for
sanddollars , tiny shells and dolphins ,
sandcastles and clapping palm trees* ..

The sound of millwrights at work shall remain forever
The turn of the wheel will mingle with white shoal harmonies ,
topwater perch eruptions and birds of every color and euphonic song
Crystal waters displaying painted stones shall remain secured twixt creekside shrubbery , centurion oaks , sweet gum , juniper and tall evergreens ... Native grasses and vivid wildflowers will grace the Cotton Indian shoreline evermore

Cane pole fishing spawned many a thought
Ushered in countless boyish dreams , wrought more than it's share of childish hard spots
Taught a five year old the patience of Job
This blessed classroom along the River Road* ...

Creek stone's inspire thoughts
of the other side
Some are dry and sure footed
Some are like ice
Some are stable
Others giveaway and tumble like a roll of the dice* ...

This heartland knows who I am
All the manly bravado washes away
when I'm in her presence
The quest to become a champion
dies
The rapid streams ahead subside
I stand before calm , reflective waters
in the company of true leviathans* ..

Let's thrive on hot pekoe tea tonight , on
a good high with an acoustic guitar
Let's find a bright star , finish the dishes , lets open a jar of wishes and be thankful for where we are
Two porch lovers that discovered one another
in our fifties , the gift of true love thats never ending
Treasuring the start of each day , to find your pretty face
in our quiet , perfect country place
Forevermore* ...

Night is like love
Short , mysterious , enchanting
then troubling
Emotions boiling , better judgement
destroyed
You'll wear many mask
You'll practice hellos in mirrors
Practice any questions she's liable to
give you
Then it's over and done
She's moved on to a different thespian
Everyday turns into Monday with
nobody there , your the jester before your
ravenous , blood thirsty friends again
How could she not care , how dare her
pompous calculation , thievery , malicious
***** in pony tails and a yellow dress
I miss her so , our three days of going steady
all for naught , she led me around school like a working
dog then walked
Night is just like being alone
Eaten to the bone , one penny left for
the wishing well that we most certainly
will throw , maybe tonight , maybe even tomorrow*...

All my best for those who now befriend me for you shall learn to hate me with great fervor* ....

My pitiful world is painted with streaks of gray , with blackness
from tear drops in laden skylight , from clocks that freeze
time on bewildering , blue days
People are laughing at my infirmity , collecting cash
at my expense , mocking my every move , dilating
the past , bearing canine incisors and fangs , freezing me in my tracks* ....

If no ones endangered then
**** legality ..
To hell with paying for government meant for
the people denied ..
If you destroying the environment you've
destroyed your paycheck as well ..
If you need to **** children to attain your lofty means then
**** your money owed ...
I want to smoke marijuana in my home , you want
to rule the world , I want to smoke a cigarette , you want to build
a bigger , better carrier deck , I want to get high  , you want to blow cities
into the sky* ...

She's the width of an average driveway , about a five mile walk
Lined with sugar white sand and slick creek rock
Girdled in Water Oak roots and red clay embankments , a summer quick retreat , swift running with occasional pools no deeper than
a few feet
She's teeming with small fish , tadpoles , crayfish and
mud puppies , ruddy bank boulders and thick grassy shoulders
Lined in cattail , brown eyed susie's and monkey grass
Home to cottonmouths , alligator snappers , raccoons and
opossums , king racers , swamp rabbits and cottontails ,
whitetail deer , wild hogs and bobcats and a million childhood tall tales
A sister to the South River flowing into Lake Jackson , a mother
to abundant wildlife , a brother to an inquisitive youngster* ...

O' juniper , lovely juniper I love you so
Why you intend to **** me I'll never know* ..

Who is this man captured in the
prison of home , captivated by a fly on the wall
Glued to his favorite window working
a song , jotting something fitting in reference
to a robin , a chipmunk bobbin' , a leaf unlike
the rest , a life in a mess
Treading the sea of loneliness , seeking the truth
behind fables , writing woodland diaries when able
Digging an itchy ear , scratching a tired back with a guitar cable ,
stirring something witty to commit to paper* ..

For I am in sojourn of this earth
with increasing thoughts of home* ...

Flurries of notes performing in the
musical winds , operatic showers of love ,
pain and trivial little things , score sheets of marigold
in the key of imagination , trees brushing the blue felt
o'er golden strings playing hymns of life , earth and star conjugation
The waters and the moon in tonal blend ,
the biological song that never ends* ...

I can turn you into any color I want
Tell of your movements whether they're true
or not
Remark before the fourth estate as to your location devoid of daylights
affirmation
Report such lies to a gullible nation
Make a pact with the devil
Refrain the seas of change from seeking their level
Render a new book of morality from fable
Order my soldiers to shoot you dead from under the table* ..

Striated red brick home with a
red tip hedgerow
Songs from the hardwoods
Twinkling grass from burgeoning
dawn , a crown of stippled gray and white
pillows billowing in the morning sun
Bluebirds atop the black farm bell
Stained glass tree trunks and branches against blue
windows , misty clouds in shady dales
Noonday news of Muscogee tales , of thick , brown
rivers , painted turtles , shellcracker , wooden bridges ,
scenic rails , cottonmouth and cottontail , whitetails
and cottondales*...