I've always been the sane one
Straight and narrow all the way
Never got in trouble
Always went the proper way

Class President in High School
College, results were just the same
I never got in trouble
But no one knew my name

Today, I stole a car in Texas
Drove away into the night
Today I stole a car in Texas
For Once I did what wasn't right
Today I stole a car in Texas
I must be out of my freakin' mind
Today I stole a car in Texas
I drove off and left my past behind

Two kids, a dog ....so normal
A picket fence, A loving wife
PTA and sports and lessons
You know I had the perfect life

I was not one to get in trouble
But, the time had come to take the ball
When folks were asked for a description
I was fat and thin and short and tall

Today, I stole a car in Texas
Drove away into the night
Today I stole a car in Texas
For Once I did what wasn't right
Today I stole a car in Texas
I must be out of my freakin' mind
Today I stole a car in Texas
I drove off and left my past behind


I led a life so mediocre
I'm non-descript, a nowhere man
I just blend in with those around me
Just try and find me if you can

My future's on the road before me
Each day will bring me something new
I owe my wife an explanation
But I just did what I had to do


Today, I stole a car in Texas
Drove away into the night
Today I stole a car in Texas
For Once I did what wasn't right
Today I stole a car in Texas
I must be out of my freakin' mind
Today I stole a car in Texas
I drove off and left my past behind

It's been forty three years since that night
when i went out to do what's right
Something that I've kept inside since then

People searched but never found
They followed my prints on the ground
Never looking for anyone else, but men

I'm the one who shot him dead
Two bullets shot, and then I fled
Now it's time to tell my tale 'bout then

It was the night the lights went out in Georgia
It was the night that they hung an innocent man
Don't trust your soul to no back woods southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands

They looked high, and they looked low
followed my prints in the snow
Never caring if he did the crime

They hung my brother from a tree
The one who should have died was me
I've never left, I've been here all the time

I guess what goes around comes around
The judge is now dust in the ground
The sheriff, he is also long time dead

It was the night the lights went out in Georgia
It was the night that they hung an innocent man
Don't trust your soul to no back woods southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands

It's been a long, long time since Andy died
Rivers of tears that I have cried
But in the end I can' change what was done

Cause Andy's cheating wife never left town
And her body has never been found
Cause this little sister don't miss when she aims her gun

It was the night the lights went out in Georgia
It was the night that they hung an innocent man
Don't trust your soul to no back woods southern lawyer
Cause the judge in the town's got blood stains on his hands

I'm an intercontinental casanova
I drive the roads and highways
I'm a lover of the ladies
And I love to drive the bi-ways

In every town I seem to go
Theres a lady there for me
It's not a one night hook up thing
It's full of feeling, can't you see

From Florida to Baltimore
And all points in between
I have a woman there in waiting
To help me make the scene

I'm an inter-coastal lover
An inter-coastal driver too
For the time that I am with them
There is only me and you

From east coast to the west coast
From the midwest to the hills
I have women always waiting
To help me get my thrills

They know about each other
They don't mind, at least I think
They keep their secret thoughts so secret
If they didn't, I would drink

When I am with one in a city
I am theirs and theirs alone
They only know of my arrival
When I call them on the phone

If I get there and they're busy
Then I drop my load and go
There's no need to find another
Two in one town....no no no

I'm an inter-coastal casanova
I drive all round the place
I can't stay in just one city
I always need my space

If one girl gets possessive
And want to settle down
That's when the party's over
And I vacate from that town

I pick up loads at my request
Going where I've been before
And like I said if it gets dangerous
Then I don't go back no more

I'm an Intercontinental
Inter-coastal lover boy
I have women 'cross the country
And we bring each other joy

I love the life I'm living
No commitment no regret
and there's no one there complaining
of anything I might forget

You may frown upon my lifestyle
But it works ok for me
One day I may get married
But I don't know when that will be...

Beneath the glowing Christmas lights
That illuminate the dark
There is a world of dark, lost souls
Homeless, sleeping in the park

Among the scattered tinselled trees
On benches and in tents
Lie many, lost and scattered souls
For whom, faith...got up and went

Christmas dreams don't dance around
These people who are lost
They huddle close and tend the flame
To survive and beat the frost

Children skate upon the rink
Laughing, chirping at the snow
While just behind the skating rink
Is a world, they do not know

The smell of cups of chocolate
Tantalizing ...just a taste
But, they dare not move from where they are
They stay hidden , just in case

The Christmas lights show false hope
To those fallen through the cracks
Most of their possessions
Are in carts, or on their backs

It's Christmas time, no matter what
And these people dare to dream
Of a life, like one they came from
A life of sweetness and of cream

The lights hold little wonder
They just signify false hope
For those here in the shadows
At the end of their life's rope

It's better in the darkness
When the lights are put away
When the chocolate smells are missing
It helps keep hunger pangs away

The Christmas lights burn brightly
But not for those who dwell
In the park, behind the ice rink
In a Winter Wonderland of hell

Have you ever walked into a room and felt  you've been there before?

Your body feels electric as you stand inside the door

You know this room and know this space

But, you've not ever seen this place...so

You take one step forward

And then you step back

And you step forward again

You all know you've done it

You're not quite sure why

But your'e doing the Deja Vu Waltz

Have you ever met a person who seemed so **** familiar

You know all of their interests, for you both are so **** similar

But, you know you've never met him

And the lights are going so dim....so,

You take one step forward

And then you step back

And you step forward again

You all know you've done it

You're not quite sure why

But your'e doing the Deja Vu Waltz

Have you ever heard some music that you know you know the words to

But the problem that you have is that the song is something brand new

It just hangs around your brainwaves

But your mind just won't behave...so,

You take one step forward

And then you step back

And you step forward again

You all know you've done it

You're not quite sure why

But your'e doing the Deja Vu Waltz

I know you've watched a movie where you know you know the ending

But the movie has just come out and it starts your mind to bending

You're sure your'e going crazy

But the movie still seems hazy, so...

You take one step forward

And then you step back

And you step forward again

You all know you've done it

You're not quite sure why

But your'e doing the Deja Vu Waltz

i'm standing by the marker stone
feeling wind upon my face
listening to the echoes from the grave
i feel the tears freeze on my cheeks
from the wind upon my face
as i listen to the echoes from the grave

I'm in a darkened corner of the graveyard
It's overgrown and not well kept
It's been a long time since a visitor
Has on these markers wept

I feel the spirits all around me here
I hear their voices on the wind
There is not a single angel here
These are souls who all have sinned

The grass has grown halfway up the stone
You see the name but not the years
It's been decades since any marker here
Has been whetted down with tears

I tend the grass and **** growth
Cut it back right to the ground
And except for ghostly echoes
I do not hear a sound

The man here was my father once
Though I don't recall his face
But, here he lies, worm food and dust
In this long forgotten place

The voices of other souls do float
Waiting for someone to show
But, their families died out years back
And those left, they do not know

I hear them as they call out names
Frozen snippets lost in time
And though I am on my father's grave
Nobody calls out mine

i'm standing by the marker stone
feeling wind upon my face
listening to the echoes from the grave
i feel the tears freeze on my cheeks
from the wind upon my face
as i listen to the echoes from the grave

We knew of "The Troubles" for most of our lives
They were there before we were born
But, to speak of "The Troubles" to those who don't know
They can't see that our country is torn

Pop stars sing songs about England go home
They make money, while we fight the fight
They stand on the sidelines just flapping their gums
While we live, breathe, and sleep this all night

Soldiers unknowing, just why they're here
They choose sides because that's what they do
They don't know the issues, how deep "The Troubles"  go
They're just here, and that's all they know

The orange and green, divided as one
Catholics and Protestants alike
Both fight their battles and both live for peace
And the British...can get on their bike

A land half as lovely, torn asunder by war
would be laid waste, with nothing to show
But "The Troubles" aside, there's lots here to see
And lots of great places to go

It's a war of attrition, where neither side wins
Each army gets recruits from the womb
You stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine
And we'll disagree to agree to our tomb

Fighting for freedom, religion or rights
It's political, hatred and worse
Religions involved, and we've only one God
So which side does God cheer or God curse

The battle still wages, though not like before
It's a war that is fought underground
"The Troubles" remain, and will for all time
And I pray for the dead, not around

QUESTIONING SANTA (TUNE OF GOD BLESS YE MERRY GENTLEMEN)
by Roger Turner on Wednesday, 17 August 2011 at 17:16 ·

IF THERE IS JUST ONE SANTA CLAUS
WHY IS  IT THAT I MEET
A NEW ONE IN EACH SHOPPING MALL
AND TWO ON EVERY STREET

I'M JUST A KID AND YOU MUST KNOW
EXACTLY HOW I FEEL
PLEASE TELL ME,
WHICH ONE OF THEM IS REAL
WHICH ONE IS REAL,
PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE OF THEM IS REAL?

WHO IS THIS SANTA ANYWAY?
WHERE DOES HE GET THOSE TOYS?
HOW DOES HE PAY FOR ALL THOSE GIFTS
FOR ALL THE GIRLS AND BOYS?

I WONDER HOW HE PAYS FOR THEM
HOW DOES HE GET HIS DOUGH?
YES, I WONDER...WHERE DOES HE GET HIS DOUGH?
GET HIS DOUGH,
OH I WONDER WHERE DOES HE GET HIS DOUGH?

ANOTHER THING I WANT TO KNOW
IS HOW HIS REINDEER FLY?
HOW DO THEY GO FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE?
HOW DO THEY GO SO HIGH?

IT MUST BE SOMETHING MAGICAL
HE GIVES THEM IN THEIR FOOD
OH I WONDER ALOT ABOUT THIS DUDE
'BOUT THIS DUDE,
OH I WONDER ALOT ABOUT THIS DUDE

I TRY TO SEE HIM EVERY YEAR
AS HE COMES TO MY HOUSE
I SNEAK DOWNSTAIRS AT TEN TO TWELVE
I'M QUIET AS A MOUSE

BUT, EVERY YEAR I FALL ASLEEP
I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM YET
OH SANTA, I'LL SEE YOU SOON YOU BET
OH YOU BET!,
OH SANTA, I'LL SEE YOU SOON YOU BET

WRITTEN BY ROGER TURNER  NOVEMBER 1992

I saw her sitting at the table
Eating with her friends
I got up to go on over
It was if I had the bends

I saw her later having coffee
With a friend sitting outside
I went to go on over
And my mouth got all tongue tied

One chance baby, that is all you get
Don't blow it when it comes your way
Once chance, that's all you get
Make a good impression
Say something they won't forget
One chance baby, one chance is all you get

I went in for an interview
I was nervous as could be
When I was asked a question
Would you hire you if you were me?

I thought for a few seconds
I thought that I would rolf
Then I said "I'd hire me"
"you'd then have time to go play golf!"

I saw the woman of my dreams
She was drinking at the bar
I knew I had to talk to her
But, if I was gonna get that far

I'd have to down my courage
Put the right words in my mouth
For if I blew it up right then
My love life would go south

One chance baby, that is all you get
Don't blow it when it comes your way
Once chance, that's all you get
Make a good impression
Say something they won't forget
One chance baby, one chance is all you get

We'd been dating for a while
It was time to make the leap
I had to show her parents
I wasn't just a creep

I knew the words I needed
I would ask them for her hand
But as I got closer to her father
My mouth was filled with sand

One chance baby, that is all you get
Don't blow it when it comes your way
Once chance, that's all you get
Make a good impression
Say something they won't forget
One chance baby, one chance is all you get

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep
If I make it through the night
I guess I've won another fight

Listen Lord, for now I pray
I wish to live another day
I've been bad since my beginning
I've been involved in lots of sinning

It's time I made a choice and turned toward a better road
It's time to leave my past behind
I've prayed before but was not committed
I was afraid of what I'd find

Lord, help me make it through the night
Show me how to reach the light
I only ask for one small sign
I'll give you all I have that's mine

I've found salvation in a glass
In needles and in smoke
Lord, that is just where I've been
Since the last time that we spoke

Many folks have come to me
To try show me the way
I toasted them on their way out
And continued on life's play

Now, I've had enough of all
The hurting and the pain
So, Lord, I pray to you this night
Will you listen once again?

Now I lay me down to sleep
A sinner through and through
Just let me make it through the night
Just tell me what to do

I put my faith in what I see
I don't believe in other's words
So, Lord, just help me this one time
Show you listened and you heard

The young boy walked on through the park

His mother close behind

But then he took off swiftly, though

She knew that she would find

Him standing at the Cenotaph

Saluting, ramrod straight

He did it everytime they passed

No matter what the date

He knew that is was honorable

A place to honur those

Who died defending what was right

And every time he froze.

Each time they went to ride the swings

He ran ahead to stand

He did it, and she was proud he did

Though he didn't understand

A silent sentinel...piegeon perch

Memorialized the dead

There were pigeons all around it

And two piegeons on the head

But Billy didn't mind the birds

In fact he liked to say

The piegeons are the soldier men

Who can no longer play

He always walked around all sides

Always looking for the names

Of his father and his uncle

Bill and Randy James

They were taken by an IED

Though that meant nothing to Bill

But each time that  he found their names

He then saluted and stood still

He knew that they would not return

Although gone, their names were here

He saluted them each time he came

Of the pigeons, he'd no fear

This silent, solemn cenotaph

Was a place he loved so much

Although he couldn't see his father

His name plate he could touch

He knew that his saluting

Made his mother's heart strings sing

After his silent hello to his dad

He could go play on the swing...

Another Christmas done and dusted
time to put all things away
Is it worth the time and effort
To celebrate for just a day?

The Christmas ponies back to normal
No more unicorns to be found
No one there to see them changing
It all took place without a sound

The Christmas Grotto and the Santa
Gone and packed up at the mall
Neither one will see the daylight
Until some time come late next fall

The Christmas spirit, does it linger?
Or is it boxed away as well?
Is it something that's within us?
Or something that the shops just sell?

Boxes packed and stuffed away
Piled high beneath the stairs
Is it just the decorations?
Or is it full of hopes and cares?

Another Christmas done and dusted
Next year, there's another one
Is the Christmas Spirit still within you
Or is it packed in the box marked "1"?

It seems that every time
I get in trouble, it's my mouth
My brain is heading northward
While my mouth is heading south

You know when you say something
And the person's there...behind
That's me...daily
My mouth don't tell my mind

I'm the one who is the punching bag
I can't censor what I say
My mouth moves faster than
My brain, most every day
I tell a girl I want her
While she's holding someone's hand
And then I stand waiting for...
The first punch thrown to land

I never ever get a chance
To ever hit them back
It's over in a second
It's a one punch full attack

My mouth runs on a motor
That my brain just can not stop
I speak and then they hit me
It's ....over quickly...pop

I'm the one who is the punching bag
I can't censor what I say
My mouth moves faster than
My brain, most every day
I tell a girl I want her
While she's holding someone's hand
And then I stand waiting for...
The first punch thrown to land




I'm a punching bag most weekends
I just say what's in my head
I get knocked out so often
I'm surprised that I'm not dead

Most times, I hit on women
They're busy dancing with their guy
I got hit so much last summer
I thought I only had one eye


I'm the one who is the punching bag
I can't censor what I say
My mouth moves faster than
My brain, most every day
I tell a girl I want her
While she's holding someone's hand
And then I stand waiting for...
The first punch thrown to land

My mouth runs on a tangent
My mind is not as fast
I don't spend much cash drinking
My nights just do not last

I always end up battered
Never have a chance to see
The boyfriend or the husband
That went one punch with me

I think back to the sixties
taking charge of our new  life
two hippies lost in limbo
that's when I took you as my wife

we grew up very quickly
the time to play was done
we sold out and got established
now that we weren't two but one

I close my eyes just to focus
I close my eyes to make you clear
I close my eyes so I remember
I close my eyes to bring you near
I close my eyes and wer'e together
I close my eyes so I can see
I close my eyes because I miss you
I close my eyes , once more we're we

we hit the disco era running
more run away than run toward
on every street there was a prophet
selling the new word of the lord

the beatles quit and that was tragic
elvis died and that was worse
our music wasn't just evolving
our music was leaving in a hearse

I close my eyes just to focus
I close my eyes to make you clear
I close my eyes so I remember
I close my eyes to bring you near
I close my eyes and wer'e together
I close my eyes so I can see
I close my eyes because I miss you
I close my eyes , once more we're we

the eighties was about consumption
we took *******, like all the rest
you were judged by your possessions
to have the most made you the best

in the nineties things were different
our lives were both put deep on hold
the doctor called and said a tumor
I remember all I felt was cold


I close my eyes just to focus
I close my eyes to make you clear
I close my eyes so I remember
I close my eyes to bring you near
I close my eyes and wer'e together
I close my eyes so I can see
I close my eyes because I miss you
I close my eyes , once more we're we

decades no longer counted
time went by just day by day
stage four was the conclusion
I mean what else was there to say

I lost you late that summer
you passed away after a fight
you battled hard to keep on living
before you ventured to the light

I close my eyes just to focus
I close my eyes to make you clear
I close my eyes so I remember
I close my eyes to bring you near
I close my eyes and wer'e together
I close my eyes so I can see
I close my eyes because I miss you
I close my eyes , once more we're we

I have the pictures to remind me
but, you are clearer to me when
I close my eyes, let my mind wander
I go back now to way back then

I can't describe you to another
unless I see you in my mind
I close my eyes and I am happy
my life is better when i'm blind

I close my eyes just to focus
I close my eyes to make you clear
I close my eyes so I remember
I close my eyes to bring you near
I close my eyes and wer'e together
I close my eyes so I can see
I close my eyes because I miss you
I close my eyes , once more we're we

You've just been gone a dozen days
And I've not been to sleep
The bed is just not comfortable
Without you there to keep

I've taken your old Harley shirt
And I keep it by my head
The scent of you still lingers there
Since I can't have you instead

I miss the presence of your spirit
And it's something I won't find
I lie here with my memories
Of your smile in my mind

The house it seems much smaller
In the time that you've been gone
It's just that you are missing
That's the only thing that's wrong

I know you're coming back to me
And until I see you once more
I'll be sleeping with your t-shirt here
Until you burst on through that door

I've taken your old Harley shirt
And I keep it by my head
The scent of you still lingers there
Since I can't have you instead

It's been six months since you went away
And you'll be home today
You don't know how my heart misses you
There's no words for me to say

I love you more than you could know
I see the sunshine in your eyes
But when you're gone, I'm not the same
I'm still me, but in disguise

You can have back your old Harley shirt
That I've slept with by my head
Because tonight you're home and here with me
And we can both now share our bed

We made plans in college
We'd graduate, then teach
But, a phone call from the doctor
put those plans out of reach

I remember sitting quietly
As I heard the old man say
"You're going to have a baby"
I guess Life Gets In The Way

Life Gets in The Way my dear
Life Gets in The Way
We'll put our plans on hold my dear
Until another day
Don't worry, things will all work out
No matter what folks say
We just have to face the fact my dear
That Life Gets In The Way

You quit to raise our children
We had two, one on the way
It's funny just what happens
When Life Gets in The Way

I remember that fall morning
The news the doctor had to say
It still hurts me to remember
When Life Gets In The Way

Life Gets in The Way my dear
Life Gets in The Way
We'll put our plans on hold my dear
Until another day
Don't worry, things will all work out
No matter what folks say
We just have to face the fact my dear
That Life Gets In The Way


Time has passed, there's grandkids now
Like you, they love the beach
Kelsey, Michael's  youngest
Wants to grow up and to teach

I wish that you could see them
As they run around and play
But, Cancer took you from me
Because Life Got in The Way

I think of you, your smile
And how you'd look at me and say
We will once more be together
Unless...Life Gets In The Way

Life Gets in The Way my dear
Life Gets in The Way
We'll put our plans on hold my dear
Until another day
Don't worry, things will all work out
No matter what folks say
We just have to face the fact my dear
That Life Gets In The Way

"Hello baby, how have you been

You know I'm coming back there soon,

I'll get to tell you of things I've seen

As we sit beneath the moon

I miss you so with all my heart

And till we meet again

It's been rough to spend this time apart

So, I will wait until then.

To hold you once more in my arms

And look upon your face

You know I'll keep you safe from harm

You make my heartbeat race

We;ll have our wedding in the churchl that

We were christened in as kids

You know there church where we once sat

And as children we once hid

We'll soon be one when we are wed

Our family has begun

It;ll be like we both said

We;ll be stronger now as one.

You know I miss you every day

But you keep me alive

A safe return to you I pray

It's the goal to which I strive

It's been three years that I've been here

In this hell hole of a war

But I've been strong and shown no fear

With your love at my core

My time is short and I must go

Our squadron has to part

But in two weeks you know I;ll show

The love that's in my heart"

As I look out upon the  field

The green grass specked with white

I really think how beautiful

To see this scene so bright

There are those who've come beofre today

and stood here just like me

Of those who come for JFK

Who died in sixty three

You see I am in Arlington

To lay my love to rest

He died when he was fired on

With five more of our best

He wrote me that love letter

Post marked two weeks ago today

Our lives would be much better

When he got home from the fray.

His squad was taken quickly and

Not one of them survived

They're together now on sacred land

And my letter just arrived.

Hello baby, how have you been

You know I'm coming back there soon,

I'll get to tell you of things I've seen

As we sit beneath the moon

I miss you so with all my heart

And till we meet again

But now we're not so far apart

Now he's in Arlington.

Thinking back to our beginning

Of things we used to do

Lord, I know my mind's still willing

I wish my body still was too

The years have passed by quickly

I blinked and they were gone

In time we both got sickly

But, our memories linger on.

We used to go out walking

To the park and in the woods

Just spending time together

And we talked and times were good

Now it's just a memory

Now it hurts to climb the stairs

We may no longer go out walking

But the memory lingers there

It's not that we were active

But our world was larger then

Now, we're confined to samll spaces

Our world was larger to us then

Once the snow comes we are housebound

We're together, not alone

We talk of when times were better

And we talk how we have grown

Disabled doesn't live here

We won't say words of that kind

Even though our body's dying

We both still have our minds

Distractions don't come easy

There's nothing for us to see

We still revel in each other

For we have no family

We'll be partners forever

We won't be so long apart

For when one dies the other follows

Soon, from such a broken heart

In sixty years that we've been married

We've had friends, but most are gone

They never knew that our small secret

Was we let our memories lead us on

They say the past is gone forever

The future is the place to be

But for us our futures leaving

And the past is where I'll be

I've more years now behind me

That I have got left to live

But as long as we're together

My love to you I'll always give

Remember when we'd go out walking

Just us two, those times were fine

I'd wish that in our future

We could do it one more time.
..

I saw two cars come driving up
Quick, hide the beer, the kids are here
I saw two cars come driving up
The driveway into our car port

They've brought the little *** machine
You know the puppy that I mean
I saw two cars come driving up
The driveway into our car port

They've come to drink and lie around
The three of them, and that **** hound
I saw two cars come driving up
The driveway into our car port

Shut the drapes and dim the lights
We'll make them think we're out tonight
I saw two cars come driving up
The driveway into our car port

We'll hide down here down on the floor
They will not see us from the door
I saw two cars come driving up
The driveway into our carport

"Oh, hi kids, why don't you come in"
"Your mother's dropped a safety pin"
I saw two cars come driving up
The driveway into MY CARPORT!!!

Although I tried hard to deceive
I still can't wait for them to leave
I'd love to see them backing up
The driveway out of my carport.

I sat down to a puzzle
When my dog came for a nuzzle
And I gave a small scratch behind the ears
I moved on to the telly
And he lay down on my belly
And we both fell fast asleep after two beers

It seems while I was dreaming
That I heard somebody screaming
It was just an advert on tv
The dog got down real quickly
I thought he might be sickly
It turns out that he only had to ***

I went back to watch footy
And then some "sweep and sooty"
Then the wife came in and asked me where's the dog
I said he's out the back dear
All is fine, no need to fret dear
"Then why is he there chewing on a frog?"

I said I knew no reason
I didn't know frogs were in season
And I went outside to go wash out his mouth
He didn't like the feeling
In fact he was reaching for the ceiling
And that is just the time that things went south

He chose right then to *****
It came up just like a comet
The beer, a bone, and two thirds of a frog
I knew that he felt better
My dumb old Irish setter
This is just a day of living with a dog

Slot A, Tab B,
or Square peg and round hole
finding out which one you are
is man's eternal goal
One must find self placement
Are you slot A or Tab B?
The only question truly is
Which one of them is me?
You laugh when no one else does
so, does that make you the slot?
Where exactly do you fit?
Who gets what you have got?
Until the magic moment
When Tab A finds Slot B
You wander round not knowing
If you're really, roll-up C
Now the mix is daunting
With A and B and C
A Tab, A Hole, A Rollup
which one should you be
In time all will be answered
You'll find out which you are
By then if things go right
You'll meet attachment R

I was sitting playing slots
It was two a.m. and vacant
When a man came up and asked
Is this seat beside you taken?
I turned and told him no i'ts free
I looked deep and saw despair
He dropped his rumpled duffle bag
And plopped himself into the chair

He let his body acclimate
More to the warmth, than to the seat
I turned and played my game some  more
This man was basking in the heat
I watched him pull the tickets
From his pocket one by one
He laid them out before him
Until he'd counted twenty one
He fed them to the slot machine
Some kicked back, he got real tense
When he was finished I looked over
He had put in just ninety cents

The tickets were the remnants
of what others may have lost
But to him, they were a rental
To keep him not from getting tossed
He watched me for a while
Not hitting one button on his side
I could not help but look over
No matter how I tried

His hair was grey and matted
His fingers showed the stains
Of many years of nicotine
His eyes just showed the pain
He lit a smoke, second hand I'd say
He'd pulled a bag from in his coat
It was full of butts, all well worn down
Already ****** down someone's throat
He gave a cough and coughed a bit
Like he was getting set to speak
Then this man, slid over some
And in a voice, weary and weak
He said 'you got to line them up
I'll give you some advice
I knew that slots were random
But, this man....he had a price

He stared close at my empty glass
I'd just finished a cold beer
He coughed again and then he said
Son, it's surely dry in here
I waved a drink girl over
And I signalled to her "two"
I mean, it was cold outside
And I couldn't let him go  with out a brew
He kept eyeing up my ashtray
Where I'd left half a cigar
I knew that he would have it
in his grasp, before I went too far
I watched as he kept staring
Looking round, checking his back
He was fidgeting, and shaking
Waiting for the drink girl to come back
He had no bills to tip her
So as he saw her coming near
He got up to use the restroom
He said son....please watch my beer
I tipped her for the two of them
He was watching from the door
I guess when you've got nothing
You've got to learn just how to get more
I lit a second cigar up
clipped the end and took a puff
He sat back and breathed the smoke right down
Until his lungs had had enough
I asked him if he'd like one
His eyes lit up at this
He said thank you and was grateful
He said sir, I'd be remiss
But, can you cut it with your cutter
It's been so long since I've had one
I used to smoke them in Miami
When I used to winter in the sun
Lately, though, I've had hard times
I'm not half the man I was
I can't tell you what I used to have
I can't total up the loss
I lit the smoke, he ****** it in
Almost passed out from the taste
He said, I see these on the street some days
All crushed, son....what a waste
I used to winter in Miami
Watching jai lai, betting big
spending cash like it grew on trees
His eyes, they danced a jig

You know, now, when I think on back
I'm more thankful now than then
But, son, if I had the choice
I'd do it all again
Now, I come on in here
I pick my row seat in the fifth row, son
The fourth one in by the third glass door
The second seat, just over one
I listened to his seating plan
I looked around and tried to see
He said, you're looking at what seat I'm in
Looking for door number three
I'm kidding with you, there's no seat
I just move around to where it's warm
to where I might find some conversation
A place, some shelter from the storm
I knew he was a grafter
And in the end would be found out
He was looking for the easy way
Of this there was no doubt
whether he'd ever seen Miami
didn't matter all the same
But, in truth how many drifters
Know that jai lai is a sport and not a game
I finished up and told him
Keep warm and find a bed
He told me thanks, and shook my hand
And ran his hand over his head
I got up and I left him
Leaving five bucks on my machine
A fresh cigar in my ashtray
all where it could be seen
I walked away in silence
Heard the ticket get spit out
I then turned to see him leaving
Looking around for his next route
Whether he'd ever seen Miami
had cash, or food to eat
didn't matter in the long run
As he searched out another seat

"Old Man Rubenstein",

that's the name they knew him by

He'd worked the shop for fifty years

His friends just called him Cy

Each day he'd enter from the back

For at the front door slept

Someone trying to survive the cold

Inside the store Cy swept

The store had been a fixture

On the street for ninety years

Five Generations of Rubensteins

Had seen the smiles and tears

Of young men getting married

Picking rings out for their brides

And in many cases watching them

As they tried them on inside

The street had changed in fifty years

In ninety, even more

But one thing about Rubensteins

Was their famous tiled floor

In the foyer, just inside the door

There were tiles black and white

They were laid out like a flower

It was really quite a sight

When his Great Great Grandpa

Laid the tiles, it was done by J.C Hardin

To signify each customer

Was welcome "in his garden"

Times had changed since Cy came in

The street was not the same

A lot of stores had moved or closed

The malls all held the blame

With suburbs came progression

And with progression came bad news

Most small stores lost their customers

To chains with modern views

But Rubensteins stayed on the street

Never changing one small bit

They had been right here for ninety years

And this is where they'd sit

The front, I mentioned earlier

Each night became a bed

For someone living on the streets

A place to lay their head

Cy would leave a pillow

And a blanket by the door

It was always there next morning

Nicely folded like before

Other storefronts opened up

At nine...right sharp each day

But, Cy would leave the door shut

Letting his sleeping beauty lay

There wasn't lots of people

Who would shop in Cy's old store

With the way the neighborhood had died

No one came round here no more

With pawn shops open down the road

And two just up the block

The fact that people went to them

To Cy, was not a shock

He really ran the business

To keep himself alive

For he knew that if he closed it

He was sure he'd not survive

His life was wrapped up in the store

Each decade on a shelf

He was quite the story teller

And of stories...he'd a wealth

He sold a ring once to the Mayor

For his engagement years ago

They were still together nowadays

That was forty years or so

Harry Cooper bought his wifes rings

And his son had done as well

He'd bought a special pendant

When he lost his son in Hell

He'd go down to Giannis

And buy his lunch most days

He was never in a hurry

And most times he'd stay and gaze

He'd stare out the front windows

To a time so long before

Then he'd head back to the jewellers

And he'd still use the back door

He thought of times way in the past

When Christmas windows glowed

With displays of rings and Christmas lights

Lit up the whole **** road

But now, the storefront windows

Were protected by strong bars

There were hardly any customers

And even fewer cars

He remembered when a shopping trip

Meant dressing up to shop

But nowadays, a pair of jeans

And a t-shirt as a top

He'd sit inside the storefront

Until about six everyday

Then he'd put out a clean bedroll

And he'd quietly slip away

He'd show up every morning

Through the back door every time

He'd check on his front doorway

And he'd hum a little rhyme

"If friendship is a flower

'And a garden grows in time

I'm glad I have a garden

And you've spent some time in mine"

He'd make sure when he opened

That he'd turn on every light

Then he'd go out side the front door

And sweep away the night..

Now, I lay me down to sleep

In this dark, dreary December

If you awake and I am gone

What would you remember?

The way I laugh at little jokes

or how I drink my tea

The way I do the little things

Would you remember me?

If I had passed on in the night

would you think of how I looked

at ball games and at puppy dogs

and of all the things I cooked

My scent, would things remind you

of how I sometimes smelled

would you think of things I ******* up

and of all the times I yelled

If you awoke one morning

and found I'm not to be

what would you remember?

would you remember me?

If things did happen backwards

and I woke and you weren't there

I'd miss the way you smiled

The perfume of your hair

the ways your eyes did twinkle

when you had a special thought

of doing something naughty

of somewhow being caught

I'd remember things about you

of glances in the night

of how we worked together

of how we fit just right

I know that I'd remember

these things and more, you'd see

but I know, that I'd remember

But would you remember me?

Keep your stamps and letters
Don't invite me to a meeting
If you keep them coming
I'll treat you to a beating

Groups all seem to want me
But the feeling's not the same
Go and find your mailing list
And please remove my name

oh....
I won't join any club that would have me as a member
I've a memory like an elephant
so, don't send me application forms
Because you know I will remember

Oh, It must be freezing down  in hell
In fact it must be snowing
I came today, just to say
Hello, I must be going

Don't ask me to sign up again
Please don't be deluded
Check your list and you'll find me
In the column marked excluded

Oh
I won't join any club that would have me as a member
I've a memory like an elephant
so, don't send me application forms
Because you know I will remember

Oh, It must be freezing down in hell
In fact it must be snowing
I came today, just to say
Hello, I must be going

Save your money, save your stamps
You know just what to do
Stop calling, stop the letters
Please, I'm asking you

The only group with membership
Costs me more, due to my brothers
Is family, and even then
I think we had different mothers

oh,I won't join any club that would have me as a member
I've a memory like an elephant
so, don't send me application forms
Because you know I will remember

Oh, It must be freezing down in hell
In fact it must be snowing
I came today, just to say
Hello, I must be going

I will not join any club that would have me as a member
I'll tell you now, and then again, I'll tell you in September
The world is a much better place, if on your list my name's not showing
So here I am, with you to say...Hello, I must be going

The road stretched out before me
Leading me away from where
I'd spent time spinning all around
It was time to ride from there
The truck it stopped and picked me up
We didn't talk at all
We'd gone 300 miles
Then he said, ok bud....there that's all

I walked down from the hilltop highway
Into somewhere new
I didn't read the sign on entry
This place was somewhere new
I bummed around the country side
Working jobs and playing bars
Getting rides from country truckers
And from college kids in cars

I was heading no place special
And as I look around
I think I'm here
I was heading no place special
And as I look around
I think I'm here

I stopped into a diner for a coffee and a meal
The waitress looked me over
Like I was her next meal
She brought the coffee over
Said "you've not been here before"
I told her "I'm not staying"
and what I was looking for

All I owned in the whole world was in my pack
Two pair of jeans, some t shirts,
And my guitar, painted black
She said "son, can you play that?"
"If you can, the meals on me"
I took her on her offer
I love food when it is free

She said, my momma loved the songs
the ones that tell a tale of woe
I tuned up, started strumming
And said, well "here we go"
I sang of Frisco Mabel Joy and crying in my beer
I looked at her, her eyes were closed
But, I knew...were full of tears

I played Lefty and Poncho, songs of love and loss
I sang of travelling the country side
I sang of Christ upon the cross
She wiped her eyes, and looked at me
Real deep, you know the way
When the tone is gonna change some
And there's something important for to say

"If you want to linger here....there's a room out in the back"
"The rent is cheap, the food is free"
"Just play your guitar painted black"
She offered me a leg up
It's been a while since
I thought about a future
I felt kinda like a prince

She said, "no one here plays anything at all"
"They make the words up as they go"
"And they always play too loud"
"You can play here if you want to"
"Mostly requests, and some new stuff"
"You can even sing the songs you write"
"When you think you've had enough"

"Tip jar money also, that's all yours for when you play"
"take notice though, there's not much here"
"To do through out the day"
Again, she looked me over
I'll tell you how it made me feel
Like I'd been cornered by a cougar
And I was her next meal

I was heading no place special
And as I look around
I think I'm here
I was heading no place special
And as I look around
I think I'm here




I went on stage that night to start
Singing songs and rambling
I knew most of the ones they asked
On the others I was gambling
I mumbled through and had them sing
So I could learn the words
And as for what I didn't know
Well, I do not think they heard

Made forty bucks in tips first night
I think I'll gonna stay
You know "Piano Man" on the guitar
ain't bad tenth time you play
I sang of seeing doctors and of trucks and vintage cars
Of Redneck Family Reunions
And of looking at the stars

I started out for no place special
Now, I've find it I might stay
For the folks in no place special
All kind of roll my way
I started out for no place special
Yes, I know I'm gonna stay
For the folks in no place special
All kind of roll my way

My daughter came home sunday
And pronounced as loud as hell
I got married on vacation
And there's plenty here to tell
From now on it's a new thing
At Christmas, here's the test
Before we eat our dinner
By a rabbi, it is blessed
Her mother, not the sharpest
Thought a bit, and with a grin
Said, if we sit down with a rabbi
Would he truly , well...fit in?
My daughter said, well Mama
The man that I just wed
Is jewish so I'm changing
I felt a pounding in my head
From now on a menorah
Would be needed in the house
My wife said, no more pets here
Your brother has a mouse
My daughter said, no mama
It's a special, holy thing
Where you light up eight blessed candles
And enjoy the holiness they bring
My wife, said, Oh I knew that
I was testing, that was all
I'll put one on my shopping list
I'll go and buy one at the mall
My daughter then continued
there's other changes that will come
I just stood there, headache pounding
I was feeling deaf and dumb
The Christmas Tree will have to go
No turkey, kosher food
No crackers or old stockings
They may think of these as rude
At this point I exploded
No Christmas Tree, no way
Little girl, this is my house, my dear
Now, listen as I say
The tree will be as always
In the corner by the fire
the stocking hung with tender care
With nails and picture wire
The turkey will be 20 pounds
At least, stuffed full of bread
Kosher food, if served here
Will be only if I'm dead
Christmas is my holiday
It's in my house, where I am boss
And I say we have a turkey
And pray to Jesus on the Cross
A Kosher Kristmas in this house
May never come to pass
We can celebrate at your new home
Got it straight, my little lass
In my house I'm the ruler
So don't come in with something new
In my house we are Christian
And we celebrate a jew
We will welcome your new husband
To our home at Christmas time
But, while you're in this dwelling
The rules in force are mine
If you want a Kosher Kristmas
I think it is a good idea
If you celebrate together
But you do not do it here....

A man known as "The Master"
came to speak to our small town
He was revered as a wise man
And he always dressed in brown
He answered every question
Though his answers did confuse
He was more of a rainmaker
A charlatan, a ruse
For twenty bucks he'd let you in
To hear him speak about the world
His hair, was just a birds nest
And his beard was braided, twirled
I went to see this magii
Find out answers about life
I asked him if he knew the truth
He said, "I see you've met my wife"
I asked him what his answer meant
He said "she always asks me the same thing"
"like, when I've lost the rent"
"Master, all I want to know
Can true happiness come to man"
"If you've money, ***** and three drunk broads"
"Then son, I'd say you can"
"Master, that's not what I mean"
"Then, just why did you ask?"
"I didn't mean that happiness"
He took a sip from his small flask
I sat and looked about me
At the crowd around his feet
I was more confused than ever
And was getting dizzy from the heat
Another man stepped forward asking
"Master, tell us about love"
"didn't you read about the broads
"About thirteen lines above"
"Love..it is confusing"
"It's always different every day"
"If you want love that never changes"
"Then my boy, you'll have to pay"
"I'm not sure that's what I need"
"To hear, Is it the truth?"
"I see you've met my wife as well"
"A big girl, red head...Ruth"
"No master, I just need to know"
"Before I choose a bride"
"Well, make sure you can see the tv"
"When she's lying on her side"
"Always mark the ***** bottle"
"Just in case...you know..me thinks"
"That way, you can always prove to her"
"That you haven't had three drinks"
"Master, this is way off base"
"I think you are a fraud"
"Young man, I know of what I speak"
"I see that you don't have a broad"
He too, sat down, head spinning
The master was confusing as all hell
But, we all sat here in his presence
Under this strange man's spirit spell
"Master, I have one more thing"
"I must know before I leave"
He said" it's two doors down and to the right"
As he wiped his nose upon his sleeve
"No, not that, I don't need that"
"I just need to know what's real"
"Do I believe in all around me?
"Do I believe in what I feel?"
"Christ", he said,"you are a pain"
"I can't answer things like that"
"I just know, who won last nights game"
"Do these pants make me look fat?
"You speak to me of truth and love"
"I know of  broads and trucks"
"The only truth I know is that"
"You've wasted twenty bucks"
"Master, you're a ripoff, sir"
"I guess this is a lesson in my life"
"You really do not know the truth"
"Are you sure you've not met my wife?"......

I have a son and daughter
They're alike as oil and water
I am proud to say that I'm their dad
since their mother died last autumn
Their only goal it seems,
Is to mess around and make the other mad

My daughter needs a mother
It's a role I'm forced to fill
I really wish my wife was still around
But, I think of how she'd handle
This little girl of ours
Although I know she's six foot underground

My son, he needs some guidance
That I just can not give
Emotions aren't a strong point in my book
He really needs his mother
To help him find his way
this mother thing deserves a second look

We're a rag tag group of people
A prince, A princess and their king
We lost our shining beacon late last year
I'm learning how to do things
That I never used to know
And my daughter has now learned to open beer

I used to be a father,
Who would send them on their way
Tell them "see your mother first, and then see me"
But, now I have no option
When decisions must be made
It seems to come back down to only me

I can tell my son to do stuff
Though I have to tell him twice
He always finds a way to get it done
When I tell my little princess
Exactly what to do
She tell me "Mum, would help me out and make it fun"

I know fishing and know hunting
I can fix most any car
I know all there is to know beneath a hood
But as far as being mother
It's a skill I have to learn
I just hope I'm doing all the things I should

The other day my daughter
Said "Dad, I need a bra"
I thought, good god, there's no one I could ask
Her granny lives in England
And her nana's in the states
So I guess it falls to me to do this task

I took her out last weekend
to buy a bra, Yes ...I said bra
This was a job her mother would have loved
But, here I was...her father
Trying to avert my eyes
Which gets real hard when pushing comes to shove

She bought her bra and smiled
As we walked out of the store
She laughed at me, and I laughed back as well
We'd shared a special moment
Between a princess and her king
It's a story to my son I will not tell

We bonded as a mother
and a father and his princess
We had a day and jeez we had some fun
I'm really glad my daughter
Told me "Dad, I need a bra"
Cause I never want to hear that from my son!!

Winds were picking up again
Another storm was due
Would it be just like Katrina
Or would it just be an F2?

Windows boarded, cars filled up
Mandatory evacuation
Leaving their homes to stand
Alone in a dangerous situation

Among it all a flower
Grabbing on to gods green earth
Just flexing with the winds that blow
Waiting for the new storms birth

The storm will hit, the levees break
Again FEMA is on sight
And just like every other time
They never get it right

Each time the water comes in
Another parish, another town
No one comes back home to claim
What Mother Nature just beat down

Among it all a flower
Grabbing on to gods green earth
Just flexing with the winds that blow
Waiting for the new storms birth

Another storm, another season
Another choice to make
Do we come back home again this time?
Or would that be a big mistake?

Do we take the brunt of natures force?
Stay, and not know if we will die?
Do we stay here and ride out the storm?
Do we take the chance to die?

And through it all a flower
Rides the storm out to the end
I pray that those who choose to stay
Were like the flower and could bend.

Rolled into town
With a chip on my shoulder
Big as a boulder
Footloose and free

I went to my woman
I stood there and told her
I thought we should fold her
Now it's just me

Love isn't easy
It's more than a game
You play what you're dealt
And there's no one to blame
Do something wrong
It's more of the same
Love isn't easy for me
NO....Love isn't easy for me

Needed some time
Found an old city bar
me and my guitar
Had two shots and a beer

Had me a drink
From an old, cracked fruit jar
Thick as coal tar
What it was, wasn't clear

Love isn't easy
It's more than a game
The players may change
The result's still the same
Think too ******* it
It'll drive you insane
Love isn't easy for me
NO...Love isn't easy for me

Went to the jukebox
Put some cash in
It was just then
my phone, signalled me

My ex said hey baby
Let's try it again
I counted to ten
It's my guitar and me

Love isn't easy
It's a new kind of hell
You think you're ok
But, you never can tell
Instead of in love
I wish I'd just fell
Love isn't easy for me
NO...Love isn't easy for me


Rolled into town
With a chip on my shoulder
Big as a boulder
Footloose and free

Everyday I walk the gauntlet
down the street full of despair
No one looking up at me
But, they know that I am there
"Mister, can you spare some change"
"I need a coffee and a meal"
They all just sit there begging
I can't know how they feel

Cardboard signs expressing life
Shadows and wratihs along the walk
I try to block out what they say
I don't want to hear them talk
Some are dressed in paupers rags
While others in name brands
Each day I walk the gauntlet
Past their pleas and outstretched hands

"Mister, can you spare some cash?"
"A coffee would be nice"
I donot make eye contact
I choose not to roll the dice
I can't look down and notice them
I can not help them all
I can only walk and wonder
Just how far did they fall?

"Mister, can you help me out?"
""I'm only two bucks short"
Some sit here from five to nine
Then they choose a different port
Last week a voice reached out to me
From a shadow no one cast
I recognized the voice, it was
A person from my past

"Mister, can you spare a bit?"
"I'm just down on my luck"
I stopped and stood and waited as
My very breath was ******
I knew this voice, it's owner was
A man I worked with once
Many, many years ago
Back at old A.F.T. Hunts

I turned and looked upon him
This old man on the side
His eyes looked clear on through me
He wouldn't know me if he tried
He said "I'm only waiting for"
"something else to come along"
"I don't feel right, sitting, begging"
"In a few days I will  be gone"

I reached inside and pulled a bill
five dollars I would give
I knew when he had everything
Now, this is how he lives
I thought before I gave it him
This could easily be me
I knew exactly who'd he'd been
But, he still did not seem to see

I told him to take care and then
I moved on down the street
Not knowing where'd he go to next
If he'd go somewhere warm to eat
I only knew it wasn't far
to reach the gauntlet of despair
But I think from then, I'd never act
As though they were not there.

There was a crooked man
And he had a crooked smile
He had all crooked teeth
they'd been crooked for a while

He had a crooked house
on a crooked little road
with a crooked little garden
with a crooked little toad

He had a crooked dog
with a crooked little tail
he had a crooked mailbox
for his crooked little mail

he had some crooked dreams
in his crooked little bed
he saw crooked little monsters
in his crooked little head

he had two crooked children
with his crooked little spouse
they weren't with the crooked man
he was a crooked little louse

he ate his crooked dinner
off of crooked little plates
he lived in crooked silence
behind his crooked little gate

this crooked little man
and his crooked little self
is in a crooked urn
up on a crooked little shelf

his crooked heart attacked him
on a crooked little ride
his crooked body gave on out
and the crooked man...just died

Two Russian men were walking through Red Square one afternoon
When one said "My dear Sergei, why must you go so soon"
Sergei said "Leon, I must go and clean my share"
"The house is really ***** and my wife she is not there"
"She's at the little garden that we have just up the street"
"We grow food there for the neighbors, all to come and eat"
"We share it for we're equals and it works out really well"
"It's a little communistic, even though that idea fell"
"So, Sergei, if I ask you if you'd share one of your goats
"I'd give it to you Leon, to use for meat and coats"
"If I asked you for some grain, would you share with me some wheat"
"I'd even help you mill it for to make some bread to eat"
"You are a good man Sergei, a communist at heart"
"I thank you for your comments, and know you do your part"
"I've seen you, Leon, helping people on their way"
"And I've seen you clearing driveways, just the other day"
"So Sergei, if I asked you for one car of your two"
"If I had them Leon, you know one was for you"
"You'd share with me your ***** if you had a bottle free"
"One is yours dear Leon, and the other is for me"
"You are a good friend Leon to me this fact you've shown"
"I have just one more question before I head off home"
"If you had two daughters, would you let me have one?"
"No, You know I have two daughters, you're drunk and we are done!

In between the day we met
we shared smiles, we shared tears
There were lots good times baby
That we had over the years

In between our fighting
We were both on the same side
But the rift that formed between us
Is now just too **** wide

In between the In betweens
Is where the memories lie
In between the In betweens
Is where love goes to die
In between the In betweens
was something....
something we will never have again
In between the In betweens
was magic....
Magic can't take us back from now to then

In between our arguments
We really had a time
We made the best of it
We were partners in crime

In between the excuses
We hid a lot of hurt
Once we said I Love You
At the end...nary a word

In between the In betweens
Is where the memories lie
In between the In betweens
Is where love goes to die
In between the In betweens
was something....
something we will never have again
In between the In betweens
was magic....
Magic can't take us back from now to then

Cherish all the in betweens
For that's where true love lies
But, beware of all the in betweens
For it's where love also dies

His light is out
But, the sky is brighter
Prisoner 46664
The Worldly fighter

His battle over
The fight still on
Prisoner 46664
His being gone

A man of compassion
Now at rest
His Legacy now
Will be the true test

His body is resting
His light in the sky
A man of the people
No Madiba....No Cry

The trick or treater stood before me
Dressed like someone from a story
He was looking good but really gory
I knew just who he was

The blood looked real and really icky
I knew the kid, his name was Mickey
The dried blood it looked really sticky
He never said a word

Zombie like, he stood there staring
It was a fantastic costume he was wearing
I'm sure that most kids he was scaring
He held his bag up high

I reached behind to give him candy
The treats were close, I had them handy
I gave him chocolate, a bar called "Dandy"
He smiled and walked away

I watched him leave and said "good haunting"
I hope he gets all that he's wanting
He looked at me, like I was taunting
He didn't understand

Each year he goes out trick or treating
One year poor Mickey took a beating
While he was standing, and his candy eating
He's never been the same

He's 24 and no one cares
It's not the same if he's not there
He always comes and stands and stares
Mickey is our favourite ghoul

I'm looking for an answer
As I move from town to town
I leave a trail of empty bottles
For the voices I must drown

Nothing in each bottle
Not an answer in the glass
But, I'm still looking for an answer
To a question life has asked

Bottle after bottle
In each tavern and each bar
I travel round by greyhound
I long sold off my car

I leave a trail of empties
And of cigarettes and dope
Looking for an answer
Looking for some hope

I'm sure it was a question
And I know I heard it clear
I think I was on my seventh bourbon
Or maybe my ninth beer

I can not quite remember
Where I heard the voices first
Were they asking me a question
Or responding to my thirst
I'm looking for the answer
To a question, that I think
Was asked to me by voices
That I heard once in a drink



The voices are much louder now
They will not quiet down
I have to find the answer
I just have to find the town

Nowhere in my memory bank
Is there space for one more voice
I have to find the answer
Or I have to make a choice

Do I keep on looking for
The answer in the glass
How do I turn the voices off
And put them in the past

I know a million taverns
Like some folks know the stars
They look up to find their answers
I just keep looking for the bars

I leave trail of bottles
And I look in every glass
'cause somewhere there's an answer
To a question I was asked

I can not quite remember
Where I heard the voices first
Were they asking me a question
Or responding to my thirst
I'm looking for the answer
To a question, that I think
Was asked to me by voices
That I heard once in a drink

Every morning my day starts
With nothing on my page
But, the book I write as time goes on
Is thicker as I age

Everyday I learn some more
And I fill the page with ink
With things that have me questioning
Just the way I think

Empty pages surrounded me
When I was just a youth
But, if I sit and read them now
I find more of the truth

I didn't know a thing back then
In fact I know less than before
So, I fill the pages with my questions
That's what the book is for

Things I loved no longer here
People who've moved on
Times of truly reckoning
Those times have come and gone

Tomorrow is another day
I guess I'll write some more
I'll fill the empty pages
For that's just what they're for

We Three Guys (We Three Kings)
by Roger Turner on Thursday, 11 August 2011 at 17:20 ·

We're 3 guys who ride on the bus
Please take a good look at us
We have no home, or a cell phone
There's Me and Bob and Gus
Chorus
Sally Ann will take you in
Eat off plates that look like tin
There's no fear there, and there's cheer there
Please may we 3 come in


All we have we wear on our backs
We don't have to pay income tax
It's not funny, we've no money
Yes, these are all the sad facts
(CHORUS)
I once used to have a good job
Now I dress myself like a slob
I'm a good dude, though I look rude
Greetings, my name is Bob
(Chorus)
We don't want for you to feel shame
There is no one for you to blame
Folks ignore us, some abhor us
We look at them the same
(Chorus)
I am Gus and I'm not well off
Lately, I've developed a cough
Could be TB, may just **** me
Then I'd be better off
(Chorus)
I am Paul, and these are my friends
Our good will to you we will send
Come and join us, riding our bus
Riding it Till the end.

Remember the day
when you said I do
To the love of your life
Your best friend

You stood there
with wishes
and dreams to get done
You never though that it would end

Two ships passing on lifes ocean
Get together with a notion
That love will keep them strong
A little bit of life's emotion
Start a hell of a commotion
Then you know you're wrong

You stood up in white
And he was in grey
A stereo typical pair
All of your family
and friends shared the day
all of the people who care

Now that you're married
The next thing to do
Is to start upon having a kid
You stood up before us
And you both said I do
But we know you already did

Two ships passing on lifes ocean
Get together with a notion
That love will keep them strong
A little bit of life's emotion
Start a hell of a commotion
Then you know you're wrong

Have you ever had a hair day
Where things just won't go right?
You looked okay last evening
And not bad late last night

You wake up and it's frizzy
Kind of going everywhere
It's like someone took a cattle ****
And then they  ran it through your hair

You comb it down and it gets puffy
Even worse than from the start
You look again, you've got an afro
And you can't even find the part

You gel it up and instant *****
You look like mafioso ****
You now choose to go *******
And you use gel as thick as gum

You look like an unwashed Donnie Brasco
Hair all limp and full of grease
But at least it's not all puffy
You've lost the part but have a crease

You wet it down and nothing happens
the water beads on all the goo
You choose to go and have a shower
In fact you choose to go have two

The only reason that I wrote this
I tell the truth, this ain't a fib
It's just that when I woke this morning
I looked the same as Barry Gibb

The Old Man sat out front and watched
As the sky started to change
The clouds were forming quickly
They were looking rather strange

He said "It's time to round  'em up"
"Get ready for a ride"
"We've got to get the horses"
"And get them all inside"

"A day, maybe two at most"
"We'd best get set to hunker down"
"It won't be long before"
"We see more white than brown"

"Those clouds on the horizon"
"The way they dip and make that hole"
"That's the Window Into Winter"
"On that, I'd bet my soul"

He walked into the bunkhouse
Grabbed his gear, and looked around
He yelled, "That's The Window Into Winter"
"Snow, will soon be on the ground"

Now, normally, the clouds roll in
There's a storm and then the snow
With The Window Into Winter
It gives us time, it lets us know

"Someone get a list made"
"We need supplies, and need them fast"
"That Window won't stay open"
"It's gonna close, it will not last"

"Heed the Window into Winter"
"It gives us one more chance before"
"Jack Frost and all his helpers"
"Come knocking at our door"

Now, remember when you see it
Between the clouds up in the sky
There's a hole between the mountains
And that says, that Winter's nigh

It's The Window Into Winter
Now get along and get to work
Bring the horses in and hurry
There's things to do, so do not shirk

Once the hole has closed up tightly
And the clouds are all but one
Then The Window Into Winter
Will be no more, the fall is done.

I looked into my mirror
Saw my grandad looking back
I wondered where'd he come from
And how'd I send him back

I didn't see myself there
And my dad's not there at all
I know I saw my grandad
My dad...he's not that tall.

I know I've got dads smile
And I've still got my own hair
But, staring from my mirrow
I saw my Grandad standing there

I know it wasn't me there
I do not look that bad
The face in the reflection
Was looking pretty sad

I know I have his aches and pains
And in my head I am still me
Like I said, my dad is shorter
So....who the hell'd I see?

I've got an idea, that's just too weird to be real
But, if we could get it to work, I'll let you in on the deal
It's a way to fix things, that's as easy as pie
When I say what it is, you'll just sit and cry
You won't need a mechanic when the car goes to ***
You won't need any makeup to cover that spot
The roof has a leak, don't call for repairs
The window is broke, act as though it's not there
Your tooth hurts like crazy, no dentist to call
Don't call a contractor for that crack in the wall
The baby's still crying, leave the doctor alone
The dog ate your homework, just throw him a bone
The bank just got robbed, don't call for the cops
Don't sit there just waiting for the next shoe to drop
The answer is simple, you won't believe it....I know
But if we could get it to work, our wealth sure would grow
It's a thing so **** simple, that we do in the loo
I know that we do it, and I'm sure you do too
It's a thing just as easy as lighting a candle
to make problems go ****....just jiggle the handle !
If we could apply something this simple to our problems each day
It would be so **** easy...and they'd go away
So before you go crazy, overwhelmed with the world
Just think of this answer that I have unfurled
Remember it now...just like lighting a candle
You can make them go ****...just jiggle the handle.

The bus pulled up and I got on

It was empty, 'cept for two

A lady sitting at the front

And a man all dressed in blue

The lady sat in front alone

Her parcels by her side

The man, he stood alone in back

And I got on for my ride.

The sign in front said "Do Not Smoke"

Capacity...that's blurry

I couldn't see it from where I sat

But, I was in no hurry

I walked on up, to check it out

And read the aged old sign

It said "seating room is 63"

And standing ...twenty nine

I reached my stop and I got off

Not thinking much I guess.

But that man was still way in the back

And that lady in her dress

Was motionless up in the front,

Her parcel by her side

They hadn't moved since I got on

And it was an hour ride

Others joined us on the bus

But all were gone before

There was just these two,  still motionless

When I walked out the door.

Each day for weeks I rode this bus

And each day,  like before

The lady sat down front alone

And the man, behind the door

It never made much sense to me

He never changed his spot

It was if he were a sentinel

To guard this bus...his lot

One day I asked the driver

Why he never did sit down

He said "You must be new here"

"You can't be from this town"

I said "Why did that matter?"

He just laughed and looked at me

"It's never gonna change here"

"There's a certain courtesy"

I didn't understand him

And he never put forth more

So, I went on down the bus aways

And I sat  just by the door

I passed my stop and rode a while

While others filtered through

Then all at once the lady rose

Followed by the man in blue

She left out front, him through the back

And it left me there alone

Well, except for the old driver

So, I rode around to home

I saw as we drove past them

On our return route down the Strand

The lady and The Man in Blue

Were walking, holding hands

I thought "What gives?, they sit apart"

She forward, him in back

Now here they are together

They're a train on the same track

I asked the driver to explain

This sight that I had seen

He said "Just wait a minute"

"And it won't seem so extreme"

He stopped the bus and came to me

And he walked past the back door

"See that faded line there miss"

As he pointed to the floor

I looked real close and there it was

It was a line in pastel blue

"Now, listen here's some history"

"This is something new to you"

"Way back when, a lifetime back"

"Segregation ruled the land"

"You didn't mix outside your race"

"You would never understand"

"The line there on the floor shows"

"Where the buses made their mark"

"The white folks stood on the drivers side"

"And the back was for the dark"

"skinned folks who rode with us"

"I know it don't sound fair"

"But that's the wasy it was back then"

"I know, 'cause I was there"

"This couple...they confuse you"

"Her in front and him in back"

"Did you ever stop and notice"

"She is white and he is black?"

"But, that's not the way things are today"

I said, still unsure of these two

He said "I know, my dear"

"But this way's all they knew"

"They've been a pair for twenty years"

"They've rode this bus for more"

"When he first rode, it was so bad"

"He came through the back door"

"He couldn't get on through the front"

"They wouldn't let him pass"

"In fact once some one threatened"

"him, they would soak him down with gas"

"So he went on back, through the back door"

"And then he crossed that line"

"And he's been doing so for sixty years"

"He's done it all this time"

"I never charge them to get on"

"I charge them when they leave"

I said "I don't see them pay"

He smiled and scratched his sleeve

"I never charge them money"

"No, that just would not be right"

"I tell them to just get safe home"

"And  to have a lovely night"

"The next day when they board the bus"

"She smiles and looks at me"

"And as I look down to the back"

"I smile...and so does he"

"I know that it is different"

"But down here, it was the way"

"And this white girl and this black man"

"helped to show me shades of grey"

"He'll always ride in back there"

"And she'll be in front with me"

"But, you know that they're so happy"

"And that's why they ride for free"

Looking out my window
There's two birds watching me
A black one and a red one
Both are sitting in my tree

One as red as fire
The other dark as night
A squirrel runs between them
Neither one takes flight

Red bird, oh red bird
Watching over me
Red bird, oh red bird
Just what is it you see?

The black bird is the devil
With eyes as black as coal
He'll be watching from a distance
When they put me in my hole

The red bird he is special
Always watching over me
And when I go to heaven
Beside me he will be

Red bird oh red bird
watching over me
red bird oh red bird
just what is it you see?

The blackbird switches branches
Planning how he'll get my soul
But, he'll be watching from a distance
When they put me in my hole

Silent, never moving
Both are sentinels, like stone
But, I know it is the red bird
Who'll be there when I go home

red bird oh red bird
what is it you see?
red bird oh red bird
watching over me
red bird oh red bird
watching over me

I found a box of words today

In a corner of my mind

I think my brain tucked them away

In a place I'd never find

The box was black and dusty

Full of words I rarely use

I think my brain had hid them

While I suffered from the blues

Words like "hate" and "prejudice"

Words that hurt and maim

I didn't know the box was there

Now, I've found it just the same

Now, what to do with this old box

And the words that are inside

These are true words of avoidance

Words I guess I thought had died

I don't know what just made me

Go into this corner of my head

I must have eaten Mexican

Before I went to bed

But, now I have a box of words

I can not use or sell

And some I see are pretty bad

So, I guess it's just as well

I'll put the box away again

And I'll hide it in my brain

And I'll keep these dark words buried

For to use them is insane.

Eleven days until Christmas
And twenty angels got their wings
Their families won't celebrate
All the joy that Christmas brings

Up in heaven, dear St. Peter
Met the twenty at the gates
He said "Welcome children I give you love...
though I'm sure it's not your date"

He checked the records for their names
And said "I'm sure that something's wrong"
"You all are here too early...
This is not when you belong"

An herald angel came on down
And told St. Peter, it was true
they were victims of a devil
Who did the evil that men do

One child, ventured forward
And she asked "what of us now"
St. Peter said "you'll help God"
"and I will show you how"

"The world will mourn your passing
You'll stay forever in the hearts
Of your friends and of your parents
And that's just for a start"

"You will stay forever here as angels"
"You will help with many things"
Eleven days until Christmas
And Twenty Angels got their wings.