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I bounce around from town to town
Never really laying roots
My world is in my duffle
With a second pair of boots

I muddle through with what I have
I'm always on the road
With my thoughts, and few possessions
That's me, always on the go

I do not have a fixed address
My thumb, it leads the way
I've woken up in farmers fields
I've slept near bales of hay
My thumb, it is my compass
I don't reside too long
I move around at random
I'm a lyric with no song

I've slept beneath a starlit sky
Woken up in feather beds
I don't know where I'll be each day
Or where I'll lay my head

I've lived down by the train tracks
Woken up as they go by
I've cavorted with a scarecrow
As the birds still filled the sky

I do not have a fixed address
My thumb, it leads the way
I've woken up in farmers fields
I've slept near bales of hay
My thumb, it is my compass
I don't reside too long
I move around at random
I'm a lyric with no song



I do not like to stick around
To linger, that's not me
When I start to getting comfortable
It's time to leave, be free

I have no one that I'm close to
For to leave would cause them pain
The world is there to travel
And, well....now, I'm off again...
1.2k · Feb 2013
Another lost friend (for Al)
Do not weep for our dear friend
Think of him this night
In terms that he would really love
Nascar turned him "right"
We lost a friend we loved today
Our family down by one
Remember Al in your own way
He's now a star, a blazing sun
A father, granddad, brother
A friend to all who crossed his path
A man to share a story with
A man to share a laugh
A green, white, checkers finish
Is the way our friend lived his time
He was a mentor to so many
I'm glad that his path did cross mine
I will toast his life in honour
Break out the port and praise his name
For I am proud I knew him
And I hope you all feel the same
We all share many stories
Of our time with our dear friend
And though we're hurt so by his passing
The tales we tell will never end
A hangover on drambuie
A trip to watch a race
Each story shared is special
Each story has it's place
Remember now our friend Al
How he'd laugh and tell a joke
He'd not want us to weep for him
But, to go and sneak a smoke.....
For Al Craddock. RIP our friend.
1.2k · Feb 2014
Writers Block Blues
I got my guitar
i'm sittin' here
writing songs
and drinking beer
written nothing
you'd want to hear
really...nothing...squat

no one bugs me
working hard
the kids are
playing in the yard
the dog is sleeping
keeping guard
I've nothing...bupkiss...squat

I've got the writers block blues
can't write nothing...'cept bad news
I've got the writers block blues
got nothing to lose
while I've got the writers block blues

had some words
but  no melody
not a **** note
has  come to me
i'm writing
a silent symphony
I've got bupkis,, nada,,,squat

last one I wrote
wasn't  mine
nice and easy
in three quarter time
turned out it was
Patsy Cline's
I've got bupkiss, nada, squat

I've got the writers block blues
can't write nothing...'cept bad news
I've got the writers block blues
got nothing to lose
while I've got the writers block blues
Dear Lord, please hear my prayer
Each night I ask the same
I'm sure you know me well by now
So, I will not leave my name
My husband is a soldier
Doing duty overseas
I pray you have a moment
to listen to me, please
We have two growing children
And they need their dad around
Please see he gets home safely
Once he's safely homeward bound
I'm sure you hear from others
With the same request as me
Please Lord, give them an answer
Give a sign for all to see
We ask for our young children
They're the ones in need
Please keep our soldiers safe Lord
Once they've planted freedoms seed
I count each day I ask you
I tie a ribbon to a tree
Bring them home for all of us
Don't just bring them home for me
Of all the yellow ribbons
On all the Old Oak Trees
Please Lord, I ask you
I am here upon my knees
Our soldiers left in earnest
Please keep them alive
Let them do their duty
Please keep them safe 'till they arrive
I'll be back again tomorrow
And my prayer will be the same
Like I said, I'm sure you know me
So, I will not leave my name
1.2k · Oct 2012
Retroactive abortion
If abortion was retroactive
How many folks would be gone
If parents could choose a do over ?
1.2k · Jan 2020
gunfighter
I'm a graying aged gunfighter
Time to get out of the game
I can not see to shoot my gun
I can not see to aim

I used to be the best there was
The top of every list
Now I can't hit a **** barn door
I shot at one and missed

I could out draw anyone
Who faced me on the street
Now, I'm more than likely
To put a bullet 'tween my feet

I play a little poker now
Spend my days just passing time
I break even mostly
The way I play, well, that's a crime

No one round here knows me
They don't know about my past
To them I'm just a codger
I don't do one **** thing fast

I noticed things were changing
Ten years back I'd say
I had a gun fight in Dodge City
And it didn't go my way

I threw down with some punk kid
He was drunk and really ******
I got my gun stuck in my holster
He fell down, he shot, he missed

I walked to him now laying
In the street, out cold, not dead
I took his gun and holster
And then went home to bed

A gunfighter of substance
Would have killed me where I stood
Was I lucky he was drunk then?
Or was I losing it for good?

I packed my stuff up in the morning
I left the town later that night
The next fighter might be sober
And I'd not survive that fight

I took off for the desert
Made plans just where I would go
A state where I could hide out
Where my past, no one would know

On the way I stopped and practiced
Shot some cactus and some trees
I was shooting though at rabbits
I can't survive here eating these

One day, a rogue coyote
Came and took me by surprise
I shot a tree, it fell on him
I aimed between his eyes

The sooner I got settled
The safer I would feel
Too much longer in the desert
I'd end up some varmints tasty meal

I rode on in to where I am
I can't tell you just what town
I've got to keep it secret
Or I may just get shot down

I have a small room at the hotel
I play cards to pay the rent
I speak with a slightly muddled accent
I try to be a southern gent

I've been here now for near six months
The town is growing fast
So, my time here might be cut short
With the future, comes my past

For now I just play poker
An old gunfighter at heart
One day I know they'll find me
I'll go to boot hill in a cart

I'm an aged old gunfighter
There's not many still around
I'm hiding now from my last gunfight
That will put me six feet in the ground.
1.2k · Jul 2012
Warning from a friend
Skin cancer isn't funny
so cover up when it is sunny
so slather on all sorts of ointment on your skin

It might just be a rumour
Every skin tag's not a tumour
You don't want to think  of what just might have been

If you find you have a pimple
On your back or in your dimple
Go and get it checked out all the same

You don't want to die of cancer
When you could have had the answer
You have to know that cancer's not a game

So, do not be indignant
It might just be malignant
check it out before the nightmare comes to pass

See a doctor if you're worried
Go real fast as if you're hurried
You don't want your name read out in your church mass

I hope you get my meaning
And you know which way I'm leaning
I don't want to hear you died when you should not

Take care and do inspections
Of all your parts and sections
Remember, this is the only life that you have got.
1.2k · Apr 2012
Going Out To See The Trees
She gathered her belongings

Checked her purse for her house keys

She was going outside today

She was gonna see the trees

The colors now were beautiful

The leaves had all now changed

She was going out alone this time

It was going to be strange

She was looking at the painting

Mother nature had laid out

Of reds and golds and browns and such

And so, she chose to venture out

She checked her purse again to see

That her house keys were inside

She was going out by taxi

She was going for a ride

From where she lived she saw no trees

She only saw more walls

In fact she rarely ventured out

She never went out in the halls

For forty years that she'd been here

The neighborhood had switched

From one with houses and nice trees

To one that looked bewitched

She moved here back in sixty two

The new hi-rise on the block

There were parks and it was nicer then

You could go outside and walk

But the years went by and things, they changed

The old houses all came down

New hi-rise buildings all went up

It had become a low-rent town

There were no more parks to go  to

The street lights, most were dark

You couldn't walk alone past five

You no longer heard dogs bark

The gangs moved in, but still she stayed

She wouldn't move, this was her home

Her husband died in ninety four

And now she was alone

She would not leave, this was her place

She was the first one to move in

She wouldn't leave when her Georgie died

And she would not  move for them.

The police checked in on her each week

They begged her not to stay

There were shootings, muggings all that stuff

But each time she told them "Nay"

For eighteen years she'd never left

She'd never been outside

Her groceries were delivered

And every week she'd tried

To leave her little prison, that had become her cell

But every time she tried to leave

She'd look out and she'd see hell

What kind of life did she now live

Where she couldn't see the cars

She'd had two pairs of blackout drapes

And her windows all had bars

It was not what she had started with

But, still it was her home

But she never ventured out of it

She just always stayed alone

At night she'd hear things and she'd cry

to get herself to rest

For once she knew this neighborhood

It was her city's best

But today, she'd made her mind up

She would venture out that door

She would take herself out to the trees

She would go see them once more

once more she checked her handbag

And she found her keys were there

And then she put her purse back down

And she went back to her chair

She'd never go outside again

No trees would she 'ere see

She would stay inside her unit

Behind the bars in five oh three
..
1.2k · Oct 2013
On the eleventh day.....
On the eleventh day
Of the eleventh month
At the eleventh hour
Silence rings out loudly
As free people stand
In silent tribute
Heads down
And Chest out proudly

When the silence rules the land
What is inside your head
Are you thinking of those who lived
Are you thinking of the dead
The silence is a moment
To be thankful to be free
To reflect upon the price paid
For the unborn, you, and me

When the silence rules the land
Truly, do what's right
Think of those who aren't here
Those who've gone into the light
Think, would I ever do this
Could I do what these men did
They died as men, as soldiers
When they left, most...still a kid

On the eleventh day
Of the eleventh month
At the eleventh hour
When you stand and wait
Think of all those soldiers
Who passed the pearly gates
Think, of all your treasures
And, think....my life is quite nice
Because freedom isn't free to have
Freedom comes with a high price
1.2k · May 2017
ghosts on the water
Captains courageous
Out hunting for whale
Ghosts on the water
Still under sail

Whales are all gone now
Time goes so fast
Ghosts on the water
Still a'fore the mast

Yesterday beckons
But no one can see
The ghosts on the water
Still sailing the sea

Hunting for schools
That no longer exist
Ghosts on the water
Sail on in the mist

Captains courageous
Out hunting for blue
Souls lost in stasis
A captain and crew

Looking for something
Fighting waves and the gales
Ghosts on the water
Still under sail

A sailor's adventure
Going where the wind blows
When will the sea bite?
Nobody knows

Ships nonexistent
Hunting whales also lost
Ghosts on the water
Whatever the cost
1.1k · Aug 2019
The Christmas Letter
Christmas was just two days away
The letters were all sorted
One of them was pulled on out
And to Santa was reported

A young girl asked a question
Dear Santa, she did say
How can you love most everyone
Each and every single day?

You have your list of children
Some are naughty, some are nice
You review the list quite carefully
I'm told you check it twice

Santa read the letter
It gave the old man quite a jolt
A question from this little girl
Hit him like a  lightning bolt

She asked about the adults
How could Santa love them too?
Especially the bad ones
Who do the naughty things they do

What about the children
Who are not Christian in belief?
This short and simple letter
Was giving Santa Claus some grief

He thought about replying
Tell her how he felt this love
But, he knew he could do better
It was then push came to shove

He called down to the stables
Ordered Comet be made ready
He was told "It's nearly Christmas"
He won't be flying steady

Santa said "I need him"
"There's somewhere I must go"
"There's a little girl out there somewhere"
"And there is something she should know"

Santa went and got his parka
Comet readied for some air
Santa had to give his answer
He thought that this was fair

Two nights before Christmas
Santa set out, Comet too
To tell this girl his reason
It was something he should do

Somewhere down in Kansas
Sleeping deep inside her bed
The little girl was dreaming
Christmas thoughts did fill her head

Down the young girls chimney
Santa came without his sack
It was two days on from Christmas
And he knew that he'd be back

He crept up to her bedside
Leaned on in and whispered low
He told her, it was Santa
There is something you should know

I love all the worlds children
They are innocent and free
They choose to be so open
Innocence is the key

Innocence, it surrounds them
In time the innocence is lost
You aren't born to hate
Innocence burns off like frost

I love all the worlds  children
Adults once were children too
They were born without their darkness
The same as me and you

I love on different levels
That is why I have the list
That's why I double check it
To ensure no one's missed

So, I do not love them always
But for a short time,  I do
The change is loss of innocence
It isn't all that new

Believe and you will feel it
My love for all the world
Now sleep, and wait for Christmas
You are a special little girl

He left and she lay sleeping
He made it home by break of day
Comet went back to his stable
Santa put his suit away

He had a cocoa and a cookie
It  made him feel much  better
It had been a huge adventure
Started by a single letter

Keep the faith and innocence
In the season winter kissed
And know that every person out there
Is always on one list

Remember, write your letters
Ask your questions, do not fear
For maybe, maybe one day
Santa will come and whisper in your ear
1.1k · Sep 2019
A visit on Halloween
Two days to go
Then we're into November
Then thirty days on
We start on with December

The penultimate day
Before Halloween Eve
I was visited by...
well...read on and believe

I had just settled in
And was just off to bed
When I heard a small voice
And the voice, well...it said

"Roger, wake up"
I pulled my pillow in tight
The voice was the tacos
I had eaten that night

It said it again
More loudly and stern
"Roger, GET UP"
"You have so much to learn"

I rubbed at my eyes
The room was quite dim
Not sure if the ghost
Was a her or a him

It hovered about
A foot from the floor
"I'm the first one you'll meet"
"Later on, you'll meet more"

I said to the ghost
"Come back in December"
It said "Listen up..."
"you have lots to remember"

"A Halloween grinch"
"That is what you now are"
"Touch my hand, and we'll go"
"We have got to go far"

"What do you mean?"
I asked the spirit before me
It said "I am here to help out"
"just follow and see"

"you once had the spirit"
"Halloween was such fun"
"You would love to go out"
"Now, your spirit is done"

"Halloween is for children"
"Just leave me alone"
Then the spirit reared up
And it let out a moan

"Touch my hand now"
"Or the next ghost to creep"
"Into this bedroom
"your soul it will reap"

Against my free will
I did as the ghost said
I figured that if I didn't
I'd not get to bed

"Hold on and we're off"
"Heading backwards though time"
"To Halloween's past"
"To the scene of the crime"

The place where we landed
I knew as a small child
I saw my old friends from school
This was really quite wild

Trick or Treaters abound
Running from place to place
Dressed in flammable clothes
With cheap masks on their face

I saw the Ranger,
A pirate, or three
Then I looked and I noticed
That one pirate was me

"You loved running round"
"Getting candy and such"
"But, now something has changed"
"You don't like it too much"

The vision it faded
I was older but still
I was out trick or treating
It was still quite a thrill

"Remember the feeling"
"You had with your friends"
"We must bring it back"
"Before the night ends"

I looked and I smiled
At the costumes we wore
Yelling Trick or Treat loudly
As we knocked on each door

"My time it is waning"
"We must head on back"
"Another will come"
"To get you on track"

The next thing I knew
I was back in my room
The spirit had vanished
Then I heard a loud boom

"ROGER, GET DOWN HERE"
I heard from below
"WE HAVE TO GET MOVING"
"GET UP...DON'T BE SLOW"

I followed the voice
To the kitchen and there
I saw the largest ghost ever
Sitting drinking my beer

"I've looked all around"
"You haven't got candy"
"So, I grabbed a beer from the fridge"
"You could say it was handy"

I looked at the ghost
Dressed in orange and black
Where are we heading to?
And when will we be back?

He laughed at me then
Said "You'll be home in time"
"Touch my hand and we're off"
"Right now, you are mine"

I asked if the visions
I was going to see
Were recent incarnations
Of my friends and me

He answered "of course"
"You must see what you are"
The first stop we made
Was up the street at the bar

"See that sign there?"
"A big Halloween Dance"
"Are you going to that?"
I said "No, not a chance"

"I'll work if I must"
"I will drive all about"
"I'll go hide in my basement"
"So, I will not shell out"

"I hate Halloween"
"I just cannot abide "
"It's legalized begging"
"So, downstairs I will hide"

He showed me some houses
"They think just like you"
"Their porch lights are off"
"They hate Halloween too"

"See" I then said
"It isn't just me"
"It's gotten too costly"
"To give candy out free"

"Listen, you fool"
"That is not why it's done"
"Forget all the candy"
"Remember the fun"

"We have to get back"
"My time it draws near"
"We'll stop off in your kitchen"
"So, I can grab one more beer"

We arrived at my house
The spirit pointed and said
"Have you regained your spirit"
"Or is your spirit still dead?"

I said "maybe some"
Then he disappeared
Then the final ghost showed up
The one that I feared

It was dressed all in black
There was smoke all around
It was floating, not standing
Three feet off the ground

It said not a word
But, held it's hand to me
I thought , I'm not going
What was there to see?

We were off in a flash
I knew the street we were on
It was the one where I lived
The street lights were off, wires all gone

My house was in darkness
The front screen was ripped
I walked up to the house
And I suddenly tripped

There was garbage and lumber
All over the yard
Finding my way it the dark
Was really quite hard

There were eggs on my windows
And then a group of kids came
Then I smelled smoke
And then I saw the first flame

They were burning my house
And the others as well
The street was all vacant
It looked like urban hell

The spirit just floated
Did not utter one word
The sound of the burning
Was the last sound I heard

We went on from there
Saw kids at a party at school
The teacher told them
"Remember, our rule"

"Don't trick or treat children"
"Unless your parents come too"
"It's no longer safe"
"They must come out with you"

I said to the spirit
"Not safe? that just mad"
I though of the past
And the fun that I had

"It isn't the future"
"Say it's not true"
"I must make amends"
"I know what to do"

I awoke in the morning
Halloween was today
I got dressed in a hurry
And I got on my way

The first stop I made
was for candy and stuff
I spent eighty dollars
I hoped it was enough

I rushed home from work
Turned on my front light
I then dressed as a pirate
I would do it up right

I can't tell a soul
Who'd believe what I've seen
But, I can promise I'll never
forget Halloween.
When the saints...go marching in
Oh when the saints go marching in
Oh how I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Of all the saints, I want to know
The ones who write, I'd love to meet
Oh how I'd love to meet all the authors
When the saints go down the street

E.A. Poe...even Thoreau
Hemmingway would be ok
Mailer and Andrew Taylor
I'd learn to drink like a sailor
when these saints come strolling in

The Writers Guild...I'd be fulfilled
Meeting writers long since dead
Just think of what I'm learning
All that knowledge in their heads

I'd love to know, I'd love to know
Is Bill Shakespeare who we think?
Christie, Austen and Dickens
This is where the whole plot thickens
When the saints go marching in

Is it the best, of all the books
Is the bible just a tale
Can you think of someone better
When Melville speaks about a whale

Capote sits, while Chaucer reads
Bronte knits while Stoker bleeds
Oh how I want to be in that number
When these saints go marching in

The list goes on, oh on and on
There's just so many who've passed on
It's a list that leads by example
When these saints go marching in

Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
How I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
got the idea from watching the great Danny Kaye and Louis Armstrong sing Saints with musicians in the verse. It's weak, but, hell....I had some fun with it....I'm sure others can do more with other dead writers....I'd love to see your versions.
1.1k · Sep 2012
Semi-Conscious
Bill always had a problem
He was just a little off
When most kids caught a cold at school
Bill, he caught a cough

He always talked out loud without
raising up his hand
He was disruptive in the library
And so, poor Bill was banned

He sang the national anthem
to the tune of "The Old Gray Mare"
and he always challenged people
by making each request "a dare"

Bill was not quite normal
He was an enigma to us all
when the kids would all play baseball
Bill would go headbutt the ball

But, Bill he was quite special
Even though he's an odd duck
Bill was full of knowledge
When the topic turned to trucks

The kids all wrote an essay
About their favorite state
But, Bill confused the teacher
By writing, "F150s...they are great"
1.1k · Dec 2015
Christmas is Christmas
Christmas is Christmas
Wherever you are
You don't need a tree
Or a bright, shiny, star

Christmas is Christmas
It's a feeling inside
A feeling of sharing
A feeling of pride

Christmas is Christmas
Not X-mas, no way
It's the birthday of Jesus
Not just a day

Christmas is Christmas
alone or with friends
It's a season, a feeling
Of hope and amends

Christmas is Christmas
With snow or without
It's not just all presents
That this time is about

Christmas is Christmas
And I wish from afar
That you have a great one
...Wherever you are
1.1k · May 2012
Words
When people ask me "when you write, where do you get ideas"
I say sometimes they arrive at night, and other times from beers
I put words in an order that people seem to like
To me it is real easy, like riding on a bike
You can do it too I say, the words are all the same
Just write about the things you like, and make it like a game
Take things that go on naturally and give a little twist
Some will like what you just wrote and others will be ******
Now, take it one step further and give this one a try
Try to keep them twisted, but try to make them cry
Now some words fit together and they go together well
While others change in meaning, they shoot your writing all to hell
Certain words just do not work and to them I give a pass
It never made much sense to me when one says "plastic glass"
Jumbo shrimp is another phrase that I find quite confusing
But to George Carlin, these two words were really quite amusing
One word right now I'd like to use, and I don't want to be a hero
Is the one you know, that means nothing and that word now is ZERO
A zero is what's left when you take all things away
It can also be a person, like an actor in a play
It isn't easy to write this word alone and make it fun
And even when you pair it up, your work just isn't done
It changes things, negates, subtracts it's not an easy word
And in fact outside of math class, it's very rarely heard.
It doesn't come off positive and it doesn't make one laugh
To even use it properly, your work you have to craft
Other words and phrases can complicate things too,
For instead of just one meaning, there's some that might have two!
***** is one example of a word that goes both ways
And if you look down deep enough, there's humour in that phrase
I try to pair words up in ways I hope will not offend
I try to take some topics, twist them up and then I blend
Them all together to make it something new
Of all the poems I seem to write you may only see a few.
Now, back to words that don't make sense, and this to you I'll show,
The next word will be tolerate, you know...accepting, letting go,
Tolerance is something most accept, you know just let things  slide
But pair it up with other words and the doors just open wide
Just pair it up with zero and it means that's not allowed
Not now, and no not ever, not alone or in a crowd
But funny, how this phrase gets used and used and used again
It's like saying "Now...I've told you once...and I'll tell you yet again"
To me it means "your'e finished, you've broken all our trust"
"you've taken our **** rule book, and you've made it into dust"
To me it means final, the end, no more, you've ended up like Nero
I need to know, how many times there are that add to Zero!
Now, many words can hurt and sting and just aren't nice at all
These, I avoid and in a pinch, I work on back to "ball"
I'm glad that you have taken time to read my poems and verses
It's because of you that I stay sane, and stay away from Nurses
and Doctors who say, you're just mad, your mind it isn't right
So, I listen to their words, twist them up and say good night
Now, do yourself a favour, try and write something that's fun
You can show it off to others or you can be the only one,
That reads what you have written, you know it really could be good
But, you'll never know exactly...till you show it like you should.
1.1k · May 2014
I've said goodbye....
When things get settled
I start moving
It's the time to hit the trail
I take the chance to move along
by truck or car or rail

No ties to where I'm leaving
Where I'm headed
I don't know
But, when things start feeling settled
I know it's time for me to go

Friends, not many
Family...nope
Relationships...they don't exist
I only live on hope
I'm not around one place too long
i know the time to go
I've said goodbye so many times
I forgot how to say hello

Images of long ago
A father was not there
He'd leave when we were not around
Off to who knows where

I've seen so many broken hearts
I stopped counting at fourteen
I don't even try to know
The broken hearts I've seen

Friends, not many
Family...nope
Relationships...they don't exist
I only live on hope
I'm not around one place too long
i know the time to go
I've said goodbye so many times
I forgot how to say hello

I'm lonely, but I'm not alone
I'm by myself inside my head
I've memories of loves I've lost
got too close, so then I fled

I don't want to be a number
Just added to the list
I don't care to even try to count
The lips I've never kissed

Friends, not many
Family...nope
Relationships...they don't exist
I only live on hope
I'm not around one place too long
i know the time to go
I've said goodbye so many times
I forgot how to say hello
I've said goodbye so many times
I forgot how to say hello
1.1k · Sep 2016
A Falling Star
Last night I went out for a beer
Down to my local bar
While I was there I do believe
I saw a falling star

I ordered up a beer and shot
Sat down, to waste some time
When I heard a gruff voice rumble
Two seats down from mine

"Shut that juke box off barkeep"
"I can't stand to hear that voice"
"I'd rather rip my ears off"
"If I truly had the choice"

The barkeep wandered back a bit
Turned the sound down for a while
I kept on at my beer and then
I ordered two more, with a smile

"Send one down to him" I said
"Let him pick a song on me"
"He can choose whatever song he wants"
"And tell him, this one's free"

The barkeep served the beer on up
The man turned and looked my way
He said "I thank you for the beer, kind sir"
"But there's nothing there to play"

About an hour passed before
The band took to the stage
They broke into an old, old song
And the man, yelled out with rage

"I don't need to hear that song"
"I hate it, don't you know"
"Play anything else you want to play"
"But, cut that from your show"

The band continued playing
The man got mad as hell
"I hate that song, I told you"
"You can all now go to hell"

I watched the barkeep move in
He whispered close so none could hear
The man, sat back in silence
I wonder what was whispered in his ear

I ordered up a beer for me,
With two shots, and then moved stools
When I got beside me
He said "Do you think that I'm a fool?"

I said, "just have a drink bud"
"Let the band play what they want"
Then he turned and looked on through me
With dead eyes and face so gaunt

"Son, I wrote that ****** song"
"I sang it all my life"
"I wrote it for the one I loved"
"She used to be my wife"

"While I was  singing songs for her"
"She was flat out on her back"
"For everyone who came for me"
"She had two more in the sack"

"I used to play the music boy"
"And I used to play it well"
"Now, I'm just a stinking drunk"
"With one foot set in hell"

"I used to have a tour bus"
"Play two hundred shows a year"
"Now, I sit and wallow"
"I live on charity and beer"

"I started drinking on the road"
"Couldn't sing, I couldn't feel"
"I couldn't sing the words I wrote"
"The feeling wasn't real"

"I fell into a bottle, son"
"About ten years ago"
"I haven't reached the bottom yet"
"I've still a ways to go"

"She took my words away from me"
"Stomped my heart and made it dust"
"She took all I ever had"
"My words, my love, my trust"

"I thank you for the beer boy"
"But, I am just a hopeless case"
"I used to be a someone once"
"Now, I take up space"

The barkeep, set up two more beers
He said "These one's here  are free"
"Your words, they still have meaning"
"At least they do...to me"

The band struck up another
It was one that we all new
I could see him start to shaking
I guess he wrote this too

He told me boy "it's kinda tough"
"Knowing all I had is dead"
"I keep hearing myself singing these"
"But, only in my head"

"Three nights a week I spend the night"
"At the lockup, drunk as hell"
"Because, I just can't stand to hear my songs"
"And the stories that they tell"

I finished up, and shook his hand
Paid my tab and turned to go
From behind me, I heard "thank you"
"I just thought that you should know"

Tonight, I went out for a beer
I went to my local bar
Two seats from me I guess I saw
A real life falling star.
1.1k · Nov 2012
Christmas Simple
I put away the tree and lights
I packed the tags and wrap
I was doing Christmas a favor
I was not giving crap
I chose to make Christmas simple
the way it should really be
This year for our dinner
There was only to be three
Instead of "pop trance" singles
I played hymns instead
And I didn't hang a stocking
At the end of my old bed
I didn't watch the specials
That were all over my tv
I just spent time this Christmas
That's the most precious gift to me
I treasure the things I'm given
I treasure what I earn
But if you do this at Christmas
There's something you will learn
Christmas doesn't come in a package
On a tree or from a mall
Christmas comes from inside us
And it makes you feel quite small
I could feel the Christmas spirit
With every box I packed
It was there inside my being
I had found what Christmas lacked
This year I'm going simple
And I must say one thing more
This year for Christmas dinner
There'll be us three and one more
The Christmas spirit joined us
We had a simple, hearty feast
And although I'm going simple
I can say Merry Christmas...at the least.

Merry Christmas
People run and people hustle
They push and pull and tug and tussle
For what?

Lines extend around the block
Full of people set to go in hock
For what?

A crushing, living, breathing mass
Who won't subside to let one pass
For what?

Weather good or weather poor
They only want inside the store
For what?

A tale is told of victor's spoils
Of all their silly, shopping toils
For what?

Black Friday shoppers spending all
Filling every shopping mall
For what?

I cannot grasp their need to spend
Tell me when will madness end
For what?
For those people in the US and now, unfortunately in Canada, who must shop on Black Friday. For what? deals are there after the sale day, people overspending, buying because the media says they must get the deal first. This is not Christmas, this  is just madness and mayhem and one breath away from a riot. Send in the security, I need to get my tv to my car!!!
1.1k · Jun 2013
Still A Lady
Since 1876 the building had stood
In the middle of town
In a bad neighbourhood
But, empty for decades
And an eyesore to some
She was no longer "The Lady"
And her time had come

The old man sat there staring
As the charges were set
To bring down "The Lady"
he would not forget
His first visit inside her
In nineteen and ten
He'd been inside her much more
he figured since then

Talking to no one,
For no one was there
He talked of her being
He talked to the air
"She started out as a theater"
"Built by Colonel Tom Shaw"
"To showcase an actress"
"Known as Katie McGraw"

"He built her a showcase"
"To play many roles"
"But, Katie...instead"
"had other life goals"
"It stayed as a theater"
"Until Colonel Tom Died"
"Others took over"
"and failed as they tried"
"To bring in top talent"
"To play on the stage"
"But by then, yes then...vaudeville"
"Was now all the rage"

New owners and concepts
Vaudeville died
To keep it afloat as a theatre
Many had tried
A store full of trinkets
Of baubles and rings
A department store future
And the money it brings
The next incarnation
Was in retail not show
And for twenty odd years
They gave it a go

"The Lady" adapted
and was a great place to buy
But, her past as a theater
Well, it never would die
New owners took over,
A cabaret place
Was the next incarnation
She had a new face
"The Lady" was re-done
With tables for meals
Great entertainers
and she held wide appeal

"I remember Bob Darin..."
"Dean Martin and Jerry"
"Came here in to town"
"And they all made quite merry"
"Great singers and shows"
"Kept "The Lady" on point
"But, tastes changed again"
"a new King they'd annoint"
"Elvis, came through here"
"Played "The Lady", two shows"
"But, rock and roll stars"
"Don't come up where it snows"

"The Lady" closed up
became a hostel for a time
To hide all her beauty
Was truly a crime
She's been a store and a warehouse
And a place that made hats
But for thirty odd years
She's been home to some cats
Derelict, vacant...no one comes round
It's about time for "The Lady"
To be knocked to the ground

Some piegeons and vagrants
The bats, cats and owls
all leave in the morning
When the cityscape howls
The owner, not caring
Signed off on her long ago
It's been fifty odd years
Since she housed her last show

Her boards held up Jolson
George Burns, ***** Brice
And I said, she housed Elvis
He played here twice
But, now "The Lady"
Sits and waits for the call
Of the man in the crane
With the old wrecking ball

The old man, wiped his eyes
And he turned from the scene
"I would remember
"Of how she had been"
"A palace of talent"
"A place one should be"
"Now, she's only a relic"
"But she's "The Lady" to me.
1.1k · Jun 2012
Held Captive By My Body
I can hear the world around me
I can see what's going on
I just cannot voice my anger
You see, my muscle strength is gone

"I'M IN HERE....CAN'T YOU SEE ME?"
"I JUST CANNOT MOVE MYSELF'
"PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE ME"
"DON'T PUT ME ON A SHELF"

I'm not a fragile bisque doll
In a chair for all to see
I'm a prisioner of my body
But, the body still is me

'I'M NOT DYING WITHOUT FIGHTING"
"I STILL THINK AS CLEAR AS YOU"
"I CAN'T RUN OR WALK LIKE YOU CAN"
"BUT, THERE'S LOTS THAT I CAN DO"

I am a man held captive
My cell is muscles, flesh and bone
I don't know how to describe it
I'm not stuck in here alone

"I NEED SOMEONE TO HEAR ME"
"PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE I WAS HERE'
'I KNOW IT'S NOT THE LIFE I WANTED"
"I NOW KNOW DEATH I DO NOT FEAR"

ALS has killed my body
But it has not killed my mind
I am in here, same as always
Still full of thoughts, some harsh, some kind

"I AM IN HERE AND I HEAR YOU"
'I TREASURE ALL THAT LIFE IS WORTH"
"LIKE LOU GHERIG SAID BEFORE ME"
"I AM THE LUCKIEST MAN ON EARTH!"
This is dedicated to Lou Gherig (first baseman..NY Yankees), tony Proudfoot (CFL receiver for The Montreal Allouettes) and Augie Nieto (check him out thorugh google...MDA ambassador). Three strong, athletic individuals taken down by ALS in the prime of their lives. God Bless you all...
1.1k · Dec 2020
Arrows on the floor
I see people driving
A normal, daily task
Even though they are alone
They're still wearing a mask

I find this confusing
A mask inside the car
But, who am I to judge them
It might not be their car

They follow all the road signs
Stop when the light is red
But, still they go on driving
With a mask there on their head

They drive with such precision
Their aim, to reach the store
Once there, they can not follow
Simple arrows on the floor

They head up every aisle
Against the shopping flow
The arrows show direction
How can these folks not know?

Their mask is also missing
It is hanging off their chin
And when the mask is *****
They can't throw it in the bin

They drive home with no problem
They have no mask this time
They do things without reason
They do them without rhyme

It's really, really simple
When you're shopping in a store
Wear your mask correctly
And follow arrows on the floor

Stay safe, keep your distance
Wash your hands, and follow rules
Kids make it look easy
While adults look like fools

Wear your mask inside the car
No one says you can't
But, please follow the arrows
So others do not rant.
The night that I first saw you
When our eyes had barely met
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

I was held fast by your humour
It was a night not to forget
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

Kenny Chesney sang a song about
How You had him at Hello
He hadn't even met you
Just how was he to know

We talked away for hours
At the end I was caught inside your net
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

You chased me 'till I caught you
I'm so happy that we met
I knew that I would love you
I just hadn't told you yet

Kenny Chesney sang a song about
How You had him at Hello
He hadn't even met you
Just how was he to know

Fifteen years we've been together
And now there's something you should know
Like Kenny Chesney said before
You had me at Hello .

Love ya baby. 15 years and many more to come.
just going sideways
won't get you to the top
you'll meet others going sideways
and at some point you'll just stop

really, going sideways
means at the bottom you must be
i can move you on from sideways
if you'll just listen to me

it's time to make a change now
time to make a change
you don't exactly know how
but, it's time to make a change
going sideways gets you nowhere
so, it's time to rearrange
so, hang on tight
it's time to make a change
rearrange your life and make a change

do something different
that you have never done
go on out...just somewhere
and try and have some fun

increase your interactions
maybe even try to smile
instead of always driving
maybe go and walk a mile

it's time to make a change now
time to make a change
you don't exactly know how
but, it's time to make a change
going sideways gets you nowhere
so, it's time to rearrange
so, hang on tight

you'll find others going sideways
so, grab them for the ride
it's better moving upwards
instead of side to side

your life is an adventure
and you'll find out you will grow
if you switch the sideways shift
and upwards choose to go

it's time to make a change now
time to make a change
you don't exactly know how
but, it's time to make a change
going sideways gets you nowhere
so, it's time to rearrange
so, hang on tight
Your'e my missing half
The part I need
The piece that fills
My carnal need

You are the one
That makes me be
The best man I
can ever be

I'll wait for you
If that's your wish
I'll do your bidding
Just for a kiss
I'll cross the sands
and swim the sea
I'll wait for you
If you wait for me

Together we make
One complete
We win together
Apart....defeat

You are my yin
and I your yang
You are the words
That my heart sang

I'll wait for you
If that's your wish
I'll do your bidding
Just for a kiss
I'll cross the sands
and swim the sea
I'll wait for you
If you wait for me

I love you more
Than one man should
I love you more
Than I thought I could

You are my finish
My one, my soul
Your heartfelt love
It makes me whole

I'll wait for you
If that's your wish
I'll do your bidding
Just for a kiss
I'll cross the sands
and swim the sea
I'll wait for you
If you wait for me
1.1k · Jun 2012
The Morning of Christmas
'TWAS THE MORNING OF CHRISTMAS
AND THE WORLD WAS CONCERNED
NO GIFTS WERE DELIVERED
WE WOKE UP AND LERARNED
WHAT HAPPENED TO SANTA?
WHY DID HE NOT COME
THE PARENTS WERE WORRIED
THEY WERE FEELING QUITE GLUM
HE'D NEVER FORGET US
ON PURPOSE, THEY SAID
PERHAPS SOMETHINGS HAPPENED
PERHAPS SANTAS DEAD
THIS SURE COULDN'T HAPPEN
OUR DEAR SANTA DIE
WHEN THE WORLDS CHILDREN HEARD THIS
THEY ALL STARTED TO CRY
ALL THIS WATER IS RISING
AND IT'S GETTING QUITE HIGH
THEY SAT AND THEY THOUGHT
THAT THERE MUST BE A REASON
THAT ST. NICK PASSED US BY
DURING THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON
PERHAPS WE'VE FORGOTTEN
WHAT CHIRSTMAS IS FOR
IT'S FOR LOVING EACH OTHER
NOT JUST SHOPPING IN STORES
PERHAPS SANTA THOUGHT
THAT THE WORLD HAD GONE BAD
WE MUST ALL HEAD OUT NORTHWARD
TO THE POLE WE MUST GO
WE;LL TELL WE'RE SORRY
HEL'LL BELIEVE US , I KNOW
WE'LL HEAD OUT DIRECTLY
BEFORE THIS DAY ENDS
WE;LL HEAD OUT TOGETHER
AND WE'LL MAKE OUR AMENDS
IT TOOK 14 HOURS TOGET TO HIS HOUSE
WE KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
AND WE SPOKE TO HIS SPOUSE
WE TOLD HER WE'RE SORRY
AND WE'LL TRY TO BE GOOD
WHEN BEHIND HER CAME SANTA
HE WAS DRESSED WITH A HOOD
HE SAID "THANK YOU FOR COMING"
"I COMMITTED THE SIN..."
"MY ALARM CLOCK IS BROKEN...
"AND I GUESS I SLEPT IN!"
1.1k · Aug 2012
Do something!!!
The grass is always greener
As far as you can see
but you always sit there whining
Why him and why not me?

A better job a better life
A better house and car
You know just what you have to do
If you're gonna get that far

If you want to make an omlette
You have to break an egg or two
You have to work to earn it
Not just sit there feeling blue

Nothing is a given
You rarely move on up by chance
You've got to get a handhold
Go grab life by the pants

Just sitting waiting idly
Never gets the job done well
You can not sit and listen
You have to ring that bell

If you want to make an omlette
You have to break an egg or two
You have to work to earn it
Not just sit there feeling blue

One who sits and wonders
Why someone else gets all the fame
Has never tried to leave the bench
And get into the game

Stay hungry, do your damndest
Do not strive for second place
But, if you don't move at the starters gun
You're not even in the race

If you want to make an omlette
You have to break an egg or two
You have to work to earn it
Not just sit there feeling blue
1.1k · May 2012
Gentle Child
Eyes so wide, and smile bright

You have affected me

You are just a baby

Who will not make it to three

Your skin is pale and gentle

The disease is taking you

There is no explanation

For what you have been through

Gentle child in the night

So soon you leave this earth

You now are with the stars above

And your life did have some worth

I stare up at the night sky

And see your smile bright

You're up there in the heavens

Shining down, you are a sight.

Darling little child

Your parents do not know

to take the news they're given

Their sadness not to show

Your life will be a series

of tests and will be short

You must be strong for your folks now

The ball is in your court.

You're down here for a reason

Though your lifetime will not last

You blink and you are happy

Blink twice and you have passed

Gentle child in the night

So soon you leave this earth

You now are with the stars above

And your life did have some worth

I stare up at the night sky

And see your smile bright

You're up there in the heavens

Shining down, you are a sight.

The strongest people living

I know are not of age

They speak of life acceptance

And they are not filled with rage

They know they'll never marry

That their purpose while they're here

Is to make the world a better place

And face it with no fear

They do not have a future

Of weddings and the like

Some may never,ever,

Get to ride a bike

Gentle child in the night

So soon you leave this earth

You now are with the stars above

And your life did have some worth

I stare up at the night sky

And see your smile bright

You're up there in the heavens

Shining down, you are a sight.

In you I find a calmness

I only wish that could be mine

And you have embraced it quickly

For you have so little time

I will not shed a tear now

I promise you I'll be strong

For you are my hidden backbone

Though, I will not know you long

And yes dear gentle Child

As I look up in the stars

I'll wonder, yes I'll wonder

Just which one you are

And as I stare up at the night sky

And see the stars at night

I'll will think of you dear child

And your smile ever bright.
1.1k · Sep 2012
Eyes
Black, like a shark
Dead....who's in there?
What are you thinking?
Are you in there?

Green, smiling bright
Open to the world
And all it's glory
Your soul unfurled

Eyes, tell a story
And hide one too
What colour are yours?
For mine are blue
Eyes tell a story
They open doors
I'll tell my story
If you tell yours

Red, worn and raw
sore and tired
Have you been crying?
Or are you just wired?

Brown, smiling, somber
Showing your pain
Hiding your hurt
From loves refrain

Eyes, tell a story
And hide one too
What colour are yours?
For mine are blue
Eyes tell a story
They open doors
I'll tell my story
If you tell yours

Puffy, swollen shut
Were you in a fight?
Between two friends?
Or two lovers in the night?

Closed, showing nothing
Are you hiding from what is said
Or are you like a shark...?
with eyes black and dead

Eyes, tell a story
And hide one too
What colour are yours?
For mine are blue
Eyes tell a story
They open doors
I'll tell my story
If you tell yours.
1.1k · Jan 2014
Waiting for the whistle
Waiting, sitting patiently
For the days end whistle
Then, I'm gone out to my truck
I'm like a human missle

The final hour of the day
My only thought I'm thinking
is getting gone
And getting out
To go and do some drinking


Boys are waiting
Beers on tap
It's Friday night
The weeks a wrap
Amp the music
Chill the beer
Cue the crowd
The weekend's here

Two beers in
And there she was
I didn't know her
I was at a loss
She asked me nice
To have a dance
I thought here I go
Here is my chance

I can't two step
I can't waltz
It's just that I
was never taught
But at that moment
On the floor
Holding her
I wanted more

Boys are waiting
Beers on tap
It's Friday night
The weeks a wrap
Amp the music
Chill the beer
Cue the crowd
The weekend's here

My buddies said
Let's move along
I told them all
"just one more song"
I wasn't leaving
Not tonight
I'd found my girl
And things were right

We talked and danced
And danced and talked
My dancing,
Still was bad
But at the end
When last call came
To end it made me sad

Boys are waiting
Beers on tap
It's Friday night
The weeks a wrap
Amp the music
Chill the beer
Cue the crowd
The weekend's here

Time flew by
Like it's wont to do
When things are going well
We made a date
To meet again
That's a good sign,
I could tell

I'm waiting for the day to end
I'm waiting for that whistle
I'm heading out, this time to dance
I'm still a human missle
The boys have lost me for a while
I even cut my hair
I think I'll see just where this leads
And I'll be dancing my way there.....
I tried to write an epic
Like those who've come before
It had to grab the reader
It had to leave them wanting more

How to start an epic
I've a line but it's not mine
I  could use it, as have others
I think most will think it's fine

But, it's been used so very often
By writers  we all know
Four words that grab the reader
Four words that make us go

We see these words and wonder
Where will our writer lead
Will we go to foreign countries?
Will we see someone in need?

I'm five verses in now,
I've not even started yet
I think I'll use the four words
They're the best I'm gonna get

So here is my beginning
In the sixth verse, and last line
I guess it's here where I'm beginning....
Once upon a time...
1.1k · Nov 2017
Christmas magic
Is it Christmas magic
That makes the moonlight brighter?
Is it Christmas magic
That makes him hug you tighter?

Is it Christmas magic
That gives the silver sheen to snow?
Is it Christmas magic?
I really need to know

Is it Christmas magic
That makes you smile for no reason?
Is it Christmas magic
That brings such joy into the season?

Is it Christmas magic
That makes us seem to share?
Is it Christmas magic
That really makes us care?

Is it Christmas magic
That brings out who we are?
Is it Christmas magic
Or is it the one star?

Is it Christmas magic
That makes us act as one?
Is it Christmas magic
Or is it God's true son?

Is it Christmas magic
1.1k · Aug 2013
The Voice of Reason
Barefoot ridin' on my Harley
sounds real cool and it looks gnarly
Doin' wheelies on the way
Lookit me, no hands today

Highway surfin in our truck
You know I don't give a F###
Adrenaline it's in my veins
Let's go out and race the trains

What happened to the little voice
That voice of reason in my head
It shows up some, but now it's dead
That voice of reason in my head
Used to sound just like my mother
Then it sounded like my wife
Now, I rarely hear it speaking
It ain't part of my life
What happened to the little voice
That voice of reason in my head
It shows up some, but now it's dead
That voice of reason in my head


Diving into shallow water
I'm ok, do you think I oughta
Walking out on red hot coals
Tingles some and burns my soles

Drinking what there is before me
I don't care as long as it's free
Party time through out the night
I'll be ok, it's outa sight

What happened to the little voice
That voice of reason in my head
It shows up some, but now it's dead
That voice of reason in my head
Used to sound just like my mother
Then it sounded like my wife
Now, I rarely hear it speaking
It ain't part of my life
What happened to the little voice
That voice of reason in my head
It shows up some, but now it's dead
That voice of reason in my head

One day I will die for sure
Heaven has got that allure
But....I didn't listen to the voice of reason
And I'll end up.....WHERE IT AIN'T FREEZIN'

What happened to the little voice
That voice of reason in my head
It shows up some, but now it's dead
That voice of reason in my head
Used to sound just like my mother
Then it sounded like my wife
Now, I rarely hear it speaking
It ain't part of my life
What happened to the little voice
That voice of reason in my head
It shows up some, but now it's dead
That voice of reason in my head
1.1k · Apr 2013
Just a Word....
Will, won't, do, don't
Stop, go, yes, no
Hello, Goodbye,
I can't, I'll try

Positives or negative
It doesn't matter what the word
It's just how one perceives it
It matters how it's heard

A negative is positive
If the word gets the reaction
Of making someone know just what
To do for satisfaction

No, No, No, scares all of us
It shows we've not done something right
But turn the No, No, No around
And the results are out of sight

Can't is just a cop out
While can...well, not so much
that apostrophe with the small t
Is just another crutch

Some people live for failure
Reaching goals is not the norm
Success come with responsibility
And to some, that's just bad form

Two wrongs do not a right make
But three lefts will get you there
See, you've turned around a negative
It's a thought you have to share

The strongest word I know is NO
Because it teaches you just what
You have to do to learn success
With all the talent that you've got

So, next time you hear negatives
Put a spin on what you've heard
Can't, No, Won't are negatives
But...they're only just a word.
1.1k · Apr 2012
Set An Extra Plate
You can not cure World Hunger

So, set your goals to small

But you can help out one child

Don't try to feed them all

Little steps or little bites

Can cure a childs pain

From not eating dalily

Or knowing when they'll eat again

Don't take on the whole problem

Just one mouth at a time

Then you'll start a revolution

And you'll start to feeling fine

Just add an extra setting

When you sit down to your meal

Then put a can of food aside

It makes the problem real

Just one a day will do it

Cure a child of his pain

And tomorrow night at dinner

You can do it all again

Just set an extra setting

No chair, no fork or knife

Then put a box or can aside

And help to feed a life

It's easy once you try it

In a short time you'll have filled

A box or two of canned goods

Someones hunger you have killed

Just set an extra setting

When you sit down next to eat

Then put a box or can aside

It'll make you feel so neat

At week's end take your savings

To the food bank filled with pride

You didn't even notice

And your smile's ten feet wide

Just set an extra setting

At the table, just for one

Then before you sit for dinner

Pack the can up....only one

Just think....a revolution

Started by a single meal

It's so easy to get started

And the end results are real

There's children going hungry

Here at home and in our schools

We can feed the world completely

If we only use the tools

Imagine stopping hunger

In your lifetime, it'd be great

And to start it is so easy

Just set that extra plate

One tin, a box or pasta

Nothing hard about this plan

Just set an extra setting

And donate one small can

A child going hungry

There's no reason anymore

There is enough food out there

To feed the world times four

The food bank's overloaded

More requests come in each year

So start a revolution

It's a simple, cheap, idea

Next time you sit for dinner

Just set one extra  plate

Then take a tin or box of food

And simply....please DONATE !!!
.
Just an idea about food banks.
1.1k · Apr 2019
One more beer?
Do I get another?
The game's still on t.v.
It's getting on for 10 p.m.
I've been sitting here since 3

My wife said I should call her
But, my phone is in the car
The car is in my driveway
And I am at the bar

I stopped in for a minute
7 hours now have passed
I've had 11 beers, 5 shots
And man, I think I'm gassed

I think I left my keys as well
With my phone inside the car
I think that I should call my wife
And tell her that I'm at the bar

I only live three blocks away
I went walking with the dog
I stopped in just to grab one beer
******* where is my dog?

I'll order up just one more shot
Okay, two beers as well
Where the hell'd I leave the dog?
Is that the last call bell?
1.1k · Jun 2012
Let Me Shake You By The Hand
The handshake comes much quicker
Than it used to in the days
When he held his liquor better
Those times are far away
"Let me shake you by the hand"
he'd bellow in the bar
But, now his grip is weaker
Than it once had been, by far
He used to drink 'till closing
Now, two beers and he is done
He no longer knows his limit
He no longer drinks for fun
The drinks control his shaking
Keep him centered, full of hate
Once he shakes you by the hand
It means things aren't so great
He squeezes hard to make you hurt
Trying to show what he once was
But it only shows his smallness
It accentuates his flaws
Mr "Let me shake you by the hand"
Is in every bar we know
He's quiet when he gets there
But he's loud when time to go
He no longer rules the table
He's just an old drunk in the back
He used to be the favorite
He no longer has that knack
He'll always be a little man
He'll never look you in the eye
Mr. "Let me shake you by the hand"
Will be the same until he dies
In his mind he's full of power
But his body shows what's real
A strong wind would break this man in half
I can't guess how his wife feels
Two beers can change his being
From someone pleasant to an ***
"Mr. Let me shake you by the hand"
gets drunk and turns quite crass
If you ever go out drinking
And your evening is planned
Leave...and in a hurry
If you hear ...."shake your hand."
1.1k · Jan 2015
picking up where we left off
high school sweethearts
a bit more in college
we were gaining
more than knowledge

we were two souls
with one heart
when one would end
the other'd start

picking up where we left off
life's circle not a line
no ending in our future
this was the grand design

i came home to an empty place
i did not know just why
no note, no rhyme or reason
she did not say good bye

fourteen years and there she was
looking lost outside my door
was it worth another go
hell, let's go at it once more

two days and she was missing
what i felt had been a lie
again, no note or reason
and again, no sad goodbye

picking up where we left off
life's circle not a line
no ending in our future
this was the grand design

time had passed quite quickly
the phone rang, she cried to me
fifteen more years were behind us
is this how  life should be?

we met for drinks and dinner
and before too much was said
we found a hotel 'round the corner
and we both tumbled into bed

in the morning, yes ...you guessed it
she was gone, i was alone
i called down for a taxi
i smelled her perfume on the phone

i saw it in the paper
two weeks ago she died
i felt sad that she was gone now
but, i couldn't cry, not if i tried

you see, we always seems to cross paths
no matter how, no matter when
i knew deep down we'd pick up
where we left off...some time again

picking up where we left off
life's circle not a line
no ending in our future
this was the grand design
1.1k · Jul 2013
A Shadow in The Shadows
I live a life that's far from normal
Normal as you all do see
My world is...well, more nocturnal
Look real hard and you'll find me

Living life like I do's different
It's not a life I recommend
It works for me, but I'm not normal
My life is somewhat at loose ends

I'm off the grid, I'm a non-person
I'm a statistic and nothing more
I'm just a shadow in the shadows
I'm looking for my next big score

You pass me as you walk the city
You think you see me, but you're wrong
You see just what I want to show you
Just look again, and I'll be gone

Under bridges, in old buildings
In the subways far below
I'm living life as I concieve it
Into the light, I rarely go

I'm off the grid, I'm a non-person
I'm a statistic and nothing more
I'm just a shadow in the shadows
I'm looking for my next big score

I see you coming from a distance
I'm gone again, before you're here
I've hiding places you won't discover
I'm on my way when you are near

I live a life beyond the reaches
Of those who want to know my name
I live my life the way I want to
To me it's only just a game

I'm off the grid, I'm a non-person
I'm a statistic and nothing more
I'm just a shadow in the shadows
I'm looking for my next big score
1.1k · Feb 2013
Urban tumbleweeds
Dark green urban tumbleweeds
Roll on up the road
Bouncing off the passing cars
Dispensing their rotting  load
Garbage bags full of waste
Full of the remnants of the week
Don't let one ever hit you though
They all have quite the reek
Urban, plastic, tumbleweeds
Put out early for the trash
They blow in all directions
Not knowing where they'll crash
Blue boxes trail them on their path
Leaving plastics  in their wake
It's only one plastic bin
But, the mess that it can make
Blue and green, like bulbous flies
Full of garbage and the dead
meat, and tins and paper
decayed food stuff and old bread
Urban plastic tumbleweeds
Every week blow in the wind
Scattering their insides on the landscape
Things that should be binned
It doesn't matter where you travel
But I know you're sure to find
Urban plastic tumbleweeds
holding garbage as designed.
1.1k · Oct 2015
Heath
Out in the back forty
There's a tree and underneath
Is a lonely wooden marker
All it says is "Heath"

Not many really knew him
He just hung around the ranch
I remember when I found him
Hanging from that branch

He never really said much
Kept quiet most the time
Always had a smile
And he had his lucky dime

Heath was slightly slower
Not in step, but in his brain
But, that didn't really matter
For folks loved him all the same

I remember back in school
When Heath was getting teased
The only one defended him
was me...and Heath was pleased

We were bonded from that moment
We were brothers you might say
Where I was, you would find him
Until that fateful day

Folks say that the Johnson boys
Caught him down by Crindle creek
They girls were down there swimming
And they'd gone to have a peek

Heath was down there fishing
Saw the boys and gave a shout
The girls went off a runnin'
And then Heath was set about

The story gets all muddled
Since no one was around
There were six conflicting stories
On how he got hung up off the ground

The truth will be deep buried
Since only four folks know for sure
And three of them aren't telling
And Heath was number four

I rode out after supper
No one knew where Heath was at
I took out for the creek bed
And there I found his hat

From there I took off westward
Toward the tree, to spend the night
I'd head home in the morning
I'd leave at the first light

But, there was where I found him
Hanging, dead from that old tree
From what ever demons ailed him
Heath had been set free

His folks has left for Tulsa
Leaving him back at our ranch
That's where he will stay now
In the ground beneath that branch

I made a simple marker
Painted white with just his name
And even though nobody goes there
I had to let folks know he came

So out on the back forty
By the tree, yep..underneath
Sits a little, simple marker
painted white,....it just says Heath.
1.1k · Jun 2015
We've been apart forever
Nothing screams like silence
You can hear it in our house
You left, but never left me
But, to me ....you're not my spouse
Nothing screams like silence
You can scream, but no one's there
It shows you in our marriage
That no one really cares

We've been a part forever
Though you never left our home
We've been apart forever
We're a pair, but, both alone

We've been a pair for sixteen years
You left, but, stuck around
A tree fell in our forest
And it never made a sound

Nothing screams like silence
You can hear it in our house
You left, but never left me
But, to me ....you're not my spouse
Nothing screams like silence
You can scream, but no one's there
It shows you in our marriage
That no one really cares

Leading separate lives each day
But, no one really knows
We're actors in our marriage
Each day, a brand new show

We've been apart forever
Though we both did choose to stay
We're actors in our marriage
And our marriage is a play

Nothing screams like silence
You can hear it in our house
You left, but never left me
But, to me ....you're not my spouse
Nothing screams like silence
You can scream, but no one's there
It shows you in our marriage
That no one really cares
1.1k · Dec 2012
The Magic Words
I love you
I want you
I need you

Words that work together
Like words, such as these
Are special words to people
Because they come in threes

Other words that fit this rule
Let me see or Let me think
To some are as important
As come on in, have a drink

But at this time of Christmas
There are words that need to live
Words like Feed The Hungry
and ...oh yeah...Can you give

Now, you know how my mind works
And you know...I have concluded
But at Christmas time, my big three
are BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED !!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND HAPPY 2013
1.1k · May 2013
Follow Me
Follow me
to new worlds
to places never seen

Follow me
who knows where we
will say that we have been

Follow me
And meet the folks
Who live deep in my brain

Follow me
and take a ride
On an old time Christmas Train

Follow me
and see the street
have a laugh along the way

Follow me
Enjoy the ride
Where shall we go today?

Follow me
Investigate
Places I create

Follow me
please be on time
You don't want to be late

Follow me
I'll do my best
To be a nice and polite host

Follow me
And who knows
You'll meet "My Holy Ghost"

Follow me
deep in my mind
But be careful where you tread

Follow me
And have some fun
With the worlds inside my head
1.1k · Aug 2012
The land of cannot
A visit to the land cannot
leaves a mark on all you do
people never try too hard
they will leave things up to you

Cannotians are lazy
They aspire to the middle
They reach this level of success
And herein lies the riddle

Cannotians move onto won't
After years of doing naught
But wontians don't choose to leave
And move back to cannot

A person who is lazy
Gets special treatment in cannot
He is praised for doing nothing
And for those things he's not got

A cannotian moved to I will try
but his papers were all wrong
He forgot to get his visa
So he didn't stay there long

Cannot is not imagined
You can find it if you try
But please don't ever go there
And I'll give  the reason why

Cannotians are hopeless
They do not have get up and go
So please regard this message
as something all people should know


If you go there take a sweater
In cannot there is no heat
Cannotians won't turn it on
For doing something is defeat

Please move on up to cando
maybe go from there to might
It's a short journey from Iwill
And life there is outa sight !!!
1.1k · Jun 2014
My two line bucket list
Grandpa'd take me fishing down to Watson's creek
He'd hold his finger to his lips so I knew not to speak
He'd show me how to shoot a gun, how to turn the other cheek
How to be a better person, and how to duck instead of deke

I remember where I was
When I heard Grandpa died
I was standing in the hallway
With my brother by my side
He put his arm around me
While I just cried and cried

I don't need to jump out of planes
Or run with bulls in Pamplona
I don't need to swim with sharks
Or race a car down in Daytona
Two lines don't make a bucket list
Yes, I said....only two
The first one is to wake each day
And the second...be with you

We'd watch the trains stretch our pennies that
we'd lined up on that track
Smoking stolen cigarettes as we watched the train go past
Lying there, two brothers, hiding in the summer grass

I remember where I was
When I heard my brother died
Shot down over Vietnam
I ran to the tracks and cried
I could still feel him there with me
Stretching pennies while I cried

I don't need to jump out of planes
Or run with bulls in Pamplona
I don't need to swim with sharks
Or race a car down in Daytona
Two lines don't make a bucket list
Yes, I said....only two
The first one is to wake each day
And the second...be with you

I've grown up a little since, fell in love with a great girl
I take her fishing to the creek, let her into Grandpa's world
I've shown her where the track once was
Where we stretched pennies just because


I remember where I was
And I remember that you cried
We were in the same front hallway
Where I heard they both had died
But this time you were crying
Because I took you for my bride

I don't need to jump out of planes
Or run with bulls in Pamplona
I don't need to swim with sharks
Or race a car down in Daytona
Two lines don't make a bucket list
Yes, I said....only two
The first one is to wake each day
And the second...be with you
1.1k · Aug 2013
Don't look back
Born with nothing
Still the same
No baggage with me
Just my name
Don't like planning
For what's ahead
I'll still have nothing
Once I'm dead

Keep moving forward
Don't look back
Leave what's behind you
On that track
Keep moving forward
That's a fact
Leave what's behind you
And Don't look back

I live to party
That's my life
Don't tie me down
With a wife
I'm day to day
and that's a fact
I keep moving on
And I don't look back

I hate posessions
I's born poor
Leave your baggage at the door
I weren't born with nothing
And I want no more
So, if you've got baggage
Leave it at the door

I live to party
That's my life
Don't tie me down
With a wife
I'm day to day
and that's a fact
I keep moving on
And I don't look back
1.1k · Mar 2013
The 4d movie show
Black and White, Coloured
It doesn't seem to matter
Technicolour, Sensoround
Made the audio much fatter
Shaking seats, scented mists
Make most patrons go scatter
To me, it's still a movie show
And entertainment's all that matters

With technological intracies
That boggle one mans mind
there are movies being made today
With images refined
Clarity and texture match
and a green screen there behind
CGI is god today
And so...it was designed

Today, I pushed the envelope
Moving dimensions one more out
I've seen 2D and 3D films
This one made me shout
In the middle of the first scene
It felt so real without a doubt
That I had to take my glasses off
This new dimension....I must tout

Even with my glasses off
It seemed so real to me
I've never seen a film like this
Not even in 3D
A mystical intrusion
And my senses were set free
Then my wife leaned over silent like
And this she said to me....

"Sit still....shut up....it's a play you idiot!"
1.1k · May 2020
Twice in a lifetime
You can call it love
That I know for sure
But, I think it is something else
Something so much more

It's a feeling like no other
You know it when it hits
It's when two things go together
When it's perfect, when it fits

You know the special feeling
It makes you feel quite whole
It's like you've been down to the crossroads
You made a deal and sold your soul

It may just come by once in life
I got lucky, it came twice
The first time, on a frozen pond
When my blades cut up the ice

It was peaceful, perfect, flowing
The ice and I were one
I'd be out there from sun up
Until the day was done

I remember people cheering
Those cheers forever will I hold
This was what I wanted
The feeling was pure gold

Time went by like normal
I had the feeling, but not quite
I found love, but, it was different
Even though it felt so right

Like I said, it's different
Because it doesn't love you too
It's not like loving someone
I can't explain it quite, can you?

Like I said, for some folks
It may come by them twice
I'm am blessed it happened
This time off the ice

You know when in a movie
The sunbeam comes down from the sky
And lights up something special
You know the scene, don't lie

The hockey was my vision
But there was something missing still
I loved the feel of freedom
But, there was something missing still

It Michigan it hit me
It caught me by surprise
I was looking at guitars one day
It hit me hard between the eyes

Worse than any check I'd felt
Worse than popping out a knee
An old Washburn guitar
Was hanging, taunting me

Of all the things upon the wall
All the guitars holding court
This Washburn said you want me
More than playing at your sport

I took it down and held it
Like the first woman that I'd had
It's curves gave me that feeling
It made me feel quite glad

This guitar's full of music
Full of songs to still be sung
Stories of others and my lifetime
Maybe this poem will be one

Most people get the feeling
In their lifetime once or twice
I got mine later with the Washburn
I still get it on the ice.
I wrote this for a friend who tried to describe to me about playing pro hockey, and how his love of playing guitar has been reignited.
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