A low-flying squadron of Mourning Doves
Swooped over the neighbor’s ten-foot wall
And strafed me with their grace and beauty
                                            ljm

A The evil little voice still speaks… 8
B Says I can do it all alone         8
C Says I don’t need to call on God, 8
b That I can manage on my own. 8

A A twin to Job, I stumble on. 8
a The mental tools I need are gone. 8
B I cannot seem to find my way 8
b Or summon up the will to pray. 8

A I’ve lost myself along the way. 8
B I somehow didn’t read the sign. 8
a I cannot face another day 8
b With all these shackles on my mind.         8

A I need to fall on bended knee 8
a And ask the Lord to set me free - 8
B To give me back my confidence 8
b And help me climb down off this fence           8

A To help me overcome this angst 8
B And pity for the mess I’ve made. 8
C To help  me get back on my feet 8
b And get a new foundation laid. 8
                  ljm

Bills  Bills  Bills  Bills
Never a Sam or Clyde
I simply can’t get out of debt
No matter how I’ve tried.

Bills  Bill  Bills  Bills
They come in twos and threes.
I wish that I could get a loan
To help me pay for these.

My credit score is way too low;
It’s only six-o-five.
I know they’ll never loan the dough
That I need to survive.

I didn’t know which way to turn
Until I spoke to Frank
He kindly said he’d lend a hand -
And help me rob a bank.

We put disguises on my face
And he pulled out a gun
We got some money in our bag
And took off on the run.

But we didn’t get too far
The coppers had us nailed.
They hauled us up before a judge
And both of us were jailed.

The problem now has gone away
My room and board is free
I have no monthly bills to pay
So I’m the winner, don’t you see.
ljm

I tried for days
To write a poem
That captures all
The joys that
We have known
And all the problems
We have solved.

I  made a list
Of all the times
Our tie was
Stretched near breaking,
And I marveled
At the unseen strength
That pulled us
Back together.

The years have not
Been kind to me
But you have been
Forbearing -
Always there
To lift me up
And keep us
Moving forward.

So as we start
Another year
We’ll face it all
Together.
In a bond unshakeable
That binds our love
Forever.
ljm

Like an old fashioned clock
That has been wound too tightly
And too many times
I don’t always get it right.
A few minutes fast
A few seconds slow
But the sun always sets
When it’s supposed to.
ljm