There were once men, playing a lying game.
They had no heart, they knew no shame.
Like Sirens, what their songs told,
were stories of flesh on beds of gold.

Merely this, is what their songs were about,
for wine and flesh they lusted sparing doubt.
For all their bubbles, fizzle, show and gleam,
true love for them was but a funny little dream.

Some, it is true, had  the voices of blue suede kings.
Yet, danced on rubble, coughing smoke, 'n' kissing rings.
Thankfully, their lyrics were quite naturally cold,
faintly sparkling true hearts, despite their gold.

No songs can, in the spirit, ever remain,
or one's path meaningfully ingrain,
unless dotted by a hearty blood stain.

Still, some blind and sleepy were enticed,
those who dropped their heart, who'd lost their *****.
Much like a robber, who rests his gun in a heist.

Others, scrambled to plug their ears
wishing to avoid both song 'n' tears.
They knew not, that when fighting fear,
'tis not enough to keep it from getting near.

Simply stuffing their ears with wax,
failed to fade the hottest new tracks,
cause tanks groove on these tracks.

As tanks, they pop 'n' roll till you die.
Therefore... relax, pick your time, and lie,
not to your conscience, but on the ground,
so they pass over you, leaving you safe 'n' sound.

"You cannot fear what you haven't tried."
Remember, Odysseus wasn't deaf, only tied.

He, chose to fight and listen to the Sirens' songs,
using threads of logic, to keep from snapping their thongs.
Tightroping on wrong, he but fell to the song.
He wailed and spat, yet, somehow grabbed the gong.

And after a short but needed rest, after this soul defining test,
he did not lament the virgins lost, but carried on with his quest.
He, knew the lying men and their calls were real,
but to forms he didn't kneel, nor aimed to cut a deal.

He, stuck to his dreams doing his best to warn and tell the rest,
that though Sirens charm, they harm. "'Tis Ithaca who gives zest.'"

So, next time you see the chanting men of lies,
and their enchanting plastic bunnies in bow ties,
know that rhyme and shine may polish coal,
but listening to your heart should be the goal.
*"With a twist of logic to correct your steer,
you will run through fear, and forever, keep it rear."

Standing ***** under the sun,
Not unlike a Mother tree
And the eager bird
With branches that sway
As if a maestro for the wind
And more free than said bird.

Familiar with family
And independence as though
A miracle uplifting with arms
Wide open tearing down barriers
While tightroping the abyss.

Mistress of the enchantment,
Absolute in her walk,
A lovely vessel of humanity,
A rose infinitely budding,
The soil of the earth.

Forgotten strengths,
Healing the world with actions,
Wiping tears and setting the
Child's dream,
Clear as the light in her eyes.

She is the Andromeda
Of the love story,
The story is of her love,
The divinity which filters
Men from boys.

Caress of the world,
That which causes flight
Or the love that eases pain
From the fall,
Redeemer of lives.

She roars without sound,
Navigator of skies unseen,
Weaving the songs of life,
The wondrous simplicity.

She is more than the rib,
Under the sun
She is Goddess in the children's eyes.

I could feel it coming
Like a bird can feel the pressure change
Just before a hurricane
And instinctively flies
Away.

But I flew to you.
I wanted to play god.
I clung to memories,
Clung to your flannel sleeves
Blindfolded myself with them
Dizzily,
I walked in circles.

You didn’t say anything
But I know you so well I could read
Every line—
Every crevice in your forehead
Another word.

My lips clung to yours
Begging them to smile.
My fingers danced on yours
Tightroping
One degree from tipping over.

You didn’t kiss back.
Your lips a marble statue,
My fingers fell off the wire.

You gazed through me like glass
And I knew it was
Our last.

you rock me
like the wind on an old sailboat
and i'm thrown off my balance
tilting from one toe to the other
tenuously tightroping above a terrible tide
with a smile plastered on my fragile face
so you don't know
that i'm hurting inside
that i'm dying inside
and my words never seem to amount
to anything at all
you hear them
and you answer
but do you really mean what you say?
would you really run away?
with me?
well,
i'm still here
and you're still
there
way over
there
and i miss you
but you rock me
and i don't know if i'll make it
to the end of december

Sometimes it's hard to find
The time
To be kind
Always about what's mine
Tightroping a fine line
A dinner better cooked than dined
It's not my fault
I drank too much wine
Maybe that's a sign
To slow down
Weigh options
Value to pound
King, no crown
Sometimes
The best music
Has no sound
What we want
Is sometimes lost
Then found
Who we hold we hold close
Make up what matters most
Stand up and be
Let rhythm rhyme
Let freedom be free

To my dearest darling Joe

I had to let you know of fun that we have had on our latest holiday, I know you would get such a kick out of the tales we have to tell.  

It was a last minute all inclusive deal, we set out with Sue and Steve for some late autumn sun to Zante the Greek island of fun.

Oh Joe I cannot tell you the colour of the seas,  so clear so blue I can't do them justice, if you could see a picture it may be a start but in theses seas you can see to the bottom and the sand is  white and dark.  

No seaweed in sight nor turtles too, it's too late this time of year but olive trees and lemon, lime, oranges and grapefruit are everywhere and handy for a bite, that's right I put my hand up and plucked an orange from the tree, oh Joe your mouth would explode, it tasted so divine.

The people are oh so friendly and they make it very clear that the sun in the sky is unusual at this time of year.

We hired a car and drove into the mountains and dropped down to a port, hired a boat and they took us to shipwreck cove, where some years ago a boat had shipwrecked and it's cargo cleared the sea, we swam and dived in the clear blue sea underneath clear blue sky, oh and some people were tightroping across the ravine, I'm afraid I didn't have the courage to join them in the sky but I lied down and watched them heroically cross from end to end.

We've eaten traditional food and drank traditional ***** and used the traditional loos, do you remember the ones in the south of France that mum and I refused to use, we'll these were exactly the same. We've laughed and cried recanting tales of days goneby.

It really has been delightful a holiday to remember, one I wish I could tell you all about, I know you would sit and laugh with me as I retell the fabulous holiday we have had to catch some sun on the Greek island of fun, Zante.

I love you Joe **

Tightroping life of discrepancy
I am as lonesome as I am free

Like a candle lit at some ancient ceremony
I'm tired and fit for the grave;
Something built in long-distance matrimony
That shames all the gifts we gave.

We were bound soon as our lips could taste,
I knew you were in love by my shocked face

  In the mirror--fixing my top button into place
I left my arms open for family
  I never expected you to offer a lover's embrace
And in turn,we collided gently.