Time...

Sometimes it seems
like it's all a cruel game.
Worlds change
but still i stay the same way.
I know, you know,
we all come to know
but what i ask is who,
who made up these foolish, foolish rules.

Most times i feel
like the youngest kid on the block.
Come on, let me play,
i hear the ticking of the clock
I know, you know,
we all come to know
the sands of time
thought the grains are so very fine.

Melancholy baby,
maybe you will find
if you lost your happiness
or just left it behind,
Maybe there's no reason,
but season what you find.
Sometimes the bitter taste of truth
lingers beyond its time.

Sometimes i feel
that nothing really does ever change.
Just names and dates,
look them up in history books
or Look, or Life
and hear now the news
but only on the channels that you choose.

Meloncholy baby,
maybe you will find
if you lost your happiness
or just left it behind,
Maybe there's no reason,
but season what you find.
Sometimes the bitter taste of truth
lingers beyond its time.
                Circa 1980s

Near Panic...

It's as if there's little on my mind,
but a weight upon my soul,
a cross i bear without seeing what i carry
as i drag myself toward some form of control
Searching for parity or at least some clarity
to the mirror obscured by my doubts,
darkened by fears that bind and anger that blinds,
with sadness following slowly but surely behind
Sometimes it seems i have nothing to share
and other times much more than i can bear
and not wanting to share troubles
only doubles the anxiety
that grows from within me,
located somewhere near my diaphram
and moving up to my chest.
A rest, you may say is what is needed.
The test is to weather these moments at once,
to pounce on your sadness,
reminding it that it's only in your head,
that you're your own worst enemy
and the battle lies within you...
           04-29-13

What's the Truth Today?...

You know it's true
what i'm saying to you;
the grass is green
and the sky is blue
There's not much more
than i know to be so;
the rain falls down
and the grass it grows
Tell me,
what's the truth today?
Tell me,
 is there truth in what you say?

And you know it's false,
all the hopes you've had
Learn the difference
between good and bad
Resolutions
that you break each year
without a second thought
or an alligator tear
Tell me,
what's the truth today?
Tell me,
 is there truth in what you say?

And i'm not preaching,
i'm just trying to understand
Throwing out these questions
and seeing where they land
Don't have any answers,
but my thoughts i call my own
To which i am entitled
in the comfort of my home
Tell me,
what's the truth today?
Tell me,
 is there truth in what you say?
            circa 2000

Venus de Milo...

The lady's so beautiful
but she'll never hold you
She's known by everyone
but she'll never hold you
With her perfect hair
and that marble stare,
a work of art.

She's loved by everyone,
but she'll never hold you
Shining brighter than the sun
but she'll never hold you
With such lines,
carved so very fine,
a work of art.

Walking down the street
just glad to behold you
Ah, such tiny feet
but she'll never hold you
So well preened
in designer jeans,
a work of art.

The lady's so beautiful
but she'll never hold you
She's known by everyone
but she'll never hold you
With her perfect hair
and that marble stare,
a work of art.
      Circa 1979

T-shirt day...

Sun through the blinds
weaves a patchwork quilt of light,
or is it checkerboard squares of shadows?
A window-open day,
first warm wind of the year
warming my hands and face,
making me slip off the windbreaker
and let sunshine upon my short sleeved arms
for the first time this year.
Buses, with windows open, roll past
the sounds of children laughing,
like a audio tail, trailing behind them
as they go, kicking up the dust on the road
like a kid kicking a can down the street.
Skateboarders snake by,
going against the traffic,
wheeled salmon head back home,
hoping to avoid the metal bears
as they pass by.
A sweet taste to the breeze,
flowers opening up
and sharing their scent.
Hard to be down on a day like this...
It happens...
but it doesn't take away from the beauty...
             04-24-13

Ghost of a Chance...

How is it things can be so wrong
and so right?
wondering how i can make it
through the darkest of nights
sometimes feel like i am in a fight
with no chance to defend myself
and the simple things that you all do
are so damn hard for me
yes, my friends, it is so true
that i fight with what is worst in me
and it is so hard to see
throught tears of frustration
knowing that intelligence and education
mean nothing,
that the first shaky step is the hardest
when you don't believe in yourself
and if you can never understand
how then can you help yourself?...
           2-28-10

Standoff...

In the blink of an eye
shadows emerge from the darkness,
bringing you back to reality
from the thoughts upon your mind
Dark night and darker deeds
are the way that some find what they want
but perhaps it is what they need,
what they lack,
be it physical or spiritual
that puts them on the wrong track,
where the light at the end of the tunnel blinds
The law of might makes right
might get you out of tight places
but it is not the right answer,
nor does it ask the right questions
How to get beyond the hard line,
to find the time to look again
and see the difference in a life lived
and one endured
It is on the razor's edge of life and death
that one appreciates each breath,
though sometimes it may be the last...
         04-19-13

City Lights...

Feeling the pulse of a city again
Hell, this is no small town
Feeling the pulse of the city again,
if you want it you'll find it around
Most cities never sleep
though apples shine so bright
Someone's always waking up
as lovers say goodnight

Getting the nerve in a city again,
dodging cars everywhere
Braking as swerve in a city again,
some people just don't care
People searching for an end
to justify their means
for when the stop to take a look
they don't like what they see

Getting the groove of a city again,
getting to know east from west
Learning to move in a city again
and which shortcuts are best
Do you find your way around
or do you fumble in the dark,
searching for the light
when you lost the spark?

      circa 1981

Don't Take it...

You've been hiding behind
shadows of doubt
Merely whispering
when you know you must shout
How else can you be heard above the noise
of the children as they play with their toys

Don't take it too seriously, baby
If you can take it at all
It don't break even, baby
and you know you will never have it all,
know you will never have it all
No, you will never have it all

You've been treating your friends
just like a crutch
Don't stay too long
or you may lose the rush
and emotions are universal...
Just the same,
they are far too personal

Don't take it too seriously, baby
If you can take it at all
It won't help you in the long run, baby
in getting over the wall,
getting over the wall
Disregard the cries in the hall...
            circa 1981