Exotic

in the middle of a storm
a single drop of rain
lingered on her forehead
then slowly trickled down her face
first past her eyes
then doing the best imitation of a tear
tantalizingly rolled down her cheek
resting for a moment and then moving on
first her neck where the race against time
and the battle against gravity were both
suspended for seconds which
while I watched seemed like eternity
before finding the final resting place
between her perfect breasts as they
invited me in and asked me to
become one with the rain

Mr. Cooper

no one knows what is in his heart
or if he has a soul
cold and distant he looks the part
of an evil and angry troll

inside his house God only knows
the evil done by this gnome
children are taught to stay away
and never go near his home

for this time of year they all fear
the legend will come true
always stay clear and never go near
or it will happen to you

people go in and never come out
are what the rumors say
and he does nothing to change the doubt
in fact he likes it that way

the pain inside he cannot hide
when his loved one passed away
his children all grown and long since gone
never come to visit or stay

so each day he sits the easier it gets
to be the monster inside
but never forget Mr. Cooper is just
a lonely old man without his bride

The Last Note

the last note ever written
of the song that is your life
will never tell the story
of how you loved your wife
or how you held her hand
as her life slipped away
and how you hope you see her
again in heaven someday
or that your mother made you
the man you are today
and how you cried like a baby
when your grandmother passed away
the way you beamed with pride
on both your son's graduation day
or the bond you have with your sister
that will never go away
so much that you were the one
who gave her daughter away
or that your second chance at love
would be your very best friend
and when the last note is finally played
you can start the song again

When You Think You Know

when you think you know all the answers
when you think you have figured it all out
then the real work begins when you question
everything your life has been about

like can you really be happy
seeking a life of fortune and fame
or are those just the many pieces
and life is one big game

and why does the game favor some
and treat others to despair
allowing some to win a game
when the rules are so unfair

52

the number of weeks in a year
and cards in the deck are the same my dear

the chances in life you should get
to make things better for others yet

many choose not to do
the things that they were meant to

strange but true
should add up to 52

the letters in the alphabet might
sound just as nice if you say them twice

the number of the U.S. States that it would be
if you were to add Puerto Rico and D.C.

so many things that you do
will lead you to 52

the years we live before we know
we do not have much longer to go

All For The Love Of Words

to him there was no greater pain
than not being able to explain
why the words that he loved so much
lived in his mind becoming his crutch
seeing painted smiles and burning lies
soar with broken promises and anguished cries
they danced and played from noon until night
only to fade away when he tried to write
his only friends or so he thought
were the words with whom he daily fought
to give them life for all to see
but try as he might it was not to be
because in his mind where they always play
is where it seemed they were bound to stay
for love is strange and indeed unkind
when the words refused to leave his mind
locked away so many great thoughts
and his efforts to write were all for naught
to share his words for all to read
but the words loved him to much and refused to leave

Wait And See What Things Will Be

At 18 I had never left home
Years later I stood in the Coliseum in Rome
All that just to say it is true
It happened to me and it could happen to you

Never think that you cannot do
The things that will make your dreams come true
And those with hearts so full of hate
Should not be the ones to determine your fate

Even family and friends can share the shame
Of trying to keep your life the same
But never forget some things are meant to be
It will happen for you just like it happened for me

The Old Building

old and shabby and falling apart
the old building down the road once had a great start

once strong and sturdy come rain or shine
now so bleak and in constant decline

happy days are gone and the children long since grown
the old building is no longer a house and no longer a home

Time To Say Goodbye

the love I have for you is unending
and will last until the end of time
but as we grow in different ways
it is time to say goodbye

the things you do still amaze me
and I marvel at your style
nothing will ever warm and hold me
like the comfort of your smile

but love is sometimes bad for those
when the heart can no longer sing
and no matter which way our love goes
always remember one thing

words will never describe how much I love you
and it frustrates me to even try
but I have to go before I hurt you
it is time to say goodbye

Midnight And God

midnight to many is evil and foreboding
fear and anguish rule the hour
so many fools set aside time for ghouls
and ghosts and goblins and things that cause fright
but in the darkest time we see God in the brightest light
because it is in our deepest despair
that we see proof that God is there
when loved ones reach the end of their road
God is there to lighten their load
when every day is filled with trials
God helps us go the extra mile
why so much faith in something unseen
some mythical God in the sky
because someday the clock will not strike
someday we all will die
and when our souls unite in peace
and the Midnight hour then will cease
and we will see that God is time
and Midnight suitsGod just fine

The Prayer

Some wonder if there is a God
Someone to hear our prayers
And still we fall down on our knees
Even if it falls on deaf ears

Our God is said to be fair and just
And gives us what we need
But our faith and love is a must
To show that we believe

But what about those on the other side
Who want us all to fail
Do they have a different God
And will their prayers prevail

With arms upraised and heads bowed down
We ask God to be loving and kind
And we pray for things we think we need
That will bring us peace of mind

Too Educated Be Angry

if my insides matched my outsides
I would have the right to be angry
and I could do all the irresponsible things
I was always too smart to do

like blame everything bad that happened to me
on people who looked different than I do
despite knowing bad is like cars and houses
and that it comes in many colors and sizes

knowing if there is good or evil
is something we all must decide
but an education is easily wasted
when reason is overruled by the mind

Ride

dusty trails
winding roads
lonesome tales
heavy loads

blinding rain
drifting snow
stabbing pain
dirty blow

never stop
never hide
always go
always ride

When Do I Get To Cry

the word to describe the pain you caused
does not exist today
because nothing said could ever hurt
as bad as what you had to say

alone I sit and pray and wait
for a love that will never come
and all the while you are out there
knowing what you have done

the scratch of a rope around my neck
or a knife peeling away my skin
feels more loving than the way
things between us did end

I stare into the mirror
while I try to change and try
but nothing takes away the pain
when do I get to cry

There Was A Time

there was a time
when I would do
anything in the world
for you

make magic happen
at your command
and evil dissappear
with the wave of a hand

now that time
is at an end
no need to pretend
we could be friends

with a pain that crushes
all that I am
and all that I
want to be

there was a time
when I loved you
and I thought that
you loved me

Power

you lay there trembling
as I tower over you
taking every ounce of your being
under my control
you have no say in what happens next

you have no power
and I show no mercy
ruthless and cruel
I am an animal
and you are even less

Anger

anger is a disease and a drug
it makes you sick
as it gets you hooked
brings you down
while it eats you up
fuels your fire
douses your desire
and feeds your ire
but no matter how hard you try
to tame that beast each day
the cage is opened
with a simple glance
or word said the wrong way

Stolen Dreams

late at night when no one is around
the dream thief sneaks into your town
looking for some hope to steal
to feed upon and make a meal

the small town girl with stars in her eyes
now walks the streets under gloomy skies
she dreamed she would be a star someday
now strange men on her body prey

the all American football king
who dreamed one day of a championship ring
now each day robs his family blind
to feed drugs to his rotting mind

the teacher and preacher and politician
all know now that there is something missing
it was not supposed to turn out this way
as they hope to dream just one more day

Mosquitoes And Gnats And Rats And Bats

some things in life are just a nuisance
more bother than good and more splinter than wood

those things are small and rather sickly
they get under your skin and become very prickly

they steal away everything that is nice
and leave you only with maggots and lice

so much of life will turn out bad
that the few good things are a reason to be glad

Your Light Will Never Die

each life is like a ray of light
as it spreads across the sky
sometimes your light is behind a cloud
but it will never die

even in the cold dark night
your light will always shine
because inside you glows something bright
so strong and so refined

Music Of Your Life

as the notes gently fall
and the melody starts to fade
the music that is your life
tells all the decisons you made

your happiness is your ballad
your sadness is your blues
anger is your opera
or symphony if you choose

when compared to a singer
who never missed a note
your lyrics tells all who listen
every verse you wrote

You Broke My Feelings

when he was young
about four or five years old
my son once said
you broke my feelings
when I did something
that upset him
I tried to tell him
the proper phrase to use
was that I hurt his feelings
not that I broke his feelings
I went to great lengths to explain
how when someone does something
that upsets you the proper phrase
to use is you hurt my feelings
what I should have told him
was that I was sorry

When A Child Cries

when a child cries
read between the tears
behind those weeping eyes
is a lot more than their fears

the pain is often so much more
it can cause their little hearts to break
and when they cry the sometimes try
their own lives to take

so remember each sob is so much more
than a plea or a cry for attention
never deny their weeping eyes
because the results are too painful to mention

in an instant that child could be gone
a victim of their own strife
and we are left to carry on
after that child took their own life

Cold Steel Hot Flesh

the opposite of cold steel
is hot flesh
but with the flash
the barrel of a gun
quickly becomes too hot to touch
and what was once as cold as ice
is now hotter than the blood
pouring out of your body
as the flesh grows cold
and the gun stays hot

When The Arrow Is Not Straight

ever wonder what happens
to an arrow that is not straight

the answer is it is probably
broken or discarded

and never given a chance
to be anything else

and despite the limits placed
on the arrow

it still has a point
unlike those who limit others

The Sign

all your life
you sit and wait
until you see
the sign

that moment
when you know
the stars have
aligned and

the time is
finally right and
your hopes and dreams
will now come true

then you start
to do what you
were born to do
better than anyone else

and you realize
waiting for the sign
was a waste of
your time

the minute to
capture your dreams
was when you
woke up

not when some
mythical ship
finally came in

Life Is A Party

life is a party
by invitation only

not going from
day to day

that is not life
and it is not living

life is enjoying
each moment

taking advantage
of each opportunity

leaving behind
a legacy

that says
you were here

and that the party
is just getting started

Something To Die For

it has been said
that you never
really live until
you have
something to
die for

the reality is
you are
really dead
until you
have something
to live for

The Little Things

life is always about the little things
not great accomplishments
but little acts
that are the grains of sand
on the beach of where we are going
and the building blocks to
something big

the problem is we
are constantly looking
for a finished product
without realizing how many
strokes it takes to make
a masterpiece and how
many bricks it takes to
build that monument

Tell A Vision

late night viewing
of prime time shows
everything seems
like what we already know

comedies that are not funny
dramas with no bite
just another example
of what is on tonight

yet we still watch
and hope for something new
but it is the same vision
draining the life out of you

The Red Thread

In Chinese culture
It was once said
Some are connected
By a red thread
That this string binds you
All of your life
To people important to you
Like a husband or wife

To me the thread is like
Leaves on a tree
Waiting for the moment
When they are set free
But when they are together
What an impressive sight
When the thread is broken
The leaves take flight

But their time together
Connected on a branch
Brought joy to many
Then they did their dance
Each went their seperate way
But their time together
In their hearts will stay