When Men Cry

does anyone really care
when men cry
maybe if someone did
the world would be
a much different place

awkward silence
would be replaced with
a steady stream
of emotions

world leaders would gather
and share handkerchiefs
instead of hand grenades

sabre rattling would be
replaced with sobbing leaders
and wars would only be fought
if a good long cry did not
make everyone feel better

which when you think about it
would probably not make the world
a better place after all

maybe it is a good thing no one cares
when men cry

In The Time It Takes

in the time it takes to notice
all the things I love about you
like the way your voice
dances into my heart
when you laugh
or the way your smile
sings to me
while I sleep
along with the way your touch
makes each moment
last forever
that is how long
it takes me to notice
the best moments of my life
will always be
the time I spend with you

Anger

there is no word
for what I feel for you
and since there is no word
then anger will do

despite your attempt
to cause me pain
they way I feel
still remains the same

no matter how
you stab and bite
I will still do
what I know is right

so anger is
the way I feel
and I will get through
the next ordeal

A More Perfect Union

the thought of being next to you
as our bodies descend
into a more perfect union
is not a moment
that takes my breath away
it is so much more
and I realize nothing
I will ever do
will be as perfect as you are now
and although I know love is never equal
my only thoughts are how imperfect
I am when compared to you

Your Future

I saw a glimpse of your future
It was bleak and filled with doom
With dark clouds on the horizon
And nothing but despair in each room

The shadows soon overtook you
And choked out your every breath
As death continued to mock you
Until you had nothing left

Then the fog slowly lifted
And everything became so much clearer
The future that was so awful
Was my own as I looked in the mirror

The Meaning Of Life

The meaning of life lies guarded
Deep in the heart of us all
Always different from person to person
But some never will heed the call

They think that life is a question
And their goal is to answer some test
Never realizing life is an adventure
And with each day comes a new quest

The real meaning of life is in doing
Not in asking what needs to be done
Because those who waste their time asking
Will find life over before it has begun

Loneliness

empty arms
to match your heart
as you sleep
alone

the eerie sound
of nothingness
echoes throughout
your home

there is no way
to describe at all
how you feel
inside

another day
of loneliness
and more of you
just died

Altered States

the mind is like a snake
coiled and ready to strike
cold-blooded and usually deadly
attacking anything it likes

the mind is like a bear
full of big teeth and sharp claws
easily fooled and clumsy
with death inside its jaws

the mind is like a skunk
deadly with a foul smell
unable to make good decisions
it will doom us all to hell

the mind has many faces
none easily understood
it takes us many places
sometimes none of which are good

Thanksgiving

THIS POST WAS COMPLETED ON NOV. 22, 2012, THANKSGIVING DAY, BUT I FELL ASLEEP - AGAIN.
BLAME IT ON THE TURKEY AND THE TRYPTOPHAN.
WHEN I WOKE THE COMPUTER CRASHED TAKING WITH IT THE POEM.
SO THIS IS THE RECREATED VERSION WHICH IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINAL, BUT WHEN IS A COPY EVER AS GOOD AS THE REAL THING?

be thankful
for obvious
things like
family and
friends
but also
learn to
appreciate
little things
like when
you turn
on a
faucet
and get
water
flip a
switch
and see
lights
or crank
up a dial
and get
heat
many people
around the
world
have no
idea
what it
is like
to stand
in front
of a
refrigerator
and
try to
decide
what to
eat next
so be
thankful
for the
right reasons
your spouse
your children
your health
your faith
and for
the little
reasons, too.

Zeitgeist

the artist who sought inspiration
for a way to capture the times
finally realized no situation
could create a world that was fine

with wars raging in nations
over what seemed like minor demands
the artist knew the true vocation
would be to change the mind of man

while struggling to find the best depiction
of something that would last for life
the artist found neither canvas or fiction
damn this modern day zeitgeist

Think

THIS POST WAS COMPLETED ON TUESDAY, NOV. 20, 2012.
 I FELL ASLEEP AND WHEN I WOKE UP AND CLICKED SAVE THE CLOCK STRUCK MIDNIGHT.
FEELING A LITTLE LIKE CINDERELLA RIGHT NOW. MAN IT SUCKS TO GET OLD!


think your way through your dreams
examine each frame around you
find out what all the symbols mean
the outcome will astound you
try not to escape deep inside
to a secret beautiful place
where hidden messages always hide
when they stare you in the face
the victories that you gain when sleep
are useless if when awake
you do not understand the dreams
and the difference they could make

In Your Own Way

the mystic said inside each one
is a voice that fights to be free
and no matter how you try to run
what is meant is what will be

despite my efforts to try and stray
and ignore what was my path
what I said to the mystic that day
only caused him to laugh

fate he said no man can change
the road is set in stone
you alone cannot rearrange
that what you must become

so life it seems is not by chance
or a choice we make each day
each of us has a predetermined dance
when the music starts to play

A Christmas Warning

A jolly old man named St. Nick
Had grown tired of holiday tricks
To all he decreed
To curtail so much greed
This year he just might call in sick

The Moment ( I Knew I Loved You)

to say it was love at first sight
would be an awful lie
in fact I am not really sure
what about you caught my eye
maybe it was the way you smiled
or the way you wore your hair
it could have been your sense of style
as I saw you standing there
but the feeling at first was not true love
what it was I cannot say
but the more time I spent with you
I knew where I would stay
because how can you ever get away
from the one who stole your heart
and now I love you more each day
even when we are apart
I know it was not our very first kiss
though that feeling was sincere
to try and say when would only miss
something that you need to hear
then one day as we embraced
and I lovingly kissed your ear
I finally knew what true love meant
and away went all my fears
from that day no matter what
I will never leave your side
because the moment I knew I loved you
I no longer had to hide

Childlike Wonder

What ever happened to your childlike wonder
When a cardboard box could be a rocket ship to the stars
And each day brought something new
Knowing all you had to do was have fun and play
And sometimes think about what you wanted to be someday
When a friend was every person you would meet
Whether they were across town or down the street
Now things have changed so differently
Did you grow up to be who you thought you would be
Do you still dream about sailing to the stars
Long after you traded your cardboard box for two cars
And did you take time to have fun today
Or were you too worried about the bills you have to pay

The Perfect Poem

If the perfect poem was a perfect song
Then they both would be about the rain
The kind of rain that cleans your soul
And washes away your pain
The kind of rain that soaks your skin
And makes everything brand new
That is the type of song and poem
That I would write for you
Like the fool who waits in the rain for hours
Made famous in a Led Zeppelin song
Or the type of rain New Edition sang about
That makes your love grow strong
Because rain and poems and songs go together
In a way that is tried and true
The perfect poem is the perfect song
Is what I would write for you

When You Give Up On Living

is there a way to describe the feeling you get
right before you give up on living
as you stand on a rooftop and think about
how sweet it will feel when everything splatters
or when you know each kick will cause the rope to tighten
and it will itch worse than any new sweater ever could
as you wait for that feeling just before the knife digs deep
releasing a shower of blood that will squeeze the life out of you
imagine that moment as you wait to hear the gun click
just before the cold steel goes from freezer to furnace
maybe that instant when that handful of pills
shuts off everything inside you forever
no one knows if there is a way to describe that feeling
because everyone who got to that point
took the next step that took them away from here forever
and to those who survive there is no way they can ever say
they know what it is like when you give up on living because they are alive
the only people who really know what that feels like are dead

Love Never Talks

love never talks
sometimes it sings
usually it shouts
and in rare moments
it whispers
but love never talks
because when love
is forced to talk
it proves that love is gone
and the passion
has run out
so when the one you love
says these words one day
"we need to talk" is proof
their love has gone away

Minutes Matter

time is an abstract
but minutes matter
in a universe that never ends
a minute is finite
and can be measured
as a result each minute matters
but time as a whole does not
time is like an ocean
but a minute is like a wave
crashing on the shore
a small part of something big
that means so much more

Veterans Day

to the misguided few
who think that you
should only have one day

as they sleep safe at night
without fear or fright
of dangers that may come their way

remind them all
that we do not fall
united we stand and say

for all that you do
it is very true
every day is Veterans Day

Your Bucket List Should Be A Book

your bucket list should be a book
not only filled with big hopes and dreams
but the little things you do everyday
and the joy those little things bring
a friendly wave and a ready laugh
should be on that list each day
and soon your life will be on the path
of chasing your fears away
keep your list filled with the biggest dreams
like climbing mountains and skiing back down
but the list should also have a place where you
stopped someone from wearing a frown
as you ride off into the sunset
doing everything you wished you could do
there are many things that can bring joy to your life
and little things should be on that list too

Misery

all the choices that you made
which only grow worse each day
only prove to all that you
have no right to say
how bad your life has turned out now
you did this to yourself
you planted the seeds and steered the plow
so do not blame someone else
you are miserable now in your time of need
nothing grows in your garden except
your angry weeds

A Cry For Help From A Friend

heartless and shallow I just stood by
and ignored the cry for help from a friend
is it really my problem I thought to myself
why should I get involved at all
but as I watched her world crash all around her
my happiness was shattered as well
and bit by bit the two broken hearts
littered the ground around us
as I bent to pick up what I thought was mine
I was unable to tell the two apart
with edges as sharp as the tip of a sword
each handful only led to more pain
it was then that I learned it never is smart
to ignore a cry for help from a friend

The New America

The New America was born last night
When voices united and said
To the few old man who rule by fright
Your power is officially dead

Gone are the days when they ruled by lies
Telling us to follow their way
Now we watch them backpedal and cry
Because the old men lost yesterday

Election Day

The people spoke on election day
But did we hear what they had to say
Across the land they stood in lines
For a chance to say what was on their minds
Regardless of which side you choose
The one sure way for you to loose
Is to view the results with a cynical eye
That refuses to see the real reason why
The game has changed and the way we play
Now truly does let everyone have their say
When the candidates spoke did you look at the crowds
The people behind them said it quite loud
The country is very different today
And despite some concerns the future is here to stay
No longer determined by a privileged few
This election was determined by me and you

Pain

a broken leg
a broken heart
the results are just
the same

no matter how
we try and try
we cannot hide
from pain

a fractured skull
or shattered pride
the wound remains
as fresh

we try to be
made of stone
but we all are
made of flesh

A Place To Land

in a sense
we are all just birds
on a long distance flight
looking for
a place to land

not a home
because we know
in our hearts
that nothing is ever
really permanent

just a place to rest
for now
far from whatever
caused us to
take flight
in the first place

The Logic Of Love

if it causes you to ignore someone
to watch their every move
or kill them to keep them from leaving you
and act just like a fool
then what you have experienced
is the logic
the impractical logic of love
a simple thought or deed
that we all must rise above
how could anything so wonderful
actually be so unreal
it can cause us to be insane
this madness in the name of love
it is really an evil game
when we fall or push or shove
maybe then there is no logic
and maybe there is no love
those things that we feel inside
just some sort of energy
that has to be released
only to keep us all confused
until it is deceases

the final minute

your back against the wall
has become so common to you
that the building would fall
if you ever changed

Killing Myself

no bullet
or gun
or knife
or pill

can describe
how I
try to kill

myself slowly
every day

as I
let my life
slip away

the things
that should
come easily

are like
mountains
to climb
you cannot see

yes it would
be faster still
to end it all

with a pill
or a knife
or a gun

but would
it be
as much fun