There are Times When Words do no Good

How many times had I tried to help

four or five, ten maybe twenty

I had lost count

Our talks never seemed to do any good

He needed to change the way he thought

understand forgiveness

But his bitterness

it was nestled too deep within

Ever since his loss

his life was in decline

He was ever moving further away

from the man he once was

His wife and children

they were everything to him

The accident had taken them away

Why had he drank so heavily  

The Softer Side

Men, why yes

they've a softer side

but much too often

it's forced to hide

Hidden beneath

a rough exterior

then they act

the complete posterior

Hiding their feelings

not sharing their trust

denying emotions

yet acceptance a must

They're there to protect us

our hearts are under the gun

we've got to wake up

before the damage is done

Take My Hand

Has it gotten any better

than those days gone before

are races any more equal

will we ever tie the score

Will there always be discord

and this horrible lack of trust

why is it that we judge a man

for the color of his crust

“It's plain to see he's not like me”

that excuse is truly lame

see deep inside, beneath our hide

our blood runs all the same

Each and every one of us

must share this common land

and we can truly live in peace

if we'll just walk hand in hand

A Thanksgiving Reminder

Another Thanksgiving

and here we are

gathered round the old table

the grandest feast by far

The turkey, the stuffing

yams and mashed taters

gravy all over it

pumpkin pie we'll eat later

Yeah feeding our faces

till our bellies are full

yet still making an attempt

at just one more spoonful

Yes today seems so perfect

all this family and food

and it's thankful we are

for this fall interlude

But there are others less fortunate

who have no houses or homes

living out on the streets

cold and alone

Scrounging for food

and a place to get warm

without all the comforts

we believe are the norm

Please enjoy todays feast

but share when you can

though those folks may be homeless

they're still your fellow man

War, Good for Business

War is good

for business you know

there's always

a buck to be made

and the killing of people

increases the profits

as many employees

won't have to be paid

so mothers and fathers

throughout this great land

help build our economy

c'mon, take a stand

send us your kids

that's right, don't delay

kill 'em off for good reason

here at home they die anyway

why die in vain

who knows, with some luck

they could perish quite quickly

saving investors a big buck

spiking the profits

by saving their wage

keeping the rich on the fast track

without turning a page

like I said

war is good business

profit margins

they're great

as long as

there's killing

there will be

pieces of eight

We Can Always Hope

It's here, it's here,

Utopia has arrived

What a wonderful moment

And here I'm still alive

A land of peace

A country of love

A total absence of hate

A gift from above

Long have I waited

For this day to arrive

My hope for its coming

Is what's kept me alive

Finally it's here

This is mans second chance

We can rejoice all together

And to new music we'll dance

Oh how I pray this is real

And this moment is what it seems

That I'm actually awake

And it's not just one of my dreams

Why Not Have Ham

Beef

was once for dinner

but the cow said

“eat more chicken”

I saw the turkey

holding a sign

the words

“why not have ham”

These things made me stop

they made me think

these animals wish the demise of another

that attitude sure does stink

Then I looked around

quite embarrassed, AHEM

I'd seen this before

how HUMAN of them

I Can't Save the World Alone

Here I am

trying to save the world

my words

will they make any difference

why write

if no-one's going to read them

why care

when man enjoys his bitterness

his loss

peace, love and joy

his change

must first come from within

reaching one

my hope is that change is contagious

and passed

from one heart to another

a dream

of love spreading to all men

What the Hell's Wrong with People

Rioting

well it just ain't right

what the hell's wrong

these folks ain't too bright

The violence erupting

won't change anything

the fires, the looting

more brutality will bring

They're hurting themselves

while destroying much good

this world that we live in

is everyones hood

Respecting our neighbors

a thing of the past

never more obvious

than while their anger does last

And that there's the problem

you'll see on both sides

closed minded people

living lives nurtured by lies

The Blacks are all criminals

The Whites all racists

Asians invading

Too many Latinos exist

People today

they're brought up on disdain

and their hate leaves behind them

nothing but pain

Do I have the answer

no, but I can see the cause

it's those closed minded people

who won't give hate a pause

If only for a day

they'd give peace a chance

and walk hand in hand

we could learn a new dance

You might say “FAT CHANCE

your dream will never come true”

well you're probably right

not with your attitude

Just The Way I See It

Though I wasn't there

the truth I'll never know

but the prosecutor

well put on a poor show

A life had been taken

his job was to indict

yet he presented defense

well I guess that's his right

I'm telling you folks

there's just something wrong

when a district attorney

touts a defense song

The killer went free

self defense we were fed

all six shots found their target

to make sure Brown was dead

How is this not murder

because Wilson's a cop

my word, six shots

I guess he just couldn't stop

If he's really that nervous

and afraid for his life

he might be working the wrong job

if it creates that much strife

A Reminder of How Things Should Be

The clear morning sky

allows the sun to shine

directly upon the fresh blanket of snow

which was delivered over night

The super bright of the reflection

harsh on my eyes, painful

yet so pure, so wonderful

I have no will to look away

How could I not continue to gaze upon this picture

this beautiful moment will not last long

natures gift to me will soon be spoiled

man's pollution comes with his activity

My hope, call it a prayer

is that on this beautiful morning

man over sleeps

leaving this world untouched for today

Can't You even Spare A Cup of Coffee

As a boy

I played with toys

But as I grew

somehow I knew

Those days of fun

would soon be done

Watching my dad

as he worked for a living

paying the bills

little left for the giving

No we weren't dirt poor

we didn't miss any meals

always a roof over our heads

they didn't seem like big deals

Though we heard of the hungry

we didn't believe they existed

just a ploy to clean our plates

of foods with tastes we resisted

But the poor did exist

yes in the sixties and before

and as I grew in the suburbs

I never knew the real score

You see the city was hidden

Appalachia as well

where I lived we were sheltered

from those conditions of hell

Then one day I woke up

and the poor became real

knowledge I lacked in my childhood

was now a big deal

In this world are the hungry

they are tired and weak

many are cold and sick

as they lie in the streets

How the hell can we let them

go without care

it's not like we're a people

unable to share

If we're such a great nation

with all of our riches

why is it we act as such low

sons-a-bitches

The Green Man

Entering the forest

not really knowing why

I took chance to step upon a worn path

Though shaded beneath the canopy

the way was plain to see

Here and there rays of light

fought their way through the leaves

preventing the theft of my sight

removing the darkness

left behind from the night

The sun seldom dawns on the forest floor you know

The path I was following

was reminiscent of a slalom course

winding its way

through trees which were ever increasing

in their height and girth

taking me ever deeper

into the very heart of the forest

Before me appeared an opening

there was a great abundance of sunlight

As I drew closer

there at the center

I could see what must have been

the mother of all trees

The picture I saw

appeared strange to me

upon its branches

it looked as if there were the leaves

of the oak

of the elm

of the maple

of the birch and beach trees alike

all upon the same tree

My curiosity peaked

it was mixed with

the fear of the unknown

There at the base

of this trees great massive trunk

was the answer to why

I felt the need to enter this great wooded area

I had only heard of the Green Man before

never really believing that he existed

Then to my amazement

he spoke to me

“As the life of all trees are nourished

by the flow of the same life giving sap,

all human life is nourished

through the same blood”

“As all trees are one with creation,

all men are one with the trees”

“All the minute portions of creation

are part of the one whole,

we are all one”

A Gift from the Mist

I sat in the shallow cavern behind the falls

gazing out at the fine mist

it was rising above the pool below

I watched as the sun sent forth its rays of light

as they passed through this mist before me

I felt as if I was receiving a gift

sent by morning star

its brilliance

excited the millions of prisms

contained within the tiny water droplets

causing colors to burst forth

displaying the most glorious rainbow

more spectacular than I had ever witnessed before

all those wonderful colors

coming together

to make the whole of this vision in the mist

it was then that I realized

today this rainbow

that I was given the privilege of viewing

was not the promise spoken of

instead, it was a message

that all men

of all colors and races

of all faiths

believers or not

gay and straight alike

whether they're rich or poor

must at one point

all come together

if we are ever to be whole

for within us

it is the same river of life

being pumped through our bodies

by our hearts

The Poets Nightmare

Was that all there was

could he really be done

it was becoming like work

no longer fun

It once was a joy

the rhymes came so easy

but lately a burden

leaving his stomach quite queasy

It was upsetting as hell

when he couldn't find words

like as if freedom was across the river

and he could not find the fjord

He was stuck on this side

as if a curtain had been drawn

yet he knew he couldn't quit

yet there was no way to move on

It was a terrible feeling

being trapped there in limbo

having so much in his heart

and so little to show

Was it time to give up

time for him to quit writing

what would become of his life

it was a time that was frightening

The Plains

The plains

travel is smooth

little stands in the way

progress through life is made easy

there are few challenges or pit falls here

personal growth held to limits

we tend to grow lazy

why remain in

the plains

Valleys

Valleys

low points of life

what purpose so they serve

they were not meant to weaken us

these fertilized basins feed your spirit strength

faith needed to face your mountains

rest for your very soul

do not fear the

valleys

Mountains

Mountains

are there to climb

they may stand in the way

you may be wondering just why

the fact is that there are lessons to learn

that will determine your future

once you find that success

give thanks to the

mountains

Reactivity

Reactivity

yeah, I guess that's the word

those quick snide remarks

folks like to use as a sword

Not thinking at all

just plain biting back

taking offense to most everything

as if under attack

The argument starts

the anger does grow

the drama spills over

others forced to watch this sad show

I wonder why live like that

reactive I mean

is it something they've learned

or is it some kind of gene

Do they love being angry

does it have a great flavor

when in truth it hurts all

when their bitterness they do savor

I hope that someday

they can leave this behind

cast off all their anger

and become gentle and kind

Sharing the Marble

My time here is short

I've a message to share

it must be delivered

to teach others to care

It's mine for to spread

it could be for others as well

but I've been given these words

and I'm supposed to go sell

But just caring inside

is not near enough

I've got to put care into action

show that I've got the stuff

A love for my brothers

all religions and races

whether they're believers or not

respect everyones faces

The homeless, the rich

whether they're straight or they're gay

none of that should matter at all

again, it's respect I should pay

sure it would be oh so easy

to avoid all interaction

if this was nothing but words

and I failed to take action

But inside we're just people

all one great big union

sharing this wonderful blue marble

you see we're all of us human

Michigan Golf in November

This is Michigan

November seven

I'm still playing golf

is this some kind of heaven

The course is in great shape

and there's a feeling of peace

while I'm sharing the fairways

with hundreds of geese

I've been hitting 'em straight

and driving it far

my irons like lasers

yeah man, making some pars

Doing all of those things

that the good golfers do

except for one little thing

avoiding goose poo

Don't Ask

They asked my opinion

I gave it to them

then when I was done

I heard that “Ahem”

Turned out that it wasn't

what they wanted to hear

as a matter of fact

it wasn't even near

That was when the fight started

they took my opinion to task

if they didn't want to hear it

why in the hell did they ask  

A Smile

A smile

often can be

what makes a difference

between the bad days and the good

when the bad days arrive, all is not lost

when you need to turn one around

the truth of the matter

all you need is

a smile

Forgiveness

Forgiveness

is for the soul

releasing the evil

that's taken a hold

bitterness, anger and hate

the spirit killers

that can seal your fate

tearing you down and leaving a life

of misery that's filled

with a great strife

Forgiveness

it's for your own heart

protecting your spirit

doing its part

righting your path

to one where joy can be found

giving away all that evil

to which you've been bound

Forgiveness

it's really for you

you're not saying it's fine

it's just what you must do

for with it comes freedom

for your spirit and heart

giving them life once again

giving you a new start

Man' Revenge upon Himself

Hateful thoughts

imaginary daggers

emerge from a heart

with no ability

to forgive

filled with anger

owned by bitterness

a soul at its blackest

peace has no chance

love cannot exist

loneliness ensues

depression is born

a spirit dies