Thursday, April 30, 2020

For someonevelse

The wishes for creativity remain
unfulfilled
The dark hope for answers to dreams undrempt
disregard

The sun rises on a starless morning
The moon sets on a lonely gray night
The stars hide behind veils of darkened fears
and the planets align, they align

for someone else

The wishes for exclusivity they drain
weak willed
The ashen faith for deities fair and knowing
no regard

The sun sets on a starless morning
The moon rises on a lonely gray plight
The prayers hide behind a veil of disbelief
and the families try, they try

for someone else


The wishes we wish we never wished
come true
The lingering hope that keeps us so afloat
drag down

The son rises on a starless morning
His room, a pristine sanctuary, violated
The stars positioned just out of reach
and the planets, they slowly die

for someone else
for someone

The wishes, they
The sun, the son
They

The stars, they
The moon, prayers

for someone else





Sunday, April 26, 2020

"Someone has to die", someone always has to die

If this was a movie
I'd be the dead guy
Wearing the red shirt
The unknown
Deceased

If this was a blockbuster
I'd be bystander #3
Unnoticed
Unseen
Dead

If this was real life
it would end the same


Friday, April 24, 2020

Friday, April 17, 2020

A piece of yesterday

Take a scrap of today
hold it close to your heart

Let it go when you must
Pull it back when needed

Move on to tomorrow
Leap forward from today

Go forth in confidence
with a piece of yesterday



Monday, March 16, 2020

The harbinger died

Now what?
Seriously, who will tell us what will come next?
The news?
The government?

Now that the harbinger is dead,
There is fear
and loathing
and a severe lack of toilet paper
but that doesn't matter

What matters is what is next
and what is to come
and if the harbinger is dead
Who will tell us?
Fate?
C'mon, really?

No way, I tap out
That harbinger needed to die
I'll tell you what's next
Life

Live like tomorrow is your last day
Cuz it may be

Live like you want to make your momma proud
Cuz you might do that

Live like there is something to live for
Cuz there is, always

Dead harbingers don't mean nothing

Nothing at all

Sunday, March 15, 2020

All is lost

I had the great name for a song title
an instrumental
and I

Lost it

I think it was a line from a movie, or a few words spoken
And it was perfect

But I cannot remember it

I am wracking my brain, trying hard to remember
the situation
the content
the setting

Nothing

All is lost
All is
Lost


Saturday, February 1, 2020

please

don't let me die for nothing




….




….





 (crickets)













Fuckers

Resignation

I resigned myself, to the fact
that this is how it is going to be
I may have wanted something a little different
maybe you did too

But, we push forth
and deal with what we have
I want to paint with you
and play music together
create music, actually
be silly and fall for each other

over broken chords on the piano
of the guitar, or bass

maybe make something that only we would remember

a song for two

Like that Fugees record that sold for so much
that only one person could enjoy

both of us could enjoy it

a duet, a shared voice of notes


but no

this is something different

and it's not bad

is it?

Friday, January 31, 2020

I am: Part VIII (Or 8, if you don't want to be fancy)

I am...
...still writing, less often but getting that itch again
...a little tipsy
...probably a disappointment to someone
...a music lover
...a music maker, sometimes
...a leftover, a sidekick, a circus freak
...strong like bull
...trying to get this right
...probably getting this wrong
...typing like shit, and correcting like crazy (I said I was tipsy!)
...an anchor, good or bad
...someone, and that was hard to type
...on the verge of laughter or tears
...flowing with the unexpected
...leaning into the winds of change
...withstanding the barrage of obstacles against me

I am
...to be continued, in words, or action, or breath






hope

tear me open, find that key I'm looking for
tear me apart, and reassemble me
forgive my sins and I'll forgive yours
but never give in, never give up

even though I want to quit
I haven't thrown in the towel
I haven't given up the ghost
I haven't stopped hoping

hope

intangible, infallible, faulty to a fault

I feel like giving in
then

hope

a life rope to a drowning mind
a calming presence in the chaos of my brain

and fictional as hell

The paradox of hope, when you're drowning alone,
is that it doesn't make you float
it saps your strength
makes your limbs heavy

like the burden that got you in the water
in the first place

it's what anchors you while drowning
flailing, thrashing about
making everything worse than it was
because you believe

and hope is responsible
it's why we smile as sink below the surface
hope will save us all
at the last moment

but by then
it's too late

for hope

because we're torn down, disassembled
without the key
to it all

hope






The empty grey

Hollowed ambition, unfollowed rules
Disregarded tradition, misguided fools

When the time for decisions arrives
Who will help you decide?
When a moment of greatness appears
Will you run and hide?

Nowhere to run to, nowhere is safe
Darkness enclosing, deep in the fray
Nowhere to turn, everyone is prey
Leaden perception, colorless day

the empty grey

Misguided ambition, disregarded rules
Unfollowed tradition, hallowed fools

When the times for action arise
Who will help you shine?
When the glory disappears
Will you run and hide?

the empty grey

Disregarded ambition, hallowed rules
Misguided traditions, unfollowed fools

When the time for decision arrives
(Nowhere to run, nowhere is safe)
When the moment of greatness appears
(Nowhere to turn, everyone is prey)
When the times for action arise
(Darkness enclosing, deep in the fray)
When all the glory disappears
(Leaden perception, no one is safe)

Unfollowed ambition, misguided rules
Hallowed traditions, disregarded fools

the empty grey



Monday, January 20, 2020

A fond memory, and a thank you

I never met Neil Peart, nor had I seen him perform live. He still had a huge impact on me. I am saddened by his passing, but happy I heard his songs, read his lyrics and enjoyed his books. Thank you for all you have given me and the world, Neil. I hope your years of hard work made you half as happy as it made your fans.

Here's a post I wrote long ago about Neil.


Inspired By Neil Peart

Sunday, December 8, 2019

#300 Without an audience

The written word, unread
Means nothing, except
To those that wrote it

The spoken word, unheard
Echoes softly, until
The sound fades away

The plucked notes
Resonate in air, floating
Through the empty space

Afraid of what you may say
I play it for myself
Close to the chest
Without an audience

Unable to take a chance
I sing to myself
Close to my heart
Without an audience

The painted canvas, hidden
Strokes of my love
Vision of my heart

The pictures taken, focused
Beauty of my eye
Only I behold them

The prayers I pray, silently
To a deity of my design
Imaginary being

Afraid of what you may say
I pray for myself
Close to the chest
Without an audience

Unable to take a chance
I paint myself
Close to my heart
Without an audience

Irrational fear, failure
Intertwined, ingrained
Barriers as strong as steel

I close my eyes, breathe
Calm my nerves, release
Face another day

Without an audience



Christmas Eve

Believe
Christmas Eve
So easily deceived
A peaceful reprieve
Warm memories
A cold winter breeze
A moment to seize
yearning to be free
Christmas Eve
What it means to me
Is not the same to you, it seems
Fallen snow and shattered dreams
Believe
The time before the new year rings
and all the hope it does bring
open mind, heart to possible things
Christmas Eve
What is meant to be
for you and for me
Different paths and dreams
but tonight
in the glowing light
we bask in the memories
Christmas Eve
Some of the magic has lost it's luster
Despite all the effort we are willing to muster
The body is willing but the heart is weak
after years of forecasts, so bleak
Heartfelt memories lost in a sea of fights
No one was spared not even Christmas Night
Believe
This is the moment to seize
A memory to freeze
A nod to future memories
Christmas Eve
A wish upon an angels ear
May salvage something we hold dear
a dream of you
Christmas Eve



Monday, November 18, 2019

Subtle

It is a million little things
Not just one thing that stands out
Slight movements and gestures
Some of the words that leave your mouth

It's the enormous time you spend
looking down at your phone
It's how you hardly ever look at me
when we are home alone

You don't notice me
Noticing you
You don't think it shows

You don't appear to care
and that hurts the most
You don't think it shows

All these subtle things
Nothing to noticeable
But clearly, noticeable
So subtle

The way you kiss my lips
The far away look in your eyes
Desperate loneliness
More subtle signs

It's not a million different things
Just the few that stand out
Lack of movement or gesture
The failure of words out of your mouth

With me, little time spent
Too much time on the phone
I try to come in
Seems like you're never home

You don't notice me
Noticing you
You don't think it shows

You don't appear to care
and that hurts the most
You don't think it shows

All these subtle things
Nothing to noticeable
But clearly, noticeable
So subtle

The way you kiss my lips
The persistent look in your eyes
My desperate loneliness
More subtle signs

It's a million little things
And nothing at all
Subtle
As a kick in the balls






Thursday, November 7, 2019

Saying Goodbye

Been so long, the years slip by
It's so difficult, I can't even try
Been so hard, the tears I cry
Unusual, I can't explain why

Moments etched in memory, memories etched in time
with all the miles between, you were never far from mine

Until now

Saying goodnight one final time
A farewell kiss on the lips of a dream
Close my eyes and you're still here
It's hard to say goodbye

My favorite song, when I close my eyes
Takes me there, right by your side
Been so long that I've had a cry
Unusual and I can't explain why

Moments etched in memories, memories etched in time
With all the miles between, you're never far from mine

Until Now

Saying goodnight one final time
A farewell kiss on the lips of a dream
Close my eyes and you're still here
It's hard to say goodbye

You didn't have to leave me, even though you haven't been around
We had so much to say, I'll never hear the sound

Your voice is an echo, of a distant memory
Your touch a celebration, of better days for me

Moments etched in memories, memories etched in time
With all the miles between, you're never far from mine

Until Now

Saying goodnight one final time
A farewell kiss on the lips of a dream
Close my eyes and you're still here
It's hard to say goodbye




Saturday, August 17, 2019

Time lapse

It's supposed to last forever

Until it doesn't....

Then it seems to drag on forever.

Friday, February 15, 2019

I am: Part VII (An eleven year update)

I am...
Writing today
Still getting gray...grayer
Optimistic that I have talent
Hurting like everyone else
Hurting like no one else
A grandfather, 3 times over
Still married, for almost 3 decades
Watching my oldest dog fall apart
Still rocking, and rolling
Writing for me
Writing to hopefully inspire one person, to share their dream
passion,
or their soul,
anonymously would be fine

Frustrated at work
But love my job
What I do, I do well
No bullshit, most of the time

I am.....
Still alive and kicking
Thrashing about internally
Externally
Eternally Optimistic (that sounds familiar)
I am

I




The Fall

There was a time when I felt I could conquer the world

Traverse mountains, plant flags that unfurl

Naïve, headstrong and young I could do it all

So much left undone, so little pride before the fall

before the fall

Asleep at the wheel, the captain of my dreams

Nothing seems real, nothing is what it seems

I wished to be a hero, someone you valued so much

but that didn't happen, I have no such luck

after the fall

I feel the empty spaces

the silence that threatens my sanity

I fill the void between

what I want and the true reality

with hope

but not much else

Overestimating my worth to you

Overstepping my inner boundaries

I step out of time again and again

to feel safe

navigating by some broken inner compass

I move forward

I think

Until the fall

that undoes

it

all


Saturday, October 1, 2016

Status Update


Tell what you think

Tell me I should pray

Tell me what you did

Tell me what you ate

Post another pic

Of your child’s little face

Post another link

Of a political race


Tell me everything

I never wanted to know

Tell the world everything

It’s important that we know

Tell me


Tell me all your thoughts

Tell me all your dreams

Tell me where you went

My page is busting at the seams

Post another link

Another useless quiz

Recipes for drinks

The buzz in show biz


Tell me anything

Like I should really care

Tell the world anything

Right or wrong or fair

Tell me


Limited characters

Unlimited posts

Inane banality

And dirty little jokes


Tell me

Tell me

Tell me


Tell me

Everything