Caught From Behind

Simple when you get down to it. 
Twist it to the left, unscrew it. 
Waited far too long, you blew it. 
Now you cannot win.

Race the beast, your feet are flying. 
Credit due at least for trying. 
If you lose, no need for crying. 
You can try again.

Sprint ahead into the lead. 
Good advice remains unheeded.
No reserve left when it’s needed 
Puts you in a bind.

Leaves you in a situation 
No amount of perspiration 
Can avoid the culmination, 
You – Caught from behind.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

You May Go Now

Thank you for coming, 
Bless you for sharing, 
But this episode has come to conclusion. 
There will be more, 
Perhaps even better. 
A broad invitation allows no exclusion.

We will be wiser 
When next we gather, 
Banking experience along the way, 
Bringing perspective to 
Feast at our table, 
Saving dessert for another day.

This has been grand 
To be in your company, 
Share in your mind with insightful delight. 
So with contentment 
Tinged with regret 
I bid you sweet silent goodnight.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

At Peace

It has been hard to get this far. 
I could show you bumps and bruises, 
Scars incurred along the way, but 
You don’t really want to see.

There were tears, yes, quite a few, 
Always with a sense of loss. 
The trails they left were lessons learned. 
Guess that’s how it’s meant to be.

Objects may appear to be much
Smaller held in retrospect. 
But when the walls were crashing down 
There was no time to think,

Only to react before 
The whore of Armageddon 
Pillaged hope, left me bare 
Without a drop to drink.

Only now in silent witness 
Do I know release, 
Letting up and letting go to 
Find myself at peace.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

In Pieces

A storyline as common as 
The shoes upon your feet, 
Sneaking up behind you as 
You look the other way.

You were just an actor 
Strutting loud upon a stage 
Spouting lines that someone else 
Had given you to say.

Amazing how simplicity 
Can be so damned elusive, 
How digging out and digging in 
Can leave you stupefied.

The telling of the tale 
Becomes a complicated matter 
Spinning truth in circles til
You don’t know who has lied.

Prideful dissertation 
Creates many cracks and creases, 
Shattering hope, leaving lives
In tiny little pieces.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Let

Let it snow. It makes no difference. 
Couldn’t stop it anyway. 
Let the beast eat til he’s full. 
He’ll not be here tomorrow.

Count the melting drop by drop 
To swell the streams of springtime. 
Starlight yields to sunlight 
Laying waste to pain and sorrow.

Let the bells peel loud and clear. 
Let the drums pound steady. 
Let the voices reach to heaven 
Singing lofty praise.

Let me carry all your burdens, 
Dry your tear-stained cheeks,
Take you by your trembling hand and 
Lead you through the maze.

Let your thoughts be crystal bright. 
Let your heart be free. 
Stand beside me in the light 
For all the world to see.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Get

Get up! Get out! Get over 
Being prodded, poked and petrified 
By every evil entity that 
Enters your environment.

Paranoia doesn’t suit you?
Turn and kick him in the crotch. 
Lay the bastard on the floor 
Wond’ring where his victim went.

Scary as it all may seem 
You still are in control. 
Toe to toe, eye to eye 
You stand unflinching in his face.

Move to get the upper hand, 
To get the bully on the ground. 
Even if you lose you know there’s 
No remorse… no disgrace.

Life will hand you trials, 
Give you sorrows and regret. 
What you give it in return 
Determines what you get.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Fret

Nervous little ice icicle 
        Dangling from my downspout, 
Slither with a shimmy as a
        Shimmer in the sun. 
Wake the woes within your soul to 
        Lounge the day away. 
Bake away to nothingness 
        Before the dawn is done.

Blissful in your ignorance
        Thankful for the void. 
Pressureless and meaningless 
        To flit the day to naught. 
Not a chore to measure, 
        Not a treasure to be found. 
Nothing to be learned today. 
        Nothing to be taught. 

No sad crown upon your head, 
        No golden amulet. 
No responsibility, 
        No need for you to fret.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Looking Back

It wasn’t all that long ago, 
And not so far away, 
That “Once upon a…” storyline
Danced free across our dreams, 
And “Happ’ly ever after” seemed 
A possibility 
As real as any everyday 
And not just some grand scheme.

We look back 
And maybe smile 
And sometimes laugh out loud,
A salty sense of bittersweet 
Left resting on the tongue. 
Nostalgic for the memory, 
Longing for the touch, 
Savoring each sultry note of 
A familiar song.

Days slip by as we reflect 
On things that used to be. 
Sweetest truffle in the box… 
Revive my memory.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Coming Soon

Coming soon to a lifetime near you:
Horror! Excitement! Thrill upon thrill. 
Eighty kilometers done in a heartbeat. 
Buckle your seatbelts.
        Wait for the crash.

Hoof beats of thundering echo the distance, 
Block your horizons with mushrooming clouds, 
Speak through the darkness in whispering omen 
To land on your back with the crack of a lash.

Car-crashing demons emerge in your mirror 
Looming much larger than they should appear. 
Bashing your bumper, bold in their efforts to 
Leave you in rubble, a horrible heap.

You have the expertise, you have the power, 
You have the fortitude to overcome. 
You are the hero who leaps to the rescue 
Saving the day without leaving your seat.

Action on action…
        Whistle a tune of
Unique satisfaction… 
        Coming soon.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

After

After the darkness,
After the rain, 
After confession delivers the soul, 
Long after vision has risen again, 
After the guilt has taken its toll.

Just before daybreak, 
Silent and calm, 
Cracking the silence, 
Breathing a sigh, 
Facing the morning with nary a qualm, 
No need to shout, 
No reason to cry.

Crying was yesterday; 
No going back. 
See it as history, 
Lessons to learn. 
Here in the aftermath of the attack 
There is tomorrow 
To lend concern.

Torches are burning 
To lead the way. 
Step through the portal 
Of a new day.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Finish

There’s an ending out there somewhere.
Every story must evolve, must resolve 
To grand conclusion, 
Bland illusion set aside.

I am, you am, we am puppets 
In this Punch and Judy show 
Waiting for the plot to catch us 
In the house where we reside.

Someone called it criminal. 
Someone let the devil in. 
Someone stumbles through the darkness 
Desperate to get away.

No one knows the final answer. 
No one dares to take a guess.
No one angles to impede 
Progression toward the yea or nay. 

There will come a summing up.
There must be a hit or miss. 
All that’s precious, all that’s sure… 
Someone has to finish this.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Keep Going

Rush, push, rest, review…
Rush, return, then rush some more. 
Quick completion of each quota, 
Questful queries coincide with 
Sequences of synergy to 
Forcefully facilitate the 
Fateful flow of each endeavor. 
Never stop until it’s done.

Baseless basking 
                         Barters little. 
Tasteless tasking 
                         Garners less. 
Graceless grasping 
                         Suffers reason
Leading to a 
                         Muddled mess. 
Sleep becomes unnecessary. 
If it threatens, take a pill.
Just keep going til it takes you. 
Someone else can pay the bill.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Get Started

Sitting here with pen in hand
Wondering where to start,

               Killing time before I go, 
               Whittling on a stick.

Blocking out the blocking in,
Try to clear my mind. 

               Thoughtful in my reverie of 
               Peaceful days gone by.

Will the pages fill with ease
With muses from the heart?

               Spill the ink onto the page. 
               Give a little kick.

Does the bastard steal my thoughts 
And leave me far behind? 

                Blown away by winsome words, 
                Left to wonder why.

Getting started is the key. 
       All the rest is flow.
How it gets onto the page 
       We may never know.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Arrest My Soul

When all of the pleading and kneading is over, 
After the bleeding is finally stopped, 
Will we be feeding on fodder from yesteryear? 
Will we be heeding the soothsayer’s song?

Who will be leading and lighting the torches? 
Seeding our thoughts through the torturous times?
Reading the headlines in horrible hopelessness? 
Weeding out suspects who stand in the way?

I stand in horror watching the spectacle. 
I stand in fear as it touches my walk.
I stand defiant, defending my doorstep from 
Goose-stepping Cretins who crash through the night.

Arrest, if you must, this pitiful visage. 
Arrest, if you dare, this intolerable toad. 
Arrest if you think me a threat to your manhood, 
But you will never arrest my soul.

There will be judgment. 
There will be justice. 
There will be reckonings all have to face. 
Patience be teacher, 
Watchdog to freedom, 
Standing in front at the end of the race.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Another Fine Mess

Oh, if we could only go back in time, 
A day, a week or even a year,
Know all the pitfalls,
               The potholes, 
               The pratfalls, 
See all the bumps in the road up ahead. 
But vision is weak, impaired if not blinded by
Heart-felt passion’s irrational rush, 
And we keep making the same mistakes 
That leave us to sleep in an empty bed.

Wellsprings of happiness don’t merely happen. 
They must be constructed of labor and love. 
Truth is the shovel, compassion the pick so that 
When mistakes happen there’s room to confess.

You could have…
I could have… 
We could have been more 
               Deductive,
               Seductive, 
               Productive at best
In our effortless efforts to find resolution. 
Instead we are left with another fine mess.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Pintos, Okra and Fried Green Tomatoes

Some harbor favor for gourmet cuisine:
Caviar, pheasant or filet mignon. 
Trendy like crepe suzettes, crème brulee, sushi, 
Mildly to wildly exotic in theme.

Others, like me, have a simpler palette: 
Meatloaf, potatoes, hot apple pie, 
Pintos, okra and fried green tomatoes, 
Coffee, no sugar, and light on the cream.

Buttermilk cornbread to crumble like sugar, 
Biscuits with jelly, a savory sweet, 
Mother’s fried chicken, a finger-food favorite 
Served up on Sunday, a family buffet.

I would not argue or offer a protest 
To anyone’s favor for fanciful foods, but 
Pintos, okra and fried green tomatoes are 
More than enough to get me through the day.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Sanctuary

Run to cover, shelter from 
The fire-belching dragon who 
Would have your face for breakfast and 
Consume your flesh at dinnertime.

Holding faith with vigilance 
In stalwart measure, self-assured, 
Tasting of adrenaline rushing, 
Pumping to the bone.

No one knows where courage musters, 
Cannot guess the origins of 
Fight or flight, wrong or right. 
Still it finds us in the dark.

Let me be your sanctuary. 
Let me still your angry skies, 
Be your comfort and protector
When the monster storms your gate.

We will face the beast together, 
Sword and lance held to the sky. 
Two as one, invincible, 
Striding out to find our fate.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Obnoxious Willie

Willie is a worry-wart who 

Whines and wiles away his day

Making matters miserable in  
Messy, muddled, mocking ways.

Carry on, you cranky critter,
Gripe and groan and bellyache
Until you make the masses moan 
Bleeding green for distant shores.

Must you be so damned contrary? 
Moving in concentric counter-clockwise 
Circles, opposite of 
Every other point of view.

Who made you the center of 
The universe? The oracle? 
The last, the first, the only word 
Authoring authority.

No one wants to hear your humor. 
No one dotes your droll display. 
If we’d only seen your smoke 
We would have run the other way.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Death Kills

Highly inappropriate to 
Speak of death when 
Sunlight dances playfully 
Upon the hillside casting 
Very little shadow on
The meadow, if at all.

Cannot, must not kill 
The dream, cry the scream of 
Dreadful mourn, 
Place a burden to be 
Born on shoulders 
Fully unprepared.

Open-eyed, yet unaware of 
Danger lurking in the trees, 
Tiger-quick, apache fearless,
Ready to spring forth with ease.

So involved, preoccupied, 
Dreams of conquest to fulfill. 
Defiant to the bitter end, 
Scratching, crawling up the hill.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Blisters on Your Backside

Riding along in your broad barcalounger,
Bucking recliner, couched in a crouch.
Waiting for nothing to silently happen, 
Hoping that something will make you worthwhile.

Parked on the sidelines of life’s little gambit, 
Chewing-tobacco stuffed in your pouch, 
Shifting but little to reach for your spit-cup, 
Grossing out children with vices so vile.

You used to run with the quickness of foxes 
So far ahead of the hunt-hungry hounds. 
Never a doubt or a question of capture. 
Smarter and faster, you lived for the chase.

Lately it seems you’re not up for the contest,
Don’t even touch your feet to the ground. 
Did you grow old or just get lazy? 
Hanging your head in defeat and disgrace.

You can just sit there petting your pride 
Trying to hide your unspeakable stunt, 
Rubbing the blisters on your backside, 
Or you can climb back into the hunt.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Don’t Forget Your Hat

You say you’re leaving;

You can’t take it anymore. 
Put your coat on 
As you’re walking out the door.

Turn to lash out 
One more time before you go. 
Hateful trash-talk; 
Something I don’t want to know.

Changes found you, 
Can’t say why or how or where. 
When it happened? 
I don’t know and I don’t care.

I won’t stop you 
If you’re so dead set to leave. 
Won’t come running, 
Pulling frantic on your sleeve.

Only one thing 
I can truly say to that. 
Give your keys up 
And don’t forget your hat.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Blasted Cell Phones

They’re everywhere you go these days; those 
Loud, obnoxious, boorish louts,
Land-line shirkers, hand to ear 
Talking just below a shout.

Outside office, on the street, crowded 
Restaurants, cars and bars, 
Trains and planes and subway stations, 
Doctor’s office, super mart.

What could be so urgent that 
It truly couldn’t bide? 
Are we so self-important that
We lose all sense of pride.

And what’s become of privacy,
Courtesy and grace? 
And as for common sense, they’ve 
Launched it into outer space.

Time and place is everything,
Or so it use to be. 
Except for cell phone addicts
Who reject civility.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Poker Face

Reaching deep into the void for 
Traces of humanity 
I come away with nothing, 
No display, no commonality.

Emotion shriveled like a week-long 
Petal fallen from a rose 
Crumbling beneath my step, 
Nothing real to be exposed.

Where does one acquire the skill 
To hide behind such steely mask? 
Is it learned or is it gift? 
Is knowing far too much to ask?

Can a heart learn to suppress the 
Smallest twitch, the slightest glint? 
Muscles under such control they 
Fail to give a single hint.

I could reach out, offering a
Helping hand, a warm embrace,
If I could only know your thoughts, 
If I could read your poker face.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Thrust Upward

We had it all, begging no pardon, 
Accepting no quarter from frequent distracters, 
Keeping a light over our pretty bedclothes, 
Feeding the meter with coinage aplenty.

Happily, snappily, jauntily singing, 
Running through sprinklers in childlike joy, 
Bracing for nothing, braking for less, 
Flying full-throttle through oceans of air.

We never thought the world could come crumbling, 
Never imagined us coming to end. 
Tolls left unpaid coming due with a vengeance, 
Sipping the bile of indifference and change.

I ran with blinders; did not see it coming 
Til you stopped me hard, dagger in hand. 
Stabbing me deep to the pit of my stomach 
You thrust upward straight to my heart.

I can’t imagine my world without you. 
You can’t imagine the damage you’ve done. 
Heart soundings mutes to eternal silence 
Joined with the undead in their zombie walk.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Take a Tissue

Sitting in silence, head bowed, eyes lowered, 
Awaiting the tribute that sorrow bestows. 
Most stalwart patrons are stoic, unmoving 
Except for a jostle to reset position. 

Dressed up in finery, scrubbed and bejeweled, 
Ladies in hats, overdone in perfume. 
Men pulling ties from the back of the closet, 
Hoping that no one will notice the stain.

Laughter of children noticeably absent. 
Dare not expose. Would not understand. 
Craving a cigarette, fighting the urge. 
Will anyone notice if I sneak away?

Somewhere a whimper, a sniffle or cough 
Reminds the gathered that life still exists, 
Moving with surety sunrise to sunset, then 
Resting a bit to start over again.

After the weeping and wailing is over, 
After the tissues are all thrown away, 
After the sorrow evolves to remembrance, 
Let there be laughter;
Let there be food.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

The Lesson of Walden

One great lesson 
         To be learned,
All that’s needed 
         To get by.
When the burden 
         Gets too heavy, 
Take a step back…
         Simplify.

Sometimes seems to 
         Overwhelm,
Logic lost on 
         Asking why. 
Only one sure 
         Way around it,
Break the pieces…
         Simplify.

When “the world is 
         Too much with us”,
Troubles seem to 
         Multiply, 
Find a single 
         Word of wisdom 
Waiting for you… 
         Simplify.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Setback

‘Must keep moving forward,’ says the boss,
‘Must outpace competition.’
Cannot pause to rest the weary. 
Barely time to dress their wounds.

Fix this, patch that, leap a hurdle, 
Quick step, side step if you dare. 
Zero tolerance for stooges. 
Even less for Looney Toons.

Deadlines loom as thunderheads. 
Setbacks threatening to drench a 
Fateful plan, to wash away all hint 
Of progress, kill the dream.

Deadpan faces dressed as zombies 
As they goosestep in close ranks. 
Worker bees surround the hive
Dead set to protect their queen.

Can’t afford one more delay. 
One more setback does us in. 
Too much pressure, 
Little pleasure, 
So much hassle just to win.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Freelance Forgiveness

It’s so hard to be your friend. 
I know. I’ve tried for years.
Time and time and yet again 
We’ve languished over bitter tears.

Times of sore frustration 
I could clock you to the ground. Then 
Considered situation of 
Not having you around.

Times of panic when it seemed
The whole world was our foe. 
Simple odd-lot soul mates teamed 
To weather out the flow. 

Often times in anger 
Muted conversation reigned. 
But never was there danger 
That we wouldn’t speak again.

Whether others share our cares 
Is simply not our business. 
We are multi-millionaires in 
This freelance forgiveness.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Stepping in Dog Poop

Climbing in behind the wheel,
A day like any other.

Everybody buckle up before

The gears engage. 

Calm and steady, 
Racked and ready, 
Primed to face the day. 
Not a thought of malcontent, 
Not a hint of rage. 

Then from out of nowhere comes 
A frightful affectation, a 
Cruciferous, odoriferous,
Cankerous projection 
Stepping onto senses like 
A giant squashing bugs, 
Quick to recognize the smell,
My mind keys the connection.

Find a curb, a patch of grass to 
Dance the stench away. 
Kiss my happy mood goodbye… 
Another ruined day.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Did I Do That?

Leaves me wondering…
Leaves me wandering…

Leaves me worrying, 

Could it be true?
Could I have been so 
Completely distracted? 
Uniquely detached from 
Reality’s realm.

Caught in the maelstrom of 
Everyday wishes, 
Tedium’s puppet just 
Waiting to dance. 
Sightless to change 
Bouncing off of my forehead, 
Stilled til my senses 
Become overwhelmed.

Sudden, my sight becomes 
Keen as a cat. 
Leaves me to wonder… 
Did I do that?

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Forgotten

No one wants to be forgotten,
Vanishing into the foggish 
Memory of misbegottens, 
Tapering to miniscule 
Fragments of frenetic thought
Oxidizing into rust.

Large in life, behemoth that you are 
In lavish local lore, 
Can’t imagine that your memory could 
Fade into the night to 
Nothing but a radar blip 
Scarcely noticed to trained eyes.

Much more frightening than dying, 
So much angst to toss about, 
Think about, 
Talk about, 
Howl and whine and shout about. 
Will history and legacy be filled with fact 
Or lined with lies?

Though the thought be bittersweet, 
Kind, unkind, unjust. 
Someone please remember when my 
Aging bones return to dust.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent

Fried

Chicken, mushrooms, green tomatoes, 
Ice cream, mozzarella sticks.
Deep fried, refried, home fried 
With pride. Momma! Cook it quick. 
Fried zucchini, fried potatoes, 
Pork chops in a pan. 
Shortening, lard or olive oil, 
I’m your biggest fan. 
So, my blood gets sticky platelets. 
I’ll just take a pill; 
Eat a drumstick or a wing 
Until I have my fill. 
Grandma cooked with love and lard; 
Lived to ninety-two. 
Cholesterol and hypertension?
Words she never knew. 
Okay. So, they did a study. 
And my doctor says, “Take care. 
Live in moderation and 
Make yourself aware.” 
Still, I have suspicions, thinking 
Someone must have lied. 
God’s cruel joke to make it bad 
Just because it’s fried.

Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/
Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dennis-S-Martin/e/B004SXY4LG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1394055582&sr=1-2-ent