I Can’t Watch the News

Every night it leads the same:

The muggings, the murders,

The scandals, the floods.

Tragedy always the head of the game.

Quick to the scene

At the first sight of blood.

And though the excuses

Might be loose and lame

The sponsors insist that they

Scrape through the mud

To find the despicable,

Drag them to fame and

Drop them on me with a

Thump and a thud.

 

Now, don’t get me wrong,

We all must be informed

When trouble surround us

We need to be warned.

But spare the sensations

When you blow the horn

And just give us facts

Without all the forlorn.

Keep me abreast, yes,

But please, skip the ruse.

Otherwise, I simply

Cannot watch the news.

 

We had a Pretty Good Run

Could this be the face that once

Inspired another’s heart to beat?

The cruel mirror doesn’t lie

And I could cry at what reflects.

The happy pair that once danced there,

Now a solo, incomplete.

Maddened by the loss until

The voice of reason interjects.

 

Difficult to carry on as one

When two was so familiar.

Waiting for those sweet words

You would whisper in my ear.

Greeting every morning,

Every dawning of a new year.

Thriving without hesitation,

Together facing every fear.

 

In my memory your face glows

As bright as morning sunrise,

Follows every step I take

Until the day is done.

And I will never lose the love

I always found in your eyes.

Through smiles, through tears,

We shared a perfect run.

 

Where are You Goin’, Sparkey?

Where you headed out to, Sparkey

In such an all-fired hurry?

Don’t you know there’s danger

In this helter-skelter place?

Creeps and cruisers,

Crooks and cons of

Cagey, crafty purpose, adept at getting what you’ve got

Then disappearing with no trace.

 

If there’s one thing that aging has taught

It’s ne’er cast “caution to the wind.”

Though chance may often favor,

Best to savor sweet discretion.

A second thought, a hesitation

Often proves the best of friends.

Far better than the mournful sigh

Of willful indiscretion

 

Not to say, “Don’t go. Don’t play.”

No one should need to live in fear.

But heed the voices of experience

When whispered in your ear.

 

Family Never Fades

Thousands cross the muddled pathway

In this life of mish and mosh

Where nothing last beyond tomorrow,

Where joy and sorrow intertwine.

Strangers one day.

Friends the next as

Time creates a distant memory

Muddled in a clustered noodle,

Withered grapes left on the vine.

 

Family is different,

Day one to last the cast remains

A steady flow of come and go

United by a crimson bond.

Handed down through generations,

More than rote or vain tradition.

Bloodlines know no affectation of

Tomorrow and beyond.

 

Though reunions may be foreign,

Sad occasions of farewell, 

Where kinfolk gather reminiscent of

Long forgotten escapades,

Still the song goes on forever,

And the love runs still and deep.

In a world that holds no boundaries

Knowing family never fades.

 

A Little Bit Off Today

Days like this are bound to happen,

Just like your Momma always said.

Maybe that midnight pizza was not

The best idea to come into your head.

Maybe that thing that went snap, crackle, pop

This morning when you first got out of bed

Was an omen of dragons lurking in shadows

Anxiously wanting their famine be fed.

 

Collision, collusion, confusion abounds

And Murphy’s law seems to apply.

It’s two steps forward, one sideways, one back.

Keep quiet and never ask why.

But giving up is never an option

If you want your piece of the pie.

So, you hold up your head to

Push on through the dread

Refusing to crumble or cry.

 And yes,

Things might be a little bit off,

You and fate don’t quite see eye to eye.

But you’ll never know just

How much you might win

Unless you continue to try.

 

Where are My Glasses?

Glasses? Who needs glasses?

Only need them when my eyes are open.

Thankful for the 20/20 I’d

Otherwise be denied.

Pity these old eyes can’t seem to

Focus on their own

Except in dreams where my imagination 

Reaches far and wide.

 

I see other folks my age

Stroll free and unencumbered by

The dual panes that ride the nose

Like cowboys in a saddle.

Wonder why the Good Lord chose

To have me hide my features

Behind glass and wire and plastic

As though my brain were addled.

 

But then, upon considering that

Sight to some has been denied,

My feckless fear of vanity

Throws caution to the masses.

Blessed to see the sunrise/sunset.

Blessed to know my loved ones faces.

Thankful for the awkward task

To ask, “where are my glasses?”

 

Not a Bad Life

There is no such thing as a

Perfect life. It

Simply doesn’t exist.

The peaks and valleys

Trials and tribulations,

Turns and twists.

 

Backstepping, sidestepping,

Stepping up, stepping down,

Stepping in poop,

Stepping on eggshells,

Trying to please everyone,

To be a part of a group.

 

Dealing with losses and

New beginnings.

Eager to figure things out.

Trying too hard to please everybody

When no one can tell you 

What life’s all about.

 

Hop on the ride of life’s

Big rollercoaster.

Feel every bump, every dip, every curve.

Taste the adventure of every moment.

Feel every meal

That life has to serve.

 

Faded Plans

That trip to London and Paris,

Dublin and Glasgow.

Maybe even a side stop in Tuscany

Or Nice.

One more (or more) treks to Broadway

To see our favorite “Phantom” and

To dine at Sardis amongst all the stars.

 

No real agenda,

Just pick up and go.

Any whim, any time, anywhere our

Desires send our footsteps 

To places of bold new adventures,

Tempting our fate.

Learning to quick-step, the jive and

The waltz. You always wanted to

Teach me to dance.

 

And yes, I know I could still

Do these things.

But where would the meaning be?

Where would the song?

These faded plans we made together

Lose their luster now

You are gone.

 

Pack a Lunch / Have a Picnic

Looks, to me, it’s gonna be

A good time, apple-shine, scent of pine day.

Polished and tasty,

Fresh from the

Morn’s cornucopian buffet.

 

Constant and steady,

No plans at the ready,

Completely at spontaneity’s call.

Go pack a lunch.

No, wait. Pack a basket,

Enough for a picnic.

To hell with it all.

 

Should we walk?

Should we drive?

Would we feel more alive

To set off in directions

Completely unknown?

Do we seek out a place where

The clock stops at midday

With nary a worry about

Getting back home?

 

We enjoy our repast

From the first to the last

As frivolous time slips slowly away.

And the treasures we found,

Both sweet and profound.

Pack a lunch.

Have a picnic.

Savor the day.

Another Day

Woke up,

Got up, business done.

Ready for another day.

Brush away the overnight

And damn the light

And the mirrors display.

And though I know

I look a fright

With bedroom hair

And droopy stare,

I fake a smile and stumble to

The kitchen in my underwear.

 

Coffee on.

Pills to take.

Fill a cup of each.

Socks and shoes,

A little news and

Step into the breach.

 

What grand adventures do await

To carry me away?

Tis grace that’s granted me

The sunrise of

Another day.

 

Young and Foolish

I would never have guessed that

Getting old would come so soon.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that

High School hijinks were the rule?

So clear in fond reflection are

Those carefree days of Brigadoon.

They sparkle in my memory as

A brightly polished jewel.

 

And you, my friend, cannot deny

The mischief of our genesis.

We were so young and foolish,

Never counting danger’s cost.

No dare of double-dog did we

Let pass without remiss.

Head over backside we would tumble

Once the gauntlet had been tossed.

 

Looking back and looking forward,

Reckless youth and

Feckless folly.

Lessons learned from dangers spurned

Spared our youth from melancholy.

The what and how, the then, the now

Defined our destiny.

That we survived and somehow thrived

Is still an utter mystery.

 

Maybe a Miracle

Whatever happened to

That side-fund we had saved

For rainy days?

Oh yes, repairs were necessary.

Bid goodbye to that outlay.

But didn’t I work extra hours

And resolve to change my ways?

Oh, yes, the medicines were costly.

There were doctor bills to pay.

 

The rent is due.

Utilities are soaring through the roof.

Excuses flow til I don’t know

A falsehood from the truth.

Friends are mute or

Resolute they cannot lend a note.

They seem to be in

The same sea

If not in the same boat.

 

No doubt these miseries will pass.

Alas, we’ll see it through.

Maybe the gods will smile

And send a miracle…

Or two.

 

I’ve Changed My Mind

Woke up this spry misty morning

Restless to change the ho-hum of my life.

Bored with the humdrum/doldrums that’s

Plagued for so long.

 

Spoke up to issue fair warning

To any who might try to add to my strife.

Nothing and no one allowed to

Silence my song.

 

Yesterday’s sorrows are still there,

A constant companion wherever I go.

A badge I wear pinned to my heart

Next to your memory.

And all my tomorrows are threadbare,

Fallow, unchanged, unintended to grow.

Day after day after

Long lonely day

Yesterday is all I can see.

 

But you wouldn’t want me to

Carry that burden,

Living my life in a haze. So,

I woke up this morning and

I’ve changed my mind

To start living the rest of my days.

 

Wake Up Morning

Good morning, morning.

Time to get up.

I’ve been marking time all night for you.

Come alive with the shimmer of

Daybreak on dewdrops,

Bidding the moon and the stars

Fond adieu.

 

The robins have found you

And croon your arrival

With subtle sweet smooth serenade.

And as ebony morphs into

Crystal clear dawning

The shadows of night gently fade.

 

I sit with my coffee cup

Anticipating as lush aromatics bid

Senses to hurry, 

To hasten the sunrise without

Brash dramatics

That send the day reeling and

Lost in a flurry.

 

Warm as a summer breeze.

Soft as a pup.

Good morning, morning.

It’s time to get up.

 

The Heart Never Lies

Go with your gut.

Go with your head.

Go with your heart where it leads.

Life in a rut.

Thoughts filled with dread.

Lost in a wildwood of copious trees.

Why be so needy?

Why be so greedy?

Why give a dingle at all?

No need to act

Until all of the facts have been

Spray-painted onto the wall.

 

Your gut is the first to speak,

Never shy, never meek.

Instinct akin to survival.

Then the head interjects

As the lines intersect

Til it becomes an archrival

 

But then the heart barters

For a cloudless new start seen 

Through open and welcoming eyes,

Where decisions ring true

As the color of blue

In a world where

The heart never lies.

 

I Am the Eagle / The Dove

I rise above

The tallest trees.

You shall not know my name

And everything my eyes can see

I count as my domain.

No fear,

No anger,

No regrets

My stoic bearing cries.

No ruffled edge to engender tears

To stain my artic eyes.

 

Comes the darkness of despondence,

Comes the challenge to the fore,

Comes the portal to safe refuge

You may seek forevermore.

I will give you wings of comfort

Though my phantom soars above.

Ever watchful as your eagle,

Ever faithful as your dove.

 

No More Mountains

I wish there were more mountaintops 

That we could scale together.

We crossed so many peaks and valleys

In our precious time.

No obstacle could block our path,

No worries of the weather.

We dared the lightening and the winds

Collecting memories in our prime.

 

Though mountains turned to rolling hills

In our lounging later years,

Still we strolled them

Hand in hand

Gazing at the sunset’s fade.

 

When at last the path became

Too difficult for you to bear

We rested in our solitude and

Held each other unafraid.

 

Now you rest o higher ground

In rapture’s paradigm.

No more heartache. No more pain.

No more mountains left to climb.

 

We Ain’t Spring Chickens Anymore

“Time was I could….”

Yeah, I’ve heard it all before.

Way back then when I was Superman

I’d bust through any door.

Drive my Chevrolet

Til the break of day.

Dance the band right off the floor.

But regrettably time has passed and we

Ain’t spring chickens anymore.

 

Times were really good back then

When gals were gals

And mem were men.

We’d chase each other round the bend

And never lose a beat.

Summer spent on crystal lakes

Swimming til our muscles ached,

We’d leave no promise in our wake,

No dragons to defeat.

 

Oh, how I long to harken back to

Winsome days and nights of yore,

But senescence changes everything

And…

We ain’t spring chickens anymore

 

The Jokester

Punster, prankster,

Life of the party

Flitting from pillar to post

In your duty.

Ringmaster, court jester,

Orchestra leader.

No sacred cows in your

Meadows to graze.

 

Quick to react,

Alert to respond,

Never a case

To be haughty or snooty.

No false excuses are

Deemed necessary, like

“Oh, he’s just teasing,” or

“It’s just a phase.”

 

But take care, oh, fearless one.

Not every mark shares

The humor you lavishly spread.

Your feckless buffoonery

To the wrong person

Could engender issues of dread.

 

Cigarettes are Disgusting

Don’t know why I ever got started.

Some misguided peer pressure

I suppose.

Blame it on Uncle Sam.

Blame it on weakness.

Blatant stupidity slurped up the nose.

 

Took me a few years of

Sucking on stupid sticks to

Reach the roof of

Reality’s realm.

Thankful to quit before

Throes of addiction

Shackled my will

Until overwhelmed.

 

You see,

I’ve lived long enough

I can make the rebuff to

Any case one might present.

I’ve seen what it does

To the ones that I love

In the final days of their lament.

 

One thing for certain

On that final curtain

(And in this you can place all your trust.)

Regrets will consume,

Inundating the room

And end your days filled with disgust.

 

The Night Shift (Sundowning)

Everything changes at sundown.

Some trigger,

     Some toggle,

          Some shivering switch is thrown.

Up becomes down,

In turns to out,

A blood-thunder chill that goes

Straight to the bone.

 

Not sure the reason, but then

No one knows why

A brain-numbing chaos

Holds hands with the dark,

Or what raises fear to

A whole other level.

Escaping the jaws of

The great phantom shark.

 

I only can soothe and assure and

Assuage any angst

That may torment

A befuddled brow.

Pray for the morning,

For clarity’s purchase, and

The strength to get through this…

Somehow.

 

Hope, Never Lost

Ah, hope.

That noble enigma whose arms

Reach up to a winsome sky,

Favored and flavored with

Peppermint sticks.

Soft as the sound of

A sweet lullaby.

“If only. If only,” she gently whispers

With feather-like tickles

That tantalize,

While tossing a penny into a fountain,

Then patiently waiting to glean

Kismet’s prize.

 

Where would I be

Without your silent kisses

Tactfully tempting by

Subtle design?

Oh, patron of dreamers,

Siren of seekers,

I never shall lose you.

You’ll always be mine.

 

Support System

Who would’ve thought

The need would arise for

The solace of caring

In empathy’s eyes?

 

You know. You’ve

All been there

One time or another

In tragedy’s aftermath,

Quick to discover.

 

The gathering round, the

Deafening sound of

The silent travail

Where no comfort is found.

 

But comfort takes time

And a shoulder or two

Or three or more

Before peace might ensue.

 

It might be a look,

A tangible tear,

A simple. “I’m here,”

Whispered softly in ear.

 

And thankful should be

For this harbor, this port,

This rallying system of

Loving support.

 

It’s Okay

It’s okay to let go…

Even though your heart cries out

To cling with every ounce of

Fitful courage you can muster,

“One more hour.

One more day.

One more precious memory.”

Knowing that without you

Life would surely

Lose its luster.

 

Through the pain

Your brow unbent,

Unfading smile

Etched on your face.

So adored, my haloed hero,

If only I could take your place.

 

Asking the travail be finished.

Longing, yearning not to go.

So afraid to leave behind

The precious few to pine away.

Worried for your one true love,

A ghost ship lost without a sail.

Don’t fear, my love.

We’ll meet again.

Don’t worry now.

It’s okay.

 

Waiting to Go

I’m ready.

Been ready seems like

Hours ago.

Now sitting,

Now pacing and

Waiting to go.

 

If we’re late

(Which I hate)

The blame is not mine.

Rock steady,

            I’m ready

To make it on time.

 

I ask,

            But you task

Just a few minutes more.

So I wait

(Which I hate)

Til the sweat starts to pour.

 

But I must confess

That any duress disappears

When at long last you show.

Who cares if we’re late?

You were well worth the

Wait and the worry of 

Waiting to go.