If Only You’d Answer the Phone

I got your letter on Saturday morning,

The one where you told me, “this is so long”.

I tried to call you to say I still love you.

I’d tell you if only you’d answer the phone.

 

Three days of highways are standing between us

And I know it’s hard being there all alone.

I’d rush right to you in a blind New York minute.

I’d be there if only you’d answer the phone.

I would come running like a hundred yard dash,

Jump on a plane and be there in a flash.

If I could just hear you say, “Babe, come on home.”

I’d be there if only you’d answer the phone.

 

I just hung up for the forty-fifth time.

I can’t wait around anymore.

Straight to the airport, no more wasted time.

I’ll soon be at your front door.

 

You have to tell me why your mind has changed.

What can I do to atone?

It could have been easier to speak to your heart

If only you’d answered the phone.

 

 

Delirious

Delirious…

Serious…    

Sometimes makes me furious.

Just a bit too curious

For my own good.

 

Got to know…

Got to go…

Afraid to let my feelings show.

Couldn’t take the pain of

Being misunderstood.

 

Why can’t I take a stand and

Just let it be?

Why does all this aggravation

Keep coming back and haunting me?

 

I see you cry…

Don’t know why…

No confession… no alibi…

Just a wall of silent tears

I can’t break through.

 

I refrain

Til you explain…

Waiting out this pouring rain

Because I am so deliriously

In love with you.

 

Everything will be Alright

I remember those times back when I was a kid

When the world would come crashing

With all of its might.

No one could save me til Momma stepped in

To assure me that “everything will be alright”.

 

Life can be crazy.

Life can be cruel.

Sometimes you can’t tell what’s wrong from what’s right.

But Mom was the touchstone that made it all clear

Saying, “Don’t you know everything will be alright?”

 

I can still see her standing at the front door,

Her eyes filled with wisdom, without any fears,

Knowing the answer before I asked the questions,

Ready to wipe away all of my tears.

 

I hope that her days never turn dark and gray,

Hope that her future will always be bright.

But if she ever needs me

I’ll reach out my hand

And say, “Don’t worry, Momma,

Everything will be alright.”

 

Climb the Stairs

So much to tell you…

So little time…

Longing the sweet taste

Of your lips on mine.

Washing away

All our worries and cares.

Time stands still

As we climb the stairs.

 

Days last forever

When we are apart,

Counting each second

Til I find my heart.

The glint of your smile,

The scent of your hair,

Life begins

As we climb the stairs.

 

Life is a highway and you hold the keys

To every dream that I weave.

I would be nothing without loving you,

That’s why I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve.

 

I count my blessings

And say a brief prayer,

Knowing how wonderful

My life can be.

When we climb the stairs

At the end of the day

Up to Heaven…

Just you and me.

 

The Wind Sings Your Name

The breezes glide free over welcoming trees

Who sway back and forth as if playing a game,

And a song, sweet and gentle, comes soft to my ear,

Ever clear as the wind sings your name.

 

I walk next to Heaven with your hand in mine,

Let the rest of the world go insane.

We’re here together at the end of the day

Huddled close as the wind sings your name.

 

Never a question,

Never a doubt,

No need for us to pretend.

Any time we see the end of a road,

We find a way to start over again.

 

I only know when I walk close to you

We know where we’re going

From the way that we’ve came.

To listen,

To wonder,

To know that it’s true,

It’s you…

          And the wind sings your name.

 

Drink to Us

Raise a glass,

          Raise a bottle,

                    Drain the keg if you please,

Run your engine full throttle

                    In the cool evening breeze.

Be a friend,

          Be a partner,

                    Be the one that I trust.

Drink a toast to forever,

          Drink to us.

 

I can recall all the good times we’ve known,

The million and one ways our friendship has grown,

The laughter, the tears, the frets and the fuss,

So, let’s toast to ourselves,

Drink to us.

 

Raise a glass,

          Raise a bottle,

                    Drain the keg if you please,

Run your engine full throttle

In the cool evening breeze.

Be a friend,

          Be a partner,

                    Be the one that I trust.

Drink a toast to forever,

          Drink to us.

 

Never say never, and always be true.

I can’t imagine a time without you.

We’re taking our time. There’s no need to rush.

Raise your glass one more time.

Drink to us.

 

Whispering Trees

Secrets are living

In every corner,

Riding the waves of

A soft summer breeze,

Hiding in colors

That follow the rainbow,

Born on the soft breath

Of whispering trees.

 

Rose colored glasses

Can make things seem better,

Hide all the misery

To a degree,

But the trees bare their fruit

In hushes and whispers,

Yielding the harsh truth of reality.

 

Sweet sighs and goodbyes abound in her boughs,

Every word ever said.

Silence and thunder and all in between,

Every thought out of every head.

 

You can find Heaven,

You can find hell,

You can fall down

On your knees.

Offer a prayer for

The knowledge you find

In the voices of

Whispering trees.

 

Tight Black Leather

Hattie walks into the Red Rooster Bar,

Every head turns her way.

Jaws drop, eyes blink, tongues get all tied up,

Nobody knows what to say.

Married guys wishing that they were still single,

Single guys starting to drool,

Watching her walking in that tight black leather,

Anxious to offer a welcome barstool.

 

She doesn’t see the effect that she’s having,

Or maybe she knows.

A wink and a blink and an innocent smile

Can take her as far as she’s wanting to go.

 

Someday I’m hoping to work up the nerve

To go up and ask her to dance.

But I wouldn’t want her to laugh in my face,

I’d be afraid to take such a chance.

Women like Hattie are special, you know.

On that point we all can agree.

She’s crossing the room in that tight black leather,

And I hope she sits next to me.

 

What do I do if she bids me ‘hello’?

Will my lips find an opening line?

Will I stutter and stammer to find the right words

To say to a lady who seems so refined?

I just stay quiet as she walks on by,

Though I think she did glance my way.

She keeps walking on in that sleek tight black leather

Never knowing she just made my day.

 

Working the Room

Champagne glasses clink together,

Laughter fills the evening air,

Music set its subtle mood as

Fashion flashes everywhere.

In the middle of it all

You begin to weave your loom,

And I can only stand in awe

To watch you work the room.

 

There’s a sparkle in your eye

Meant for all the world to know,

Captured from a midnight sky,

Projected in its afterglow.

Lifting up your audience

Far beyond the waning moon,

Magic follows everywhere as you’re

Working the room.

 

Others try to steal your spotlight,

But they can’t compete.

They just fade into the background,

Left to worship at your feet.

 

You are every roving star

Filling up the nighttime sky,

Flaunting wings of fantasy;

Never mind the reason why.

Finding favor everywhere to

Chase away the gloom.

There’s a celebration as you’re

Working the room.

 

Trails of Trials

Take this cup away.

I’ve already filled it up with tears

Traveled down this road before;

Been a wayward rover all these years;

Blazed a thousand trails,

Must have wandered for a million miles,

Wondering if there will be an end

To these trails of trials.

 

I keep wanting to pretend

Everything is alright,

Flip a switch and start again

To sing a brand new song,

Take another golden path

To lead me to happiness,

But every time I turn my head I see

That the feeling is wrong.

 

Hit the highway running strong, 

Nothing really left to lose,

Take directions from the wind,

Find a brand new attitude.

Maybe I can change my luck,

Maybe just a few more miles

I can find a brand new me

On these trails of trials.

 

Rapture

It’s just you and I, my love,

Wrapped up in this rapture,

Content just to be as one

As the twilight fades into the night.

We’re counting the falling stars

That race through the heavens

To rest in your waiting eye,

And the world seems so right.

 

One last kiss and we say goodnight,

Your head on my pillow.

Fall asleep sharing so much more

Than the air that we breathe.

Two hearts keeping perfect time

In a silent forever

With the rapture of happiness

In the dreams that we weave.

 

If the whole world goes crazy

And I can’t seem to go one more mile,

It’s enough just to be

In your sweet company.

All I need is the warmth of your smile.

 

The world can fade into dust.

Its’ treasures can’t last anyway.

But one thing I know for sure

Will endure to the end of all days.

This rapture we feel inside

Will always be there to see us through.

From now til the end of time

My rapture is loving you.

 

Rodeo Hearts

Wild and free

          Like a mustang running ‘cross the open plains,

You and me

          Diving headlong screaming through a ring of flame.

And we never stop to wonder if

It all might fall apart.

We just ride that raging bull with our rodeo hearts.

 

Eye to eye

          Is what we see when we are in the here and now.

No goodbye.

          Wouldn’t want to face the future anyhow.

And we’ll ride this bronco to a place

Where reason soon departs,

Living out our dreams right now with our rodeo hearts.

 

Reaching out and reaching onto every crazy dream,

Making no excuses on the way.

Filling up our senses til they’re bursting at the seams,

We brave the night until the break of day.

 

Until then

          There is no denying what we have to do.

It would be a sin

          If we stopped right now and didn’t see it through.

So, we take our winnings and we say a prayer

As the wisdom soon departs.

We’ll just keep on riding high on our rodeo hearts.

 

Without Rhythm or Rhyme

Please, take all this pain away,

Clear these memories and ease my mind,

Play some old songs that we once knew

From a happier time.

All these feelings you say are new

Are just new ways to be unkind.

They appear like the morning news

Without rhythm or rhyme.

 

You say that you’re unhappy

With the way I’ve treated you,

And you’d be better off out on your own.

But if I have mistreated you

I’ll gladly make amends,

But I can’t do a thing to make it right

If you are gone.

 

I’m just a man,

I’m not too smart

Where women are concerned,

But that’s no reason to give up.

There are lessons to be learned.

If you can give us one more chance

I’ll get it right this time,

Instead of walking away

Without rhythm or rhyme.

 

3-2-1-Blastoff

Up all night thinking about tomorrow.

Must admit you were on my mind.

Staring at your picture in the moonlight,

Longing just to hold your hand in mine.

 

You walk in the room, my heart starts racing.

You have no idea what you have done.

My mind is like a rocket on the launch pad

Counting down to blastoff 3-2-1.

 

Every time I think of you it happens.

Every time I see your perfect smile.

Just to have a chance to taste your sweet lips

You know I would fly a million miles.

 

You have such a way to make me happy.

There is nothing that I wouldn’t do

To hold you in my arms and dance together.

Life would have no meaning without you.

 

We can take this rocket ship together,

Ride the rings of Saturn and beyond.

There’s no telling where the flight might take us

When we count it down… 3-2-1-

Blastoff.

 

The Flight of Angels

In the huddle of every life

There will come a time

When sweet providence rears its head

And wants to take us away from here

To a level that we can’t see

With these faltering eyes,

Lifted up on angel wings

Riding high with no fear.

 

In the flight of angels,

No more worries and no more cares,

Gently folded in angel arms,

Lifted up above all despair,

Taken into that Promised Land,

No more crying and no goodbyes,

In the flight of angels

Where no one ever dies.

 

I was lost with a tortured soul,

Tossing, turning all night,

Trying hard just to understand

The subtle differences of wrong and right.

Then the angels reached out to me,

Lifted my veil of gray,

Led me into the sweetest light,

Took my fears away.

 

In the flight of angels….

 

My Friend

Life is a candle,

A flickering light,

Silently breathing a sigh,

Guiding the way through

The dark stormy night,

Watching the world strolling by.

 

You are the angel

Sent straight from heaven

To shield my light from the wind,

Sharing the burdens

In good times and bad,

Loving and being a friend.

 

Never a question to stay or to go,

You’re always there by my side.

When lost in a labyrinth I always know

You’ll know the way,

You’ll be my guide.

 

Every hour of

Every day,

No matter where, no matter when

Freedom is knowing you’re always there.

You’ll always be my friend.

 

You Saved Me Again

You saved me

Just when my life was spinning out of control.

You rushed right in

With understanding and a hand to hold.

You touched my heart

And showed me how it is to be a friend.

Oh, and now

In my lonely hour

You saved me again.

 

You touched me

In gentle ways that I have never known.

Down deep inside

It’s clear to see how much the feeling has grown.

I know it’s true

You’ll always be there when I need a friend.

And when I’m down

You’ll be around

To save me again.

 

In my darkest hour when all hope was lost

You were always there with me

Traveling the road, sharing every load,

Knowing this is how it’s always meant to be.

 

There will come a day

I can repay the kindness you have shown.

I’ll step right in

If you are feeling lost and alone.

I’ll prove to you

I’ve learned just what it means to be a friend.

Without regret

I won’t forget

How you saved me again and again and again.

 

Paying the Price

Do you remember a time

Back in our prime,

Back when our hearts were both young.

It was just you and me

Wild and free

Happily focused on just having fun.

But time has a way

Of making us pay

For every roll of the dice.

We bet it all

And our bluff gets called,

And we end up paying the price.

 

After all the dances

And the chances that we dared

It’s amazing that we’re both still here.

You and me together

Damn the weather, we don’t care.

We could face the devil without fear.

 

So let the piper play,

We’ll pay him someday,

Let the music go on for a while.

Honey can’t you see

It’s just reality.

We can dance and stroll another mile.

We can face another day,

It all passes anyway,

So cut that cake and have another slice.

Put your worries in the past

Because nothing ever lasts

And we all end up paying the price.

 

Backed Up on the Freeway

I left your arms this morning,

Didn’t want to go.

Spent all day at work. Seems like

A million years or more.

Whistle blows and now I’m gone

In a screaming streak of blue,

But now I’m backed up on the freeway

Trying to get back home to you.

 

Fade left, fade right,

In a sea of red tail lights.

No saving off-ramp can I see,

Just tons of metal blocking me from you.

 

I call you on the telephone,

“Babe, I’m trying to make it home”.

And you say it’s okay,

You understand.

That’s the time I realize

The love that I find in your eyes,

And I’m so lucky

Just to be your man.

 

Now what’s that up ahead I see?

That wall of traffic breaking free,

This rolling prison soon may be

An open highway leading me to you.

 

The minutes seem to pass like days

And my mind is in such a haze,

Only one thought keeps me going

Strong to see it through.

Knowing at my journeys end

I will see your face again,

I won’t be backed up on the freeway

Trying to get back home to you.

 

Let’s Get Out of Here

Let’s get out of here.

Let’s go for a walk.

No one else, just you and me,

Someplace where we can talk.

Your head on my shoulder,

I whisper soft in your ear,

Tell you how much I love you

As I’m holding you near.

 

I know you came here to have a little fun,

To dance a dance or two and maybe meet someone,

But every time I look into your eyes

What I want to say is so clear.

That’s how I know

It’s time to go,

So, Baby, let’s get out of here.

 

Let’s get out of here.

I know a place we can go

Where the music plays softly

And the lights are low.

I can sing you sweet love songs,

Take away all your fears.

Tell you how much I love you.

Let’s get out of here.

 

On the Fourth Floor

Sitting alone in this third floor apartment

As alone as a body can be,

Staring at streetlamps til way after midnight

Starving for your company.

Longing to call, but knowing you’re busy

With your life and your brand new love. You’re up on the fourth floor

While I sit here longing,

With heaven just one floor above.

 

There was a time when you said you loved me

And promised to always be true,

But I wasn’t ready, the timing seemed wrong, and

I acted just like a fool.

Now that I know the mistake that I made

You’ve had the strength to move on.

You’re up on the fourth floor,

Happy at last,

While I sit here drinking alone.

 

No one can know how good we might have been

If I had seen Heaven back when.

I can’t help but wonder; would I get it right

If I had the chance to start over again?

 

I hope you’re happy. Hope that it lasts.

I hope that he’ll always be true.

But if things don’t work out, just call out my name

And I will come running to you.

One floor below you, just biding my time,

Knowing that Heaven’s in view

Up on the fourth floor you smile down at me

And I’m patiently waiting for you.

 

Don’t

You say you were tempted

To up and walk away,

Divided by your feelings

And what other people say,

And you wonder,

Oh, is it all worthwhile.

 

Just keeps getting harder

No matter how you try.

Should you accept excuses?

Believe his alibis?

And you know

What you really want.

He says “I love you so.

Honey please don’t go.”

And you don’t.

 

How many stories?

How many times have you cried?

No one can blame you,

They see just how hard you’ve tried.

 

Next time he fills you

With his world of lies,

Tells you he’s sorry,

No matter how hard he tries.

He says he’ll change,

Ah, but you know he won’t.

And as you walk away

He’ll beg you to stay,

And you don’t.