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.

 

It’s Possible

It’s possible to put a man on the moon,

Possible that Heaven might be,

It’s possible that there may be life up on Mars,

Possible that you could love me.

 

Incredible, the look in your eyes,

Excitable, just holding your hand.

Unquenchable, the thirst that I have for your touch.

It’s possible I could be your man.

 

Every little bit of hope that you give me,

Every little sigh that you show,

Every smile, every mile of your highway

I will walk with you forever,

Wherever you go.

 

It’s possible to be so in love,

Possible to always be true.

And I know til the end of all time

I’ll still be here loving you.

 

Unbreakable

Unbreakable…

Unshakable…

I built a wall right from the very start.

Then came you…

Can’t believe it’s true…

You’ve broken my unbreakable heart.

 

Siren’s call…

Did not intend to fall…

Just a fool playing out a part.

You forsake…

Left me in your wake…

Breaking my unbreakable heart.

 

I was so clever

Putting up defenses,

Then you broke down

Every single one.

But instead of staying

Mending all our fences,

You took my heart and

Sailed into the sun.

 

You’ll regret…

And I’ll forget

All those little things that

Tore our love apart.

Til I do

I’ll keep missing you

While I’m mending my unbreakable heart.

 

Two Lips and Tulips

I walk through your field where

The tulips grow wild

And I sway as they wave in the wind.

I think of your sweet lips,

The curve of your smile,

And wonder if I’ll ever see you again.

 

You were my morning,

As fresh as the dew,

And life was so simple back then.

Your smile was brighter

Than the tulips of spring

When you kissed me and told me

That we were just friends.

 

How can I take it?

How can I make it?

I wanted much more from the start.

Maybe in time, if I’m patient, you’ll see

The feelings down deep in my heart.

 

Tasting your honey,

Lost in your wine,

Dreaming of how life should be.

Tulips in springtime,

Your two lips on mine.

Tulips, your two lips, and sweet memory.

 

Wildfires

The wind stirs up the heat,

Stokes the embers into flame,

And no one sees just where the fire starts.

You came in to save me

As I struggle to explain

These wildfires that rage around my heart.

 

We were wide-eyed strangers,

Two stars crossing in the sky.

We both came crashing down out of the blue.

I rushed to be by your side

Burning bridges on the way

And I ran through wildfires just to be with you.

 

Now we both know the danger

As the flames sky overhead,

That every step we take

Could be our last,

But we keep moving forward

Because we know up ahead

Our troubles will be faded in the past.

 

There’s no need to worry,

There’s no need for doubt.

We don’t need to heed the fireman’s cry.

There’s a bright tomorrow

And we don’t have to fear

These wildfires that flame across our sky.

 

Tightening the Screws

Game on

And the rules are soon forgotten.

I know

Two wrongs never make a right.

Flame on

When our two worlds burn together

And who knows where it all may end tonight.

 

I know

That we should have seen it coming.

Eyes wide

To anticipate the news.

We could have spent

All our energy to fix things,

Make it better

Tightening the screws.

 

But you never said a single word,

And I was such a fool

Never thinking about all that we could lose.

Could have made it all work better

If we’d only thought it through

And took some time tightening the screws.

 

I’ll beg

If it makes it all seem better.

I’ll plead;

Anything to get to you.

We’ll try

Hand in hand we’ll work together,

Spend a lifetime

Tightening the screws.

 

A Weakness for You

I’ve always been

          The kind of person people can rely on,

Through thick and thin

The one who would be strong.

Just like a rock

          Offering a hope to hold onto.

If I have a weakness,

          I have a weakness for you.

 

I was alone

          Didn’t think I needed anybody,

Just like an island

          In a sea of blue.

You came along

          Took my heart and melted it to water,

And I found my weakness.

          I have a weakness for you.

 

All I have to do is close my eyes to see

Every little thing you are.

Everything I’m hoping for and long to be

Is waiting for me there in your arms.

 

Don’t say a word,

          Words don’t matter when we are together.

We’ll dare the world,

          Darling, just we two.

I’ll face the fire

          Knowing you and I will be forever.

If I have a weakness

          I only have a weakness for you.

 

Dancing in the Dark

Turn out the lights, dear,

Say goodnight and send the guests all home.

Now it’s just the two of us

Left to dance and spend the night alone.

Somewhere next to midnight

We snuggle close and let the music start.

It’s just you and me and we’re

Dancing in the dark.

 

Talk about forever…

Talk about the way it was back when…

Lighter than a feather

When the feeling comes around again.

We don’t need the sunlight.

We know when the arrow hits its mark.

We can spend the whole night long

Dancing in the dark.

 

If we have to wait,

We won’t hesitate,

We can find a quiet place to rest.

Let the world go by,

We won’t question why,

We won’t have a reason to confess.

 

Hearts are beating stronger

Waiting for the evening sun to set.

Grand anticipation,

Not a single notion of regret.

Walking hand in hand now,

Music playing softly from the park.

It’s just you and me

And we’re dancing in the dark.

 

Hastily Waiting

I learned in the Army

How to hurry up and wait,

Learned never to volunteer,

And I found out about fate.

I learned how a chance can fall

Right out of the blue.

So here I stand hastily waiting for you.

 

You can’t imagine how hard it is to wait

For your life and your mind to change.

I rush to your doorstep whenever you call

No matter how awkward,

No matter how strange.

 

There was a time when

The world turned much slower,

But that changed the moment we met.

Now I’ll spend a lifetime

If that’s what it takes

Hastily waiting without regret.

 

Every moment I stand by your side

And revel in your company

Is worth all the waiting

Outside of your threshold

To know just how good life can be.

 

Maybe one day you’ll wake up

And somehow realize

How my heart has always been true. Til then

I’ll quickstep to see you

Whenever you call,

Hastily waiting,

Waiting for you.

 

It Will Come to You

Never know when it will come

Or where it might appear, or

Exactly what to do when it arrives.

Only know the longing grows

To wash away all fears

As those feelings long-forgotten come alive.

 

And the world stops spinning

Waiting for forever,

And the multitudes boil down to just you two.

There is nothing sweeter on this side of Heaven.

If you wait for it, it will come to you.

 

I was lost outside the crowd

When I first met you,

Sunk as deep as one can go and still survive.

Then your love lifted me up

Out of the quicksand,

And those long-neglected feelings were revived.

 

Now we stand before the world in testimony.

No more room for doubt

And no need to explain.

We’ve survived the storms

Growing strong together,

Walking hand in hand

Through all the joy and pain.

 

And the world stops spinning

Waiting for forever,

And the multitudes boil down to just you two.

There is nothing sweeter on this side of Heaven.

If you wait for it, it will come to you.

 

Highways

We could go to Denver,

Maybe San Antoine,

Take a trip to Memphis,

Slide back to Bayonne,

Motor into Detroit,

Drive out to the coast,

Spend some time at Disney,

The place we love the most.

 

Love to see the canyon,

They say it’s awfully grand,

Take a stroll down Bourbon Street

Walking hand in hand.

We could breeze the Gulf coast,

New England in the fall,

Cruise the Shenandoah

Until we’ve seen it all.

 

Life is filled with highways

Made for you and me,

Running to forever

To where we want to be.

We can find the future,

We can make a friend

Traveling life’s highways

Until we reach the end.

 

Swells of Silence

Remember the good times we used to know

Back when the world was our friend.

We were invincible, running through meadows,

Thinking that we’d never end.

Talking and laughing with two million people,

Dancing from twilight til dawn.

Now we are lost in these deep swells of silence

Wondering where our love has gone.

 

Your eyes would light up. Oh, how they’d sparkle

Whenever I entered the room.

I couldn’t wait for the sound of your laughter

To carry me over the moon.

Sweet conversation with no hesitation

Was always so easy back then.

Why can’t we get past these deep swells of silence

And get back to where we began?

 

It should be easy.

It should be simple

To bring us back into the light,

But all I keep hearing

Are deep swells of silence

Echoing into the night.

 

Over and Over

Seems like we’re caught in a crossfire

That neither of us wants to end.

I keep confessing my love for you,

But you say we should just be friends.

I’ve walked through that portal a million times,

But you closed it just like before,

And I just keep falling in love

Over and over.

 

It’s not your fault.

You have to be who you are.

It’s all on me and my grand obsession.

Common sense can only take me so far.

 

Sometimes you can be such a temptress

And I can’t resist a reprise.

Your ways and your wiles drive me crazy

Until I melt into your eyes.

There’s nothing on this side of heaven or hell

To make my heart stop wanting you.

I just keep falling in love

Over and over.

 

Next time I’m hoping you’ll see it,

You’ll want to be more than friends,

Come to my arms for a lifetime

And we’ll cast our fates to the wind.

But if you can’t offer your true love

My heart resets where it begins,

And I’ll just keep falling in love

Over and over.

 

My heart keep falling in love

Over and over.

 

Feel the Rhythm

Do you feel the rhythm flowing

Through the life-veins of the street?

Catch the gentle rolling motion

As it plays beneath your feet.

In the early morning prattle

From a layered world of dreams

Comes an overflow of memory

Floating soft upon a stream.

 

And the way to turn is so clear

As you step into the heat.

You’re just listening to the rhythm

And following the beat.

It’s a million miles to Heaven

But the journey can be sweet

If you let the rhythm carry you away.

 

There’s a postcard in your mailbox

From a lover far away,

And you read each word a thousand times

Til the letters seem to fade.

And the rhythm of the words fall softly

From the printed page

And form another memory

To lock into your safe.

 

But the world keeps spinning,

Swaying to the rhythm of your soul

Til the evening falls just like a welcome friend,

And the beat subsides but never dies,

Just rests upon your mind,

And tomorrow you will start it all again,

And the rhythm wraps its arms around you

Like a long lost friend.

 

Let It Go

He said, "We will last forever."

She said, "'Til death do we part."

He said, "You are my everything."

She said, "You have all my heart."

He bade, "What more can you give me?"

"I have no more", she replied.

He said, "This is not enough!"

She said nothing as she cried.

"I don't know what you want from me,"

She uttered through her bitter tears.

He mocked and scoffed, "I shouldn't have to

Tell you after all these years."

She clings with hope for some resolve;

Confused, bewildered by his take,

But both are silent, mute out of respect

Each for the other's sake.

But they both know that it's over,

Curtain's fallen on the show.

The end has come...

No curtain call...

It's time to let it go.

 

Watching the Freak Show

Now, I'm no raving beauty, it's true,

But there is one thing, for sure, that I know.

The freaks are alive and they live everywhere,

And they never fail to put on a show.

They travel the halls and they frequent the malls

Aimlessly roaming the streets without fear,

And I wonder and ponder as they pass me by

Is it possible they own a mirror?

If they do, do they use it? For I just can't see

How they hope to be understood.

Do they stand there before it and think to themselves,

"Damn it all! I'm looking good!"

It seems that they've really gone out of their way

To tickle the fringe of the truly absurd.

My thought is to laugh, but I hold it inside,

And just shake my head... Don't say a word.

Oh! To be different! To stand from the crowd.

To totally be so unique.

The price that you pay to have people say

As they point at you, "Look at the freak!"

 

Putting Out Fires

Sometimes the flames crowd

The distant horizons as though

The sunset is scorching the Earth

With her dazzling brilliance

Consuming the hills and the forests

Surrounding in every direction.

Little to do, when the fires lose their mercy,

But stand back and watch

As they dance in the dark.

Hoping they stay at a tolerable distance

Lest we are caught in her horrible rage.

Ready to run as she grows ever closer,

Feeling the brush of her heat on my cheeks,

Praying the Heavens to open their bounty

And drown her passion with torrents of rain.

Standing and staring transfixed

On her beauty. Longing to know her

In intimate ways, yet fearing her fury

That grows ever stronger.

Torn by emotions... Lost in a daze,

A groundswell of longings that grows ever higher.

Do I become one with, or put out the fire.

 

Stop! Thief!

I used to have a heart, a soul,

A spirit filled with promise that was

Blind to passion's overfill, the overkill

That cuts the vein and

Lays it open 'til the flow

Of heavy blood has paid the toll,

And the heart is starved of precious life

Drowning in a sea of pain.

 

I was happily naive,

Exuberantly overjoyed

Until you made your entrance like

An actor walking on a stage;

Pondering your audience,

Lines rehearsed, emotions packaged

Waiting for the moment to

Unleash your frightening fits of rage.

 

You came stalking with intent

Leaving my heart filled with grief,

And then you stole my innocence

As if you were a common thief.

 

Standoff

Barricaded!!!

Trapped behind a wall so high

That I must struggle on my keep

Around the clock. Her fortress mocks me

As my eyes refuse to sleep.

Sailing off into the sunset

Is a haunting distant dream

That lingers near, never clearly

Focused as I plot and scheme

To free these bonds, escape this prison,

Throw my jailer to the ground

And run to freedom somewhere distant

Where the fruits of truth abound.

 

If I only had the strength to

Face the showdown up ahead;

Bold to face the consequences,

Fearing still the flags of red

I sit quiet in my armor

As the stalemate lingers still,

Testing every ounce of metal,

Every measure of my will.

 

So, the standoff must continue.

Neither side will acquiesce.

In the end, just who will win?

Who will come out second best?

 

Bustin' My Chops

Why should I be bustin' my chops?

Sweating for somebody else's crops

Where payment is grossly under-fair,

Where dignity reaches the edge and drops

Like a hammer crashing a pane of glass

In a World obsessed by position and class.

 

A struggle as old as primordial man

Where strength and aggression are played hand in hand

And survival had only two classes, it's said;

Divided between the quick and the dead.

 

But these days it's money that seems to divide

Where the classes are structured, how we decide

Who has worth, what has meaning, who gets the bone

With the meat neatly picked; who ends up alone.

Worshiping God on an altar of green

As immortal worth becomes ever so lean.

 

But truth is not fleeting.

Please, make yourself clear.

Our struggles are not always as they appear.

The classes are self-made and self-imposed,

And nothing the freehearted ever need fear.

 

For happiness crosses all boundaries and classes.

Contentment survives and thrives with the masses.

 

Thinking Small

The tiniest creatures

Will often times cause the

Most irritation for Humankind.

The pesky barrage of the

Infinitesimal pest is a test

Of the tolerant mind.

Consider the flea, the louse

Or the tick,

Diminutive blood-sucking vermin

Who kick and claw

Until they get into your skin,

Inviting legions of their kith and kin

To come along for the bountiful feast,

And drink the blood of the giant beast.

But the most destructive cannot be seen

With the naked eye, no matter how keen.

They breed and grow without procreation

'Til their legions are the size of a nation,

And their needful ways are cause for alarm

As we shrink from their coming

And quake from their harm.

Microscopic beast of evil,

Hidden armies you employ.

Singular is your agenda;

Humankind would you destroy.

 

Ready to Take on Life

Give me your best shot!

Take me on up to your highest level,

Then give me a push.

I've been waiting, watching and learning

For four or more decades

To take on the rush.

The elders all say that I'm just a kid,

Still ill-prepared in the ways of the World,

But I disagree, and if you ask me

I'll tell you it's time that

My flag was unfurled.

Just step aside and lend me some measure,

Pass the baton,

Rap the drum,

Play the fife.

This is my turn

And I run with a vengeance

Forward and ready

To take on life.

 

Training Wheels

I must have been no more than six or seven

When I learned to ride using training wheels on

A little blue bike that I rode much too fast

And wound up destroying before it wrecked me.

 

I learned to balance in very short order;

Learned to fly without leaving the ground;

Learned the spirit of kinetic motion that

Stirred my soul and set it free.

 

A few trips over the handle bars,

A few dips into the puddles of Spring,

A few slips and slides in the graveled driveway

Resulting in torn pant leg and skinned up knee.

 

Lessons are easy when young and resilient,

And balance is learned at the drop of a hat,

And vision is clear for the future is now

And our day is filled with simplicity.

 

Pity we can't use training wheels

In learning to scale our emotional lives

Where balance is often a fleeting companion

Blinded by sunlight, unable to see.

 

Messenger of Pain

No one likes to bear the burden,

But someone has to spread the news

That comes with cat-like urgency

Destroying midnight's restful peace.

 

There is no way to be prepared,

To be the calm recipient

When hearts are ripped and shredded

By this cold and mindless beast

Who stalks the night in Terror's cloak,

Seeking victims unaware,

And plunges them into a well

Of desolation and despair.

 

Waking with a sudden chill,

Bolting upright from your sleep

Filled with frightful premonition

Of a burden buried deep

Inside your heart. Your mind is racing

Through a windswept hurricane.

It is you, and no one else,

Must be this messenger of pain.

 

Framed

I was minding my own business;

Wasn't bothering a soul, or

So I thought.

Obviously, I was wrong

As someone else's bold agenda

Crossed my path at intersections

I was unaware existed until now,

This very moment as

Your finger points my way.

 

Innocence is fleeting when

An alibi is needed

And friendship carries little weight

For guilty parties panicking

To take the fall and pay the wages

For their action, unprepared,

Helpless in their weakness,

Spineless, cold and scared.

 

So now you point in my direction

As you seek to transfer blame,

Looking for a sacrificial lamb,

A patsy you can frame.

 

A Baser Emotion

With honor ignobled

And courage defamed,

With decency comatose

Fleeing the fray,

We kindle the spark of

A baser emotion

With unlighted candles

Leading the way.

 

How does it build in

Contemptible measure

To seek out the center

And lend it to change?

Where does it find the

Inferior being

And tempt it awaken,

To rise and derange

All the commonplace senses

To indecency?

Setting the Devil

Inside of us free.

 

Fighting a war of

Perpetual motion,

Seeking to rise above

Baser emotion.

 

Threadbare Stripped

There you walk in all your glory;

Pride divested, plucked and bared,

Every shred of decency has

Been removed and stashed away.

 

No resolve and acquiescence,

No reserve humility

To rise above the lustful greed

That drives your mind to seize the day.

 

Think back to a simpler time,

To lessons learned at mother's knee,

To times when hearts were open

To the cries of all humanity.

 

Somewhere there along the journey,

As the seasons made their change,

The soil around your labored roots

Was hardened and your soul estranged

From threads of commonality.

Spirits cry to be set free

But get no answer - no reply

Escapes your lips in vain decree.

 

The world was yours to reign supreme,

But you came laden, unequipped,

And you have left your Earthly treasure

Desolate and threadbare stripped.

 

Maximum Effort

Do you try?

Do you really try?

Or do you simply give lip service?

Just enough to paddle by;

Far too little to succeed.

 

Dig down deep into your soul

And remember who you're asking.

Lying to yourself won't help to

Realize your fondest dreams.

 

What is it you want from life?

Have you really asked yourself

What goals you're waiting to achieve?

What tangled web you long to weave?

 

Which direction?

What's the plan, the angle

To manipulate?

Who must yield and who must perish?

Who must be left in your wake?

 

Someone wins and someone loses,

And the loser's soon forgotten

Buried in the aftermath

Or left to burn; tied to your stake.

 

You must choose; must really choose

Which direction you will take.