You're the One.

You're the one who picks me up

When all the world would knock me down

And leave their footprints on my soul.

You complete me, make me whole.

 

Wandering through aimless seas,

I heard your sultry siren's call,

Found your island in the mist,

Tasted lips as yet unkissed

By one whose heart could claim your own.

We became a single soul

United by a pledge so sure,

So strong that it must long endure.

 

Other eyes may tempt and tease

With peacock feathers fluttering,

But there's no chance that I might yield.

I've no desire to play that field.

 

My love for you can't be undone.

No contest.   You are the one.

 

Knockdown-drag out

So, we disagree…. Big deal! So what!

Let's not make it World War III

A knock down-drag out mugging

With but one survivor when it's done.

 

Let's not say those hurtful things that

Anger brings to lesser minds,

Firing darts into the heart,

Emptying our verbal gun.

 

I have so much love for you,

Seeds of honor and respect that

I'll not seek to desecrate the

Firm position that you hold.

 

Instead I'll seek to use your eyes

To see your view, to stand your stand.

Seeking out the humble piece

Of common ground our hearts enfold.

 

Knock down. Drag out. Winner takes all.

That's no way for lovers to be.

Compromise is easy when you

Look to see what others see.

 

Fair Weather/Foul

Life isn't always peaches and cream.

In eating its fruit we sometimes taste

The pits and find it bittersweet;

Not so easy to endure.

 

And you have been there through it all,

Sharing the bounty along the way,

Sharing the load, laughing the laugh,

Crying when sadness raises its head.

I loaned you my shoulder and you took my hand

As we stood together united as one.

No one could cut us to make us bleed.

Nothing would part us this side of heaven.

I shall take your laughter to my grave

In fond remembrance of your face.

But more I cherish friendship's grace

Through weathers fair/weathers foul.

 

You Win

Life's too short for arguments.

You win.

Let's not cross that restless stream

Again with all its heartaches

And abysmal lies.  The tearful eyes

Too proud to say I'm sorry or

Excuse me for not listening.

Sunlight beaming, gleaming

Upon the rapid waters edge,

Both feet dangling from the ledge.

I regret not telling you

More often how I need your love

To guide me through the murky trials

As life reviles and shuns my name.

Why I could not give the same

Undying trust you gave to me is

One of life's great mysteries.

It will not occur again.

This I vow.

You win.

 

Life is an Adventure

From the moment of birth

When an innocent child shares

The same air with its mother,

The adventure begins,

And the flight doesn't end

Until ashes reclaim what they gave.

 

Front seat on the roller coaster

As it slowly climbs the hill

Topping the crest and

Plummeting down to a certain death.

 

As wave after wave of

Adrenaline gushes through

Over-stretched veins,

Eyes growing too large to see.

The mind become mush as

The body grows limp and

Legs fail to carry their weight.

 

Ready to heave

Once the hassle is over

Promising "never again".

Yet knowing full well that

You've caught the addiction

That no force on earth can abate.

Life's an adventure, ready to wear,

Traveling in circles, awaiting the dare.

 

Second Chance

I've been hoping for a second chance.

You've been holding me off at a distance

Ignoring all my calls.

You've been out there with some other someone

While I'm sitting here night after night

Staring at these four walls.

 

He says he wants you and that he'll always be true.

But you know deep inside that it's

Foolish for you to agree.

Your heart is breaking because you know the truth.

You're really alone

And you'll only be happy with me.

 

You walked away because I was afraid

To give all my heart.

You were exciting but I wasn't ready to dance.

Now things are clear and I know without fear

What I need is you.

Say you'll forgive me and give us a second chance.

 

I've been praying that you'll see the truth.

You can only imagine the Hell you've

Been putting me through.

But I won't mind it if in the end I find

This long dusty road is the pathway that

Leads me to you.

 

 

I Know That Song

That's the song they played

The very first time we danced together.

That's the tune we sang as we strolled

Hand in hand along the beach.

That's the song we listened to

The first time that we shared a kiss.

That's the haunting melody we heard

The night we fell in love.

 

Life's great moments often are

Reflected in a single song,

Coupled with a memory which

Takes us back to yesterday.

Private mini-celebrations

Dance around inside our heads

Stirring up emotions that are

Sure to bring a smile our way.

 

It could happen any time

As life's great journey strolls along.

The airwaves stir and you reflect,

"Ah yes! I know that song."

 

Empty Nest

This house was once a teaming, screaming,

Rowdy loud menagerie.

Sometimes it seemed a thousand feet were

Pounding floor from dawn to dusk.

At times my own voice cracked as I related

My displeasure with

The maddening annoyance

Singing, ringing in my ear.

Praying for a moment, just one

Minutes peace to calm my nerves.

Wondering if it would have been

Wiser to be celibate.

Settling disputes with the diplomacy of

Solomon. Finding commonality to

Wash away all doubt and fear.

Now there's such a peaceful calm

Surrounding every moment that

I feel as though my life is truly blessed.

And yet at times I find myself reflecting

On the sweetness of the life we knew

Before our empty nest.

 

Love's Consequence

You would have me change, but

I don't want to change.

I like myself.

Just the way you see me

Is the way that I intend to stay.

You keep saying you've made

Your concessions just

To be with me,

But your confession isn't what I need

To make me change my way.

 

Haven't I expressed to you

I love you just the way you are?
Wouldn't have you change a thing

Or make you sing a different song.

 

…Except for just a few annoying habits.

Oh! Such little things like

Always being late.

You know I hate to have to wait too long.

And what about the way you jump on

Every little phase or fad?

 

…Hold on just a second.

Maybe change is not so bad.

 

A Lot Of Work To Do

Listen to the lovers as they

Bicker, tease and pine away

For what they haven't yet achieved

In their great quest for total joy.

 

Dreams laid often by the wayside

Waiting patiently their turn,

Battered, shattered, beaten, broken,

Like a child's forgotten toy.

 

Brave hearts will pick up the pieces,

Mend the break and carry on

With hope renewed and vision

Rising over that of lesser men.

 

Goals revised and redirected,

Spirits bolstered and renewed.

Never minding failure, finding

Favor to begin again.

 

If a dream is worth pursuing,

Always keep it within view.

If perfection is our goal,

We've got a lot of work to do.

 

"Goodnight. I'll See You In The Morning"

How many nights have I slipped in beside you

After the trials of the long day are done?

Nestling in for a well-deserved respite

From all of the cares that the world has laid on.

 

Cold winter nights where the nip of the air

Bites the covers as you snuggle close to my side,

Hearing the heartbeat, which lulls you to sleep,

Seeking the warmth that our bodies provide.

 

The cool of the spring when the windows are

Finally open and we hear the sweet serenade

Of the nocturnal creatures who lulled us to sleep

And then woke us at dawn with their vocal parade.

 

Summertime heat can be quite overbearing,

And drives you away to the bed's other side.

A quick goodnight kiss and you scurry away

Wishing the bed was again twice as wide.

 

Of all the seasons I think I love autumn

The most, when all of the world heaves a sigh,

And you start to snuggle back into my arms.

I never complain… never ask why.

 

We end each evening with a kiss and

A solemn promise; not a warning.

Touching your cheek I softly pledge,

"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

 

Butterfly

Flittering, fluttering all about

The garden on your silent wings,

Gathering the nectar of each

Flower's welcome bloom.

Pacing never, racing ever,

Bothering no single soul,

You dance your dance and

Weave a spell upon your magic loom.

 

And I become a witness as

You search the world in your brief time.

I watch as you emerge

Breaking free from your cocoon

In burst of brilliant colors which

Could rival Pharaoh's treasures,

And then disappear to darkness

All too soon.

Time escaping, passing by,

Watching with your painted eye,

Stopping not to question why.

Fly my little butterfly.

 

Starlight

The sun fades in a distant west as

Twilight caresses the evening sky

With its' gentle colors of passionate pink,

And tiny pinpoints of starlight ensue.

 

Time grows weary and all the concerns of

The daylight dim as the sun settles in

To the tree tops, resting but a moment,

Offering promises old and new.

 

…And you fill my evening well into the night,

Holding my hand as the starlight appears

To capture the Heavens, filling the darkness

With all its' abundance of elegant grace.

 

Treasures abound in the evident spectacle

Born in amazement, meant to be shared.

But diamonds and gold can never compare to

The wonder I find in your sweet loving face.

 

No matter how long I may walk on these beaches,

No matter how wondrous the luminous prize,

Nothing on Earth or on this side of Heaven can

Outshine the starlight in my lover's eyes.

 

Angels Weep

The raven stalks a sleepless night

As silent darkness blankets all

The landscape of a troubled world

And destiny prepares to call.

 

Truth comes hard to those who wait

And wonder far beyond the day.

The silence catches unaware

And leaves a bitter bill to pay.

 

The only solace is a trusting

That the end brings yet a new

Beginning of a better making

Freshly born of morning dew.

 

Still the heart cries out in anguish,

Passions rising from the deep.

Prayers of longing and remembrance…

Lovers mourn as

Angels weep.

 

Restless Seas

What mammoth creature down below

Has been disturbed and stirred to movement,

Making her waters, once calm and serene,

An angry mass of a restless sea?

 

God help us all if she breaches the surface.

Heaven forbid we should look on her face,

Her Medusa curse turning flesh into stone

In the micro-instant before we can flee.

 

Youthful exuberance might have survived it,

But that was ages and eons ago.

No longer the Captain or even the mate,

Merely a passenger caught in the fray.

 

Seeking safe harbor at journey's end,

Wanting no part of the battle ensuing,

Turning from harm and seeking a Navy,

I close my eyes and humbly pray.

 

God, give me strength to weather the battle.

See me before you in bended knees.

Help me to yield to your unbridled wisdom

As I ride the crest of your restless seas.

 

Finding the One

Barren waters fill the ocean

And the waves forget to roll

As tides, abandoning their schedule,

Cease to offer ebb and flow.

 

Every dewdrop sent from Heaven

Yields a taste of salty tears,

And darkness offers cover as they fall,

So no one has to know.

 

Hopeful hearts seek out their treasure

Nestled deep beneath the sands on

Far off islands waiting for the

Magic of discovery.

 

Gold-filled chests and diamond lined tiaras

Sparkle in the sun

And hearts fill with the knowing that

This is how it's meant to be.

 

Finding the one, the single treasure,

Seeking to go the extra mile,

Capturing gold at the end of the rainbow

Makes the journey all worthwhile.

 

The Eyes of a Lover

Eyes can say so much about

The character of their possessor.

Every bare emotion, like a mirror,

Is reflected there in some way,

Be it great or small.

There is no hiding from the glare

Of truth behind the subtle hue

Of color in the great confessor.

 

The eyes of a leader oft reflect

The passions of their followers,

Giving birth to dreams of change,

Kindling the fires of hope.

 

The eyes of a liar shift in their

Chameleon impersonation,

Holding in futility the

Frayed ends of their dangling rope.

 

The eyes of a killer can sear the landscape

Scorching all who cross their path,

Practiced in deceptive cunning,

Bursting into sudden wrath.

 

But the eyes of a lover hold no secrets,

Show no quarter or deceit.

Open to a world of giving,

Laying Heaven at your feet.

 

Love Endures

And all the world shall slip away,

And time shall echo eons

Past the secular vernacular

To speed it to it’s higher ground. As

Level passes on to level,

Sweeping off old memories and

Stepping into worlds anew

Stripped of every sight and sound.

 

Nothing ever lasts forever.

Nothing ever really ends, just

Changes to a new dimension

Grounded in another realm.

The crossing over pathway shrouded

In a cloak of dusty gray

To break the dawning of tomorrow

Rising to control the helm.

 

Deep within the fight continues

Without treaty… without cures.

Only one thing offers solace

When it’s over…

Love endures.

A Sonnet for You

What world awakes as robins sing your song.         

There is no sun if I see not your face.                    

You are the difference between right and wrong.          

There is no substitute for your embrace.             

 

I can’t escape the sparkle in your eyes                    

A single look can take my breath away.              

Your countenance sings without compromise  

I need you here beside me every day.                   

 

And time stands still when you are at my side.      

There is no right or wrong, there’s only you.        

I wear my feelings with a sense of pride              

And knowing you will be forever true.                        

And when the day is over we are one.                         

We sing our song to a departing sun.                       

 

Cherry Blossom Smile

Show me just a little of

That cherry blossom smile.

Not too much,

Just enough to last me for a little while.

 

Wouldn’t want to overload

Else I be filled with wild desire and

Unable to concentrate on

Anything except your fire.

 

Must admit a lustful bit of

Anguish when I hear your name.

Cannot hide the awesome pride of

Knowing that you feel the same.

 

We are two and we are one,

And that is how it’s meant to be.

Yesterday until forever,

Lifetime is our destiny.

 

Every footstep hand in hand,

We face every trial,

And everything I need is in

Your cherry blossom smile.