The Game

Life is a game
But there are no winners
No losers
Just players
And it is how you play the game
That counts the most

Don't hesitate
Don't regret
Just keep moving on
Learning and living
Never stopping the game

Watch your step
You don't know what's next
No clues
Just surprises
And it is a quick response
That counts the most

Don't hesitate
Don't regret
Just keep moving on
Learning and living
Never stopping the game

Never stopping the game
Because if you do
The game will stop you

Like Children

We are like children
Trying to understand
A world far beyond us
Trying to make sense
Of the life we live
We understand so little
Yet act like we know
That which is unseen
And that we heard
That which was not said
We are but children
But we still must try
And have faith that someday
We will truly know
And truly be known

Wind and Trees

I did not recognize my shadow
Cast long across the land
Reaching far beyond
The land my eyes could see
And there the wind blew
Moving trees and leaves
Grass behind to its will
My shadow hanging over it
Slowly disappearing
Into the dark of night
But the trees and wind remain
It is I that changes

Here I Will Be

When I try to say I've been to busy
To write my thoughts
It makes me wonder
What do I have time for?
So I return to my writing
Realizing it is part of me
That helps me express thoughts
That helps me express feelings
That otherwise may stay trapped inside me
Begging to get out
With no where to go
So here I am
And here I will be

Proclaim Your Love

Sing to the heavens!
Let your voice be heard!
That you are loved
And that you love
Your voice will echo across the land
Your words will not fall on deaf ears
But will be felt by those in need
By those who need to hear them
And they will lift them up
And they will sing!
That they are loved
That they love
And their voice will echo across the land
And the chorus will continue
As long as you proclaim your love

Prepared Way

I was alone
There was no one to hear my words
As they echoed out
In the cold of night
I asked for direction
I asked for guidance
So I listened
And I spoke
As if I were before a crowd
And I kept listening
And I kept speaking
Until I had said
What I meant to say
But had been unable to put into words
And found my way
By listening
By learning
And I was ready
My way had been prepared
So I gave thanks
And left to face the night
And wait for the morning

Until We Meet Again

I never got to say goodbye
And I'm not sure I know how
You will be missed by many
You will be remembered always
Maybe I didn't want to say goodbye
But instead
"Until we meet again"
Because I know we will
But in the meantime
Tell those that I miss now
That I love them
And that someday, sometime
We will be together again

Ask

I have been told
Ask and you shall receive
But I wonder
Why doesn't anyone say
Ask and I shall serve?
Maybe if we asked for less
And if we listened more
We might all be
In a better place

Lost My Way

My soul was weary
I had suffered for so long
I had led myself astray
And could no longer see the road
I had been through so much
I could take no more
My body grew weak
And I cried out in the wilderness
Asking why I had been forgotten
Why I had been left to the cold
Why I was so very alone
There came no answer
As I knew it was I who left
Who set my fate in motion

So I cried out for mercy
That I be given a swift end
But no end came to me
And I suffered still
I cried out in agony
What was I to do
Where was I to go
But there were no answers
So I feel upon the ground
And wept for myself
Knowing not what to do
I began to move again

I moved through the darkness
Yearning to see the light
When I came upon a man
Broken and beaten
Who had even less will than I
A sad sight to see
So I lifted him up
And tended to his wounds
And anointed his weary head
And when he was well
I once again left to roam the night

I traversed the terrible cold
Biting through my garb
Penetrating my very soul
And I came upon a woman
Frail and weak was she
With less than I to bear the winds
I took pity on her
And my cloak was hers
I left her with her new warmth
Still trying to find my way
Colder, more weary than before
I traveled on

A quick end I had been denied
And I hungered
But I came across a child
Left all alone
Too much like me to bear
The child had none
Not even bread for his mouth
Or water for his thirst
So I left him my portion
That the child might be saved
For I began to feel the end
Would be very close at hand

I was hungry
I was cold
I was weary
And I did not cry out
But laid my tired body down
And waited for the end
But the end did not come
Alas! There was a voice
From far upon high
And it asked of me
What I could offer to be saved
I looked about and had none

All had been given away
So I cried out I had naught
And the fog lifted
Much to my surprise
I cried out again that I had none
And the voice replied
"You gave rest to the weary
You gave warmth to the cold
You gave food to the famished
Who asked these things of you?"
I replied that no one had

A reply came to me
"Then I shall heal your soul
And I shall clothe your back
And I shall be your portion
That you be not hungry
That you be not cold
That you be not weary
For you have done this for others
With no thought of yourself
You have been led to the road
By your own doing
I am but the light that guides"

And in the light I walked
My bones not as heavy
My soul born anew
My hunger sated
But something new was there
I no longer felt alone
And looked to the light
That it guide me on my journey
That I remember my actions
And the grace that redeemed me
That though I may stumble
That I never again lose my way

The Whys

Normal I never was
At least not in my eyes
Everything was in a fog
And I hid behind the lies
I moved along, I played it cool
No one saw though my disguise
The lonely man inside a shell
Could not escape despite the tries
So much time was wasted
Too many sad goodbyes
All that's left are questions
The wheres the whos the whys...

I Am Here

"I am here"
Sometimes is all you can say
You can't make it better
You can't make it go away
"I am here"
It is hard to understand
When nothing can be done
There is no way to make things right
"I am here"
Is still something
It is much better than nothing
And it makes a difference
"I am here"
Is sometimes the only thing
The most important thing
You can do for someone
So let it be known
And let it be heard
And remember always
"I am here"
Means that no matter what
I'm always here for you

Dreams Mundane

I dream a dream
That most would find mundane
I dream of being a mail boy
In an office rather large
I have a cart to carry mail
With a smile upon my face
And on Tuesday they have donuts
They save me a maple square
And orange juice to drink
And I deliver mail and do my job
And enjoy my days
And go home to a family
And live a life of peace
In my dreams
In my dreams
I find a kind of simplicity
That makes me dream away

Get It Right

I can tell it is raining
My hands ache
With the pains of a man
Who is twice my age
But then again
Maybe I've lived
Twice as hard

Sometimes it feels like
I've lived two lives
One as me
One as someone else
Someone who didn't care
A cruel man
A selfish man

And now I sit here
Looking back
Realizing now
You can't change the past
But the future's yet to come
So I craft it with care
To get it right this time

Be Free

So many bad things happen
It's sometimes hard to believe
That there is anyone
Or anything
That really does care
But I don't lose faith
I just hope
With all my might
That someday
Things will have changed
And we will all be free
We will all be free

Already There

Sitting in the dark
Listening to silence
My mind finally relaxes
As my body feels heavy
So much to do
Such little time
And so much is spent
Just trying to get there
That sometimes
We forget
That the things we need the most
Are already there

Two Words

Every line
Very simple
Two words
Basic thoughts
Also deep
So short
So concise
Little detail
Many ideas
Two words
Minds boggling
Very grand
Quietly humble
All together
One thought
One feeling
Two words
My words
These words
These thoughts
These feelings
Sudden inspiration
Have hope
Keep faith
Stay true
Be yourself
Be bold
Be wise
Be kind
Two words
Harm none
Do good
Love God
Love everyone
Love everything
Live everything
Two words
I am

Never the Same

There are not enough love songs
To explain the way I feel
There aren't enough cards
To express my emotions
For I owe you more than life itself
A debt I cannot repay
But will spend each day thankful
Each day showing you I love you
Because without you
My life would never be the same

Ashes to Ashes

There is a cross upon my head
A mark of ashes on my brow
It runs deep within my soul
And though the ash will wash away
The cross is yet mine to bear
I willingly carry it in spirit
Remembering blessings brought to me
From a cross bore long ago
With this in mind I carry on
And go forth in grace alone

What to Bring

I lie awake and wonder
What tomorrow brings
Be it rain or snow
Misfortune or delight
It will be here
And then it will be gone
Like a shooting star
Gone before you know it
So instead I wonder
What will I bring tomorrow?

Father to Son

When I was a child
I would pray with my father
After lighting incense
My eyes would close
And I would think
And I would hope
For peace
For happiness

Now I am a parent
And my child prays with me
After lighting incense
My eyes close
And I think
And I hope
For peace
For happiness

But now
I pray that for my son
And I look back
And wonder
If that's what my father
Prayed for me

Lucky Shoes

I like to wear my lucky shoes
They are red hightops
They help me kick the blues
And kick above my head

My shoes are like magic
They make me super cool
Losing them would be tragic
Like losing a lucky penny

In short
my shoes rule

Sleep Haiku

As I fall asleep
My thoughts travel far away
I hope they come back

Fatherhood

I've found no joy greater
Than being a father
I wouldn't trade it for the world
Offer all the tea in China
I would say don't bother
I've already got everything I need
Nothing can be purchased
This joy is like no other
You can keep your jewels and gold
For I'm rich in love
I'm happy as a father
And it's more than I will ever need

Puzzle Part

I was going to write about pizza
But I couldn't think of what to say
Pizza is so delicious
I had no place to start
So I tried to write about soda
But alas nothing there too
Maybe about a candle?
Maybe about a puzzle part
I'm not sure what I'm writing
If I'm writing it at all
Maybe I am dreaming
About a giant pop-tart
But if I am awake
And this poem is for real
I guess I'll just write this
Because it came from the heart

Blanket

It's cold outside today
And the rain falls down lightly
The world outside is lonely
The darkness that falls nightly
A blanket covers the land
With a shadow over all
And I shiver and I try to sleep
And answer slumber's call

Waiting Game

I wait and I wait
And I wonder
And I ponder
I listen for the words
That will come into my head
And let me know the way
I remain still
Is this just a game?
Or is this something more?
First there is an image
Then the words begin
Flowing like water
Down a mountain
Into the sea
Filling my heart
Filling my mind
And then
And only then
Do I know what I was waiting for

Next time

I really wanted to write something brilliant
But nothing at all came to mind
In due time, something will come
But not now
Not at this moment
This moment is fading quickly
Into the abyss of night
Maybe I'm just too tired
Maybe I'm out of ideas
But it doesn't matter
Because sooner or later
This moment will return
And next time
I will know what to say

I exist

Confusion floats about me
As an old log at sea
Up and down with the waves
No idea where to go
No idea where I've been
Just the understanding
That somehow
I exist
And that thought alone
Is enough to scare me

The Warlock

I am the fear you feel
When you charge into battle
I am the feeling that haunts you
As you feel your life draining away
I am the howl of terror you hear
Over the clashing of swords
It is my vengence you feel
As every wound sears from my touch
My dark intent masks the battle field
The agony becomes too much to bear
The corruption to great to overcome
Your affliction has become unstable
As my malefic grasp clings to your soul
Nightfall comes
Everything fades
And I harvest another soul
Empowering me to take on the next foe
Who dares to cross my dark soul

You Can't Bring Back The Past

I spent so much time
Just trying to find the words
That I will never say
And it's now that I find
That the time to say them is gone
And you can't bring back the past
No you can't bring back the past

A journey I'd been on
Searching for something new
I never realized
I had it all the time
That the time to find it is gone
And you can't bring back the past
No you can't bring back the past

So much searching
So much longing
I tried so hard
That I lost my way
And I can't go back
No I can't go back again
I can never go back again

Time was wasting away
But I'd nothing left to say
I had nothing left to do
So I turned around
The future is all I have now
Because you can't bring back the past
No you can't bring back the past

Your Favorite Movie

Whatever you do
Don't tell me your name
Your face is enough for me
Here in the setting sun
Your bare back glistening with sweat
Hair hanging down
Cigarette upon your lips
You smile at me
As I sit here wearing a blanket
Basking in your glow
Don't ruin the moment
By talking about your job
Who you are
Or where you've been
All I need is your face
And maybe your favorite movie
But nothing more
Just your skin and voice
Will make this day complete

Written in June 2001

Scarf

I almost lost my scarf
It was windy outside
And it almost flew away
Like a bee from the hive
Or a bird leaving a nest
And it could have been beautiful
Waving in the wind
Blowing far far away
Like fleeting memories
Of days long ago and far away
It could have been those things
But it keeps my neck warm
So I caught it
Tucked it in
And kept moving
I just kept moving

Emptiness

Reaching into the darkness
Trying to recover the past
To understand where I'd been
Fighting off the madness
To uncover the truth
Behind all of the deceptions
My hand grasps at nothingness
Brain racing to comprehend
What this really means
And feeling the emptiness
I finally realize
It was that that I was trying to fill

Three Hats

Three hats hang upon the wall
At different times I've worn them all
Dressing up or out to play
I wore them all from day to day
Sometimes I put them back on
To remember days bygone
And hang them back up on each hook
Each has a story like a book
Those three hats will not be alone
As future hats that I do own
Will join those hats hanging up there
Those three hats I used to wear

Me Doctor

Sometimes when I watch TV
I like to think that I'm the Doctor
Flying in my TARDIS
Space and time at my command
And then I think about the pain
All of the sadness
All of the loneliness
And wonder if the Doctor
Would look at my life
And would like to think
That he could be me...

Only Actions

Every word said
Leaves its mark
On the world
On people
Good or bad
What is said is said
But they are still just words
And only actions
Will heal the wounded
Give comfort
Resound joy
Only actions
Can bring words to life

Through a Child's Eyes

Some things are better
When they stay memories
Because sometimes
Memories are better
Then reliving it
Especially in times
When the memories
Are of your childhood
And the heroes you once had
Are destroyed forever
And all because
You wanted to watch Voltron...

Future Painting

I grow tired and restless
Waiting for the moment
That I find my purpose
I begin to doubt
That it's anything I'll find in others
But something I must find in me
Tired of excuses
Of holding on
Waiting too long for an answer
So ahead I move
At full steam
All cylinders firing
Letting my fingers be my guide
As I type my way across the landscape
Painting my future
In words and images
On display for the world

4-Letters

Love is a four letter word
Like so many words
And so many things
It comes and goes
And passes like the breeze
But the memory remains
Like a haze
On a hot summer day
With you looking at me
One hand blocking the Sun
Wondering ho long it can last
Hoping it never ends
And living
Just to live

Written 6/2/2001

Illusions

Seeing your face in a crowd
makes me remember
how I once loved you
and could again
but I won't ever have that chance
So I watch
and you disappear behind a man
with thick glasses
and a black ball cap

Written 7/12/2000

Dreaming

Sleep my dear, the sleep of kings
And dream dreams of many things
And if in dream I do appear
Don't be afraid to draw me near
For in your head I am not sad
And you can dream of fun we had
In your dreams I shed no tears
Just sweet nothings for your ears
Just sleep my dear, close your eyes
And dream of open and blue skies

Written  June of 2000

Haiku of Slumber

The wife could not sleep
I put on The Civil Wars
Slumber has set in

- Author's Notes
I don't write many like this, but I felt like trying it out.

Hair Apparent

Hair falling all around me
Covering me in dyed fibers
Some showing their true age
Putting my age on display

I'm not an old man
I'm not a young man
I'm a man who has lived
I'm a man who has loved
I'm a man who has lost

Maybe that is the true measure
Of who and what a man is
That he is something more
Then the sum of his hairs

Fish Goning

I once had a pet fish
I set it free
For it did not seem right
To keep something
So alone
In such a small space
So far away from home
And maybe
Just maybe
I was hoping
That fish
Would someday
Be me

In Vain

Words are but fleeting thoughts
Strewn about time and space
With hopes of reaching an ear
To keep them from being in vain

Images that may be real
Or maybe an illusion
With hopes of being seen
To keep them from being in vain

Reaching out to touch
To be touched in return
With hopes of feeling something
To keep from being in vain

Life with all its splendor
Also comes with much despair
As we hope to leave something behind
To keep from being in vain

Vision

My eyes can see
Vision unclouded
The day is crisp and clear
Light and shadow intertwine
Wind blowing through the trees
At last I see what I could not
Directions finally guide me
Details in full view
Yes I can see it all
Thanks to my new glasses

All We Have

Fleeting thoughts of a desperate mind
Turning to days gone by
Yearning to once again be free
A vain attempt to fly

Ever growing doubt and fear
Supplication for the soul
A desperate plea with voice unheard
To once again be whole

Consciousness fading quickly
Dropping into the abyss
Darkness surrounds the heart and mind
Thinking all we have is this

Questions in the Dark

Sometimes when I lay awake
Thinking of nothing
My mind strays
And I ponder what lies beyond
Where are we going?
Why are we here?
The thought passes in the dark
Sleep evades me
Like the answer to the questions
That ask themselves at night

Rhyming Desk

A pen, a duck, a bell, a ball
A bottle of isopropyl alcohol
Mixed nuts and a watch as well
Bubble gum with cinnamon smell
A keyboard and mouse
All inside my house
On my desk is where they rest
With a printer to my west
A whirring fan is in my ear
And an office chair beneath my rear
I type and think and type a poem
If only I could rhyme a word with poem…

Mindful

So tired that I couldn’t sleep
So hungry that I couldn’t eat
My mind was racing in circles
I was going no where fast
I closed my eyes
And I thought of you
My mind calmed
My pulse slowed
And the world washed away
Because sometimes
Your love is all that I have
To keep me from being
Someone that isn’t me