She is the chalk that draws the line
The sturdy rope, the ties that bind
The go-to when times are rough
The sweetness in the breath of love

She sets the rhythm of the day
She is the all in all she's made
And we, the gallery of her art

~The Family Matriarch~

She is the hope in all of us
The shinning light, the path of love
She is the strength from out the start
The very beat deep in the heart

And after all when all is said
Her children rise and call her blessed
Accepting life through joy and scars

~The Family Matriarch~

Welcome back to your hometown
Nothing much has changed since you we're last around
Time never seemed to make its rounds
To visit the streets of your hometown

You've been away from this place for years
Never skipped a beat nor shed a lick of tears
So why do you find yourself back here
Thought that when you left, you made it clear

You swore you would never come back again
A promise you made way back then
You had your why's you knew your when's
Your old hometown was no way to live

As you step back onto Main street
You ain't felt this sidewalk since the 70's
You find yourself not surprised to see
The reason then you had to leave

On the front porch of your old house
You reach for the door before you chicken out
That's when it is you figure out
Why in the first place you left your hometown

You turn your back and turn away
To confront your demons another day
Where you're less scared or more brave
In what it is you have to say

So here it is another round
Of one handed goodbyes to your hometown
If you ever had your well deserved doubts
You're no longer welcome in your hometown

When people ask me
Why poetry
Why not pick a paying profession

Take hold this truth
That I'm laying on you
In which there is a valuable lesson

If you do what you like
You're going to find
Life holds treasure in wonder

Instead of the dough
Taking you out in its tow
And then pulling you under

When you're doing things
Think more the gifts they bring
And not money to be made

When people ask me
Why poetry
Do I really need to say

In Narcissist Nation
It's all about self
What's in it for me
Forget everyone else

The views you cling to
I do not approve
In this all the above attitude
Without a clue

In Narcissist Nation
Only I have the right
To say what I say
False truth in my eyes

I'll follow the crowd
To the dark side of town
Then light a fire
And burn it all down

In Narcissist Nation
There's no need to discuss
I'll scream at you
While at me you cuss

With new slogans and sayings
On which to feed
As the world continues baking
In insanity

In Narcissist Nation
This will not end good
If we continue forsaking
All that we should

If we only focus inward
In this I, Me, Mine, time
And not see through into
This narcissistic lie

I want a beard like Chris's beard
But I can't even grow hair on my chest
This may sound strange if not a bit weird
That I have a Chris beard full on man crush

I swear I'm not gay, why I'm even straighter than straight
You can call my house and ask my wife
She'll tell you I'm out back juggling chainsaws all day
And other manly things I do with my life

But with hair on my face there's not the slightest trace
Not a follicle will you even find
But with Chris's beard I think that it's clear
That sucker could grow over night

So yes, I want a beard like Chris's beard
And that is the straight up fact Jack
Cause with a beard like Chris's manly beard
I wouldn't have to put up with anyone's crap

When you ask of me, why poetry
I'm not sure you understand
That it's the center of my universe
The very depth of who I am

The molecules in the air I breath
Oxygen pulsing through the veins
The storm brewing beneath the surface
The pounding of the rain

It's the timeless anticipation
Of the thought that's yet to come
The tearing open of life's seam
The beating of the drum

The first peak of the desert flower
When it feels the gentle touch of spring
The smile in the eyes of a child
And all the joy it brings

The in and out of the tide
In the pulling of the waves
When you ask of me, why poetry
What more is there to say

Here's a little something to make you feel good
A little ditty to brighten your day
A poem to let you know that your not alone
Come what will...Come what may

Here's a little invite to the morning
Something in which to start up your day
If you could RSVP that we can expect your company
Then we'll be on our way

Here's a little tune that we can hum to
In perfect harmony
Finding what's right in life, setting all else aside
Will be the song we sing

Here's a little moment to make it all happen
The perfect amount of right in the frame of mind
We'll find what we're hoping for, life's open door
As we step inside

To share that little something to make us feel good
To help send us all along our way
This simple poem to let us know, we are not alone
On this day we will call today

If I could just take back that moment
How many drift into that thought
Then I wouldn't be without
That which I have lost

Turn back the tick of time
Spin left heavy the hour hand
Then what I lost would still be mine
Stopping mid pour, time's grain of sand

If I could you know I would
But alas I can't
And with that said I know it's best
To leave it in God's hands

I've come to the conclusion
That my life's a wreak
Poetry strewn all about
My house the biggest mess

So here I am in the middle of the den
In a pile of poetry on the floor
A desperate man with phone in hand
Since I can't seem to find the door

I call up a Psychic
I call up my Shrink
I call up the local Priest
To ask them what they think

They say there is no hope for me
Through the static on the phone
Right before they all hang up
I hear...boy you're too far gone

So I grab a hold my bootstraps
Pick my own self up
Determined to have this problem licked
With prayers and major luck

Starting in on this poetic clean
One thing that I found
I wrote on just about anything
That I had laying around

There was poetry on party napkins
On Chinese take out meals
Tiny poetry on tiny matchbooks
Even on banana peals

Poetry on the chandelier
Poetry on my cat Floss
Poetry on ***** dishes
I wrote with spaghetti sauce

Poetry on the mirrors
Smiling back at me
Poetry on Seinfeld
Across my T.V. screen

Poetry on the kitchen tile
That's never seen a mop
On the doors going in and out
And places I dare not look

I started cramming it all in boxes
Lining them up and down the halls
Soon had them in every room
3 feet deep and 8 feet tall

I made 15 trips to storage
The biggest one that I could find
Feeling now it's nice and safe
All packed tight, warm and dry

When it all was over
Feeling relief from that major chore
Set down in my den, took out my pen
And started writing more...

I moved a few years ago
To the upper state of Vermont
Although the place is beautiful
At times it can be one great big yawn

That's when we put our heads together
Me and my best friend Shawn
And came up with the great idea
To start a Hippie Farm

Our noggins were a knocking
Not sure how this could be done
Do Hippies come from packs of seeds
Or like flowers, in a bunch

And can you start them off by grafting
Like they do on Apple Farms
Where you get rows and rows of Hippies
From just a single one

That's when Shawn remembered this mail order magazine
That we took out and took a look inside
It came with an assortment of Hippies
From Raw to Roasted to Highly Deep Fried

So we sat and weighed all of our options
And ordered a bushel of Hippies alive
Then we set out cultivating the fields
Till the day our Hippies arrived

The package  arrived a few days later
In an old beat up VW Bus
With psychedelic smoke pouring from the windows
Pretty sure they all came buzzed

Of course Hippies don't come with instructions
Only bell bottom jeans and old Jefferson Airplane tapes
Can't tell you how many Hippies we went through
Before we learned from our mistakes

Like don't plant a Hippie face first in the dirt
They need a bit of air to breath
And they don't like to be over watered
Just dust them off when you feel the need

Now that the farm is up and running
We seem to have come into our own
We've even come up with  a way of branding
Some of the Hippies that we've grown

We started selling them in flavors
Like Ben and Jerry's down the street
From our Abbie Hoffman Radical Cherry
To our Hendrix Hazy Purple Berry Treat

But it's our Groovy Rainbow Roundup Hippie
Whose sales have never let us down
In fact I'd put that Hippie up against
Anybody else's Hippie in town

I've never been much of one to brag
But we're known on the East coast, up and down
We've had people as far away as Florida
Come and buy our Hippies by the pound

So next time your up in Vermont
Stop in and take a tour and watch us grow
Don't forget to stop by our gift shop
And purchase your very own Hippie to take home

Hanging out new to the scene
So often wonder what that means
As I sit in front of the world's screen
Started in on ...Googling

I typed in a single word
Pressed enter for the Google search
Took me down the path absurd
Where all the lines were blurred  

From there I ventured off the path
Wish I'd known there's no turning back
Marveled at the knowledge that I lack
Like how to whittle your own baseball bat

Just in case you're wondering
Midgets don't melt in the rain
Who doesn't think that that's insane
As I dive deeper into Googling

The art of bathing a Hindu rat
Skinning a two-headed Siamese cat
The taking of the perfect nap
Standing up while keeping your lap intact

How to delicately pierce a Rhino's ear
Dressing up then down a deer
50 different ways a man can cheer
While toasting his favorite Micro beer

Abstract art using cotton *****
How to paint between the lines on paisley walls
Teaching Yankees how the South says ya'll
Lost episodes of the show called Lost

Food served upon the world's menus
Even specialties from Timbuktu
Why the sea is green and the sky is blue
As my googling madness continues

More artwork this time with the jam of toes
How to pick your friends but never your friend's nose
Cleaning of the house without a stitch of clothes
The whole time being careful with the vacuum hose

80's Hairbands I used to like
That now know what bald feels like
Making a homemade Hindenburg kite
One that lands this time

How to handle midlife like a man
Taking a survey of what you could have been
Raising Spider Monkey's  in the comfort of your den
As I keep on Googling

I now find myself Googling out in front
As I'm Googling from behind
Googling up as I'm Googling down
To the left and to the right
I've learned how to gargle Google
That's a well known Google fact
And if you don't believe me
You can even Google that

Jealousy
My fine feathered friend
At the most inopportune moment
You come flying in
Creating havoc
Before you take leave
What is there to say
Jealousy

    *Jealousy
    You take the leap
    Fly off the handle
    Before time to think
    Take any situation
    To the utmost degree
    Where is your confidence
    Jealousy

        Jealousy
        The crazy train's set to leave
        You take to the tracks
        Before you digest what you see
        Reaching conclusions
        That only you heed
        You need to take a back seat
        *Jealousy

Straight out of prison
Wondering what I've been missing
Right out of the gates I stuck out my thumb

A van load of hippies
All from Mississippi
Stoped and asked, hey dude...what's going on

I'm here for adventure
Well hop in then Mister
Adventure is what we're all about

Now where we're all going
There's no way of knowing
A van of hippies and parolee freshly let out

We ended up in Disney
Me and all of the hippies
Where we had caboodles of fun

We met Mickey and he saw it
When I lifted his wallet
Now we're in the Magic Kingdom all on the run

We split in different directions
To throw off detection
It's A Small World is where I made my mistake

With that song stuck in my head
It's a fate worse than death
Prison now sounds like a wonderful place

We rendezvoused in
The Pirate's Of The Caribbean
Where soon after, in came the law

We all jumped from our boats
Splashing around in the moat
And had ourselves a good old fashioned pirate brawl

We soon made our escape
Out of exit door 88
Finding ourselves in Frontier Land at night

Where in the middle of the street
Were Mickey, Donald, and Goofy
All with guns strapped to their sides

We ran into a shop
And bought guns on the spot
All with Mickey's money...he's a mouse of a man

Mickey squeeks we're going to ruff you up
As Goofy holds up the cuffs
And Donald says something we can't understand

We had a shoot out
With cap guns no doubt
After all Disney runs a safe place

Ran out of caps in our guns
Which stopped our lives on the run
The wrath of Mickey we all now would face

After justice's hammer
I'm now back in the slammer
This time I made my own prison bed

Now I cry every day
What more can I say
With It's A Small World still stuck in my head

Slipping and sliding
Back into the past
Foolishly buying
All the foolishness they've said

Stacking me against you
Pitting you against me
Does it hurt to stretch the truth
If the lie is so easy

Keeping us under lock and key
Mental Slavery

Under their thumbs
We're being kept
Simple pawns
In their game of chess

We take them at their word
This herd of talking heads
As we rely on every line
That we're being fed

Keeping us under lock and key
Mental Slavery

With the slightest of resistance
We feel we should fight back
But at our own insistence
It's ambition that we lack

So we follow along the path
Eyes closed to reality
Turning us against each other
Makes it hard to see

Keeping us under lock and key
Mental Slavery

Feared on both land and high seas
Many a tale can be told
Of the pillaging of neighborhoods
Daily setting sail these pirates bold

Days spent digging for buried treasure
Leaving no stones unturned
The pirates ***** was out there somewhere
Blackbeard's gold is what they both yearned

After a day of living reckless
The warm waters would call their name
Where they would do battle in their sailing ships
Perfecting this pirate game

Both of them young brothers
Buccaneers through and through
Wise enough to listen to their mother
When she said get in the tub you two

Yes their high seas are warm bath waters
And their cutlass a mighty scrub brush
As legend would have it in their short years
They are pirates of the tub

This is how you bake a pie
Find some fruit that's really ripe

Measure stuff into a cup
Take a bowl and mix it up

Bake it till it smells real nice
Hopefully just like a pie

Take it out while it is hot
Find the best of cooling spots

Take the pie that you just made
Find a clown and fill his face

Here's a little something to make you feel good
In hopes it brightens up your day
A poem to let you know that you are not alone
Come what will, come what may

Here's a little invite to the morning
To what is now the start of your day
If you could RSVP that we can expect your company
Then we'll be all packed and on our way

Here's a little tune that we can all hum
Laying it out in perfect harmony
Finding what's important in life setting all else aside
Will be the one song that we sing

Here's a little moment to make it happen
The perfect amount of right in our frame of mind
If you find that you are hoping that the good times now are open
Then you my friend again are right on time

So here's a little something to make us feel good
To help send us all along our way
If we all jump into this flow, no telling where it will go
Through out this new bright and wonderful day

People are loopy
People ain't right
Inside of their heads
Out of their minds

People are nutty
Loco coco bean
Imaginary buddies
Putty for brains

People are batty
Fruit loops that fly
Come in different colors
Confetti minds

People are special
They say with a wink
Jumped the train trestle
Over the brink

Pick one or the other
No answer is wrong
It's all the above
When people are off

Now that I've hit the big time
The one thing that I find
Tell you now that I ain't lying
I don't want to grow up

It ain't how they presented it
Too much trouble in the mix
I've had enough to the point of quit
I don't want to grow up

With all the wrinkles on my face
Where there's not an ache there is pain
At times can't remember my own name
I don't want to grow up

No pleasure to be had in this
Add it to the could care less list
I used to hit now all I do is miss
I don't want to grow up

Sure I'm not the only one in the crowd
The only one to find this out
Being nothing like I heard about
I don't want to grow up

Is it too late to change my mind
Come back to this some other time
Could someone help me out of this bind
Cause I don't want to grow up

They've been working on this for years
Inside the government
To try a replace the brain of man
With that of a purple eggplant

This idea to me sounds genius
If you know what it is that I mean
People round here might start making sense
Pass the veggies if you please

They called all the top notched scientists
And vegetarians throughout the land
To see what would be the best variety
In this eggplant transplant experiment

They settled on the aubergine
Great Brittan's joy and pride
When it comes to the perfect eggplant
Those Limey's will not be denied

They were afraid if they went to the private sector
That person would surely be missed
So they grabbed someone unsuspecting
Inside of the government

They told the low level employee
A bit of truth mixed with a little white lie
They needed him for his vast understanding and knowledge
Plus they'd be serving cookies on the side

They added a little something to the cookie dough
That knocked the governmental genius to his knees
Plopped him down on the gurney
...Let the experiment proceed if you please

They cracked his skull wide open
Where upon they couldn't believe their eyes
Right there inside of his cranium
Already an eggplant did reside

I frequent a little taco stand
Every time that I'm out west
With Elvis behind the counter
Dressed in his leathers best

Janice Joplin doing dishes
With Southern Comfort breath
Arguing with fry cook Jim Morrison
Over the best way of cheating death

Jimi Hendrix works the tables
That they have set up out front
Recommending the mushroom taco
With the psychedelic crunch

Marilyn Monroe...the entertainment
Nightly serenades the gents
While wearing here favorite T-shirt
Bobby Kennedy for president

I highly recommend the little taco stand
If you ever find yourself out West
Who's going to show up to take your order that day
Could be anybody's guess

I swear I'm not a stalker
I just wondered where you lived
How you dressed away from work
And on your off hours what you did

I know you think it's crazy
I keep following you around
Dressed  last week as a Dive Instructor
This week as a Circus Clown

I don't want you to get suspicious
And perhaps call up the cops
Last time it was I talked with them
They looked at me as if I were nuts

I enjoy watching you eat dinner
As I count each delicious bite you take
With my face plastered to the window
A little disturbed you haven't introduced me to your date

Let us just continue playing slyly
He looks like the jealous type
He wouldn't understand what it is we have
Anyway pretty soon he'll be out of sight and out of mind

We'll just go about our business
Like on any other day
You do whatever it is you do
I'll follow every step you take

Did I mention I wasn't a stalker?
Just wanna make sure you heard
Cause the last time it is I attempted this
All the Doctors said that I was cured

Seems like a dream
Has over taken us now
Tossed in this turmoil
I'm not quite sure how
We've all become numbers
In this nameless place
Have pity on the whole human race

We've spent years of our future
Trying to run from the past
Relying on memories
That never did last
With so many questions
Who can we ask
Where are the morals that we used to have

Whatever happened to the morals in life
We opened the window
They flew into the night
Can anyone tell me how we'll ever get by
Without the morals that once held us so tight

The fewer the heartbeats
The shorter the time
The deeper the cavern
The harder the climb
The more that we look for
The less that we find
Of the morals that we left behind

Whatever happened to the morals in life
We opened the window
They flew into the night
Can anyone tell me how we'll ever survive
Without the morals that we once had in life

A vicious battle did ensue
Between the Knife, the Fork, and the Spoon
While each felt the job that they do
Was far more important than the other two

The Knife sliced the air with sharpened tongue
I'm the only one to get things done
Who do you turn to, to make the cut
When the plate you're served is way too tough

That's when the Spoon sang its tune
You two ever hear of a thing called soup
Can you please tell me what you would do
If they placed a bowl in front of you

Just then is when the Fork spoke up
Okay you two I've had enough
You know you need me just as much
And to prove him right he said let's do lunch

Coming together they had a great time
The Fork, the Spoon, even the Knife
After all they did they all did find
It's good to have friends to help you along in life

All of the Gnomes from around the globe
Just sneezed their very last sneeze
They've had enough of this allergy stuff
And from the garden they're taking their leave

They packed up their bags,  donned their bonnet's and caps
Left in the cover of night
Said goodbye to the trees along with the birds and the bees
And headed out for the big city life

No one had a clue from which wind the Gnomes blew
It was Wa-La they were suddenly there
From Bankers to Lawyers to Tele-marketer callers
They infiltrated every career

Soon they were drinking like fountains as the bills started mounting
With the pressures of the ride to the top
Pills became an everyday need to stay awake and fall asleep
Not sure when this madness will stop

On top of it all they started to cough from the smog
And wondered which one was the worst
The garden allergies or this black lung disease
Either way the Gnomes felt mankind's curse

So they turned in their suits and their ill gotten loot
And took a trip back to the suberbs
Now in the garden they smile cause they know all the while
Yes...it could be a lot worse

Those that don't believe
Wonder what it is I see

In Jesus

Not unless you hear the call
Will you ever know for sure

Nor believe us

With this crippled soul
I want you all to know

He's not a crutch

But because he is the way
I will follow everyday

Out of love

I was once like you
Thinking that I knew the truth

And didn't need him

Then God stopped me in mid-run
Introduced me to the Son

Now I believe him

It took some time to realize
I was a pawn in Satan's lies

Who would have known

But now that I believe
Jesus is my greatest need

Welcome Home

Life is an adventure
Brand new every day
If you take with you that attitude
As you are on your way
You never know the comes and goes
As you step foot outside
Life is an adventure
Relish the surprise

Life is and adventure
You take at every turn
Where you find around the corner there hides
Lessons to be learned
In every situation
In every give and take
Life is an adventure
You make along the way

Life is an adventure
Pull the curtain to the side
Let the darkness escape or get out of the way
Either or, let in the light
From all that you see to the farthest of reach
You need to make up your mind
Life is an adventure
Let you adventure shine

Why is it the supposedly more tolerant
Are the least tolerant around
Can we no longer speak our own minds
Without someone out there shooting us down

Feel free to speak your opinion
I'm more than willing but never forced to listen
That there my friend is your basic right
A freedom that seems to be missing

Are we not free thinking individuals
Did I miss the memo where that's no longer allowed
Should I just step into the jet stream
And become a part of this mind numbing crowd

I can clearly see that you are not me
Isn't that what it's supposed to be like
It also rings true that I am not you
So can't we just live our lives

It's hard enough standing on your own two feet
That's why at times we might step on some toes
But can't we all just get along
After all we might like the way that it goes

There's a lot of people in denial tonight
With the poison of pride
There's a lot of people not questioning why
Because of the poison of pride
They think that they know
You can't tell them so
They swallow it whole
The poison of pride

There's a lot of people that you can find
With the poison of pride
There's a lot of people in trouble tonight
Because of the poison of pride
They don't really know
It's a cancer that grows
That wont let them go
The poison of pride

There's a lot of people fighting tonight
With the poison of pride
There's a lot of people dying tonight
Because of the poison of pride
Bitter is the taste
Too little too late
When you come face to face
The poison of pride

There's a lot of people with no idea tonight
They have the poison of pride
There's a lot of people lying tonight
Because of the poison of pride
If they ever saw
Pride comes before the fall
And to think they thought they knew it all
The poison of pride

If I were an elephant
I know just what I'd do
I'd pack my trunk with all my junk
And move far from the zoo

I'd bring with me my monkey
Best friend and sidekick Preston
If memory correctly serves me
He's a **** at giving directions

Cause I'd like to move to Timbuktu
Either that or Kathmandu
One thing is clear as long as it's not here
Any old place will do

I'd then open up a doughnut shop
Run by Preston the monkey and me
Where we would toss sprinkles on top
With banana creme in-between

We'd be known far and wide for our doughnut delights
Oh and fancy schmancy eclairs too
Yes if I were an elephant
That's exactly what I would do

Wouldn't you?

I'll have my people call your people
Where they can set something up
Make sure they schedule a meeting
So we can get something done

We'll put our heads together
Brain storming like never before
Working off bold charts and diagrams
That we've drawn up on the board

Calling out for coffee and doughnuts
We could be here all night
Screaming and hashing it over
Till we get this thing  perfectly right

Only one thing I need to know though
That's not exactly clear
Who called this meeting to order
And why are we all here

Grandpa, tell me about the good old days
I want to hear of your younger ways

When there was no T.V. and there were no cars
When at night you looked up and could count the stars

About how you skipped stones across the lake
With no video games to entertain

What's all this about fun being free?
All this old I hear sure is new to me

Did people really sit and talk?
And where they went did they actually walk?

How did you survive without a microwave?
I bet cooking then must have taken days

You say your parents let you just run about
Were they not afraid you would be kidnapped?

And you didn't come home till dinner time?
Grandpa to me that just doesn't seem right

Did Moms and Dads really stay together
like they promised, till death do us part?

Cause they don't do that that much anymore
and it can really mess up some hearts

Did you talk much with your neighbors
even though you lived miles apart?

Cause mine are living right next door
and I don't even know who they are

You say there weren't warning labels on everything
How in the world did you feel safe back then

And without a cell phone in your hand
How did you keep up with all your friends

Grandpa, did you not ever get bored
Chasing down the wind in the great outdoors

And you say you had everything that you could need
All this old I hear sure is new to me

If you must know the truth
There are those just like you
Going through their struggles too

In this you are not alone

In this vast conspiracy
That is life to you and me
Daily knocking to the knees

In this you are not alone

If you find your needing help
With difficulty to work it out
With the cards that you've been dealt

In this you are not alone

Problems that daily confront you
Others have the same ones too
Under the sun there's nothing new

In this you are not alone

You find yourself at the foot of break
More wrongs than rights, mistakes you've made
Where there seems no save in this giveaway

In this you are not alone

You often feel like calling quits
As the world you're in no longer fits
Making no sense in all of it

In this you are not alone

Mark this moment down as truth
No matter what you're going through
You have me beside of you

In this you are not alone