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6.6k · Sep 2019
Poetic
Neville Johnson Sep 2019
Her face is like a poem
Her heart a willow tree
Bending softly in the moonglow
Beating always for me
She’s the bell in my distance
The hearth at home
With me everywhere
Even when I’m alone
In the desert she is water
She’s the forest and the trees
Everything she is to me
Everything
5.5k · Nov 2016
That Ship Has Sailed
Neville Johnson Nov 2016
That ship has sailed
I'm not on it
Our glorious romance
Now a sad sonnet
Our ship has sailed
We are not in it

We tried, but I won't say we failed
Forever I know I will regale
Myself with the thoughts of time so well-spent
Lost in each other wherever we went

The wind in the willows whispers your name
Whenever I walk down Memory Lane
I see our reflection in the lovers who hold
Their hands tight together
It's soul to soul

That was us, what we used to be
But our ship has sailed to its destiny
The sea of romance, the ocean of sighs
It was good while it lasted
We both realize
4.2k · Mar 2017
NATIVE HISTORY
Neville Johnson Mar 2017
The battlefield was here, where these cattle graze
The cavalry and Comanche fought the better part of a day
Guns against arrows, savages against the savagery, they were out-drawn
Braves against the bullets, so helpless their plight
Defending their land and families
Maybe they were right
Now, it’s just a valley
The way it was back then
The day before that massacre of forty honest Indians
This is their memorial
This bright day above
A view that lasts for miles
The many trees and shrubs
And the wild flowers
That grow between the rocks
Their maidens wore them in their braids
Before their loves were lost.
4.2k · Jan 2019
Word Play
Neville Johnson Jan 2019
Sue Venir loved Hugh Biquitous, but he was unreliable, so she confided this to her friend, Di Namic who confirmed he’d been seen with Penny Farthing and Miss Chevous. Then she ran into Ken Tucky, who’d just broken up with Jen Erator, and was known to hang with Mel N. Choly. Together, they and Dan Ube went to a party thrown by Perry Winkle at the house of Dana Point.

Con Valescence introduced Sue to Marine Layer who asked Mr. Tucky to join the conversation, and they’ve been conversing ever since. Lou Kemia couldn’t make the party as he was ill. This was confirmed by Nick Knack who’d been informed by Conrad Alert.

Penny Saver left early, heading over to the home of I. Stan Bul, who was throwing a celebration in honor of Hazel Nuts and Grant N. Aid, who were to be married by Will Power, though Miss Givings, his former girlfriend, did not approve. Celebrants included Buzz Saw, Ma Larkey, Ben E. Diction, ***** Pack and of course Ann I. Versary, who deemed it worthy of being remembered. Tom Foolery was always good for a laugh, which was appreciated by Art I. Face, Dee Vice and Tess Osterone.

Some chose to dine alfresco, notably Flora Fauna, Heidi **, and Ed U. Cate. Barb Ituate was a downer, though Ma Larkey tried to cheer her up, watched by Cliff Hanger who wanted to see what happened, until a dispute arose between Ana Conda and Ann Ticipation, who’d both been vying for the attention of Billy Goat.

Meanwhile, in another part of town, Terry Dactyl was in a dispute with Billy Club over Lilly White because of something Miss Conception had reported after hearing from that duo, Caesar Salad and Reuben Sandwich.

Junior Mints tried to mollify the situation with sugary statements, but was interrupted by Yuri Nal, who said he had to go, and then left with Jay Walking and they were off to congregate with Diane Tomeetya.

At the next table General Jive held court in a warlike mood,  that Cary Cature tried to lighten.  With them were Tex Arcana, whose accent was amusing to Bill Collector, Al Gorythm, Tim Buktu and Marv E. Lous, who always had a great time wherever he went.

By then, Bobby Pin, the luscious seamstress, had given up on Peter D. Out, after seeing him clowning around with Butch Wax and Slim N. None, all of them malcontents and disrupters.

In walked Daisy Chain, newly arrived  from the Southern Hemisphere, along with Sydney Australia. Klaus Trophobic had initially agreed to travel with the two of them, but said he had to stay at home. Frank O’Phile overhead this and confided to Phil O’Sophically that there is sometimes merit to such position.

The restaurant was owned by Ty ****, managed by Chuck Wagon, with the food delivered by waiters Clay *** and Terry Aki , assisted by busboyTara Misou.

The next morning, everyone gathered at the home of Dawn Patrol, who was there with her new husband, Earnest Money, after divorcing Perry Mutual. Deb Enture was her maid of honor.  Nick O’Time was nearly late to the party, driving in with Stu Debaker, via a shaky Uber driver named Manuel Shifting.

Al Acrity was his usual sunny self, but not when Den O’Thieves interrupted his conversation, which was shut down by Kay O.

Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys were late, having gotten mixed up on the location. Cliff Hanger was worried about the falling stock market, and as a result was getting drunk with Jack Daniels. Stan Dup was his usually assertive self, but was overshadowed by the always munificent Cy Pres.

Claude Hopper was dressed in yesterdays’ styles, but that didn’t matter to Dov Tail who  was going into business with Matt Chabox, known for his incendiary personality. They had two other partners to round the group out, **** Ular and Ben E. Fit.

Gar Gantuan loomed large, and was unstable when paired with Mo Mentum, who said in such situations, they needed to involve Otto Matic.

Terry Cloth was wrapped around Jan U. Ary, ogled by Barbie Queue and Coleman Lantern.
Neville Johnson Mar 2017
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
Neither am I
Bewildered I am at how it turned out this way
Dreams and reality have to coexist
So they say
Unfortunately
That's the truth today

You see me and Casey had a good thing going
We were more than compatible
This was a love incomparable
We held hands, kissed on the street
We were happy, it was neat

This is the part where I get hurt
One day it was over, all in a blur
Something about us not being right
She moved out of the house and into the night

I'm not big on introspection
Now, I've no choice
I'm at the intersection
Of dreams and reality
With love somewhere in the middle
In search of a compass
Pointing to where I need to be
3.5k · Feb 2017
Past Perfect
Neville Johnson Feb 2017
You left me with all these memories
The way you stir your coffee
That eyebrow you would raise
Your quiet confidence
Your understated
Elegant style
Your knowing ways
You had me at hello
And now at goodbye
Always and still you amaze

I'm a better man for loving you
A sadder man for losing you
I'm not going through a phase
Just reminiscing, maybe convincing myself
That I'm gonna be OK

Dreams come in two varieties
Those of tomorrow or the other
For me, for us, there is only the past
Why I dream only of yesterday
I have no choice
It just turned out that way

I can almost touch you at times
But when I try, you turn away
3.1k · Jan 2017
When We Were One
Neville Johnson Jan 2017
Memories of you linger and flicker
Over the sands of the time
In wonder I treasure those times together
When the feeling was sublime
You may be gone but not the thought
Of the love that once we knew
So when I pause to remember
In all candor, the thought of you renews
Good wishes I send — that’s all I can do
To the one in the end who loved me so true
For which I shall ever give thanks
Dearest one, I’ll think of you
At the setting of my sun
For once a upon a time
Love was all we knew
The glory of me and you
In the time when we were one
3.1k · Oct 2018
Job Offers
Neville Johnson Oct 2018
They’re recruiting me
MI6
And the CIA
Land sakes alive
Dual citizenship
No hindrance to me
Helps to have a major in Slavic languages
And an Oxford degree
How they latched on to me
I don’t really know
That Dad worked at
Arlington might have put them in the know
Interesting life choices being offered
Investment banking has its rewards
That’s on the table
I’m inclined to VC
I could have a capital time
Avoid DC and endless bureaucracy
See the world
It’s nice to be wanted
I feel like the girl everyone wants to dance with
I’m still at the prom
I’ll ask my parents
I know they’ll have thoughts
A new secret agent poem
2.4k · Jan 2017
The Wind
Neville Johnson Jan 2017
We could touch the wind
We did so every day
Around the world of love
So it was we sailed
Aloft with inspiration
And plans that we would make
It was everything about her
That made my body shake with exhilaration
Oh, we were the bomb
Riding high with hope
Then one day it was gone

These days when I feel a gust
I often think of her
Such a beauty, what a heart
That ensures and endures
Still a part of me
Always shall it stay
Wherever I go
And whenever the wind does play
2.1k · Oct 2016
The Hurting Heart
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
There are moments I remember
Places I have been, people I have met
And then there is the one
Who captured my heart and never let it go
So long ago, yet still so near to me today
Love as the enigma that forever stays
As life goes on, time stands still
Our fates entwined in a
Lost yet lasting love, consigned
To forever remembering and
Embracing the past
Forever together
Forever apart
Never to be reconciled
The hurting heart
Moving on
Still looking back
Caught between yesterday and tomorrow
With today in the way
Yes, I wonder what would have happened
But I know I'll never know
And if I did, I would not say
1.8k · Nov 2016
The Refugee
Neville Johnson Nov 2016
I was born into this
I had no choice
I love my war-torn country
It is, er, was my home
But I'm a refugee, along with 5 million others
And you, the world, don't want us?
Like you own the earth God put us on?
We're all entitled to food and shelter
I will work to the bone
Be a good citizen
Bombs and bullets have driven me from my home
I just want peace
To get a good night's sleep
To get out of this tent
To have a hot meal
To reunite my family
To live
Simply to live
To find the love in this world.
1.8k · Aug 2018
13
Neville Johnson Aug 2018
13
Confident sassy and brave
All of 13, on her way
Chasing a boy she thought she could love
She’s coyly flirting
Civilizing him
As only the fairer *** can do

They’re innocents
Pulled by that mysterious force
It usually starts around this age
Of course, there are missteps
Guffaws along the way

Romance at any age
Exciting, enticing
So inviting
Young emotions
Are volatile, fragile
Compelling
Dangerous
Wholesome
Sometimes puppy love
Turns into real love
1.7k · Sep 2016
Extreme Poetry
Neville Johnson Sep 2016
Extreme Poetry
Fights, fumes, resists, entices, twists, endures, seduces
Rhymes at times
Or so rarely you want it to explode, implode
Or just mellow out
But you don't stop reading
Unless it bores
Or you're just too tired
Ditties and sonnets
And ABAB and the like are all very well
But real men and women go for
The rough and tumble of truly free verse
Where words are the masonry
Spitting at you in spurts
Confounding, astounding
Welcome to consternation nation
Where assonance bucks up against alliteration
And the inevitable invasion of syllables and vowels
A perverse form of Password that traipses over diction when it wants
Because there are no rules in Extreme Poetry
Having fun with poetry!
1.7k · Aug 2018
The Solo Buckaroo
Neville Johnson Aug 2018
I’m on my way to San Antone
Gonna cowboy up
There’s a filly there I need to see
Sure enough, we’ll build a fire
Take in the Alamo
Then we’ll dance at The Wagon Wheel
The best *****-tonk I know
I’ll be on my best behave
The whole weekend through
I met her through Cowboy Date
The internet is cool
This solo buckaroo
Don’t intend to be single for long
This is our fourth rendezvous
I’m not usually wrong
I got a new Stetson hat
Took my spurs off
There’s a spring in my gait
I look like George Strait
In my fresh-pressed cowboy shirt
I even got some cologne on
Now, that’s a first
I could go on and on
I told my Mom she’s the one
I’ll tell my gal tonight
We’ll ride off into the sunset together
Assuming everything goes all right
1.6k · Jun 2017
We Were Meant to Be
Neville Johnson Jun 2017
I'm happy, as much as a fella can be
Happy, really happy
Happy to be with you, in your arms
Where I should and need to be
You're laughing at me
Who loves you so
We got each other, all we'll ever need
In the moment, so are we
So alive
In harmony

I glance at you
Can't help myself
Is this the best?
I know it's so
Life is good
A warm wind blows
You smile right back
We sure are close

I'm happy, happy, happy me
All for you
My sweet pea
I suppose, indeed I know
We were meant to be
1.6k · Sep 2016
Big Business on Parade
Neville Johnson Sep 2016
It's one after another
Big business on parade
Groveling before Congress about all the loot they made
Millions upon millions on the backs of you and me
Hurting all of us, not just metaphorically

Then there is Congress, passing laws for the rich
And the mighty corporations, how I wish
We had in real life, Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith

At least Elizabeth Warren is out there kicking ***
And thank God, we've still got a free press
Exposing the dishonesty, e.g. arbitration is very bad
And old Bernie sure raised a ruckus, it's not over yet

Still, I have hope, I love the USA
So full of character and characters
What did that candidate say?
Vote your conscience (and your intellect) come Election Day
We the people will finally get to play
Oh yeah, and for real, God bless each of you today.
1.5k · Apr 2019
Dream Vacation
Neville Johnson Apr 2019
Dream vacation
Meant to be
This isn’t no dream
But reality
Fun and suds
Surf and sand
Me and the babe
Holding hands
Sun and mirth
Mai Tais and beer
Living the dream
Me and her
We disappear
Into the sunset
Into the night
So jocular
We never fight
Rather we smooch
Hold each other tight
On this dream vacation
Doin’ just right
1.5k · Dec 2018
Ready to Fly
Neville Johnson Dec 2018
I’ve waited so long for this day
Got to hurry, load the sleigh
Tonight we shall ride
Mrs. Claus by my side
Up to the sky, with hot cocoa to assist
So many children asleep in their beds
Waiting for morning to be surprised
With all sorts of goodies
I’ve spent the year working inside
Santa’s Workshop
See the elves wave goodbye
The reindeer are itching now to fly
So away we go, oh what a sight
Christmas is here
To all a good night
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
OK, I get it, you still think of me
But we're not gonna connect
It's too messy
Two old soldiers of love
Who are still looking back
But our lives have moved on
So why the heck should we talk?
We're not gonna be together again
No way, we both see no future
In regards to our past
Just warm memories that forever will last

Life, love and war are not fair
You just grin and bear it
You take it from there
Make the best of today
Ruminate, reminisce
But when it's over, it's over
It's the goodbye kiss

I think of you often
I know you know
You think of me too
We sure we're close
So in my thoughts you will always be
But the way it was will never again be
1.2k · May 2017
THE DUDE AT THE RANCH
Neville Johnson May 2017
I got lots of stories
This is my best to tell
I’m a cowpoke by trade
Wrangling at the Triple L
Which is the prime dude ranch
In all these parts so swell
Where the land is filled with plenty
And big trees are sometimes felled

I lead the trail rides
I am here to please
If you like Mother Nature
You’ll never want to leave
One day there came this flower
By the name of Mary Ann
Here from Minnesota after a time in Japan

I was such a shy one
I know horses but not girls
She had to make the first move
When she did, my flag unfurled
Thus began the romance
That is still here today
Mom and Dad left me the Triple L
Now there’s Mary Ann and the babies
You know where this will end
Sometimes it starts and ends at home
I was searching for my first love
She showed up all alone
Together we are altogether
Happy as can be
And this is my favorite one ---
Hope you like this story
1.1k · Oct 2016
Three Day Weekend
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
It's not debatable
We are meant to be
Indestructible
Talking you and me
Two peas in our pod
Grooving home alone
No, no, no don't you touch that telephone

After nuzzling comes the cuddling
I like you next to me
So glad you like the dark chocolate
Here's the milk with honey
Let's binge watch our new fave
You're all the company I could ever want
Thanks for loving me

We've battened up the hatches
The rain ain't coming in
We're in this for the long haul
Three day weekends are just right,
To hang out with my baby doll
Morning, noon and night.
1.0k · Jun 2017
It's Nobody's Fault But Hers
Neville Johnson Jun 2017
I'm so very lonely
It's nobody's fault but hers
I wish there was someone else to blame
But no, I'm cursed
Looking back, looking down
Nothing I can do
She got me good
It's all bad
That's what's so very new

Should I have taken the chance on love?
Of course, there's no other way
And so of course I leapt
With all my courage into the fray
At first, it was OK
She seemed to like my quips
The bike rides along the bay
The bluebonnets I would bring her
Our life was a bouquet
An aphrodisiac
Up until that day
She pulled me aside
Then held my hand
Said it had been nice
But she was on her way

It was good while it lasted
But for now I'm just blasted
Blown into smithereens
My hopes are dashed
I'm afraid I've crashed
Yes, I'm squeezed with no ego
Everything's so-so
Down with a no-go
Ever since her say-so
Coming apart at the seams

And it's nobody's fault but hers
Neville Johnson Mar 2017
We will always have this bond of love and pain
Though you can never really see into the heart of another
I shall always remain your loved one
Even though I am not the one
When I see your photograph, I weep
A cri de coeur of loneliness
Sentimental me
Remembering the scent of you and
The plans we made for vacations together
For having a secret wedding
You're off on your great adventure
I'm off-center, off by myself
Jacqueline Kennedy had a romance with Harold Ormsby Gore. His heirs just auctioned her letters to him. I was inspired to write this from his perspective after reading about them. She went on, of course, to marry Aristotle Onassis.
1.0k · Aug 2018
Paris in the Rain
Neville Johnson Aug 2018
Paris in the rain
Our tete a tete
That rendezvous
Just me and you
Our date with fate
A melody to remember
So melancholy
Paris in the rain
Just you and me

Just you and me
I thought we would be
The answer to what is love
Your kiss made me tremble
As we did assemble
Memory upon memory
Smitten by the kitten
How we did glisten
Wearing tears of joy

Now when it rains
To myself I explain
That love is a mystery
Sometimes there’s a solution
Sometimes just confusion
As for you and me
I remember our rain
Our Paris walk
Our Paris talks
And what was not meant to be
999 · Oct 2016
Supermodel
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
Men stop in their tracks when they see me
Become tongue-tied, try but cannot speak
We supermodels are paid for our looks, and very handsomely
They see me at an airport, make an approach,
Chat me up, stilted conversation ensues
Oh well, confidentially, I don't mind as I'm just killing time, on my way to the next shoot in Ibiza, then Italy.

Vanisa is the name; I made it up, keeps me sane
Running down the highway of fashion
In the body that is mine
I cannot help if I was born this way
Sublime, the money I make but, look,
It's not that great to hold a bottle of perfume
Or pretend to eat steak

But, Oh, the attention from the men who cross my path
They dream of me, they say, that's a laugh
If they only knew what a B I can be, they'd think twice about
Their fantasy

Look, I'm a nice person, got a family back home
Minnesota is my hideout from the mishigas I've known
And I read books, really I do
Want to talk politics? That would be cool

Here comes another candidate
Lets see what he has to say
Yes I was on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Yay, he says, then comes his big smile
It's so nice everyone loves me
Makes it all worthwhile.
988 · Oct 2017
His Lonesome Cry
Neville Johnson Oct 2017
He will never get over losing her
Why should he?
She was the best that ever happened to him
He was free back then
The world on a string
With hope and clarity
But it all came crashing down
Take a look
No more fancy-free
He remembers the passion
Her knowing looks
The bonhomie
He's not the same old guy
He lost a piece of his heart
She's not coming back
It's misery

Here is the photo he took of her
It's a study to delight
That winsome smile
The sparkling eyes
Taken when things were right
He's frozen for a moment
Reveling in that time
But memories only go so far
Love can be unkind

He won't get over her
His love will never die
The best is in the past
Hear his lonesome cry
965 · Aug 2018
The Saga of Michael Morton
Neville Johnson Aug 2018
Michael Morton is his name
He was wrongfully convicted
For the ****** of his wife
25 years in prison, he did
You don’t want to imagine that life
An innocent man
In a horrible land
Christ, it’s so terrible

DNA rescued Michael
And fine lawyers who believed in his innocence

Turns out the prosecutor, Anderson, was corrupt
For sure
He withheld material evidence that would have eliminated
Our hero — for he is one — as the perpetrator
That’s the real crime

There is more
Anderson was so out of line that it cost him his job as a judge
And he lost his law license
And he went to jail
For ten days
First time in American history a prosecutor went to jail for misconduct

There is more
Michael found the Lord in prison
Which greatly helped him so
On his release he found a church
Invited to speak about his experience
He told those assembled if they wanted to know what prison was like
They had to ask him out for coffee
So Cynthia did
It went well
They talked and talked
There were many dates
They are now married

Michael reconciled with his son, Eric
Who was three when his mother was killed
And thereafter wrongly believed it had been by Michael’s hand

The real murderer was convicted and went to prison

They passed a law in Texas to ensure this travesty would not happen to another
It’s named the Michael Morton Law

They are going to make a movie about these facts

Count your blessings

The foregoing is a true story
962 · Oct 2018
Real Acting
Neville Johnson Oct 2018
We’re all actors on a stage
I do it for real
I learn my lines
Wear costumes
Pretend it is real life
But sometimes something happens
When one cannot conceal
The emotions being displayed
Are truly, really real
Ask Jenny, she played my female lead
We didn’t write the lines
But what they meant to her and me
Grew with each performance
As if meant to be
With every encore as we bowed
Electric chemistry
That play had a long run
So have we
You see, we got married
Happily
These days we write our own lines
There’s a joyful family
Wait for our Christmas card
Then you’ll see
943 · Aug 2017
Untogether
Neville Johnson Aug 2017
Seeing you gives me shivers
I despair, seeing you with another
I just want to disappear
For I still love you
And I blew it
There's nothing I can do
I'm the king of sorrow
The ****** fool

But I don't say these words
I pretend I'm doing fine
We chat about our lives
I make a little smile
Then I ride off on my bike
Then comes a little tear
I'm not fooling myself
I miss you
And that means everywhere

I can only blame myself
It's too late to make us right
There's a whole conversation going on in my head
I've no more fight
Just resignation at this resolution
Some lucky dog has won your heart and soul
I get a glimpse of your happiness
It takes my all to stay in control

I've lost you, but I can't wait to see you
To wallow, however briefly, in your charms
Knowing I will never again taste your lips
Or have you in my arms

It's a sad situation
As bad as it can get
I still love you
But us you can forget
906 · Sep 2017
If It Was Up to Me
Neville Johnson Sep 2017
If it was up to me, I'd forget you
I need to let you go
After that painstaking hello in the bookstore
After our awkward stares
My first real love
My first real heartbreak
I thought I couldn't live without you
Turns out I couldn't live with you
Perfectly flawed, you are
But I can't say that to you
Because we don't talk anymore
One-sided love is never enough
Certainly not for us
I have a folder of your love letters
I can't bear to throw them away
We once kissed underwater
I'll always remember that
I don't resent or regret our relationship
I learned a lot
We loved a lot
Being together is almost always
Better than being alone
I'm home alone with you
If it was up to me, I'd forget you
895 · Nov 2017
Wooden's Wife
Neville Johnson Nov 2017
It’s my only chance to see her
I’m not afraid to die, then go to heaven
I was with her for 56 years
She’s been gone a dozen years
I miss my wife, dear Nell
She was my best friend
She still is, I know she
Watches over me, understand
We had a bond so strong
We didn’t need to talk
We sure got along
If only she hadn’t smoked
We both lost to that
If only, it left me lonely
We had such a blast
Just living day to day
One fun family
Me and her, just me and her
That’s all we did need
So, no, I’m not afraid to die
For when that someday comes
I’ll rejoin her in a peaceful place
And be with my darling one
I wrote the authorized biography of legendary UCLA basketball coach, John Wooden. He once said this; now he is gone. This is an homage to him and his wife, Nell, in verse
885 · Oct 2016
The Love of My Life
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
The love of my life
The life of my love
Precious beyond compare
Pastel colors are we
That cross each other and run together
That rub against each other
Running towards a common destination
That mountain we climb
On a road that winds
Breathtaking curves lie ahead
And through it all we remain steadfast
By our promises we are led
884 · Aug 2017
Jesus Forgives
Neville Johnson Aug 2017
Jesus forgives
I should too
But I can't right now
Not after what you did
I reckon you used me
Didn't tell me about that Australian dude
Hope you had fun in the Philippines
While I was dreaming of you
Staying celibate
Waiting for you
Yes, Jesus forgives
I should too
Jesus forgives
But he didn't date you

We had a rendezvous with destiny
Or so I thought
We had some very good times
We laughed and talked and made plans
So convinced I was, I bought into you
The beautiful us that never was
That one now I cuss

Bitter, sure, with every right to be
You can't handle the truth
Evidently, which is why I wrote this song
Maybe you'll hear it and admit you were wrong

Anger I feel, mostly hurt
It's been a long time
But hurt is hurt
Hurt I was, hurt I still feel
I still can't forgive
I feel what I feel

Jesus forgives
I should too
Jesus forgives
But he didn't date you
877 · Oct 2016
In Ancient Kingdoms
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
I suppose in ancient kingdoms there were broken hearts
I wonder what they did back then when two hearts broke apart
How did they survive? What did they do?
I bet it's been the same through time
For more than just a few

The only solution to a broken heart
Is to to start over again
Find another
That's what they must have done back then
From the rulers to the paupers
Who tried to win at love
But were blocked along the way
They must have just carried on
What to themselves did they say?
"Gee, this is pretty tough?"
Or did they pick themselves up,
Brush off the dust, buck up?
874 · Nov 2016
Leonard Cohen
Neville Johnson Nov 2016
The hat he wore with ease
Indoors and onstage
The raspy baritone, the sage
The jeweler with words
That sparkled in our minds
The smiling cynic
The optimist at times
Brave, uncompromising
Knowing it would soon end
We wanted it darker
He knew we did
So he gave it to us straight
Our rhyming friend

I've been to Hydra
Stood outside his home
It's a simple place
Where cars do not roam
I breathed the same air
Marveled at the deep blue sea
I was drawn there by his spirit
By his poetry
And now he's gone
We shall carry on today
We have to
He would have wanted it this way

And we will surely miss him
For us, he does pray.
852 · Nov 2016
KRINGLE
Neville Johnson Nov 2016
The name is Kringle
But so few know
When I'm working I use my other name
Where I almost glow in the dark
Such joy I spread
But I've never let it go to my head
I work year round except the the first two weeks of the New Year
I'm exhausted from the deliveries
Amazon, have no fear
But I'll keep it up, been doing it so long
Christmas would not be Christmas without me rolling along
I need to clear something up, that false story
I never kissed any mommy; got Mrs. Santa to satisfy me
To surprise me with presents on Christmas Day
After the reindeer are settled
We have schnapps and then we play.
'Tis the season
849 · Dec 2016
Cowboy Love
Neville Johnson Dec 2016
Being divorced is not very much fun
Two kids, no dad, life on the run
A king-size bed with two pillows
But she’s sleeping alone

On a whim she headed East to the West
The Cowboy convention in Tucson
With her new boots and hat
And old friend Laura Lee, wearing a vest

This Hollywood screenwriter has seen them all
Jive city slickers with cell phones and new cars
It had been so long since she’d really been kissed
Her love life needed a punch, it could not make a fist

Samuel Dawson was born on and still lived on the ranch
He rode fence, chased cattle, is one studley man
With a soft streak as demonstrated by his craft
He works wonders with leather, why it was art

He too was lonely, this singular man
He’d cleaned himself up since his wife went and made other plans
For he had deserved it, so he sat hoping to sell
Wishing he’d find that artesian well

Stop the action, let me set the stage
There he sits at his craftsman’s booth
Underneath the canopy in the hot afternoon sun
Here comes Rebecca meandering along
She lingers and fingers his feathered and leathered strands
He smiles and she notes his mustache and tan
They talk, she will not turn away
Laura Lee shouts, “Let’s get on the way.”

This is where the story begins
One cowboy love that has no end
She’s still a writer on fine TV shows
Sam is the wrangler, whom everyone knows
Loves a lady who fancies parasols
On hot Summer days, who now rides a horse
Who no longer leads a half-finished life
Where western handicraft is everywhere in sight
And their love is on course

Some don’t understand, some don’t want to know
But bridges are built wherever you go
Even on land with no river in sight
When a cowboy finds love he succumbs without fight

The ranch is now located in Southern Cal
The fence he mends is picket, see for yourself
For I know them, and please call me Sam
She’ll be home in a few, I’m her lover man.
From my cowboy poems.
836 · Feb 2019
Bumble Report
Neville Johnson Feb 2019
Male fraud
That’s what she called him
After that good start, she thought
Lean and handsome
Hair down to his jaw
Coulda been a model, she reckoned
That he split the check on the first date
Shoulda been a sign
Then the kiss that didn’t come
She was blind
To the narcissist he is
23 dates in three years
Still, she soldiers on
Bumbling through life
She thinks she’s gone through every bachelor
This city has to offer
There’s got to be more
Dating’s a long, arduous chore
The next candidate has a nice pedigree
Ivy League, cool job in the Industry
A production exec who green-lights rom coms
He seemed nice on the phone
The date is on
I’ll report back
Tomorrow at dawn
822 · Oct 2016
Anniversary
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
I am on my way home to celebrate
Ten years of pure happiness
I can hardly wait to see the one who loves me so
We really relate
She makes my life worth living
Let me bring you up to date
We met some years ago
Happenstance
Combined with serendipity
Led to romance
Such comfortable ease
The years have spun by
We're having so good a time
Next thing you know another year is gone
Isn't it divine?
It's down to you and me
Middle-aged kids living a dream
Another anniversary is here
We are in love
Everything is fine.
Neville Johnson Oct 2016
You mean everything to me
Today and every day
You make me a better person
For your way is one of honesty
Built upon a foundation of love
You are just so very special
And therefore because of this
I declare today that you can do whatever you wish
As well as tomorrow
And the day after that
Indeed forever
You're the wife, friend and lover par excellence
So this is my gift to you:
I shall endeavor to be better in each and every way
My goal is to make you happy
To share these golden days
To make each day a special one for you
As if it is your birthday
My dear wife gets this today.
719 · Aug 2017
The Wedding Photographer
Neville Johnson Aug 2017
OK, I photograph weddings at City Hall
Done thousands, pays the bills in so many ways
The smiles are so genuine
It's a happy place

I got all kinds of rates for your pocketbook
Hey, you gotta have at least one picture for the memory book
But how about the one I didn't take?
That was the one on my wedding day

She was sitting on a bench at the Marriage Bureau
I asked her if she needed a picture on that special day
She replied, "I'm not getting married, no way"
I gave her my card, just in case

This is a true story, I kid you not
We got together, we tied the knot
Thus, this is a holy place
Holy moley, wholly great
Where true love congregates every day
Just ask me, you know what I'll say
707 · Sep 2017
Spy Life
Neville Johnson Sep 2017
Patience, the most important aspect of spying
They teach that a lot
Some are born with it
Can't be bought
Me, well I've gotten better after all these years
I try to have a book I can read
For it's boredom I fear

Hey, you get to see the world
I've been all around
Got stuck in Southeast Asia
Myanmar still astounds
A culture in contrast
So rich and poor
When it comes to human rights
The world doesn't understand

So here I am in Timbuktu
I'm talking literally
This is the life I have chosen
It works fine for me
My spouse comes along
To help me deal with the insanity
Such as finding good drinking water
Poor pitiful her and me

Aw, but we love it
This life in espionage
I help to save the world
The frequent flyer miles are large
One of my many spy poems
703 · Apr 2017
Here Comes the Weekend
Neville Johnson Apr 2017
Here comes the weekend
I’m the lucky one
Off with my baby, talking fun
Bathing in her beauty and in the sun
Walking on the sand
All without a care
Of course, you understand
What it’s like to be in love
To know that it is true
Here comes the weekend
And the skies are blue

There is no other
Nor could there ever be
Just take one look at her
You know what I mean
More than picture perfect
So delicious a treat
Yeah, and that’s not all
She’s more than very sweet

All in all we’re perfect mates
On the good ship Happy Heart
Aye aye we sail away on mighty clouds of joy
Here comes the weekend
Which we will certainly enjoy
695 · Jan 2023
All in All
Neville Johnson Jan 2023
Love is real
Love is all
Effortless cool
She’s got it all
All for me
All for us
All in all
675 · Nov 2021
Fifteen Reasons
Neville Johnson Nov 2021
I just gotta know you, baby
You will like me
Here are 15 reasons
First, I live and breathe for you
Next, I'm fun to date
If you like to laugh,
Just hang with me
I got a real job, I'm an MD, I'll bring that bacon home
And yes I saw you win on Jeopardy
Go ahead and quiz me
I can cook a meal so tasty
You'll demand them regularly
Oh, and I can kiss real good,
Go ahead, try me
I'm very considerate, dress elegantly
Of course, am trustworthy
Have my pilot's license
Am toned, touch my arm, now squeeze
People say I'm handsome
I'm kind to the elderly
But most of all I love you
That I already know
Give me a chance, my dear
Give me the say so

(Based on a true story)
674 · Sep 2016
The Tears Have Dried
Neville Johnson Sep 2016
The tears dried long ago
We've both moved on
Isn't that so?
Lives intertwined
Together but apart
The love never could
Or would leave the heart

No good looking back
What can never be
You just go on
Struggling to see
What's over the rainbow
Thankful for the past
You just go on
Much of it chance

There is no end
No permanent goodbye
You do your best
Maybe tremble and sigh
We both have moved on
The tears have dried
669 · Aug 2019
On the Train
Neville Johnson Aug 2019
On the train Trevor couldn’t help but notice
Miriam’s eyes, the perfect shade of green
He didn’t have much time to make his move
So he wrote on his card
That she was the prettiest he’d ever seen
After she got off, she looked him up
He was a happening guy
So she emailed him that he wasn’t the first
To give her a card on the train
But he was the one who made her smile the most
So she explained
They dated of course then came the day
They had to take the train
In the car, as they moved along, an a cappella group began to to sing
“I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,” the refrain
Trevor then dropped to one knee
Now she carries his name
619 · Mar 2019
Cozy
Neville Johnson Mar 2019
Cozy, I want cozy
Cozy all the time
Cozy, warm and cozy
Cozy on my mind
Blankets  are a great help
Hot chocolate and tea
A good movie on the telly
Hugs from my baby with me
Sunday mornings with the NYT
Breakfast in bed
Crispy bacon does please
Lolling about
Welcoming the sun
A warm long bath
Epsom salts are pretty fun
Yes, cozy
Cozy all the time
I live for cozy
Cozy on my mind
618 · Aug 2018
The Beauty
Neville Johnson Aug 2018
Is it possible to be too beautiful, she wondered
After the effect she had on men?
Did they love her for who she was
Or her looks which took them aback?

A dilemma real
She was born that way
One with a true heart

Beauty is a flickering candle
An evanescent light
Occasionally a hindrance
But usually it turns out right
Yes, she’s a high paid model
But graduated with honors
Her degree in business
She’s paid fashionably
With covers on Elle and Vogue
Deserved, you’ll agree

She concentrates now on finding her man
To having kids, a must be
Some very fine candidates are pursuing her
She plays wait and see
For one will rise above the rest
She will then commit
To a love so beautiful
Never to quit
608 · Dec 2016
Affection in My Direction
Neville Johnson Dec 2016
She loves me
She tells me every day
With everything she does
With every kiss I taste
She loves me
Especially when I give her love me nots
She's got attitude
It never stops

Affection in my direction
The perfect remedy
For all that ever ails me
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