"The Village Rhyme Time"

the village was badly hit
now no time for rhyme
dead lights no longer lit

some windows ajar a bit
most framed against time
weary bodies need to sit

slowly searching for fit
their sad eyes so sublime
sad fishhook wet wit

first found survival kit
reaching too high to climb
suffering the pendulum pit

tired victims living the skit
their feet dance on a dime
hollow boneless hands knit

renewal is a slow drift submit
again rhyme time will be fine
dreamers must always teeth a bit
so they determine never to quit

Clunker

now an old clunker
thats just keeping on
not a surprise lunker
that time is all gone

not wanting to know
about tricky time
old parts are slow
like the old mime

life may not show
when we need to stop
but we need to know
while still on top

it comes down to fun
what we settle for
if we aren't done
no need to keep score

clunkers all wish
to have one final story
and always finish
in a blaze of glory

Mirage

there was no mirage
the desert was empty
it would not give up
thoughts imagine rain
water everywhere
just ahead
layered heat pictures
revealing desperation
sun so hot so hot
it makes a mind mirage
there was nothing
left to imagine
the grains of sand
find the hourglass
the desert drinks the sun
darkness releases a way
in the distance it
thunders and lightnings
the rain is coming
just ahead

The Last Car Ride

the candy still tastes
sweet in my mouth
the first time was best
it is all in the way
you remember it
like it really was
or
like you remember it
it doesn't matter
what matters is
you remember the sweetness
that will go with you
on
the last car ride

Tramps and Gypsies

tramps rode the trains
the new york central railroad
had tracks and a crossing for cars
not far from our house
we could hear the crossing bells
signaling the arrival of a train
I was the youngest of three daughters
growing up in a small ohio farming community
my dad was a car mechanic and walked to work
to save gas during the war
our house on east elm street
was small and painted white
with a big front porch
and just a small roof to cover one person
over the back door
two bedrooms and one bathroom
for our family of five
my dad had a big garden
and my mom hung the wet laundry
on the clothesline in the back yard
she had some sort of wooden pole
she used to prop up the lines
of the clothesline
which I never figured out
she had a cloth bag that hung
on the clothesline
full of wooden clothespins
my two older sisters and I were young
and very impressionable
tramps followed the railroad tracks
and marked houses along the way
that would give them food
we didn't have much
but they always got something
my sisters and I had heard dad tell mom
do not feed the tramps it could be dangerous
and they mark the houses
so they all know who will feed them
the screen door on the back door of our house
was wood framed with a small latch lock
which would be easy to break
in those days it was enough
when the tramps came and they always did
because mom always gave them food
mom made us stand behind the kitchen door
so they could not see us
but we could sneek a peek at them
we were always alittle scared
but we worried more about the fact
that if it happened to be gypsys
at the door and sometimes it was
and they saw us
they would come back steal us
we had been told this and often
saw them in their wagons going aound town
the tramps and gypsies were lucky
to get moms good food
so were we

White night

november 18 1978
james warren jones
a serpent or savior
the peoples temple
still questions unanswered
what happened in Guyanna
what happened
what happened
so many fell dead
murder suicide massacre
men women and children
politics try
the innocent cry
why did we die
gun shots and flavor aid
an agriclutural experiment
gone terribly wrong
unknown remains
as the jungle reclaims
the quiet calls
why

Heartbeat

a heart can only break
so many times
it must ache
to get into these rhymes

wait until tomorrow
to fill empty space
tea leaves steeping sorrow
shining tears on our face

where did love go
did it leave me
didn't it show
did others see

is life so unfair
or is it just me
heartbeats do care
but they are not free

heartache does teach
wake up and learn
within your reach
afraid of a spurn

we choose with fate
heartbeats direction
before its too late
missing perfection

Black and Tan

oh what I would give
for a good black and tan
not foaming too much
or very cold on the hand

just gleaming glistening
waiting for that hand
to reach for each glass
of black and tan

how do they know
when to pour and stop
when its just right
I enjoy every drop

mama said to her child
don't drink any beer
black and tans smiled
sweet sweet mama dear

B.V.I.

a sailor at birth
found in one try
heaven on earth
in the B.V.I

a 37 foot cutter
a joy to sail
there is no other
as the winds prevail

time on your hands
wind for your pace
sun on the sand
tan every place

coming about here
coming about there
sailing far and near
not finding a care

friends for fun
galley good eats
a place in the sun
lifelong sweet treats

Snitch

a snitch is sneeky
trust not one ever
they will be cheeky
handsome and clever

they live in shadows
afraid of bright light
never clear to see
because of the fright

don't trust a snitch
they tattle on all
wanting to be rich
they always fall

look for friends who
are truthful and care
they know what to do
and will be fair

don't dote on due
its just a game
no snitch in you
names aren't to blame

Shrew

Maybe its true
and it might be
you are a shrew
just like me

its been told
causing fright
you like to scold
all through the night

hex the black curse
you ugly old shrew
you could get worse
and come back new

shrews always fail
never succeeding
its a sad tail
love they are needing

Stuffed Shirt

hello stuffed shirt
do you know
what you are
who you are
where you work
where you live
what you do
maybe you are
just alittle overweight
so fat stuffs your shirt
maybe you are a scarecrow
so straw stuffs your shirt
maybe a plastic mannequin
maybe not
maybe you need
to see yourself
everyday in the mirror
poor pathetic stuffed shirt
smug conceited pompus person
inflexible as if you
are already dead
maybe you need
to change your head

"Homecoming girl"

homecoming girl
years on a hunting string
wanting our call to ring
fate delaying your homecoming
finding our love at first sight
time waiting made late right
today old english pointer gypsy
keeps her space around me
full of sweetness so dandy
layering it like cotton candy
rolling it around and alone
on a long narrow white paper life cone
inside the big angel food everyday cake dish
forming a large plume of a sweet candy wish
a carefully folded notion
shining pink strands of her sweet devotion
weaving through my life so neatly
with her easy ways completely
the drum majorette her baton she does twirl
my sweet little sweet homecoming girl

"Saved

we heard the dreaded crash-thump
the two biggest windows in the cabin
line up perfectly across the main room
if you are a bird it looks like
there is nothing to slow down your flight
so you can stand on one porch
and look through the window
and see out the window on the opposite porch
gypsys head went up out of a deep sleep
I jumped out of my chair
it was the worst
a bird was down on the cat porch
and it was feeding time for the 10 cats
who know this and were meandering there to eat
my feet hit the porch in 3 seconds
sure enough a bird was down a female painted bunting
protecting this little bird was going to be tough
so many hungry cats just waiting
I secured my positionn between the cats and the dazed bird
I waited and waited and waited the bird was struggling
I finally decided to put a small box over the bird
and grab some cat food and divert the cats attention
I then removed the box from the bird
and tried to scoop in up with the catfood can
it grabed hold of the edge of the can and we walked away
amazing to see this little lime green bunting
sitting on the edge of a peach can
while I moved it to a safer place
it was trying to recover and I knew it would be safer
out in gypsys area where the cats don't go
I put it down near some cover and kept gypsy in the cabin
I waited awhile and went out to check on it
it was still there and looking much better
I waited and when I moved closer it hopped away
and then flew away saved for another day

"Lost in the Line"

lost in the line
subject to verse
stanzas to find
poets curse

ebb tide moves
holding falling
can't hide
your calling

slanting verbs
lumpy adjectives
woven curbs
a poet gives

dance the dance
quintessential dandy
the keyless chance
inside coated candy

poets keen tell
always lip rhyming
posting so well
clever drift lining

holding on clever
will not succeed
stalwart endeavor
all you need

"Point"

early july morning at the cabin
it is already hot 105 later today
some say a dangerous temperature
we have filled the watering stations
around the cabin in the woods
the biggest one is near gypsys fence
a cottontail has its front feet
over the edge of the tub
and is getting a drink
gypsy sees it and hits a point
for the next few minutes
it was explained to gypsy
why you don't chase a rabbit
that is drinking water
in the midst of one of the longest
hottest droughts in texas history
gypsy tried to understand but
a rabbit is a rabbit
it was too close to her fence
it was showing off
it was asking for it
it winked at her
as soon as it was finished
gypsy broke her point
get the point
of a point

"First Blessing"

first blessing first breath
Gods hands Gods grace
full of goodness
miracle of life
seeing no evil
knowing only love
life given life lived
with Jesus holy spin
win over sin
blessings abound
measured lives
culminating
death whispers
footsteps stop
answered call
last breath
Gods hands
first blessing

"A Good Story"

the morning glories are late this year
our rains have been few and far between
watering doesn't serve them as well
they are now blooming profusely
just outside my writing window
in the beautiful morning sunlight
on Gypsys five foot cedar post fence
the hummingbirds come
one in particular
I wonder if it is the same one
that was here last year
and always stopped and looked in at me
and said hello thanks for the glory
I will think it is
it makes a good story

"Lollipop"

lollipop lollipop
oh lolly lolly lollipop
lollygaging with a lollipop
lollies everywhere
telling the flavors
by the colors
sweetness of life
in hard candy
on a stick
dissolving slowly
in my mouth
creating thoughts
in my head
I want to remember
past times fun times
lollipop times