City

City lights blink,
Chill of the evening,
People going somewhere,
Others without a care.

Contemplate a problem,
Listen a fair share,
We aren't much different,
Questions everywhere.

A moment to sit back,
Glasses half full,
Red glow of heat,
Comradery. 

Sleeping

Cries in the night,
Had a bad dream,
Why did you leave me?
Can't you see the weeping?

Scoot over for me,
Make a kid some room,
Hold but not too close,
Forgive the flailing.

Feeling better now,
Slept so soundly,
Whats the matter daddy?
Why haven't you been sleeping?

Sway

Frustrated fancies,
Plans to tatter,
Pushed at the wall,
They don't shatter.

Many a star in the sky,
Dancing in their course,
Hard as I try,
Not around you or I.

Sipping at the coffee,
So much for scheming,
Tried to bend the time,
The world still holds sway.

Prick

Self righteous quip,
What a trick,
None acquit,
Home of the nit!

We aren't dead,
All carry lead,
So many in the red,
Common path tread.

Conscience to prick,
Food to the wit,
Truth to be writ,
Pride of the twit!

Tokens

Four hundred days,
Three hundred too many,
Tokens of life,
Stolen for gold.

Only so many,
No account too large,
Tossed in a pool,
Lost to the dark.

Some for you,
To others impart,
How do we spend?
Dwell well on the art.

Indolence

Poverty or wealth?
The choice seems clear,
For one the bitter cold,
The other little fear.

Yet wisdom on the table,
Intelligence be bartered,
Soundness of mind,
Let not be altered.

I'd rather the road,
Discernment remain,
To gilded chambers,
Upon indolence be laid.

The Shelf

Echoes in the hallway,
Dancing memories,
Shadows on the wall,
The years have passed.

Too young to regret,
Old enough to know,
How dim the respect,
Time that has flown.

Reflection for tomorrow,
Joy in the moment,
Chapters carried with me,
Volumes to put on the shelf.

Reality

A dream on hold,
Not so bad at times,
Growing up,
The hardest part of life.

Some say just survive,
More than that to do,
Living is giving at times,
The years speak it true.

A change of course advised,
Sometime a different berth,
Shelter from a storm,
The grim of reality.

Blame Game

The blame game,
The name game,
Oh what are we to do?

For shame ma'am,
What a sham man,
Such a simple thing to use.

Take it in stride now,
Give a little wow pal,
Time to own up to what we do!

A Toast

Every now and then a friend,
In the darkest mood it tends,
A word or three,
Sincerity to believe.

Just another hope,
A chance to give us scope,
Harsh on the fool,
The wise will think it cool.

Kindest suggestions,
Modest corrections,
Those we trust the most,
To the brave, a toast!

Good Behavior

Never thought it much,
This call to good behavior,
Why make it such a crutch?
We didn't learn it from strangers!

To each their due,
Respect is mutual,
No crying at the door,
A simple plead for more.

A man is shown,
A woman too,
More or less by what they do,
From the heart it's true.

Pen and Page

Flight of the keys,

A soft tapping in time,

Jotting down the reasons,

Putting in the rhyme.

An adjective placed,

Pictures set,

Just an explanation,

Directions meant.

Craft of the artist,

No little the waste,

Toss the idea or keep it,

The pen and the page.

Fancies

Aspirations delayed,
Never say nay,
A time will come,
Dreams can stay young.

Just a choice here and there,
A life decided at a stroke,
No regrets here to tell,
Find the joy, not the joke!

Happiness in the heart,
At home from the start,
Fancies come and go,
Contentment, few will know.

Lost

Tingle on the tongue,
Right near the edge,
Gut check pause,
Close but nothing.

Rare flash in the dark,
An idea floated past,
Thought I had it there,
Saw it for what it was.

Wish I had,
There we were,
Should have said it,
Lost in the moment.

Cheer

Some traditions old and dear,
Things to hold us through the year,
More often so soon forgot,
Mom and dad gave a lot.

Christmas time again,
Pull out the old and new,
A star for hope a ball for wonder,
These sacred treasures given to another.

Cup of coco by the fire,
Songs and stories told,
Thankful for just one more year,
Take a moment to spread the cheer.

Twelve

Take a dream,
Dare the odds,
Walking is moving,
Fear, atrophy.

Just once around the corner,
Streets quickly pass,
When this way again?
Maybe never.

Time is water spent,
Drizzle between the fingers,
Don't regret the hours lost,
When strikes twelve?

Kisses

Baby kisses,

Hope for tomorrow,

Sweetest laugh,

Breaks the walls.

Just an hour or two,

A glimpse in the morning,

Just a book or three,

Time for bed my love.

I pray you grow strong,

Life will be rough,

Defend the small ones,

Show them you’re tough.

Cold

“Any money babe?”

Nowhere to go,

Twenty-four hours,

Nothing to do.

Cold pavement,

Bricks too,

Ride the train tonight,

Catch a wink or two.

Trees thick here,

Soft dirt beneath,

Close the eyes awhile,

Chill

Roads long,

Blanket the darkness,

Faded paint,

Watch the markers.

Chill,

A light ahead,

Soft radio,

Nothing on.

Figures in the wind,

Laugh and point,

Strap yourself in,

Bumpy ride.

Tedium

Tedium rolls,

Ever the mind reels,

Backwater of the mind,

A window.

Heart beats the seconds,

Quarter inch beneath the feet,

Brass handles mirror,

Waiting.

Feet all a motion,

Coats going there,

Smoke trailing upward,

“Have a dollar?”