He never thought he’d be an American hero
He was just an average guy,
It wasn’t in his plan to join, to fight, to die.
But duty called and rallied him
To leave it all behind, his job, his wife, his family life.
He traveled towards the sun
In the early years of the war
When the fighting had just begun.

His tour of duty passed slowly.
He learned war is ugly.
He saw things he couldn’t ever imagine.
He had stories that one day would need to be told.
He dreamed through the months
of the day he would go home.
To the country and family he loved
Is where his mind would most often roam.

Our soldier learned quickly
That it wasn’t what he thought it would be,
Fighting with the 172nd Mountain Infantry
And living by its motto, 'Ascend To Victory'.

Steadfast friends were made, forged on the battlefield during their tour;
A 'Band of Brothers' that can only be made in war.
He fought by their side each and every day
And watched many get injured and several 'blown away'.
A soldier’s plight is to fight, not to question why.
Why some who fought with him, had to fall and die.
His angst was more than anybody would ever know,
With each and every death, it took one more piece of his soul.
 
It was a split-second decision, made without hesitation,
To put himself in harm’s way, and save the life of his friend.
In an instant his death made him a hero and his wife a widow.
She can do nothing but cry, as she tries to make sense of it all.
Left with a child alone, every night she falls into bed,
Pulls the covers over her head and dreams that her hero has come home.
But when she wakes, crying a tear, she finds herself still alone.
 
Our American Heroes, we have a duty to them all.
Freedom has a dreadful price.
We can’t let them be vanquished into the darkness of the night.
Let us always remember them, and by them do what is right.

It’s understood
You don’t feel good
I’ve seen it in your eyes
I’ve heard your alibis
And I fully understand
I’m part of the problem
Because I’m your loving man

I’m not leaving
That’s not what I do
I’ll stand here solid as a tree
Because leaving you
Is for a lesser man than me

It hasn’t been a very good year
For me as well
To be honest with you
It’s been a living hell
My job I now know
That’s where I am going to stay
I’ll never be a big shot
I’ll never lead the way
I’ll just be one of those
Who fell between the cracks
Fell between the holes
Sometimes I just want to go away
In fact I think about it each and every day

But I’m not leaving
That’s not what I do
I’ll stand here solid as a tree
Because leaving my job and you
Is for a lesser man than me

To be truthful
The years have worn me thin
I’ve been knocked down a hundred times
But managed to get up again
My body has been bruised
And my mind is frail
Sometimes I feel I don’t have a clue
But I’ve run life’s hard roads
And stuck on them like glue

But I’m not leaving
That’s not what I do
I’ll stand here solid as a tree
Because leaving everything in my life behind
Is for a lesser man than me
 
I’m not leaving
That’s not what I do
I’ll stand here solid as a tree
Because leaving you
And not loving you
Is for a lesser man than me

I wish to find the magic in everything I see,
concoct it into one small morsel,
and bring it back home with me
to give to you as I promised when I went away.
My quest is done, finally won,
I give to you, TODAY.

Today is all we have, there’s no guarantee
there’ll be another following close behind.
We shouldn’t take each day for granted as we travel through,
rather view everything and everyone as something miraculously new.

Spread your wings and fly with me through this special time;
lose your fears, no more tears, open up your mind.
We have just this day to live out our dreams,
a single day, no such way, an eternity it seems.
Let’s scale the great white Andes,
and sail the rough waters of the Northern Sea.
Let’s fly a zephyr through the clouds
and go on a living spree.

I’ll take the moisture from the air,
the sunlight from the sky,
the magic from everyone’s touch,
the truth from every alibi,
and concoct it into one small morsel
to bring back home to you
as I promised when I went away.
My quest is done, I finally won,
I give to you TODAY.

So let’s run the fastest mile,
jump higher than anyone has ever leaped before,
write magical words that bring peace and deter war
as we knock on every window and open every door.
Today is all we have, there’s no guarantee.
​So, love me like you’ve never dared to love before,
squeeze me till my breath bursts out,
give me every ounce of passion you have,
make me cry and pray for another day.
My quest is done, I finally won,
I give you TODAY.

If you give me a second, I’ll give you a nugget of gold.
Whatever it is, I’ll give you tenfold.
I know that a second is just an inkling of time,
 that can click away without reason or rhyme.
We seldom take notice as they pass by
they don’t warn us of their leaving,
as seconds to minutes, they fly.
 
We sit and wonder how we got this old
as seconds upon seconds continue to unfold.
First seconds, then hours, then days
life can pass us by in a myriad of ways.
I’m here, in the moment, and will guarantee,
it’s going to happen to you and to me.
 
If you give me a grain of sand, I’ll give you a sandy beach.
Where you can feel the sun and the wind just out of reach,
and stretch out to your delight without a worry or care,
the only thing missing is that I’m not there.
 A beach with perfect sand bleached white by the sea,
where you can build a sand castle and dream with me.
With every grain of sand washed up on the shore
I’ll give you another, a million times more.
 
If you give me one cloud, I’ll give you blue sky
so you may walk through your days and never cry.
If you give me a moment of sunshine, I’ll give you a wandering star;
its brilliance will light your path day and night, close or far.
I’ll give you the world and all within my power.
To hold you and love you, I’d climb the highest tower.
My only wish is to be with you and together grow old.
So, give me a second, I’ll give you tenfold.

Another shot and beer, barkeep, if you please.
I need to set my heart at ease.
Then two or perhaps three or four more;
just keep them coming
there’s no reason to keep score.
One beer makes me antsy,
two beers make me brave,
a third with a shot of ‘Jack’
makes me want to cave.

“Get out,” she’d said, “you wear me down.
I want a man with common sense;
who can bring me roses and use a wrench.
One who brings with him a pot of gold,
so I’ll never worry about getting old;
who can make love through the night
and do it again and again at first light;
whose kiss holds true throughout the day.
Damn it, what more can I say?”

“I understand you’re looking for someone other than me,” I’d said.
“You dream of a man you hold in your head.
One who hears your every word and caters to your every wish;
who can ride a bronco and wash a dish.”
The hell with her, I said in my head.
Or should I surrender and crawl back to her bed,
where most times we settle things in a manly-womanly way?

There’s no need to fight ‘cause I’ll never win.
My groveling before her is my even greater sin.
I need to man up and hold my sacred ground;
be the man I know I can be, the one who was so profound.
I traveled the highway and did only manly tasks
from scaling the highest mountain to wielding a Viking’s axe.
Where did he go,
that masculine guy, who was bigger than life
who swore he would never have a wife?

Who am I kidding?
 I am who I am;
a man who can’t live alone,
who needs a woman by his side,
and a place to call home.
 I guess I too am searching for a way;
to be the man she wants me to be,
to face the inner demons I must slay,
and unlock all that’s inside, oh I yearn to be free.

I’ve all the time I need to put another drink in me
Another shot and beer, barkeep, if you please.
I need to set my heart at ease.
Then two or perhaps three or four more;
just keep them coming
there’s no reason to keep score.
This was my final plea.

The barkeep turned and looked at me.
“I’m shutting you down, you’re a man, you’ll not drown.
You had enough, you’re two drinks over the limit
​and that’s just crazy stuff.
It’s time for you to go home.
So put your tail between your legs
and maybe she’ll throw you a bone.
You can’t stay here,
the bar’s about to close.
You’ve run out of time;
I’ve run out of beer.”

Red, black, white, woman, man, all ~
stood in awe and watched them fall;
thirteen hundred sixty-eight feet tall.
“What’s going on?” They spoke as one
as the ground began to roar
and the building fell floor by floor.
 
Within seconds another plane flew
into the second Tower too.
Bodies now jumping from the sky;
what a horrific way to die
 
The American Tribe sucked the soot
deep into its lungs.
As they approached the Towers
a wall of fire engulfed them on the way in,
many of them were not seen again.
They made a choice today
to save those that they could
and not simply walk away.
The ultimate price to pay.
 
Red, black, white, woman, man, all ~
came together as one.
Americans, rising with the morning sun.
The American Tribe is at its best
when its patriotism is put to the test.
No pigment of skin drives them apart,
because to their core they remain of one heart.
 
America Free, American Brave
Her enemies should run and hide
In times of struggle there is no divide.
America comes alive.
It’s just the nature of the American Tribe.

I stood off from the crowd as lonely as I’ve ever been
alone in my thoughts, like a single, lost bookend.
It’s useless I thought, just walk away, call it a day;
lonely is who I am, lonely I will stay.
"You will not" she seemed to have said.
The words rang in my head as I glanced across the room
while the others danced around us, totally consumed.
We were bit players in the theatre of their lives
easily dismissed as playing no great role.
We were the odd people out and it wrestled with my soul.
 
She had big green eyes, like jewels of emerald stone.
She was so beautiful but still, she sat alone.
I hunkered on the other side of the room, staring like a fool.
My thoughts awhirl, oh what should I do?
Approach her, quickly…now…no more alibis,
or the moment would disappear right before my eyes.
It was now or never; it was meant to be my day.
I approached her cautiously, so as not to frighten her away.

She looked at me and peeled off these words,
they circled me in a whirlwind like frightened little birds.
“You think I'm real but I’m not;
an imaginary girl enticing you to walk across the room.
I'm not here, I'm in your mind, there's nothing to assume.
You’re a lonely boy, you have to find your way,
break into the crowds, or alone you will stay.
Now, ask a girl to dance, no it can’t be me.
I’ve come only to talk to you and set your spirits free.
So forever remember me, when you're no longer alone,
the girl with big green eyes, like jewels of emerald stone.”
 
Where did she come from, I haven't a clue,
she just appeared and fell into my view.
I tried to play it cool with my practiced frozen stare,
no way to escape, to get to the door,
it was if I was nailed to the gymnasium floor.
And just like that she was gone, and I was left, I couldn’t tag along.
But that very night, she took away my fear, she took away my fright.
She with the big green eyes, like jewels of emerald stone.

Could I catch the drops of rain
and make from them a pond
to swim in during the summer months
and in the winter skate upon?

Could I take a single grain of wheat
and spread it across the great plains
to make the hungry full again
and take care of all their pains?

Could I take a small seedling
that seems to have no purpose at all
and plant it and make a great tree
that bears fruit as it grows tall?

Could I capture a single lightning bug
and hold it in my hand
to light a path along the way
of even just one blind man brightening up his day?

Could I take a single thought and empower it with who I am
and not be bothered by what other people see
or cater to who they want me to be
but stand fearlessly and be authentically me? 

Could I take a leap of faith
and boldly carry on
reinvent for me a brand-new life
now that the old one has gone?

Could I put forth endless smiles
in place of sorrowful frowns
lighten up a single heart this dreary night
to take away the darkness take away the fright?

Could I take you in my thoughts
just this one last time
and remind the world that although you're gone
you'll remain forever mine?
 
Could I…?

There are somethings that I shouldn’t know;
things that bring no nourishment,
no ‘chicken soup for the soul’.
Things that come with age and with age, also go.
They are the roundness in my life, the square corners too,
They’re fading with the twilight and are now long overdue.
 
Often times, I say, “Yes, I’ll take care of it my dear”
yet three months later, without explanation, it again reappears.
That bill that wasn’t paid
bounces back because it was six days late.
The interest upon interest grows to be,
an accrued amount of dollars owed by me.
 
 I don’t always know what the something is,
it’s gentle with a feathery kiss,
it’s just there, it weaves itself in and out
it whispers and never shouts.
I never see it coming, not an inkling, not a three,
when the somethings rear their ugly heads, when they find me.
I see it with a new clarity, my somethings they are rife,
they are the ingredients that mix and make up my life.
 
Somethings can be something, or they can be nothing at all.
We can soar, as they spread our wings,
or let them be our greatest shortfall.
The trouble with somethings is they can sometime be a ruse
we must really pay attention that it’s us, they’re talking too.
It seems to have garnished your attention,
it could be something that got away from us,
something in disguise, something abnormal, all our alibis.
I think we need to chat.
If we want to get back to where we started
we need to commit ourselves to that.
 
There are just somethings yes, somethings,
that are a fragrant offering,
the jewels in our diadem.
They’re there if we stretch to find them,
on the earth, on the seas, in the skies;
the cumulation of all I am,
all the somethings I comprise.

If I were a man with but one choice
and held this moment true,
would I book the next flight out
or choose to stay with you?
 
I’m waiting with baited breath,
to hear the words you say.
Will they anchor me to where I stand
or push me far away?
 
I see it in your face,
the anger that you bear,
wrestling with those troubling words,
that only you can hear.
 
Your silence now is broken
with words you need to say.
They hold the air like dense, gray fog,
as I begin to pray.
 
Your words are mixed and troubling,
they fall hard against my ears.
They unsettle me, I am unarmed,
they bring me almost to tears.
The words you say,
weigh heavily on my mind,
one sound bite at a time,
they cross that sacred line.
 
Choose your words carefully
don’t be pit bull cruel.
Your anger is all about me,
it has nothing to do with you.
You can slice it or dice it,
I’m not your broken mule,
don’t beat me over the head
with a dirty garden tool.

How cruel!
How cruel!

Don’t let them get to you
Chill, let it go
You’re letting them wear you down
They’re stripping the innocence from your soul
They’re grinding you into the ground

You best look in the mirror
Cleanse the grime from your face
Take some time and calm yourself
It’s time to leave their cruel rat race

This world is not a gentle place
It doesn’t care who’s left behind
Your beauty carries you through the day
But the nights, they’re not so kind

Chill, let it go
Shake it off like newly fallen snow
Don’t let the trials of the day bore into you
Or peel your armor away
Stand firm, and never leave room to doubt
That you were true to yourself at the end of each day

You’re trying too hard, much too hard
To show how strong you are
You needn’t be who you’re not
Don’t let anyone put you in a box
You are gentle-spirited, pure of mind
With a sense for a life and a desire for fun

The world can be a tough place
With millions of people all about
Running to and fro in a crazy rat race
Just to be heard you must often shout
It’s made you want to hide
So, you’ve built up your walls
You’ve locked yourself inside
It’s hard to break through
You don’t let me enter, I don’t have a clue

We weren’t meant to be alone
With no one to care and greet us at home
You’re my love, you’ll always be
There’s nothing more to be said
I wrap myself in the comfort of your arms
And accompany you to bed
But, the morning came too quickly
 I woke up and you were gone
A note on the pillow left me feeling a bit sickly
“The world’s taken a bite out of me,
I’ll not see you again, it’s time for me to move on
Chill, let me go”

You tell me you don’t love yourself,
you said, your head’s in the clouds,
that you can’t catch a breath of clean air.
I’m sorry but I just can’t help you here.
 
You’re too hard on yourself
you need to give yourself a rest
there’s just no reason to push as hard as you do.
Everything is not a test.
 
It’s not you against the world,
no, that’s not the truth, you see.
You’ll never, ever be alone
as long as your world has me.
 I can’t cure all your ills
I never promised that I could.
I’m just as vulnerable as you;
where you stand now, I once stood.
 
Pull back your shoulders, grab a deep breath
ponder your future, not what you’ve left.
As the sun replaces the moon, never failing to shine,
I tell you, you’ll be alright, yes, you’ll be just fine.
 
You tell me that you don’t love yourself,
you said you’re anxious
pushed over by the slightest of winds,
constantly falling to a plethora of tears.
Don’t think for one minute your words fall on deaf ears.
 
I can’t cure what’s ailing you,
only you hold that power.
I’m trying to do the best I can
I don’t have my head buried in the sand
I will never leave you; I’ll be your strong tower.
 
These feelings that you’re trying to hide,
surrender them, cast them aside.
You are safe here with me, let your true self show.
Silence the lies and let love for yourself flow.
You’re worth all the love, I can give you
believe me I know, I know, yes, I know.

He lives with a poet in his head.
He didn’t hear one word you said,
he plays to an audience of a different kind
his words, thoughtful and full blown
layer one over another, like seeds being sown.
They fall into phrases that capture them all
as he scrambles to pen them in his harried scrawl.
 
He saunters around
his feet not quite on the ground.
I see him mostly at night, all around the town
going who knows where,
preoccupied with an eerie stare.
He walks like a man possessed
his thoughts kept guarded, close to his chest.
 
The witching hours, those few everyday
when he just needs to break away,
find him wandering about to sort things out
and deal with the clutter in his head.
Not a word to anyone has he said;
quietly snuffed out like a flame,
he disappears back whence he came
 
He lives with a poet in his head.
He sees things through a different lens
everything spins around
his thoughts, one must admit, quite profound.
It often keeps him up at night,
the fear he won’t get it just right,
that something might get away
an errant word, a brilliant lyric
verses that simply won’t obey.
He has a story to tell, words woven with magic,
sprinkled with wisdom, told in good time.
And though he likes to, his words, they need not rhyme.
 
He’s been gifted with a poet’s voice
it’s a burden of his choice,
Tens of thousands of words put down on paper
though some days he still feels like an impersonator.
How ridiculously absurd
when he can’t find the words.
Roses are red, violets are blue…
these aren’t words that’ll make a poet out of you.
Words that capture his thought and let the world in on it,
that grab listeners and to another place transports.
The voice in his head whispers, ‘you think you’re a great poet
but alas my friend, I think you’re not!’
 
He mixed his words today
but should have voided them, those that got away.
Truthful, foolish words that should never have found the air.
He should have paused a moment, perhaps offered a prayer.
Words carry tremendous weight
dispensed without wisdom, can unleash a cruel fate.
 
The poet is rendered idle.
There are no words.
How absurd, how absurd.

When laughter fails
I will walk the contour of the road
the short three miles
to where the ocean ebbs and flows.
Where for centuries it has
carved a crater in the sand and stone
growing deeper each day
exposing the under belly of the thinking rock
as it recedes with great surge to open waters.
 
When laughter fails
I will seek the highest northern peak
alive with an afghan of colors as fall sets in
stretching my mind and body as I reach to the sky.
I know that somewhere in time
everything and everyone will be one
that I will again be united
with those loved ones who have passed before me
into the absolute surrendering of all worldly fears.
 
When laughter fails
I will revisit the words I spoke to her
words that fell from my lips to her ears
bonding us forever
realizing how lucky I am to hear the words I said
and how lucky I was to hear them as she did.
Meeting me halfway to where we have gone together
not alone anymore
we hold hands as the sun falls and melts into the night
beckoning tomorrow.
 
When laughter fails
I will look into the lessons to be learned
with a more discerning eye.
I’ll get back on life’s horse again
and ride to my destiny
smiling through my sorrows
surrendering to the awe of life’s inevitability
knowing full well
there’s a quiet belly laugh on the other side of it.

I’ve seen their anguish
I’ve seen them cry
I’ve seen them stare life down
right in the eye.
 
I’ve seen them fight for their family
and work hard for its good name.
We’ve seen them put liars to roost
and cheaters to shame.
The greatest Country of them all,
America, is the same.
 
There’s just no pair we love more,
whose growls we love to hear
they’re the den mother and den father of us all
they’re our momma and papa bear.
 
The forest is deep and thick
a cub could lose its way.
The things they hear in school
are opposite of what their parents say.
They’re confused, as confused can be
but at days end, they needn’t be.
 
Parents know what’s best for their cub
they’re the calm in the midst of all the hubbub.
Their thoughts, wisdom and teaching
are wrapped up in in a mountain of love
and guided by a plethora of prayers from above.
 
There’s just no pair we love more,
whose growls for those who need to fear, we love to hear.
They’re the den mother and den father of us all,
they’re our momma and papa bear.

You no longer can pass the buck
Looks like you ran out of luck
Most people are burned out to the nines
The world’s pressing in
We feel naked as sin
We’re looking for a glimmer of hope
 
So, I call out in the dark
You can hear evil’s vicious bay
The words over and over, again I’ll say
A frantic call, I need to tell it all
 
Is there a hero amongst us?
One who can break from the pack
One who’s able to separate us from the chaos
which tries to hold us all back
 
Is there a hero amongst us?
One who seeks to carve the way
 to a righteous understanding
that each of us seek today
 
I don’t seem to have found that hero amongst us
Even those who say they are, have failed to be
Maybe the hero I’m looking for
Is the hero deep within me
 
Maybe, I shouldn’t look to others
to show me the way to live the life
I dream about every night and everyday
Why do I keep searching for a hero?
The ones I found have undoubtedly let me down
Maybe I should look deeper within myself
Perhaps that’s where a hero can be found
 
No need to be the strongest or the most wise
Just be the person amongst us
who can live life without deception and lies
One who looks at the glass of life as half full
Who sees the silver lining in every cloud
Who easily navigates life’s ebbs and flows
Who’s not prideful but empowered by all that they know
Who is tenacious and always finds a way
 
The hero I’m looking for
has the ability to give love in its purest form
Love all others as themself
and never cause anyone a bit of harm
 
It seems that I can’t find a hero amongst us
and even those who say they are, have failed to be
Maybe the hero that I’m looking begins right here, with me

It was his castle within his house,
a chair he appropriated only to himself.
A safe haven from us all,
a safe haven from the world,
tattered and torn, it had a life all of its own.
 
My father’s chair was his space, his place,
his time to wrap himself up in his thoughts
unencumbered by the presence of us all,
in a house ever too small.
A moat around it kept him out of reach.
 An invisible barrier no one dared to breach,
or a different man they would greet.
One they would not recognize; one they would not like to meet.
Whatever it was that danced in his head,
the entangled highway his memories fed,
he kept far from his family, thoughts he never said.
They were still too near for his liking, lurking like a bear,
as he looked out from his fortress, as he looked out from his chair.
 
Like many of the men of his generation who fought in the war,
my father was world worn his innocence now obscure.
He loved his children, our safety he vowed to maintain.
His beloved wife understood too well, he was forever a changed man.
Although a belly laugh occasionally escaped him,
it was laced with something more, something grim.
His family and most friends couldn’t understand
the constant nightmares and unreasonable fear that kept him bound.
His battle was invisible, but he’d experienced it all first hand.
As he sat in his chair, he never let it show,
his constant wrestling his demons to the ground.
He never wanted us to know.
 
Not formerly educated, my father was well read;
A tradesman who worked with his hands but always used his head.
Our hero could be quiet and stormy, but never violent.
To me, he was nothing short of brilliant,
Sitting in his chair, I can just see him right now,
 a wreath of smoke from his cigarette, hovering over him like a halo.
I think of my father often, he left us years ago.
With each passing day, I feel I know him better,
and understand the man, whose presence is always at my center.
His example shines a light
as I wrestle in the day to day, trying to get it right.
 
It was his castle within his house,
a chair he appropriated only to himself.

The lines furrow deeply on my face
and go to a destination unknown.
​The lines of sorrow have significantly grown
because life’s challenges piled on.
There is nothing to smooth them out,
to make the furrows gone.
Then there are those happy lines
from times that brighten my smile.
They used to come frequently
but now, only once in a long while.
There should be more of them
but regrettably there’s not.
Some of my happiest times
unfortunately, I’ve forgot.
Then there are those other lines
random ones, that complete my facial map.
These furrows are a pattern
that every morning surprise me.
A man much older than I am
in the mirror, is the man I now see.
As I look back anxiously
my youthful skin is gone.
It slipped away as the years passed by
and the hollows piled on.
But every line has a story
that can be proudly told.
I hope to reflect on all of them
before I get too old.
When I was a young man
the mirror was very kind.
I used to stare at myself quite a bit,
I thought I looked divine.
I am an older man, older by many years
and my face now shows the map of my life,
my hopes, my loves, my tears.
It may look like a quagmire scaled to the nines,
 but as I look back over all my years,
 I think that that’s just fine.

She can’t leave her garden it’s a labor of love.
She’s there in the morning, hands in her gloves,
and dusk finds her still there, as the ceiling falls.
A day in her garden just says it all.
 
She mothers her garden I watch from across the road.
It’s her little bit of heaven, her world, or so I’m told.
It’s not a large plot, about twenty feet square.
Size doesn’t matter in the garden
when there’s an abundance of love to share.
I’m addicted, I watch from afar
as she puts her hands in the dirt, pulling high grass and weeds,
she’s a gardening superstar.
 
The garden is in full bloom, the colors quite rogue.
The scrubs blossom sublime, glistening as she gives them a soak.
In her garden she holds dear
the memories of days gone by and those no longer here.
She replays them as she lifts her prayers,
a life of good and love is what she shares.
 
Her garden gives her refuge,
there, amongst the flowers, now grown quite huge.
There is a peace that settles on her, of that there’s no doubt.
See it as the magic springs about?
It’s her safe haven, her place to play,
the place she replenishes because she gives so much away.
Her garden gives her presence,
second only to her family, who anchor her life;
She’s mother, friend, committed lover and wife.
She has a heart full of gold,
she’s quite courageous and giving, loving and bold.
 
The lady loves her flowers.
Her garden one can’t deny,
it keeps on giving and giving to those who wander by.
Even in late October, when the scrubs and flowers take plight,
as they feel winter coming and retreat for the night.
Although the seasons may change, and her garden fade away,
She blesses us all, because the memories still stay.
 
She can’t leave her garden it’s a labor of love.
She’s there in the morning, hands in her gloves,
and dusk finds her still there, as the ceiling falls.
A day in her garden just says it all.

I remembered what you always said,
our wounded and lost, are wounded and lost no more.
They fought gallantly and won the war.
 Lonely and lost, we shouldn’t be,
their sacrifice and bravery set us free.
 
They travel with us each and everyday
and sometimes, they seem to help us find our way.
They’re not our shadows, silhouetted against a red brick wall,
they’re there when we’re walking straight, they’re there when we fall.
 
They’re in the azure skies as they cast their glow
they’re there when we’re searching for what we need to know.
 They never stand in opposition as we strive to find our way,
 as we cast the die in our lives, each and every day.
 
Sometimes, we wake and we think they have left us, simply gone.
But they never leave us, they always tag along.
Because no matter how scared we are to be left alone,
our hearts know the truth, it holds the key, not a tombstone.
An integral part of who and what we are,
steadfast guardians, they never wander far.
 
I can no longer reach out and touch you,
an ache searing through and through.
Your courage, your love, always on my heart and mind,
your unwillingness to leave a single one behind.
Because you’re with me, I’m never lost,
just a bit misplaced among the human race.

 I remembered what you always said
Our wounded and lost, are wounded and lost no more,
they fought gallantly and won the war.
 Lost and at odds, we must not be,
their sacrifice and bravery, the cost that keeps us free.

If you are lost, I will find you.
If you are discouraged, I will encourage you.
If you are lame, I will give you my feet.
If you are hungry, I will give you something to eat.
If you are angry, I will appease you.
If you are broke, I will support you.
If you are tired, I will offer you my bed.
If you are mindless, I will offer you my head.
If you are tearful, I will dry your eyes for you.
If you need a change, I'll be there for the view.
If you are foolish, I will give you a wise man.
If you need a voice, I'll give you a stand.
If you need love, I'll love you to death.
Anything else you need, I’ll give to you without reprieve.
 I’ll extend to you as far as I can, my helping hand.
 
So, what is a friend?
One who, when tested, is true
and doesn't waiver or cave as a rule.
Who stands up tall and straight,
and always fights for what’s right.

Now there's two of us bonded
to put up that good fight.
For each other we'll be there ‘til the bitter end.
​Yes, yes, yes, my friend, ‘til the bitter end.

Will you carry my future?
Will you carry my pride?
Will you carry my water, caught up in the tide?
 
Will you carry my heartbreak?
Will you carry the sky?
Will you carry the day as I watch it go by?
Will you carry my mistakes?
Will you carry my lies?
My false assertions? My alibis?
 
My shoulders are weakened, my knees, they don’t hold.
I can’t really look at myself, I look feeble, I look old.
My strength is waning, I’ve lost all my fight.
I might make it through the day, but I’m not sure of the night.
 
Will you carry my future?
Will you carry my pride?
Will you carry my water, caught up in the tide?
Will you carry my dreams?
Will you carry my smile?
It might be fragile I’ve not used it in a while.
 
I’m rattled and antsy, I can’t get out of my own way.
I’m stalled on the highway and here I might stay.
I feel forgotten; a lost soul at best.
 I’m exhausted and flustered I just need a rest.
 
Can you carry my heart and put it back in place?
I lost it last night, I almost abandoned the race.
Can you carry my hopes that I might love again?
Will you carry my friendship and never let it end?
 
I’ll be there for you to carry the same,
 it’s real life we’re living, it’s no foolish game.
I’ll carry your misfortune and the blessings when they come.
I’ll be there for you as you’ve been for me, utterly fearsome.
 
Will you carry my future?
Will you carry my pride?
Will you carry my water, caught up in the tide?

We’ve seen her anguish.
We’ve seen her cry.
We’ve seen her stare life down,
straight in the eye.

We’ve seen her fight for her family,
and its good name.
We’ve seen her put liars to roost
and cheaters to shame.

There’s just no one we love more,
whose voice we want to hear.
She’s the den mother to us all,
she is our Mama Bear.
 
We’ve seen how she responds
when her men go to war.
She knows the price of the freedom
her family is fighting for.

She doesn’t take any push back.
She doesn’t take any lip.
She’s the fastest gun in town,
she can shoot from either hip.

She’ll not tolerate our being wayward,
 we’d better adhere to her very last word.
She’ll send us packing until we repent.
Oh the payback is heavy, now, we have to pay rent.
 
Yes, we’re no longer the center of the family show,
our youthful antics have lost their glow.
She’s allowed for our screw-ups, she’s allowed for our fun,
there’s a different kind of mothering, since we turned twenty-one.

We’ve grown beyond the den,
she’s let us go, but mothering doesn’t ever end.
We still need Mama’s counsel to keep our feet on the ground.
She keeps us straight and true, even when not around.

As tender as she can be,
she can still strike the fear of the Lord in everyone,
most especially in me.
She’s gentle and grace filled and can deal with it all,
a multitasker supreme, she never retreats.
She’s the core of our family, she’s answered the call,
and no matter where she goes, loved by everyone she meets.

There’s just no one we love, 
or who loves us more,
whose voice we want to hear.
She’s the den mother to us all,
she is our Mama Bear.

There’s a monster in me.
It’s in the back of my mind,
but I know it’s there, although it hides.
Most of my days, I’m totally unaware,
but on this particular day, I know that it’s there.

It’s that itch that needs scratching,
the song that I can’t sing,
the mile that I can’t run,
all the things that I can’t do and the things that I haven’t done,
that makes me feel that life’s passing me by.
I don’t know quite how, I don’t know quite why.

It’s that hollow feeling in my heart,
that I’m not playing a significant part,
that bothers me.
I’m damn well for real, that I know;
I’m made from flesh and blood,
I have a heart and soul.
But I want to put all my talents and abilities on overdrive,
and drive them till there’s no more left,
and none of them can hide.

Something is teasing me, I don’t know what it is.
It’s in the morning, then again, it’s there at night.
Sometimes it may seem funny but most times, gives me fright.
It’s something that is telling me that I could be something more,
and that I should journey forward and not close any door
to those things that draw me to places and people where I wouldn’t go.
Places and people like you, that would open up my mind and soul.

But there’s something about me that I don’t like today.'
It’s tearing at my soul, it’s gnawing at my breast.
I think it’s another defining moment of my life.
I think it’s just another test.

Again, it’s telling me that I need to go further with my life,
that I need to know what I know,
that my journey has not yet been concluded,
that there are still miles yet for me to go.
I must journey straight ahead,
I must confront the monster, take it down,
and put my unrest to bed.

Because there is a monster in me.
It’s in the back of my mind,
I know it’s there, until it hides.
Most of my days I’m totally unaware,
but on this particular day, I know that it’s there.
But it won’t be there for long,
I will push the envelope one more time again,
by year’s end, it’ll be gone.
Oh yes, it will be gone.