Breakup

She tries to hand out compliments
but they don’t make me feel good.
I’ve been down this road before
where words like this are really
stiff backhands to my psyche.
 
It’s her way of being kind in the
midst of breaking things off, as if
pointing out the nice qualities
is supposed to let me down easy.
But her words throb like broken toes,
 
a constant reminder that I’m watching
her walk away, saying in coded terms
that I’m not the man she wants,
that in the picture she’s drawn up
I don’t fit within the lines.

On The Road Again

Now I know
I have to make up
for lost time.
 
She proved to be
a dead end and an
unexpected on at that.
 
I thought the road
was wide open, but
it was only a mirage.
 
Instead I found myself
back at the beginning,
back to the four-way
 
intersection where I began.
And once again I
don’t know which way to go

The End Of It All

Lingering away
in a bad mood all because
she finally said
there wasn’t a chance.  I just wished
she’s admitted it sooner,
 
just fessed up about
where we were, that mutual
feelings were not shared.
There was never an open
door, but a brick wall instead.
 
Now I know why I
had that bad taste of cement
in my mouth and the
dirt in my eye.  I just wish
I could’ve seen this before.

Love In Silence

I see her and I wish I could say,
You don’t need to look far for that special man
for he sits nearby and dreams for the day
you could look at him and find your demands
 
met by him gladly as he offers his hand
so you could put yours in his and together you’d go
out of into the open horizon so gorgeous and grand
and you’d be unafraid to let the whole world know.
 
But here I am, sadly wishing it were so
that I could gather enough courage to tell her this.
I am love with her and I want to her to know
I want to be the one who gives her eternal bliss
 
But here I sit still in painful silence
unable to make my case to be her charming prince.

What Work Sometimes Feels Like

Another day down, strike
off another box from my
lifetime work sentence.

Appreciate

I heard a preacher say,
Don’t hate, appreciate.
You’ve got a blessing coming.
 
and sometimes I think about
those knuckleheads who got
their lives turned around,
 
got the person of their dreams,
and reside in a place they love.
So I try not to get upset
 
about what I don’t have
trying not to harbor
jealousy, worrying about
 
someone else’s house.  I try
to remember the preacher’s words
and be ready for what’s coming.

Finding Her Number

Her number
still sits on my nightstand
right on top of my Bible.
 
Maybe it’s my way of
trying to pray about
what I should do with it.
 
I found it the other day
under a pile of papers,
miscellaneous writings
 
about everything and
nothing.  Maybe I was
trying to hide it away,
 
subconsciously avoiding
any memories of her.
But now there it is
 
staring at me, a reminder
of what I felt before.  I
still wanted her the last time
 
we were in the presence of
each other even though
our lives were so different,
 
time could not be rewound
and we just talked about
what could’ve been.  She
 
still remains my one mistake
that haunts me at night when
the lights go out and I lay
 
alone in my bed.  But now
her number appears once more
and I don’t know what to do.

 

So I’ll keep it on my Bible
and pray to the heavens for
an answer to ease my mind.

Champions

Cut down the nets, the
journey is over.  Players,
celebrate winning!

Visit to DC in April

Cherry blossoms still
won't open.  Winter winds keep
lingering, chopping up the river,
making residents cover up in
jackets and hats, turning their
heads in order to breathe.
The calendar says spring
but the weather won't cooperate.

Wall Of Inspiration

The words came in droves,
people all around sharing
passages of hope, of love,
of faith.  Words coming from
one now uplifting the group,
building a wall of inspiration
to shine rays of goodness
on us all.

Spring

Look!  Spring is coming!
The winter winds blow no more,
gone they are, so let
there be sun and clear skies so
the children can play outside.

The Old Preacher

All he wanted
was to get to the pulpit,
 
to find a way to move
his frail body one step
 
at a time to where
he gave so many sermons.
 
Even as time has worn
down his body, his mind
 
and his spirit stand strong,
carrying him along,
 
steadying him on his walker,
slowing reaching his destination.
 
The other ministers help him
take each step up until he
 
gets to the pulpit and sees
the people waiting for a lesson
 
and he becomes one with God,
frailties no more and he
 
stands straight again, ready
to preach the Word.

 

Baseball

Play ball!
Springtime is here.
The diamonds are calling
So throw out the first; let's play
baseball.