I am Glad, 1970

Most of my poems have been sad,
Some of them have been bad,
I have now what I have sought,
And for this I fought.

A few months ago I found joy,
Never before--for this boy,
Although I don't have many friends,
I hope to no one did I offend.

Sometimes I pretend
Just to have friends,
Sometimes I'm a fake,
When that happens, my heart aches.

I'm glad I'm turning out to be me,
And I'm glad that I am free,
I am glad that I have you,
This way I won't feel so blue.

I am glad for friends,
I will enjoy them till the end,
I hope they will enjoy me, too,
Oh, I hope they do!

I

For the past year,
I've tried to run your life,
But now it's gone,
The love is ruined.

The letter that is
Missing from "run"
That is in "ruin"
Is "i" or me.

Hurt, 1969

I've been hurt before,
I've had it more,
But this is the worst,
My heart has burst.

It's been so hard,
Like being hit by a guard,
You hurt me so bad,
I am so sad.

I cannot live,
I have nothing to give,
I've been hurt for now,
I'll pull out somehow.

For now I am sad,
Sometimes I get mad,
I will be hurt,
You can call me dirt.

I was nice,
It was paradise,
Now it's gone,
I will be shot at dawn.

I will die,
You can lie,
But you never can say,
This wasn't my day.

I was hurt today,
I will die in May,
I will be gone and died,
And I will say you lied.

They're coming to get me,
They're using the key,
I'm going to be shot,
And they're going to enjoy it a lot.

This is the end,
I thought you were my friend,
You told the jury wrong,
And now I'm going to be stiff and long.

Confident of God's Help, 1987

 My love for many years has been the Theatre.  I have acted in many plays, as well as written and directed them.  The awards have come and the accolades have been many.  My need for constant perfection in my work has given me great respect amongst my colleagues.  I know that I am good, and the audience gets a good show when they see me.
 To read this, you might think that my ego is inflated, and my nose is stuck in the air, but this is not the case.  I have given God the credit in all that I do, and I know that He is with me on the stage.  For the last 15 years of stage work, I have said a prayer before each performance.  The words are the same each time, but the feeling of being filled with God's love is special.  I know the lines, and what I must do on stage, but I get the peace that God will help me do the best job that I can do.  After each performance, whether personally satisfying or not, I say, "Thank you, Lord".
 May you feel the peace in your life that only God can give.

Humbleness

 When I was a student in seminary, money did not flow into my pockets.  Although I had a job and my parents helped out, I had a difficult time keeping to my budget.  There were times when I would have to sell some books to buy food, and other times when I would go hungry.  One day, I went to my mailbox, and there was a letter from a woman in Houston.  She was a friend of my parents and rather wealthy.  In her letter, I found a check for $500.  Instead of making me extremely excited, I became very reflective.  I realized that despite my financial troubles, I was rich in having someone unknown to me that would care about me.  It was a humbling experience.
 How often do we forget that God is there to help us in our time of trouble?
 Pray that God might be with you in your time of need and trust Him to help you.

How Many Strikes?, 2005

Guy:  Hey, how's it goin'?
Girl:  Not so good.
Guy:  What's the matter?
Girl:   It's Baseball.  I don't understand it.
Guy:  What don't you understand?
Girl:  I don't know.  I guess the rules.
Guy:  Pretty simple.  3 strikes and you're out.
Girl:  What else?
Guy:  There is usually 9 innings.
Girl:  Okay?
Guy:  A team tries to get hits to make runs in the inning.
Girl:  Runs?
Guy:  Yeah, that's how you win.
Girl:  Win what?
Guy:  The game.
Girl:  What are outs?
Guy:  An out is what you get when you don't get a hit.
Girl:  Wouldn't it be better to get out than to get hit?
Guy:  Now, I see you are confused.
Girl:  That's what my husband says.
Guy:  I'm not surprised.
Girl:  Huh?
Guy:  Never mind.
Girl:  So, let me get this straight...There are two teams.  Each team tries to get hits so they can make
          runs.  The more runs helps them win.
Guy:  Yes.
Girl:  Now, what was it about strikes?
Guy:  The pitcher throws the ball at you and...
Girl:  Wait a minute.  Why does he throw the ball at ME?
Guy:  That's his job.  Now, you swing your bat and try and hit the ball...
Girl:  Before the ball hits me?
Guy:  Have you been hit in the head by a ball before?
Girl:  No, why?
Guy:  Just checking.  If you miss hitting the ball, that's a strike.
Girl:  And after 3 strikes, I'm out?
Guy:  Yes.
Girl:  I guess that's better than being knocked out by the ball.
Guy:  I give up.
Girl:  That's what my husband said.
Guy:  You know, baseball is kind of like life.
Girl:  It is?
Guy:  Yes.  There's Good and Bad.  Good usually wins, but a lot of times, there are different pitches
          thrown at you.  Curveballs, Knuckleballs, Fastballs, and Sliders.  You just have to know which
          one to hit and how far it will go.  Then you run fast and try to get home.
Girl:  Now, if only I can understand football...
Guy:  (throws up hands and walks off)

How I Spent My Summer Vacation (A Diary) by A Belk Associate

 My summer vacation started quietly.  I went to work after partying all night.  My supervisor noticed I was falling over the merchandise, but I told her that it was the holes in the carpet.  Then, it was like I got real hungry and had to go eat something.  Two hours later I came back on the floor, but if you check my time card you'll find I forgot to clock back in.  Then my friend from high school whom I hadn't seen since yesterday came in and we talked until I had to leave to go home.
 The second day of my summer vacation, I got up and looked around for my name tag.  The dog had it sticking out of his mouth.  All the black stuff had come off.  I wasn't about to wear that to work and mess up my clothes, so I told them that I lost it.  They gave me another one, but I dropped it in somebody's bag along with the receipt, so I took another person's name tag, so now nobody knows my real name.  I rung a layaway on the register today.  It took me three tries to do it, but the woman wasn't too mad.  She did want to know why my name was "Doris Bullwinkle".  Later that day, a guy with a pipe asked me how long I'd been with Belk.  I said that I wasn't married.  He looked at me funny, but I don't know why.  Maybe he was taking a survey.
 The third day of my vacation I got called to the office.  I thought that I was in trouble, but they just wanted to ask me what my social security number was.  They didn't have anyone listed by my name in their files.  I don't know why unless "Doris" didn't exist to begin with.  Anyway, I went back to the register and heard it humming.  I thought it was broken.  Somebody told me that it was supposed to do that.  So, I tried to play with the keys, but it kept beeping at me.  I decided then I wouldn't fool with that machine anymore and just stick to watching people walk by.  But then, I got to thinking somebody could steal the register if I didn't watch it, so I leaned on it to discourage anyone to take it.  It couldn't weight a lot.
 On the fourth day of my vacation, I was sick...  I don't feel like writing anymore today.
 It is now the eighty-sixth day of my summer vacation.  It is time to go back to school.  It has been like crazy this summer.  No time to work, because I had to go to the beach with my family and my friends and spend at least two weeks there.  I'm sure they understood when I called in.  Maybe I can work again at Christmas if I don't have anything to do.

How do You Spell Relief?, 1978

If times were easy, then
 there would be no pressure
  or worry or anything that
   would cause one to use Rolaids.

If times were easy, then
 there would be no anger
  or crime or sickness or
   any use of Pepto-Bismol.

If times were easy, then
 there would be no need for
  friends or support or any
   use of the one and only Di-Gel.

But times are tough and
 will always be, because
  it makes you work which
   is what economics is all about.

And besides, man is a social
 animal and needs friends to
  play with and tell you that
   you don't have to worry about times.

How?, 1969

How can I live without myself,
How can I be somebody else,
I mean to say,
One way,
It's me.

How can I survive,
Without myself,
I'll live or die,
Don't lie,
Without me.

Me or My,
Do or Die,
Want or need,
Something to lead,
I need you,
Yes I do.

How is it,
Where is it,
Why is it,
What is it,
It could be me,
Climb a tree.

What,
         Why,
                 Who,
                         When,
                                   Where,
                                              How can I be me.

Horizon, 1971

Far away places of yellow and green
That no one has ever seen.

People that go to far away stars
With wars that carry foreign scars.

Why are people afraid of death?
Every Bob, Bill, and Elizabeth.

Shooting at birds for no real cause,
People have so many flaws.

Look to tomorrow for today,
Because maybe in some way,
You can say,
"Look to the Horizon".

"Tomorrow the World", someone said,
That man is dead,
The Horizon is the outlook of life,
Realize this!  You husband and wife.

Because the Horizon is what you see,
But the thing that's beyond is what matters to me.

A Friend In Need..., 1978

Would you give me a moment of your time?
Or are you too busy for life?
What is life?  Well, it's just
a thing I heard about in school
too many years ago.

Maybe you don't understand or
don't want to know about it
but what business is it of yours
anyway so forget about it.

Besides, even if you were
interested, it doesn't matter
because nothing can be done anymore,
so see you around and take it easy.

The Hit Man, 1978

Is there someone that you can talk to?
Is there someone you can trust?
Are there really three people who are friends?
Tom, Randy, and me.

Are you friendly with those you like
Or is it all mankind?
Is Charles and idea of ideal
Or faulting on his pedestal?

Are you happy where you are?
Do you enjoy your life?
Is caring something you talk about,
Or maybe you wish you weren't.

Where are you now?

Her

You detect a sense of
 sadness, while your
  heart is overpowered
   by love.

You think that life
 is gone, but
  you just can't wait
   until you see her again.

You say that you've
 got no real purpose
  for living, while
   she cares for you.

This poem is not
 written for you,
  but it is written
   for me.

I wonder whether it's
 possible to be both?

Heaven's Gate, 1997

Calico dreams
 reign supreme
And light the sky
 as we ask why.

Smoke filled rooms,
Girls ride brooms,
Dogs bark wildly
And that's putting it mildly.

The world is mad
The people are sad,
The fish are dead,
I wanna go to bed.

No one is sure,
There isn't a cure,
We're all gonna die,
And we ask why.

Heart?, 1971

Without a heart--
You can't start,
If you don't sing,
Fly off on your wing.

Fly high--
To the sky,
No more life can live,
Without something to give.

Hate, 1973

I like people
I like birds
I like animals
I like insects
I like theatre
I like music
I like everything
Except jumping into mice.

I like whistles
I like ants
I like dingbats
I like roses
I like apples
I like money
I like anything
Except jumping into mice.

Peace be unto you,
Who like jumping into mice.

The Great Smelling-Sock Brigade, 1968

Over rocks,
Through the trees,
Smelling socks
Is our disease,
We're the great smelling-sock brigade.

We've got holes,
We've got fleas,
We've got moles
Stuck on our knees,
We're the great smelling-sock brigade.

For it's tie-yie-yay,
We've smelled five socks today,
And we're still going strong,
But what e'er we do,
We will tell you,
That we're the great smelling-sock brigade.

Goodbye Sorrow, 2009

From the moment I first saw you
Till the day you went away,
I was thinking about our sorrows
And I was thinking about the light.

I was thinking about tomorrow,
And I was thinking about today,
I was thinking how you left me,
And I was thinking the same way.

I was thinking about a moment
I was thinking about the past,
I was thinking how you told me
That nothing was going to last.

I was thinking about the darkness
And I was thinking about the hate,
I was thinking about the good stuff,
And you told me not to wait.

I was thinking about my life,
And how it will end...
I was thinking about tomorrow,
And thinking how it would end...

Then I saw you coming back,
Running toward me fast
And my heart began racing,
As I knew you were coming back.

And you ran past me,
As I called out your name
And you smiled and kept on running
As I knew you heard me call,
But you just kept on going,
And I watched you run away.

And you just got me thinking
About where you were going to,
And I thought about following,
But I knew I couldn't go,
Because you were going somewhere
That I didn't want to go right now,
It was you that kept me hoping
And it was you that wanted me to end...
Not now.

Gossip, 1972

 Gossip.  Talking about someone behind their back.  Whispering.  Showing that you lack tact.  During the next few minutes, I'm going to tell you some stories.  Just as in the old Dragnet series, all stories are true.  The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
 Why do some people have a low self-image of themselves?  Why do other people seem not to care about anyone but themselves?
 It was Jim's second day of college.  He had already moved into the dorm and made some friends, but his social status wasn't the same as many of those new students.  In the cafeteria line that night, a boy and a girl were talking about this poor kid in school and they laughed about Jim.  The girl asked the boy what did Jim look like.  The boy said that this guy was short with a high-pitched voice.  The boy looked behind him in line and saw Jim, who had been listening to all of this from these two people.  Jim just smiled, and the two tact-less people laughed and walked away.  It hurt Jim and his self-image.
 Perhaps it's movie magazines or weekly tabloids that promote gossip, but we have made it a profession and a habit.
 Self-image can be destroyed many ways.  Gossip is one way.  An un-caring attitude is another.  Using artificial means, such as drugs or alcohol is still another way.  But many times, people use drugs because they need to escape from the uncaring or the gossipers.
 Tom wanted to be accepted into the social life of a local high school.  He tried to fit in, but the socialites had no room for him, so he turned to the local hippies, which were few, but for that time and considering the school--it was enough.  Because Tom had money, the hippies accepted him, but not really for himself.  Tom experimented with drugs to help him forget the social group and to become accepted more with his new "friends".  Soon, the hippies left the school and left Tom all alone.  He took more drugs to forget until one day he couldn't cope anymore and went into his garage at home and closed up all the ventilation and started up the car and died of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Tom died because no one cared about him.
 David--tried suicide twice, failed, lives one day to next.  No one cared.
 Ted--drugs--had to leave school because of drugs and school vandalism to pay for habit.
 George--no friends--no one caring about him.  Dead.
 God cares--can you?  Can you care enough to save a life?  Be aware of people's needs.  They might not tell you what's wrong, but if you're open to their feelings you will recognize the problem.

Goodbye My Friend, 1990

Talk to Me
Don't Laugh at Me
Just talk to me today.

Talk to Me
I won't yell at you
Talk to Me I say.

Talk to Me
Come stay with me,
Talk to me okay?

Talk to Me
Don't laugh at me,
Talk to me I pray.

Touch me
You don't have To talk to me
But touch me one day.

You laugh at me
You don't touch me
You don't talk to me
Goodbye my friend.

Goodbye '81, 1982

The year ended in tears,
As did the year before...
It was supposed to be fun,
But.

A lot of stuff happened,
And a lot of people got stuffed,
But '81 was a year of assassins,
And for one--it was successful.

Goodbye Sadat.  Thank God for
Reagan and the Pope--at least
They were saved for a while,
But there was more...

There was a wedding,
And I don't mean Lady Di,
But I'm very happy for Pam,
And memories are great.

Of course, there was fun in '81,
And I had my share of it,
Because there was White Oak,
C2, and Philly Two.

May 1982 be a little better.

Goodbye, 1973

I wish it weren't true
Your eyes are so blue
With tears, and I'm without you.
Goodbye.

People think we're alive,
But we know we won't survive,
Time is wrong for us and
We're gone for now.
Goodbye.

Gone but not Forgotten, 1974

And I came home
to find all had
changed, and she
was no longer there.

I could not find
her, but then I
thought that it didn't
really matter anymore.

My life with her
was short and she
stayed in my heart
but not my eyes.

I see nothing;
I hear no voice;
I touch no face;
I feel my love.

The Goldfish Story, 1974

Pablo and Barnie became our
Goldfish through a capitalistic
Transaction.  Pablo was small
And opened his mouth only for
Eating.  Barnie was big and
Opened his mouth for everything.

Both golden beauties seemed curious
Of their surroundings, which consisted of
A bowl, some plants, and a gallon of water,
But they weren't satisfied with the
Environment, so Pablo and Barnie decided
To stop the life that they had known.

And they were flushed down the toilet.

Going, 1990

I came down to see you,
Because you make me smile,
But you weren't there to meet me,
After I drove those many miles.

The tears rolled down my face,
'Cause I knew that you were gone,
I wanted you to be there,
So I thought I'd write this song.

We had good times together,
You always made me laugh,
But all those great feelings
Are tearing me in half.

I hate to see you leave,
'Cause we make a great team,
You never said you're sorry,
I guess you're not what you seemed.

Goodbye my love,
And for all the times
I say Thanks,
And goodbye my love.

I'm going back home now,
I hate to see you go,
I won't be back to see you,
And I will miss you so.

God's Protection

 At my place of work, there is a walk-in freezer, which is a common storage place for food.  The temperature is kept close to zero, and the air is thin.  One night, I was getting some ice from the freezer, when the door slammed shut, trapping me inside.  I pushed on the inside latch, but it didn't work.  A sign inside the door said, "You cannot be locked in", but I was.
 My first thought was not to panic, because I knew that the more energy I used, the more oxygen would be lost.  For more than five minutes, I pounded on the door and screamed, but no one was there to listen.  The cold had made me numb, so the temperature was not important to my condition.  I reached the point where I thought I was going to die.  By the end of five minutes, I was gasping for air and began to hyperventilate.  I sat down on a box of tomatoes and prayed, "God, I don't want to die.  My main concern though is with the cooks that will come here tomorrow and find me dead.  If they find me here, they will be out chasing cars on the interstate."  I tried the door one last time before passing out, and it opened.
 Sometimes we forget that God protects us, as he protected those in Biblical times, but I am living proof that He is still there to help anyone who asks.
 May you trust God to protect you from the dangerous forces around you.

Get Up, With Apologies to Michael Jackson

Saturday night was great 'cause you had a date,
But just remember we sing at half past eight,
So when the alarm goes off--don't be late,
Just Get Up, yeah Get Up!

This choir is all depending on you,
We've been rehearsing--you know what to do,
And, what I'm saying is nothing new,
So Get Up, yeah Get Up!

Get up, Get up
All you have to do is Get Up
Don't let me have to tell you more,
Just put your feet down on the floor
And Get Up, yeah Get Up!

Okay, the time has come for me to go,
Your excuse is no good--that we know,
Let's fill the loft till it overflows,
So Get Up, just Get Up!
Yeah Get Up, oh Get Up.

A Funeral Wish or Watergate Forever, 1973

I find myself in
 a strange bind,
  the first poem
   I've written since Europe.

It's hard to find
 something to say
  after being drained
   of all love and compassion.

Now, all I can say
 is thanks to all
  generations to come
   and have already passed.

You see, generations
 bring peace, because
  haven't you heard
   of a "generation of peace"?

Yes, Mr. Nixon is
 the topic of this
  piece of verse, may
   he rest in peace.
                             Amen.

A Friend, 1981

May you always be happy,
And show happiness around you,
Reaching for the heights, and
Caring for those less fortunate.

In your life of beauty,
And in the lives of others,
Smile and laugh at life.

Many people will like you,
I know that I do, so
Teach love to everybody you see, and
Help me to see you, too.

Freedom

 What is freedom?  We have heard a lot about it and other words like "liberty", "independence" and "patriotism".  Are these old-fashioned concepts?  Do we take our freedom for granted?
 Anyone who has travelled to a Communist country will tell you about the different world without freedom.  Imagine someone checking your ID anytime they felt like it.  Or how about the government telling you what job you will have for the rest of your life?
 You can buy symbols for freedom in the USA.  Statue of Liberty Books, Liberty Bell T-shirts and posters with Rambo are just a few of the marketing ideas that have made money for enterprising people.  Where do you draw the line between showing your patriotism and buying a gimmick?
 No matter how you feel about presidents or politics; no matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent; and no matter what ethnic background is your own--the fact remains the same:  a lot of people died so that you could be here today.  If that sounds corny, maybe it is.  But maybe, we need to remember that the melting pot we call "America" is a place that we call "home".  We are free.  Don't take freedom for granted.

For Later, 1978

Sometimes you want more
and maybe you need it
but then there are those
who'll have more than you.

This is what I feel about
your move maybe to go on
and view the world since
life here is not so good.

Well, all power to you in
what you want to do as
I am behind you but
remember times we used to know.

Quotes from plays or from
songs tend to make me know
more than maybe I do so
what is real is your thoughts.

To say, I hope you stay,
is to put your feelings aside
and what makes you happy will
be enough for me so thanks.

And the wind blew once again.