The Time God, 1974

For the moment flies by
Without too much spectacle,
But Cecil B. DeMille would
Have been proud of the moment.


The time created by man
Was never an existing source
Until its creator made it so
And the sun couldn't say no.


Time is man's god and
Man is its slave, so
When do the gods of
Peace make the time?

Time Flies, 1992

Where are the songs we used to know,
When we were young and free?
No worries, No problems, No hard times,
Just love for you and me.


Don't know where the time went,
I looked around and it was gone,
The sunrise, The morning, The sunset,
I waited a little too long.


For many the time passed quickly,
For others the time dragged slow,
I don't know why it is like that,
You gotta go with the flow.


I was born too late to be old,
At least, that's what my parents say,
I am just a little wiser now,
But I don't feel okay.


Too young to be old,
Or so I am told,
Too old to be good,
Like everybody would.


It's not that bad I guess,
To be someone like me,
I just wish it wasn't as hard,
As it really seems to be.

Untitled, 1978

Keep me in your
Arms if you think you
Really can and if you
Even think you may.


Not to say you're
More than me, but
In my life the
Living is such that
Life takes me in.


Every time with you
Reaches all corners of my being.

Swing the Light

Well, here is death shining our pretty faces
 on the purple piece of cotton,
However, death doesn't occur until purple
 fades to blue.


Seeing a life that death has taken
 is satin and calico to me.


Now the green wool is scratching the
 reality of truth and faking the
  bombs that explode the hopes
   of sunken conch shells.


Turnips and beets are red
 like the night of day that
  shocks the cream-colored cowboys
   into a spastic lima bean.


Power to the vegetables and
 then eat them up--Yummy!

Surfin' Around The World

I rocked in Sweden,
I rolled in New York,
I danced in Scotland,
Now I'm surfin'
Surfin' around the world.


I ate in Paris,
I loved in Moscow,
I cried in London,
Now I'm surfin'
Surfin' around the world.


Surfin' makes me high,
I'm surfin' to the sky,
They all ask me why,
I'll surf  'till I die,
I'm surfin'
Surfin' around the world.


I'm waitin' for that last wave,
So I'll ride to the moon,
And the girls will all love me,
While I'm surfin'---surfin' around the world.

Sunday School Show, 1983

Laverne.   Good morning, everybody.  My name is Laverne, and it's really great to see all of you
                  kids out there, and I see some older folks, too.  Hi, you guys.  You know what?  I've got
                  a friend of mine that you might like to meet.  Herman!  Herman!


Herman.    Yeah, Laverne?  What do you want?


Laverne.   I wanted you to meet all of these nice people and for them to see YOU.


Herman.   Oh no, Laverne!  I'm not ready for Sunday School.


Laverne.   These kids don't mind, Herman, do you kids?


Herman.   But, I think I left my coat and tie at home.


Laverne.   That's okay.  We like you just the way you are.


Herman.   Thanks, Laverne.  I'm glad you are my friend.


Laverne.   And, I hope that before too long, everyone here will be your friend, too.


Herman.   Oh, I know they will.


Laverne.   Herman?  I think this church is real lucky to have such nice people here.


Herman.   Me, too.


Laverne.   Do you know those older people back there?


Herman.   Some of them look kinda familiar.  I think they were here last year.


Laverne.   That's right.  I heard that everyone of them was real nice.


Herman.   And, some of them are good looking, especially the girls.


Laverne.   Herman!  Keep your mind on Sunday School.


Herman.  Okay.  Do you think we're going to have a good time this week?


Laverne.  Where?


Herman.   Here.  If I remember from last year, we're going to have Bible School.

Sunday Night--FBC, 1982

Bennie.     Good evening, everybody.  Tonight, y'all are in for a real treat.  We're going to tell about
                  the Singles Mission Trip that we went on last week.


Herman.    Hey, Bennie.  What's going on?  Who...Who are these people?


Bennie.     Herman, don't you recognize them?


Herman.    No, I've never seen them before.


Bennie.     These people are from First Baptist.


Herman.    Is that where we are now?


Bennie.     Of course it is, Herman.  You're a member here, too.  Remember?


Herman.    No.  I can't think.  I just got back from Tennessee.


Bennie.     So did I.


Herman.    Were you there?  I don't remember.


Bennie.     Of course I was there.


George.     Hi guys.


Bennie.     Hi, George.


George.    Where's Laverne?


Herman.   Who?


Bennie.     Laverne went with us to Tennessee last week.


Herman.   I don't remember her.


George.    Bennie, what's wrong with Herman?


Bennie.    He's burned out.


George.    Oh.  So where's Laverne?


Bennie.    She enjoyed our missions trip so much that she decided to stay another week.


Herman.   Who are y'all talking about?


Bennie.     Laverne!


Herman.   Oh, I've heard of her before.  Who is she?


Bennie.    Skip it.


George.   So, why is Herman burned out?


Bennie.   He didn't get enough sleep.


Herman.  Yeah, but I think I had fun doing Bible School.


George.    We all had fun, but most of all we learned a lot about ourselves and other people.


Bennie.    That's right.  But you know what, guys?  We weren't the only ones that went.  There's
                 a bunch more sitting out there.


George.    I wish they'd stand up.


Herman.   If they felt like me, they might not want to stand up.


Bennie.    Sure they will if we ask them.


George.   Will all those people who went to Tennessee with us, please stand up.  Thank you.


Herman.  See?  Some of them had a hard time standing up.


Bennie.    Yeah, but you know what?  We're really lucky to have a church like this that would
                 help us to go to places like Tennessee.


George.   We sure are!


Herman.  What church is that?


Bennie.    FIRST BAPTIST, Herman!  They've helped us through prayer and financial support.


George.   And don't forget those great cookies.


Bennie.   Yes, and the cookies.  But the main thing we wanted to do tonight is to thank the church
                for letting us go.


George.   I'll never forget the children's faces.


Bennie.   And the closeness we all felt toward God.


Herman.  I wish I could remember.


George.   Well, Herman, to help you remember, and for those other folks to see--we are all going
                to share some of our experiences in Bible School.  Right now, Rebecca McPhail and
                Joel Jones are going to speak to us and we're going to have slides.


Bennie.   Yeah, it's going to be great.


Herman.  These are great days.


George.   Herman!  C'mon y'all, let's go get a seat down front.  I don't want to miss a thing.

Sunglasses, 1997

Soaring down the coast
to south of nowhere
knowing fun awaits
for the curious.
And who is there to greet me
Are the natives who laugh
At least for a little while,
Or until that drink is ready.
So where are the kids
We once were and
Why are things so strange
Because everything was good
For us until life got in our way,
One Way to paradise,
Or is it a round-trip,
Ask the captain and see
how far he is going.

A Summer's Evening, 1978

Coming down
 across the lawn or
        through your back door
                     were
 three little kids and
  mostly girls but who
                could tell.


And barriers are such
                           that
        keep us from what
we are or want to do
         and say so
             forget it.


What?
     The girls are calling
and they need
                        you
to add a little fun
      in their lives
                  so go.


But...
     Don't worry about me
          I'll just worry about
                you
and reach for the sky
    or at least the
        light switch.

Suicide, 1973

Why can't time stop
Or just go backwards?


Why does it have
to continue?


You sit and ask if
we could ever find
each other again in a
shade of woe.


Remember the times
we had together,
running through the grass,
singing and laughing at the rain,
kicking up the snow like powder,
and wondering why did it have to end?


Bringing it all home
you sit and ask if
the world is not right and
if not, would I have to
end it all to stop my
despair.


SUICIDE MUST BE THE ANSWER.

A Story of Time, 1974

And she walked into his life
Or rather stood,
And he walked into her life
Or rather walked away.


She called out his name
He did not hear and so
Started a beautiful time.


Whether by accident or by
Fate, times got better until
He found out that she was married.


Marriage was a barrier to
Love, but not to friendship,
Which drew them closer as
Time went on.


But time had to end,
Because he had to leave,
And she found out and
Said, "Well, bless his heart".


The last day came,
The day went to night,
And the night was dark
With sadness,
But they never said
goodbye.

A Story of Power, 1974

 Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled the land quite strongly.  One day, he was hit by a truck and almost died, but he resigned instead.  The moral of this story is that people, who are strong, are more accident prone in levels of power.  Take Nixon for example.

The Story of A Person and A Group, 1974

Whether there was a reason
Behind the leaving of the person
Or whether there wasn't a reason
Really doesn't make too much difference.


What really matters is that the
Time came for a change and
The change wasn't a quick decision
Made by any one person.


One day, many years ago,
Or just a few, a person
Joined a group full of love,
Which slowly turned to hate.


Now, the hate has spread
Throughout all facets of the
Group, and a hope of a
Peaceful settlement is nothing.


One person left a group
A long time ago, or maybe
It was just a couple of
Minutes, and so went love.

Stop, 1970

All life is hurry,
If we don't, we worry,
We don't have time to think,
And all women want is mink.


If we would stop and say,
That everybody go their way,
I wish that people would go slow,
And not say, "And away we go".

Standing, 1990

Standing
I'm just standing
And I'm waiting
For you to come home.


Hoping
I'm just hoping
That you're coming...
Coming back to me.


Yes I'm standing
And I'm hoping
'Cause I'm waiting
To see your face.


Waiting
I'm just waiting
Time is dragging
'Cause you're not here.


Crying
I'm just crying
'Cause I'm standing
And you're not coming home.

Spring

Hey, take the wind,
ride the waves, ring
the bell, sound the
trumpets.  It's spring!


Spring comes only
once a year, which
is fortunate, because
the emotional system couldn't take more.


It's the season to
romp in the fields,
roll in the grass,
and play with little children.


But most of all,
it is the season for
boys and girls to
share the joys of living.


Zing-a-wing,
It's Spring!

A Special Girl, 1970

I met this girl a few months ago,
When I saw her, I knew that I loved her so,
It was love at first sight,
I think about her day and night.


She is always in my dreams,
I think she is supreme,
She is so nice and neat,
I love her from her head to her feet.


I love the way she wears her hair,
For this girl, I really care,
When she comes and sits by me,
I look at her and I like what I see.


This is my special girl,
She's like a flag, when it unfurls,
She will be mine,
Until the end of time.

Untitled, 1971

You wonder what,
You wonder why,
Your quest for life,
With thrills.


A world of hate,
A troubled world,
You act as though
You demonstrate unlawfully.


You satisfy your own,
You long to get away,
You take a trip,
You know you must find...

A Special Day in Two Lives, 1981

You met what seems like a thousand years ago,
And here you are together to make your trip go longer,
You both have been my friends for a few years,
And I am glad to have watched you grow with me.


A poet's words cannot express the love I have for you,
Nor can I begin to tell you what you have meant to me,
But as the sands of time cover our tracks,
We can still look back and remember what was.


And now as you go hand in hand to the future,
May God keep you in his hand, too,
May you have fun in your lives,
And enjoy what God has for you to do.


Too often life goes by and we do not say thanks,
And too often we rush through things and do not think,
And too often we stop and then it is too late,
But as life blesses you, remember that you have blessed me.


Thanks, and may God bless you always.

Sounds, 1970

Why wasn't life made to be
The kind of life I want for me?
Everyday pressure mounds,
And there are many sounds.


Sounds of day and sounds of night,
Sounds of blacks and sounds of whites,
We've got all the sounds of life,
The husband worries about sounds from his wife.


Let us have peace,
Let sounds cease,
Let us be silent,
And not get so violent.

Sometimes, 1970

Sometimes life is a bore,
And sometimes life is nice,
Sometimes I don't care any more,
And sometimes it is paradise.


But most of life is fine,
Except some of mine,
Life is sometimes right for me,
But sometimes not, don't you see?


I wish that it would be all right,
I know that can't be true,
Life is just day and night,
Sometimes I'm happy and sometimes I blue.


Nothing is left for me to say,
For me, this has been a good day,
Sometimes I roll up into a ball,
I'm glad I didn't run into a brick wall.

Sometimes I

Sometimes I see the light of sadness,
Sometimes I feel the pain of beauty,
Sometimes I can't see myself in happiness,
And you know what I mean.


It's a pleasure to be involved,
It's a pleasure for me to dissolve,
It's a pleasure for me to live a life,
'Cause it's a pleasure for me to be with you.


Sunny, sunny, sunny days,
Where will it end, my friend?

Some, 1971

Sometimes I can't find the words,
But I want to be heard.


Some things I always wanted to say,
But I didn't think they would be okay.


Somewhere I can have life,
But someone always has a knife.


Sometimes, some things are somewhere,
But those things are too high in the air--
To reach,
So I teach--
Someone else to catch them,
But instead they pray to Him.


Sometimes I CAN find the words,
But people don't listen for what is heard.


Some things I HAVE been able to say,
But some people didn't think they were okay.


Somewhere I have FOUND life,
But he still has that knife.


Sometimes, some things are somewhere,
But those things are too high in the air.

Solving God, 1973

So we laughed
 we cried and wanted
  to know what
   life was all about.


We tried
 we failed and
  so we left.
   Peace.

They Napalmed Our Boys in Illinois, 1971

In 19 hundred and 68,
Abbie and Jerry were told to wait,
The Democratic Convention was going to meet,
The revolutionaries were supposed to beat.


They called in the fuzz and the R.O.T.C.,
There was something that Abbie didn't see,
They napalmed our boys--
In Illinois.


The confrontation was in a Chicago park,
It went on till way past dark,
The SDS used glass and rocks,
The fuzz had the area sealed off for blocks.


Now it's 19 hundred and 72,
And everyone is very blue,
The Demo Convention is in our 51st state,
The army used this place as bait.


Abbie and Jerry took their forces,
The army found out from reliable sources,
So to prevent a riot, they napalmed--
Our boys in Vietnam.

The World (part 2), 1969

The world is but an empty place,
With nothing here but air and space,
The Earth is just a troubled sphere,
And all that we hold dear.


Everything is either fun or sad,
And some people are always mad,
A few people always talk,
While others only walk.


Why do we have all these troubles?
As many as water has bubbles,
We have wars and we have hate,
Why can't some people stand and wait?


I said before that we will die,
If we don't, I'll wonder why,
The whole problem is nobody cares,
People will fight at the drop of a hair.


Some people say let people live,
Other people say let them give,
We have wars and people kill,
And they do it against their will.


The world is nothing but a ball,
Some people die and some just fall,
If the world dies, so do we,
Everyone, you and me.


This is all I have to say,
Now you go and live your day,
But remember what I have said,
Or you might find yourself on your DEATH BED!

The World (part 1), 1969

I was listening to the news today,
Not all of it was happy and gay,
I heard of wars in the Middle East,
And it turned out to be a blood feast.


I heard about a war in Vietnam,
Where the land is anything but calm,
40,000 men have died from here,
Parents are shedding many tears.


I heard about starvation and people that are sick,
Oh, I wish I could give myself a good swift kick,
Why doesn't anybody care,
It just isn't fair.


If we, the people, could do something about it,
Everyone do just a little bit,
The world would be a better place,
That we, the people, could stand and face.


We have problems with land, water, and air,
In a few years, people on this earth will be rare,
If there are no problems, then I lie,
Because at the rate this world is going, we are going to DIE!

'67 Chevy, 1991

Riding down the highway
 In my '67 Chevy,
Doin' 160 on the open road,
Passin' all the cars that I see
 In my '67 Chevy.


Burning down the highway
 In my '67 Chevy,
Comin' on a guy by the road,
Realizing 20 miles later,
Goin' to fast to stop
 In my '67 Chevy.


I eat up the gas
'Cause I'm going so fast
No cop can catch me
 In my '67 Chevy.


Riding down the highway,
 In my '67 Chevy
Seeing the USA in one quick flash,
And I clean my dash,
 In my '67 Chevy.

Sing Sing Sing (to the tune of "Say Say Say", 1984

Sing, Sing, Sing every time that you hear that we are singing,
You, You, You are the one who makes our choir sound good,
What can I do to get through to you,
'Cause we need you, yeah you,
We're a choir made up of many types,
When you look at us, you know we're good, good, good.  Yeah.


Come, Come, Come Monday nights when we rehearse together,
So, So, So you will be prepared for each Sunday,
When we sing, you know you will hear
They liked your singing, They did,
You'll be blessed while you'll bless some folks,
So make One Voice a weekly, even a daily, thing, thing, thing.


You never have to worry, if you think crowds scare you,
All you have to do is look at Jon--that's what he's for.  Ah.


This, This, This is the end of one bad song, Yeah.
And, And, And if you don't want any more, then this is what you should do,
The first Sunday and the third Sunday is when we sing, Baby.
Watch the mail and come to choir,
You're the one we have choir for, for, for, Yeah.  Oooh.

Shine Light Shine, 1974

The sky
 cries out in
  the darkness of
   our lives and makes
    us see the light.


We see the light
 as it blinds
  the hell
   out of
    us.


Let there be light
 for all to see,
  but don't let your
   light shine brighter
    than everyone else's.


If you shine brighter
 than everyone else's light,
  you will find that your
   light will dim so much
    faster than theirs.