Poetry and Songs

Contents

A Blessing, a Wish

A blessing

To trust, to trust
Give yourselves over before dust
And eternal separation hold their sway.
Remain as one until such day
That our Lord enraptured at the sight
Of your bonds so pure and tight
May bring you both home to share
His blessed reign as an eternal pair.
Love each other and faithful remain
So your sweet companionship may sustain.

A wish

Love, live in her eyes that gaze on me alone
As though your place in them were hewn from stone.
Lips of my mate I price above gems.
Their kiss from a ruby's glow stems.
Forever I remain a slave to her heart's will
And for its ceaseless pulse I listen still.
The seabreeze binds us, my love, in a perpetual tryst,
An embrace eternal within the kiss of mist.

Vegas Operations

We hit the road in Dave's new car tonight
Our pockets jingling with dollars bright
Maintain your speed so no policeman stops
But not too slow, 'cause, Dude -- it's Vegas Ops!

Bring out the rulebook for our eastward drive
Which place shall we hit first when we arrive?
At Cesaer's, Holiday, or Desert Inn?
We gleefully pick out our house of sin

I always seem to win at MGM
Their cops have photo cards of me and him
The waitresses at Stardust are the best
They really know star treatment of their guests
We've coupons worth a buffet lunch for free
So Tropicana it is, we all agree

The cloudy sky's all lit up from below
We sail right through the Downtown Vegas show
The lights flow smooth, none broken or burned-out
(They pay repairmen for a daily route)
The Strip's alive with fortunes found and lost
With faces cheerful, or completely sauced

Twelve bucks apiece for gas. A room? Ten more
Need toothpaste? Try the lobby store
Let's skip the room, the gas, and toothpaste, too
Just swap it all for chips of red and blue

Tuition paid; the rent can wait a bit
I'll put it down on black, to double it
My car keys ride a second roll of ten
I'll place my schoolbooks on the Pass Line then

I'd rather not commit my lifelong stash
Break out your VISA card to get more cash
Two dollars left. I'll try some Keno picks
Or double down with nine against a six

He drew to twenty-one -- that can't be so
This guy's a shark; he's cheating me, I know!
Just how much longer is this Vegas roam?
I'm broke; I'm bummed. Now please, can we go home?

Choices

If
If I do
If I don't
If I accept it
If I turn away
If I say yes
If I choose to listen
If I tell the truth, the whole truth
If I lower myself
If I try harder
If I open the door again
If I keep it closed
If I acquiesce
If I refuse
If I devote more time to it
If I give up
If I let go
Am I making a mistake?

I Am a Match

I am a match to light the wick
Of the living candles surrounding me.
These waxwork figures stand unlit
Awaiting the flame,
Or doubting its existence.

I've been dealt a splendid hand;
Just lucky, I guess.
Someone gave me a special gift,
The gift of a smile, a laugh,
And my secret mirror,
That shows you your own better half.
I'm not the answer;
I make no promises,
But giving you what I've got only brings me more of it, so
Here I go.

Join me as I share a smile
With everyone I meet.
I get them from my magic bag
I keep in my back seat.
Laughter is free, too,
My present to you.
I don't wait around for payment,
Too many errands to run.
Pay me back by passing my gift on.

I am a match to light the wick
Of the living candles surrounding me.
Waxwork figures waking up
Now seeing the flame,
Their doubts withering in the heat.

I can't burn forever;
I received no guarantees
Of just how long my days would last
Nor if my smile would keep coming with such ease.

This land of ours is far too vast
For me to get to everyone.
I'll start with you, and her, and him
And see what happens then.

So when you see my smile approach,
When you hear me laugh,
I'll stay 'round long enough for a laugh from you, too,
Or a smile, if you can muster it.
But I never leave empty-handed
Because touching you in the smallest way is all the compensation
I can hope for
And I need. 

Package of Tears

Lying alone as your smooth skin twinkles
(You've hung up your pride to smooth out today's wrinkles)
Put on the record, turn it high
A man's voice fills the room and you cry
This package of tears, priced less than ten dollars
This black disc of fears, screams, and hollers
Sings whenever you decree that it might
You own it -- it's yours for the night
He's yours to yearn for, to treasure, to love
Yours to turn off when you've had enough
What if one day his voice should take form?
What if this man were alive, breathing, and warm?
What if this singer took a view somewhat dim
Of existing or not per your slightest whim?
Are you able to deal with something that drastic
Or can you only feel love for a groove on black plastic?

CLICK HERE to listen to a song version of this poem (music by and performed by Erich Izdepski).

The Tale of Us Two

The tale of us two remains unfinished
It yet weaves itself with fervor undiminished

Our touches, though few, left deep impressions
The traces of which ev'ry glimpse of you freshens

Refuge we took inside the walled garden
Of familiar things, and there our hearts hardened

But I have left and now pray for the strength
To face roads of risk unafraid, to walk their length

Please, hold tight my hand, stroll with me awhile
Our paths may divide, or stay joined many a mile

Others may offer, but you will struggle to
Find a companion so faithful, caring, and true

No Guarantees

"No Guarantees"
That's how the package reads
And if you picked it up in a store
You'd drop it right after
Shaking with laughter
At a product no sane man could afford

But I offer no guarantees
I cannot appease
Your need for reassurance
That I will not change by tomorrow
Or bring you such sorrow
That your heart's past its endurance
But if you trust your soul and your eyes
You'll soon recognize
That for strength I ask
From The Provider of Tasks
So I can build whole new worlds for you

"No Guarantees"
Sounds like words meant to tease
Do they mock the clamor inside you?
That's not their intention
They're meant to dimension
The distance from hope to what I can do

So watch me
And you will see
I mean what I say
That's why I word things this way
I'd sooner risk your sweet embrace
Then know the smile on your face
Was bought with false promise
I'd rather stay honest
I'm always trying my best
Time may show us we are blessed

"No Guarantees"
I only plant the seeds
And stir tenderly the earth below
If the soil's not bitter
Then I will not quit urging their growth
I want to reap what I sow

Though I bring you no guarantees
My wishes are these:
That I can give you the love
You deserve, and I can be your fire
Inside, driving you higher
Till stormclouds part, leaving blue above
Please see what I do, not what I say
There will come a day
When you may depend
Upon support without end
If The One Who Guides Me makes it so

NO GUARANTEES
That's how the package reads
And if you picked it up in a store
You'd drop it right after
Shaking with laughter
At a product no sane man could afford

But I offer no guarantees
I cannot appease
Your need for reassurance
That I will not change by tomorrow
Or bring you such sorrow
That your heart's pushed past its endurance
But if you trust your soul and your eyes
You'll soon recognize
That for strength I ask
From The Provider of Tasks
So I can build whole new worlds for you

"No Guarantees"
Sound like words meant to tease
Do they mock the clamor inside you?
That's not their intention
They're meant to dimension
The distance from hope to what I can do

So watch me
And you will see
I mean what I say
That's why I word things this way
I'd sooner risk your sweet embrace
Then know the smile on your face
Was bought with false promise
I'd rather stay honest
I'm always trying my best
Time may show us we are blessed

No guarantees
I only plant the seeds
And stir tenderly the earth below
If the soil's not bitter
Then I will not quit urging their growth
I long to reap what I sow

Though I bring you no guarantees
My wishes are these:
That I can give you the love
You deserve, and I can be your fire
Inside, driving you higher
Till stormclouds part, leaving blue above
Please see what I do, not what I say
There will come a day
When you may depend
Upon support without end
If the One who guides me makes it so 

Only You

I shoved my foot inside my mouth so often
Confusion made me voice things only time can soften
I'm a million miles away from everything I want to say
But your silence says "Just save it for another day."

What makes this pain so exquisite and profound
Is your face staring back every time I turn around
I do listen carefully whenever you insist to me
That the doorway to your heart is locked and I've no key

So I don't bother knocking
Instead I keep on walking
Toward my garden of options
Where blossoms smiling up can-
Not dislodge my suspicion
You're the flower that I'm missing
That it's you, always you, only you...
Always you, only you

Please don't remind me that tomorrow's a new day
Birds will sing again and things will be okay
'Cause comfort's not your gift to bring, my road's not yours to smooth
Whom your actions disappoint, your words cannot soothe

Once when we were dancing
Your glowing gaze enhancing
Weakness in my knees and
Cold shivers out of season
We kissed; it felt so right that
Fair words in me ignited
I said "You, I want you, only you
I love you, only you."

Perhaps I should have held my secret longer
In time your answer might have grown that much stronger
Right after I said it I knew that I'd regret it
"Too much too soon" read the sign on the course we were headed

What frightened you so bad that
You'd give up what we had? That
Tickle in your heart'll
Deepen, so don't you startle
It, starve it, deny that it's there...
I tried all that, but I still care
About you, always you, only you
Always you, only you

I pray my strength will come back soon
And let my heart prepare some room
For new hopes, new loves
And new lies, shocks for me to rise above
For a flat road mine will never be
So now I'll train
And clear my brain
And the miles ahead I'll navigate cleverly

I know I won't be lonely on my journey
It's not time to roll my soul out on a gurney
And yet, while I shake the dust of what there was between us two
Deep beneath my pride I hope my path leads back to you

What frightened you so bad that
You'd give up what we had? That
Tickle in your heart'll
Deepen if you don't you startle
It, starve it, deny that it's there...
I tried all that, but I still care
About you, always you, only you
I love you, only you 

Taking a Risk

I don't know whether this is poetry or song
I only know it's what I need to say
I come to you burdened by fear and hesitation
Yet what glimmers inside me
Is hope that you and I can find a way
Into each other's arms

You're not the answer to all my prayers
I doubt you'll even come that close
But the brightness in your eyes
The smile that graces your lips
And the music in your voice
Make me think this time it's worth

Taking a risk
I'm taking a risk on you
I've been in love, I already know the score
I know the pain, and the crying, too
I know the fear, I remember the warmth
The strength I derived
From knowing that someone cared for me inside
When I lost that, something in me died
And I want it back
I want to be alive
So I'm taking a risk on you

There's no one around to give me any advice
There's no helpline for this situation
There's only my instinct, that of a gambler
And you to ask for help
How do you want to be
How do you need to be loved?
I can't guess your response

You're not the answer to all my prayers
I doubt you'll even come that close
But the brightness in your eyes
The smile that graces your lips
And the music in your voice
Make me think this time it's worth

Taking a risk
I'm taking a risk on you
I've been in love, memories are sweeter
Than the empty years played so safe
And now I long to feel the warmth
The strength I derive
When someone else wants to know me inside and out
And Lord knows I've tried
I've tried for so long to go it alone
I want to be alive

So I'm taking a risk on you
Taking a risk
I'm taking a risk on you
Taking a risk
I'm taking a risk on you
Taking a risk
I'm taking a risk on you 

My Big Brother

When the big kid across the street makes me cry,
Big Brother makes me laugh.
When Mom makes cookies,
Big Brother saves me the bowl to lick.
When Dad drives the car,
Big Brother tells me where we're going.

Big Brother took me to school on my first day.
He showed me how to swim.
He even helped me build a tree house,
So I don't mind if he sometimes uses it by himself
And doesn't let me climb up.

Sometimes Big Brother is too tired to play,
Or too cross, or mad about something.
Then I play with the puppy
Or my dump truck
Or I make stars out of popsicle sticks
Until Big Brother feels better.
He always does.

Big Brother warned me that too many green apples would make me feel sick,
But I didn't listen.
He told me that pulling the puppy's tail would make her mad,
But I didn't listen.
He reminded me that it was Mom's birthday,
But I forgot.
So he told her that he told me the wrong date.
Big Brother does things that I would never think of doing.

Big Brother knows how to start the barbecue.
He knows when the hot dogs are cooked,
And when it's time to flip over the burger,
And when to put the cheese on so it gets gooey but not burnt.

Big Brother can throw a football farther than anyone
Except Dad.
He can swim across the pool in the park more times than anyone
Except the lifeguard.
His milkshakes taste better than anyone's
And I know because I've checked.
He can juggle four tennis balls.
Everyone else can only do three.
I can only do two
But with one hand.

Everyone likes Big Brother.
Even some of his teachers.
He's on the baseball team
And last year he was named "Most Valuable Player".
I think he'll get that again this year.

But the best thing about my Big Brother
Is that he calls me his "manager".
He says that managers give people ideas on how to be good people.
He says they're very important.
He tells everyone that his manager (me) gives him excellent advice.
And that he owes all his success to me.

He says that I'm as good a Little Brother as he is a Big Brother.
He calls me his "MVLB" (Most Valuable Little Brother)
Even though I'm the only little brother he has.
He makes me feel like the Biggest Little Brother ever.

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