The Never-Wrong

He is never wrong
and always talking.
He always has a story
for a passer-by walking.
He speaks of the past
and the show of grandeur
full of life and experience
and the glitz and glamour.
He tells of the glory
to hide signs of scars
from opportunities lost,
buried in the past, so far.
He tells of these happenings
to dwellers of the slum
that surround his inhabitance
in which his home has become.
He tells of the heights
to cope with the valleys
as he prays to awake
from what has become his reality.
With hauntings of mistakes
and a fabrication assisting in the delusion,
the denial of the past
is the only way to live and continue the illusion.

Shaded

The sun creeps up
on these feet that were shaded.
My body in natural air conditioning
avoiding the sun's attempt to make me bathed,
I scoot my chair back
to get to where I was
in a full shaded position
protected from what the sun does.
The further I move back,
the more the sun pursues me.
The more that I hide,
the more the sun sees.
The more that I resist,
the more the sun envies
to suck me into its rays
to consume my body wholly.
I look up and over
to something in the distance
only to look down
to see my futile resistance
beginning to fall away
as the light is to my waist
and the heat overpowers
and conquers my will in its chase.
Towels placed over my legs
only to need cover for arms,
nothing can save me now
from what some call the ball's charm.
The warmth much needed
when it is nowhere to be found,
an overheating that I cannot withstand
is now all that resounds.

Unfamiliar

I travel up and down
unfamiliar roads hoping to know them.
I hope it happens fast like that.
I am feeling lost in this town
as my pants lose their hem
and the wind takes my hat.
The pathways seem
as familiar as my home
though they lead a different way.
The sun's glaring gleam
hardly lights for my roam
during this far too long day.
I look to the right
hoping to find a friend
but realize that these faces
disappear into the night
and seemingly to no end
as they retreat into their own little places.
A friend is much needed
yet so hard to find
in a place strangers are known to be unfriendly.
My heart begged and pleaded
to stay safe in its mind
and not leave the body's home as to be offending.
The alleys are dark
as now is the sky
while surrounded by beauty I can no longer see.
The completely stark
nature of this dry
and depressing land does not seem to be for me.
The setting that I left
for the setting that I see
does not seem to be my best decision,
yet even if cleft
is the current seen that lacks glee,
my choice to come here cannot disappear by history of revision.
I am here now
in a strange town
where I must stay lost
until I somehow,
either swim or drown,
can escape the nightmare that dearly cost.

Another Day of Tests

Another day of tests,
spiritual, emotional, and mental,
comes to another night's rest
that will be lacking despite that being detrimental.
A day filled with lessons
of how to deal with adversity
broken down in educational sessions
that should be taught universally.
With fears that were quieted
only to have others arise,
our fragile souls rioted
while being comforted by surprise.
We had so much information
hurled at us without preparation.
As a family and as a cohesive nation,
we came together to form a stronger foundation.
We were excited in the sense
that more facts were presented,
yet are still worried in the present tense
that the negatives will be too well represented,
but we are more confident now
than we were just twenty-four hours ago
as we feel we will make it somehow
and persevere together through these tribulations we will know.
The road ahead is hard
as we knew when the news was heard,
but now we will have every regard
for moments that were previously deferred.
With a new found focus
on the task that is at hand,
we will not allow the atrocious
to grow in our minds and expand.
We will stay on course,
that narrow path in which peace is found,
as we will positively use all of our force
to live a life full of love that will abound.

Our Little Girl's Diagnosis

She has the disease
her grandmother was given.
Diagnosed just today,
the panic arrives, as home it is driven.
The sweet little girl
who does not deserve this
is the one who will suffer
in what feels like death's kiss.
With words of encouragement
from those who know best,
we still have trouble
gaining the night's rest.
We worry about finances
for the fleeting moment of superficiality
only until we push that aside
to focus on the core of the news that is our reality.
As her parents, we fret
for her well being days down the road
as we also begin to panic
for what tomorrow will bode.
We try to take the news initially
with a strong lip for our daughter's sake
only to have the water swell
in eyes that cannot refuse the tears' lake.
We, the parents, regroup together
as we try to think ahead
only until we try to talk of what was heard
for mere seconds before more tears are shed.
We let the waterworks flow
from eyes that are seconds shy of dry
to allow the nightmares to escape
in favor of moments to look to the sky.
Our prayers begin early,
as they are sure to continue often,
to a God who has a plan
that is sure to contain hearts to soften.
Our little girl, ever the wise one,
she reminds us that it will all be okay
as her mother and I look into each other's eyes
to realize the girl is right as we just pray.
A diagnosis not at all what we wanted
to hear on what was a beautiful day,
we cope and react as responsibly
as we can in light of the news thrown our way.
We know no matter what,
as the smartest little girl reminded us,
we will have One to hear our prayers
and will have each other to lean on even as we fuss.
We must keep that optimism alive
as we deal with realism in the meantime
knowing all the while that we will make it through
together to a place down the road so perfectly sublime.

Covetousness of Popularity

She has such a beautiful smile
that hasn't been shown in a while.
She hides it now with a frown
since, with her lies, she brought people down.
She used to be a nice girl
until the false accusations that she began to hurl.
With her reputation already cemented,
her new plan of attack must be implemented.

She wanted people to like her
so badly in fact
that she gave the wrong signals
in the way she would act.
Her words and actions were
contradictory to her emotions,
something that should have been made known
to spare all of the commotions.
She did not think ahead
to spare the feelings or lives
that would come to cross her path
in interactions that seemed so contrived.
She wanted to be liked
by all who she encountered
yet did not consider the cost
as the covetousness of popularity drowned her.

She wanted to be wanted
so badly she could taste it
yet what she needed when she needed it
became a dream's opportunity wasted.

Field Day

One of their favorite days of the years,
a time for smiles and a time for cheers,
voices loud and screams abounding,
competition and team support surrounding;
the sun beating down on their little backs
as swarms of competitors hurl their attacks,
they jump and run and duck and dive
in a setting in which they have never felt more alive.
The kids' competitive juices going
and the will to do whatever it takes flowing,
they are ready to win no matter the cost
and cannot even imagine the races lost.
This is the one day where they always
leave it all out there to remember for all days.
They laugh and joke with all in line
and revel in a time that could not be more fine.
As if far wiser than their days would suggest,
they revel in the moments that they will remember as the best.
They enjoy the times that they will later miss
but appreciate them fully in these seconds of bliss.
A day outside that is so much better today
than any day before it in every possible way,
they will not soon forget what they are currently so thankful for
as this field day seems serves as a launching pad for lives to show so much more.

The Day's Heat

It is so hot in here
and everywhere else I go.
Whether the sun is on me or not,
I cannot escape the effects of its glow.
My skin is moist with the condensation
caused by my body's overheat
that occurs almost every day now
escaping this temperature is my only longing feat.
I briefly complained in the cold,
complaints I would happily take back
if only I knew at the time
what would shortly follow in the form of a flaming attack.
My feet stick together
as they simply draw near to one another
like Siamese twins that cannot
ever escape the presence of their own brother.
My clothes that I cannot currently shed
but wish more than anything that I could
stick to me so much worse than
the termites on their evening's dinner wood.
My focus on whatever task may arise
swiftly leaves me without a chance
of completing whatever may be my duty
before I can even gather a glance.
I search out of my current box
to find comfort in a cooler setting
only to discover that hunt is futile
as my pours continue their uncontrollable sweating.
My mind's paralysis stays with me
as ideas to break through this stage
flee from my brain so quickly
I don't have the slightest chance to engage.
The day's heat has sucked the life
out of a being that felt so much just weeks ago
with no tool but a ball in the sky
and a discomfort turned debilitation that will only grow.

The Day's Growth by Grace

A great time with friends
in a setting with open fields
where people can let down their shields,
we enjoy ourselves to no ends
with nothing on our minds
including the weight of the daily grinds.
We can throw toys in the air
or we can sit around in a round shape
and enjoy a day together where we just escape.
We can sit around without a care
or we can stand to play a game
where no one can be passed a blame.
On a day God perfectly created
it seems the only thing to do
is to play and have a good time without a clue.
Creation like this will never be outdated
as long as we have the good sense
to use our good senses at no expense.
A day like today cannot come
every time we step ourselves outside
of our comfort circle in which we easily glide.
Today we will be thankful where we are from
as we rejoice in where we are going
in a growth by grace that we are showing.

Locked Away

I locked you in
and locked you away.
My key to freedom trapped,
I am now revoked my execution stay.
My mode lost
and way as well,
I can't catch my breath
as I need a spell.
I came with a plan
as I am now stuck without
and I must stay put
as my own competence I doubt.
With my own failure
in front of my eyes
my own disappointment
is no disguise.
So many around
without the slightest clue,
in this state of panic
I am unsure of what to do.
Patience in the face
of this type of turmoil
is an attribute with which
my fiber was not spoiled.
I cannot withstand
this self-applied pressure
as a savior I need
stronger than me by ever measure.
A hole to crawl into
and a corner to hide,
I must withdraw from everyone
as I retreat to the cocoon inside.

Why They Do It

They do it for their benefit,
not for your own.
They do it to be heard,
not for the words to be shown.
They do it for the show,
not for the crowd.
With an unabashed arrogance,
they do it to be loud.
They do not aim
to have an audience edified
and they do not do it
for a message to be clarified.
They do it for the glory
of selfish, self-conscious beings
who live a life for the approval of others
in a way that lacks all meaning.

Battle with Time

Time is frozen
as are my legs.
I am bored,
something others have pegged.
I am ready for
the night to end
and time to again
become my friend.
I am ready for
voices that slow
to increase their speed
and have assistance to show.
If only I knew
how to manipulate this time
it may change a perception
and an attitude of mine
but until that moment
I will stare at the clock
and think of my battle with time,
one that is being fought and lost.

Prize

We all have doubts
from time to time
but that does not mean
there is no faith in mind.
Just because feelings
of inadequacy rise
does not mean unfaithfulness
is our newest prize.
We will all find ourselves
in predicaments here and there
but we also realize
there is a God who cares.
Moments will arise
when we want to speak
words of depression
that our hearts seem to seek.
However that too shall pass
as we fall into God
at moments we feel the faintest
and the most at odds.
His giant, gentle hands
will catch us as we fall
as we, His most cherished prize,
will be seen through it all.

Con of Inspiration

The moment comes
as quickly as the moment is gone.
The notes causing hums
leave us without a song.
The smiles that were worn
are quickly abandoned now.
The paper feelings that were torn
were kept hidden somehow.
The overflow of emotions
stirred the chaos pot.
Now the seconds with commotions
are all proven for not.
The rise of rebellion
was just a Broadway show.
The choruses so stirring from the hellions
who sang of something they did not know.
Now the moments of inspiration
fall flat on their own faces
as admissions and abdications
put us all back into our uninspired and stagnant places.

Brevity of the Moment

It is a beautiful day
and the last one we will have here.
We have only spent a few hours
in times of great friends and times so sincere.
The breeze continues to blow
as we talk about life and all under the sun.
The breeze continues to slow
as these six friends come together as one.
We are free in a setting
where responsibility is no longer our concern.
We drink and enjoy ourselves
as we try to avoid the sun and its burn.
We sit on a pristine beach,
whether it be on a blanket or on a chair.
We sit together in a moment
feeling the beach's beautifully crisp air.
We sit around together
with the creeping revelation
that this time together
is one that will leave us in consternation,
yet we will sit here for now
as we come to the realization
that leaving here will not split apart
this bounded and united friend nation.

Restrictions

I hear your requests
and am not ignoring them by any stretch,
but you must realize
these restrictions put me in a game of go-fetch.
You telling me how to do things
in a way that limits who I am
is nothing but a wall of limitations
that changes me into a lifeless man.
You tell me my words do not rhyme
and that the scheme is not right
despite the fact you have not read
my life yet in the light.
You sit in the pitch black
where you are on your high chair
that shows you nothing of reality,
not as if you would show a care.
You live by this imaginary rule book
that tells you what to do or say
despite the fact you are the author
of this fantasy life to show you the way.
My only request is that you leave me
to do things the way I see fit
as I know what I am doing I this regard
and need nothing less than for you to drag me into your pit.

Unreliable

I go to pour my words into you
only to find you have abandoned me.
You give a brief message to
and think that will make me happy.
With no warning prior to your decision,
I am taken back and off-guard.
I was ready to share feelings with precision
but instead am left with emotions marred.
I wish I had at least a warning of this failure to come
and the way that you would let me down
instead of being surprised by you coming undone
and wearing the unreliable crown.
Next time I will know better
than to misplace all of my faith and self
in someone who is nothing but a fetter
who will do nothing but, without a second thought, put me on the shelf.

Your Violence

It gives you power
yet takes it away
exactly when you need it
to be there to stay.
It makes you strong
yet leaves you weak
as you become vulnerable
without opportunity to speak.
It builds you up
only to tear you down
leaving you barren
like a natural disaster-stricken town.
It warms you inside
with adrenaline pumping
as you feel strong enough
to give anything a trumping,
yet that feeling vanishes
once you are at the top
as your violence comes crashing
down in a thunderous drop.

Just As High

I'm going to make it short and sweet
just to inform you that you are not beat.
Becoming a quitter will not fill
the empty hole in your will.

You must remember and know
this mentality will not help life go
any smoother nor more to plan
or cause obstacles to be banned.

Keep that head up just as high
as your neck will allow it in the sky
and know the weather will get better
as each day's passing lifts a fetter.

Their Mommy, My Wife

Here it is today,
a beautiful one in May,
one dedicated to you
and all the things you do.
The mother of their dreams
who always hears their screams,
one who is always there
and always the one to care,
you pick them up when they fall
and hear their every call.
Whatever is their need
is the appetite you feed
and whatever they decide to do,
they know support will come from you.
You are a better mother
now than any other
but also the best wife
I could have in this life.

You always love me
despite my insufficiencies.
Even when I tend to forget,
you always know my expectations and assure they are met.
Even when you think you disappoint me
I could never be unhappy in this covenant joined jointly.
Your love will never fall short
as I will never have a complaint to report.
You will always be the love of my life
and make me the proudest to call you my wife.

Today You Are One

These two found each other
through unlikely circumstances,
yet this day marks that they will not lose each other
over any dark days or dirty glances.
Perfect for each other
in every single possible way,
they have dreamed for years
of this glorious, love and God-filled day.
A simple moment with legal implications
that lasts but minutes
with a promise of eternity
of a love that never knows any limits,
“what God has brought together
let no man tear apart”
as these two will forever be one
tied tightly at the heart.
With three beautiful kids
and family and friends full of love
Robert and Adrienne are sure
to always rise above.
Whether it is a detracting mouth
or Satan himself,
God will never allow these two
to be plucked from His shelf.
As long as these two rely on God,
as we all vow to help them do,
there will never be a fear to be had
as God’s promises will always be true.
What love is not strong enough for
is the gap God will fill,
whether as healthy as can be
or whether this world causes you to be ill.
Always remember life is not easy,
as both of you well know,
but you can always rely on God
as He will never let you go.
This model is the one
I know you both will follow
as you will always love each other
even as old together you will grow.
All there is to know
is that we are all here for you
but more importantly is to realize
you two are about to say “I do.”

Sandy Scene

Sand surrounds my toes
as my feet slide down.
The sound of three children screaming
echoes in an empty town.
Crashes of waves come down
on little ears, hearing it for the first time.
Little hands use sticks to draw in the sand,
a graffiti that is no crime.

One seagull lands
in front of my eyes.
He strolls down the beach
as if this stroll is his prize.
He stands and admires
all at which he stares.
He flies away from the scene
only to come back with a friend to share.

The wind begins to increase,
its impact being strongly felt.
Its power so evident,
stronger even than a sun that can melt.
It begins to toss
towels, chairs, and toys alike
as people become chill
while walking by playing tykes.

People walk up and down
holding onto jackets in the wind.
They walk the beach
as they go straight and around the bend.
They step on sand so stiff and packed
it shatters like glass with a single footprint.
They then pass the sandy scene
in a condition so pristine and even more mint.

Gaze

A comment is made
with which they both agree.
They look at each other
as eyes connect immediately.
They briefly gaze
for a moment at one another
until that moment is gone
at which point he turns to his brother.
However, she has yet
to finish staring at her target.
Though he may be done
she cannot begin to forget it.
She stares longer
and deeper than either did before.
Though he does not think of it,
she is still wanting more.
He may or may not know
how she feels
but she will have to deal
with her ever-spinning wheels.
He does not find
that her feelings are his responsibility,
which clears his conscience
of any hurt feelings.
It is not his priority
how she spends her nights
as she hides the tears
and inner-emotional fights.
She is convinced he does
not care how she does
but wishes she could
remove conversation's fuzz
so he could hear clearly
all that is her insides
as if this could persuade
and bring his thinking to her side.
However, she also thinks
the catharsis that could
come with simply presenting
her feelings would
at least serve as a way
for her to get sleep
and let her know she did
what she could to stop the nights' weep.

Finally she tells him
those glares meant more
than accidental eye contact
as they both stood up for the door.
She says how long
her heart has had a burning desire;
she then awaits
a response to a heart so tired.
He opens his mouth
to finally give his response
and finally end this cliffhanger.
He speaks and goes on
to say...

Plucked

A leaf falls from the tree
and onto the table.
It sits there for moments
so calm and very stable
until the same breeze
that plucked it from its home
discards it even lower
to its own catacomb.

The peace it possessed
attached to the branch
is stolen away so rudely
as the abrupt end never gave it a chance.

Niche in Contradiction

Short in its irony,
ironic in its brevity,
it stings in its lingering.
Cruel in its truth,
true in its cruelty,
it hurts my eyes with its fingering.
Disgusting in its lies,
lying in its disgust,
it hits from every angle.
Surprising in its directness,
direct in its surprise,
it has no chance to be tangled.
Falling with its words,
wordy in its fall,
it seems so very long.
Bold in its shyness,
shy in its boldness,
it's so short and so strong.
Contradictory in its speaking,
speaking in its contradiction,
it's too muddled to immediately by understood.
Simple in its pain,
painful in its simplicity,
it's presented as a step necessary and good.
With so many emotions attached to a story,
it's not clear if it's fact or fiction.
With a monotone so cold and lifeless
and a matching robot-like delivery
it's a way of doing business that has become your addiction.