My lesson is learned
So this I do know
My freedom is earned
So please let me go

Framed for a crime
I did not commit
Jailed for some time
And so here I sit

Sentenced to the earth
And condemned to die
Whatever it is worth
And regardless of why

Kept in the dark
Blinded by the light
The outlook is stark
The truth out of sight

(Published by Lone Stars Poetry Magazine July 2020.)

Standing on the corner,
Here is what I see:
I see a guy walking by,
Who looks a lot like me.

Going through the motions,
We all must follow through,
Doing all of the things,
We are supposed to do.

Stopping at the lights,
Abiding by the law,
Over and over again,
Like riding a seesaw.

Living day to day,
Surviving year to year,
Staying on the path,
Like life is a career.

Following all the rules,
Playing the same game,
Like bees inside a hive,
Every day is the same.

Everybody looks alike,
We speak the same way,
Somebody asks a question,
We know just what to say.
\
In all the voices I hear,
In all the points of view,
Nobody ever knows
More or less than I do.

Standing on the corner,
Watching myself walk by,
Without ever knowing,
As to the reason why.

Standing on the corner,
Walking down the street,
I see a mirror image
In every face I meet.

O say but can you hear,
Above all the chatter?
Kindly place your ear near,
Does but one life matter?

So many live and die,
Too much to ever count.
No one can specify,
Precisely the amount.

Our lives will come and go,
With beings far and near,
But we may never know
The reason we are here.

A frog croaks in the night,
His universe, the pond.
Can a life so finite
Have a meaning beyond?

Does every grain of sand
Matter to all the stars?
Does what we understand
Concern the ants on Mars?

Do the fish in the sea,
Or the birds in the sky,
Know about you and me,
Care if we live or die?

For ev’ry red balloon,
There’s infinitely more.
We may recall the tune,
But do we know the score?

(Published by Lone Stars Poetry Magazine, March 2023)

I cry when I think of Pete Seeger,
His songs bring tears to my eyes,
But I cannot seem to shed a tear,
When it comes to my own demise.

I get misty about my children,
My grandchildren and my wife,
But it does not seem to bother me,
When I think about losing my life.

I get sad when I think of the struggles,
Some people have all their lives,
But I must believe, when a body dies,
Something greater still survives.

I can see the end of the tunnel.
Somehow, I can see the light
I do not know what will happen,
But I know it will be alright.

For whom does the bell toll?
Beneath the stars and sun
All parts of the whole
An infinity of one

You are born, and then you die.
Life consists of the days between.
Live and love, laugh and cry.
The source of it stays unseen.

As you grow, you never know
How you came to be alive.
You only know, the row you hoe
Will help you to survive.

Your organism will die some day,
Like a flower, a dolphin or bird.
As you pray to stay some way,
Eternal souls may be absurd.

Born into this world of wonder,
Full of colors and infinity,
Amid rain and sounds of thunder,
Hoping to exist for eternity.

In death, I wish to fade away,
Without any heartache or pain.
To drift away, at end of day,
Late at night in the pouring rain.

With raindrops upon the rooftop,
In the gentleness of the night,
As my heart does finally stop,
And my soul loses earthly sight.

Whatever comes will be alright,
As I ease on away from here.
My immortal soul will take flight,
Beyond all the pain and the fear.

Seeking some way above the fray,
Away from this moment in time.
Seeking to find some better way,
An existence much more sublime.

Come on pretty baby,
Let’s take a little trip.
I’m not too young
And I’m not too hip.

I’m going to California,
Come away with me,
Way down the road,
Come along and see.

We can hitch a ride
Or maybe just walk.
Spend time with me
As we walk and talk.

Three thousand miles
On a four day ride.
As long as we’re together,
We will be satisfied.

Come and go with me,
I will keep you near.
I will keep you safe.
You have nothing to fear.

Together we can make it
In all kinds of weather.
Our love for each other
Will keep us together.

I will watch over you.
By your side, I will stay.
You will never be alone,
Not a moment or a day.

You were born in New York,
I was raised in L.A.
Come along with me,
I will show you the way.

New York to California,
I’ve been down that road.
Let’s hit the highway,
We can share the load.

Make me your home,
I will be your family.
Bring along your love,
Come away with me.

I can see my hands.
I can see my feet.
I can feel my heart,
I can feel it beat.

Am I an organism,
Or just using one?
Going for a ride,
Doing it for fun?

Thoughts are illusions,
The organism real.
The body must die
To no longer feel.

Are we born again,
Another place and time,
Or die with our bones
After one lifetime?

The organism dies,
The brain rots away.
Is it an illusion
We return someday?

We exist forever,
To matter at all.
Beyond any limit,
Beyond any wall.