THE PELICANS

If I ever could come back,
Surely, I’d come back intact,
A pelican on the sea.

Floating on the air, I’ll fly,
Way above the earth, so high,
Happy to feel free.

The ocean as my breakfast nook,
I’ll eat raw fish, no need to cook,
The sea, my grocery store.

Each day a vacation at the beach,
Heaven will be within my reach.
How could I ask for more?

The other birds will be my friends,
No need to argue or make amends,
Knowing how to share.

Late in the day, the sun will set,
One last dive into water, so wet,
Then dry off in the air.

As the darkness comes o’er me,
The night, as peaceful as can be,
I will sleep until dawn.

After my evening rest is taken,
In the morning light, I’ll awaken
When darkness is gone.

It is the freedom I desire,
Which compels me to admire
The pelicans as they fly.

Such a life is truly blessed.
To be a pelican is the best.
If given a chance, I’ll try.

(Published by The Society of Classical Poets Literary Journal May 30, 2018)

HOMELESS AND ALONE

As the morning light came,
He awoke in the dust.
Too drunk to feel the shame,
His whole life was a bust.

It happened in the square.
He passed out in the dark,
Without anyone there,
All alone in the park.

He got up on his feet
And he looked all around.
As he walked to the street,
Only birds made a sound.

It was quiet at dawn,
The city still asleep.
With all his money gone,
He was in trouble deep.

Lucky to be so young,
He was just twenty-one.
His song may still be sung,
Have its day in the sun.

For those men much older,
Near the end of the line,
The wind is much colder,
The sun does hardly shine.

To die out on the street,
No family or friend,
Life is so incomplete
With such a bitter end.

Wherever you may roam,
Beneath the stars above,
Be thankful for a home
And for someone to love.

LIGHT AS A FEATHER

“How does it feel to be a guinea pig?”
An old hobo did once ask of me;
It was dawn, the morning sun rising,
Up all night in a park were we.

On a sidewalk inside New York City,
Just like mice inside of some maze;
Wandering around, as we hung out,
We stumbled about in a daze.

We had a hard time comprehending it,
Although it was quite clear to see:
We did not plan a life on this earth,
But that’s exactly what came to be.

“Judge not, lest you be judged.”
One and all are in this together.
As each must carry a heavy load,
Existence is light as a feather.

WHO CARES?

Say your prayers and mourn the dead,
But much more killing is still ahead.
As long as the guns are in our lives,
Only a random number survives.

Empty words are always spoken.
The heart of society is broken.
Many say all we can do is pray.
Legislation’s for another day.

Second Amendment is a suicide pact.
Now is the time for leaders to act.
Do something more than just offer prayers
And show us which of you really cares.

REALITY AND PERCEPTION

A concept is but a concept,
Existing only in the mind.
All of these words are thoughts
Belonging to the human kind.

Objects exist in empty space.
Without eyes, there can be no sight.
The real world which we call nature,
Does contain no wrong or right.

Reality has many forms,
Many more than we can perceive.
All we know is what we know
As the words which we conceive.

GOD AND DEVIL

Good people have at their core,
Standards to be held on high.
A religion can be nothing more
Than a set of rules to live by.

Only the insane are truly atheistic,
Or agnostic and without any rules.
We all must strive to be realistic.
Those without any rules are fools.

Remove an O from the word GOOD.
Add a D to EVIL, it spells DEVIL.
GOD can then be fully understood,
And religion becomes on the level.

God and Devil are Right and Wrong,
Philosophical symbols in the mind.
Only good people will ever belong
To the Universal Church of the Kind.

WILLIAM BLAKE

In another lifetime
I was William Blake
When I saw his work
That was my take

He wrote about love
And the human heart
I thought I was him
Right from the start

He wrote about London
Tiger burning bright
His influence looms
In whatever I write

He wrote about life
The human abstract
I hope I was him
I hope it is fact

I flatter myself
To think I was him
Deep down I know
The chances are slim

His mystical presence
Burns like a fire
To be like him
Is to what I aspire

(Published by The Society of Classical Poets Literary Journal February 11, 2018 and Lone Stars Poetry Magazine, Fall 2020)

MY FRESH AIR

As I wake up each morning
I breathe in my fresh air
I remember you are with me
I love that you are there

Whenever I think about you
It takes my breath away
I breathe a little easier
To know you’re here to stay

So breathe on me my lady
And love me if you can
Your love leaves me breathless
I’m your ever lovin’ man

You are like a precious stone
So rare beyond compare
Loving you is as easy
As breathing my fresh air

BOOK OF LIFE

Ever notice how time goes by?
The clock on the wall goes “Bong!”
Just like a bird, the time does fly;
Like an army, it marches along.

The leaves on trees tumble and fall,
The wind blows across tall grass.
Life is short, does it matter at all?
We are born to live ’til we pass.

Passage of time is incremental.
Step by step, we grow and age.
As memories can be sentimental,
Every day we turn a new page.

Our lives develop like a book,
With chapters and twisting plots.
Stories change each time we look,
Our emotions tied up in knots.

At last, our bodies will expire,
Physical death comes on us fast.
Buried, entombed, consumed by fire,
As the future becomes the past.

Our journeys will take many turns,
As the road goes around the bend.
When a lifetime crashes and burns,
The Book of Life comes to an end.

RELIGION QUESTION

Christians and Muslims all agree,
There will soon be a judgment day.
If I could ever question God,
Here is one thing I may just say:

“In case we do not pass your test,
In the course of the human race;
If we could fail and burn in hell,
Why create us in the first place?”