Throttled

When cruising and you find
You’re stuck behind the slower kind
Just keep this in mind:

If you gun the gas
So you can make a pass
You could wipe out on someone’s grass

And quickly end your trek
Everything a wreck
With wifey's hands around your neck.

Dug In

Instant grump
Because a stump
Said you can’t
Where I would plant
It snagged my craw
I grabbed my saw
And tried my best
To toss this guest
A futile quest
Now I rest.

Memorialized

We celebrate the brave
And everything they gave
Far too many paid the price
With painful sacrifice

They march by and wave,
We celebrate the brave
With little flags and a parade
While they recall the raid

That brought about the end
Of more than one friend.
We celebrate the brave
By leaving flowers at a grave

One day every year
When we thank those still here
For freedoms they helped save—
We celebrate the brave.

Unspeakable

For most, words don’t mean much
But you remember what you said
And now you’re overwhelmed with such
Remorse because they’re really dead.

Harmonious

The church bells rang
Which sparked a pang
Of guilt for having stayed away
But then I felt
An urge and knelt
So I could humbly pray
With a likewise vibrant tone
Humility in every bone
And as the heavens glowed above
I was redeemed by God’s great love.

Fact Checked

“Should I be reviled?”
He asked me, then smiled,
“For telling folks what they must know?”
His eyes had the glint
Of deceit, and a hint
Of arrogance, which made distrust grow.

When on my TV
This guy seemed to be
Professional and somewhat sincere
But here, face to face
There wasn’t a trace
Of kindness beneath the veneer

As is my way
I bid him “Good day.”
He said, “Can’t go until we agree.”
Then continued to glare
His petulant stare
I laughed and said “That’s news to me!”

Cosmology

Last night Mars stood beneath
The moon, his visage fierce
As though his sword had left the sheath
The blade poised to pierce—
Why do the otherworldly sort
Like to spar for sport?

Wishful

Occasionally I have no snafus
And think did my luck finally turn?
Two minutes later chaos ensues
You’d think by now I’d learn.

In Orbit

Venus was under the weather
And beneath the moon as well
But the glow when they’re together
Made it hard to tell

Mars was dimly lurking
Planning his next attack
The moon just kept on smirking
Its heart so cold and black.

Compound

The synthesis of conformity
Is when the vast majority
Seem anxious to deny
The right to question why.

Exult

When life’s nonstop
And you’re ready to drop
Here’s your choice:
You can flip or flop

Either sink with the drowned
Or reach solid ground
The buoyant rejoice
So let it resound.

Stimuli

The buzzz of a bee
The wooosh of a tree
The trilll of birds near
Will tickle my ear

Some red clouds at dawn
Green grass on the lawn
A brilliant blue sky
All capture my eye

The heat of the sun
A breeze softly spun
That tingles my skin
Can touch me within.

Going Places

The faker you are
The farther you go
You ask me how far?
I really don’t know

Such tripe is abhorred
By those who won’t heel
Existing ignored
In the land of the real

It may sound bizarre
But seems to be so
The faker you are
The farther you go.

Cooked

I know that one can’t pick and choose
But it seems my only good reviews
Are for the food I loathe to cook
Not my nonexistent book
But such has been my path thus far
A little hope, a lot of scar
Now tell me what you want to eat
So my life can be complete.

Inertia

How people lie
To get their way.
How people lie?
It’s tough to say.

How people cheat
So they can win.
How people cheat?
They bow to sin.

How people steal
To feed their lust.
How people steal?
When others trust.

How people learn
By being hurt.
How people learn?
With pride inert.

Quantify

How much regret can one feel in a day,
In week, or a life, when it won’t go away?
I never have measured, but all I can say:
even a shred is too much, okay?

Timbre

Be like a tree and grow
Stretch your limbs towards the sky
Grab all the light you can stow
For darkness is ever nearby

Remember to always stand strong
For those that need somewhere to lean
And let the wind whisper its song
Through you to fight the machine.

Break the Internet

Everybody wants to be somebody
I just wanna be me
I don’t have me too much money
Or an ivy league degree
I’m happy when the skies are sunny
As I just live and let be
Everybody wants to be somebody
I just wanna be me

Everyone is so obsessed
With who’s the worst and who’s the best
And how many likes they can generate
If only they could learn to care
When someone else feels deep despair
Then love would be the content they create.

Outlier

You watch your own decline
Like a downward trending line
And mutter Everything’s fine

While trying to restart
Desire in your heart
Before you’re off the chart.

Backstroke

When the person that should pull for you
Is constantly pushing you down
There isn’t much that you can do
But swim away before you drown.

Testament

Money? Everyone wants a share.
Houses? They fall into disrepair,
But heartfelt words will always be there.

When I am gone remember this:
Although my life was oft amiss
The love we shared was truly bliss.

Incidental

I never have quite fit
Or been the least bit keen
To filter out the nasty grit
Which fouls the vast machine

It gets into the gears
And clogs up everything
Including unresponsive ears
That can’t hear sirens ring

When warnings indicate
How something isn’t right
Instead, the deaf remain sedate
With danger in plain sight.

Diet

The geometry of bread can be daunting
When sandwich structure matters
One misstep could be haunting
If a perfectly good meal splatters.

Overfed

I'm not as nice as I used to be
And clearly the problem is me
I'm sick of the effrontery

No one takes time to assess
If they’re making more of a mess,
Have I had enough? YES!

Relentless

The dreams of youth are dated
And slowly pass away
As we spend life frustrated
By ‘The problem of the day’

The trick is: never sacrifice
Your ideal to get by,
Don’t focus on the not-so-nice—
As long as you can, try.

Perennial

The flower moon
Began to bloom
In search of a bouquet
No decolletage
Could hold this corsage
The perfect posy for may.

Notice

The emerald grass
Waves as I pass
While sparkles of dew
Make everything new

Then boisterous birds
Sing without words
And I hum along
A harmonious song

With a long sigh I let
Go of regret
Acknowledge the blades,
Start fresh escapades.

Dilemma

Above, jets proceed
Down here, I concede
Somewhere in the middle
Is the breathing room I need

Without, grind won’t stop
Within, ground to stop
I've got to solve the riddle
Of restarting not to flop.

Paddle

We’re all in this together
Now where have I heard that before?
Oh yeah, it was last time the weather
Made us question if we’d get to shore
Now hand me a bloody oar

If everyone helps with rowing
We just might make a good stand
But I can tell we are slowing
Because some won’t soil a hand
Though they’ll be first on land.

Nightscape

The clouds are dark and swirled
Like eddies in the night
And I find myself immersed

In the wonders of the world
That tickle my delight
Until my mood's reversed.

Mayday

This vessel’s going down
I feel that I may drown
The waves are capped with white
No matter how I fight
They keep surrounding me
And though I love the sea
Beneath a heavy frown
This vessel’s going down.