He looked in the mirror
And instead of his face
He saw someone worthy
Of goodness and grace;
A man who was useful,
Who’d given enough,
With bountiful beauty
Though his edges were rough;
A man that he knew
Deserved the fine feeling
That he could rise higher
Uncrushed by the ceiling;
A man who saw Heaven
In shelves left undusted,
Who hadn’t yet learned
It’s alright to be rusted;
A man who’d been beaten
Yet rose straight and tall
On the day he believed
It was his face after all.
Filed under Poems
When my team is 8 and 6
And my fantasy QB gets sick
You’re the RB1 I start
And throw to when the ground is slick.
You’re the treadmill at the gym
In front of the TV
Where I can watch the Yankees lose
With nobody in front of me.
You’re someone I never thought
Was real, but here you are!
Like a white guy who hates frisbee sports
And never tried to learn guitar.
When I hold your hand I feel
Like I am good at math,
And if you asked me nicely
I might even take a bath.
I think you’re pretty naked
Or in a muumuu, though
I doubt there is a clothing item
That could dull your glow.
I would window shop with you
On our anniversary,
And when you sleep, on the toilet’s edge
I aim so you don’t hear me pee.
You smell like guacamole
And when you hold me tight
I forget to pull my belly in
And I know the world’s alright.
Filed under Poems
I built two homes in my mind
On a foundation of good intent.
One was perfect, charming, yellow,
But alas away it went.
The second house is red and black
And full of song and sharing,
And though it also may away
It’s worthy of my daring.
This darker home reminds me
Of the prayers I spoke when young,
Of Autumn wind and springtime rain
And hymns borne from my tongue,
A home of possibilities
Where nothing goes unsaid.
God willing, we’ll build it together;
Until then, it’s in my head.
Filed under Poems
Sometimes when you look at me
Wide-eyed, uncertain,
The endless doubt and weariness fade
And I hold your hand softly
And kiss you gently;
My whole ego becomes weightless
And I know that I have you
And I don’t deserve you
And I would die a thousand times
To be with you just an hour more.
Sometimes when you look at me
Silently, deeply,
I know exactly how your heart
Is full of warm Summer breezes
And hibernating mammals
Warm in each others’ embrace
Beneath a cold, uncaring world.
Sometimes when you look at me
Gently, longingly,
I wonder how on earth
A stacked team like Rams
Can lose to the freakin’ 49ers in primetime;
Then I try to look at your tits
Without you noticing.
I can’t.
This is what it means to be a man.
Filed under Poems
Some people use condoms.
Some folks use the pill.
Some people are celibate.
There are other methods still;
My favorite of the methods
To prevent a pregnancy
Is by telling all my dates
That I play D&D.
Filed under Poems
As every day the sun has risen
Since the day all men were born
To signal coming of a new day
By the sunlight through the corn,
By the very first song of the birds
Hidden in a distant tree
So do I hope my eyes will settle
On you lying next to me,
And as the sun casts shadows over
All that lives beneath the light
I hope my mind is full of mem’ries
Of what happened through the night.
As heaven transforms from black to gold
And clouds shift from orange to cream
And your eyes flicker and welcome me
I know I’ve achieved my dream.
As you see my smile widen more
Than it would by normal grace
You see into my mind and demand
“What did you draw on my face?”
Filed under Poems
To my one and only who left me to cry
Just a month after love in the month of July:
I hope in my heart you are happy and well
Though I know I won’t see you again!
To the one whom I sang to by river and trail
Without even a thought that our kinship could fail:
I hope in my heart that you’re singing right now
With a voice I’ll hear never again!
To the one I confided in joy and in pain,
Whom I kissed on a bridge in the darkness and rain:
I hope in my heart that you’ll never be lonely
Though I’ll never caress you again!
To the heart that you broke that is healing tonight
I promise you’ll once again feel alright!
I hope you keep hoping and loving forever,
For hoping for love is a worthy endeavor,
And because you loved once you’ll be light as a feather
Even if you love never again!
Filed under Poems
There are two invisible powers
And both go by the name of “Love.”
Both share earthly symbols
Like a flower or a dove,
Both can feel spectacular
And to lose them feels rotten,
But only one is cherished
While the other is forgotten.
The first love, which we celebrate
Comes in many ways and rates,
Whether flourishing in one glance
Or through countless many dates.
It’s an all-consuming passion
That no drug can replicate,
Designed by God or nature
To ensure two people mate.
I prefer the second love,
Which many haven’t known,
Which can’t be felt by starry eyes
Or fire in the bone.
This love is not a feeling
But an action that we take
Not to gratify ourselves
But for another’s sake.
This second love is not reserved
For those with lovely faces.
Instead it’s most important for
Those found in darkened places,
And yet with equal vigor
To your wife and to your foe
You manifest the second love
And to both parties show.
You needn’t feel amorous
To help a stranger carry
A heavy bag, nor should you feel
Obliged to them to marry.
And yet the baffling part about
This second love these days
In when you show a person this
They’ll spurn it seven ways;
“Shee’s clingy,” or “He’s needy,”
Or “He’s trying way too hard,”
Or “He’s creepy,” or “She’s lying,
“So I must be on my guard.”
In most cases the rebuke
Is one of self-defense,
For many who show kindness
Are expecting recompense.
So when one shares the second love
For nothing but the good
It seems what was well-meaning
Is oft misunderstood.
I hope if you’re a giver
Of this secret second love,
The love for human brothers
Unconnected by their blood,
That you do not forget the gift
Or cease to feel or give,
For you’re an ever-scarcer breed
Who knows how best to live.
And if you may receive the gift
I formerly did mention
That you may understand it
As a love with good intention.
And if you’ve never thought of love
As something more than lust
I hope you read these verses
With an open mind, and trust
That if you try to love someone
For their sake, not your own,
That you will feel a universe
In which you’re less alone.
Filed under Poems
When was the last time a stranger
Whispered something in your ear,
Whether something that was naughty
Or perhaps a secret fear,
Saying something so important
That they risked becoming near
To share with you a datum
Only you were fit to hear?
If you’ve never given quiet
I think you ought to try it.
Filed under Poems
I’m reading a book recommended to me
By a woman whom I once adored.
I’m reading, avoiding inviting the world
For the world leaves me feeling ignored.
I make friends with a spider I’m terrified of
Who lives on my white bedroom wall;
I know he deserves life as much as I do
Even though he is creepy and small.
I’m wearing soft clothing, lying and waiting
And writing a poem in bed,
Remembering over and over forever
The words that I felt and I said.
I’m hearing the lawnmower, water through pipes,
The cars on the road passing by
Destined to be somewhere other than here
And I can’t help my wondering why.
Why is the grass not allowed to be growing?
Why must the spider bring fear?
Why do the people drive quickly to elsewhere
When they know they will end up back here?
Why do I care for an author’s opinion?
Why can’t I love people less?
All I can do is get up and keep smiling
And be me: a beautiful mess.
Filed under Poems
The Daily Travesty 