REFLECTIONS IN VERSE

Have you seen the sky when it seemed aflame, with orange, red, and gold,
and blended with a purple tint, magnificent to behold?
Have you seen a roaring waterfall, gleeming, tumbling, foamy white,
With a rainbow nestled in its' spray, droplets dancing, beaming light?

Have you seen the moon, bright and full, while a lonesome cloud passed it by,
Or gazed in awe at the Milky Way, while a dying star streaked the sky?
I envy you these things you see, this gift you have, this sense of sight,
To me they all look the same, everything black and void of light.

I've known the hell of a cold damp cell,
I've been beaten, raped, and degraded,
But it would come to be, one day I'd be free,
So I waited and wasted and waited.

I used my time well in that miserable hell,
I studied and learned some new trades,
I could hardly wait till they opened the gate,
When my debt to society was paid.

Each day was like the nightmare,
I'd dreamed the night before,
Till I felt the warmth of freedom's breath,
And I walked through freedom's door.

I said my goodbyes to some of the guys,
And went out and boarded the bus,
As the bus pulled away on that memorable day,
I saw my hell disapear in the dust.

And the thoughts that I keep that rob me of sleep,
That surface again and again,
When will they find that justice so blind,
Took ten years from an innocent man?

If you could see me as I am, not as you think of me,
You would see a raging torrent beneath that peaceful sea.
I radiate such confidence, you think I'm in command,
But that pedestal you've put me on is sinking in the sand.

I'm rich with friends that love me but the loneliness inside,
Is fed by insecurities that I try so hard to hide.
Desperation's the motivation for writing this right now,
I pray that you will read it and know it's mine somehow.

I call her my dream machine but Honda is her name,
On the road or on the trail, excitement is the game.
When I turn her on she turns me on and we both come alive,
With the wind in my face, my back to the past, what a thrill of a country drive.

She takes me places and shows me things that I have never seen,
She makes me feel unleashed and free, my Honda the dream machine.
Nestled there between my legs, responsive to my touch,
My dream machine is a Honda and I love her very much!

I can't do it alone Lord, You know how hard I tried,
I asked for your help before Lord, and each time it was denied.
Why do you let me suffer Lord? I just don't understand,
I have never been more down Lord, I need a helping hand.

I can't live with this monkey Lord, help me get him off of me,
Give me one more chance Lord, to be what I can be.
I've gone as far as I can go in this hell I'm living in,
And my spirit's just too broken for any mortal soul to mend,

So if you won't help me Lord, there ain't no one that can,
And living is just for dying if I can't be whole again.
So I need a hit from you Lord, one last fix for me,
Filled by your own hands Lord, with crack to set me free.

The stroke of twelve was seconds away, most of us were full of cheer,
With hats and horns and noisemakers poised, awaiting the start of another new year.
The party started hours ago, getting together with friends,
One last chance to raise some hell, before the old year ends.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, we counted the seconds away,
One sober, some smashed, some just high, but all of us feeling gay.
For me it's aways kind of sad and I never know the reason why,
Unless it's for the memories lost, just out of reach from years gone by.

Six, five, four, three, and then down to two,
One passed out will sleep through shouts,
While out goes the old and in comes the new.
Well there it goes and here it is, the new year's coming in,
I kissed my wife and downed my drink
And kissed the wives of all my friends.

In memory of Odell Webb the bull rider..................... June 9, 1912 - March 3, 1996

The young bull rider gazed into the casket with teary eyes and a heavy chest,
He would miss this old bull rider who had been neatly laid to rest,
And as a final act of kindness and as a show of his love,
He laid beside his Grandpa, his own bull riders glove,

I'm sure he thought of all the buckles that his Grandpa had won,
And hoped that he could match him before his rodeo days were done,
The reputation his Grandpa had was that of a man's man,
And if there's a rodeo in heaven, he would ride the bull again.

I am so consumed by guilt, and I know the reason why,
Why am I feeling guilty? Because of a senseless lie.
Yesterday, I'm sad to say, that I didn't go to work,
I should have told my boss the truth, instead I lied, like a jerk.

I told my boss my uncle John, had suffered a heart attack,
That I needed off, for just a day and tomorrow I'd be back.
I received a call, later that day, on the telephone,
Uncle John suffered a heart attack, and he died all alone.

If I ever tell a lie again, no doubt I'm sure to find,
That the death of uncle John will prey heavy on my mind.

I made my Mom a promise, it was many years ago,
The importance of that promise, I was, not yet, to know.
There were tears in her eyes as my car pulled away,
The vision still, is crystal clear, like it was yesterday.

I remember the sadness I felt, how it stuck with me that day,
And the sun's reflection in her tears, as she bowed her head to pray.
That was many years ago, my dear Mother, is now gone,
But her spirit will always linger and my promise still lives on.

The promise that I made her, was one that changed my life,
I promised her I'd go to church, it was there I met my wife.
I thank God for all the blessings, that my wife and I have shared,
And I give thanks, for answered prayers, from a Mom that really cared.

For My Loving Daughter

KAREN by Chuck Sullivan

Thirteen is a special age,
And you're a special little girl,
You've been sunshine in my life,
When there were storms in my world.

I've seen you like a mountain stream,
Rushing, gushing, babbling on,
Not knowing where you're going,
Not caring where you've gone.

I've seen you show such wisdom too,
When I didn't think you could,
I've seen you understanding,
When I didn't think you would.

You've warmed my heart so many times,
When the cold was all I had,
And my glowing is in the knowing,
That I'll always be your Dad.

You have a gift for warming,
Be yourself in all you do,
And I will share a special joy,
With the girl that gave me you.

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