Jimmie got lucky

Jimmie got lucky

Out of town for the weekend

Ready to raise some hell

Break some rules, act the fool

No one would ever tell

His wedding ring safe in his duffle

His family far away

Neon blaze through Tequila haze

Good judgment held at bay

Blonde hair, blue eyes

Trolling at the bar

Dangerous curves from here to there

It was lust at first sight

He took too long to make his move

Another guy got to her

They hit it off, they left together

Jimmie cursed his luck

She didn’t have the test back

She probably didn’t know

The virus lurked within her

But had yet to take its toll

Jimmie got lucky

Didn’t know it at the time

Just in time

He changed his mind

And lived another day

Last call was one too many

Jimmy staggered to his truck

 

Flashing lights are hard to heed

When your belly’s full of beer

The westbound Freight is hard to slow

When obstacles appear

. . Copyright 2015

Phone not Ringing

Phone Not Ringing

When your phone’s not ringing

It’s me not calling

When your hearts not singing

It’s me not falling

Head over heels

And madly in love

Because I've done that before 

But it wasn't enough

To keep me from lying 

awake and alone

Holding on for dear life

To an unanswered phone

. . Copyright 2007

Too Far Gone

Too Far Gone

We were good friends, nothing more

When love snuck up behind us

Appeared from thin air

Caught us unawares

Changed it all forever

But over time the newness faded

Life intervened, attention waned

Minds focused elsewhere

Emotions in disrepair

Love softly stole away

Refrain

Too far gone to still be lovers

Gone too far to just be friends

You and I had a good thing going

Now we’re going, going, too far gone

Life intruded and displaced love

As busy days spawned lonely nights

Cares arose and replaced caring

We sacrificed a happy ending

For living day to day

We made vain attempts to get it back

Did our best to fan the flame

No more tantalizing anticipation

Only rueful resignation

Our love had passed its prime

Hoped that if we could just avoid it

The widening gulf would start to close

We confused misplaced with lost forever

We mistook ‘long gone’ for ‘be back soon’

. . Copyright 2015

I Hate Everything About Her

I Hate Everything About Her

I hate everything about her

Well, except for when she smiles

1 million watts of warmth and light

That you can see for miles

I can’t stand to be around her

Well, except for when she speaks

You’re hanging on to every word

Because your knees are weak

She drives me well past crazy

Well, except for when she laughs

Infectious almost describes her laughter

But understates by half

I shudder when I see her coming

Well, except for when she loves

You’ve never felt that good before

And you thank the lord above

Six billion people vanish into thin air

And its only her and me

The effect is electric

impossible to dismiss

Every day she drives me crazy

Every night she drives me wild

I hate everything about her

Can’t bear to live without her

Want her to have my child

. . Copyright 2015

Too much month at the end of the money

Too much month at the end of the money

Too much month at the end of the money

Too much pain at the end of the love

My wallet’s headed for chapter 11

Our romance is bound for chapter 7

And our future’s been foreclosed.

We’ll need to telephone the Jones’s

Let ‘em know we can’t keep up

Hope they don’t mind

If we fall behind

If we leave them on their own

That stack of bills

Is a bitter pill

Our mortgage is shooting skyward

Our love is overdrawn

. . Copyright 2015

All they had in common

All they had in common

All they had in common

Just headed off to school

18 years spent keeping it together

gritted teeth clenched in a smile

they shared a past but not a future

they shared a house but not a home.

           

I’m out of here, he told her

Heading for the door

You’re one heck of a mom

But not much of a wife

I guess now’s the time to get on with our life

There was a time when it mattered

Loves and hopes, dreams and laughter

Unquenched desires, plans and schemes

Endless possibilities and dreams

Get out of here, she told him

Pointing to the door

We did what we had to do

But I’m tired the strife

I guess now’s the time to get on with our life

Our jobs been done

You ain’t made it fun

I guess now’s the time to get on with our life

Til death do us part, they murmured once

They’re both very much alive

Yet ripped asunder nonetheless

It was their love that died

Refrain

. . Copyright 2015

Eight Count

Love had hit the canvas

Long before they rang the bell

Battered, bruised and bloodied

Round one had not gone well

Beaten by indifference 

Sucker-punched by pride

Reeling hard from body blows

No matter how it tried

Love could have been a contender

It could have won the bout

She left for someone better

Round two ended in a rout

Round three turned out badly

Though he prayed that she might stay

A rain of jabs and feints

Too many things got in the way

Rounds 4 through 9 were little better

Rounds Ten through fourteen took their toll

Still every time they rang the bell

Love left the corner and came out swinging

Love was sorely overmatched

But still it came out swinging

Every time they rang the bell

Left the corner, came out swinging

Beaten to the punch

Flailing away

. . Copyright 2015

Once Shy, Twice Burned

Once Shy, Twice Burned

Once shy, now twice burned

Lost the bet your luck would turn

Picked the wrong one yet again

Hopes replaced by lessons learned.

He left you standing in the doorway

Your dreams a tangled wreck

You know tomorrow’s another day

But you can’t forget the past

Picked up, dusted off, back in the run

Still looking forward to your day in the sun

It’s better to be in the race and fall

To take a risk and lose it all

Than to hug the sidelines wondering

And slowly dying from within

Sometimes you’ve got to take the punch

You’ve got to go down fighting

Sometimes you’ve got to kiss the frog

Even when he’s no prince charming

. . Copyright 2015

Happy Ending

Happy Ending

Who knew our lives would fly so fast

That we’d leave our best times in the past

That what we had wasn’t made to last

That we’d end without a happy ending

We threw it in gear and rode it harder

Stepped on the gas and drove it farther

Went for broke and took it higher

Than we imagined it could go

Refrain

Now we each look different in the other’s eyes

two hearts no longer intertwined

The light ahead no longer shines

No breadcrumbs mark the way we came

Tortured souls and hearts conflicted
All our wounds are self-inflicted

Hope in tatters and faith afflicted

An end without a happy ending

. . Copyright 2015

When She Told me Where to Go

When she told me where to go

She left me eager for the trip

When she told me where to stick it

I was thankful for the tip

When she suggested I try solo

No matter what the Kama Sutra said

I thanked my stars

She cared so much

And didn't make me share my bed

A girl like that is hard to find

And lately even harder

I love how she lets me have my space

Her absence makes my heart grow fonder

She does all this because She cares 

Her hearts so big she can't hold back

I feel like I'm the luckiest guy I know

Each time she tells me where to go

My friends still can't believe my luck

They just can't seem to see

How a girl like that could care so much

And how much she means to me

They shake their heads and roll their eyes

And hide their jealousy 

They probably wish she'd tell them too

Instead of only me

When hell turns cold She swears she'll make

A beeline there to join me

But just in case she's running late

She had me go there early

Its still a little warm thats true

But I can take the heat

When it starts to cool and she arrives

That way she'll have a seat

. . Copyright 2015

Johnny, Jim & Jack

It's over now  I barely miss her

Now that she's gone i won't look back

When she left I made new friends

Now I hang with johnny, jim and jack

With Johnny Walker as my wingman

I'm prepared for any fight

With Jim Beam right there beside me

I am ready for the night

If my thoughts turn to the old times

I know Jack Daniels has my back

Since she left, I barely miss her 

thanks to Johnny, Jim and jack

I suppose we had some good times

Though I know you can't go back

But my new life's never empty

Thanks to Johnny, Jim and Jack

When she left I spent a lot of hours

With Jose, Pappy, and the rest

We hunted wild turkey 

Grey goose and famous grouse

I reminisce about the good times

But I always end up back

To the comfort of my friendship

with Johnny, Jim and Jack

So I'll drink a toast to the girl who left

As her memory fades to black 

Then turn and face the hours ahead 

With Johnny Jim and jack

. . Copyright 2015

One of a Kind

She's pretty as a picture

with a heart of solid gold

But she's tough as nails

and hell on wheels

she's one of a kind and she broke the mold

she's an inside straight, she's aces high

you'll go all in just before you fold

with a steel-trap mind

and a kilowatt smile

she's one of a kind and she broke the mold

Sometimes beauty's more than just skin deep

the book far better than the cover foretold

she'll hold your gaze 

til you pay the ransom

she's one of a kind and she broke the mold

She burns too hot for you to handle

she shines too bright for you to hold

You're just a moth

And she's the candle

she's one of a kind and she broke the mold

she'll cop to a misdemeanor kiss

Deny all knowledge of the hearts she stole

A poker face

but eyes that sparkle

she's one of a kind and she broke the mold

Every post office should show her picture

She's on every ten most wanted wall

Your wallets safe 

but your hearts a goner

She's one of a kind and she broke the mold

She's a blonde haired blue eyed force of nature

She's a tidal wave of heart and soul

That knocks you down

And leaves you breathless

she's one of a kind and she broke the mold

. . Copyright 2015

Ever After

And we wait

stalking the sidelines and hugging the walls

And we claim

there was nothing worth saving

and it wasn't our fault

And the water flows under bridges we've burned and we pride ourselves in lessons unlearned and we comfort each other that it wasn't our turn as the the moments tick away

We hesitate

when we should have been living and giving our all

And we blame

random lovers and others

should have broken our fall

And we scatter our hours with wild abandon, we ignore the sun moving toward the horizon, we dismiss the shadows as they steadily lengthen, at the ebbing of the day

We blame fate

pretending it knows us and thinking it cares

But the same

restless longing still dogs us

and it doesn't seem fair

who could have dreamed that it wasn't forever, who could have guessed that we'd  casually sever, the threads that entwined us and the ties that defined us and kept us from floating away

Realize too late

the horizon blew by us while we hung back

and the game

keeps on going without us

now we're fading to black

and who could imagine our best days behind us, barely recalling the things that defined us, not knowing the doors closing softly behind us wouldn't open up again

we avoided the tears 

but missed out on the laughter

we came to a fork in the road

and we stood there ever after

. . Copyright 2015