My Life in Rhymes

Be a Dreamer

Strive to be what you see in your dreams and feel in your heart. Do not heed what others think you should or should not be. Envision your world as only you want it to be.

Make that world a reality and you will be forever smiling.

This book of Musings, Songs and Poems is a series of snapshots in time depicting periods of my life. It is graciously dedicated to my Dear Mother, as well as my family, my friends and all of those people, places and special moments that have contributed to making Me……Me.

Table of Contents

Life is short

Expectations

Contemplation

Future

A Thought

Be You

Lord of the Forest

Catfish

Just a dog

Life is Good

Fencerow

Paradise

Lady and Beau

Goodbye Old Man

Spring

Home Today

Mom

Rendezvous

My Place

My Lady

The Stream beside the Hill

Why

Reality

River of Life

Goodbye old Friend

My Pen

I can’t make it without you

The Farm

Blossom

That Boy

Chapel Fork Creek

I’d Do It All Again

I’ve Got It All

That Skirt

Coming Home

Hang Tough

Dodge City

He was a good man

We Miss Me

Be the Change

Put Your Guns Away

The Race

Dance with Me

You Sure Ain’t Like Me

Running From the Storm

You loved me

Happy or Right

I Took a Walk

Serendipity

Screen Door

Like You

Simple things I loved as a kid

Redstone Cowboy

Black Water

Turn the Page

Going My Way

Little Boy Blue

Candy Apple Kiss

When You Leave

Silent Soldiers

Nine O’clock Whistle

We Wish

I am

Make It So

One More Time

The Beast

Three Wishes

The Musselshell

If I Had Gone

Red Mustang

Old Black Dog

Night Walk

Life is short

Don’t waste your precious time looking for the faults in others, but spend your time wisely nurturing the good in yourself.

Expectations

If you expect people to do what you think they should do, you will usually be disappointed. If you temper your expectations you will sometimes be pleasantly surprised.

Contemplation

I am relatively certain that I am not afraid to die. I am however, very certain that I do not want to stop living.

Future

What I am today is stark reality

What I will be tomorrow rests with me and me alone

What shall I achieve with the time I have remaining?

What good can I do with what’s left of my life?

A Thought

The feeling of awe and insignificance

I feel while wading in the ocean

Is as if I am standing alone

In a giant watery hand

And at any instant

The hand could form a fist

And swallow me forever

Be You

Embrace your roots and be yourself

Don’t take part in a charade

To emulate something you are not

Just makes your life a masquerade

In reality you’ll be nothing more

Than a jester in a fools parade

Lord of the Forest

Mighty Oak

I stand before you humbly

In wonder and in awe

As heavy mist surrounds my feet

Damp with morning dew

As oft before to comprehend

The wonders that I saw

And try again to understand

The miracle that’s you

Oh with such royal majesty

You rule what’s your domain

In a constant silent vigil

Of the land on which you grow

Hillsides white with trilliums

Glistening in the morning dew

The rainbow that is autumn

The white silence of the snow

A mighty silhouette you are

Framed by blue summer sky

A wonder of creation

And a monument to all

Here long before I was born

I pray you’ll be here when I’m gone

I hope your reign will be eternal

And that your empire will live on

Catfish

Morris Pond Export PA

To a small near stagnant pond

A mile or so from home

With an old steel rod and kite string

We’d cast into the foam

A friend, oh, he used to be

And I a friend of his

At least he was that July day

Well I guess that he still is

With gobs of worms upon the hook

I’d draw that rod back high

And with a grace that went unnoticed

I’d let that kite string fly

But alas the string just laid there

Suspended by the goo

No sinkers in my can today

So a rock will have to do

Another cast, the rock falls off

Tie another on again

Then perfection on cast number three

Well, maybe nine or ten

That big old fish is out there still

And he takes my bait once more

I hope that he won’t get