by Laurie Lyle
Everyone is his fan; he is serving up the drinks.
He is the man of the moment, the one with the plan.
WORST FEARS
I will go there alone.
Across the plains, up the mountains, into the forest;
To be with them in their blessed sanctuary;
The animals and insects of the land, the birds of the air;
I will stay with them with no fear.
I do not want to be with people.
The things they do make me scared.
They hit on me, tell lies, they fight, they backbite.
They spill the beans at will, then murder and kill.
Some do it for greed or sport; some do it for the thrill.
Being among them gives me the creeps;
Their actions give me the chill.
There are good ones among them;
How do I know if I do not possess the skill?
You will never see an animal and me in a fight.
You won’t see us before a judge.
You won’t see us coming from a funeral.
Or sitting together in a prison cell.
With people it is different;
They always bring trouble your way.
In the middle of the night or the brightest day;
These people they found me.
What have they done?
I am wounded, I am ill.
On my way to the hospital;
If it was only for the insects, birds, and animals;
I would be safe, secure there in the wild;
All right and loving it… always will.
TO BE A CHILD AGAIN
Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and the one named who
Prancing around with the famous boy blue
Blinded by love for the girl named Sue
They sang as they whirled, sang as they danced
My bonnie lies over the great wide ocean
She is my Matilda, waltzing Matilda
Purple lavender, lavenders blue dilly, dilly
And so I will hop, I will skip to my lue
On top of old smoky the north wind doth blow
As the monkey chased the weasel around the old crooked house
Smashing green bottles hanging from the wall
Frightening the cockhorse about to leave for Banbury Cross
And “Jimmy Crack Corn” came out and “Pop Goes theWeasel”
Little Bo Peep he lost his sheep on a bright Monday morning
Old MacDonald’s daughter, she found the lambs
Mary rocked them gently as she sang
Polly wooly doodle your mother will be coming,
Coming round the great mountain range
Here we go looby loo, here we go looby light
Yankee Doodle comes to town one cold winter’s night
The three little pigs they listened with glee
They patted their rounded bellies as they squealed
I’m a little teapot large and stout
London Bridge is burning fetch the engine
Fetch the engine fire, fire, and we want more water
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream
LIFESCAPES
You wake me up, you put soft radiant light on my face
With thoughts in my head, words in my heart
Amazing grace, you are my sunshine
With you I love to go a wandering
All the way from here over yonder hilltop
Dressed in green capped with a blanket of clover
Walking tall till I get to yonder mall
Is it not true it’s a small world after all?
Pretty world, pink carnations everywhere
And I am walking on new downy grass
Loving the warm sunlight on my face
I pick up my pace knowing I’m blessed by saving grace
Appreciating life as it comes in different phases
I will not be despised and rejected
Will not let the sun catch me crying
I will bring happiness to hearts, not sorrow
Be a contributor to the land of the living
Do not leave your soul or break its bonds
You must not be the conceited, selfish atheist
At the back of the class during devotion
Singing “Amazing grace how great thou art
That saved a hungry wretch like me”
You do not want to hear bugles
Or the sound of the deafening trumpet!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Have you heard the news?
Jealousy caused Ronald McDonald and Burger King
To become involved in a fierce fight
Ronald McDonald kills Burger King
With the claw of a Red Lobster
In front of Popeyes
Over the girl Wendy
The wake is at Golden Corral
Viewing will be in the Olive Garden
Funeral at KFC under the Pizza Hut
I am sniffling, and there is a tear rolling down my cheek
Do not think I am crying
It is that darn pepper
I have got Chili’s in my eyes
I don’t know about you
But I am scared
Food is killing people, and it is not with calories
I am out of here
I am taking the Subway!
JOY TO THE WORLD
What did you do now?
There you are racing down the highway
With a displaced Christmas tree behind you
Ornamental lights of different colors
Blinking, winking, flashing, bright
It is wailing and yelping in its desperation
As it goes wah! wah! weeeeee, weeeeee…
Santa Claus decked out in all his badges, trinkets, and
things
May be of kind heart, will he give you a present today?
He comes over and says good day
And you wonder what kind of good day this can be
You are pulled over and hoping he would go away
Without giving you a Christmas calling card
Get back into his blinking Christmas tree
Ride off into the sunset or to the North Pole
The Evil Knievel that wakes up your dreams
You sit there fumbling in your glove compartment
Knowing it’s no use singing him a carol, not that song
Will he see your hidden in plain view bong?
To add more indictments to a record so long
It is hard to accept that you are wrong
And the consequences are very strong
DAMALIE
My daughter lived a couple of blocks down the street from me. One day she called all excited and things. “Hey, Dad, we have a bird. It is a sun conure. You must come over and see Randy.”
“Okay, I will go over and meet this Randy conure.”
On my arrival, there was everyone gathered around Randy, making so much fuss of him. Well, I must confess, he was a dapper guy. Randy enjoyed a prince’s life.
After a while, I started hearing small complaints. “Dad, I did not sleep today, and I am working nights. I am like a zombie. It is Randy, he makes so much noise.”
One day I was at home when there was a knock on the door. I opened it, and there was Damalie, grinning slyly from ear to ear, standing there with Randy’s cage in one hand and his paraphernalia in the other. “Morning, Dad, my husband and I will be away for the weekend, will you please take care of Randy for me until we
get back?”
“All right,” I said. She then proceeded to give me an extended lesson in bird care. I was wondering if she would only be gone for two days, why do I need to know all these things about birds? I know how to give water and feed. This bird had more stuff than a two-year-old baby; everything belonging to Randy was here.
If they went away for that weekend, I do not know. She would call occasionally and inquire, “How is Randy?”
It is now four years gone, and every time I check, Randy is still here mimicking me and laughing raucously. This must be the longest weekend in history. I eventually conjured up the courage to ask, “And when are you coming to get Randy?”
Her reply was “Oh, Dad, can’t you tell, Randy does not want to see me. He loves you now. And by the way, his life expectancy is thirty years.”
RANDY
You spread your wings and soar
Then look back and return once more
I whistle and you dance
Wheeling and turning, you take a chance
Like the perpetual blades of a mill
Elegant, aloof, I admire you for all your skill
I stop, you look at me and take a stance
Flaunting plumage of red, green, and gold
Most beautiful colors to behold
Whimsical behavior, restless attention seeker
Of mimicking, jeering attitude
Unbearable sound, raucous and loud
When no one scratches your feathery head
Like playing dead in your fur-lined bed
Startling my heart and you think that is smart
Still grooming those feathers of yellow, green, and red
I will be rid of you, get a dog instead
I cannot do it, that is what I always said
I love the way you waddle when you walk
The beautiful sound of your squawk
The impossible times you try to talk
The way you wake me at dawn’s first light
Encouraging me to get up, go carry on
You always start my day right
For me you are like a guiding light
You always have been and will always be
So bright, so beautiful in my sight
TALE OF A TIGER
There was lust in his eyes as the tiger broke cover and emerged from the safe haven and cover of the woods. He was proud and a gallis with one trailer load of girls. He stood exposed for the entire world to see. He strutted confidently across the green. He was at home here; he was the grand master of this range. As a result, he enjoyed its sumptuous and lustrous benefits and rewards with insatiable appetite. His maidens were as fair as the fairway down, which he gazed. He would tee off with his mighty club, and his balls, oh! They were a-swinging as his faithful caddy urged him on. He was putting all right, and his drive was good; he was so hot. Soon he ignited, and his fire got out of control; in desperation, he sought cool waters to smother his embers. He was always after someone, but tonight it was different. There was someone after him. He had trouble, and it came in twos; he was moving fast. The mixed blood of the east coursing through his veins could not be ignored. It made him a blazan; this was an inferno, and it was consuming him. He was hot, burning with all this passion; he had to do things in multiplication. I have to put this fire out, he thought as he raced in desperation to his trusted Cadillac, took aim at a fire hydrant, and sped toward it. He wrecked it. There was not enough water there, so he kept on going. Eventually, a tree blocked his path. There he sought refuge; this thing was escalating out of proportion. Overcome with the severity of his predicament, he turned and found solace in something he could trust: the turf! He had gone many glorious rounds on it, and they were friends. He was cuddling close; a feeling of safety and security came over him. He was at peace, and he snored as the cool night air lapped gently at his bare feet. He came back to harsh reality suddenly! He knew his face was a mess, and he thought, I did not know good times could be this bad. All I did was express passing love, now it is causing me so many aches, too much pain. Those dames, they charmed and snared me with their wild virtues, made me into an addict, then twisted me into a pretzel. How do I unwind myself? My wife is swinging my club at me. I hope it is not the big driver. My tool to success is flogging me, and she is chanting “I have a tiger by the tail.” This is so humiliating. I must seek solitude, a place to find redemption and stop this obsession. I am a tiger, but I feel like a kitten. Wish I could change the color of my stripes. Go hide there, somewhere out in the deep, dark woods.
WISDOM TO CARE
This planet is one big classroom; here we learn something new each day from the experiences of others. They are the teachers, a literal treasure trove of knowledge. What went wrong for them should be a teaching session for us so we strive never to make the same mistakes or take the same chances. All that glitters may be gold, and then again, it may not be. These lessons that we learn tell us not to glory in the misery of others but take something away from it and strive to make our lives and ourselves better, not just for us, but for everyone, maintain our dignity. Never be quick to judge and drive our brother into the ground. Help him and stay by his side, lend support. Forgiveness should be in the heart of everyone. This much we should share justly deserved. Life is a cycle, the world a rotating globe, and we are all hitching a ride. It is only a matter of time before our ride ends and we fall into nothingness…
COLORS OF THE RAINBOW
How can the covers of two pots close?
The answer could be a treasure trove
If you know and understand
The mechanics and workings of the earth
We were all created and should
All be beautiful in everyone’s sight
There is perfection and imperfection
These are what make a creative, diverse planet
Behavior traits are not for us to judge
We should be rid of the proverbial stupidity
It smells, don’t ask, don’t tell
She wants to be with her
They hold hands as they make their rounds
The sparkles in their glowing eyes
Tells you there is bliss in all of this
He wants to be with him
There is something in their presence
That they share and have still
This is not a mystery, it is an open book
Take a step back, take a look
Make room for them, they are
As much a part of the universe
Like everything, they have a right to be here
Do not dictate your lifestyle to them
Accept them, answer the call
Their hearts too beat with emotion
They are kindhearted, loving, and peaceful
These are good people to know, those who
Traverse under the colors of the rainbow
Reach out, let them know
You can love them even so
Remember, we are all made
As one in his likeness
FRIGHTENING PLACE
The world is becoming a frightful place with all of its nuclear waste
Star wars, high-tech games of the mighty and powerful, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, crime spree,
And skirmishes as though we did not already have too many natural disasters
Tsunami, hurricanes, volcanoes, train wrecks, plane crashes, and all the others
It brings a lot of fear and pain to the soul
But we remain optimistic, and our heartaches can be made wonderful
We must find and bring out the love, joy, and happiness that are hidden among us
Bring harmony to our lives, a nostalgic passion for creation and destruction
We must be like hurricane hunters or tornado chasers
With a natural delight in things of imperfection and destruction
We are diverse and creative; this intrigue leads us into a state of affairs
Where the only thing gained sometimes becomes lost,
But we are curious, and this interest fuels the raging inferno in our soul
As we teeter on the edge and hot adrenaline rushes through our bodies.
We made time for life, and life had time for us
How long we do not know; we are careless and positive,
These actions cross the path of life and death.
If we are lucky, we will be in either one, depending on the scope of mind
And compulsive choices being made, we may find ourselves on the boulevard of demise,
Remain hopeful believing that a better life lies beyond the grave.
If we remain on the highway of the living, it is because someone was there for us
And we are wary and will not give up certain for uncertainty,