Colors

Life is not black and white.
There is much to be seen.
There are colors in between.
Nothing is that simple.
There are shapes, shades,
and colors surrounding us.
There are colors in you
and me. There are blue
skies, green eyes, gray
gooses, black nights,
white lies, yellow sunflowers,
clear tears, red lobsters,
green monsters, red sunburns,
gray skies, silver bullets,
brown dirt, hot pink shirts,
brown bears, purple carpets,
Ivory stairs, golden years.
There is so much color
that gets painted onto
this blank canvas of life.
You can see so much more
if you just open your eyes.

The Boogeyman

Once a night, the Boogeyman visits 
kids who stay up, kids who are bad, 
and kids who don’t believe. Under 
the bed and inside your head,  
the Boogeyman creeps around. 
The Boogeyman lurks without 
a sound. He hangs around. He 
waits for the perfect moment 
to become visible. He attacks 
in the dead of the night when 
the parents cut off the light. 
During the day, the Boogeyman 
takes the shape of a politician, 
a teacher, a secretary, a mom, 
a dad, a pastor, a police officer, 
or a homeless man under 
the bridge. The Boogeyman 
returns to his true form after 
he conforms. Beware of his 
gaze. Don’t make eye contact 
as it serves as an unwritten 
contract. Have no fear. Don’t 
be scared. All you need to be 
is aware. Sleep tight tonight. 
If something doesn’t feel right, 
get up and turn on the light. 

Fade to Gray

Time continues to slip
through my gentle grip.
The clothes on my back
continue to get ripped.
My words get flipped.
Blue skies open wide
bringing those who hide
out into the holy light.
Blue skies seem to fade
to gray when the sun
goes away. I don’t mind
doing a little dance
under the thunder.
Days fade to gray
as rain drops drip
onto a vacant crypt.
All colors eventually
fade to gray. Evidently,
some shade is man-made.






Behind the Scenes

I am the leading actor
in this movie of life.
The cameras are rolling
all day and all night.
The scenes are shot
from my eyesight
with or without light.
The film developed
is stored in my brain.
There are no ‘cuts’ or
‘do-overs’. The camera
keeps rolling whether
sleeping or bowling.
As my movie finishes,
my memory diminishes.
Once the movie is made,
all things in life fade.
Only if you saw behind
the scenes, you would
understand the man
that I am. You would
see all that I was:
the good, bad, and ugly.
See me for me and look
for all the good things
that I am and will be.


Crystal Ball

I looked in the crystal ball.
I saw my birth, rise, fall,
and death. I saw my life
with its darkness and light.
I saw roots. I saw my family
tree growing tall and strong.
I saw me as a child, exploring
unknowns, with an innocence
only children know and show.
I saw my future. I saw better
days. From an ariel view,
I saw the choices I made
and trees throwing shade.
I saw everyday as a game.
I was the star player showing
no fear: grinning ear to ear.
In the crystal ball, I saw
me at the top of a mountain.
I saw that I found a fountain
of youth. It’s the damn truth.
I saw it all in my crystal ball.
I know what I saw, and I saw
what I know. I saw my life
unfold. I saw me grow old.
In the crystal ball, I saw me
write deep into the night.