by Laurie Lyle
Am I dreaming? Do not wake me
From this harmonious heavenly bliss
You, my queen, I bejewel you
With every special thing
Priceless gems to adorn your ring
Whisk me away on exclusive wings
As my vibrant, intoxicated heart sings
It is on its reckless way
Hell bound to its keeper
REASON TO LIVE
Give me all the right reasons to live
Give me the right reason to be a part of life
Give me a reason to want to go on
Give me a reason to excel
Give me a reason to trust
Give me a reason why should I
Demand and give respect?
Give me a reason to love
Give me a reason to be happy
Give me a reason to be proud
Give me a reason not to sit by the wayside
Give me a reason not to
Carry a loaf of bread under my arm
Give me a reason to groom my hair
Give me a reason to put clean clothes on
Give me a reason to turn the other cheek
Give me a reason not to beat him to a pulp
Give me a reason to share my precious possessions
Give me a reason why I should be disciplined
Give me a reason to be punctual
Give me a reason to be patriotic
Give me a reason why I should be a steward of the world
Give me a reason to follow rules and regulations
Give me a reason why the illiterate teach the literate
Give me a reason and do not act like a fool
Otherwise I am sending you right back to school
On the back of a damned pack mule, so cool
PROMISE
A promise, so they say
Is always a comfort
Do not accept or let it rest with you
It will only bring out the fool
A promise is supposed to be obligatory
Accepting a promise demonstrates trust
From those credible, trustworthy, and reliable
And should be upheld and respected
A promise made in good faith
Must be binding and unbreakable
It separates the fox from the wolves
They promise they will pay
Maybe money, work, or kind
Or come back, be faithful
Something of the mind
They cannot be trusted, so they say
It is never a good time
Never a good day
You will be the fool
Come what may
CROWNING WONDER
Glittering, glittery, shiny, new
Embellished, subtle, sparkly, and bright
Bejeweled, elegant, pricey crown
Galaxy of sparkling, shimmering light
Of delightful, stimulating, sensitive might
A style that is soothing and spectacular
Awe-inspiring jewel, elegant allure
The beauty of music from songbirds
Tranquil country landscapes
Of wonderful charm and beauty
Lighted silhouette, stimulating, sensitive
A twinkling, flickering, glistening sight
Of magnificent proportion
This extravagant headband
With sequins brightly adorn
Rests atop your sober, contrite head
You are a king, this is said
Thou shall wear it even when in bed
The power of the lustrous gems
Will give you imposing strength and resolve
Amazing knowledge, impressive wisdom
To rule this diverse world wisely
With grace and conviction
ROLY-POLY
They are in love with you,
They like you, yes, so true
Everything you give
All the things you do
The time you spend with me
Is time without end?
My god sends so big
So large I take you a little bit
A little piece all of the time
CHORUS
My big girl with the big heart
I have loved you right from the start
This I know sincerely
We will never be apart
I just love my big girl
The big, big girl with
All the right things
And all the right parts
In all the right places
You are roly-poly, the wide, wide girl
So wide, they call you broadside
You’re broad like the trailer home
But this one is double wide
You’re as thick as the bacon on my hog back
You waddle like a duck, only no quack
Of free spirit and kind heart
You are beautiful in every part
On the inside, on the outside
It is here in the eyes of the lustful greedy
Always wanting, want more galore
I have what you want here in store
You should never ever be needy
PARENTING
Most times, it starts with a date
They will go to the altar or
Maybe so anxious, just cannot wait
Then there are the tender moments
And the exploratory fooling around
Messing in each other’s business
Until there is an accident or maybe intent
It starts with a bump to the stomach
As inflation rises to a new high
The pivotal point of no return reached
There are dilations and contractions
Then that involuntary push
Tommy takes a dive, dear Jesus
And comes headfirst, crying
For dear and precious life
Then for a while he is in heaven
As he feasts on milk and gurgles
For that moment he is
Sweet, cuddly, cute, a bundle of joy
Tommy will put his parents to the test
As he grows through preschool
Kindergarten, elementary, and the rest
Bestowed with all this energy and zest
He will bring about so much stress
Naughty, rude, hard of hearing
That leaves the parents in a binding mess
Hopping mad, angry, and staring
Thinking maybe we are not blessed
Visits to the principal’s office
Police precincts, jail, rehab centers
They are sad, heartbroken, obsessed
He may strive for excellence
Good traits he does possess
Gifted, bright, on the honor roll
Be academically rewarded
These parents are proud souls
Like peacocks on parade morning
He brought pain and sorrow
Joy and happiness in abundance
Above all, he brought so much love
Too soon, Tommy is gone
His once pulsating room stands empty
Parents stand there looking in
Wondering where did all the time
And the little one go?
SCAM ARTISTS
Like a bee making honey
You can make money
Thousands of dollars in hour
s
Let me tell you how to extract
Attract romance just like a magnet
I am going to tell you an even better secret
You will be the perfection of good health
Have unlimited person power in your life
Be tremendously happy
Way beyond belief or reality
You will overcome all of life’s
Adversity and disappointments
Turn them around so they face you
Make them work to your advantage
You will eliminate drudgery
All emotional pain and trauma
Use the magic words and eradicate
All your debts in one glorious night
You will be all mighty and powerful
Predicting future with uncanny accuracy
Reading people’s simple minds
Controlling all impaling situations
Wiping out stress, anxiety, fear
Become the confident, self-assured
Person you are supposed to be
Having a lifestyle of freedom
That which you always wanted
In possession of your own
Aladdin’s lamp and genie
They will grant you your every wish
All the things you so desire light up your life
Your little heart and soul ablaze with fire
With all this success you will be
Lucky and happy in your joyous life
They will all come to pass
First, give me what you’ve got.
THE BASTARD
He should have expressed his emotion
In other ways, but he did not know
He did not know how to cry anymore
He had cultivated a high threshold for pain,
Rough, tough, coarse, crude, scarred knuckles
Bullying tactics, independent, vain
Living on the edge, fighting doggedly
For survival with a will to keep sane
Do not be sorry, you are not to blame
It goes back to a time and two daring people
Sweating and panting there in the woods
Not thinking about the consequences
Of their actions as they carried on
Nine months later without fanfare you came
Yes, you were born not on a bed but
Beneath a shed at the back of a manicured lawn
Into a conceited, selfish, unloving world
They called you a bastard and a prawn
You never knew your father Shawn
He left a long unrepentant time ago
Time of the distant golden moon
Before you were here, gone too soon
Your mother was disgraced and turned away
No one took time to care or share
She was resilient and strong but
Only so much she could bear
They found her one morning bare
Trapped, crushed within the jaws of a snare
You became a man that day and did things
The only way you knew how, your way
Having lost the only person who loved and shared
Your survival was now built around your
Fists, agility, brains, wits, and so you swear
With the uncanny ability not to fear
And your heart grew hard, cold
As you pound upon your chest
With rough-hewn fists, you look down now
On that mound there on the ground
There is no other pertinent sound
And you hope your mother is there
Free, unshackled, unfitted, unbound
NOTHINGNESS
As she sat there staring into nothingness
A hole opened, and there was
A void where her heart was
She is full of hopelessness
A sense of despair, tugging, pulling so strong
Made her want to go out and do wrong
Yesterday she was happy and sang songs
Happy, vibrant, joyous songs
With a heart filled with gladness
Merriment, joy, and happiness
How was she to have known?
As the bright day ends and the light changes
It brings the ugly darkness of night
There was no way to know
No apprehension of this plight
How was she to know?
When he made such a show
Of helping her grow
What he did was plant a seed
New one, now starting to grow
I told him of my plight today
He turned his back, raised his hand
And calmly, deliberately walked away
I should have stayed in school
Not play around like a fool
How do I face my parents?
What do I say to those
Who had high hopes and
Lavished me with all their love?
And the disappointment and resentment
Tears at delicate organs and entrails
Unbearable, and she held her tummy
And cried “Wahhhhhh! Wahhhhhh!”
SNAKES IN THE GRASS
They are everywhere; we are constantly
surrounded by them
They are acquaintances always pleasant
and smiling
Willing to give a helping hand to get close
to you
As soon as your back is turned
The corner of their upraised lips goes down
into a frown
Their just-friendly demeanor takes a terrible
turn
Contorting their features as they scheme
and plan
How to make you half a man
Turn unexpectedly, and they are once more
a swan
But as you turn once more, they become
what they really are
Cold-blooded reptile of the lowest form
Slithering at the lowest point on their stomach
Fangs bared, ready for the surprise kill
Always be on guard, be ready
When you stomp, do not stomp on its tail
The head will come back at you like a
revengeful boomerang
Your number one duty to you is to protect you
Stomp on its head
You owe yourself a life of success without
misgivings and regrets
Then leave it where it belongs
There secreted in the tall grass.
VIRGIN
Maybe you can, maybe not
It may be okay, but by golly! Is it a sin?
Unchartered waters hold mystery, a lot therein
Tempted, scared, a coward within
To explore things of which you are unsure
Chaste and pure, not knowing how to make a score
Love yourself, keep being wholesome until you are sure
That special someone will come along
Singing words of an unwritten song
Fabricate words of love and endearment
Upon the delicate walls of your heart
Get you involved, starting to play a part?
All it now takes is a big thing, a simple start
Cultivate good sense and be smart
Respect yourself the way you always have
Hold yourself in high esteem
Do not
get carried away by the wretched curse
Virginity is a sanctuary implying purity
Of vain hope, respect, and ambition
To lose it is to liberate yourself
Into a world of romance, forward play
Orgamistic playing in minor and major keys
As well as frustration, hurt, and pain
One thing’s for sure for now and evermore
Your life cannot and will never be the same
For those who are gifted and fortunate
They are happy and careful how they play
Life’s most delightful indulgent game
Think and think hard before playing a part
RAGE IN RUSH HOUR
My lips bleed as I clench my teeth
Hang my head through the window
Point at the sky and cuss some more
These bleeding drivers pushing me over the brink
Like them, want me go through
The cotton-picking rails end up in the drink
My eyes narrow, they glint like steel
As I grip the leather of the goddamn steering wheel
This driver, him a peel right in front of me
No blinking blinker hunch over his wheel
Almost rub off my color, expose my steel
Have mercy, this one, what the hell is he doing
In front of me just a brake, brake and slowing
If my middle finger did not hurt
Maybe I would stick it and show him
Oh, my dinky dink, what this one think he’s doing
Push me stars and pound signs off the road
My head hurts, frothing at the mouth
Feel like turning around, head the hell south
Behind me this one he sticks on me ass
Give him the sign and by
Chinese language and chopsticks
Him no want to pass my rassss
