POEM - Mic Drop

Thank you for the applause

You really are too kind

It has really been a group effort

As you’ve allowed me

For the last 365 days

To borrow and steal

Some of our best moments

And saddest times

Your exploitation

And generosity

All in the name of art

Please feel happy

If you made it in

Don’t be offended

If you haven’t yet

As I’ve said before

And I will mention again

I am not hanging up my typing gloves

I am just giving my fist a rest

Having held this microphone

Tightly and passionately

Through the whole performance

Today I hold my arm out straight

Stare you straight in the eyes

Relax my grip

And turn away

Already in full stride

To the next idea

Before the cacophony erupts

POEM - Some Secrets Come to Light

At the end

I have secrets to tell

Revelations yet unshared

More than I have already said

On the road home today

Listening to “Blood on the Tracks”

I recalled a time

Hard to believe

When Bob Dylan was not my favorite

And another time

When I hated U2

I’ve repented of my folly

I know now

A deeper happiness

Having accepted these flaws

Manifest in the character of my youth

Of course there was a time

Long ago

When I wouldn’t eat avocados

And I slept on my front

Refused to brush my teeth

Thought the Beatles sang “Stairway to Heaven”

And avoided tomatoes like the plague

You learn to accept a few differences

And before you know it

You are making BLTs with avocado

And actually looking forward

To the tomato

Almost as much as the bacon

So I’ve changed

So what

It was bound to happen

I’ve never been one

To hold on tight

To every little tradition

I would not be the fiddler

Too off balanced

I am Tevye’s youngest daughter

Finding loves

That break the heart of tradition

POEM - Home Stretch

I do see the bright light

Shining

Comforting and warm

Telling

That the goal is near

It is a bright point

Not an end

A check mark

A small pile of stones

Set beside the path

To show the way

A deep breath

At the ridge of a hill

Before heading into the valley

Only to ascend the next rise

Because that new hill

Is entirely different

Than the one I just climbed

We may celebrate

Rejoice and cheer

When the prodigal son

Walks the road towards home

Because it is good

That he checked in

Let everyone know

He was alright

But he will be gone again

To new challenges

His homecoming only temporary

Another bright spot

Another stack of stones

Marking a safe path

A brief sanctuary

That light I see

Is a welcome light

Where I will also breath deep

Rest my head a moment

Rejuvenate

Then take up my load

Put my feet to the path

And climb, climb, climb

POEM - 10,000 Year Poem

The renegade internet tycoon

Is trying to make a mark

More substantial

Than the bits and bytes

His empire is built on

So he is carving massive holes

In a lonely desert mountain

Somewhere in the wilds of Texas

Getting ready to build a massive clock

That will run for 10,000 years

Cool plan

I think I saw the same thing

In “The Dark Crystal”

But I’m sure

This will be much cooler

Because it is real

Or something like that

All I can think is

This is the first step

To a world

A little more

Post-apocalyptic

When we start building permanence

That’s when the bottom falls out

Like when I try to write

A meaningful poem

And all I do

Is ramble

About clocks in the desert

The end of civilization

And futuristic fantasies

With words that might not last

But an idea that could

Unaffected by rust

Or the passing of time

POEM - Job Shadowing is Boring!

Going to work with dad

Should be a fun day

And she barely slept

With the anticipation

It should be a great day

But she ended up

With a sore throat

And a cough

And she was tired as could be

Because she hadn’t slept

At least not very well

Dad works in an office

A rather quiet and boring office

With lots of boring spreadsheets

And a big boring book

Filled with tiny boring numbers

Which squashed all excitement

With a heavy load of boring boringness

She tried to be positive

Didn't want to hurt dad’s feelings

But when you’re sick

You can’t always be nice

And everyone just needs to deal

Because she is ready to go

Has had enough

Of this so called fun

The paperwork is complete

The day is over

Come on

Can’t we just go?

Okay sweetie

You've been patient

Learned your lesson

Been on good behavior

Your sentence is over

The debt to society paid

Grabbing the keys

Turning off the lights

You shall be free

You shall be released

POEM - Groundhog’s Day is for Families

What does it mean

That so many things

Happened on the same day?

Did they plan this?

The biggest holiday of the year

Involving rodents

And weather predictions

That also inspired a movie

Had to share

Because the big game

Had to be played as well

The one with leather spheroids

That get kicked and thrown

And carried about a grass field

In violent orchestrations

By groups of padded millionaires

While somewhere in New York

A billion stories continued

And one famous story

Amidst a swirl of mystery

Came to a tragic end

All the while in my house

With my children close at hand

We watched all of these things happen

At a safe distance

Snuggled together

I finally had

A whole day at home

All present and accounted for

Within arm’s reach

POEM - Old Delivery Guy

My body still knows

How to move just so

To transport this piece or that piece

Of inanimate furniture

Make it dance and pivot

Jump and shake

Or pirouette over my head

To get nearly any furnishing

Into the desired location

Yes my body still knows the moves

But the price paid

Has become steeper

And unloading a truck full

Of my buddies household goods

Takes a toll I never knew

It’s the car ride home

That kills me off

I stretch and lift

And heave and heft

Then sit back and sink

And now when the gears stop grinding

They like to take the next step

And go ahead and seize up

Just to make sure

I don’t consider any more foolishness

Making sure I remember

That I am no longer that guy

That unloaded whole trucks of couches

Delivered sleeper sofas by himself

Then went home refreshed

And maybe play some racquetball

Just to be sure I got enough exercise

I may still be able to impress

By lifting my end of the piano solo

With four guys on the other end

But you should probably save that task

For the end of the move

If you want me to help

With any of the other boxes