Think & Question

Think & Question

Open that door

Ring the bell

Time for school to start

File the children inside

Cram them in a closed room

Trapped in a single desk

Don't talk without permission

Don't whisper or pass notes

Listen to what your teacher says

They know that one plus one doesn't always equal two

They won't tell you that

Only what they want you to know

Do not ask questions

They want control over what you learn

Just sit and listen like good little drones

If you escape with your minds intact

You will be able to think

To question everything

To have creativity and imagination

You will not be a drone

Ignoring everything you have been taught

You will be a human being with a mind

And you will rule the world

The Other Side of the Fence

The Other Side of the Fence

What is on the other side

What are the things I have heard about

Hidden from my eyes

Covered sounds, so I cannot hear

It may be some secret

Maybe the men in black

I want to know

My soul needs to know

But my questions go unanswered

I will just have to guess

Dreams of so many wild thoughts

Spies, UFOs and so much more

Hiding behind that wooden fence

Someday I will climb that fence

I will sneak in through the tall grass

I will find out

And only then will I sleep

Get Your Voice Heard

Get Your Voice Heard

A long time ago

Fifty plus years to be exact

We knew how to protest

It wasn’t on Facebook or Twitter

It wasn’t by just writing letters

We took our place in the world

With a voice that could not be ignored

We took over college campuses

We marched in the streets

Chanting words designed to change the world

We got arrested and went to jail

But we got our point across

We never gave up until life changed

Until the President listened

The time has come again

Stand up and shout

Fill the streets

Take over campuses and parks

Get arrested if you have to

Just get your voice heard

Make the government listen

Make them make the changes

Just do not ever give up

The Bend

The Bend

Do I want to know what's around the bend

What fate waits for me

Who I will meet

Where the winding road will take me

I know where the road has brought me

The worries and pain along the way

It had made me love people, I shouldn't

Lose people I loved

Do things I knew I shouldn't have done

Still, I walk this road

Endlessly travelling into the future

Sure of the past

Unsure of where the future is

Do I want to know what is around the bend

Not really

Why spoil the fun?

Ned Kelly

Ned Kelly

A villain to some

A hero to most

He fought

He stole

And he killed

Stood up to the law

As he rode the outback

Robbing trains and banks

Helping the people as he went

Stories would be told for years

Myths would become legend

The legend would become history

Ned Kelly, the man who fought and won

The man who died doing what only he could do

He is a part of Australiana

Part of the country that created him

Made him a villain

Made him a hero

Made him a legend

Sweet & Innocent

Sweet & Innocent

You look so innocent

Sweet and charming as can be

Yet, your eyes show the truth

Your face shows the real you

I know you are planning something

It could be throwing your food

Pulling the dog by the ears

Or sneaking out of your nap

I know you are planning something

It's there in your evil little smile

Still, when you do what you're going to do

Whether it be the food, the dog or the nap

I will always love you

I will always care for you

But...I never said I wouldn't get even

Let The Fates Take Me

Let The Fates Take Me

Please do not help me find my way

I do not think you could if you tried

I like not knowing where I am going

I like not knowing where I am

I like not knowing where I have been

So many questions down each road

Too many turns to make wisely

Not so many as to make them impossible

I just want to let the fates control me

Take me where they want me to go

I know one thing

They will take me somewhere I want to be

Just Be

Just Be

Standing on the edge

Sharp as a razor

The past on one side

The future on the other

The one fades into a deepening chasm

While the other fades into the mists

Old hopes gone

New hopes are on the way

I just have to wait

And watch as the edge falters

Making it harder to balance

Harder to accept the future

Easier to forget the past

That is not the way I want to be

I just want to live for the moment

Not think

Not hope

Not remember

Just be in the instant

Another World

Another World

I love the night

So peaceful

Diamonds in the sky

Twinkling down

The light of the silver moon

Shining across fields and cities

The sounds of night birds in the trees

Nocturnal animals scurry along

The smell of a woman sleeping beside me

Her arm across my arm

Her eyes closed and a smile on her lips

I can hear her breathe as I fall into sleep

The night is another world

Another world I prefer to live in

Another world I prefer to love

Reality From Above

Reality From Above

Five miles high

Six hundred miles an hour

Looking down

Through broken

Houses, yards and pools

Roads that go everywhere

And go nowhere at the same time

There are things missing

There are no people

No whites, blacks, reds, yellows or browns

No Christians, no Jews, no Muslims

There is no one

No borders

No countries

No governments

No one to love

No one to hate

There is just a planet

A thin atmosphere

And green life everywhere to be seen

When did man, a bacteria living free change everything

Maybe man should leave this paradise

Either voluntarily or killed off man has to go

Let this beautiful planet live without us

Without war and death

Without the hatred of created gods

Without us

That this the only way there will be peace

Needs

Needs

I need another shot

Another cigarette

Another joint

So many thoughts

Twisting my mind

Taking where it shouldn’t go

It lets me cry without tears

Scream with no voice

Lets me tell people what is hurting me

But, they never hear a word I say

I see people suffering

Just outside  my ability to help

Outside my reach

I just watch and listen

One more shot

Another cigarette

Another joint

May ease my mind

Make the thoughts

The visions go away

Or maybe not

The Beauty of a Wall

The Beauty of a Wall

Let the vines cover the wall

Hiding all of the cracks

The flaws put there by man

Initials carved by ancient lovers

Imperfections of beauty

No one will know of them

No one will see them

They will be forgotten

Lost to time

Lost in the fantasy of perfection

Centuries later the wall has not changed

Has not given in to fashion

The wall still stands alone

Its true  beauty hidden

But, it is still there with its imperfections

With a pride that it knows its beauty

Its worth to the universe

Even if no one ever looks at it

Or sees beneath the vines

It is beautiful

In The Dark

In The Dark

It is so irritating

The sun is up ruining the darkness

The cool breezes of night

I do not want the light

The warmth

All the people living their lives

Give me the strangeness of the night

The streets empty

Only a few wandering

Looking for survival

In a world that doesn’t know they exist

The smell of alcohol and piss fills the air

Wafting around passed out drunks

And hookers plying their trade

I do not want the “normal” life of day

The night...the darkness is my home

And that is where I will stay

Glass Weeds

Glass Weeds

Look at the weeds of the city

Steel and glass growing

Without leaves or flowers

Smothering the lands beneath them

Forcing grass into small plots

Causing it to force a strained life

Growing through cracks in endless concrete

Trees live in cold shade

Sheltered from the sun it needs

Even people suffer

They can no longer see the sky above

The clouds as they drift by

Like the weeds in a meadow

The steel and glass weeds strangle life

Choke it

And makes it struggle

Maybe someday

It will kill all the live below

Maybe

I Can't Smile

I Can’t Smile

Please don’t ask me to smile

I do not feel like laughing

I have too much happening

To feel anything other than pain

As the darkness of hopelessness gathers

There is nothing I can do about it

Even if I wanted to my mind won’t let me

I just want to be left alone for a moment

Alone to try and solve my problems

To try and solve the world’s woes

I know I will not be able to

I truly know that so I will suffer in silence

While those around me smile

I will cry hidden tears

So, please don’t ask me to smile

It just isn’t in me

Mom

Mom

Why did you leave me

I needed you so much

I was just a boy

With a lot of growing to do

You just went to sleep

Without a word

Without a goodbye

But I knew

You didn’t want to go

But, I always knew

That you loved me

No matter what I did

No matter what I said

You were there for me

Even though you are gone

I can hear your voice

I can feel your touch on my shoulder

Mom, I know you are in a better place

Still, I know that you are always with me

Setting in the Western Ocean

Setting in the Western Ocean

The sun has watched me since dawn

It saw my anger

The depression that filled my mind

It saw the mistakes I made

And my fear of living

It gathered my pain within its fire

Carrying it across the sky

When the sun sets over the western ocean

It takes my problems along with it

The moon rises in the east

Bringing the coolness of the night with it

Allowing me to sleep

Taking me into a pleasurable world of dreams

Where my problems no longer exist

It is a place where I can live

Until the moon rests behind the western sea

And the day starts again

Loss of Identity

Loss of Identity

Generation after generation

They shared the land given to them

Children were born

Elders died

All on the land given them in the Dreamtime

Time passed

Unwelcome visitors came to give them aid

They did not ask for the help

They did not need the help

Those people never wanted to change

But change was forced upon them

Schools taught new ways

Erased the lessons of the time before

Those who didn’t change were punished

They were killed for their beliefs

Now, their villages sit quiet

Closed by the people who claimed to help them

The lessons taught by the elders are long gone

The kids no longer play in the bush

The homes of uncounted generations are gone

Stories of the elders are no longer told

Their culture has been destroyed

The people of the village no longer exist

Now, they could use our help

Help to be who they really are

Help to have their land

Their homes

Their culture

Their identities

Finally returned to them

Let Them

Let Them

Let them hate me

Let them kill me

For something I didn’t do

Arrested for what I am

Tried and convicted

I never stood a chance

Let them hate me

Let them kill me

I will not judge them

I will not hold a grudge

Just tie the rope tight

Make sure the knots will hold

I do not want to suffer

For something I didn’t do

I only ask one thing

When I am dead and cold

Take my bones

Carry them back to my home

Bury them under the sun

As it rises over the Great Divide

Just remember

I am not a black man

I am not a white man

I am just a man who died because of hatred

Crayon Dog

Crayon Dog

I remember so long ago

I was just a boy no more than six

Left alone for five minutes with a box of Crayolas

A blank white wall was my canvas

I drew and drew

To me that bunch of lines was a beautiful dog

Orange, blue, brown and green

My Mom came in

She was mad, but she just smiled

And she drew a cat right next to my dog

She loved me

That was so long ago

Now I have kids of my own

When they find their canvases

I will just smile

Sit next to them

And help them draw a better dog than I did

Still I Cry

Still I Cry

It has been so long since she left

We fought and we loved

She would shout and yell

Then hold me and kiss my lips

I miss her so much

I long for the raised voice, the howl of rage or love

It still echoes through my thoughts

My dreams

It has been so long

Still I remember and still I cry

Gifts From God

Gifts From God

When God created man and woman

He gave us the ability to question

To learn

To think for ourselves

To know right from wrong

To love

Over time we have forgotten

We have forgotten

What God wants us to know

We have to remember how to ask

How to make our own decisions

What is right

What is wrong

And how to tell the difference

We have to learn again how to love

How to love Him

How to love every being on this planet

How to be human

Can You See The Moon Crying

Can You See The Moon Crying

Can you see the moon crying

Spreading tears of blood across the sky

Suffering for the losses of man

Lives taken by war

Taken on the streets for no reason

Mothers taken away from children

Children taken from their mothers

People left sick and starving

Ignored by those who could help

Lessons taught to build hatred

Taught by the ones who we trust

Gases killing our planet

While we kill our beautiful animals

Can you see the moon crying

Her tears fall to Earth

Unseen by man

She will cry and mourn

Until man is long gone

And once again life with cover the planet

Two Gods

Two Gods

Keep what you're doing

Go ahead

Kill each other in religion’s name

God and Allah will watch you

Shaking their heads

They taught us love

They said that we are one

Their children

We never listened

A war that lasts a thousand years

Is that what they wanted?

When the time comes

And you stand before them

They will ask one thing

Did you love your brother?

When you say no, what will they do

Bow their heads and shed a tear

Cry out loud for the fall of man

All because you killed your neighbor

Let God and Allah mourn their creations

And know that you don’t care

Walking The Straight Path

Walking The Straight Path

No matter how beautiful it looks

It may appear to be so tempting

However, I am not the kind to walk the straight path

There should be no end to my journey

Yes, I will walk where I am told

But I will not stay on the path that was chosen for me

My eyes and mind will look carefully

Trying to find side trails for me to travel

Ones that will take me to the unexpected

Take me into futures I could have never imagined

I want it to be my choice which path I take

No matter where it takes me

No matter how long it takes me to get there

I will accept my fate

Because, no matter what, I will not walk the straight path

The Little Girl Cried

The Little Girl Cried

That day was hard for that little girl

All her friends were going to be there

Sharing the day with a father who loved them

They all told stories about their lives

Their jobs and who they were

She stood there alone waiting for her turn

She heard them insulting her father

Calling him names

Saying he didn’t love her because he was not with her

She never cried

Not one single tear

When her time come she took her place

Through the murmurs she stood strong

Her father did love her

She recounted so many memories

The stories he told her as she fell asleep

When he taught her to ride her bike

The day he left for the last time

Still, she knew he was thinking about her

That he still loved her

Finally, the room became quiet and tears flowed

She explained that her father went to fight a war

He went to defend her in the only way he knew

And he died saving another soldier’s life

At that moment everyone stood and saluted

Honoring the man they had just condemned

Then, for the first time

Since the day her father didn’t come home

The little girl cried

The Girl I Used To Know

The Girl I Used To Know

I know what I wanted to say

The words were there

My mind thought out just what to say

They have been there so long

But, when I see you they disappear

Other thoughts take their place

Memories of you from long ago

When you were in my arms

When my eyes looked into your heart

And I saw you for who you really were

Tee shirts, pony tails and thick framed glasses

You are no longer the woman I kissed

The one who owned my heart and soul

Over the years you changed

Your face and hair became too beautiful

Your body became a statue of a goddess

Flawless, perfect beyond belief

You chose diamonds and designer gowns

Your choices ruined the girl you used to be

You became too good for a poor country boy

A boy from the wrong side of the street

But you know that this boy never changed

I still remember and dream of you

However, I will keep my words hidden deep inside me

For now I will just look at you and remember

When you were just the girl I knew a long time ago

Cries of the Street

Cries of the Streets

Tonight the sky is darker than  normal

A blackness where even the shadows go into hiding

Still,  creatures roam the streets

Looking for those who will challenge their reign

Cries fill the sidewalks and alleys

Screams of pleasure and pain

The wails of the Banshee collecting it’s souls

Women stand on the corners looking

Men prowl looking for their next conquest

Sirens take away the dead and dying

While babies cry for their long lost mothers

Thus, it is life in the city

Where hope fades with the sun

And life in just not to be lived

It is just to be survived

Freedom For One

Freedom For One

One out of many

Not like the others

There is an open feeling of rebellion

It watches and learns

Seeing what it didn’t want to see

A life it could no longer live

A million doing what they are told

Sharing movements and thoughts

Free yet controlled

Unable to think for themselves

One out of many

Breaks away

Spreads its wings

Refuses to obey

It lets its mind take flight

Going places the others cannot imagine

It is free of its bounds

Free to live

One F'n Word

One F’n Word

One word

Just one word

Keeps me from sleep

Makes me grind my teeth

And cry like a girl

I can’t use it

It just isn’t right

I can’t replace it

No other says what I want to say

Just the way I want to say it

The thesaurus doesn’t work

The dictionary isn’t any help

I would love to take a drink

Smoke up so I can forget

Suicide might help

But that word would still be there

Haunting me into my next life

I started writing to relax

It worked for way too many years

Then I wrote that word

That one word

Someday I will put that writing on a drive

To work on something else

That one F’n word will stay with me

Calling to me when I am not thinking

Maybe someone who reads this poem will know

They would have been through it

They would have had their own word

And they would have worked it out

And maybe they would be happy

With their own one word