Love Ruins Friendships

You say that we can still be friends
I tell you that you're lying.
You say, "I'm sorry, I don't love you,"
I say, "Well, thanks for trying."

Love ruins friendships:
That's all that's sure about it.
Love ruins friendships,
And you're a fool to doubt it.

I love you; you don't love me,
There's nothing we can do.
The wound you gave me will never heal
You doubt me, but it's true

Love ruins friendships:
That's all that's sure about it.
Love ruins friendships,
And you're a fool to doubt it.

Oh I'd do anything for you
But it's just a bit uneasy.
Anytime you say "just friends"
It makes me feel queasy.

Love ruins friendships:
That's all that's sure about it.
Love ruins friendships,
And you're a fool to doubt it.

You're beautiful, bewitching, and
You know I'll always miss you.
I never even stood a chance,
I never even kissed you...

Love ruins friendships:
That's all that's sure about it.
Love ruins friendships,
And you're a fool to doubt it.

Love ruins friendships:
That's all that's sure about it.
Love ruins friendships,
And you're a fool to doubt it.

The Damning Call

At Night the Sirens come
They call to me by name
Some I know, some are new
But all have this common call:
"Come to me--I will love you
Stay with me, I will hold you
Kiss me. I want you."
All call me, but I must not come
I want to scream, but their song calls me to harmony
I want what they offer, but not from them.
They share a thousand faces, yet clamber over one
The one I do not yet recognize--
The face of she I ought to love.

Spontaneous Burst of Rhyme

Woe to those
Who never chose
To close their clothes
The way they ought to close them.

For Foes of those
With Unclosed Clothes
Will suffer blows
'Pon those until they close them

And no one knows
Just where these foes
Of unclosed clothes
May show, or whence arose from.

Knockoff

I'm sick of feeling empty
I'm done with running low
I'm drained of all emotion
What you see is just a show.

Ask me for advice
I'll say, "Avoid me if you can."
I'm not a real person
I'm just a knockoff man.

555-

A ring.
I wait.
Once more.
I answer.
Hello?

I am bombarded with an unending onslaught of over-the-top pleasantries and platitudes.

I try to speak
Well—

I am ignored and hit by a sea of questions—
not rhetorical, but no answer can creep in
past the tidal wave that is the monologue
battering my ear across the phone line.

A pause.

Drat! I wasn't listening!

Um...

Silence... What, now I need to talk?

I dunno—

I snap the phone shut before I hear an answer.
Peace.
I relax.







A ring.

Entendre

Oh! Fateful Pause!
Say one thing—

hesitate—

complete the thought.
The thought alone:
Innocent enough.
Or incomplete:
Much the same...

But Oh! That pause!
What could it mean?
Perverse?
Or Shy?
Or just distracted?

Why the...






...pause?

The Past (For Martha)

We meet
I nod
You smile
Our eyes meet
Are we in love yet?

You call
I come
You cry
I hold you
Are we in love yet?

I call
We meet
We walk
I ask you
Are we in love yet?

We meet
We talk
We hug
I kiss you
Are we in love yet?

We kiss
We share
We smile
We say it
We must be in love now...

We part
You call
I smile
I miss you
Are we still in love?

I return
You've changed
I've changed
We say goodbye
Were we ever in love?

We cross paths
We catch up
We chat
We've moved on
Not in love, but special nonetheless.

A Bad Poem

They say that emotion makes for bad poetry.
This will be a bad poem.
Lies, loss, and love
All come to mind.
Did she lie?
Not really.
What did I lose?
No more than hope.
Do I love her?
I wish I knew.
I thought I did,
but with what I believe
I can't keep thinking that.

She never promised me anything.
I foolishly let myself assume it.
She never said anything, thinking back.
I could be getting worked up over nothing.

Maybe he loves her as a friend — or as he would a sister?
But no, my gut tells me otherwise.
Where do I go from here?

One Word Short

I see myself as the best,
but I am never good enough.
I seem myself as Chivalrous,
but I am base as can be.
I see myself as the example,
but I am nothing new.

Superiority complex
and
Inferiority complex.
Work that one out,

Awaiting the Phoenix

Glory lost by long-dead men
seems pointless to us.

Language forged by poets old
sounds empty to us.

Ancient Art by Masters past
has no purpose now.

All great things from before
are no longer wanted.

Yet still I yearn and
wait for what has passed.

I Think, I Say

Tonight is a night for metaphor.
Diamonds glitter beneath my feet
Bits of sidewalk catching the lamplight
Blue-black behemoths lie sleeping before me
Shadows of shrubs and street signs
I walk down a corridor between nature and progress
Grass to my right, paved road to my left
A dying ember fights for survival above my head
A street lamp flickers and dims
Tonight is a Night of Metaphor
But I find my speech remains plain.

Things I Thought While Driving Home

Driving Home after
heavy rains, the cars
are towing rainbows.
The tires spit mist
spattering windows,
swept clean by wipers.
Now I see puddles
beside the highway
reflecting dimly.
Next come the dry roads
untouched by the storm;
tire tracks show clear.
This persists some time
but then I come to
light rain and tracks fade.
The pattern repeats
wet dry and then damp
alternate and change.
Then highways give way
to city stoplights
my exit has come.
A few more minutes
and I will be home
to write all this down.

Take Less

If you're taking one, you might as well take both,
If you're taking two, you may as well take four.
If you're taking four, you'd best take more,
and more, and more!

...So we're told, again and again.
We ought to take more and more without end.
Where went simplicity, and where went enough?
Why must we always insist on more stuff?

Things aren't bad, no, don't misread my words
Things are quite useful, but not seconds and thirds.
One is enough for me, One's all we need
One's all that's required for us to proceed.

So if you take one, take one and stop there
Take only one and don't take the excess.
Then those with excess may take less,
and less, and less.

Joy Of Christ

My pain is gone; I have no choice:
I've got to give my comfort voice.
My angst and rage have emptied out,
And now I'm losing all my doubt.
I am here for JOY.

Perhaps this JOY is not my own;
Perhaps it's seeds meant to be sown.
I know I'm blessed, I don't just think.
And even if my mood may sink
I am here for JOY.

And no, I don't mean happiness
That's only present when I'm blessed.
I'm here for JOY that never ends.
Not joy that on my state depends.
I'm here for Jesus' joy.

The Stoner's Prologue and The Stoner's Tale

The Stoner’s Prologue

The Stoner’s face was tired, her body lean
Her eyes were drooping, her countenance mean.
The Stoner was clever; indeed, there’s none wiser.
She kept ‘special potions’ inside of her visor.
In a run-down tavern she served as a wench,
And all of her clothes, of smoke was their stench.

The Stoner felt sure that her life would turn out
But everyone knew she was really a burnout.
She kept her friends waiting as the day passed on by
And as they were waiting, they only could sigh.
Sigh for the Stoner, who always was late,
And never was early, no matter the date.

Her choler was angry, her mood was disquiet,
And as for her patience, no one dared try it.
She was rude; she was vulgar; she was often unsure.
No one quite knew why she came on this tour.
But no one would ask her, no, not for a crown,
For she made them so nervous, none could keep their lunch down.

So all of the pilgrims, they gave her her space
And if she got too close, they sprayed her with mace.
Indeed they kept a distance that was cautious,
Because her smell made them so, so, so nauseous.
But did this poor druggie, excluded so, mind?
Nay! But in sooth, she responded in kind.

And when the time for the Stoner’s tale drew near
All of the pilgrims quivered with fear.
For they dreaded the contents of their fellow’s story;
Would it be twisted, grim, or horribly gory?
“Fear not, oh ye cowards!” she shouted irate,
“For here is the tale that I shall relate:”

The Stoner’s Tale

There once was a time, though you’ll doubt that it’s true,
When even the oldest of roads were quite new.
And one young road builder who was rather crass
Built a dangerous road on a steep mountain pass.
And though I say mountain, I hope you’re not stiff
In defining this word, for ‘twas nearly a cliff.
Indeed on this road, as you shortly shall learn,
There was a nigh but impossible left turn.
And on that left turn, as I now illustrate:
Of the first ten to try it, six met their fate.

The first four who survived it, they were hippies all,
Met and talked of their luck in a crowded pool hall.
They joked and they joshed, and they talked of their lives;
Then they lifted their glasses to those six who had died.
They played a game of pool, (they were just right for doubles)
And then as they played, they talked of their troubles.
And long ere the night had come to an end,
Those four young hippies were the closest of friends.
Then as on their chilly-cheese-fries they did wait,
The hippies began to talk of their fate.

“Y’know,” said the first, “I’ve got something to say
About how I took the turn on that day.”
“Proceed,” said the others, “we’ll hear your oration.”
“Well,” said the first, “ere I left my location
And headed past that turn from A-point to B-point,
I smoked lots of pot, at least a few joints.”
He paused in his story, as their cheese-fries arrived
Then he continued to tell of his drive.
“It didn’t seem, to me, to be at all hard,
Although I was wasted while driving my car.”

“That’s odd!” cried the second, with decided wit,
“For on my day to turn, a huge bong I did hit
Over and over till I was quite smashed,
On the day that that dangerous turn I did pass.
“What luck, we two have,” said the first with a smile,
“That while wasted we turned with such grace and such style.”
“Yes, we must be great drivers,” the second repeated,
“In fact, on that turn, I may even have speeded.”
“Hold now, for a minute,” now chimed in the third,
“Till I, myself, have spoken a word.”

“For my story’s quite like that of you first two gents;
Before I took that turn, to my dealer’s I went.
I was high as a kite, or so I assume,
‘Cause when I took that turn, I was trippin’ on ‘shrooms.
Yes, on that day, I escaped from the humdrum
Of regular life, and there’s our conundrum.
For you see my dear sirs, when I took that turn too:
Verily, I was as wasted as you.”
This filled the hippies with certain surprise.
And then to the fourth, turned all of their eyes.

“Yes,” said the fourth, “it’s just as you’ve guessed:
I was blazin’ a pipe when I passed the test.
I toked and I toked till I could toke no more;
Then I thought to myself to go to the store.
And as I took the turn (with pipe still in my mouth),
I was so stoned, I had serious dry-mouth.
I thought myself lucky, when I heard of the others
Who died, but I think, now, the reason’s another.”
So the hippies agreed, then, to go to the morgue
The next day and read the dead drivers’ tox report.

And then when they read, they confirmed what they thought.
Had the dead drivers been high? Most certainly not!
They were straight as six arrows, both feet in the stirrups;
They'd no drugs at all, from smack to cough syrup.
The hippies then talked of what this must mean,
And decided what their course of action must be.
They bought paint, and a pillar, and also a sign;
They decided on colors, and made a design.
Then after all their decisions they honed,
They erected a sign, reading: “NO LEFT TURN UNSTONED.”

Now, you pilgrims may laugh at this story of mine:
Of four hippies and their unusual road sign;
But I surely assure you, this tale is true,
And if nothing else, it has a lesson for you.
I admit that this tale doesn’t say it directly
But the moral is certain, and for certain affects me.
This tale’s the reason for the life that I’ve chosen
Instead of some romantic life, full of roses.
And though you may doubt it, this tale’s not for nuthin’
The moral, you see, is: Stoners never get their cummupins.

Singing About Love OR Nate's Epiphany

Love isn’t about titles,
I’m fine just being friends.
But know that I’ll still love you
From dawn to dawn again.

Love’s holding hands till morning
And watching the sunrise;
It’s how I look upon you
And see angels in your eyes.

Dreams are dreams, but love is true.
I’m just me, but I love you.
Any more than this
And my point you’ve surely missed.
You can call our love by any other name.
But I will always love you just the same.

And this is how I love you.
It isn’t in the words we choose.
It’s the things I gladly give up:
Sacrificing old for new.

We may never go to dinner;
I may never feel your touch.
But even with so little action
I know that I love you so much.

Dreams are dreams, but love is true.
I’m just me, but I love you.
Any more than this
And my point you’ve surely missed.
You can call our love by any other name.
But I will always love you just the same.

I would die to hear your laughter
I live to see your smile.
My love could fill the deepest ocean
And stretch ten thousand miles.

Ravings

Half a world away
You’ve got me feeling blue
Why can’t you just
Let me keep on loving you
All that I want to do
Is to keep on loving you.

I don’t care what has happened before
I don’t know what I want anymore
Except that I know that I want your love
And I fear, my dear, nothing else will be enough.

Once rejected, I’ll just try again,
Twice rejected, it amplifies the pain.
Thrice rejected, I’m wounded by your words
Four times rejected, I can’t do this anymore.
But my love still burns as if you’d said “yes”
And why this is, is anyone’s guess.

Love has escaped me
Love has passed me by.
So why do I bother?
And why do I try?
I try for the hope of attaining your favor.
And if I ever do, that’s a feeling I’ll savor.

My rhymes change in meter, in rhythm, and form.
My heart and my mind whirl round like a storm.
My soul has been ravaged for lack of your love.
Until we meet once again, up above.

Dead Dream

You know I’ve got something to say,
I’ve got to dream my fate away.
This world was never meant for us
Nowhere to go, no one to trust
My future has no promise here
It’s my existence that I fear
So many things that I can do
But none of them have me with you

I dream and I dream but you never will be mine
My life has no purpose, no reason and no rhyme
I try to get past you, but know I never will
And now that, I know that, my life is holding still.

I miss the time we could have had
But now my future makes me mad
My moving on just makes me sick.
But then again, that’s just the trick
I’ve tried to break from my heart’s hold.
Nov my dreams tear apart my soul.
And all I wanted now is gone,
Swept away like mists of dawn.

I dream and I dream but you never will be mine
My life has no purpose, no reason and no rhyme
I try to get past you, but know I never will
And now that, I know that, my life is holding still.

I wish I could’ve changed my life
I wish I had you for my wife.
A perfect future could be ours
A future brighter than the stars
I’ve dreamt a life for you and me
A life I’d love for you to see.
But that dream now will not come true.
And so, so much for me and you

Everything Else

I don’t want the grade
I don’t want the glory
I don’t want anything in the world.
Except for one thing
That would make me so happy.
For once in my life, I’d like to get the girl

I could have everything else in the world,
But it wouldn’t be enough for me.
But if she told me what she wanted.
Then that’s exactly what I’d be.

I’m lucky in school
I’m lucky in card games
When it comes to luck I’ve more than enough.
Except for one way
That I’d like to be lucky.
I just wish I was lucky in love.

I have all I wanted
I have all I need
I have everything that I asked for
And if she would love me
As much as I love her
I’d never ask for anything more.

I could have everything else in the world,
But it wouldn’t be enough for me.
But if she told me what she wanted.
Then that’s exactly what I’d be.

Untitled

Perfection's in the imperfections;
I'd never love a Barbie Doll.
And life's so full of misconceptions
We'll never get 'round to them all.

Settling is giving up; I've never been a quitter
Life and love can twist and turn
Both of them can stab and burn
And seem so very bitter
Love the one you want as long as that is how you feel
But don't forget to let go when the Right One comes along.
Love can't be dictated, taught, or even recognized
Until you find you individual Life Love Song.

Life and death and Dragon's Breath
Of love that's unrequited
You and I would rather die
Than feel we were slighted
But victory requires risk before it's complete
I'll gladly risk our friendship for a love free of deceit.

Perfection's in the imperfections;
I'd never love a Barbie Doll.
And life's so full of misconceptions
We'll never get 'round to them all.

We love one another; let's give us a chance,
Today it isn't common to find true romance.
What have we got to lose, next to what we could gain?
A chance at true love is worth a little pain.

Labels

She's trying awful desperately
To stick a label onto me.
Are we friends? Are we lovers?
Do you know of any others?
Words can't describe our feelings for each other.
Am I more like her boyfriend or her brother?

She tries to pin us down but I don't even bother trying.
To say our lives are simple would be fabulously lying.
Are we in love or just a couple kids playing games?
And why do do we insist that all our feelings must have names.

We've been this way as long as I remember being me.
If you say, "it's complicated," I could hardly disagree.
Do we know what we want or are we trying to hard?
If I say that I love her am I taking things too far?

She's trying awful desperately
To stick a label onto me.
Are we friends? Are we lovers?
Do you know of any others?
Words can't describe our feelings for each other.
Am I more like her boyfriend or her brother?

Words can't describe what even feelings can't define.
Is this the end of our road, could it be the start of mine?
Are we in love or are we famously "just friends?"
And if we screw this up on whom will I depend?

Are we friends? Are we lovers?
Do you know of any others?
Words can't describe our feelings for each other.
Am I more like her boyfriend or her brother?

The Best I Can Get

You're the best I can get
The kinda gal that's a poor man's Juliet.
Not quite a beauty,
But you sure are a cutie,
You're the best that I can get.

Within my league you're Number One,
Even if you're not too much fun
I'll put up with you 'cause you're all I've got
And try not to think of the things you're not.

I don't claim there's no one better,
But at least you don't look like an Irish Setter.
You're not quite who I'm dreaming of
And you're not even close to the one I love,
But,

You're the best I can get
The kinda gal that's a poor man's Juliet.
Not quite a beauty
But you sure are a cutie,
You're the best that I can get.

You're not the best but I've gotta say
At least you'll give me the time of day.
You're not the hottest girl I know,
You are the best who likes me though.

You're the best I can get
The kinda gal that's a poor man's Juliet.
Not quite a beauty
But you sure are a cutey,
You're the best that I can get.