poetry
Chet Baker’s Trumpet
Outside it’s late afternoon and the tree’s are swaying against the blue September skies. There’s a chill in the air clinging to the days last perennial bloom. Autumn brings reflection and contemplation. It’s the season of solitude and the smell of burning leaves. In the distance there’s the sound of howling dogs, even they know the pain of yesterdays last second chance.
I wonder what became of you. What is it that made you disappear and leave us all behind. I wanted to know so bad that it made me ache deep down inside. I remember the sound of your voice, your words were filled with sadness and passion, like the quivering melody of My Funny Valentine being played by Chet Baker. From the ether came his soft meandering melodies like specters floating in the air.
You wanted life to be safer——love to be warmer——didn’t you? But as we all find out, life is neither safe nor fair. I was always expecting things to be different, or, should I say, better than the way things are? Was I asking for too much. All I wanted was a place where I could empty my boots of sand and let go of all my foreclosed dreams.
But life is big—-to big, it made me feel small and insignificant. All I had were the secrets we shared and the promises we broke.
Sometimes we’re born and given the wrong name, from the wrong family, lost and scared, having faith in the nothingness of it all, holding out for a missed opportunity, expecting a complacent life, betting on lost causes, praying for a reprieve. As we walk down vacant streets as if they lead to somewhere-anywhere.
Heaven Help Us All
Walking on a rainbow, calling to the thunder
With the eyes of a child, wide open with wonder
There’s magic all around us, like a vision from a dream
We’ve fallen from the sky; we’re angels who’ve lost our wings
Verse
Love is an echo, love is a stone
Love’s a mirage, that we’ve all been shown
This life is a dream, life’s a fantasy
Life’s a dying star, over you and me
Bridge
The more things change the more they stay the same
Each generation passing on the blame
You’d think we’d learn, you’d think we’d evolve
Take a look at the news; it ain’t the case at all
Rap
Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jew
A thousand roads leading back to you
Listen to your words tell me what they say
Is it for yourself, or others you pray
Cities are on fire, the children are lost
Blind faith nailed, to a plastic cross
Holy wars, freedom, democracy
Deep fried grease and hypocrisy
Show a little love, drop the hate
Forgiveness is the key to heaven’s gate
Chorus
Heaven, heaven help us all
Heaven, won’t you catch me if I fall
Verse II
Hates in the mirror, hates everywhere
It’s in your bible, if you’re looking for it there
Truth is an ocean; it’s burning in the sun
It’s there in your Shadow, that you can’t out run
Bridge
The more things change, the more they stay the same
Each generation passing off the shame
You’d think we’d grow, you’d think we’d evolve
Learn to love one another, that ain’t the case at all
Rap
Chorus
Isn’t Love A Beautiful Thing Toast
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
To have someone who’ll laugh at all your old jokes (even the corny ones)
Isn’t love a beautiful thing,
When the world is conspiring against you, but you have someone at home who’ll always have your back
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When this world is just about to make you crazy, and then suddenly you both realize laughter is the only remedy
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When you have someones hand to hold
while taking walks on summer evenings
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When you have someone to build a home with
Someone to make a family with
To share your dreams with
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When you have someone to remind you to throw out the garbage, to not leave dirty dishes in the sink, to put the cap on the toothpaste and to put your dirty socks in the hamper, and you respond by saying “Yes Dear” That’s love!
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When you have someone who multiplies your joy and diminishes all your woes and worries
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When on February fourteenth, you have someone to call your Valentine
Isn’t love a Beautiful thing
When the time in front of you is shorter
than the time behind you, and your shared memories are the glue that holds you together
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When at the end of the day you have someone to lay down next to you, someone to say goodnight to———someone to say, I love you too
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When you have someone to help you solve those repetitive life changing questions—-such as, What do you wanna do for dinner tonight? What? What did you say? I said, what do you want for dinner? What? I can’t hear you. I said, what do you want for dinner, I still can’t hear you, you know I can’t hear you when the waters running, and so it goes
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
When being right is less important
as being kind
Isn’t love a beautiful thing
To have someone to encourage you
when you’ve had a bad day. And you come home exhausted and there’s someone there to tell you everything is gonna be okay
On this journey we call life,
I wish you both——- love
Nothing less, nothing more
Yes, love is a beautiful thing
Love, nothing more, nothing less
Tell me daddy, what makes the sun burn so bright
Who turns on the moon, when it gets dark at night
Oh Daddy, what makes the wind blow
Who turns on the rain, who freezes the snow
Tell me Daddy, why’s the ocean so blue
Who decorates the flowers, with morning dew
Someday my son, you’ll be a man
You’ll see, it’s all part of a plan
What you take, and what you give
Gonna come back to you, in this life you live
Love is all, we came here for
Nothing less, nothing more
One day son, you’ll leave home
You’ll find love, and have children of your own
You’ll teach them all, all ya know
You’ll wish them well, then ya gotta let-em go
You can choose your friends, but not your family
So I guess I’m stuck with you, I guess you’re stuck with me
Someday my son, you’ll be a man
You’ll see it’s all part of a plan
What you take, and what you give
Comes back to you, in this life you live
Love is all we came here for
Nothing less, nothing more
Hard Learned Lessons
Those were the days, and we didn’t even know it
Living in a hurry, I was racing to get through it
Thought I’d have time, to do the things I didn’t do
Now that I finally got it down, here’s what I want to say to you
Thanks, for those hard learned lessons
To make a life and not just a living
To be kind to all, and stand up for the weak
Give smiles and handshake to all I meet
Everyday’s a blessing, and a gift
Don’t worry about tomorrow, or today you’ll miss
Thanks, for those hard learned lessons
To make a life and not just a living
Remember to give thanks, to the one above
Thank you mom, for all the love
The way I remembered It
I don’t know how to put this, so I’ll just come right out and say it, You only get one precious life—-that’s it. There’s no replays or second chances. That’s the way this thing life is designed. The days drift by as do the weeks, months and years. We treat time as if it were limitless. Sorry, but time is a clock that can never be rewound
The most precious commodity we are gifted with is time. Why do we waste it by allowing petty annoyances to consume us. We treat people as if they are replaceable, treat our bodies as if they are refundable, surrender our souls as if they’ll always be redeemable.
I guess we weren’t so special after all
Sitting Indian style in the park
Face to face
On a warm summer night
And the crickets sang
Dogs chased one another in circles
We talked and laughed about everything
About nothing
You talked to me, as if you secretly read my journal
Like you knew me forever
Is this how forever feels
Buried bones, memories of love
Is the way I remember it, the way it was
Drip, Drip, Drip
Danced with the devil
Stepped on his tail
Got drunk in a tavern
I found Jesus in jail
Drank enough beer
To piss me an ocean
It’s hard to get lost
If you don’t care where you’re going
Bummed me a smoke
Fired up a light
Now I’m stuck in this tree
Like a tattered old kite
Chased a few rainbows
Searching for a pot of gold
When I was young
I never thought I’d grow old
Times a wad of gum
Stuck on your shoe
You can try to out run it
But it’ll catch up with you
Fates a leaky faucet
It goes Drip Drip Drip
What you deserve
Is usually what you get
One night stands
Well I had me a few
When it comes to love
I bit off more than I could chew
Made some mistakes
but I paid my dues
Smashed my TV
Tired of the same old bad news
You might same I’m crazy
Nutty as a fruitcake
If the fish ain’t bitting
It’s time to change your bait
Chased a few rainbows
Searching for a pot of gold
When I was young
I never thought I’d grow old
Fates a wad of gum
Stuck on your shoe
You can try to out run it
But it’ll catch up with you
Times a leaky faucet
It goes Drip Drip Drip
The good times I’ll remember
Bad ones I’ll forget
All That Ever Is
All That Ever Is
By Victor Uriz
The freeway sounds like the ocean, city lights look like stars
The ole moon singing down at me, to sound of a Spanish guitar
Trash dancing in the wind, my words cold clouds of steam
If I told you how I felt, would you say you still know what I mean
Streets dark and damp, puddles where the rain it fell
If I looked you in the eye, would you say you still know me well
Old friend have they gotten to you yet
Compromise yourself
Mayas what you get
What we become, these things we pretend
Careful what you value
These things become you in the end
All that ever is, ever will be or was, from original sin, to unconditional love
Beneath a crooked smile, I hear a tenor sax sad and low
The nights so lonely, I feel it in the notes he blows
Play it sweet, make it true, Lay it down real sad, brother won’t you make it blue
We can change this world, if we change our minds
Put it down in poem, for the deaf the dumb and for the blind
Old friend, have they gotten to you yet
Sacrifice yourself, Dharma’s what you get
What we become, these things we pretend
Careful what you value
These things become you in the end
All that ever is, ever will be or was, from original sin to unconditional love
