Seed of Fear: Jack and Jill
Mack and Stacks went up to the trap,
to stash a pail of cash, slick and packed.
The street was quiet, corners still,
sun hung heavy over the window sill.
Mack held the bag, pockets tight with green,
Stacks right behind, eyes sharp, unseen.
A shadow broke, the door rattled loud,
a flash, a bang, the night turned proud.
Mack hit the ground, crown knocked low,
Stacks stumbled next, nowhere to go.
They both fell fast, fear in the air,
the block held its breath, nothing was there.
The pail was gone, the trap left bare,
echoes of warning hung everywhere.
Mack went first, got hit in the dome,
Stacks went next, it hit his neck—neither made it home.
I am a free spirit happy and free
I travel which way wind blows
Often heard singing off key
But dancing to the beat on my toes
Words are blurred I forget them
Often making up my own ditty
Yet in the rhythm I can swim
And match the groove so pretty
Miss Mary Mack wasn’t dressed in black
For I gave her colorful clothes
She line danced at the juke joint shack
Her best dress the color of rainbows
Give me the rhythm I’ll keep time
Dancing carefree with friends of mine
Cornelius McGillicuddy Mack
You can’t make up a name like that
At baseball he took a loud whack
(Managing the A’s to 3,731 wins)
~ Suit-and-tie, teetotalling aristocrat
He had a killer of a smile
But his mind was a blank
He could run a country mile
Though he was built like a tank
He got married eight times
But each bride soon brought him back
Rejected for his pebble-sized brain
My sweet smiling Uncle Mack
My ankles have arthritis
Walking is terrifying
Especially in winter
My asthma is triggered by cold weather
I wear a mask, because it helps me sometimes
Today is not one of those days
I crunch my boots over the icy tundra that is Kansas City
Wishing I was twenty years younger and sixty pounds lighter
My dogs follow me, watching me struggle
I am glad they do not yet know what being old feels like
It is a private hell, both ankles feel like they are broken
My shoulder is sore from a spill I took ten days ago
It feels like I have been run over by a Mack truck
Because I am seventy-two, and out of whack.
Pencil jumped out of my right hand and gave my left fingers a tiny tap
Three new ideas came to me in a quick snap; I needed pencil back.
Pencil refused to take direction, gave my cheek a tiny slap.
It was my fault for personalizing him and naming him Mack.
Mack wrote for an hour and ten minutes, never taking a break.
I noted it was all about himself, and most of it was fake.
Serves me right for giving him free rein.
Having an arrogant pencil is a bit of a pain.
the green dog had the bluest eyes and the ears of orange said Mack.
He had a blue nose, and red scales down his hairy humped over back.
the second he walked in the door, he said “Hello, just call me Jack.”
I was so surprised he spoke English, I nearly fell over said Mack.
Did he come to rob you, to ransack, to home invade or attack?
At first I did not know why he was there at all, said my cousin Mack.
But we had a long chat, and I learned the hard story of dog Jack.
It was so sad, I let him stay with us. His bedroom is down in the back.
Mack had the cat-titude of one who was notoriously aloof
Luckily most cats did not see his hidden diabolical uncaring self.
His kill room was full of felines who had thought he was clever
He was, of course, just not in the ways they had hoped
He was hunting tonight; looking for an unsure female
He liked them young, inexperienced, and trusting
He focused on a potential tabby with pretty green eyes
Had to hide his anger when she wandered off with another Tom.
A wise looking older cat smirked; he could tell she wanted him.
She was savvy, seasoned, probably a grand-mom of many litters.
He gave her his Mack grin, and she got sassy.
She might somehow best him. She looked tough.
He liked them young, scared and terrified, so he kept hunting.
His kill room was waiting, and he wanted to bring the right victim home.
One Eyed Mack remembered not what two eyes felt like
He had lost sight in his left eye when a little tyke
He has been preaching since he was three or four
Inviting all the neighbors to church forevermore
Not many stayed, two diehards did though
Old Mr. Willis and Lady Bow Flow
She formed her church around her life
One Eyed Mack thought Mr. Willis should make her his wife
When he came home from college Mack took a peek at one or another,
To see where they were sitting. Wanting them to find each other.
Never did though Miss Willis held a grudge for forty-three seasons.
You see in 1934 Mr. Willis stood her up at the altar, so that was the reason.
Here lies Mack
Flat on his back
Sleeping like a baby
His guts are worms
All full of germs
His brain is just a gravy
He was a tool
Drowned in a pool
For children 3 and under
Why so dumb?
No one knows
We can only wonder
I heard clarity
In the quiver of his voice
I saw quintessence
In his only choice
His thin frame
Stood rigid against the storm
And from his eyes
He kept hearts warm
Shelter is a place
Tangible by touch
The only thing left
By the destruction of so much
And in his gesture of hope
His actions did not lack
It was just a message of love
From a man called Mack
Of all the fiends I ever knew, the worst was Mack the Killer
Who lived on other people’s gold, a spendthrift and coin-spiller
We all watched as he showered gold on mothers never wives
We saw him fill the tweaking hands of men embracing blight
We saw them never work again, their days turned fast to waste
We saw the good folk tumble down in ever-quicker haste
We saw their souls face in the mire, the spark now smothered out
We saw the men to anger to turn, to cover killing doubts
Not to build, not to think, no hand upon the tiller
They went to their graves hungry ghosts, because of Mack the Killer.
Mack The Fork
Take me back to the wholesome days by the back porch swing
Long to recapture those timeless moments let the freedom ring
Many years have passed still having a reason to grasp
The lemonade stand with the fork in the middle
Now I'm stuck at second base having a pickle in the middle
Calm me down with a face left in a frown
Clowns to the left of me Mack to the right
Out of sight blazing saddles was such a fright
When Mack the fork came into town a solemn moment in thought
Shadows gleam while people would scream in search of ice cream
Straight through the barren cliffs in search of blood we get the drift
Those sweet moments we traced a chance at romance with date
The lying tongue will soon get swept away by a soft parade
Love in it's charm we all must seek to sound the alarm
Filter through the mountain as to purify the water
Those crazy days getting lost in a purple haze
You wake up late & say it's going to be one of those days
There will never be another quite like his kind
The maker or creator of this vast design
Come with me through this passage of time
That's it for this pen & so is the rhyme.
Why do I keep feeling this way?
Like I'm in a dark place.
I have a great life,
but I feel like somethings is missing.
so my heart keeps twisting.
I feel like the dark place I'm in
won't let the light in.
Nobody else but me,
loneliness....how could this be?
Can anybody hear me...
please don't fear me.
I need somebody by my side.
It feels like a scary ride.
Should I hide from the light?
No! It doesn't seem right.
When my Mom told me I was so glad
Going on a train Ride with Davy and his Dad
I was so excited when the day finally came
Leaving for Connie Mack Stadium and a baseball game
At the Tamaqua station boarding one of the cars
On my way to see some of my favorite stars
The day was special like a magic dream
I had saved some money for a picture of the team
We had hot dogs and sodas and cheered for the Phils
A foul ball dropping near us was one of the thrills
We knew all the ball players by number and name
Someday Richie and Robin would be in the Hall of Fame
Though years have passed, I still remember that day
With Davy and his Dad, watching the Phillies play
Just enjoying life, not knowing what's in store
I lost my friend Davy in the Vietnam War.
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