Reality
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Death will come to all of us
Bottled ashes or six feet underground
Thoughts are empty; we utter no sound
Here today, maybe gone tomorrow
Feeling lost, saddened with sorrow
The body forms at birth and, in the end, turns to dust
The death you see is a terminal must
From birth, we begin our aging path
Just how long will we live? Time moves fast
Do you ever think of death in a severe way
No one knows night or day
Can you imagine a time without you
The grim reaper comes regardless of who
Childhood friends are a growing list
Saddened by the names already missed
Death a disregarded thought in time
Buried deep inside your mind
Some leave early, while others late
The man above picks the date
Life is so short and quick to pass
Our time clock moves way too fast
Smile and love life and enjoy each day
Forgive and forget, hold anger at bay
Treat your friends with love and kindness
Time with them is far from timeless
Always keep this thought in mind
You'll never outlast the word called TIME.
William Larry Pickard
WILAPICS ART
There is a young man who loved the sea
He could read the stars and winds by age three
He loved to venture along the Alaska shores
Leaning the ocean at the age of four
He would read of the sea and mother natures storms
How quickly, from nowhere, the clouds could form
He was ready to go at an early age
But school would be the turning page
As a small boy, he had dreams of the sea
A captain of a ship was what he would be
School work and parents were the anchors on land
His thoughts were to be a sea sailing man
At night he would dream of being at sea
Salt water in his face, his thoughts were free
His sea shells were falling from his nightstand jar
Still wearing his pajamas, he didn't get far
But this little sailor will set sail someday
He's learning to be a captain along the way
Yes, one day, he'll have his boat
But for now, in the tub, the plastic ones float
He may be small, but ideas are big
When he sets sail one day, he will control the rig
Big white sails full of wet summer breeze
This grown-up man now holds the sea.
William L Pickard
Photo provided by Carolyn Muscle
The sailor is Wallace Johnson, her grandson.
Sometimes when life falls apart at the seams
Just sit by yourself and begin to daydream
Think back, if you can, to pleasurable times
Chill for a while and rest the mind
Daydream about life and the people you love
Gaze at cotton clouds and blue skies above
Think back to your youth when times were good
Return in time, if only you could
Sit by a tree with wheat straw in hand
Enjoy Mother Nature's beautiful land
Fresh air and the smell of flowers
Sunbaked land and misty rain showers
Forget your troubles while you can
Enjoy your surroundings and colorful land
A beautiful day can clear the mind
Of past problems and reckless times
It's a sunfilled day, time to relax
Settle in on an upbeat track
Nothing dark or grey appears in view
How you proceed depends on you
So when this poem ends in a while
I hope the words create a smile
Take this at heart as you go on your way
You decide what happens today
William L Pickard
2022.
A September of embers:
Even though time in years have filtered past
The tears and sadness of that day will last
Friends, family members, or just someone we knew
Blood splattered faces, a sad thing to view
Hundreds of people running helpless and scared
The frozen faces from windows and the unprepared
America's laughter and smiles quickly faded away
A deadly sight on a horrific day
Innocent people, many come to mind
It seemed like that day last forever, frozen in time
The steel structures, concrete giants, fell so fast
The tall shadows in the city are a thing of the past
Buildings touch the clouds like tall mountain trees
Fell quickly like wet straw in a breeze
Never forget the sadness and fright we all felt inside
Looking for safety and comfort somewhere to cry
Remember this day as you look towards the heavens
We as a nation will never forget the day, and it was 9-11.
Copyright © William Pickard 2002
Born terminal
Ashes to ashes dust to dust
Death will ultimately come to us
Here today and hopeful tomorrow
The end comes quick then overcome by sorrow
One day it will arrive for each one of us
The death you see is a terminal must
When we're born, we begin to die
We can't avoid death regardless of what's tried
Do you ever think of death in a severe way
Regardless of much, you wish to stay
Ever imagine what life would be without you
The Reaper will come irrespective of who
Death is a discarded thought in time
Buried thoughts so deep in your mind
Some go early, and some go late
Most of us wish we could pick the date
It saddens me that life is so short and so quick to pass
But regardless of my thoughts, life's time is fast
So enjoy the short time we have here on earth
Try to enjoy your life for what it's worth
Smile and sing and enjoy each day
Forgive and forget hold anger at bay
Hug your loved ones and treat them with kindness
Your time on earth is far from timeless
Always keep this thought in mind
You'll never outlast the word called TIME.
Copyright © William Pickard
Memories.
Memories are thoughts stored from the past
Many are lost; others seem to last
When you think of good times way back then
Just being alone or time with a friend
You think of your first love or your first kiss
There are indeed good times you've grown to miss.
The pounding heart or a childhood smile
Feelings you haven't felt in a while
Thinking of these times, you suddenly grin
Thoughts you've kept of the way back then
Your first bike or a brand new toy
Barbie's for girls GI Joe's for boys
Gathering of friends with no time to hurry
No schedules to keep..no time to worry
We've grown older, and friends have passed
We're still here and dream of the past
Daydreaming is fun when the thoughts make you smile
So sit back and relax, think back for a while
Thoughts from a long time ago and things from the past
Dreams of youth are disappearing fast
Enjoy your imagination and think so clear
Of time from days of yesteryear.
Lpickard
Copyright © William Pickard
Pills
We take them for energy and take them for sleep
Men take them for sex for things they can't keep
Some take them to calm their everyday lives
Some take them for sex and satisfy their wives
They make us feel up; they make us feel down
Some make us goofy we turn into clowns
Regardless of reasons, your pill for
If they make you feel better, you'll take even more
As we get older, the medicine cabinet grew
Pop a pill here, pop a pill there big bottles waiting for you
One for the daytime one for the night
One for your hearing, one for your sight
Wake up in the morning we pop a few
Our doctors tell us it's the right thing to do
Right after dinner, it's pill time again
Today I've counted this will be ten
Pills for pleasure, some medications for pain
Remedies for the weight you don't want to gain
How many tablets do you take a day
I can't remember I just won't say
Plastic bottles in cabinets on shelves and tables
My god, I don't think I'm stable
Please take these meds I want to be free
Just to be normal I want to be me.
Larry Pickard
Copyright © William Pickard
Youth
When we were young, nothing worried us at all.
From spring through summer through winter and fall
We built forts from boxes some four feet high
We climbed trees like monkeys some went to the sky
We ate everything like mud cookies and chocolate swirls
Made fun of freckles on cute little girls
I was mean as a snake and happy you see
I didn't worry; big kids didn't bother me
I rode my bike for miles with my balloon muffler
Fell and chipped a tooth, but it made me tougher
One meal a day was plenty for me
A policeman, a fireman was what I would be
My brothers were taller my dad was too
They were giants, and I thought that was cool
As I grew older, more things began to shrink
As I grew older, I started to think
How nice being young and so carefree
Being that young then meant nothing to me
But now that I'm much older, I look back and see
I'm still young at heart a good ride for me
Copyright © William Pickard
A New Life
When a baby is born, it's like a fresh spring day
Being a healthy one is what all parents pray
The pain and struggle a mother indulges
With bigger breast and stomach that bulges
Cute as a button when they arrive
The kicking, the moving, the feeling inside
Men are clueless of all the pain, I'm sure
They have no clue what women endure
Seeing the little hands and the little people feet
The very first look is a mother's best treat
Cuddle the little one against her chest
Feeding with milk from mothers breast
Men take notice of your beautiful wife
Who just created a beautiful life
Hold them and hug them but not too tight
Close to you, the feeling is right
Hold the tiny hands rub their little feet
Promise your love your promise to keep
Mother and child a beautiful sight
Not looking forward to the restless nights
A child being born is a feeling of spring
To create a new life is a lovely thing.
Lpickard
Copyright © William Pickard
Aging puppet
When I opened my eyes, I recall the weirdest dream
I was an aging puppet time breaking my strings
Years ago, I enjoyed a younger life
Now my strings are being cut by an age-old knife
Being young and healthy is our biggest prize
Five years ten years disappear in front of your eyes
Celebrate your youth in a healthy way
Your aging strings will wear thin someday
One string, two strings break, you lose your walk
More lines break you can barely talk
Five strings, six strings, your flat on the ground
Without the strings of speech, you utter no sound
Rows are wearing thin that made you strong
Before too much longer, your strings will be gone
The life we live will someday end
Strong strings through time will eventually thin
Some sell their souls for a new spool of strings
But it doesn't change what old age brings
The stringless puppet vanishes without making a sound
Strings break, he falls hard to the ground
He lays helpless, no movement at all
He's finally taking his life-ending fall.
Lpickard
Copyright © William Pickard
Poetry
Poetry comes from deep down within
Expressing your feelings from beginning to end
The smooth flow of words create a distinctive rhyme
Writing creative thoughts on a seamless line
You can write on paper thoughts locked in your head
Detailed reviews of what you have said
Poetry with motion poetry in the time
Random thoughts your hoping will rhyme
Poetry can make you laugh feel happy inside
Ink on paper a feeling of pride
Write on a blank sheet of paper and fill it with ink
Wanting opinions of what others may think
Is this poem good enough to read and to share
Will my witty rhymes take you there
Maybe you think now is the time
Before you forget an aging sign
Grabbing pen and paper, I begin to write
Begin in the morning and finish at night
Write down your feelings in horizontal lines
The end of each sentence should carry rhyme
Until the ball of the pen bleeds dark black ink
Continue to write of what you may think
Let your expressions flow with an open heart
Sometimes thinking where do I start
Then read each line read thoughts within
A good poem is written from beginning to end.
Copyright © William Pickard
Friends forever.
One of my best friends died today
Left me before I had the chance to say
Exactly what I always wanted to express
My favorite friend one of my best
Friends from the beginning friends to the end
Best of friends so deep within
Friends are those you'll love to remember
Regardless of who regardless of gender
The people you've shared part of your life with
Never asking of much, always willing to give.
When's the last time you called a friend
Or are you just going to wait till the end
Their life will be gone before you know
Call them or find a simple way to show
Just how much they mean to you
A friend who's been your friend so true
Or sit there like there's no end
Until you lose another friend.
I find this very hard to say
One of my best friends died today.
Copyright © William Pickard |
First Love
I thought about my very first love last night
I dreamed I kissed and squeezed her so tight
On several occasions, she still comes to mind
The love she gave was so soft and kind
She still rents a place in my heart.
Though time and distance has kept us apart
I know when I think of her, it's a romantic sin
Then I realize I will never see her again
She was my first love, that burning love you see
The love she gave stole the boyhood from me
So many years later, she's still in my dreams
I can feel her touch so soft it seems
I can't forget her regardless of time
Out of nowhere, she still comes to mind
The last time we met was many years ago
It's a simple love, and I'm sure you know
It's a gut sinking feeling sometimes for sure
Your very first love, they say there's no cure
Like I said before, she still comes to mind
The girl who I kissed for the very first time.
Copyright © William Pickard
Years ago, someone caught my eye
The smell of perfume and her beauty as she passed by
She sad just finished a dance and was exiting the floor
I was shy but asked if she could dance once more
She placed her tiny hands in mine, and we started to dance
Never knowing it would lead to a lifelong romance
We danced together and partnered as one
Enjoying each other and having fun
We danced with our children and their children too
Loving each dance was the right thing to do
I still dance and listen to our very first song
But now I dance old and alone
The dance floor is empty, and my partners gone
I still dance and listen to our favorite song
The music's fading and my legs are too
Sometimes I'm just lost, not knowing what to do
My dancing shoes are dusty. I've put them away
Hoping to dance with her in heaven someday
Without my partner, it ended the chance
Of ever having our final dance.
Lpickard Copyright © William Pickard
The Window
From her kitchen window, she stares through the glass
Remembering her love who has recently passed
Daydreams of times she would begin to tear
Love so strong throughout the years
The empty feeling way down inside
No longer around to stand by her side
It's hard to believe that he's suddenly gone
Not meaning to leave her here all alone
After 60 years married to a husband so dear
Loneliness is now a consuming fear
Moving through the house empty of laughter and love
Occasionally thinking of him above
No friends or family to call or to talk
Wheelchair-bound can barely walk
Loneliness and depression could fill the halls
Stained wallpaper pictures fallen from walls
This does happen in the world today
It's happening now, I unfortunately say
I've watched that stare from my neighbor's wife
Who's husband recently lost his fight for life
Military honors draped with the red, white, and blue
Hundreds of friends came to view
I've seen her stand for hours; it seems
Staring way off into the distance dreams
It's disheartening, a tearful shame
To look at her loneliness through a windowpane
Lpickard
Copyright © William Pickard |
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