Uncle Larry has been in a grumpy mood since he returned from Nam
Wears a perpetual permanent scowl on his face
his lips are always in a sarcastic style pout
He does this to keep people away
I hate people he says, which is not him at all
We nephews and nieces know better
this tough exterior with the leather jacket is a front
to keep people away, because he is a softie
he cannot say “no”; and it gets him into trouble.
He is always lending money to someone or giving them rides.
He has been taken advantage of time and time again.
This is why he wears this mean face, to protect himself.
It might work on strangers, but we live in a small town.
Everyone here knows the real Larry.
If you need anything, anytime, you will ask him first.
He is that kind of guy.
My son, a whirlwind, a blur of motion,
A heart of gold, but lacks all notion
Of listening ears, or a mind that obeys,
A constant test, in countless ways.
He'd scale the moon, if he had the flight,
A spirit wild, a mischievous light.
But "No!" is a word, he barely comprehends,
A stubborn streak, that never ends.
NEC's shadow, a constant fear,
Made me a softie, throughout the year.
No spankings, no harsh, or angry word,
Just gentle guidance, softly heard.
But patience wears thin, as the years unfold,
And "Little 5417 head," a story untold,
Escapes my lips, in moments of strife,
Reflecting the strain, on this weary life.
He'll grow, I know, and learn to see,
The value of listening, and empathy.
But for now, I cherish the chaos he brings,
This whirlwind of energy, that life truly sings.
The title describes me to a tee
No matter how hard I try at times
To be tough and manly and masculine
A softie is how I'm defined
Guess it's not always a bad way to be
Cold hearted is sure not this guy
If you're able to read between the lines
That's where this dude resides
Try very hard to always be honest
But it's not always easy to do
Some factors contribute every damn day
To disguise the real you
So call this guy a real “old softie”
That's a real compliment you see
Will keep on spreading the love around
“Jacko The Softie”, that's me!
Butterfly elf man had a reputation for being a softie
Even though he looked stern, borderline determined even.
Not that it’s a bad thing, but he did not look whimsical or frolicking.
He looked serious, yet still, butterflies flocked to him.
Is he almost mean? Someone wondered aloud.
The butterflies tittered and twittered at this.
They knew he had to keep a rough expression because he was soft.
If people knew how soft, they would trick and swindle him.
Out of his treasures, his wealth, his whatnots and whatevers.
He did not dare wink or blink when other humans approached.
Keeping a stern look that fooled everyone except butterflies.
Wanda Hardman sang a sad song
How a softie had done her wrong
But Lady Luck
Slipped her a buck
And now she's wed to Don Key-Long
Me and my sister
wanted a request granted to us
the other day
So we sought out our parents to see
what they had to say
Daddy said go ask your Mama
So we went and asked her:
Mama gave us a hard no
That settled the matter,
or at least we thought so
A little later that day ...
Me and my sister came up with a brilliant idea,
or at least we thought it was
That’s how the smart bee stings you
when it starts to buzz
We came back with the same request
that we didn’t get granted
earlier in the day
It was a common children’s request —
permission to go outside and play
But this time we played it smart;
we went to Big Softie first ... like we did before,
only this time with a little wrinkle
We said to Daddy, we wanna go wash the car,
and afterwards can we play with our friends
Daddy said, that’s alright by him,
long as our Mama says so
Me and my sister walked downstairs dejected,
timid and slow
And I said to her:
looks like that yes is really a no
The title describes me to a tee
No matter how hard I try at times
To be tough and manly and masculine
A softie is how I'm defined
Guess it's not always a bad way to be
Cold hearted is sure not this guy
If you're able to read between the lines
That's where this dude resides
Try very hard to always be honest
But it's not always easy to do
Some factors contribute every damn day
To disguise the real you
So call this guy a real “old softy”
That's a real compliment you see
Will keep on spreading the love around
“Jacko The Softy”, that's me!
© Jack Ellison 2015
I live in the city that never sleeps
Time square lights shine
While the sun creeps.
Homeless men rush to the big tin can
Of left over meals
Teens vamp through the night,
No sleeping pills.
My fellow citizens
Shop so late
Club stays open in Brooklyn
Way past eight.
Catch a ferry to Staten Island
Or a nice boat ride in Manhattan
A Broadway musical
Staring Jasmine and Aladdin.
A Yankees game in the Bronx
On a nice sunny day
Mr. Softie drives by
While all the kids play.
A booster on the street
Selling expensive bags for cheap
And Knock off shoes
While he watch out for police.
Knicks game at Madison square garden
Carmelo Anthony hits 30 points
A Rikers island bus
Releasing inmates from the joint.
New York City is my city,
The city everyone wants to meet.
It stays awake as the sun creeps
My city never sleeps.
There is a fly in this house
It can buzz and shout
Flies so fast can't swat nor douse
Buzz around my freshly made coffee
Buzz buzz fast as a wink
Buzz buzz over by the sink
Buzz, swirl over my coffee
Land on the edge softie
Can't stand this fly nope
Go get the fly swatter
Got to get rid of this bugger
Flap, flap right in my freshly made coffee
(Rhyme sort of)
As we were admiring the color of love last night,
Appeasing our thirst like two cats in a fight,
Your eyes were as shiny as the sparkled stars.
They were as admirable as the lights of the bars.
As I was starring at them with no ambiguity
Fears, lies and evasions surround their clarity.
But the reflection of love in them retains me
From trying to quit being sentimentally a softie.
Like the seven wonders of the world,
They fascinate me with their eyelashes so well curled.
Just Like the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris,
I can observe their allure all the way from Ferris.
They rhyme the harmonic melody of my heartbeat
Because their beauty is so stainless and so neat.
Your seductive eyes is my favorite site of tourism.
They shape my emotion and imagination by Romanticism.
Because of January 17th God makes me see,
Their color should reflect the beauty of the sea
Because another page of my life is just turn over
I can only hope they remain part of me forever.
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