On the East River’s waterway
looking over the Hudson Bay
Under Brooklyn’s “Welcome” neon sign
passing some time away
Drivers on the B.Q.E.
stuck in the red light car brake haze
Commuters inching their way back home
in a worker zombie traffic daze
(Chorus)
Take some time to step aside
and let the world pass on by
Take the time to realign
and to be with the ones you love
Manhattan’s glazed canyon walls
are sidewalk scene reflections
Murals of the myriads rushing
in every which way directions
On a web of interconnections
the rhythm of riding subway rails
The crush moves toward their destination:
the weekend furlough from rush hour hell
(Chorus)
Take some time to step aside
and let the world pass on by
Take the time to realign
and to be with the ones you love
Sitting on the promenade
you glow with the lights on the bay
Slowly sipping our fine red wine
enjoying some time away
Written to be sung to the tune of
"Just A Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins)
With each new day, there's work to do
But so much joy within it too
Seek out those moments, when
Work turns to fun
As all those tasks you soon complete
Brings happiness, your treat
Sit back! All done! Put up your feet- see how
A cupful of Baileys helps your stress to fade away
Your stress to fade away, yay
Your stress to fade away
Just a cupful of Baileys helps your stress to fade away
In a very soothing way
And whether you work in or out
It matters not what it's about
To use your brain or brawn to do the task
You can be happy with each chore
Especially when there's no more,
Your sweet reward and rest will come by soon - then
A cupful of Baileys helps your stress to fade away
Your stress to fade away, yay
Your stress to fade away!
Just a cupful of Baileys helps your stress to fade away
In a very soothing way!
Foremost and first, there's the perspiration
The author erases, scratches out, curses
The composer crumples up sheet after sheet
As the deadline nears, there looms desperation...
Hand-in-hand with the sweat is the aggravation
Grrr! Can't find just the right word
Something's off -- the melody, the beat --what?
Every passing moment adds to the frustration...
Suddenly, yes! It's finally ready for activation
The book is published, sold, and read
The song is heard on the air waves
Readers, listeners alike thrill -- Voila, Inspiration!
May 19, 2019
Entry: 'An Uplifting Feeling' contest
Sponsor: Line Gauthier
Oh, the brand of MultiYork,
It had five fifty then;
The pound dropped low with the Brexit deal,
And they’re washed up in their fen.
Now when you are up, you are up,
And when you are down, you are down,
But with a cliff edge fall and trade screwed up,
You’ll simply sink and drown.
Look up and feel the frosty wind
Twisting and bending the treetops
That are forced to endure its sound...
Who sees their rageful teardrops?
Yesterday the vibrant leaves were emerald,
What a joy to watch them with a brow that didn't stirn...
When the September breeze was gentle, not a bit wild;
See them now: they have turned so auburn!
Still the apple pickers load their straw baskets
With green and red apples not bitten by squarrrels;
They wear wide brim hats while cheerful Mary sings...
Letting her smooth face glow in the cold sun rays!
Look up and feel the frosty wind,
Will it anticipate the arrival of snow?
And waking up in early November one can find
Silence and snow, not hearing the ravens crow!
A touching version of "Winter Wonderland" by Felix Bernard & Richard B. Smith.
Fire bells ring, We’re awake and listening
Rush to the trucks
All washed and glistening
We start out the bay
Tell Dispatch, “We are on the way.”
Its a Firefighter's Wonderland.
Dispatch advises, “Inside there is smoke.”
We bunker and pack-out, This is no joke.
As we exit our ride
Grab an attack line to go inside
Its a Firefighter's Wonderland.
Inside the house, the fireplace was plugged up.
We laddered the roof, go up and take a peak
We looking into the chimney and saw a Santa hat
and the rest of jolly man at that.
HoHoHo, he gave a happy shout.
Used the jaws, to finally get him out
Medically cleared by the Chief
Promised extra gifts to us each
Its a Firefighter's Wonderland.
Spoke with the owner, he was quite worried
As for our patient he left, he was way behind.
We evac’d all the smoke with an exhaust fan
We calmed everyone doing the best that we can
Backing the engine back into the bay
Looked up and saw Santa in his sleigh
He thanked us for all that we do
Said have a Safe Merry Christmas Too!
Its a Firefighter's Wonderland.
Its a Firefighter's Wonderland.
Work seven till five
To stay off the street.
When I do overtime
Come home dead on my feet.
Seems month after month
Can afford less to eat.
When they raise my rent--
Could be out on the street.
My car’s fairly new;
Got a decent TV.
My home has a view.
The bank owns them, not me.
I went back to school,
Got another degree.
Still work like a fool
'cause of the ‘conomy.
Ain’t yet had a raise
Since the day I was hired.
Each check buys me less.
Cost-of-living gets higher.
My one biggest fear’s
That I’ll never retire.
I’ll be working somewhere
‘til my ticker expires.
Ain’t yet had a raise.
Come home dead on my feet.
Each check buys me less--
Can afford less to eat.
My one biggest fear,
Since the day I was hired:
I’ll be doin’ overtime
Until my ticker expires.
I take each day, baby, come what may
I got my own set of rules
Three sixty-five, and I’m still alive
I’m wallowing through the fools
Make one thing clear, I’m living without fear
I’m saving all of my dough
You think I’m scared, but I am thoroughly prepared
To leave you burning below
I go for it all, who cares if I fall
I Get up and try it again
Nose to the nail, I don’t know how to spell fail
I only know how to win
You try to stop me on my way to the top
Do what you feel you must
I’ll give you one guess, you got it I am the best
And you can eat my dust
‘Cause I’m on the outside, looking inside
Dying for my sins
I’m on the outside, selling my pride
Buying my way in
The alarm goes off, I open my eyes to face the day
I roll back over to sleep it away
The wife begins to preach to me
No work, unemployed, I am free
I go to the unemployment office and talk to the man
He looks at my state and says he will do what he can
The man asks me which of the three jobs I choose
I don't want a job, I guess I've got those Lazy Hound Dog Blues
I go outside, sit at the bench and wait for the bus
I've got nowhere to be, I ain't in no rush
It's getting to be late in the afternoon
Getting hungry and will be home soon
My wife left me a note saying were through
At the moment I don't care, it's the curse of the lazy hound dog blues
I tell myself tomorrow I will look for a job
Gotta clean myself up, no one will hire a slob
The alarm goes off I hit the snooze
Not today, I am nagged by those lazy hound dog blues
My wife calls, says she wants to work things out
I try to explain, she begins to shout
She won't listen what's the use
I tell there is a cure for the flu
But how do you shake the lazy hound dog blues
If you're a judge in a poetry contest
elimination,
look again and again before you jump
into a conclusion;
Printed words may look like black ants
in batallion formation
or squads of stragglers crawling out
with uncertain direction;
Oftentimes they're chunks, slices and splinters
of random thoughts
haphazardly strewn on the pages like black,
burnt wings of moths;
They may not have creative sparks, rhythmic pace
or inspiration,
but behind haphazardness itself may be
imagination.
I get off work again
And drive home in my car
Listen to my music
The drive isn’t far
I get home
And nobody is around
Enter my room
The place I can be found
And I sleep
And I dream
Dreams in the night
Dreams in the night
I get off work again
And I drive home in my car
Listen to my music
The drive isn’t far
I missed you
During all this week
But I know
It isn’t me you seek
So I sleep
So I dream
Dreams in the night
Dreams in the night
I get off work again
And drive home in my car
Listen to my music
The drive isn’t far
I have waited
For this pain to end
Been waiting for
Someone more then a friend
So I sleep
And I dream
Dreams in the night
Dreams in the night
And I sleep
So I dream
Dreams in the night
Dreams in the night
I sleep
I dream
Dreams in the night
Dreams in the night
Violently you whisper
Childishly you lead me on
You paint your empty picture
As you scare away the break of dawn
You call yourself a work of art
I fail to see your meaning
Your presence scares the shades
The shades of red, your tainting red
Oh, pick up your pen
Finish what you started
Erase, erase those lines
Or darken, darken cause I’m blind
Lie! I lie!
The hidden beauty of your wings
Just captivate me
That face of yours just takes my breath away
It scares the daylight out of me
You call yourself a work of art
I failed to see at the start
Your world, my world collide
I see you
Do you see me?
Frightfully you come near
Quietly you disappear
I paint my empty heart and
I end up with you just smiling there
Oh, I pick up my pen
I finished what I started
Erasing is no easy thing
Your face defines my everything