PAD 2016 - Part 3

Day 21 -

She scares me,

but I'm too little

to do anything

about it.

Why won't

Margaret

just leave me alone?

Just let me play

with my toys,

she buried all

of hers.

It's not my fault.

Can't she be nice,

just for one day?

Day 22 - Home

The robin who builds his nest

in the tree outside my door.

The one tulip that bloomed,

I guess the deer ate the rest.

Kids playing baseball,

behind the fence between the yards.

The groundhog that scurries off,

at even the slightest sound I make.

A dozen feral cats, at least a dozen,

they come and go as they please.

I cut down all the brush,

picked up all the trash from winter.

I hope the woodpeckers are still hungry,

enough to visit as much,

even though the town cut down some

of the trees they used to feast upon.

In the front, a small patch of grass,

sidewalks and the main road through town.

It can get busy, especially in the summer,

Cars, bikes, people visiting the Catskills.

I like to watch people sit at the light

because they don't know where the sensor lies.

I should put up a sign, but like other things,

around the house, I just haven't gotten around to it.

The house needs some work, I want to spruce her up,

but I enjoy my surroundings immensely.

My old dependable van parked in the driveway,

I have everything I need right here.

Some new windows and siding,

will do the place good.

The trees, the animals, the quite serenity; 

my own little slice of heaven on earth.

Day 23 -

What's waiting for us, once we slip away?

We think about Heaven, or maybe Hell.

But is it just a place we imagine?

We'll just have to wait, for that fateful day.

The day when we are called upon to join

all of those who have passed on before us.

Will we recall the glimmer in their eyes?

Will they rejoice when they see our faces?

Is this even possible, or will we

be placed in a box and covered with dirt?

Does it matter if we are cremated?

Souls travel,not our physical bodies.

No, our bodies are just vessels we use

here on earth, while waiting for our moment.

Day 24 -

Achromatic tabby,

we just call you Whitey.

Yes, it may be rudimentary,

but you don't seem to care.

You seem to be fulfilled,

just lying in a glimmer of sun,

a velvety breeze swirling around

your thick coat of fur.

Day 25 -

Keep it to yourself, this is my life.

An ode to Billy Joel

He's written and performed,

so many hits over the years

you could say that he's literally

brought music to our ears

From upbeat tunes

like Tell Her About It,

and You May be Right,

to heartfelt ballads like

She's Always a Woman,

you could dance all night.

I've always admired you,

Just the Way You Are,

wondering how it felt to

have strangers put bread in your jar.

A New York State of Mind,

a song all NY'ers can call their own,

of course being from Long Island,

NY has always been your home.

Now at MSG, your banner hangs from the rafters

I've seen you once, but would love to see you again,

I remember hearing you on the radio, mid 70s, as a little kid,

I think it was Only the Good Die Young,

To you, Billy Joel, may you live a long life

If the pleasure you have brought to people is paid back to you in years,

you will live on forever, Piano Man.

Your music surely will.

Day 26 – Home

Take me home,

where I long to be.

But where is home?

Along the River Shannon.

Take me home,

where my girl waits for me.

But where is home?

Along the River Shannon.

Take me home,

where I played as a boy.

But where is home?

Along the River Shannon.

Take me home,

where I can feel joy.

But where is home?

Along the River Shannon.

Take me home,

where I'll feel best.

But where is home?

Along the River Shannon.

Take me home,

when my body needs rest.

But where is home?

Along the River Shannon.

Take me home,

to the River Shannon.

Remember me as you

lay me by her side.

I'll drift upon her waters

all the way out to sea,

once my soul has left

and my body has died.

Along the River Shannon.

Day 27-

Long lines? Seems simple enough, I suppose,

but does the prompt mean it literally,

or is this just an exercise in futility?

It seems, the farther we proceed in life,

the longer all of the lines become.

Though I suppose this is better than a short line.

We see those whose lines have come to an end.

They were so young, they were taken too soon.

Those are the words we say when we don't understand.

I think about what lies beyond, it's nice to dream.

I hope that there is something else, but really we

will never know until our time has come.

We will be able to lift up our spirits and look down,

back down upon the ones we love, or will

everything simply go dark once we pass away?



Day 28 -

It's finally my time to say goodnight.

I could hear the dirt plunk, as they wept and threw handfuls on top.

They shuffled along carrying the large wooden crate.

Frozen drops of dew hung from the barren branches, on that late November day.

No big fuss was made, it was simple, a few friends, family.

By the time anyone found me, it was much too late.

But then warmth, as a pool of blood filled my hand.

I felt the cold blade pierce my stomach.

If all they wanted was some money, why didn't they just ask?

I heard voices, then footsteps rush up behind me.

Walking alone, through dark alleys in the city.

Had I known it was to be my last, I'd have savored it more.

On my way home, I stopped for a meal.

Work was work, nothing spectacular.

I got up, brushed my teeth, took a shower.

Today was like any other day.

Day 29 - 

I remember sky blue,

not the sky itself,

but my light blue soccer shirt.

We had a game that day,

we were defending champions.

I had to be on time.

My shirt, covered in green

grass stains and mud,

from our last outing.

I gotta clean it quick.

I can just wash it in the sink.

I filled it up with water.

Dropped the shirt in.

Added some detergent,

or so I thought.

I had grabbed the bleach.

Now my light blue soccer shirt

was decorated with fluffy white clouds.

Day 30 -

The end is in sight

Take my hand, remember me,

live without worry

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