The Dangerous Man

This is the story of a dangerous man

He claims to be doing the best that he can

His motives are pure, he will always claim

The results of his actions are always the same

He forges ahead living the life

Steering clear from trouble and strife

Takes care of business and pay his bills

His life is free of excitement and thrills

Asks no questions doesn’t what to know

His mind and soul have ceased to grow

Likes the simple life, especially his TV

What it doesn’t show him he’ll never see

Pays his taxes and votes without thought

Just is grateful for what he’s got

Follows all the laws and to the letter

But does not a thing to make things better

Cares not at all about injustice and wrongs

Imagines they’re words just mentioned in songs

Poverty, war and pollution aren’t his concern

If its not his house on fire, let it burn

The dangerous man doesn’t rob, destroy or kill

But he’s the main reason our society is ill

His apathy is contagious it’s in every town and city

The dangerous man -- what a pity

In 1967

I’ve been offered a job at Dow Chemical making napalm

I think I’ll pass on it

And burn draft cards instead 

(That’s instead of burning people)

I’m strongly against the war

I oppose American imperial aggression

I support indigenous people

I hate the military industrial complex

My priorities have shifted lately

I’m less inclined to care about what society tells me to care about

And more drawn to what I think is important

I’ve gotten into Eastern philosophy

Zen meditation

I don’t eat meat anymore

(Though I think eating the rich is a good idea)

I’m concerned about the environment

But actually want to turn my concern into action

I accept the differences in others more readily

But am less tolerant of hate, violence and greed

I think positive changes are coming 

But don’t intend to sit around and wait for them

I believe in the spirt of the people 

But only as connected to nature and animals

My hair is really long now

I hardly ever watch TV but listen to a lot of music

FM radio

I drive a VW van

I’m mostly happy

I live with my girlfriend though I don’t call her that

I call her my old lady

I’m her old man

One other thing: power to the people!

Who?

Who am I

Am I this age

Or all the ages I’ve ever been

Am I my body

Or my mind

Am I my accomplishments

Or my dreams

Am I who I say

Or am I your perceptions of me

Am I wrong or right

Am I happy or sad

Does who I am depend on what I’ve just done

Or what I’ve just thought

Or what I’ve just said

Or what I’m planning on doing

And who are you

Are you my reflection of you

Or are you something I cannot know

How can we possibly get along

We must be in each other’s way

We look at the world very differently

We have our own biases and life experiences

We have our own tastes and desires

We dream differently

Yet here we are together

Sharing

Friendly

Who are we

Is there a we

Is it mostly you or mostly me

Or is we perfectly equal

Are we our common ground

Do we only exist when we’re together

Is there no we when we’re apart

How is this all different from us

I’m a bit confused today

sorry

Our Country Tis of Thee

Cut taxes

Reign in spending

Loosen government control of businesses

Beef up the military

Stricter enforcement of immigration laws

Emphasis on family values

Small town values

Middle American values

Let the infrastructure crumble

Eliminate the social safety net

Give the rich and corporations all they want

All they need

And more

Cut public transportation

Cut education funding

Maintain discriminatory policies against gays

Screw civil liberties

Only businesses need freedom

Attack and plunder our perceived international enemies

Find a pretext

Drag America back to the 19th century

Let’s have a corporate oligarchy

Dumb down politics

Appeal to the lowest common denominator

Demonize all opponents

Demonize educational elites

Barbeques

Diet cokes

Twinkies

God bless America

The land of the fat

What Does Judi Dench Smell Like?

What does Judi Dench smell like

I don’t know and I don’t care

Where are the drivers taking us

Are we going here or staying there

Are the roads less traveled clean

Or do they have a certain tint about them

One that can’t be explained you know

By ordinary minds

Not that Clark Gable would care --

Name dropper --

If I were to interrupt a soliloquy to buy you a bottle of rum

Because there are always things best left unsaid

Like marriage proposals

Unless you’ve found

THE ONE

I saw a potato that looked like Jeanne Moreau

That, that was an interesting day

After all, there’s no accounting for wastes

Unless you’re tripping over the very adverbs you’ve

You’ve

Been warned about

Please let us congratulate those winning candidates

Wish them God’s speed

(He is quite fast, you know)

So I was saying to Gene Hackman

Over tea and crumpets

Delish!

But of course none of this is any more real

Than the question I started with

*Sniff sniff*

Possessing the Bone

Patterns of clarity with the shuffling minds

Acting surprised at ordinary finds

Copper skinned girls dancing alone

The righteous and mighty are possessing the bone

Are we God’s illusions on a star filled night

Or do we simply belong to the bright shining light

Should we be looking under stars or streams

Or is everything we need gamboling in dreams

We go on daily pushing bravely ahead

Is is because angels our cases have plead

To what do we owe the graces we receive

And whom do we blame for the times that we grieve

Need we ponder these mysteries ascertain he unknown

Or might we be better served just holding the bone

The obvious the clear and the oh so plain

Are the very things that might drive us insane

Hoping for visions answers and cures

Are just some of life’s temptations some of the lures

Copper skinned girls please let me dance too

Help lighten my cares it’s the least you can do

Afterwards maybe we’ll love and we’ll moan

The righteous and mighty are possessing the bone

Thanksgiving

Thank you to my lovely wife

Because of you I have a wonderful life

Thank you to my late great dad

You’re the best father anyone ever had

Thank you to my daughters dear

I’m so lucky that you are here

Thank you to the Bears of Cal

Win or lose you’re a real pal

Thank you to the Giants of baseball

I’m still so happy that you won it all

Thank you to my brother and his clan

Of you all I’m a real fan

Thank you to friends here and there

Life without you I couldn’t bear

Thank you to the artists I adore

Your music, books and films I love to explore

Thank you world for my good health

It’s more important than financial wealth

Thank you readers of these humble lines

Thanks to you my heart  still shines

A Happy Thanksgiving to everyone

Here’s hoping for a day of food and fun