2 yous

There’s a you who’s pure and simple
And a you who’s anything but
There’s a you who loves everyone
And a you who hates their guts

There’s a you who wants to try
And a you who wants to quit
There’s a you who wants to get up
And a you who wants to sit

There’s a you who wants to do it all
And a you who’s just plain lazy
There’s a you who’s got it all together
And a you who’s just plain crazy

You see, there are two you’s,
Living in us every day
Whichever you feed
Will be the one to succeed.
And the other will fade away.

Canoe trip

Water flows
And takes us on its arms
We look at its beauty
We laugh at its charms

The river is quiet
Yet extremely polite
We paddle all day
To its utter delight

But the joy is all ours
As we spend a whole day
Letting the river
Take us its way

From here it keeps going
Although our trip is through
It just keeps on flowing
As we dock our canoe

We stand in thanks
For our day in the sun
For the time we spent
With the river as one

Attention

Excuse me, Owners? Please listen up
I know I’m just a dog. Just a hound. Just a pup.
But for two days, you left me here all alone
Ran as fast as you could right out of our home.
Didn’t you worry about giving me kibble?
(The neighbors came over just to give me a nibble.)
No one walked me around the block.
I didn’t play with a ball or a rolled up sock.
And even now, it’s like I don’t exist.
Was I long forgotten, and then not even missed?
And what’s that there that you’ve got in the blanket?
Is it a big roast beef from a three-day-long banquet?
No? What is it? C’mon, let me see.
What’s causing no one to pay attention to me?
Oh no! It can’t be! It’s another one of those!
With ten little fingers and ten tiny toes.
I could have been starving. I could’ve gotten rabies.
You were out getting another one of those silly babies.

'sponsible

My room is dirty.
And I don’t care.
My teeth aren’t brushed.
Neither is my hair.
My room is in shambles
My chores aren’t done.
I’d rather watch TV
Or go have some fun
Who really cares,
‘cept little old me?
If I just hang around
And do what I please?
Someone else will do it
‘Cause they always do
In fact my whole life
could be completely up to you
I’ll just sit and watch
And play with joy
As you scurry around
To clean up my toys.

Well, it’s thirty years later
And I’m sad to report
That my plans didn’t work
In fact they fell well short
Well they worked for a time
Yeah, it was fun for awhile
Until you got tired
Of cleaning my piles
So here I sit,
As still as a stone
Never learned to do a thing
And now I’m alone.
But I’ve learned one thing
And I learned it real good.
If you don’t take care of yourself
Then no one else should.

Run away

Today is the day I’m running away.
I’m sick of the rules, I just want to play
I’ll just need a few toys, and I’ll sure need my Teddy
Just a couple more things and then I’ll be ready.

I’ll need lots of good books for when I get bored
I’ll take my hamster, ‘cuz he can’t be ignored.
I’ll need my big pillow for when I get tired
Of course my toothbrush will be required

I’ll take plenty of food for plenty of eating
And I’ll take the stove in case something needs heating
Hmmm. But wait. I can’t really cook.
So I’ll take my mom and a recipe book.

I’ll need a bat and a ball to be thrown.
And I’ll need my brother, ‘cuz I can’t play alone
I’ll also need my tackle box and my fishing pole,
And my dad, to take me to the fishing hole.

If it rains out there I’ll just get doused
So for shelter I'll just take the whole house
O.K. I’m ready. I’m going on my way
But it’s heavy, all of this, so I might as well stay.

The tree

A tree spreads out
As it gets bigger
Reaching to heaven
With incredible vigor

People, however
Tend to get disjointed
As we get hurt
And disappointed

We close up
And our dreams disappear
When our hopes are lost
And we're left with just fear

We could learn from that tree
A thing or two or twenty
About how life is good
And how God gives us plenty

Don't let the bad
Undo all the great
See all that's possible
And let love conquer hate

So stand in the sunshine
Laugh in the rain
And realize that joy
Is greater than pain

Stretch like the tree
And don't have a care
Because heaven, my child
Is both here and there

Penny

I found a penny
Picked it up
After all
It was good luck

I took that penny
To a wishing well
I made a wish
And down it fell

To my amazement
My wish came true
When I looked on the ground
And I saw two

Two little pennies
Meant two more wishes
All of this wishing
Was quite delicious

So I made a wish
And gave ‘em a drop
I fully expected
My luck would stop

But there on the ground
Was a shiny new nickel
And from my head to my toes
I was nothing but tickled

My nickel became a dime
My dime became a quarter
And over and over and over
And over

Then I had thousands
Then millions. Then billions
Then whatever the heck
Comes after gazillions.

Now this is one
Remarkable thing
I started with a penny
Now I’m set like a king

But I guess I must’ve
Been here awhile
‘Cuz I’m old and gray
And I started a child

I’ve got little to show
For all of my wishes
No family, no friends
Just a whole lot of riches

If I could go back in time
And go back to that day
I would’ve found someone in need
And given that penny away

Wait! Hold on!
What am I thinking?
I’m at a magic well
I can go back without blinking

So I took the gazillion
And threw it all in
“Take me back to that day”
I said once and again

But nothing happened
All was the same
Just an old man standing
With nothing but shame

Guess you can wish
For as much money as you please
But a wish for more time
Is just a wish on the breeze

I, comma

I’m always stuck in the middle
I never finish my lists
And I don’t have as much fun
as an asterisk.

I try to hold it all together
I’m constantly connecting
And I interrupt thoughts
Whenever I’m reflecting

I don’t start at the beginning
I don’t end at the end
And I look like a quote mark
Who just lost a friend

I’m sorry about the fuss
I don’t mean to cause a drama
(I’ve got it better than the colon)
Guess I’m happy to be a comma.

Reverse

Why is there evil?
So there can be good
Why is there pain?
So comfort's understood
Why is there death?
So we can appreciate life
Why is there dark?
So we can see light
Why is there poor?
So there can be weath
Why is there sickness?
So there may be health

You see, these things exist
So there can be the reverse
So thank God for the good
And don't fear the worst
It's simply a way
To help you be glad
That life is a blessing
On good days and on bad