THE BIG ROOM:
FROM EARTH TO THE MOON,
FROM DEATH TO THE WOMB
UNTIL OUR UNIVERSE AGAIN GOES BOOM

BY

Glenn Allen Nolen

	

COPYRIGHT © 2000 BY GLENN ALLEN NOLEN
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

DEDICATED TO:

May thirty-first,
It is one day above all the worst.
It cured me of my thirst.
May the bubble never burst? 

 

	

i

	CONTENTS

Legend of the Rose                              1
The Well                                        4
Easter Bunny Craze Parade                       8
A Product of Courtney's Love                    14
As a Young Man                                  15
Castle in the Air                               17
Where Love Resides                              20
The Meeting                                     22
December Twenty-Fifth                           23
The List                                        25
Courtney's Earth                              
	Act I - The Shoes                          27
	Act II - The House                         29
	Act III - The Wicket                       33
Waiting for the Hawthorns' Rose                 40
The Swallow Who Couldn't Follow,
The Duck Stuck in the Muck,
And The Peacock Who Couldn't Strut              42
Courtney's Morning                              56
The Perfect Woman                               58
The Butterfly Who Wouldn't 
Flutter into the Big Room                       60
The Smile                                       64
If Life were a Poem                             65
Courtney's Constellation                        66
Old Man's Fable                                 67
Sweet Betsy McBride                             69
Hundred Dollar Bill                             71
Message Transmitted Across                    
The Big Room                                    75
A Walk through the Desert                       79
Flower of the Moon                              80  
Love Beams                                      84 
Rainbow in Heaven                               85

	

ii

Legend of the Rose

In a village high in the mountains of South America 
Lives the legend of the rose.  
This legend is a tale centuries old.
It begins with love by a man for a woman, and the road she chose.

The villagers speak of a young man who appeared 
Out of the blue one-day with a rose.
He traversed higher up the mountain.
For what purpose, no one really knows.

His return a week later caused quite a commotion.
The villagers had never seen anyone with that much emotion:
"My name is Juan Antonio De La Madrid."   
He proclaimed in a whisper:
"Please get word to my mother and sister."

Only a few heard him speak.
About the dream he had lived earlier that week:
"An angel appeared before me. As I planted my crop,
Then the angel commanded me to stop."

By this time his voice was so low,
That only the old woman tending him heard him says, No!
Hours went by while he did not speak.
And then a young woman from his village fell at his feet.

She wept, and then she listened. As he continued to talk
Speaking of flowers that bloomed on his long journey’s walk.
She listened contently not allowing another sole at his side.
During the night, he suddenly died.

That young woman who witnessed his death
Remained in the village and never left.
One afternoon ten years later,
She smiled and journeyed up the mountain to the top of its Crater.

1

No one knew why she had stayed.
For she refused to talk of the legend he made.
She made that journey every ten years
Speaking only of flowers that magically appeared.

Most of the villager's asked where she journeyed on that day.
"I must wait," was the only answer she gave.
As the woman became older
Everyone thought the legend was over.

She died one night while waiting for a decade to pass,
But Lo and behold! The legend did last.
The oldest woman in the village was present for her death.
All she would say was that: "I am blessed."

It seems the young man was granted a dream.
From the angel that appeared before him without being seen.
He told of flowers that suddenly bloomed 
Speaking to him that wonderful afternoon.
Then a rose blossomed at his feet,
And he marveled at how the angel chose to speak.

The oldest woman in the village kept the legend alive 
Revealing the story of the angel foretelling his demise.
The angel granted him a tribute to the woman he loved,
And that young woman definitely was.

The legend continues to be told. 
For it is guarded even better than gold.
It passes from oldest woman to oldest woman at the time of a Death.

Rumor has them saying:” Go to where the sun 
Never rests. 
Stay on the path and you shall see a tribute of wonder.
It should last for an eternity."

It is said to be the most beautiful rose in the world.
Adorned with floral arrangements that go on forever

2

Honoring his girl.
For some this legend is only a myth. 

Others say it is visible every ten years as his gift.
Wait before you decide. 
Talk to the oldest woman of your village.
She just might know if a rose could hide.

	

3

	The Well

One hundred sixty years ago, thereabout,
A man packed a wagon for his family and headed out.
His wife was full of doubt,
But he didn't seem concerned. Even though he suffered from gout.

They left that New England farm,
Its field half plowed,
The man hurt his arm.
He yelled out loud: 

"Damn these rocks 
Congregated in the soil.
Everyday, I fill a hundred box,
And it makes my blood boil."

From the very first day of their long journeys route,
They made their way down the Appalachian range.
It made them as tired as an old boot.
Along the way their clothes didn’t change.

A few weeks hence,
They were in Missouri
Needing to buy supplies in a fury.
They made it to Independence.

The only consequence of their trip thus far
Were a few days and nights of rain
That secluded the stars.
It even came down tame.

They had to make the continental divide.
Before to long the pass would decide to hide.
Their journey was rough,
But the family hung tough.

4

The farmers' wife noticed her husband’s health
Starting to fail
During a stretch that would give railroads wealth
And allow pony express riders to one day deliver the mail.

Their water ran low.
With no rivers in sight,
Her husbands' words flowed.
He was in a delirious fright.

She knew without water, they would all perish and die.
So she picked up a shovel,
And the earth started to fly.
It landed in a big pile of rubble. 
She was searching for a bubble.

At ten feet down, she rested only a moment 
Letting out a huge sigh.
Then she frowned
Before sending that shovel heaving into the ground
Saying: “I’m not telling anyone good-bye.”

She dug and dug
For hours on end,
Without a mug,
There was no water on which their lives did depend.

At dusk, And all through the night,
The only words she uttered
Were: "I must! I must!
It's Oregon or bust."
As her husband laid there and muttered something about his pig
Getting big.

5

She gave her small children a wigging.
That made them stay out of sight.
And she kept digging,
At dawn she rejoiced in delight.

But she worried about the site.
Should she have gone further right?
Or should she have continued around the next bend. 
Second thoughts, to that there's no end. 
	
At noon that second day, she came up for air.   
Her hands were skinned totally bare.
Miraculously, as she started to cry,
She noticed mud from the corner of her eye.

She scrambled back into that sixty-eight foot pit.
With one final effort, she gave her all and then quit.
A few hours later, when she came to
That pit was half-filled with water. It was crystal clear blue.

A week later, erecting a bell,
Her husband placed a sign in front of that well:
"I'm alive to tell.
How my wife dug this well,

May it never leak.
Women are no longer meek.
I plant this seed.
May all that pass by take care of its need.

Give it water
And occasionally fodder.
May this tree grow strong
And last long.

Let it never be felled.
May it always stand proud beside her well."
That family continued on their trip.
All who came after made their journey at a faster clip.

6

All of those travelers must have taken a sip,
And others must have taken a dip.    
Some of those travelers said: "The land was hotter than hell."
Every one of them thanked God for her well.

Her tree still stands tall today as a lighthouse beacon,
And the water in her well still refreshes the weakened.
Although, It has been sixteen decades from that day,
She and her love found a way.

7

The Easter Bunny
Craze Parade

The Easter Bunny went for a walk.
Along the way, the Easter Bunny saw her honey.
And they started to talk.

The Easter Bunny 
And her honey
Began to hop.
They hopped and hopped.
Until a woman with a mop
Said: "You look funny." So they stopped.

The Easter Bunny 
And her honey
Decided to skip.
They skipped and skipped. When a friend named Chip 
Joined them. He wanted to flip.

The Easter Bunny
And her honey
Skipped, and Chip flipped.
They flipped and skipped
For a while, when a man named Frump
Joined them. He started to jump.
 
The Easter Bunny
And her honey
Continued to skip,
While Chip did a flip,
And Mr. Frump
Did a jump.
They did that for about an hour
Losing all track of time. As they skipped, flipped,
And jumped past a tower.
  
A boy named Howard
Joined them from behind

8

Walking backwards.
Then someone yelled: "Look at the nerds,"

But they couldn't be hurt by a mere word.
At that moment, Howard felt something drop on his head.
He looked up and saw a bird.
After that he sounded dead. 

The Easter Bunny
And her honey
Kept skipping.
While Chip continued flipping,
And Mr. Frump
Did a jump.
Howard trailed behind walking backwards.
He was now afraid of birds.

When all of a sudden, Chip lost a button.
He could no longer flip without losing his pants
Revealing his last name of Sutton.
His flips were more like slants.

At that point, a girl named Shelley
Approached and saw Chips belly.
She started to laugh
Splitting the group almost in half. 

A friend of hers named Kelly asked her to stop.			  
That's when it happened, Mr. Frump's
Awkward looking jumps 
Landed him on his rump in front of a cop.

So Chip
Couldn’t flip,
Mr. Frump
Couldn’t jump,
And Howard walking backwards,
Looking out for birds,
Tripped over Mr. Frump.
He too hurt his rump.

9

Luckily, Howard's bump
Didn’t produce a big lump.
But no one knew what to do.
Then the cop named Sue

Noticed they were confused.
She offered to help saying: 
“That may leave you bruised.”
They explained that Chip
Couldn’t flip,
Mr. Frump 
Couldn’t jump,
And Howard couldn't trail behind walking backwards
Being afraid of birds.

She looked puzzled.
Then looking at the Easter Bunny 
And her honey
Petting her dog that was muzzled.
Sue, the cop,
Started to hop.

So Sue,
Who knew what to do,
The Easter Bunny
And her honey,				
Chip, Mr. Frump, Howard, Shelley 
And Kelly
All hopped.
And no one stopped.

They hopped and hopped.
It was a cop adopt.
Eventually, they passed by the woman with the mop.
They seemed to be having so much fun. 
So she stopped and began to dance a bop.

10

So Sue, 
Who knew what to do,
The Easter Bunny
And her honey,
Chip,
Who couldn't flip,
Mr. Frump, 
Who couldn't jump,
Howard, who couldn't trail behind walking backwards,
Being afraid of birds,
Shelley 
And Kelly 
All hopped up this large hill.
They couldn’t remain still.

The woman with the mop danced,
And she pranced.
She was thrilled.
No water was spilled.

When they got to the top.
Someone yelled: "Drop."
So they all fell to the ground.
They were silent, and they couldn't hear a sound.

Then there was a commotion.
In unison they turned around
Seeing this large crowd of an ocean
Getting wound. 

As the Easter Bunny
And her honey,
Sue, 
Who knew what to do
Chip,
Who couldn't flip,
Mr. Frump,
Who couldn't jump,
Howard, who couldn't trail behind walking backwards,
Being afraid of birds,

11

Shelley
And Kelly,
And the woman with the mop
Waited for the crowd to stop.
                                      
The bandleader stated: "Hi! We are new. 
We came to join you."                                                            
So Sue, 
Who knew what to do,
Started to flip. 
Shelley began to make music with her lip. 
Kelly walked backwards.
She was not afraid of birds.
Chip, Howard, Mr. Frump, and the Easter Bunny hopped.
Someone had a balloon and it popped.

The woman with the mop began to jump,
And the Easter Bunny's honey skipped.
The crowd joined in out of its dump.
Hopefully, no one would get tripped.

Some people wildly swinging round.
It must have been everyone in town.
That day no one had a frown
Including every dog in the pound.

No person was muscled
And no one tussled.
Some people tumbled,
But no one rumbled.

It was entertaining,
But no one was humbled.
Then it began raining.
Still no one stumbled.

They all had fun in different ways.
Then someone called it the Easter Bunny craze
Saying: "All the boys and men have been Gent’s.
We each have a difference,

12

But we all like to play. 
Let's have an Easter Bunny Craze Parade everyday."

	

13

	A Product of
	Courtney's Love

Their once was this bottle in the ocean.
It came to the beach with the tide. 
Someone said: "It should be opened."
That day is when people started to cry.
The label read: Emotion - Laughter, Tears and Devotion,
But no one knew the reason why.

Until then there had been no music,
No laughter, nor joy.
Life had a blandness.
A dreary same kind of dampness
That never led anyone to make noise.

Love was uncommon.
People had no reason to live.
It was only when someone saw that bottle a bobbin'.
That people started to give.

Who gave the gift of emotion?
No one seemed to know.
It certainly caused quite a commotion,
But it allowed people to grow.

That bottle wasn't seen for a very long time.
Then it was found one day at the bottom of an old mine.
The label did read: Emotion - Laughter, Tears, and Devotion.
On a background were the wings of a dove.
And these few words: A Product of Courtney's Love.

	

14

	As a Young Man

As a young man, I once had a dream.
Now that I'm older it's difficult to see.
Time has eroded all that seemed real
And in its place left a life unfulfilled.

This life that I'm living is so incomplete.
Although, I'm not starving it is a struggle to eat.
Life could have been different for me and for you.
If only we had envisioned life without hatred, bigotry, or Reasons to be cruel.

As a young man, I heard Martin Luther King.
He gave the world a vision of how life could be.
His voice rang out loud that: "I Have A Dream."
Unfortunately, his message is now rarely seen.
We struggle with life and forget to embrace.
The words of wisdom he spoke before that tragic day in 1968.

Other people have attempted and sometimes relay.
That same message of hope and forgiveness, 
But it just doesn't stay.
We hear the speeches and phrases of all that want change,

But after the moment the words just fade away.
Our struggle for survival is day to day.
Rarely does anyone focus our attention beyond 
What happens tomorrow?
Isn't that sad!
It causes me such sorrow.

As a young man, I once believed in life.
I thought the future would bring an end to world strife.
I saw the good in people and considered everyone nice.			

			

15

Then I learned to hear what was said in other people’s voices.
Soon it became clear that hatred had a lot of choices.

As people, we are unfocused.
Our minds travel and wander through many different oceans.
Often leading us places where hatred is the prevalent emotion.
 
Most of us, somehow, struggle to shore against the tide.
Others languish behind seemingly to drown, 
But then they reside in a world where forever is lost. 
They cannot coincide.
What a shame! Where will forever hide!

As a young man, I once saw a boat.
It was full of people traveling from despair to hope.
They made their journey without hesitation
Choosing life over death in some foreign nation.

Everything became clear when they arrived. 
Their struggle for freedom was hampered only by fear.
Often the unknown provokes a response by those of us drowning.
Why can't we cope!

As a young man, I looked to the stars.
I prayed that answers would follow,
But all I saw was a planet named Mars.
Now I've been told what the future can be.
As I opened my mind, then I could see.
The future is unlikely to become real
Without all of us first committing to feel.

16

	 Castle
	In the Air

Somewhere, sometime ago,
There lived a magician.
He gave a prediction
That you should know.

He carved out a name
Saying: "She would have fame.
It was beyond the realm where anyone else could go."

He made his belief 
Known in the streets.
Then he started a campaign
To build her a castle,
But the masses thought it was to 
Much of a hassle
And called the man insane.

He scrapped his idea
Of building a dwelling
Out of fortified concrete,
And he started to think
Of a way to link
A boat
That would float
And travel in the ocean
Via
A notion 
That dared
Comparing the air with its motion.

One day 
After years of not telling, 
He began yelling
One simple phrase:
"Why not stop felling
Trees
For sailing
And begin a craze			

17

To stop all that nailing
Using hay from bailing,
Then we act like bees
And meet where the air and stars greet."

Everyone in town
Was amazed.
The man could still speak.
They all gathered round
And sat down at his feet.

He was filled with elation.
The people were anxiously waitin'
For the magician to describe his creation,
He talked about a vision of structures that seemed alive,
And he implied
That it would be a living shrine
That flies. 
A long way beyond what we know as time.

In which, he would inscribe her name.
She was truly a beautiful dame.
He proudly proclaimed:
"She would live out her reign in a Castle in the Air."
No one thought he was dating.
Could this be a new ritual for mating?

He lived out his life
And buys all kinds of supplies.
For what people called a kite,
But no one really knew
If the wind even blew at that height,

18

He kept a fast pace,
But apparently lost the race
And died.
Before, some people said, his fanciful dream flied.

He left the legend behind.
Believing it an impractical scheme
Is something we all have to decide. But for me,
I tend to believe in the mind.

When the weather is fair.
I can see
An expert magician team
Completing his dream of her Castle in the Air.

         

19

	Where Love Resides

Love, people say, comes from the heart.
For me love resides in a different body part.
When you’re in love you might give a mum,
But it always comes from your cranium.

Specifically, from your forebrain,
When blood flows there love doesn't wane.
Love, people should say, is a cortical function.
It could happen anytime even at a luncheon.

Love might just be an abstract thought
That creates a wonderful sensation.
One day it might just engulf the whole nation
Making us all care a lot.

The mind is a terrible thing to waste,
But even a wasted mind can sense loves taste.
As long as your synapses,
The junction point of two neurons never collapses.

Love has a chance.
You might even dance
All night until dawn
Or even be referred to as a Don Juan.     

Love, whether conscious or not,
Is something that should never be dropped
Once sought.
It will never be topped.

Love involves the intellect.
Consider it a prelude to sex. 
Think of love as a joining together of neurons and synapses
Which can give us all emotional lapses.

20

They intersect
And move coordinately better than the best dancers,
Why not refer to them as enhancers?
It could make the whole world well.
Wouldn't that be swell?

21

	The Meeting

Everyone dreams of a day
Like today,
Because everyone wants to say: "Hello" in his or her 
Own special way,

The inflection of your voice
Saying my name.
It left me absolutely no choice.
I had to go insane.

The way your eyes shine.
Makes me wish I could stop time
Living in a moment where the world is left behind.

How did you get so pretty?
I have never felt so giddy.
Please don't let me go blind!

22

December Twenty-Fifth

December twenty-fifth,
Has become a day of gift.
Whether, it is reality or myth.
It provides mankind a spiritual lift.

Christmas should be a day used to heal
Familial, national, international and religious zeal;
But the season for living
Has turned into a month long ordeal about giving.

The season from Thanksgiving to Christmas
Seems to command retailing fear.
Instead of it providing a meaning for life throughout the year.
Let's stop all the fuss
And get on the Christmas bus.

Stop fretting about material wealth
And concentrate on providing every boy and girl in the world
Access to a doctor and medication to improve our health,
December twenty-fifth
Should be about mending a rift 

Over a meal,
But it has turned into bargain hunting for the best deal.
We purchase everything from shoes to refrigerators.
Then we go to restaurants and get miffed at waiters

For slow service
Making them nervous
Enough to drop a knife,
How's that a celebration of life?

23

We should all view December twenty-fifth as a means to an end.
Whether we be single
Or man and wife send
Someone a Christmas jingle.

Sift out all our anger and strife making the world nice.
Make sure the hungry have rice.
Although, the day is two thousand years old
Never forget the meaning of the story that has been told.

24

	The List

I don't quite know how to say this.
It’s not like I know your kiss,
But there is something about you I miss.
So I'm writing you my list.

I miss the beat of my heart.
It always knows when were apart,
For it rarely seems to start.

I miss the shiver up my spine.
It happened everyday around nine.
It just felt like your workday time
Was some how mine.

I miss those moments in the hall.
When I knew my knees might buckle and make me fall.
At the first sight of you, I'd have given you my all.

Why does my heart stall?
Sometimes it slows down to a crawl.
Whenever I hear your voice call
And someone answers in the office.
At love, I must be a novice
Or my patience is just too small.

I miss that emotional bond
That everyone has to a song.
It’s like being touched by a magical wand,
Or perhaps it’s like being frightened by King Kong.
When your skin erupts for a moment then it’s gone.

You are, with out a doubt, akin to a swan.
Whose beautiful gaze
Can send me away. 
For at least a day
Leaving my mind behind in a maze.

25

I miss the glow from your lips
And that little wiggle 
That is seen in your hips.
I miss your giggle

And that sound you make eating a pickle.
Sometimes you’re as funny as Don Rickles.
When you’re not around, I'm fickle.
You keep me in tickles.

I miss saying your name.
No one else's sounds quite the same.
What I wouldn't give
If you could just live
A few doors down the lane. 
Maybe then I could protect you from the rain.

I realize that may sound strange.
Some people might call it lame,
But I'm not playing a game.
I miss you and for that I'm not ashamed.
My hope is that you never change.

26

	Courtney's Earth:
	Act I - The Shoes

Several years ago, a man appeared on my street.
He walked passed me, and I looked down at his feet.
I could tell he had walked a great distance.
His shoes were totally consistent.
Worn through by friction and resistance.
He was a man of persistence.

I turned and made his attention
Saying: "Excuse me! I need to mention. 
What is on your shoes?
How did they get in that condition?"
He said quietly: "It’s a matter of retention.
My life is beyond comprehension.
To look at me you might think I abuse booze,
And if we bet you would lose.
My life is lived how I choose."

As he started to leave,
He raised his voice and said: "You couldn't conceive.
What that stuff caked on my shoes means to me,
Every speck of dust my footwear retrieves.
Keeps me in touch with what I believe."

He pulled out this pouch
Bending down as if to crouch.
Using a spoon,
He picked up some dirt.
I said: "What on Earth!"
But before I could finish.
He said: "Don't think of me as a loon,
I'm not a menace, 
And I’m not a buffoon.
This is what I do.
If you met Courtney you would too."

27

He then placed the pouch in his shirt
Saying: "She is what I have lived for from birth.
I travel the world-collecting dirt.
One day I'm going to build our home out of 
Courtney's Earth."

I started to say: "Is it worth."
And he shouted: "Of course!
We may have gotten a divorce.
Love, however, is a mighty force.
Once I build her a mansion.
She might even want an expansion,
But she will know there is more than one love source.
There are a million ways of rekindling a torch."

I said: "Good luck! 
I hope you step in a lot of muck."
He chuckled
And went on his way.
That's when I noticed his buckle
Covered by dust and dirt,
But it clearly read Courtney's Earth.

That buckle must have been worth a fortune.
Those diamonds were of a large portion.
The last thing I heard was: "Have a good day!
Next time you see someone shoveling dirt.
Tell them it's Courtney's Earth."

28

 Courtney's Earth:
Act II - The House

Occasionally, I still think  
About that man with the dirt caked on his shoes.
So my computer and the Internet linked.
And I found his name in the news.

I searched the world over. 
It was to no avail.
From Madagascar to Dover,
And thought I had failed.

Then I searched the name
Of the woman who had him out in the rain,
At first, I came up empty;
But my curiosity was so tempting.
I could not stop.
I was almost ready to concede to a flop.
When I came across
An Internet site entitled: "My Loss!"

As I sat reading that monitors blue screen,
My eyes tired.
So my printer copied it out.
As I pondered what it was about.

The text 
Referred to a man who wouldn't get his shoes cleaned,
And how he was mired
In a fight 
Over something he thought was right.

Only to be labeled a loon,
By people who wanted him out of their neighborhood soon.
He got so perplexed.
He didn't know what to do.
When his neighbors decided to sue.

29

He had started 
Building a house.
He was in a neighborhood that was guarded.
He made virtually no noise.

In fact, he probably was quieter than a mouse.
Certainly, quieter than the neighborhood boys,
Who constantly taunted him with their toys.

He used his own two hands.
He hoped their home would one-day stand
Completing a testament of love.
He even released a flock of white doves
That day he broke ground. 
Although, he invited the whole town
No one else came around
Except the sheriff, who just stood there and frowned
Watching as the man released a thousand balloons
And played all of his former wife's favorite old tunes.

The next morning,
The sheriff arrived without warning.
A county judge issued an injunction
Claiming his mental capacity was not in proper function.    

He ended up in jail
Having a psychiatrist monitor his emotional state.
For a while, he refused to exhale.
The doctor placed him in solitaire
With these instructions: No pending release date.

Seventy-two hours later, he was escorted from his cell.
At that moment, the entire building erupted with the
Sound of one very loud bell,
It seemed the weather, which had been fair
Turned dark and menacing.
The wind blew stronger than a gale.
The man could not get his hands 
Out there finishing.

30
	
He knew
That every grain of dirt and sand
Would sail 
Spreading it all in the wind.

There was nothing he could do.
The earth and sky started to blend.
His life's work would fail.
So he watched the sky turn a brownish red.
He collected tons of earth over the years
And it floated away.

Although, the psychiatrist heard: "Wish I were dead." 
The county released him a few hours later.
Discovering that only a few ounces of earth managed to stay.   
He cried a few tears and then said: 
"Mother Nature! I could never hate her!" 

Once again he took out his spoon
Collecting what was left of his life's work
Saying to all that could hear: 
"Maybe I’ll go the moon?
It has no atmosphere!"

As his mind started to perk,
He wiped away a tear.
Then finding him self-alone.  
He let out a moan
Yelling: "Maybe next year!
Right now! I don't have much to offer
Except one little bottle of dirt,
It's all I have left of my Courtney's Earth."

In a surprise,
He cleaned off those shoes.
It looked like they might have even belonged to a golfer.
Then he spoke to himself: "I'll tell you no lies.
I have no idea what else to do.
Whatever I decide,
Her house will one-day fly!

31
	
Perhaps, it should glide
Until it gets so high,
Oh my!
I need to write this down
In order to hear how it sounds."

In the future, when man goes back to the moon.
Search for a house built on some lunar dune,
And a couple watching the sunrise giving birth
Seeing the beauty of Courtney's Earth.

32

	Courtney's Earth:
	Act III - The Wicket

Ten years past,
Before I set out to discover.
Whether that man accomplished his task 
Or abandoned his dream for another lover. 

It took awhile
For me to find
How many miles
He had climbed.

When I did,
It became evident
That he had hid
A large sum of money; 
He put it in an offshore bank.
Not to be spent on a rainy day,
But when the weather was sunny.

Some of the money ended up in Francs,
And some of the money was put in Yen.
It was all converted, however, right away
Within the week 
Ending his cataclysmic event.

He purchased a ticket to the Pacific Rim.
In his effort to seek 
A mode of travel
That, as yet, had not been unraveled.

Someone gave him
A hint that in a nearby thicket.
He would find the wicket.

33

Although, that stranger
Suggested there might be danger.
That man walked down a lonely road made of gravel.
It really was no more than a path.
Halfway down, he needed a bath.

He crossed an invisible line
Entering the domain of the wicket keeper.
He saw no signs,
But worried about stepping on a mine.
That's one reason why,
His metal detector had a beeper.

Feeling no pain, he let out a sigh.
When someone rushed by.
He asked for directions,
But there was no response.

Then a voice
From ahead
Very boldly said:
"Do you have connections?"
Startled! He couldn't reply.
Then he managed a phrase:
"I'm on a mission of affection.
I'm here by choice."

The wicket keeper interrupted trying to make him leave
Provoking him with taunts
Suggesting the path turned into a maze
Full of ghosts that haunt:

"Didn't you see that passerby?
It had no head or arms.
It had only sleeves,
And it only had a collar."      
The man was unafraid.
He wasn't even dazed.
He just started waving his dollars.

34
	
Shouting: "You'll get paid.
I've been told
You hold a key
That unlocks a gate."

The wicket keeper stated:
"You'll just have to wait.
I'm the only one authorized 
To see
What’s beyond that prize.
This mode of travel has not been fated."

Then it seems
They came to an agreement.
Where the man was allowed to view
The wicket
Nestled firmly in the thicket.

It was only a small door.
Made within a larger entrance.
Inside it had an enormous parquet floor.
It was covered in vines.
They looked like beans,
But they possibly could have been something to make wine.

Those plants must have been there a very long time.
The wicket certainly didn't look new.
It was bent
And had a few large dents.
There wasn't even a fence.

Out of frustration, 
That man requested a demonstration
Demanding it be opened without hesitation.

The wicket keeper capitulated
Searching for an old rope end.
It must have rarely been manipulated
By the strange noise it made while tied to a limb.			

35

At the end of the rope
Was this fragile little boat.
They both stepped in.
The man said out loud: "I hope
This thing floats.
How large is this moat?"

As they stepped on the other side,
The wicket keeper shouted: "Silence
Or you will become a victim of violence.
Step through the door
And leave this world of sin.
Select your destination
Or you might leave creation."

At that point, the man was chilled to the core;
But he needed more.
He took one gigantic step.
And somehow he leapt
Feeling himself soar!

When he opened his eyes.
He couldn't surmise his surprise.
How was he able to see the surface of the moon?       
He took one long look.
Like the pages of a good book 
That demonstration ended to soon.

So he paid some more money.
The wicket keeper laughed thinking it was funny,
But that man knew
He couldn't resist the view
Of Courtney's Earth,
It was a beautiful opal blue,
And it had to be worth
All the gold
That could ever be sold.

36

Then he said: "I'd give my last dollar
If Courtney could hear me holler 
Yelling her name on the moon."
On the second trip,
He started building a room.

That army surplus spacesuit, he used
Was a little large in the hips.
Although, he never got confused;
In fact, life to him was new.
His architectural plans even included a zoo.

He poured his heart,
His soul,
And his muscle
Into making a new start.

He worked like a mole:
Hurried and bustled.
There was no one else around with whom to tussle.
Time just flew.
Before he knew it.
He was through.
 
The first time he placed a chair to sit
And look up at that big marble
Of white and blue.
He marveled
At how man
Had grown to stand
And work with hands
That will forever toil in the sand,
But then his mind wandered back.
And he ate a snack from the hydroponics garden.

He said: "Life here 
Is a lot more clear
Than on the island of St. Martin.

37

There are no distractions
And no other human factions
With which to contend."  
  
So he settled in
Deciding to wait 
And see what fate
Brought forth in the end.

That's when he posted a note
On the worldwide web and hit the keyboard button send.
As far as I know,
All he wrote
Were these few words:
"Your house is in the night sky
Where there's a glow.
It affects the tides
And birds 
Don’t glide that high.

I'll be waiting for a sign.
Every night we could dine
And sip some wine
Sitting on untrammeled dirt
Looking out into space
At the human race
Giving birth on your Earth."

Then he e-mailed those directions
With all his emotional inflections
Hoping she would take that ride.

If that elevator flied,
Maybe love has a chance.
Perhaps, they had their first dance
Surrounded by the vastness of dark matter;
Or I could be as mad as the mad hatter.

38

For whatever it’s worth,
I tend to believe
That one day 
We will all grieve
And plant flowers on the moon.
That day may
Come very soon.
Why! You say?
Because love is the highest power
One can achieve.
I am certain their love will tower
Over the birth 
Of a new Earth
Whenever our sun fades.
That's how we were made.

Someone else may give it a name,
Or it might be referred to the same.
Whatever it's called,
Earth will always be a ball.
Gravity just works that way.

I'll always remember the last words 
That man was reported to have spoken:
"Like a newly hatched bird
That has just woken.
There should never be shame
Attached to the burning
Or yearning of loves flame."   

39

Waiting for the Hawthorns' Rose

The trees of Missouri
Whisper in the wind.
The name of a girl
Who left the state in a hurry.
Their whisper can only be heard in one remote valley.
Akin to a Scottish glen,
Where the dogwoods flower
And the bluebirds sing
Waiting to welcome her home in the spring.

As their leaves unfurl,
The sound of a bird
Enhances their voices even louder.
Making something spoken 
Softly in a small alley
Appear to have been woken in a rally. 
So as to reach all its exes,

The trees of Missouri
Whisper in the wind.
The name of a woman 
Who grew up in Texas,
But they say not to worry.
She will be back someday.
When the hawthorns' rose 
Blossoms along the Ozark Plateau
Spelling her name in white and pink bows.

The trees of Missouri
Whisper in the wind.
The name of a woman
Men favor with curry
In order to win,

	

40

The trees of Missouri
Whisper in the wind.
The name of a woman
Whose beauty when riding in an old surrey
Leaves a man condemned to wander the road. 
In search of her name that only
The hawthorn and dogwoods know.
                       
The trees of Missouri
Whisper in the wind.
Waiting for the moment
When the hawthorns' rose grows.
They plan to leap toward heaven that day letting
Everyone know the name of the woman who is back in their grove.

41

The Swallow Who Couldn't Follow,
The Duck Stuck in the Muck,
And The Peacock Who Couldn't Strut

One day a swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Met a duck stuck
In some muck,
And a peacock, 
Who couldn't strut.
Was he ever in a rut?

They quickly became friends.
It was quite a feat.
Because the swallow chirped,
The duck quacked, 
And the peacock made a lot of noise.
Only by accident did they meet
Getting blown together by the wind.

The peacock, 
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut? 
Stood up after the gust
Saying: "I'm not broken, but I sure did bend.
What condition are you boys in?"
 
While the swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Burped. Then he said: "I must
Smell like rust."
So he cleaned, 
And he preened his wings in disgust.

42

He hacked rocks
Asking the duck 
In the muck, 
How he got stuck.
                          
The duck replied: 
"We were playing follow the leader.
I saw this tree of cedar
And attempted to land.
Somehow, I misjudged
And got jammed
Into this abysmal of water and sand,
I would appreciate a helping hand."

So the swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
And the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Picked up a loose vine
To use as a towing line,
In an attempt to free 
The duck
Stuck in the muck.

They had to hover
Like bees;
But apparently, 
The duck was so covered
With mud that even with one end
Tightly wrapped
Around his bill,
The swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
And the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Were held still. 

43

The duck stuck
In the muck
Was trapped.
Like a humming bird at a bud of flowers,
It was caked
And baked 
On absurdly
                          
Like flour:
Enough to descend,
Luckily, he could still mend.
If his new friends
Freed him from the muck where he got stuck.  

Again, the vine tightened
And a deer
And a steer
Must have been frightened because they ran away in fear.

The swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
And the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Pulled and pulled to no avail,
On the third try,
They knew they had failed.
When the duck stuck 
In the muck
Didn’t fly.
He couldn't even try.

44

As they thought
Of a different way
To save
The duck
Stuck in the muck.
The peacock talked
About better days,
And the swallow walked.
Then having an idea,
The peacock ran off saying: "See Ya!"

An hour went by
Before the swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Said: "I'll make one more try.
Maybe if you swim 
That might loosen a limb."
                            
So the swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Picked up the vine
And started to fly.
He flapped his wings and flapped his wings.
Until he thought he would die.
At that point, he started to cry.
He didn't know what the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Would bring.
He just knew the duck
Was stuck and in a bind.

The peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Came back
With a strap
Found in a cave.

45

The swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Said: "Where did you find that thing.
It looks like a big ring."

So they pulled and they pulled,
But the duck stuck 
In the muck
Didn’t budge.
He said: "I'm like a goose in fudge.
I won't hold a grudge.
I'm sitting in frozen sludge."

Then the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Ran off again.
As the swallow,
Who couldn’t follow,
Said: "What kind of friend,"
But the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
                             
Was he ever in a rut?
Returned a short time later
Saying: "I couldn't get close to the deer or the steer.
They ran away from me like I was a gator."  

The peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Turned to the swallow,
Who couldn't follow,

46

As he prepared to take flight
Saying: "I hope that deer
And the steer
Don’t fright
When I light in their tracks.
That deer
And that steer
Both had quite a rack.
We can use for leverage if they agree to come back."

Before the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Finished another story
About a hen 
Named Lori.
Who was penned 
And caged 
By a brut named Rory.

The duck stuck
In the muck, 
Who had not had a beverage
In days, 
Became enraged from the details of the story.

The peacock, 
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Made it sound so gory.
                                 
Then they both heard
Something that sounded 
Like a herd,
But their fear 
Of being trampled was unfounded.

47
	
When the dust 
Settled and cleared
The deer 
And the steer
Appeared from a cloud of loud colored rust.

They plowed their racks in the dirt.
Until the steer
Lost a horn.
That sludge 
Was so packed.
It was torn,
And it had one loud crack.
It was the sound
That abounds 
When a baseball bat
Goes splat.
You know that!

"Are you hurt?”
Said the duck
Stuck in the muck.
Only the steer
Was to confused to hear.

The duck stuck
In the muck
Answered with a quack,
But it was rather lack.
His voice possessed no force.
He had become so hoarse from his discourse.

48
                                  
Then the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Said: "Where is that swallow." 
The deer
Immediately understood
Saying: "He couldn't follow.
Look that horn is hollow.
I'll wrap my rack in the dirt.
Until it begins to hurt
Making that vine
Feel like a hood of mine.
Then you take
Your one good horn
And make
That strap
Pull until it can expand
Like a rubber band,
Until it no longer bounces back,

We can each take a side.
Like when someone tries to eat an ear of corn.
Then we can glide
It all behind 
The duck
Stuck in the muck.
Let's see if he flies."

49	

To the duck stuck
In the muck,
The deer 
Said: "Beat your fear.
                                 
With any luck,
We can pluck you from the muck."

A few moments later,
They were ready to try.
Their persistence
Made the duck stuck
In the muck 
Begin to cry.

With one big jolt
The deer
And the steer
Ran off like a newborn colt.
Throwing that duck,
Previously stuck
In the muck,
Extremely high 
In the air
Letting the wind
Clean its wings.
Like we wash our hair.
You never saw so many things
Start to fling.
It was like watching a washing machine
Use its automatic wring.

50

There had been no resistance.
That duck 
Came unstuck
Leaving a crater ten feet wide.
That hole, 
Which could support
A fort
Or a family of moles,
Would be hard to hide.
And no one tried.
                                
Then the duck,
Previously stuck
In the muck,
Flapped his wings
And started to fly
Watching the swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Float on by.

"Where have you been?”
Said the duck 
Freed from the muck.
"I got lost!"
The swallow,
Who couldn't follow,
Embarrassingly replied.
"You’re looking thin.
That's no lie.
Let me lead,
And we will find 
A place to feed,
I see the deer
And the steer
Freed you from sitting in the muck of the permafrost for a full year.	
You have got luck on your side."

51

That's when they dived
Sitting on the deer
And steers' hide,
Unwrapping the strap and the vine.
They did it one tiny centimeter at a time.       

While the peacock,
Who couldn't strut,
Was he ever in a rut?
Began to entertain 
The steer,
The deer,
The swallow,
Who still couldn't follow,
                              
The duck, 
Previously stuck
In the muck, 
And all the little creatures 
Who came out to cheer.

They needed bleachers
To hold the audience that gathered.
That peacock, 
Who couldn't strut,
Came out of his rut
Having that audience lathered.
You would have thought.
He had been a featured
Motivational speaker 
Or used car dealer.
There would have been no stealers,
And you would have bought.
He lectured in rhyme.
Certainly, no one confused him with a pantomime.
That's when everyone knew he was fine.  

52

Then the duck,
Previously stuck 
In the muck,
Thanked all of them.

As the deer 
And the steer
Started to graze.
He thanked the world for his upcoming days,
And he promised never to be grim:
"I'll remember my friends until the end."

After the deer
And the steer
Wandered away.
The duck,
Previously stuck
In the muck,
Said to the peacock,
Who couldn't strut.
Now out of his rut:
"Let's look up that old flame.
                            
I bet she remembers your name.
Where did she stay?"

To the swallow,
Who still couldn't follow,
The duck,
Previously stuck
In the muck,
Said: "Let's play a game.
You and I can protect each other from the rain.
In flight our paths 
Will almost be the same.
It will be as if we were given the same name."

53

So they went on their way
With the duck,
Previously stuck
In the muck,
And the swallow,
Who still couldn't follow,
Playing follow the leader;
But the swallow 
Never learned to follow
And would have taken a bath or a shower.
What he needed was a lighthouse tower
Guiding him through the night and day. 

The peacock, 
Still unable to strut,
But out of his rut
Made a route of their trip.
They had to stop at almost every feeder
Resting and taking a sip
Indulging in fruit while doing loops.

They managed to stay great friends until the end.   
No matter which way they turned or bend.
That swallow
Never learned to follow  
And flew 
                                   
As he knew
By the weather vanes
Telling cue 
Making their lives
Essentially thrive
And complete.
Life was always a treat.

54

They flew low
And slow.
As time passed by,
They were determined to maintain a friendship.
No matter which way the wind dipped.

Oh! How I wish we could fly.
In any direction or height,
Without the aid of as plane,
And with there being no protection from the rain.
Just imagine the sight
Of millions of people 
Sitting on every steeple.
Waiting for friends to arrive
Greeting everyone with a dive.
My friends and I
Constantly try 
And fly.
That's what I call alive.
Perhaps, one day you and I
Can play in the sky
Having fun 
Chasing the sun.
Oh my!

55

	Courtney's Morning

As the darkness of the night fades
And the light of dawn brings new days.
May the beauty of a fall sunrise over New England
Come without warning for every one of Courtney's mornings.

The explosion of life that occurs
Reminds me so much of her,
And the sparkle of the gemstones in her eyes
Is just that same kind of surprise.
Never before had I realized.
How the darkness and light collide
Blending the sky
Matching that look in her eyes.
Aren’t both a wonderful prize?

May the morning sky blaze with color
And the light in her eyes never get duller.
As the sun glows,
Let life explode.
As if it had been dormant
From the beginning of time
And may her life never have torment,
But always be filled with rhyme.

May that moment when night and day 
Hold hands together,
Let it seemingly last forever.
So she can paint that sky
And catch the reflection from her eyes.

May she watch the purple finch 
Wake at just the right time.
So she can track its flight 
At the appropriate height,
And the white birch fence
Dare not hide the brilliance of her sky.

56

May a cool mist
Fall softly as a kiss
Leaving a rainbow
For her to hold,

Let all the colors of life
Arrive in her sight.
Let her revel in the delight of the day and night.

Let her watch life bloom
From the glow of the moon
That moment will end way too soon.

When the night lasts forever
And daytime seems almost never.
Let her remember the only difference
Is the amount of light 
One envisions in the night.

57

	The Perfect Woman

The perfect woman claims she doesn't exist.
The perfect woman is someone I cannot resist.

The perfect woman is as sweet as could be.
I hope that someday the perfect woman thinks a lot of me.

The perfect woman is a beauty beyond compare,
Because the perfect woman is someone who really knows 
How to care,

The perfect woman makes me feel ten feet tall.
The perfect woman reminds me of a Barbie doll.

She's like a dolphin with a ball.
She is always fun to be around.
She can make a clowns frown
Turn upside down.
How did I ever get the gall 
To think the perfect woman would notice me at all?
She's the most wonderful woman in town, y'all.
 
The perfect woman lives a life complete.
This is a little outdated, but I would worship at her feet.

The perfect woman is someone men would wait in line
To meet,
And now that I know the perfect woman 
How can I ever get to sleep?

For the perfect woman makes my feet leap
And my heart beat.
How did she ever get to be so neat?

58

She's like ice in the summertime heat or a swimming pool ten fathoms deep.
So refreshingly wonderful, you just want to dive in
And hold her hand forever if you can.

59

The Butterfly Who Wouldn't Flutter
Into the Big Room

Yesterday, a butterfly emerged from its cocoon.
It opened sometime around noon.
She couldn't leave her branch on this huge ranch.
Because she had taken a glance
Up toward the moon,
Down to the ground,
Across the sky,
And all around
What she called the Big Room?

That butterfly was mesmerized.
And she was almost in a trance from the vastness of space.
"I cannot travel past all that loose gravel.
I'm just a dabble
Of paint,
And I’m fragile as lace.
This tree will always be my base.
I'll never leave the leaves.
I can't!
I'm to dainty,
And I'd probably faint!
Look! See!
There I go,
Oh No!" 

Now butterflies
Usually fly
When their wings dry,
But this one didn't even try.

60
	
So she sat
Watching bats, 
Wild cats,
And all kind of life go by.
Waiting for the courage to take flight
And flutter,
But that very thought made her shutter.
Then came the night.
She was full of fright.
                   
As darkness fell,
She remained under a spell.
Afraid of heights 
And the wind
That could send her forever in a tumble.
She may never come out of its rumble.  
Never mind the facts.
Would she be alive and intact?

Her fear,
Manifested through tears,
Would not allow her to steer a course away from the tree.
That next morning,
After a long night of warning
Came a bee.

The butterfly called out
Saying: "You’re smaller than me.
How do you survive?"
"We thrive," 
Said the bee.
"We watch for flowers to sprout
And work together,"
"But I'm lighter than a feather;"
Said the butterfly. 
"So are we,"
Said the bee.

61

"Flowers give us power.
Enough to fly higher than most towers,
We are comfortable in the sky.
Why, are you cowering in that tree?"

"I'm afraid,"
Said the butterfly to the bee.
So the bee replied:
"Can't you fly?"
"I haven't tried,"
Came the response.
"What if I die                       
On my first attempt to fly."
"That’s utter nonsense,"
Said the bee.
"Don’t you know that genetically, 
You’re enhanced.
It's like when bees dance.
There's a rhythm,
And we 
All go along with them.
So you see.
You’re made to be able to glide in stride.
Don't wince,
And I'll accompany you to that fence."

The butterfly took a breath,
And she launched herself seemingly to certain death.
On her way down
Her frown
Turned around.

62

She was transformed into a clown.
Even the bee heard the sound.
It was louder than a train going through town.
You know the drill.
It was a big thrill.

She landed on a pod
Of overturned sod
Exclaiming her delight at the sight.
Then a gentle breeze,
It was light
As a sleeve,
Picked her up and made her leave.

"Wait for me,"
Said the bee.
As the butterfly flew further from that tree.

Albeit at first sedated, eventually,
She fluttered                           
Into town landing on a gutter;
But she wasn't interested in all that clutter.
She knew the place to be was in the air
Searching the Big Room. 
Butterflies only get so much wear. 

You see,
We all have a destiny.
One day you will hear that tune
And fly away soon.
Don't allow fear to intervene, or else you will be
Like a butterfly sitting on a tree
Waiting for a bee. 

63

	The Smile

There have been times in my life.
When I didn't have a friend.
There have been times in my life. 
When I was at my wit's end.
There have been times in my life.
When I didn't know if I would make another mile.
Then there came this one certain smile.
It brightened my days.
It brightened my life.
Just look in a mirror and see the same light.

64

	If Life Were a Poem

If life were a poem
What a poem it would be.
Full of love and laughter, sadness and death,
It is all of the things that make life such a test.

It would be filled with roses and violets, lilies in bloom.
Not one, however, could compare to you.

Life teaches all of us lessons
Which some of us learn.
Life, for others, gives rarely a clear message.
That is often filled with concern.

Since life isn't a poem.
Nor does it rhyme.
How people choose to cope with their problems
Is just a matter of time.
We all know how love begins.
With one simple phrase: Let's be friends.

65

Courtney's Constellation

Today, I renamed the stars.
Primarily, because Aristotle, Copernicus and all 
The other astronomers didn't know who you are.

Orion, the Crab Nebula, and Andromeda don't seem so far.
When I look up at night. 
They are closer than Mars.

I don't need a telescope anymore to wish on a 
Falling star,
You hold the universe in one little jar.

All the constellations
Join together and form a celestial celebration
Honoring the woman of my dreams.
Who very often seems to be the greatest wonder of creation.
Now that's exultation!

Twice a year on the equinox,
You hold the universe in a small box.
As the stars converge
And then merge
Into an old photograph
Of you as a little girl 
Sitting on your fathers' lap.
On those two nights, the stars remind me 
Of a billion sparkling pearls
Waiting for you to wake from a nap.
So they can be worn
And then adorned by Courtney. 

66

	Old Man's Fable

A long time ago, in a far away place
Lived a man and his daughter. 
As the little girl grew her father 
Became weaker. 
He never forgot to always be her teacher. 
Constantly, pursuing the importance of grace and worth.

Every year on the day of her birth
The man would recite this fable.
Some people considered it a curse, 
But the little girl embraced that man. 
To her he wore a coat of pure dark sable.

He started that day 
Always the same whether it be bright or gray 
With these few words to say:

"Never look back.
Never look forward.
Just live your life every day in every way.

Always be nice.
Always be kind.
Then some day you will
Meet a man who uses rhyme and verse to converse.

Some villager's said the man was clairvoyant.
Yet others believed he was downright annoying.

The little girl grew into a beautiful young woman. 
She looked all around, 
But a man using rhyme and verse to converse
Could not be found.

67

Eventually, settling down.
She married giving her father a wonderful granddaughter.
Every year on the day of her birth,
He would recite the fable.

It seems he believed in his vision of a man for his daughters.
Whose friendship, love, and devotion would never falter. 
That it seems was not his decision,
He could never halt her from social merriment or mirth.
Nor did he try to conceal,
His overwhelming belief that the fable was real,

Over the years, the fable passed through the generations. 
A long the way, it got lost in the translation.

I have no idea if you are related 
To the man or the fable,
But one thing is certain. 
Meeting you must have been fated.
You are a wonderful creation. 
Who must be part of some grand designer label.

So never look back.
Always look forward.
Live your life every day in every way.

Always be nice.
Always be kind,
Because you just might meet someone
Who loves to use rhyme 
And verse to converse.

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The Last Ride of Sweet Betsy McBride

A wild young cowboy rode into town.
He got off his horse and looked around.
Needing a drink, he went inside.
There he met Sweet Betsy McBride.

She gave him a beer.
As he sat down,
He asked the name of this one cow town.
She said: "Fort Worth" with a bit of a smile.
He then asked if the Trinity was as wide as the Nile.

She said: "No! 
And the water is muddy.
You’re certainly no fuddy-duddy.
Stick around and watch the melted snow
Every other year
Turn the prairie."
And he said: "Whoa!
Slow down dear.
Let me taste my beer.
Then we can get acquainted."

She said: “Rarely, 
Has my mind painted
Such a pretty picture."
Then she asked him to stay
And settle in Fort Worth that day.
"You and I could be a prominent Fort Worth fixture."

He said: "I must leave,"
She refused to let herself conceive.
That's when she let out this moan
Asking if he had a home.

69

It was obvious that apparently, 
Sweet Betsy McBride
Wanted to ride
And that cowboy couldn't hide.
They left Fort Worth, a one cow town, on a blustery December day.

As they rode away,
All the cowboys frowned
Saying: "Sweet Betsy McBride,
She was a ride.
Fort Worth has up and died."
	
You should have heard the sigh.
As her horse
Started to fly.
One of those cowboys even cried,
But of course
Fort Worth survived.
Then it managed to thrive.
That was the last ride of Sweet Betsy McBride. 

70

	Hundred Dollar Bill

At a diner on the outskirts of town,
I stopped for breakfast before my stomach turned around.
I got out of the truck
And heard this awful sound
Of an airliner 
Going down.
So I ducked.

Then, I looked up 
At a neon sign,
A cup: 
Flashing Airliner Diner:
Nothing Could Be Finer.
Our Service is Like a Glass of Fine Wine.

As I ate the last bite of my hot cakes and eggs,
The front door opened and the waitress said: 
"Hundred Dollar Bill.
You look ill.
Do you need one of your pills?"
He really did look half-dead.

He settled into a booth near the back
Giving her a complement. She seemed flustered and flattered.
I noticed his jacket was torn and tattered. 
Had flack hit it?

I got up to leave.
The waitress said: "What a story.
He still grieves
Over the loss of a hand
Fighting for this land.
The details are gory,
But I'm a fan.
If anyone takes life like a man:
Hundred Dollar Bill can."

71

Not one for gossip, I slowly moved toward the door.
She grabbed my sleeve
Saying: "Your going to want to hear more."

Now I tend not to offend.
So I patiently waited until she finished.
For me it was like eating spinach. 

I left and went on my way,
But something strange came over me that very next day.
I tried to ignore
The sensation I felt.
Then my attention went to the floor,
And I began to melt.

Now I'm a six-foot truck driving man.
When I talk people listen, because they know that I can.
I got to my feet,
But they didn't walk.
All of a sudden, I started to talk.

I said: "People keep your seat.
There's a reason our lives intertwine.
For a few moments you’re going to be mine."

Everyone seemed startled and afraid,
But no one made a sound.
In that room tears could be found.

I made an impression.
It wasn't a confession.
It was more like a heartfelt surprise.
Then people started to rise.
They were honoring Hundred Dollar Bill.
He was a war hero who refused to kill.

72

He saved most of his men.
Then he turned himself in.
He had been a prisoner of war.
What was it all for?

Now down on his luck.
He didn't even have a buck.
Lesser men would beg
Trying to get back on their legs.

As I drove up that next hill,
I definitely got a chill.
I'll always remember Hundred Dollar Bill.
He is a man of will.

Not a man who takes pills
Or cannot afford a room.
He is a man of conviction.
Even though he had several evictions.

I told his tale.
Like someone delivering the mail.
Every chance I got.
I described how he fought.

Hundred Dollar Bill
Refused to kill,
But he made a lot of people ill.

That's courage and bravery.
He's not of character that is unsavory.
I go back to that diner every chance I get.
Even though occasionally it puts me in debt.
A man like that shouldn't fret
Out in the wet.

73

I'll see him again real soon.
He keeps my life in tune.
All he owns is a broom,  
Vacuum, and mop.
That allows him to flop.
Hundred Dollar Bill:
You live at the top of the hill.

74

Message Transmitted Across
	The Big Room

Greetings: From the people of Earth,
To: All life in the universe.

Humans start wondering at birth,
And as we get older we begin to wonder about the Big Room.
Is life abundant? Is it our curse?
Are we alone?
Please answer the phone!

Our species exists on a blue and white marble ball.
Earth could be described as a balloon in space.
Gravity is the base 
That holds us all.
At present, we are six billion strong
Wondering if something went wrong.

We call ourselves Homo sapiens or man.
Our planetary motto is we can.
We can farm a field
Or utilize a shield.
Why! We can even build 
Forming union guilds.

Life blossoms and thrives on Earth.
Everyday, there is some kind of birth.
Inevitably, life ends.
Our final burial ride
Is usually taken in a hearse.
Science hasn't discovered a way for us to mend.

Many species inhabit our world.
Life ebbs and flows - like the tide,
Oysters make pearls.
As our world glides
And twirls through space.

75

Comparatively, 
Intellectually, 
There is no other trace.
Humans won the evolutionary race.
Our young are not cradled in a nest.
In that regard, we are blessed.
  
We possess the capability of speech.
We can learn.
And we can teach.
We exhibit concern.

Occasionally, we over reach
Extending past our capability or knowledge.
We even send our children to college.

We're not too proud to fail.
We can give a demonstration.
Just answer your mail.

We are a land of many nations,
But I think we can all agree.
Man desires to live free.   

We also desire conversation
And possess an overwhelming curiosity.
Learning is our planetary philosophy.

Geologically, our planet is in upheaval.
Consequently, man has a side of evil.
It is often difficult to hide.

We have the emotional capacity
For love 
And hate.
Some of our people have faith,
And they worship a deity above. 

76

Other people wait for a sign.
Perhaps, they are waiting for a gate.

Most of our energy is spent
Searching for a mate.
Productively, you might consider that time
A waste;
But we try not to make decisions in haste.
We write a line
Hoping everything is fine.
We correspond
Trying to develop a bond.

We develop friendships
Rather quickly and take trips to visit.
On your world, how is it?

Did you get that hint?
Message sent!

We desire peaceful coexistence.
Considering the distance,
Travel in space
May be hazardous.
So we ask that you correspond with us.
We are the human race.

Address: Earth - Third Planet from the Sun.
It’s our small part of the Big Room.
Hope to hear from all of you soon.

Please! No guns!
We don't have anywhere to run.
Come join us. Have some fun!

77

Merriment and Mirth Await!
Magnificent scenic vistas abound:
Mountains, wet lands, deserts, seashores and beaches.
Food and drink are plentiful. We even have peaches.
Just give us a date.
Before you arrive in our neighborhood or town.
Let's party and get down.

78

A Walk through the Desert

A walk through the desert with baby
Is a walk through the forest and trees.
With the green grass growing and the honey bees 
Showing that life can be so free.

A walk through the desert with baby
Is a walk through the forest and trees.
Where it never gets cold in the winter
And never gets warm in the spring.

A walk through the desert with baby
Is a walk through the forest and trees.
Where the sand flows into a river
And the cacti lie down and deliver a path of leaves. 
For her to walk her destiny,

A walk through the desert with baby
Is a walk through the forest and trees.
An oasis and a meadow join together.
They accompany her on a journey of discovery.

79

Flower of the Moon

Ordinarily, no one would consider the possibility of life
Living on the moon.
It has no atmosphere to block solar radiation.
The absence of life was a given.
Have I got a surprise for you!

One astronaut unlocked
A secret room,
He moved a rock,
And he saw an opening barely big enough for his huge paw.

Unfortunately, we never followed Apollo.
Our nation 
Is in for condemnation,
Because we were afraid to investigate a livin' ribbon
Crossing all spectrums of hue.

That discovery 
Was described as something rubbery
In a twenty-eight year old classified report:
Mission to the Moon: Abort.
  
That NASA document was sent
To the President,
But he obviously didn't know what it meant.
No one even had a hint.

We flinched
In that life forms glint.
Our space programs mission was benched.
Someone fell asleep - Pinch!

80

Discovering life was our primary focus.
Was all that hocus-pocus?
Give us a break!
Have you seen these people handle snakes?
To some it tastes like steak.

We ran off like frightened children in a hurry to escape.
Why, I know people who would use those little creatures
As bait.
Sit down and wait for its mate.

What a wasted opportunity!
A crime of impunity
For all humanity!
How quaint
It is to be a saint?
What were we protecting?
We were there for collecting.
Oh! It’s insanity.

Exploitation of life is not nice,
But it purchases a lot of rice.
Life is a gamble.
We have to load the dice.

Why did we scramble
And not think twice
About retrieving a sample?
Is that setting a good example?

Capitalism thrives!
It’s alive!
Imbibe in the hive mentality.
It has its own causality.
Next time consider reality.

81

The flower of the moon
Would have been a huge best seller.
We could have transformed a cellar
Into a lunar dune
Or manufactured a tomb
Into something resembling their womb.

That fateful flight
Received orders to leave the site undisturbed,
Why was our famous curiosity curbed?

It is our duty.
We must plunder all booty.
Capitalism commands:
Supply and Demand,

Man rules the roost.
Until anything comes along with a bigger tooth,
Some enterprising entrepreneur
Will one day
Make us pay.
They will charge us for a flower of the moon.
It may happen soon.
Inevitably, it will be replaced by something newer.

Consider our plight,
If man doesn't exhibit his might.
We fight 
For survival!
Life is our revival!

It's something to consider.
It may taste bitter,
But man will be fit and fitter
Snatching all that glitters.

82

We must think 
Before we blink.
Life is interlinked.
We all compete for the same finite drink.

	

83

	Love Beams

There once was a man in love.
He knew it from the sky above.
The clouds magically spelled her name
Every time it began to rain.

Lightning bolts punctuated the sky.
Everyone else asked why?
She was the one.
He said: "We have fun."
 
At night,
The stars became twinkling lights
Flashing in universal delight:
Short burst, first, then long, dim and bright.
It started on the left and went to the right.
Like a road,
Only it was Morse code.

The sun rose that next morning.
Its only purpose was adorning 
Putting that woman in a miraculous glow.
It seemed to wrap around her like a bow.

How appropriate that she didn't know.
Who really loved her. That's when it started to snow
Spelling his name with snowflakes.
Before, they melted into the lake.

Heed my advice.
Don't rely on his device.
Don't pin your hopes and dreams on a rainbow.
Tell her what you mean.
If her eyes gleam
That's when love beams.

84

Rainbow in Heaven

Three years ago, my little girl died.
For the rest of my life, I wanted to cry.
For months on end, I kept asking why?
All I thought about was suicide.

Luckily, I found a place to hide.
It was in my mind.
You know the kind,
It is where no one hopes to reside.

The wife and I did not survive. We didn't talk,
And we did not know how to tend
To each other’s needs in order to mend.
She never returned after a walk.

We drifted apart rather quickly.
I had become prickly.
Curiously, I could not feel a thing;
But she complained heavily about my sting.

Not surprisingly, she left
Taking the only remaining piece of my heart.
I couldn't ring the police to report a theft;
I didn't have the energy to start.

I couldn’t send for help.
I couldn't even whelp.
I must have been sickly
Remembering my daughter was a situation prickly. 

85
	
It was odd!  
I thought there was a God,
But he 
Or she

Let me bleed.
I was in need.
Was I even alive?
Was I taking a dive?

There was no more we. 
I don't remember dinners. Gee!
No wonder 
My life went under.

Five hundred forty-seven days later,
I picked up a ballpoint pen  
Changing my life from what it had been.
It filled the crater

That had been in my soul.
Was it ever a big hole!
I wrote many words. 
They were mostly about birds.

I used verbs and nouns
Describing my frown.
Enough to drown a boat,
Who knew words float.

They turned my life around.
I was found.
It may sound strange,
But I believe my daughter was in range.

She liked rainbows,
Before she was old enough to count on her toes.
She even made one for a photograph pose.
It's crazy how life goes! 

86	
It sits in a frame in the closet.
I never meant to pause it.
That job was too difficult.
Everything was an insult.

There's no one to blame.
Her death was a shame.
She wanted to be a rainbow in heaven.
She told me that turning seven.

Now looking up at the sky.
I feel high,
And I am so very proud
That she is colorful and draws a crowd.

Maybe someone else up there knows her name.
Meanwhile, I'll share her game.
She called it being a rainbow in heaven.
Happy Birthday Darlin'! You’re eleven! 

87