My Vow

When I woke up this morning

I could only see your face

And this moment I have dreamed of

Standing in this sacred place

For all that you have given me

The dreams you’ve made come true

I am forever grateful

And this heart belongs to you

My best friend and companion

On this day becomes my wife

Hand in hand together

As we journey through this life

Mere words cannot describe this joy

That only you can give

And so, I pledge my love to you

So long as we shall live

cn12302018

My Thanksgiving Toast

I'm thankful for the life I've lived

The lessons I have learned

For all the bumps and bruises

And every scar I've earned

I'm grateful for the laughter

I'm better for the tears

Battling my weaknesses
Confronting all my fears
For all the ones that helped me
Though some have gone away
Their love has left its mark on me
And guides me every day
I'm thankful for my family
My siblings and my sons
Even when I let you down
You were my special ones
And I'm grateful for my Angel
Who brings joy into my life
And I'm counting down the days
Until that Angel is my wife
I celebrate with gratitude
And offer up this toast
A wish of joy and happiness
For those I love the most

cn11212018

Anniversary Poem

I spent my whole life searching

For a dream inside my head

And wound always settling

For something less instead

I never thought it could be real

This Angel in my mind

The one who could exceed my dreams

Impossible to find

But in my darkest hour

You walked into my life

Yet I could never dream one day

That you would be my wife

But early last November

You gave your heart to me

And turned my sorrow into joy

The truth was plain to see

You are my one true Angel

A living dream come true

And each year like this first one

Will be spent loving you

cn11132018

Lucky Me

She's got this one expression

That only I can see

A sparkle in her smiling eyes

She saves for only me

I see it when I tell her

She's the true love of my life

And I saw it when I knelt and asked

My love to be my wife

I hear the sweetest whispers

When she tells me of her love

And know the joy that many folks

At best, can just dream of

For I have found you,  Angel

You've made all my dreams come true

And I'll spend my remaining years

In love with only you

cn10022018

Troubadour (For Jason Isbell)

He's a cynic and a dreamer

Keeping one foot on the ground

He's a prophet with a purpose

He's profane and he's profound

He's a madman on a mission

Clinging to his sanity

He's a blind man with true vision

Laid bare for all to see

He's a poet with a guitar

Bound to follow his free will

With a fire that burns inside him

That life can never kill

So, once again he sings his songs

Playing much more than his part

A diary of the life he chose

With words straight from the heart

A pilgrim in the spotlight

Whose story must be told

Always hoping for that high road

In a world that's grown so cold

cn9222018

Vengeance

I know you took what wasn't yours

I'm sure you felt so strong

By making her surrender

To one so sick and wrong

You sure taught her a lesson

Made you feel like quite the man

I wish I could have been there

To rearrange the plan

I'd like to make you cower

And beg me not to do

The kind of things you planned for her

Your nightmares all come true

You could offer your apologies

Without putting up a fight

And look into my glaring eyes

As I turn out the lights

But know that I know everything

I even know your name

Always look behind you

Your life won't be the same

For some men yearn for justice

For the weasels that abound

And this man longs to hunt you down

And put you in the ground

cn09212018

My Someone

There is no one like my someone

She's the only one for me

So strong and yet so fragile

Like no other one can be

In a world of ones like others

She's the one who stands alone

The one who understands me

And loves me as her own

Other ones may settle 

For one like all the rest

But the one love she has given
Is the one love that is best
So, this one man will live this life
With one who owns his heart
The one he'll love and cherish
As he has from the start
Stand by me on this journey
Of love we have begun
And know until the end of time
That you are my someone

cn09092018

So Many Turns

Well, I took a lot of wrong turns

And detours on this road

Too many times I stumbled

Feeling weary from the load

But I somehow kept on walking

Towards some beacon in my mind

Looking for a rhyme or reason

Or what comfort I might find

There were lots of wrong directions

And I missed so many signs

I forgot to look for messages

And read between the lines

And just about the time

The journey seemed to be too much

I found my life's direction 

In your smile and in your touch

Now, everything has turned around

I never walk alone

And there's joy inside this aging heart

I thought had turned to stone

cn08072018

She Said Yes

She had already chased all the clouds from my skies

And brushed all the teardrops away

And given me joy beyond all of my dreams

She'd brightened my life every day

She made all of my missteps seem part of a plan

On the road that led to her heart

She looked in my soul and made my world whole

Now nothing can keep us apart

So, something so perfect that seems so complete

Could it possibly be missing a thing

Could the love of this woman that exceeded my dreams

Grow stronger with one simple ring

I felt there was no way this dream could get better

But now I am forced to confess

She exceeded those feelings when I asked her to marry

And with a beautiful smile she said yes

cn07242018

My American Dream

Riding south on 17

While Jason Isbell sings

America is still my home

Though freedom rarely rings

Lost inside a memory

An old and faded dream

Hard to find here in this place

Where nothing's as it seems

This land once ruled by heart and soul

Has given way to greed

With children going hungry

And so many left in need

What happened to that melting pot

That beacon in the night

What happened to the land of dreams

And that enduring light

Her people give me hope for more

Her leaders make me fear

That all that we were built on

Could just simply disappear 

But I see the good in people

No matter where I roam

Good souls that keep the dream alive

That make this country home

So, I will not give into 

All this darkness that I see

And I will always share the light

That shines inside of me

cn07022018

No Other Love

I had given up on dreaming

Of a love that could endure

Even though I found that someone

With a heart so sweet and pure

So much more than fantasy

This one I love so much

There's comfort in her healing words

And magic in her touch

No other love could heal the scars

That living left on me

No other love could break these chains

Her love has set me free

And if I had a thousand years

To say what's in my heart

There never would be time enough

How could I even start

How can you thank the one

Who brings new light to every day

Who moved into this heart

And promised she would always stay

The right words never seem to come 

But know this much is true

That I will have no other love

For no one loves like you

cn07012018

Beyond Dreams

I thought I'd seen it all before

Seen dreams just disappear

Until I stopped believing

In the hopes I once held dear

But no one ever got inside

The walls around this heart

So afraid of losing

What was hidden from the start

Running from the emptiness

And ending up alone

Wondering if this fragile heart

Would one day turn to stone

Then when I least expected

You just walked through my defenses

Found a place inside this heart

And brought me to my senses

More than just a dream come true

Where all my fantasies

Fail to measure up to

This new life you've given me

So, take my heart and all my love

And put your hand in mine

And know my love is only yours

Until the end of time

cn06132018

Only You

Only you can make me feel

The way you do

No one ever made this dreamer’s

Dreams come true

No one else can move me

With the slightest touch

Never dreamed that someone

Could love me so much

I spent so much time

Hiding these thoughts from you

Afraid to think of how much

You already knew

But you didn’t realize

You owned my heart

The way my walls came tumbling down

Right from the start

Only you could make

This tired heart feel new

So, I will give the love I have

To only you

cn06092018

Living for Forever

I spent far too many yesterdays

Trying to hide the pain

From all the disappointments

And feeling all the strain

Living for a dimming dream

That once shone in my soul

An Angel born in fantasy

To make my spirit whole

A pilgrim always searching

And stumbling on the road

Carrying the weight alone

And breaking from the load

Until you finally came to me

A heart so kind and pure

And eased the pain and loneliness

That I'd had to endure

I had always feared tomorrow

So I never shared this heart

Now I'm living for forever

And eager for the start

Of a life in love together

One free of pain and fear

Sharing all the love I've found

With one I hold so dear

cn05062018

Tomorrow

Well, I used to dread tomorrow

So buried in today

Afraid to make mistakes again

That I made yesterday

Believing that my future

Would be just like my past

Where dreams were just illusions

That never seemed to last

Until the sweetest Angel

From the past appeared to me

She showed me what was in her heart

And all that love could be

So, yesterday was just the path

That led me to this place

And tomorrow is another chance

To see her smiling face

cn05052018

Across the Miles

Your love is always with me

And comforts me each day

It even brings this heart a smile

Six thousand miles away

But I could make an endless list

Of all the things I miss

That special way you look at me

The magic when we kiss

The sound of your sweet laughter

Your sweet voice when we talk

The way you slip your hand in mine

No matter where we walk

That smile that lights up any room

And always warms my heart

Your constant loving kindness

You showed me from the start

Fascinating conversations

The kind we've always shared

The way you always lift me up

The way you've always cared

But even though I miss you

So much when you're gone away

This heart is never empty

And our love is here to stay

And we will stand together

As one. through thick and thin

And know, as long as this heart beats

I love you Norma Lynn

cn04282018

Home

They say home is where the heart is

But my heart’s down on the coast

Inside a brown-eyed woman

That’s given me the most

I feel lost when I’m without her

But her touch can make me whole

Her smile can chase the clouds away

Her love can heal my soul

The one that I had searched for

That Angel in my mind

The one who brings a special love

That few can ever find

So, I’m looking at this highway

And dreaming of the day

When my home is there beside you

Not two hundred miles away

cn11222017

My Pledge

Remember what I said

The day I pledged this heart to you

In good times and on cloudy days

My love would still be true

Sometimes you find a strength in me

That helps when times are tough

That strength comes from the love you give

I hope it is enough

When you seek comfort in my arms

I hope it soothes your soul

For every time I've needed you

Your love has made me whole

For all the joy you bring to me

And all the love you give

Please know that you can count on me

As long as we both live

Let me be the one you turn to

When the clouds obscure your sun

When you need someone to lean on

Let me always be the one

Although I live to see your smile

I'll be here for the tears

To hold you and to comfort you

For our remaining years

cn04042018

Not Enough Words

I find myself constantly trying

To put all my feelings in rhyme

To find the right words so elusive

Escaping me time after time

But how can I put into words

The magic you've given to me

Describing the joy that you've given

A difference the whole world can see

It's hard to explain all these feelings

There's nothing I've known to compare

And nothing I've felt measures up to

This beautiful love that we share

My words may not ever explain

These feelings I've had from the start

Just know that each day they grow deeper

And know that you own this man's heart

cn03192018

Gratitude

You only left me yesterday

But time crawls when you're gone

Unlike when we're together
When it seems to fly along
I'm reliving every moment
All the good times that we share
Amazed at how you love me
And how much you truly care
Not sure how I got so lucky
Or just how my dreams came true
But reality exceeds the dream
Each time I am with you
So, I give you my tomorrows
As I give this weathered heart
Knowing soon the day is coming
When we'll never be apart
But today I'll just be grateful
For the joy you've given me
For showing me what love can do
And how good life can be

cn03192018

Heaven In Her Arms

I lived all those years in darkness

I walked all those miles alone

Trying hard to keep my aging heart 

From turning into stone

I thought love was an illusion

An empty fantasy

A dream that only could come true

For others not for me

But then I found my Angel

And my darkness turned to light

Gone was all the loneliness 

That haunted me at night

I traded all my sorrow

For the magic of her charms

And all the love I found inside

The heaven in her arms

cn03182018

Oz

All my world was black and white

With muted shades of gray

My colors all had faded

Or had simply gone away

Hopes and dreams had been replaced

With ways of getting by

And clouds obscured the sunlight

That once brightened the sky

Life had simply given way 

To trying to exist

So, I watched the years just slip away

Not wondering what I missed

But when I least expected

That love could find my heart

An Angel slipped inside my walls

And gave me a new start

Now, every day the sun shines

Even on the darkest day

My world is filled with colors

I was sure had gone away

Exceeding any fantasy

No mere dream can compare

To all that she has given me

And this sweet love we share

cn02202018

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday, Norma Lynn

It’s time to celebrate

I’ll see you in a few short hours

But I can hardly wait

To hold you in my arms again

On this, your special day

To whisper in the darkness

So much I need to say

The day my greatest gift was born

My love, my heart, my light

You fill my days with happiness

And comfort every night

So happy birthday, my sweet love

Today and many more

I’ll celebrate my precious gift

And all we have in store

cn01172018

The One

She's the one you always dreamed of

She's the one you never dared

To reveal your deepest feelings to

And show how much you cared

With a smile that always melts you

And a voice that soothes your soul

Her presence brings you comfort

Her touch can make you whole

So, you struggle trying to tell her

What is hidden in your heart

To try and bridge this distance 

That is keeping you apart

Then just when you decided

That your chances are all done

She says your love has worn her down

And tells you you're the one

cn01092018

Nights

Nights without you last forever

Hours beside you go by fast

Giving glimpses of our future

And a love we know will last

Whispered words and searching kisses

Find the fire that we share

Loving late into the evening

Now is one where was a pair

Two who took a road less traveled

Looking for that sacred heart

That would understand the journey

Was predestined from the start

Two souls born for each other

Two hearts that beat as one

Find a comfort like no other

And a love bright as the sun

Every day just brings us closer

To a world that seems so right

Spending every day beside you

And loving every night

cn01082018