Legacy (Owed to Mama)

I thought I heard you whisper

Just before the daylight broke

That voice that's gone forever

Disappeared when I awoke

They say you're always with me

But I always feel alone

You were always my foundation

Now I'm building on my own

Yet, still somehow you guide me

With those lessons that you taught

Your life's shining example

Was a wealth that can't be bought

You always stopped to help a pilgrim

Never passed a soul in need

A love that shined inside you

Burned in every thought and deed

I can never fill those small shoes

I could never be so strong

Never have your special wisdom

But I'll always sing your song

I'll try to carry on your kindness

A legacy I proudly share

So your spirit lives forever

In the hearts of those who care

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Crosses and Losses

Little boys playing with guns in the yard

Killing for country and God

Learning that life can mean nothing

But nobody thinks that it’s odd

Billions spent building their weapons

Millions will die for their needs

Safe in their ivory towers

Where nobody suffers or bleeds

Waving the flag in our faces

Follow their orders to death

Duty and honor are lethal

Children that fight to the death

Parents who live with the losses

Families paying the cost

Counting the rows of white crosses

Nothing brings back what they’ve lost

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Pilgrim's Path

Looking at old photographs

Of lighter childhood days

I thought about the lines of age

That show in different ways

The years go by like shooting stars

That crossed through my life's sky

They leave me this far down the road

To sit and wonder why

Regrets and obligations

Replaced my hopes and dreams

Lost in this reality

Where nothing's as it seems

But I'm grateful for the darkest nights

Spent searching for the stars

Thankful for the joy and pain

The souvenirs and scars

And I've still got some rows to hoe

There's much left to be done

Many miles ahead of me 

Before my race is run

For those who came before me

And those who will remain

This tapestry I'm weaving

Is given in their names

So, come and walk beside me

And journey with a friend

So far from my beginnings

Much closer to the end

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Lost Along The Way

I’ve had friends and I’ve known lovers

Yet I stand alone today

The cost for life and love

Can be a brutal price to pay

I’ve known good times and had bad times

In this life I chose to live

Lost my heart and nearly lost my mind

There’s not much left to give

I’ve seen smiles and I’ve heard laughter

And I’ve seen my Daddy cry

I saw courage from my Mama

When it came her time to die

I witnessed life’s great miracle

The day my son was born

And I’ve buried friends and family

I’ve known grief and learned to mourn

Some things you never get back

Were they ever meant to stay

Priceless treasures of a broken heart

I lost along the way

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Aging Heart

I wait for invitation

Paralyzed by fears

Scarred by insecurities

Built up through the years

So afraid to share this heart

It’s all I’ve left to give

Worn and slightly damaged

By the life I chose to live

I need some indication

A sign or just a smile

To let me know surrender

Might somehow be worthwhile

But I have walked that path before

Stumbled and I fell

Afraid it isn’t worth the chance

With no sure way to tell

Too old for starting over

Too young to be alone

Wondering if this foolish heart

Will someday turn to stone

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