New Works - Room 2

"New Works- Room 2"

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***Index***
North, South, East and West	Our Song	Pictures
Solitary Confinement	Streets of Fire	The River and the Road
The Soldiers	Time- A New Beginning	Two Hearts
Two Poets	Where the Day Takes You	Why?
In Remembrance	I Speak	Surrender
The Wolf	Coffee Shop	Red Roses
More	Ode to the Ellipsis	Blank Page
Broken Rules	Snippets	When Dreams Come True
Quiet Desperation	In Dreams You Walk

North, South, East and West

There's a girl in West Virginia,
And her daddy works the mine.
He brings the coal dust home to her,
No gold in there to find.

The money earned buys food for thought .
But not much more it seems.
The life he wants but cannot touch
She lives within her dreams.

There's a boy in Eastern Europe,
Stands in line to buy his bread.
Sees a picture there of Lenin,
Another hero of the dead.

And he dreams of distant freedom,
In a land so far away.
Like that town in West Virginia,
Where the miners work for pay.

And the man in South Dakota,
Lived his whole life on the farm.
Faith in God and fertilizer,
Kept the family safe from harm.

But the tax man has the papers,
And the bank still holds the loan.
Couldn't make that final payment,
So tomorrow the farm is gone.

Today in Northern Ireland,
A farm boy builds a bomb,
To pay a final debt to men
Who killed his dad and mom.

They'll blame it on the I. R. A.
And other men will die.
We'll hear it on the evening news,
And never blink an eye.

West East, South and North,
The price is paid but what's it worth?
Different worlds for all to see,
But still the same reality.

In North Korea life goes on,
Despite the years of hell.
Rice still grows and children play
Where bombs and rockets fell.

A blonde haired girl with Asian eyes
Is taunted by her friends.
Though Mother Nature made her peace,
The fighting never ends.

South Africa is burning down,
The flames light up the night.
Fear and hate, the way of life
Between the black and white.

A question of equality,
With answers hard to find.
So lives are lost and spirits crushed,
And peace is left behind.

The Middle East is up in arms,
They die for barren land.
The kingdoms fight their Holy Wars,
For castles made of sand.

The world looks on and chooses sides
In wars that have no end.,
God's chosen people choose their fate,
No message does He send.

The Golden West sits in the haze,
Beneath the setting sun,
Where hours are spent in traffic jams,
When the working day is done.

The drive by shootings make the news,
And children pay the price.
The drug of choice this week is Crack,
Or was it Crank, or Ice?

North, South, East or West,
Who's the strongest, who's the best?
Lives are lived and lives are lost
And no one totals up the cost.

In South Chicago tempers flare,
And sirens pierce the night.
Blood runs freely in the streets,
Two gangs have had a fight.

Some kids will spend the night in jail,
It makes their lives seem real.
Their families broke up years ago,
The scars will never heal.

Life's great in North America,
And freedom leads the way.
In God We Trust, but bombs are built
With taxes that we pay.

The politicians say the things
They think we want to hear.
But ask a simple question and
The answer's not so clear.

A wall comes down in West Berlin,
And East Berlin as well.
A symbol of another time
When freedom went to hell.

And hope is high but fear remains,
The scars still run so deep.
So many seeds were planted there,
What will the future reap?

In East L.A. a newborn screams,
And many hear his cry.
The mother walks away in tears ,
Tomorrow he will die.

Her home is in the city streets,
The park bench is her bed.
At least the child will never know
The life his mother led.

South, North, West and East,
Who pays the price, who feeds the beast?
Some win, some lose, but it's not a game,
And in the end we're all the same.

We'll see the sun rise in the East
To start another day,
And go about our lives much like
We did just yesterday.

And time will pass along the way,
Like all the time before.
We'll dream the dreams we always dream
But hope for something more.

Then as the sun sinks in the West,
We'll think of what we've done.
Of all the battles fought that day
We'll count the few we won.

The North Star shines it's ancient light
On all humanity.
But darkness in the heart of man
Is deeper than the sea.

It touches every human soul,
Of every faith and land,
As all the pain of life and death
Is felt by every man.

Somewhere another child is born,
His cries ring through the night.
He knows no fear or prejudice,
No thoughts of wrong or right.

But in his soul a dream lives on
Of destiny and fate,
Where peace and hope and love will join
To fight a war on hate.

North, South, East and West,
We're all a part of all the rest.
As all are born, so all shall die,
While life goes on and time goes by.

O N E W O R L D,
O n e W o r 1 d,
One world,
one world…

28-Sept-1990

Our Song

I lay here in the darkness,
With the radio on,
Thinking about you,
As they play all our songs.

They remind me of moments,
I spent in your arms,
How the night seemed so short,
With your body so warm.

How I held you so tightly,
While I looked in your eyes,
How you kissed me so sweetly,
How the time seemed to fly.

How the love that you showed me,
Touched a place in my heart,
Putting pieces together,
That had fallen apart.

I just want you to know,
That you're here in my thoughts,
Every memory I treasure,
And the peace that it brought.

Now the music keeps playing,
And the nights seem too long,
So I thought I would write you,
While they're playing our song.

Every kiss that you gave me,
Was a dream coming true,
And all the love in my heart,
I will hold just for you.

If you look up above you,
I'll be there in the stars,
And I'll spell out your name,
With the light from afar.

I'll be watching you sleeping,
From my place in your dreams,
You can reach out and touch me,
So real they will seem.

Let the moonlight caress you,
And pretend that it's me,
Then I'll whisper 'I love you',
On the cool morning breeze.

Though you may wake up lonely,
You are never alone,
You will feel me around you,
While they're playing our songs.

I'll hold on to your laughter,
I'll hold on to your smiles,
Though we're so far apart,
They stretch over the miles.

There will soon come a day,
We'll be together again,
Every moment spent waiting
Will be lost in the wind.

Then I'll hold you against me,
And I won't let you go,
While our hearts beat together,
With the love in our souls.

I will love you forever,
Like I love you today,
And there's nothing on earth,
That could take that away.

I was meant to be with you,
'Cause it's where I belong,
And when we're back together,
We can write our own song.

03/04/96

For Sharon

Pictures

In silent contemplation of the way things came to be,
Your picture stands before me quietly looking back at me.
And in your eyes so pretty I can see the distant stars,
That led us on a journey bringing us to where we are.

The past a faded memory of a younger boy and girl,
Who had to find the answers to the questions in their world.
They walked together briefly all those many years ago,
And held each other tightly learning what there was to know.

But life's a brutal teacher with the lessons hard to learn,
And time's a soft reminder of the bridges that they burned.
Somewhere along the journey they let each other go,
Their gentle love left floating in time's unending flow.

The demons of the darkness carry sharp and mighty swords,
And cut the bonds between them formed by softly spoken words.
They struggled in the current of the rivers of the heart,
Then lost sight of each other as they drifted far apart.

At times a distant yearning seemed to brighten up the night,
They floated to their separate shores like moths towards a light.
They lingered in the glow of arms that pulled them from the deep,
But every light grew dim upon the dreams they had to seek.

They heard a voice so fragile from the depths within their minds,
Reminding them of something that they still were meant to find.
It called them from the darkness like a vision of the past,
A memory flickered briefly of a love they thought had passed.

The years kept rolling slowly and their hearts were pulled along,
In search of scattered rhythms to an old familiar song.
The words were often silent but the music clear and true,
It stroked a chord within them but it offered not a clue.

They found a fleeting comfort in the dreams they held so tight,
And focused on survival in their darkest lonely nights.
Their worlds were ever spinning to a brighter destiny,
But still the future cloaked itself in silent mystery.

Then all at once the river took a tender flowing turn,
Standing there before them was the bridge they thought had burned.
And floating to the surface was a picture caught in time,
Of near forgotten memories hidden deeply in their mind.

Their lives had been a circle leading back to love they lost,
It stretched across the distance of the bridge they never crossed.
And there they stood together with their hands so tightly clasped,
They'd finally found each other and the dream was in their grasp.

The stars that led us onward were the memories held inside,
And now they're shining brightly from the glow within your eyes.
Your pictures are the symbols of the dream that's coming true,
And beautiful reminders of the love I have for you.

10/29/95

Solitary Confinement

Shadows creeping in the night
As darkness takes control,
Inspired by glowing candlelight
The words begin to flow.

A lonely man sits in the dark
A drink sits by his side.
He listens to the ticking clock
Where the timeless memories hide.

Remembering all that used to be
And how it slipped away,
He wonders if the gifts received
Was worth the price he paid.

For many years he worked so hard
To hold that winning hand,
And now he's drawn the final card,
A castle made of sand.

And then the tide comes rushing in
To wash away the dreams,
What once he thought would never end
Is gone for good it seems.

20-Jan-93

Streets of Fire

Wide eyes of children,
Staring, hungry in the dark,
While out on snow-filled streets
Another bullet finds the mark.

And out there in the distance,
You can hear a siren scream,
Another sad lament,
Of another shattered dream.

Take a walk, down streets of fire,
Where too many lives have led.
See the flames grow ever higher,
See the sky a burning red.

In the shadows of your being,
Can you feel a bleeding heart?
Have the pictures you've been seeing,
Like the bullet, found their mark?

Reflections of the streetlights,
Lay in puddles on the ground,
Like a thousand tear filled eyes,
For lives that passed without a sound.

The echoes in the darkness,
Speak of anger and despair,
And the struggle for survival,
Leaves a stench upon the air.

Take a walk, down streets of fire,
Where too may lives have led.
See the flames burn every higher,
See the sky a burning red.

From the corner of your mind,
You feel the spirits of the night.
In the shadows you will find,
The hopes abandoned in the fight.

Streets of fire,
Burn ever higher,
Streets of fire,
Streets of fire.

28-Dec-1987

The River and the Road

There's a road, in the distance,
Where it leads, no one knows,
And it runs beside a river,
Clear and deep, the water flows.

Side by side, to the future,
Never drifting far apart,
Like two lovers, holding tightly,
Soul to soul, and heart to heart.

And every now and then,
A bridge crosses over,
Every now and then, they merge as one,
Every now and then,
A dream around them hovers,
On a journey both have just begun.

On the road, there's a traveler,
Walking slow, against the wind,
Never looking back behind him,
Holding tight to dreams within.

Floating there, upon the river,
There's a girl, who rides the waves,
Sharing all, she holds within her,
Holding tight to love she saves.

And every now and then,
A bridge crosses over,
Every now and then she overflows,
Every now and then,
The dreams that they uncover,
Hold secrets that only they can know.

There's a road, there's a river,
There's a boy, there's a girl,
Side by side, always together,
Hand in hand, in separate worlds.

Sharing all, they hold within them,
As their separate dreams unfold,
Different worlds that joined together,
On the river and the road.

05/30/96

For Michelle

--Excerpt from "The Nashville (Arkansas) News" circa 1969--

"Alan is a fifth grade student in the Nashville Elementary School. He is the son of Mr and Mrs Balis Goodson of Center Point. His 20 year old brother, Ricky, is with the 1st Air Calvary in Vietnam where he flies door gunner on a helicopter."

The Soldiers

The U.S. Soldiers protect our country,
They fight and then they die,
They go by land, and also sea,
Then to the air they fly.

They die to save our country,
As they march beneath the sun,
Seeing friends fall all around them,
Knowing they may be the next one.

So we should thank the soldiers,
As they fight for you and me,
As they go by land and air,
And then they go by sea.

First published poem- Age 12

Time (A New Beginning)

Part VII

There walk lives and loves remembered
In the shadows of my mind,
And despite their fading footsteps
They were never far behind.

And they pray for my salvation
On this sad and lonely road,
As I feel their spirit wisdom
While my silent dreams unfold.

Seems the hands of time sweep forward
In their never ending quest,
And tomorrow holds forgiveness
For my present sins confessed.

But the future's lack of promise
Hold's no comfort for this day,
And the past can steal the pleasures
Of a thousand joyous days.

Now the dreams I held so tightly
Seem to scatter in the wind,
For wars of love were fought and lost
Leaving honor to defend.

And the angels thought from heaven
Can be devils in disguise,
When the gift of sacred promises,
All fade to bitter lies.

But the heart beats ever stronger,
And it carries me along.
And the music of the ages
Still flows deep within my songs.

For in every new beginning
Lies the ash of bridges burned,
And the hope for new tomorrows
Lies on bones of lessons learned.

And their lives no man so righteous
As the man who gives his soul
To the dream of love's sweet promise
Where the rainbow gardens grow.

For in time there'll be an answer,
And in time I'll find the way
To forget the many sorrows
And the dreams of yesterday.

13-Sept-93

Two Hearts

Two hearts lie broken, twisted,
Needing just to say goodbye,
But something holds them frozen
In the light of children's eyes.

Pain and fear reign over those
Who have no wings to fly.
So grounded by their own regrets,
The let their conscience die.

The black and white has turned to gray
Between the rights and wrongs,
And lines are crossed where promises
Were once love's siren songs.

Where one would want the freedom
Of a childhood left behind,
The other holds on tightly
To the dreams so hard to find.

And in their desperate moments,
They reach out for something more,
Grasping lifelines of confusion
Through a slowly closing door.

Two hearts lie tangled, gasping
In the heat of summer's fire,
And passion rises through the fear,
Forbidden flames burn higher.

Soft words are spoken in the night
And promises are made,
Sealed by tears of painful joy
What price must now be paid?

And witness to the night's affair
The stars may hold the key,
But keep their silent vigil there
As moonlit shadows flee.

Where one would hold a dream untold
In fear of losing all,
The other holds on shamelessly
To break the final fall.

Now words unspoken feed the flame
Of passions gone astray,
And all hearts beat in rhythm
To this lonely passion play.

10-Sept-93

Two Poets

What darker rooms are held within
The temples of their soul?
Where demons ply their haunting trade
To dim their inner glow.

The shadows of their past regrets,
Like blackest funereal shrouds,
Have made them mute to things they know
Unable to speak aloud.

But in the quietness of their heart,
A voice can still be heard,
A distant call to speak in verse,
With rhythmic flowing words.

Two ships set sail from separate lands,
Adrift within the night,
No course is set, no mission planned,
Just searching for the light.

Their vessels formed of flesh and blood,
They navigate with rhyme
The oceans of their deepest thoughts,
Across the seas of time.

A journey of discovery,
Beyond the simpler truths.
To solve the deeper mysteries
Encountered in their youth.

The storms that rage in maddened skies
Have forced them from the helm,
Below the decks to darker rooms,
Where all the demons dwell.

And as they drift in angry seas,
They open many doors,
In search of charts to guide their way
To peaceful, gentle shores.

They stumble in the darkness of
The questions in their mind,
To seek the answers hidden there
They feel they have to find.

So weary from the battles waged,
Against their mortal strife,
They hope for rest that seldom comes,
For solace in their life.

With growing fear they look within
The shelter of their souls,
While far above the storm grows fierce,
The winds of change still blow.

And when the storm has reached it's height,
They see a glowing key,
It lies within the darkest room,
That leads to destiny.

It fits the locks that held them bound,
Within their deepest fear,
Of sailing on through time alone,
Without a purpose clear.

Ascending with the keys in hand,
Escaping from their hell,
With verses dancing in their thoughts,
And no more dreams to sell.

Their battered ships have held them safe,
Though forcing them inside,
But now they're armed with tools to fight
The demons where they hide.

Above, the sun is breaking free,
A gift of wondrous light.
And on the far horizon there
Appears a ship in sight.

They each can see more clearly now,
Across the rolling seas,
Another soul who holds the key,
To doors of poetry.

28-April-1996

For Michelle

Where The Day Takes You

Do you know where the day may take you,
Do you follow it to the end?
Do you feel a touch of madness,
Does the darkness hide your sins?

--- (Every 26 seconds…) ---

It's a long and lonely highway,
When the mean streets take your soul,
And there are no walls around you,
And there's no place left to go.

--- (a child…) ---

When the garden has no roses,
When the rainbow holds no gold,
There's a price you pay for freedom
Where your dreams are bought and sold,

--- (runs away…) ---

Where the future has no meaning
And the past stays locked away,
You may not wake up tomorrow
So you live just for today.

--- (from home) ---

But you go where the day may take you,
And you follow it to the end.
You may feel a touch of sadness
As the darkness comes again.

24-Apr-93

Dedicated to all our lost children

WHY?

Sometimes a deeper sadness creeps to grab you from behind,
And snares your weakened heart with steely claws,
It blocks the light of reason from the dreams you'd hoped to find,
To crush them into dust within it's jaws.

Left standing in the darkness with the pieces scattered 'round,
It taunts you to relieve the growing pain.
Then nothing seems to matter but the solitary sound,
Of voices in a mind that's gone insane.

You're left with vacant choices of a life that lost it's glow,
With little to believe and much to learn.
But no one seems to notice and no one seems to know
About the final bridge you're soon to burn.

A life with many questions, but answers far and few
Between the choices that you had to make.
When life becomes a mystery, without a single clue,
You make your final choice and last mistake.

Your suicide is painless, except to those you leave,
To try and understand your senseless death.
With questions running rampant upon the web you weave,
You say good-bye and take your final breath.

And then the only question that matters anymore,
Is left on every trembling lip that cries.
They'll mourn you in your passing beyond that final door,
But never understand the reasons why.

10/15/95

For those who have lost their way

In Remembrance

What lies beyond the life we live
With every passing day,
When all the brightness of our dreams,
Turns cloudy, then to gray?

When storms rage in our darkness,
And we see no place to hide,
When all that we have lost
Seems more than what we find.

When every star within the sky,
Grows cold and far away,
And words don't hold the meaning
For the things we need to say.

Beyond the life we've come to know,
Are the answers for us all.
Sometimes the ones we lose
Have only heard their gentle call.

They reach beyond the earthly chains,
That bound their spirits tight,
And spread their wings in silent grace,
To set their souls in flight.

And far above the angels smile,
Their arms held open wide,
To welcome loved ones home again,
To hold them safe inside.

The flutter of their wings sends
Memories scattered on the wind,
So they may swirl around us,
In remembrance of a friend.

So hold their memories tightly,
Like a candle in the night,
And let the flame remind you
Of the one eternal light.

By: Alan W. Goodson

5-Sept-1996

In Memory of Curtis Foltz...June 3, 1980 - September 3, 1996

I Speak

I speak in tongues to no one there,
In silent rooms, where no one cares.
And those who peer through windows clear,
Have filtered views of thoughts concealed.

I say hello but no one hears,
Just words that dance through sa lty tears,
Across the lines to distant lands,
Small grains of thought on desert sands.

I walk through walls without a sound,
Where space and time become unbound,
To mingle with the faceless crowds,
And read my silent thoughts aloud.

I wander through the empty hall,
Like a shadow puppet on the wall,
No light can ever penetrate,
Nor ray of sun illuminate.

I seek the truth beneath the lies,
With little hope for compromise,
Where black is black and white is white,
And storm clouds form where they unite.

I hope for more while finding less,
When sins revealed are not confessed,
While hours tick away with haste,
And time is all that's left to waste.

I dream of peace beneath the stars,
But wake to sounds of distant wars,
Where mothers pray for dying sons,
Who traded toys for smoking guns.

I search for words I cannot find,
To light a candle for the blind,
Who wouldn't see it anyway,
Or hear the words I meant to say.

I yearn for love but wonder why,
When no one cares enough to try,
And fear creeps in to steal the light,
From those who turn to face the night.

I cry in pain that no one feels,
An empty world where nothing's real,
And as I die, I hope to smile,
I speak, but only for a while.

By: Alan W. Goodson
11/09/96

Surrender

In silence I surrender to the dying of the day,
And shiver in the cold of winter's fire,
Beyond the last conclusions of decisions I have made,
With little hope to take my thoughts much higher.

For what it's worth what did I gain,
By joining in the race to beat the sun,
And in it's blind contention for the prize I'll never see,
It sinks towards the races yet to run.

And every single step that took me on towards the night,
Leaves footprints of remorse along the way.
The bitter salt of tears I shed will fill their empty void,
To mark the path I took throughout the day.

Surrender to the moments lost,
Surrender to the night,
Surrender to the choices made,
Should they be wrong or right.

For every man's condition is a product of the past,
No one to blame or take the heavy load.
Worlds may rise then crumble from the weight of worthless dreams,
But every dream we buy should not be sold.

The sour fruit of compromise grows heavy on the vine,
Then wraps it's tangled web around your soul,
To strangle best intentions that we may not recognize,
And mock us as we stumble on our goals.

The words we leave unspoken have no meaning to reveal,
When held inside too long they lose their way.
But every thought we share may be the key to set us free,
From prisons built from things we didn't say.

Surrender to the moments lost,
Surrender to the night,
Surrender to the choices made,
Should they be wrong or right.

What worth is there within the night when lying down to sleep,
When living in a dream while we're awake?
What fortunes do we leave behind for others yet to come,
When all we ever seem to do is take?

Too many roads we choose to walk with eyes so tightly closed,
And then we wonder where the day has gone.
No light to shine upon our soul through the windows of our eyes,
So hard to find the path that leads us home.

And in the shadows of our heart the light grows ever dim,
When every choice seems bound to cause us pain,
Then as the darkness falls it covers plans we should have made,
The chance is gone and nightfall stakes it's claim.

Surrender to the moments lost,
Surrender to the night,
Surrender to the choices made,
Should they be wrong or right.

By: Alan W. Goodson
12-November-1996

The Wolf

Silent against the night, dark coat
shimmering blackly, reflected by trails of tears
in dark alleys of fear held close to the heart of all
who feel his shadow caressing their pain.

Eyes shining through devastated dreams of love
found shattered against the cold hard stone
of unfaithful demons professing everlasting devotion,
but to none other than themselves.

Feeding upon the lies and immoral meanderings
of heartless thieves who steal hope from promises,
leaving behind empty shells to gather the remains
of misplaced desires turned to dust.

Teeth glinting bright, but stained with the blood
of passion spent foolishly on empty souls,
who are bound only by their profane vows of
unholy matrimony to their own selfish compulsions.

Sniffing the air, savoring the stench of shattered lives,
laying to rot in the emotional gutter of discontent,
where colorless rainbows lead only to pots of
tarnished coins turning quickly to rust.

Prowling stealthily through the debris of innocence forsaken,
discarded and forever lost to the wrath of wanton lust,
tearing at the throat of soft victims held helpless beneath
the strength of dark angels of desire.

The Wolf, dark scavenger of broken hearts,
lies in satiated repose, having fed on feasts of
anguish, dreams quietly through the day,
knowing the night comes quickly and the hunt goes on.

03/30/97

Coffee Shop

Old men with nothing to do,
Who haven't gotten started yet…

A circle of old friends…coffee hot and bitter,
like some memories of youth gone by.
Reliving the past with half-remembered stories,
half-baked lies, and imagined truths only half-discovered.
Their days nothing more than fallen leaves
swept up in the cold, hard winds of time.

Remaining days of their lives measured in cups,
Cups of sorrowful lament, filled to the brim
with memories of paths not traveled,
choices never considered, chances never taken,
love never found, or lost in the haze of soft regret.

Untapped wells of knowledge…life experience seeping through,
to form stagnant pools of advice for youth
who don't listen, don't care, don't know or wonder
about frail words spoken in meaningful jest,
by old men whose lives don't seem to matter anymore.

Old men with nothing to do,
Finished before the day begins…

Left to compare scars of battles with life
and secrets of success never quite obtained.
Steam rising from their cups, like the spirit
of their youthful dreams, drifting off into thin air,
to mingle with the stale smoke of bridges burned.

Weathered faces hiding behind wrinkled masks,
sculptured by pain earned from hard work,
harder lessons, and hardest times.
Arguing over the bill that comes due
because they feel their debts have
already been paid in full, with interest.

The hands of the clock move more swiftly now,
speeding onward towards eternity, towards rest,
towards another world where the coffee is free,
the waitress doesn't expect a tip,
and the tables are always clean.

Old men with nothing to do,
And an eternity to finish…

by: Alan W. Goodson
04/04/97

Red Roses

His daddy brought her roses,
On the day his son was born.
Said their scent was straight from heaven,
But be careful of the thorns.
Told her red was for her beauty,
And the thorns were for the pain,
But for all that she had given,
Look at all that they had gained.

Then she smiled and pulled him closer,
Brushed a kiss against his cheek,
Holding tightly to the roses,
Though her body was so weak.
As a tear fell on his shoulder,
She closed her eyes and fell asleep,
And he held her 'till she drifted,
To her dreams so soft and deep.

Red roses for a lady,
Red roses for the tears,
Red roses for the memories,
Red roses through the years.

When the boy became a young man,
He was leaving for a date,
With a girl he thought an angel,
But he feared that he was late.
He was nervous and excited,
Sweaty palms and pounding heart,
And his mom called out to stop him,
As he ran out to the car.

Then she handed him some money,
Pressed it to his trembling hands,
Told him, son, buy her some roses,
If you're late she'll understand.
Tell her red is for her beauty,
And the thorns are for her pain,
Sometimes you have to give a little,
But you'll have so much to gain.

Red roses for a lady,
Red roses for the tears,
Red roses for the memories,
Red roses through the years.

Then the years went by so quickly,
They planned to marry in the spring,
Times were hard, he lost his job
Before her bought her wedding ring.
But she said it didn't matter,
Love was more than gold and stones,
And she's rather have him by her,
Than to spend another night alone.

On the way to meet the preacher,
He stopped and ran into the store,
Grabbed a dozen long stemmed roses,
Remembering what his mom had said before.
He told her red was for her beauty,
And the thorns were for her pain,
Though they were starting with so little,
There was everything to gain.

Red roses for a lady,
Red roses for the tears,
Red roses for the memories,
Red roses through the years.

Now the sands of time kept flowing,
They were happy as could be.
Every dream they ever dreamed of,
Had become reality.
'Till the call came through at midnight,
And his world began to spin,
Then he caught the next plane homeward,
To see his mom and dad again.

As he walked into the bedroom,
His dad said, son, she passed away,
Still he placed the roses gently,
Knowing she would hear him say,
Mom, the red is for your beauty,
And the thorns are for your pain,
And the life that you once gave me,
Led to everything I gained.

Red roses for a lady,
Red roses for the tears,
Red roses for the memories,
Red roses through the years.

05/25/97

More

Much more to life than meets the eye,
And more to heaven than meets the sky,
Beneath it all in soft refrain,
The music of the soul remains.

And oft we wander through our dreams,
In search of what or if they mean
A thing we seek or hope to find,
The truth lies near or far behind.

For what by chance would beauty say,
If words could ever find the way,
To flow from mountains, snow or sky,
And speak it's mind to you and I?

In nature's world we're all as one,
The children of the earth and sun,
And love for one is love for all,
If only we would hear the call.

Much more to all we see and hear,
Beyond our sight, beyond our ear,
A cord of life that wraps around
Our aura's bright without a sound.

Connecting us to mysteries,
Of who we are or hope to be,
While we pretend to choose our fate,
As destiny stands beside the gate.

And all that we may hold so dear,
Is clouded by our lonely fear,
That it may slip or slowly fade,
To vanquish all the plans we made.

We lose the forest in the trees,
And reach for God on bended knees,
But never touch the light inside,
When reaching out with foolish pride.

Much more remains for us to know,
To seek and find that inner glow,
That bonds us to the world around,
Instead of chains that holds us down.

05/26/97

Ode to the Ellipsis

Birth…Death

Three dots that mean nothing…
but hold the power of everything.

08/03/97

Blank Page

Staring at me…taunting, laughing, jeering in it's stark
nothingness.
Daring me to conquer is whitely leering face,
To tread my ink stained thoughtsteps through its vacant desert.
To disturb the featureless sands of emptiness
with trails of significance and meaning where
none exist.

It is for you I write…
for me…
for everyone and no one.
To fill the empty spaces of life
with something…anything
that may or may not ever matter except
to the blank page,
who sacrifices its sterile environment
freely,
without judgment,
without comment,
without fear, joy,
or retribution.

It expresses nothing so that I can express
everything…or nothing if I prefer.
Keeping its silent vigil
patiently,
willingly,
eternally.
Waiting for something,
for me,
to scar its countenance with the ravings
of forever.

08/03/97

Broken Rules

The game is played by broken rules,
But who should give a damn.
Referees…shrill whistles silent against the roaring crowd,
Retire quickly in the face of anarchy,
Leaving fools to grope blindly for worthless treasures
glinting bright in the sun but tarnishing quickly
when mists of darkness settle over the glow.

Still waters run deep in streams of doubt,
But silence runs deeper than that.
Words…unspoken or unheard, still echo and flail,
In search of lips to part or ears to bend,
Then fade and shrivel on untended vines of discomfort
which lay tangled and twisted; webs of subtle deceit
whose willing victims lie close together in separate worlds.

The guiding stars lead no one home,
When every wish falls short.
Their light…diffused through storm clouds of discontent,
Fades quickly in the rooms of dark regret,
With curtains drawn tight against the grains of truth
that blow endlessly on the winds of the spirit,
seeking shelter from the storm as they tap on the windows of the soul.

Seekers of truth and knowledge go blind
When they see but do not believe.
Faith…unclothed and exposed, left shivering in shame
Pleads guilty in courts of the damned,
As mortal frailties forge links to confine
the innocence of childhood's shattered vows
and promises, which died before birth.

The fears held deep within the heart
Feed quietly on dreams of the soul.
Love…a two edged sword of need and desire,
Cuts deeply and leaves its own scars,
While Venus and Mars hold hands in the dark
remembering the battles they waged in the light,
plotting subtle revenge with casual cruelty.

The game is played by broken rules,
But who should give a damn.
Referees…weary and abused, have all gone home,
Leaving fairness to fend for itself as the crowd grows silent,
While down on the field the players seem lost and confused
without rules to break, and no one to stop them,
and no one to care.

08/06/97

Snippets

(Overheard at the Lake)

(Don't wanna be a player no more)
When time and dust have settled in
Like layers on your fate,
And all that mattered most of all
Expired...the payment late.

(See daddy, I can touch)
But can you, angel, are your feet
So firm upon the ground?
The waves get high, and winds blow strong,
Swim far, or stand and drown.

(This is my rock, too bad I have no balance)
And everything you think is yours,
Belongs to earth and sky.
You only hold it for a while
Then leave it, buy and bye.

(Remember how we used to do this?)
You're older now and so am I,
Too big to pick you up.
But it was fun when you were young,
I hope it was enough.

(The water's colder than it was)
But still you splash and make some noise,
As chills run up your spine.
No turning back when summer dies,
What's lost you'll never find.

(You better not pull me under)
You know I'd save you if I could,
If you'll keep holding on,
But not so tight, I might go down,
I'm tired and not that strong.

(I can't, it's over my head)
Yes, careful now, the water's deep,
Some never do return,
They're lost at sea while trying to cross
The bridges that they burned.

08/15/97

When Dreams Come True

What happens when the dreams come true
Like nighmares in disguise,
And everything you once believed
Turns into pretty lies?

When every silver lining seems
To hide a darker cloud,
And all the whispers in your head
Begin to scream out loud?

The mirror you've been looking in
Reflects a different face,
A touch of grey where once was brown,
A stranger in your place.

Did time speed up or did you miss
A turn along the way?
Did you wake up believing that
Today was yesterday?

You heard the angels singing
But the devil hired the band,
And it's hard to build your castle
When the bricks are made of sand.

Dreams aren't a destination
They're just signs that lead you home.
But you have to keep on moving
When you think the dreams are gone.

10/12/97

Quiet Desperation

She sits quietly in the darkened room,
Thoughts spinning silently with cold remorse
Over words not spoken when the time was right,
But could it ever be right?

The full moon creeps sullenly behind the clouds,
Like her hidden self, fearful of discovery,
Yet bright and ripe with dreams of eternity
Dancing amongst the ruins of her heart.

He was all she dreamed of, hoped for, wanted...
And so much less than what she deserved,
But the light of truth cannot always overcome
The shadows of pain.

Her strength was her weakness,
Opening her door to love when
The rapping she heard was only
The beat of her own desperate heart.

12/07/97

In Dreams You Walk

In dreams you walk a thousand miles
To touch a golden heart,
While right beside you, there I lay
And watch you in the dark.

The stones you turn and visions held
For all that you desire,
Like smoke dispersing in the air
Just dreams of distant fires.

You murmur in your restless sleep
Of places never been,
And speak the names of others whom
You've never touched nor seen.

The dreams you keep so deep inside,
Still linger when you wake,
They haunt you like a shadow ghost,
In every breath you take.

Are you still dreaming as you step
Into the light of day?
Do you believe there's something more
Beyond the roles you play?

Is all you have not quite enough,
To quench your thirst for more?
What beauty flows behind the walls
Of gardens you ignore?

And still I wait for you to wake,
To touch me in the night,
To hold me close, to feel the heat,
That burns so hot and bright.

I long to hold your trembling hands,
To lead you from your dreams,
In hopes that you will close your eyes,
And walk through dreams with me.

By: Alan W. Goodson
As inspired by Michelle A. Bartley
12/24/1997