School Of Hard Knocks

when I was growing up my grandfather use to say

that boy is going to find out everything the hard way

if he comes out of his childhood alive

there’s a damn good chance he’ll survive

I was an eager student of the School of Hard Knocks

my troubles were never pebbles they were always rocks

taking the least traveled pathway had a price

I come close to losing my life twice

there was never really a choice for me

I’ve always been on the verge of tragedy

but in these later days of my life

I look back and appreciate the strife

and accept my past and my destiny

whatever that happens to be

Consequences

we cannot hide from our deeds

whether they’re good or bad

our actions have consequences

that either leave us happy or sad

the life moves we make

affect our journey

and the roads we take

a good path

or a mistake

call it karma

or call it fate

everything you do

comes back to you

love

or hate

The Dap

there’s many ways to greet one another

when we get together

hugs and handshakes

have been around forever

there are other ways that are clever

like the dap

which is a slow motion slap

in an intricate pattern of bumps

from one closed fist to the other

a common greeting for a soul brother

the dap

was born in shared strife

as a way of re-affirming life

the dap

a positive way

to get through the day

a comforting display

of brotherhood

back in the day

Treatise on Poems

who are poems for?

the wealthy or the poor?

or is it possible

there’s more?

emphatically, yes!

they’re for everyone

to access

poems are gifts to share

with the rest of us

anywhere

who enjoy a poetic flair

watching words take wing

rhyming with everything

flights of imagination

with every narration

comes from poetry

like leaves from a tree

we gather them up

into our memory

Days of Typewriters Past

Before keyboards and computers

there were typewriters

transforming words into books

curious machines with odd looks

there were once

keyboard typewriters

single-element typewriters

Type Bar typewriters

Index typewriters

Teletype typewriters

and Electric typewriters

once valuable tools for writers

they’ve gone away

mere curiosities today

but once upon a time

you couldn’t write a poem

a news story or a book

without these machines

no matter how funny they look

Obo the Clown

he was young when he started clowning around

the world his theater in the round

he wasn’t the kind of guy who ever got down

I’m talking about Obo the Clown

he was known for his funny jokes

and appealed to all kinds of folks

by all accounts he was always merry

when talking comedy he was a visionary

he enjoyed playing the clown for the day

and being on public display

the best thing about Obo the Clown

is that everyone wanted him around

PC Desk Duty

punching my own time clock every day

when I turn on my PC

and decide what to say

during my self-imposed desk duty

my thoughts trickle across the screen

opinions and images flow

during this daily routine

I never really know

the end result unforeseen

the eventual goal

to write and hope it’ll be seen

A Mental Wall

it’s too easy to build a mental wall

a barrier to all things big and small

when we get carried away with ideology

and the politics of the day

communication is cornered by fear

when a person believes everything they hear

tossing logic aside to build a mental wall

has been many a man and woman’s downfall

a wall keeps knowledge out

leaving the builder with doubt

about what is right or wrong

and what’s weak and what’s strong

so don’t burden your brain

with barriers that could drive you insane

Tongue in Cheek Chic

the internet is on fire

with satire

websites create memes

with satirical themes

trolls stalk the web

like an invisible celeb

mocking everything said

tongue-in-cheek instead

being the chic way

for netizens to say

their piece every day

Alien Gardens

have you ever wondered what will grow on Mars someday

when mankind lands on the planet’s harsh red clay?

in a distant future where humans can go anyplace

and are masters of planet-hopping in space

the alien landscapes will provide a place to grow

food and plants for any aficionado

the planet’s inhabitants teaching humans about their geography

opening up the doors to communication and community

imagine then a time of peace

lasting for eternity

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