The World In Here

This place is seemingly unreal,
It is surreal.
A world within a world,
Real enough, I know because I'm here.

Here they use books
For door stops and
Wear OD green jackets
Against the cold inside - in august.

The windows don't open.
They have to rely upon
The window of their minds
And a library of memories.

The view outside
Through the gray bars,
The open sky and countryside
Marred by the fence and the razor wire.

They wear dinghy whites
Like the angels they aren't;
Their wings clipped by
The courts and the law.

Ice and ramen noodles
And instant coffee are hot commodities.
Cell phones with chargers are
Worth their weight in gold!

There's "us" and there's "them"
Among other attitudes and judgements.
There's a free world out there
And this world in here.

We have to use a key
To go to the toilet,
Better bring your
Own toilet paper, too.

We're subject to searches
And pat downs and other
Inconveniences all before
The work day begins.

They have more rights
Than we do and
THEY'RE supposed to be
The convicted felons!

My Frenemy Mine - Me

I looked in the mirror
And who did I see?
My best friend, my worst enemy;
My frenemy - me.
I looked into the man
Looking back into me.
The sum of his many parts;
A son, a brother,
A father three times over,
And a husband twice now.
I also saw remnants of the little boy
Who grew into the man
Staring back at me.
I perceived experience,
And battle scarred
And work worn.
I saw some wisdom, some strength,
Some folly still.
The eyes, full of life,
Having seen life;
A portal to his soul.
His father is reflected
And his grandfathers, too.
Do I know the man in the mirror?
Does he know me?

Hot Tub Rules

No clothes in the hot tub - NO EXCEPTIONS.
No diving.
No peeing/puking/farting in the water.
Friends DON'T let friends
Soak TOO drunk.
REAL friends towel each other off.
Total capacity is the number
Of people having a good time
Minus the number of party poopers,
Buzz killers, negative types, etc, etc.
Don't forget to tip
The cabana boy/girl.
Pick up your own bottles/cans/trash,
The maid uses the hot tub too.
Photography at YOUR own risk.
You lose/drop your camera/cell phone
In the hot tub - your problem.
The owners do not assume ANY
Responsibility for ANYTHING
That happens to YOU while
YOU are partying here.
Handle up on your own high/buzz.
What happens in and around
The hot tub stays in and around
The hot tub REGARDLESS
Of ANY recorded evidence
In ANY form or fashion.
Do not let jealousy/negativity
Ruin a good party.

Forgiveness

Strong enough to bend,
Strong enough to mend,
Strong enough to not hate,
Strong enough to forgive,
Strong enough to move on.

Forgiving for my own self,
Not because I have to.
Forgiving so that we may begin to heal.
Forgiving because I am strong.
Forgiving myself first and getting real.

Forgiveness does not mean condoning
The behaviors or what has happened.
Forgiveness does not stop the pursuit of justice.
Forgiveness is not reconciliation.
It is simply just that,
Forgiveness.

My Grandparent's Final Words Together

After all this time,
All our years together;
Now in this moment
What words shall we share,
Our final words together?

Through our years, our homes,
The work, our children,
And grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The life we've built and
The lives we've touched.

Your ways, my ways, our way,
The ups and downs of our days.
The sunshine and the storms,
Our successes and our falls.
Here we are through it all.

Shall our words be
Ones of hope or endearments or promise?
Perhaps these last ones
Exchanged will be in anger
Or sadness or regret?

Maybe we'll patch up
Our differences?
Perhaps apologize for wrongs
Done long ago and gone
And all but forgotten?

This last conversation
May be recalling memories.
Perhaps we'll just pray together?
We may laugh or cry
Or just share the silence.

Just our final words together.

My Prayer On My Way To Work

Here we go again God,
One more time,
Just you and me together.
I put it all in Your hands,
Placing it all before You.
Just for right here, right now,
One more night.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Moon In The Morning

I walk out the gate
Tired, for me it's late.
Having worked the night through
I'm gazing at the moon in the morning.
Yesterday has come and gone.
I watched the sun set
To start my work day.
The constellations cross the sky
To mark the time.

12 hours inside dulls the mind,
The labors ache the back.
Hands on the clock have seemed to stop.
Heavy feet mark the end of the night.
Now the south Texas morning air
Fills my lungs as I watch
The coming sun dimming the stars.
I'm going home guided
By the moon in the morning.