~ Some Poetry From Others ~

The Mountain, by Baxter Black

Nobody rides the Mountaintop when Winter's locked her jaws.
The Mountain bears the brunt alone, his shoulder to the claws.

She carves great gashes down his flank like butchers flensing sheep
And howl, you cannot know the word. She never lets him sleep.

And on his peak she wreaks her wrath. He reaches Heaven-bound
But she has placed a crown of ice and turned Hell upside down.

My parka hood is fringed with frost. It's hard to get my wind.
I stand hard on the timberline feeling freshly skinned.

The sweat is drippin' down my neck. It's twenty-two below.
I came to tell the Mountaintop, "Just three more months to go."

"You're not alone," I shout to him. "There's others just like you
Who make their stand upon the Earth and see the battle
through

The daily grind to just get by against all Earthly odds
And keep the faith though they might feel forsaken by the
gods."

My words are snatched up by the wind and shatter in the air
The Winter scatters spoken broken pieces everywhere.

I strain to see the highest ridge that climbs the steep terrain
That's whipped until its frothy edge is like a horse's mane

Then disappears into the storm, the maelstrom, the shriek,
That smothers and obliterates the nearly hidden peak.

The Winter bellows out her rage. She's comin' down the face.
I turn downhill and cower in the tall timber's embrace.

Her blizzard fingers flow around the trees and follow me
I stop and squint back toward the top but white-out's all I see.

I meant to bring some small relief. I wanted just to say
No man or mountain stands alone, we're all the Maker's clay.

"But I can only cringe and squeak," I whisper up the slope.
But then the Mountain answered back, "Go, friend. You left
me hope."

{From Cactus Tracks & Cowboy Philosophy, by Baxter Black (1997, Penguin Books)}

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~And For You, the Purple Meanies~
"Sometimes the best way to be useful is to get out of someone's way."
~
"What's the good of being forgiven if I have to promise not to do it again?"
~
"If you say nothing when you have something to say...you are really telling a lie."
~

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Cowboy In The Jungle, By Jimmy Buffett (1978)
Believe it or not, this next one is one of my all-time favorite "credo" songs!

1. There's a cowboy in the jungle
And he looks so out of place
With his shrimpskin boots and his cheap cheroots
And his skin as white as paste
Headin' south to Paraguay
Where the Gauchos sing and shout
Now he's stuck in Porto Bello
Since his money all ran out
So he hangs out with the sailors
Night and day they're raisin' hell
And his original destination's just another Story that he loves to tell
With no plans for the future
He still seems in control From a bronco ride to a ten foot tide
He just had to learn to roll

Chorus: Roll with the punches
Play all of his hunches
Make the best of whatever came his way
What he lacked in ambition
He made up with intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may

2. Steel band in the distance
And their music floats across the bay
While American women in moomoos
Talk about all the things they did today
And their husbands quack about fishing
As they slug those rum drinks down
Discussing who caught what and who sat on his butt
But it's the only show in town.

Chorus: They're tryin' to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin' to cram lost years into five or six days
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may.
--I don't want to live on that kind of island
No I don't want to swim in a roped off sea
Too much for me, too much for me
I've got to be where the wind and the water are free.

3. Alone on a midnight passage
I can count the falling stars
While the Southern Cross and the satellites
They remind me of where we are
Spinning around in circles Living it day to day
And still twenty four hours/ may be sixty good years---
It's still not that long a stay.

Chorus: We've gotta roll with the punches
Learn to play all of our hunches
Makin' the best of whatever comes your way
Forget that blind ambition
And learn to trust your intuition
Plowin' straight ahead come what may

And there's a cowboy in the jungle-------

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Life Is Just A Tire Swing, By Jimmy Buffett (1974)
This reminds me of the part of my childhood I spent in Louisiana:

1. I remember the smell of the creosote plant
When we'd have to eat on Easter with my crazy old uncle and aunt
They lived in a big house, antebellum style (antebellum)
And the winds would blow across the old bayou
And I was a tranquil little child.

(Chorus): Life was just a tire swing
'Jambalaya' was the only song I could sing
Blackberry pickin', eatin' fried chicken
And I never knew a thing about pain
Life was just a tire swing.

2. In a few summers my folks packed me off to camp
Yeah me and my cousin' Baxter in our pup tent with a lamp
And in a few days Baxter went home and he left me by myself
But I knew that I'd stay, it was better that way
And I could get along without any help.

(Chorus): Life was just a tire swing
'Jambalaya' was the only song I could sing
Chasin' after sparrows with rubber-tipped arrows
Knowin' I could never hurt a thing
Life was just a tire swing (tire swing).

3. And I never been west of New Orleans or east of Pensacola
My only contact with the outside world was an RCA Victrola
And Elvis would sing and then I'd dream about expensive cars
And who would've figured twenty years later I'd be rubbin' shoulders with the stars
Life was just a tire swing.

4. Then the other mornin' on some Illinois road
I fell asleep at the wheel
But was quickly wakened up by a 'Ma Bell' telephone pole
And a bunch of Grant Wood faces screamin' "Is he still alive?"
Through the window I could see it hangin' from a tree
And I knew that I had survived.

(Chorus) And life is still a tire swing
'Jambalaya' is the best song I can sing
Blackberry pickin', eatin' fried chicken
But I finally learned a lot about pain
Life is just a tire swing (tire swing)...
Life was just a tire swing (tire swing)...
Life was just a tire swing (tire swing)...
Life was just a tire swing (tire swing)...

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I Remember You, Written by Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer
One of my favorite songs from the early '60's at the drive ins and starry nights of Odessa, Texas

(Peaked at # 5 on the pop charts in 1962.) (Cover version of the song that originally appeared in the 1942 movie "The Fleet's In" starring Dorothy Lamour and Bob Eberly.)

I remember you
You're the one who made my dreams come true
A few kisses ago.
I remember you
You're the one who said "I love you, too"
Yes, I do, didn'tcha know?
I remember, too, a distant bell
And stars that fell Like the rain out of the blue.
When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of them all
Then I will tell them I remember you.

I remember, too, a distant bell
And stars that fell
Like the rain out of the blue.
When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of it all
Then I will tell them I remember, tell them I remember
Tell them I remember you....

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You've Got A Friend, By Carole King
We need this reminder sometimes

When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest night.

You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together
And call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.

You just call out my name
And you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.

You just call out my name
And you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will. You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.

Now, ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend....

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I Just Called To Say "I Love You", Music and lyrics by Stevie Wonder
Wonderful message

No new years's day
to celebrate
no chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
no first of spring
no song to sing
in fact here's just another ordinary day

No April rain
no flowers bloom
no wedding saturday within the month of June
But what it is
Is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you:

I just called to say "I love you"
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say "I love you"
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

No summer's high
No warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No autumn breeze
No falling leaves
No even time for birds to fly to southern skies
No libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is
Though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words Could ever do.

I just called to say "I love you"
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say "I love you"
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

I just called to say "I love you"
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say "I love you"
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
Of my heart Of my heart.....

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The Times They Are A-Changing, By Bob Dylan
A Poem That Defined A Generation:

Come gather round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
Then you’d better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a-changin’.

Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pens
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon, for the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no telling who that it’s naming
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times, they are a-changin’.

Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the halls
For he that gets hurt will be he that has stalled
There’s a battle outside and it’s raging
It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times, they are a-changin’.

Come mothers and fathers all over the land
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly aging
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend a hand
For the times they are a-changin’.

The line, it is drawn, the curse, it is cast
The slow one will later be fast
And the present now will soon be the past
The order is rapidly fading
The first one now will later be last
For the times, they are a-changin’.

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If I Knew, By an Unknown Author
We go way too fast through life....

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I get to see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up to praise,
I would video tape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming that you KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,
instead of thinking, "Oh, well, I'm sure we'll have so many more, so I can let this one slip away."
For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance to make everything all right.
There will always be another day to say " I love you,"
and certainly there's always another chance.
But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is never promised to anyone, young or old alike,
and today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So, if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day
that you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or kiss,
and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their last wish.
So, hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear.
Tell them how much you love them, and that you'll always hold them dear.
Take the time to say " I'm sorry," "please forgive me," "thank you," or "it's ok."
And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

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Don't Know Much, By Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville (from the album "Cry Like A Rainstorm")
Linda Rondstadt and Aaron Neville have done some nice work together. This is one piece of it:

Look at this face--- I know the years are showing
Look at this life--- I still don't know where it's going
I don't much, but I know I love you
That may be all I need to know.

Look at these eyes--- they never seen what matters
Look at these dreams--- so beaten and so battered
I don't much but I know I love you
That may be all I need to know.

So many questions--- still left unanswered
So much I've never broken through
And when I feel you near me
Sometimes I see so clearly
That only truth I'll never know--- is me and you.

Look at this man--- so blessed with inspiration
Look at this soul--- still searching for salvation
I don't much--- but I know I love you
That may be all I need to know.

I don't much--- but I know I love you
That may be all I need to know
I don't much--- but I know I love you
That may be all there is to know.

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The Willow's Lament to the Moon, By Laydee
Love does not always run smooth:

Do you remember me, moon?
Once I stood upon this bank and cursed your lovely presence.
Waiting instead for the breaking of morning, when my love would find me.
My branches would extend to him feeling his warmth within my enveloping canopy,
and we would run together to our own special world
a place that no one else could share.

Do you remember him, moon?
As you sank beneath the horizon at the dawn's approach,
I could see you watching him. rounding the bend of this river.
Could you see that his smile
was as bright and wonderful as the rising sun herself,
and did you notice his eyes were bluer than any summer sky?

He's gone from me, dear moon...
I know you have seen my tears as each night they glistened in your gentle blue glow.
Or that I no longer lift my branches in joy at the cresting of the morning.
Have you watched as my limbs drooped into the river's current,
and my dried leaves fell, flowing sadly to that very bend
which once brought him here to me?

Will you help me this night, kind moon?
A small favor is all I ask.
Just to send the nightwind's call, to whisper in his ear,

nd tell him that his love haunts me
still binding my soul to his.

If he's sleeping
as the zephyr's gentle breath surrounds and caresses him,
let me enter his dreams and,
just once more,
touch his lips with mine.

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Song For A Winter's Night , Music and Lyrics by Gordon Lightfoot
On the other hand, there is always Hope. A sweet song for the elusive Moonlight Lover...out there somewhere...for all of us...

Performed by Gordon Lightfoot on the album "The Way I Feel" (UnitedArtists, 1967)
(Reprised by Sarah McLachlan on her 1996 album "Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff"

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
The snow is softly fallin'
The air is still within the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly callin'

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon the page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are liftin'
The mornin' light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are driftin'

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
And to be once again with with you
To be once again with with you.

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{Yes, there is always Hope. Don't ever doubt the Real Thing.}