One And

Two men find themselves trapped in a wood
One was lost, the other stood
Twig snaps left, one turns around
The other has grown accustomed to that sound

The wind blows hard, but only one moves
The other seems only to be waiting for news
The wood is clammy, lonely, and harsh
For one, is torture, the other, a marsh

Thousands of acres of land and space
Have been uniquely interpreted, this place

One can think of it as a zero-sum game
Of one versus all, where nothing enthralls
One has yet to meet the other one
Who's a fan of win-win and makes light of the fun

These two men are both trapped in the wood
One is still lost, the other understood

Plane Ride

As we head into the white
Where clouds of snow and cotton candy lie
Above the mountaintops and streams
And every now and then the rooftops gleam

Look to the right—
What's that over there?
Man with a mustache, hat, and a beard?
Look to the left—
Chateaus galore
Almost like what I've seen in a storybook before
Don't look down
If you're the type to get sick
Especially when that turbulence gives you a kick
Oddly enough, we rarely look up
But what's there to see, more of that blue stuff?

This is the land where civilizations were built
Where man conquered, surrendered, and killed
This is a land where treaties were made
Between nations, nature, promises were said

It makes me wonder why is it that we're put on this Earth
What can I possibly do—
As just one in this great dearth
Yet flying so high makes the world seem so small
Maybe I can make a difference after all


[Written: 12/22/09, on a flight from Qingdao to Sanya, China]

When the Sun Don't Shine

dreary, weary, most lackadaisical day
serious, worn-out, and caught up in the fray
of non-thinking, head-spinning, nonsensical displays

say, have you ever not been present when others aren't away?
hey, cut out the bevy of um's, maybe's, and okay's
and instead concentrate
on the things that aren't so opaque

or maybe that should be my strategy of late:
to try my hardest not to be dismayed
by the uncertain future that feels like a weight
and running full steam into me like a freight
train. it's hard to pick up the energy after you've ate

when you've basked in the glory of cakes and baked
goods and have had a taste
of hunger that's been hard to insatiate

crave, to be better than what's there for you straight out the gate
hate, the traits people have placed on you that don't really explain
who you are. but wait
that's just another lame game if you're not so sure of your personal aims

more of the same--
death, war, destruction, and pain
though you're not to blame, per se, they still can't be tamed
leaving you drained and only partially sane

so, mate, what's on the horizon for what I became
any sage wisdom that you can ordain
as I navigate the tumultuous rage that so frequently characterizes this stage in the maize
my fears I've tried so far to keep at bay
but how do I gauge?
at what age do I get to lay claim to my name in fame?
and create something that's finally here to stay?

or do I leave it to fate
and simply turn the page?

Billy the Bullied

There once was a young boy named Billy
Who, like others his age, was quite silly.
Bent his teachers out of shape
Homework he tried to escape
Only time made him less willy-nilly.

This same boy a couple years later
Became the victim of haters
Who pushed him around
In class, on the playground
And picked on him sooner or later.

Now fast-forward ahead to high school
When Billy was Captain of Cool
He had the best grades
And all the hot dates
The playground he finally did rule.

Those bullies he used to despise?
His goodness brought on their demise
They faked their amends
And 'wanted' to be friends
So Billy promptly said his goodbyes!

Playbook for those who willn't Read

[Warmup: Getting into the groove]
Reading a good book shouldn't be relaxing
Unless the author wills for you to be relaxed
It's the modern step child of movies
The manipulatee of technology retract'd

[Tipoff:]
Reading a good book is an escape
An imaginative trek into our past, present, and future
[Charge forward, withdraw, repeat: Score and defend!]
It's the only cure against this obesity of the mind
Find the will to exercise and pensively nurture
Against
That which other forms of entertainment shan't tell you why
Against
The passivity of watching the world go by
Against
Better judgment and use of our spare time
Because there ain't no good reasoning to wasting around
For yours, theirs, his/hers, or mine

[Half-time coach's commentary:]
Flexibility, an afterthought to be gained between the lines
Lends credence to the empowerment-inducing experience of reading a good book
[3Q inbound: Balanced tenacity of mind and heart]
For being susceptible to the idea of self-discovery by taking a good look
Leaves it all
Wide Open