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Robert McBrideI have been writing poems since February, 1983 when I was inspired by a visit to the Taj Mahal. Since then, writing poems has been a great way for my mind to process my thoughts and feelings. I have written well over 100 poems and some of them have been used as lyrics for songs, including the songs on this website, which were recorded with the help of talented friends and family. The poems come in fits and starts but often in the middle of the night from origins unknown. RJM
March 13, 2023 Artistic Freedom I write whatever I want Whenever I want About subjects of my choice There’s no one who buys And no one who sells No one who stifles my voice I can choose verse or prose For how the writing flows Whether it’s serious or just for fun I don’t seek fame or wealth Just improved mental health For my audience of one And I like it RJM
2/19/07 Anti-Procrastination When you’re alone with your thoughts, you see the poor company you keep Wading in the shallows and never going too deep When you’re alone with your thoughts, you see what poor company you are Striking out on small adventures but never going too far It’s time to live life to the fullest and take the risks you’re meant to take Put your passions on display and make the difference you’re meant to make life’s so short and time’s so fleeting that you can’t afford to wait If there’s a purpose for your being you must not procrastinate You may be meant to do some great thing that can change the lives of many Or your offering may be more modest and not be noticed by any You should do what you can do be it in large or small amounts The impact is not important it’s playing your part well that counts RJM – 11/27/01
Going back to Ground Zero In addition to the increase in flags and patriotism The Trade Center Tragedy sparked a resurgence of religion I guess this is a completely understandable reaction As we try to explain things to our own satisfaction But for me that response could be in the wrong direction Especially for those who think God favors one selection After all, it was just this sort of religious balderdash That led some simple extremists to the deadly crash And lest we think that Islam is unique in this perversion Think Inquisition and Jerry Falwell as a means of conversion To consider what motivates the villain and the hero I felt I must go back to my own spiritual ground zero And think about what is truth and what is speculation As I try to come to grips with what’s around me in creation And strip away articles of faith where they’re really only guessing And risk being out of line with what I’m in the habit of professing The questions are so plentiful and the answers are so few What I really know is little so I must search for clues But among all the mysteries there’s one thing that I’m knowing No matter how we dig and pry there’ll be some cards not showing We think, therefore we are, so we look for a creator Is it a force or a personality or something much much greater Is it aware of mankind, does it follow every movement Is there purpose for our being, some kind of self improvement What is our relationship with the planet’s other creatures And the plants, seas, sky and land and all the inner features Is it ours to eat and pollute and mine until it’s all gone By which time we conquer space and just sort of move on And what about good and evil, does the creator condone pain Even now our religions find this very difficult to explain Some claim that the answers to these and other fundamental queries Have been revealed to them in special ways they see as fact, not theories Prophets and enlightened ones pass on these sacred revelations To their region and their era and tell them to teach all nations But Absolute Truth exists like God so, sadly, we can’t know it Harm caused by religions that claim otherwise certainly seems to show it Such claims should be ignored and the motivation pondered By latching on to their absolutes our own revelations can be squandered Yes, I think each and every one can be in touch with the divine And seek answers to life’s questions in our hearts and in our minds So what are some of my own personal revelations And surely it should be clear that these are purely speculations I believe that sexuality is one of nature’s primal forces But I think it’s sad to see it lead to pornography and divorces I believe in Karma, our thoughts and actions make a difference I believe life has a purpose that surpasses Karmic consequence I believe love lasts forever but I believe it can cause pain But a life devoid of love is a life that’s lived in vain I believe a sense of humor is one of God’s greatest gifts There’s enough to cry about, laughter provides merciful lifts I regret that fear has a purpose and that we can be so cruel Because it leads to cowardly, aggressive behavior, as a rule I believe in good and evil and they’re there inside us all But I don’t believe in original sin or in mankind’s fall I believe in a divine element that we can call a soul And discovering and developing this spark is our life’s true goal I believe each has free will and our actions aren’t due to fate I believe in life after death and I will further speculate That the impact of our thoughts and deeds will be seen in perfect light Pain caused will bring sorrow and regret, love unending delight It stands to reason that the creator exists outside of the creation And therefore is not encumbered with a space-time limitation That we’re made in the image and likeness means our essence is the same I believe that’s our true nature and I use soul as its name The soul is trapped inside us but when we die it is set free And it returns to the creator to see what’s next in eternity But the love that we gave birth to is our own share of creation And we get to share that bond forever in an eternal joy relation The pain we’ve caused on earth from our ignorance and fear Will hurt us when we see the truth but will ultimately disappear So what’s this mean for my daily life, what am I really saying If you can’t visualize who you’re praying to, is there any use in praying For sure, pray to and for those you love, be they here or in the hereafter When I meditate on my loved ones I know I hear Sal’s laughter And as for religious practice, I’ll continue but look askance At any signs of exclusion, superiority, absolutes or intolerance I’ll try to help each person I meet to love and feel loved and whole And keep in mind at all times that each person has a soul And enjoy the beauty of creation and know I’m both part and apart And know I don’t know anything but keep searching in my heart RJM 10/88 BRAIN DREAD “I hope you won’t mind,” said my heart to my brain “But from intellectual odysseys, I’d rather refrain They take me out of this world and back again But the trip leads nowhere, it’s all in vain” “Oh, come on,” said the brain, “you’ll like the feeling” “The thinking solutions are quite appealing The scientific method finds what nature’s concealing From minute to infinite, look what we’re revealing” “Why, we’re even learning to fix our own kind Understand the mechanism known as the mind We charge on unafraid of what we’ll find In hopes that humanity can be defined” “But that’s the point,” responded the heart “My definition of human comes more clearly in art Emotional awareness sets man apart When you search for our nature, it’s there you should start” “How can you talk of man as a whole Without including what’s been called the soul? Sure, you brains play a significant role But by yourselves, you lead to a black hole” “Look at the efforts to train silicon chips We’re striving for speed, increasing the MIPS And if supercomputers get their wish they’ll Make super intelligence quite artificial” “Would reasoning power make the box brother? Would you feel right bringing it home to mother? If it crossed your will would you get another? Could you like it or love it, or wouldn’t you bother?” “We exist because we’re capable of thought But, oh, what havoc we have wrought Exploit and pollute for what’s sold and bought ‘Til the earth’s a trap in which we’re caught” “Could it be that in times to come Our descendants will think that we were dumb To toy with the balance and flaunt our brains While generating years of future pains?” “Pursuing an arrogant intellectual course That ignores the key questions at the source How did we get here? What was the force? Will our endless tinkering end in remorse?” “Are we merely rats in an elaborate cage? With luck and the right moves we reach old age And some great experimenter putting notes on a page Or is life on-going with this just a stage?” “Our lack of perception seems like such a crime As we try to explain our brief history of time With math and physics, it’s all reason and no rhyme If we can explain it can we take credit for the design?” “When we look up in space and see the stars Does it make the design more ours? From the time of Babel we’ve been building towers But we won’t outsmart God with our intellectual powers” “Nor will we need a God any less in our lives If the day when we figure it all out arrives Existence of God means our essence survives And gives purpose to all of our animal drives” “It seems so ironic when man declares God dead As though man created God instead It’s curious to see where our thinking has led With millions of synapses firing in our head” “Oh my, said the heart, “I must apologize For my roller coaster ride of lows and highs The continuous litany of the Why’s Will find no answers until one dies” “It’s I who led you on a round about trip You’re probably smart to give such nonsense the skip At least your journeys are on a tangible ship In the ocean I’m sailing, I’m not even a drip” “But I feel it strongly deep inside That life is not a meaningless ride Intellect won’t prove it for me; I’ve tried But that love’s everlasting can’t be denied RJM
6/14/04 – 6/18/04 At War With God Let it be known by the parties involved, and that would be us two Today I declare war, no holds barred, do whatever you want to do I’m not afraid of you, do your worst, put me on a spit in hell That will prove your power and your fear and how small you are as well Do I ever annoy you or piss you off as you often do to me? Have I ever hurt you or broke your heart or kept you from being free? If I have, I’m glad, but I doubt I could, you’re creator, I’m created But I really don’t give a shit for you; you’re neither loved nor hated You don’t exist; you’re just my imagination fueled by our need for answers We feel like puppets on your strings instead of free form dancers Well I’m cutting the cord, I’m on my own, you go your way, and I’ll go mine And if that means I die outside of you, then so be it, that’s just fine Don’t get me wrong, I like the things you made, the universe is very good work The thing that makes me so damned mad is that you made me such a jerk And all this stuff about forgiving me for all of my imperfections Well guess who made me the way I am, look in the mirror, whose reflection? You may not feel too threatened by this; it may not even get a rise You may think things are in your favor due to a slight advantage of size Well you’re probably correct; I guess there’s not much that I can do to harm you That’s probably why I’m alive right now; my hostility does not alarm you In that case, I’ll be bolder still and ask some awkward questions Do you feel anything at all, and, if so, can I make some suggestions? You’re equated to love but things have two sides, does that mean that you hate? And why does our love bring such pain, can’t we keep it beyond this state? Oh, what the hell, I’m sure you’ll never tell me what cards you’re holding And whether I should keep on playing or whether I should be folding You’ve got the ultimate poker face; you never reveal a thing You deal whatever cards you want, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring I guess there is some good in this; it keeps things from getting boring On the down side, it gives religions a free hand to inflict their different ways of scoring And the damage they’ve wrought and the hatred they cause give you a very bad name And for my own foolishness and frustrations makes you an easy target to blame Well I’ve taken some swings into thin air, were you there, did any punch land? I’ve blown off some steam, the storm has rolled through, but I still don’t understand Are you there, did you notice, did you hear, did you care, was my tirade of any use? It’s been several days with no ground gained or lost; I think that I’ll ask for a truce RJM
12/12/2001 An Act of Contrition Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for not being all I should be Save me from the fires of my base desires and set my Higher Self free I believe my life has a purpose and it’s not to be selfish or vain And it’s certainly not to hurt others and let my actions cause pain Yet I know when I really consider, there are many occasions each day When I hurt other people in my life with the things that I do or say And on top of avoiding evil, we’re here to do some kind of good And again a deep look at my life shows I’m not doing all that I could Once again I’ll renew resolution to live my life inside your plan And despite continual failures strive to be the best person I can So I not only ask for forgiveness, because I think when I die I will see But also for greater awareness so I can be all that I should be RJM
May 26, 2003 Relativity I’m not sure how many people really cared The day it was revealed that e doesn’t equal mc2 But I have seen people become emotional wrecks When they consider the relative size of their paychecks Yes it’s true that blood pressures rise as do our emotions When our paychecks stay the same and others get promotions We never stop to think that if we’re doing the best we’re able We can be content with what we’re doing to put food upon the table To some degree we’ve fallen prey to the evil ad man’s greed They’re alchemists who try to burn desires into a need And if they find a potential flame, they look for ways to spark it Next thing you know, we’ve become part of their target market We’re naturally susceptible to the glamorous messages they tell us Because there’s a common human trait that makes it easy to be jealous We don’t often think for ourselves and are glad to let others do it So when we’re told things make us happy, we’re ready to pursue it So if the Joneses have it, we must keep up or stay ahead Otherwise, we can’t be as happy, at least that’s what the ad man said Are we really as stupid as we seem or is it just lack of trying All the crap for which we dream just makes me feel like crying If we really must look at others to gauge our own circumstance Then think of all the things we’ve got and that except for chance We could have been raised in the Congo living life one day at a time Or we could've been some drug lord for whom murder’s not a crime But even those relative notions obscure our chance of seeing It’s not about winning and losing, it’s all about the being Here’s the law that seems apparent as regards relativity The less it takes to make you happy, the happier you’ll be RJM
May 30, 2010 Addis Ababa Capricorn to Cancer Here’s a crazy idea when it comes to topics How many rich countries are there in the Tropics? I mean rich like down under or the West Where most people have money not just the best It’s like geography makes the Third World poor With very rare exceptions like Singapore The masses expect little and leaders go for the spoil And it’s mass poverty unless there’s a surfeit of oil Maybe it’s the diet that makes them accept what they’ve got Or the fact that during most of the day it’s so hot Maybe greed’s less pervasive among the hot and weary Or maybe there’s less need; that’s Toynbee’s Theory Maybe it’s mosquitoes and water with bad organisms Maybe it’s strange beliefs outside Judeo-Christianism Maybe it’s the politics of former colonies Maybe it’s repression and lack of democracies Is it a broad acceptance that things get done with bribes? Or the lack of trust for common good between warring tribes Is it too many languages and not enough communication? Is it artificial barriers that set nation against nation? Maybe it’s the lack of conifers and deciduous trees Or the way your spirit is braced by an icy breeze Whether it’s really all or none of these It’s a bold notion it could be changed by coffee trees Maybe the Third World’s meant to test man’s spirit To send a cry for help and see if others hear it Or maybe it’s meant to be a lasting reminder Of our past and that we should try to be kinder And that despite the lack of material things There’s the joy and beauty that simplicity brings After all, it’s not the Third World that threatens the earth With destruction and pollution to which the North’s given birth So we can’t delude ourselves that we have all the answers When we look at their poverty and ignore our own cancers Anyway, there’s no shortage of complicated topics When the subject is how mankind lives in the Tropics Cancer to Capricorn; Capricorn to Cancer It’s nice to know we’re finally looking for an answer Capricorn to Cancer; Cancer to Capricorn Will the Third World go on as is or will a new world be born? RJM
March 14, 2008 May 18, 2010 Dual Duel God looked down through space and time And saw twisted reason and crass rhyme He reached out his mighty hand And said “I’ll crush them into sand” But she reached out her gentle arm And said “They’re children, do no harm” “They get things wrong, they get things right They see the stars, but just at night Their lives are full but they feel a void They’re quite confused, don’t be annoyed” “But we sent our son and his brothers too And his sisters showed them what to do” Every power that we give Gives them a better way to live And a better way to kill They just take it all for granted Don’t value themselves or the planet Did we mess up on free will? Every one we send to show them They pretend that they don’t know them And they misconstrue what’s been said The message always gets distorted The simple truth goes unreported And some religion starts to spread Do they think we want to be adored? And have them give all they can afford To some preacher that’s driven To get power and wealth at our expense Well that just makes no sense They should just treasure what they’re given “Be patient, they’re learning to be aware Maybe in time they’ll learn to share” I hope so; they’re to build heaven there RJM
July 20, 2007 Oh, My God … Oh My, God Oh, my God, I know not why You give us life, then we must die Though we laugh and love, the fact remains That we cry and lose and suffer pains ‘Til in the end, what’s best hurts most And any legacy is just an idle boast And our efforts spawn such futility Until we must acquire some humility And realize that we’re not at center stage In the tome of creation, we’re not a page Oh my, God, I should not be rude For this chance to be, I should have gratitude But the state of aware seems like it should last And not fade and die and dissolve so fast And for those I love, despite the final pain Know that when I’m through the love will remain And, if I do have an eternal soul It would be nice to think it plays some role So I can only hope that in the master plan I can play well the part you wrote for this man RJM
11/27/08 For Give and For Get We’re all for giving and we’re all for getting It’s just a matter of how much we weigh them We all like gifts and we all like love It’s a matter of how we repay them The true net wealth of the world is not measured by the market; It’s not some index of GDP’s The exchange that really counts comes from deep within our hearts With no balance due or hidden fees We’re all living balance sheets, the love we give is what we get If you want love you must initiate it To be a truly rich person in a truly rich world To build our treasury of love You must create it What we must all learn ourselves and pass on to our daughters and sons is how to give and accept love When we treasure the love we get and withhold nothing from the love we give the true exchange goes soaring above RJM
January 2, 2002/November 27, 2008 Cosmic Currency When you’re adding up your riches, don’t use the dollar, franc, or pound Nor the Peso, Rupee, Yuan, or Guilder and, of course, not the Crown It’s not even the Yen or Euro that’s accepted the whole world ‘round When it comes to real wealth, you need something much more profound It’s more dramatic than the Drachma and more solid than the Baht It’s more real than the Real and the Shekel would fall flat It’s more dynamic than the Dinar, a better target than the Mark Not as gaudy as the Riyal and the Lira’s just a lark The currency that matters is something you don’t need to print The currency that matters is not locked up in some mint When we go to meet our Maker, and we’re balancing accounts We won’t be too concerned about earthly currency amounts The things that we exchange that really build or destroy wealth The things that pass between us that enhance or break our health Are things like love and hate, compassion, jealousy and fear Things we cannot buy and sell, that tear apart or draw us near On these things of real value, we have complete control of our amounts Good things make our lives richer, bad things reduce our wealth accounts All good things are based on belief and trust that we are lovable and loved Bad things are based on insecurity and fear that we’re not able to be loved To help build a wealthy world we must speed up the exchange rate Buying long on peace and tolerance and going short on anger and hate And we’ve got to teach our children to invest in the things of real worth So their children’s children can lead rich lives on the planet we call earth RJM
March 13, 2005 Revelations If the Bible’s Revelations Foretell a fiery destination Then God’s an asshole If the Koran stands For conquering other lands Then Allah is an asshole But, if God is love and Allah makes hearts soar Then we’re all good and there’s no need for war If we all want what’s good and are sincerely praying Then how can we give in to fear and ignore what our hearts are saying Is God really an asshole And Allah more of the same If there really is a creator Why must we give it a name Both books are just fairy tales You could say they’re brothers grim One great clue of their fairy-tale nature Is that the creator is always a him So, if the books don’t have the answers Where do we go to find them The moment people think they see them The separation seems to blind them Is this life some sort of math test Where we search for the one equation That explains big, small and all the rest All the way to the point of creation If so, then I guess we’re pursuing The course that we’re meant to follow With all the deep math and physics we’re doing Though our knowledge of why is quite shallow It seems our inquisitive minds are racing With the “how’s” outrunning the “why’s” If we do ever find the answer I bet we’re in for a big surprise In the meantime let’s respect one another And all that comes from the force of creation A big part of why we’re here is each other That’s my own personal revelation RJM
3/25/87 IN PURSUIT Does God want to be pursued? Does He love us all, refined and crude? Is man judged on beliefs or just attitude? Is life on earth final or some interlude? Freedom to question is surely a blessing Even if the process yields only guessing Stifling the urge is just repressing But lack of clear answers can be depressing Ministers fight to obtain more clout Capitalizing on human fears and doubt Selling salvation on cable stations As if they control judgement of eternal damnations When we look, how is God revealed? Is He omnipresent or utterly concealed? Does He live in others, in all mankind? Are we looking to the sun and going quite blind? Does He favor the Protestant work ethic? Does He find poor starving people pathetic? Do faithful Christians get protected? Do non-believers get rejected? Is today’s Christianity grossly distorted? Does it include the Good News Jesus reported? He said that His Father loved each one But we say, just if you believe in the Son RJM
11/23/04 Not Buying It Adman, Adman, surely you can see I can’t think for myself and I hate being free I’ll go to all the cool movies and watch tons of TV Just tell me who I am or, at least, who I’d like to be Newsman, Newsman, please explain how you edit Who determined what the news was just before you said it? Can I make up my own mind; do you give me that much credit? Alas, you tell me what to think; that’s why I’ve come to dread it Preacher, Preacher, please tell me how to pray When I get down on my knees, I don’t know what to say Go ahead and pass the basket and tell me what to pay Just say I’ll go to heaven and not the other way Father, Father, I know not what I do I’ve seen and heard such bullshit, I don’t know false from true And as for how things got this way; I haven’t got a clue But I do know things don’t smell quite right sitting in your pew I’m not buying it, No Siree Only one person does my thinking and that would be me I can go where I want to go and be what I want to be My mind is free to wander and I’ve set my spirit free Doctor, Doctor, give me that new (purple) pill I think I have the hiccups and I’m feeling pretty ill I’ll run right to the drugstore, my prescription to fill And I’ll feel much better until I get the bill Lawyer, Lawyer, please help me plead my case A strange person approached me and I shot him with my mace Turns out it was The Donald with his hair down in his face Now I’m doing time with Martha and I want out of this place Cola, Cola, and all the other soft drink classes You’re full of sugar water with or without bubbling gasses You both target each generation pitching poison to the masses In hopes we’ll keep on drinking ‘til we turn into molasses Ronald, Ronald, please supersize those fries My buns are big as pillows and you can’t believe my thighs Sometimes I don’t feel so good; I see spots before my eyes But I’ll keep on eating crappy meals until my system dies I’m not buying it, No Siree I don’t want to be hired by Ronald and work ‘til I’m 83 And I won’t be fired by The Donald after earning some degree I’m not buying what they’re selling; I’m content with being me RJM
February 9, 2005 Callous Cruel Lies Callous Cruel Lies Can cause heartbreak No give and all take Don’t look into his eyes Callous Cruel Lies Deceive and hurt people And the lying creep’ll Not give a damn about who cries He said he would love her forever If she’d just give in to his lust Now their daughter sees her Dad never And she’s learned that men she can’t trust Callous Cruel Lies Can come from white collars Who do accounting for dollars With the influence it buys Callous Cruel Lies Empty small guy’s savings To satisfy large cravings Of well-connected guys He said these were shares to retire on Go ahead put your life savings here In the meantime he sold all his holdings And made a fortune to end his career Callous Cruel Lies Tap our worst instincts Make you wonder how man thinks Pure evil in disguise Callous Cruel Lies Use race, creed and nation To justify abomination So some leader’s power will rise He said ‘the others” were sub-human That their lives were of minimal worth So they slaughtered and raped and abused them And now millions are mixed with the earth RJM
June 28, 2008 Rx for Commercial Suckscess Here’s some rhymes for the times And though you may not have heard them before You’ve heard pitches like them On TV and at the store They’re not real products yet But I think that they’ve seen us And I’m willing to bet That they’ll target your old penis If not that, there are other health needs And even if you feel fine they sow the seeds That life could be better if you just took a pill Life would always be great and depression nil Spot One: In quiet moments when thoughts unspoken Make you regret that your libido’s bent and broken If you want your gun to come out smokin’ That’s when you take your Dixapokin Spot Two: When you’re out with your buds on some guy adventures And you think all’s well ‘cus you fixed your dentures But you’ve got to go all the time and your bladder’s hurtin That’s when you take your Dixasquertin They’re both products of pharma firms Run by some older gents who can’t come to terms With the fact that all things get old But they’re quite astute on how things can be sold Spot Three: You may have depression and bipolar disorder And cholesterol levels way north of the border And diabetes and stroke and blood pressure and cancer And it’s not your lifestyle; some pill is the answer And if you’re hearing this ad, ask your doctor about it And if she’s not a pill-pusher take your query and re-route it We want to make sure you can act on all offers Because that means more money flowing into our coffers Oops, that last line wasn’t meant to be heard We’re not in this for the money; that’s absurd We’re the pharma industry and your health is our concern If we can keep you sick we’ll have money to burn Oops, another slip; we didn’t really mean that But don’t you ever wonder why we’re all so fat Anyway, have a beer and a burger while you watch TV And if you happen to feel poorly, watch the pharma C RJM
October 9, 2001 Ba Da Bing (A Modern Love Story?) She dresses well, shows what she’s got, wants all to know that she is hot, she wants to impress with the latest fashion He gets so mad, the slightest thing, can set him off, ba da boom, ba da bing, he’s an accident in a rush to happen They get together on a date, neither one is prone to wait, all too soon they have a crime of passion Did she get shot, and, if so, how, it’s kind of like “Hey Joe” somehow, he’ll soon be looking for a pad to crash in He sees his neighbor’s hot new car, his reputation would go far, if he just had some wheels like that to roll on She loves her friend’s new silk blouse, and of course there’s the big new house with the prettyish sort of garden to take a stroll on It’s clear to both that life’s not fair, they don’t seem to be getting their full share, in fact he’s not even up for a promotion They both agree that life is hard but they can solve it with their credit card and add to their debt with a vacation by the ocean He drinks so much, he eats so fast, he can’t believe a meal should last, he’s just a glutton in the stew of life She sleeps all day, she can’t arouse, she never gets out of the house, she’s such a lazy, uninspired housewife What is the cause of his obsession? What is to blame for her depression? Why should they have such internal strife? There’s beauty out there all around, and “I love you” can be the sound that makes it clear and brings it all to life Look around and find that your life doesn’t have to be full of strife Serving some purpose makes life sweet as honey Have no fear, be brave and bold, forget the brass ring, go for the gold When choosing life’s work, there’s more than the money In the search for the Holy Grail, would that we could all read Braille it must be felt in our deepest being For the meaning of life cannot be found, by searching the whole world ‘round, We must close our eyes, be still and start seeing RJM
August 5 & 6, 2001 and January 28, 2006 The New Economy (American Version) Did it start before Mr. Robinson told Benjamin about plastics? It wasn’t here in the first year they played in The Fantastics It was probably born on the day they built the first transistor That was the summer I first noticed the change in my friend’s sister But it seemed so innocent then listening to ballgames at the beach By 1969 even the moon was within our reach Complete your education and embark on your career And work for some large corporation, secure for many a year Actually, as it turned out, life got quite complicated The domino called Viet Nam refused to be liberated The VC’s were determined to prevail on their own soil While at home the U.S. was divided and in a state of turmoil The old economy had to pass before the new one could pay off It started as large old corporations began to have to lay off The myth of job security looked toward the rising sun The old U.S. economy was clearly on the run At first it was electronics and then Detroit and steel The only things we could export were movies and a happy meal Ironically, Japan became safe harbor for high quality investment While in the US unions were writing their last will and testament Then between Watergate and the OPEC oil embargo It seemed that lies and embarrassment were our only outbound cargo But over time our system worked to bring down the Berlin Wall Old or new economy could make that shaky system fall By the time we took Grenada and the war in the Middle East The baby New Economy grew into some sort of a beast So when our troops got home from Iraq and Desert Storm The internet was cast and U.S. software was the norm Buying books from business gurus was a sure sign of the times But I wouldn’t give you 4 plug nickels for their worthless paradigms Still the stock market went crazy and the New Economy flourished Until the sad revelation that the bottom line was undernourished The market soared so high but when the bubble finally burst The net stocks on the NASDAQ were the ones hit the worst Their flimsy business models wouldn’t hold the suits they slapped on Their e-commerce assumptions were what the new VC’s crapped on Then the Enron crisis had us sort of reeling While large accounting firms invented new ways of stealing And you could prick your finger on some cutting edge technology Just don’t hold your breath waiting for a management apology Now the New Economy is really running out of gas As we wake up to Wal-Mart world and realize, alas That we produce so little, though we consume so much And our once proud work force is really out of touch China does the labor stuff at a fraction of the cost And India does the software, another segment lost We still hold a decided edge in the implements of war But it’s scary to consider the patterns from before How we’re using our dominant position in the economy of terror Could turn out to be much worse than just an economic error The world is so much smaller than it ever was before It’s shrunk so much that there’s no longer any room for war So the market for our weapons will dry up and go away And we’ll have to find another source we can use to pay For the lifestyle we’re accustomed to for these past few decades And realize on the world curve we’re not getting passing grades But while we still have some clout on the world stage We should try to use our influence to bring on a new age That emphasizes understanding and tolerance for others The economy and our future depend on knowing we’re all brothers RJM
November 12, 2001 Religion isn’t worth a damn (Loaves and Fish Sticks) From the time that mankind first became aware There’s been the nagging question of what goes on out there From the time our species first noticed the pattern of the seasons Some portion of the population has been searching for the reasons Among those who were willing to put forth explanations Were those who were unwilling to treat them as speculations They recognized the opportunity of claiming mystical powers And of taking credit for the rain and causing meteor showers Some of this group saw great benefits from sacrificing beasts The perks included fresh meat and they called themselves priests The need to worship something seems to resonate deep inside us So soon enough priests were competing to see who could provide us With the most astounding stories and intriguing metaphysics To attract the largest following who’d donate loaves and fish sticks Some of the early efforts created interesting goddesses and gods Each having certain special powers though they often were at odds With the other gods and goddesses being created by other nations The victors got to loot and pillage and name the constellations Warlords, kings and priests exchanged rings in a rite to bind Their own interests in their quest to control the humble mind In time these gods became myths and a jealous god took their place He spoke from a burning bush because you’d die if you saw his face This god outfought the others and his followers won every battle And he was not about to share the credit with some golden cattle Like others his was a chosen people and their practice was exclusive But compared to the man-like gods before his nature was elusive He was one of the new age gods to which man was giving birth That deal with the notion of something coming after life on this earth Bold new concepts of God and man were soaring to new heights And more and more common people were within religion’s sights The whole thing was uplifting and it had a great attraction But eventually a new group split off to form a major faction And this splinter group had a really super PR guy named Paul And he was anything but exclusive, he appealed to anyone at all He went after Greeks and pagans and tried to spice up the good news By absorbing and outflanking and blaming things on the Jews Mass marketing religion was his genius and his calling He made it clear that faith gave the only chance of not falling Into the eternal fire that scorches all the lowly damned Who followed other gods and now in Hell are crammed It took hundreds of years but the story spread like wildfire After some very shaky moments they joined the Roman Empire Constantine had the vision, saw how strong they were becoming But the Empire itself was weak, outside the wall they heard the drumming The next group on the scene followed a literary sensation Who dictated the Quran and inspired the Islam nation They too felt quite certain of the truth within their book And with unprecedented speed as their neighbors took a look They too built an empire spanning lands from East to West It was only a matter of time before they’d clash to see who’s best The Crusades proved very little except the stupidity of man As one group fought another to control the Holy Land Notions formed long ago to give some slackers power and sway Continue to produce more and more absurdity today They search for truth and beauty and what is called divinity All three share one God and could be called the evil Trinity Each wants to kill the other and send them to their doom Each feels that for the other eternity has no room Now we gaze into the future and fear for the next slaughtered lamb It makes you want to shout out “Religion isn’t worth a damn” But for all the evil that’s been done in the name of religious belief There are aspects of religious practice that can help soothe man’s grief At the core of most religions are love, beauty and truth And if we add a large portion of tolerance we’ve got something for our youth To learn and feel secure in as they get started on this planet And to give meaning and purpose to life so it’s not taken for granted But beware of bankrupt spirits using religion as an earthly power trip Idiots like Jerry Falwell or Bin Laden can lead poor souls to slip Into absurd notions that the creator is taking sides against the others And miss the truth inside that tells them that all men are brothers The search for life’s meaning is mankind’s elusive goal And it makes sense that there should be a few who take a leadership role There have been great spiritual examples to look at through the ages Some recent ones have been priests and rabbis, others gurus and sages Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Theresa, John the 23rd, and Martin Luther King Martin Buber, Cesar Chavez, and The Dalai Lama all share one thing Tolerance and compassion for others, no matter what their persuasion And for feeling superior to others they could find no occasion The point about religion is it’s great when it’s about elevating man, But be on guard for bigoted hatred because religion isn’t able to damn RJM
October 8, 2001 Anti Christ I know that I’m Pro Jesus but I think I’m Anti Christ But don’t think that I’m Jewish, that would be ill-advised Nor am I Muslim or Hindu and although Buddha was quite wise I find beauty in them all, that should come as no surprise I believe in a Creator, and it’s all right to call Her God But Allah or The Great Spirit can also get the nod I don’t believe in vengeance, it’s mine says the Lord And She keeps it to Herself and down Her drain it’s poured I’ve seen enough of vengeful gods who want to smite their foes They create their own religions and as everybody knows Religions make men better, than their unenlightened brothers And give their members reasons to go off and kill “the others” I was raised a Christian so I’ll tell you what (I think) is true First of all let’s understand that Jesus was a Jew And so were Mary and Joseph and the whole apostolic crew It’s hard for me to believe they’d hate their own, isn’t it hard for you? Each worships the same God, and the Muslims do as well And all three have been successful at proving there is a Hell In the name of this One God each has learned to hate the others Yet at the core each teaches us that all men are brothers What happens to distort the truth that each has at its core? Would a world with one religion be much better than before? Why can’t each religion add its portion to the whole? Why must conversion or annihilation be each religion’s goal? Is it so hard to accept that God is within each and every one? That each woman is His daughter and each man is Her Son? That each and every person receives God’s revelations? That peace and love and goodwill should exist between all nations? In Belfast Catholics and Protestants want some kind of a divorce In Kashmir Muslims and Hindus are quick to resort to force And then of course we have the source, the Incredible “Holy Land” Where hatred boils and overflows into caldrons like Afghanistan It must be part of human nature that’s reflected in religious strife We all want to be special and have an inside track on life We think small and feel life’s meaning must be an exclusive secret The real hell will come when we see the truth in eternal regret It doesn’t need to go down like this, there are those who’ll lead the way The words of The Dalai Lama should be required reading for everyone today And wouldn’t it be great to be there when Jerry Falwell learns “Oh, God” how was I to know that The Almighty looks like George Burns RJM
July 8 & 9, 2001 October 16, 2020 Power Ball No need for Lotto to make a big killing, try running for office if your conscience is willing A life of glamour, power and glitter, with votes going out to the highest bidder There’s tons of causes and corporations, eager to influence your deliberations And if you can’t get anyone else to pay, then there’s always the NRA Once you’re in office, you’re set up for good, just stick with the party and look out for the hood You can’t afford to let the empty suits trouble you, even the big bozos like Donald, Bill and the W And any party-line Senator would really makes news, by having and sharing their real, honest views While Congressmen continue to show presidential flair, In their judgement and handling of some lurid affair It’s becoming quite clear how much you can learn, by going to DC to become an intern Our leader’s response to a world in need, cut taxes but don’t cut pollution or greed Environmental agency issues free passes, no effort to curtail greenhouse gasses You can’t stomach campaign finance reform, when you can get fat if you stick with the norm Time to run again, building big campaign coffers, NRA, alcohol, and tobacco make the first offers Oil and big business soon hit their stride, while Detroit’s wheels offer you a ride Then there’s the unions, the teachers, the bar, with all of their help you’re sure to go far Pharmaceuticals and high tech get it in gear, with pornographic media bringing up the rear No need for Lotto to make those big piles, a few years in office, if you avoid trials Will set you for life, since your major pursuit, is providing for your own golden parachute Even if you lose, you’ve got time for a hobby, once you set up your office in the lobby So forget careers where rewards are small, come trip the light fantastic at the power ball. RJM
September 19, 2001 Attack on America It’s not hard to see the evil in the terrorist attack And the knee jerk reaction is that we should strike back But to trade hate for hate brings us into their domain And then they’ve won the battle and we’ve increased the pain Our reaction to this evil will be the measure of this nation Will we strike out in our rage and with righteous indignation Cause more death and suffering and risk havoc to the earth Or will we lead into the millennium with an ethical rebirth Why can’t we understand that revenge and retaliation Do nothing more than escalate the hateful situation Giving leaders more power to send more men to fight While innocent civilians get crushed beneath the might It’s the common folk who suffer, we’ve seen it all before Our leaders don’t have the courage to avoid a useless war Approval ratings soar as revenge and war they pledge How often will we follow them like lemmings off the ledge When will we learn that hate itself is the enemy of man And anyone who fosters hate should surely get the can If we look inside our minds and hearts we cannot avoid seeing That love, truth, and beauty are the essence of each being I’d like to think we’d see the light and choose the path of vision But our track record is not so good when faced with a decision That may not square at first glance with the interest of our nation Even when the end result puts at risk all of creation That we’re seen as a greedy nation, there can be no doubt And cries of righteous indignation ain’t what it’s all about That we’re seen as a greedy nation cannot be denied We arm the world for money, as long as they’re on our side And we’re very good at picking who are friends and who are foes Let’s see, Iran’s a friend, oops no they’re not, I guess that’s how it goes The Afghans fight the Russians, whoops, now our interests are reversed Maybe the weapons killing our men were tested by them first Americans can be brave and caring, as shown in New York City But we can also act superior and boorish; it’s really such a pity Our policies are shortsighted and our actions are self-serving If we want to lead the world to good we must be more deserving The code name “Infinite Justice” is so arrogant and lame If this is our response then we’re like bin Laden, just the same If we don’t break the cycle then who do we think will We’re Stone Age men with better weapons and all we know is to kill RJM
6/14/02 Social Progress Attila, Caligula, and Genghis Khan Aren’t we glad that they’re all gone In their place we had Abraham Lincoln A vast improvement by my thinkin’ In days of old when knights were bold They killed innocent people And Queens and Kings did monstrous things While priests built up the steeple And in Japan the common man Was put down by Samurais While dynasties kept the Chinese With little chance to rise In America all had freedom and rights As long as by all you mean all the whites The reds were consigned to reservations While the blacks were slaves to the plantations We’re so much smarter now, I guess We’re kinder and nicer and hurt each other less We don’t care as much about personal gain And we’re much less apt to cause others pain But before we get too carried away Let’s take a look at how we’re doing today Zealots still think they have a license to kill And the rich and powerful still live on the hill Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Zedong How’d we let them get so strong Pol Pot, Allende, and Idi Amin People dying so fast it makes your head spin Today philosophers and social scientists Invent words like “holons” and “memes” And each of their integral models insists Common sense is more complicated than it seems RJM
9/19/2007 Farmer Otto Farmer Otto tilled the land In Ridgefield, Fairfield County Each summer he brought to his stand Fresh produce, the earth’s bounty There it was sold on the honor system The money left in a jar Then he passed and we all missed him He grew the best of who we are Dedicated to Otto Gravesen with special thanks to Carroll Brewster and his daughter, Dina, for continuing the farm and the stand. RJM
January 5, 2002 Randy Link There was no one who was better, I think At being himself, than Randy Link A Matinee Idol, he was not His body was round, he had a pot His financial status I don’t know But I doubt that he was rolling in dough His house was modest, his car was dying His career wasn’t Wall Street or high flying But there was always a smile on his face He made our town a much better place He was a Scout Master and coached the ball teams Mowed the ball diamond to a field of dreams He raised a family with his wife Doris And then went to meet his Maker before us And I can’t help believing at the end of this fable That in the eyes of the Maker he looks like Clark Gable. RJM
10/87 CLASS ACT She’s charming but quite direct She certainly does command respect She’s an Aussie and that’s a fact Clearly, she’s a real class act We met while travelling by plane She was going round the world again This time to see a lifelong friend She’s one on whom you can depend Her zest for life was quite apparent The conversation flowed as we went Her eyes were lively and insightful Her bright red hat was quite delightful She made another friend that day And I felt special in a way To recognize the class I found And feel it boomerang around RJM
Feb 11, 2005/Feb 26, 2006/Feb 11, 2023 Equal and Opposite The more we look at pornography To satisfy our sexual drive The more we look at material things As the reason for being alive The more we push the pendulum In the search of continual pleasures The more it swings the other way For those using different measures The more hedonistic and base we become The more hated and reviled by some And our freedom to pursue material goods has its cost In the countries where their personal freedom is lost The more sex is driving the world wide web Flaunting every kind of perversion The more veils seem like the right thing to wear Women de-humanized in another version The more we succumb to the crude and the vile The more our system goes on trial The more we grab freely at today’s attractions The more we justify their repressive actions The more computer games that kill and mutilate The easier it is to waste those we’ve learned to hate The more movies that threaten to destroy the earth The easier it is to miss things of lasting worth The world doesn’t want to be led down the sewer The world doesn’t want to pursue our great cause No one wants to be told what to do Especially by a people with such obvious flaws If we really want to be a beacon to those outside our borders We must accept there is a lot required to get our own house in order We lack the moral authority to impose our ways on other nations When our policies are often based on cheap gas at filling stations And how high the balance is in our U.S. GNP account When the true value of life involves a much more substantive amount Equal and opposite turns out not to be true For what you’ve done to me, I’ll do a little more to you To force you to be passive I’ll raise the bar and escalate Somehow I won’t catch on that the bar being raised is hate I hope we figure it out before it's all too late RJM
April 6, 2005 Loud To Be an American For the last century, we’ve driven the world Now we’re driving it mad We’ve always had the latest inventions Now there’s nothing more to be had It’s already way hard to keep interest in The crap on 300 channels of TV And all the latest time-saving conveniences Stripped away my moments to be me Oh, we’ve done lots of good things through the years But now we feel so superior The rest of the world sees how shallow we’ve become And has a target on our posterior What goes up comes down, always has, always will So our arrogant position will fade Let’s just hope that when our children are grown They won’t curse us for the mess we made RJM
11/87 GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS You make life so enjoyable But sometimes we don’t enjoy it You make love so wonderful But sometimes we don’t employ it To live a full life means to see both sides The good and the bad, no free rides You make life so hard Sometimes we hardly know it So much pain and frustration That it’s hard not to show it The joy and sorrow make us expand But life is hard to understand Love and hate, hope and doubt Who can say what life’s about? Good news, bad news, that’s the line Is it random or by design? RJM
4/22/88 Tense Now and then, then and now, What’s it matter anyhow? What has been is no more What’s to come, can’t be sure It’s now that counts when life is real Memories and dreams can make us feel Inspired to love or hate or act But only now can make it fact But now is so hard to describe In such a silly diatribe It’s hard to write in present tense Because when it’s down it’s moments hence The past does impact how we behave But to history we’re not a slave We can change in a moment’s time And add the reason to the rhyme RJM
7/22/20 Legacy of Love Now that Mary’s living with her dear ones up above It’s time for us to celebrate her legacy of love For that’s what she provided to her family and her friends A constant source of love on which they could all depend And she passed it on and made it grow in all she was around She taught us to accept, forgive, and let our love abound She may not have been perfect but she came as close as we can get She knew so many people, but an enemy she never met As a child she was happy, as a teen she was smart But best known for her friendship and her guile-free heart As a wife and mother, she loved and supported Bob And they felt that raising their family was their #1 job She was always there to advise, always there to console She would act as a guide but not try to take control She had common sense a-plenty and a very keen mind She was never pushy, but gladly led from behind Those who knew her well were inspired to be good To be kind and loving and live life as they should She was always fun to be with; you were special in her eyes She inspired others, making their courage and spirits rise Her legacy lives on in her family and loved ones In the joy and love they share with husbands, wives, daughters and sons We must treasure her legacy and never let it perish Share the love and pass it on to honor this woman that we cherish 
RJM December 29, 2002 Responsibility Why did I do it? Just because My reason for breaking some childhood laws No explanation, I just did it Then I probably ran or lied or hid it But at the time I was merely a tot I knew very little and needed to learn a lot And though my parents were patient with me They knew I must be taught responsibility So it was into the bathroom and drop my drawers And my seat was warmed and I heard what fors I would enter the room feeling sad and frightened But I left feeling loved and more enlightened I was introduced to right and wrong this way Some would call it abusive today But the greater lessons came from watching the good As my parents lived their own lives as they should As time marched on, I hit my teens And some said the ends justify the means They said that there would be hell to pay If we didn’t give free rein to the CIA So I wondered if responsibility could be waived If our interests were in peril and needed to be saved We could sneak into Cuba for Fidel’s assassination If it was deemed to be in the interest of our nation But the Shah could be ruthless on his own soil Because he was willing to provide a lot of cheap oil Apparently dictators who were friends to our cause Could abuse their own people and break their own laws I saw the famous athlete as he broke the rules It was nothing unusual, it was done at most schools To be dishonest and deceiving used to be a sin But now it seems that it’s OK if it helps you to win The same kind of cheating now goes on all the time And we give it the nice label of white collar crime After cashing in their options and selling all their shares When the small guy goes bust it seems that nobody cares But nowadays for any harm we all have someone else to blame If we smoke and eat and sit and spill it’s not our fault we became Sick and fat and weak and hurt, some company did it to me It’s my right to live a perfect life and not my responsibility It’s as if I have no free will and cannot think for myself But if good fortune comes my way I’ll put the trophy on the shelf It’s just the bad things I don’t claim, the good are due to me But if things go wrong it’s not my fault nor my responsibility And what about the drugs that course through our veins There must be some behaviors that an imbalance explains But when we alter the balance just for fun or to get high For any damage done it should be no alibi And as for the bishops who hid the pedophiles If those guys weren’t religious there would have been some trials They hurt so many people, not just the victims, but the flock Maybe the bishops should join the abusers under key and lock Many years have passed and I’m older now And it seems right and wrong have been blurred somehow We’re so quick to fudge and finagle and dance around the truth Responsibility not as important as it was in my youth Although life isn’t simple, it’s not as complex as we make it When we mislead and confuse and obscure and just fake it And take available credit and grab for fame and glory But if something goes wrong we just make up another story I do believe the old saw that the truth sets you free And I’m concerned about the lack of responsibility For all those greedy glory grabbers I think I know what’s lacking I’d love to see them grab their ankles and get a damned good whacking RJM May 26, 2003 A Brief History in Rhyme Bang, we’re off, some 14 or 15 billion years ago The puzzle pieces scattered and there’s not much that we know As we try to figure out how we got here and why To try to see some purpose for why we live and why we die First of all, if the Big Bang created space and time Let me deal with a few basic questions at the outset of this rhyme Where did this Big Bang happen, if there was no space ‘til then? And, I guess, up until that moment there was no such thing as when If our universe is still expanding (at an ever greater pace) What’s it expanding into; is it still creating space? And what about this expansion; why can’t we sense the motion? Here we’re hurtling through space and we haven’t got a notion And time too is expanding, with each beating of my heart Is it also moving faster now than it was back at the start? It seems my own life is moving faster as I pass through middle years But just like the hurtling planet, it’s probably not as it appears Regarding basic questions, could it be that time, like space Also has three dimensions, with past, present and future in the place Of length, width and depth in the material things we see Which are part of a six dimension universe of was, is and what could be? In any case, let’s move forward with this history we’re writing And not get carried away on tangents, no matter how inviting First, all matter is energy, that’s a point worth stressing For the first few billion years the atoms were coalescing After vast periods of time, the stars came into sight Unfortunately, I have no clue when it comes to explaining light And as for Black Holes and Dark Matter, I can only smile You see we’ve just “discovered them,” though they’ve been there all the while Even against the vastness of the setting, our existence seems like a fluke And I know that in so saying I risk considerable rebuke It’s accepted in our age that there are countless other intelligent creatures You can even watch “Star Wars” and get an idea of their features From the time of the first stars, many have come and others gone Galaxies, solar systems and planets, including the one that we ride on It’s all too vast to fathom and the time it took we cannot ken And somehow bacteria turned into creatures and creatures into men Our, so-called, recorded history covers the blinking of an eye It’s in that time that humans learned to talk and then to fly But we’re sure we rule the planet, we’ve been killing all the rest And among ourselves we’re always trying to prove our side’s the best It’s always seemed so big out there and we seem so miniscule So we focus on the petty things so we won’t look the fool Actually, it’s kind of scary to consider the vastness of creation It’s more comfortable to focus on what’s inside the borders of our nation But when we get the chance, we dismiss the notion of a creator As if tracing back to the “Big Bang” makes our own role greater In fact, it is the only moment of creation of which we are aware And if we destroy what’s been created then we had better beware It seems obvious that we’re part of something very, very large What plagues us is trying to figure out who or what’s in charge Are we as insignificant as time and space make us feel Or is there some thing special about us, some curious appeal If so, what is it, does it relate to our awareness? Are we here to gain perspective, to learn of love and fairness? Is there some greater awareness that is aware of us too Or is this all there is and when it’s done we’re through Perspective involves time and space, in fact, all six dimensions But it also involves our attitudes and our true intentions The glass is half empty and half full; life can be that game Is it a setback or a chance to learn or are they both the same So it all comes down to me; you knew it would before I’m done This is the 55th time I’ve ridden the earth around the sun And for the most part, the ride’s been a lot of fun But my time’s not even a blip since the ride was first begun RJM
1/16/88 SPORTS Oh, the joys of organized sports Kids learn lessons of all sorts Play their hearts out, try to win Become strong and tough within When things go well they are elated The bubble bursts and they’re deflated How to be a graceful winner How to be a raw beginner Parents learn some things too Flashbacks of the way they grew The value of the game itself Competitive urge pulled off the shelf They cheer and scream and roll their eyes And try hard not to criticize Remembered greatness in the sport But what the kids need is support The coaches probably learn the most Every party needs a host The way they react sets the tone So they must be careful not to moan The fundamentals should be stressed To teach team play and try your best The common lesson learned by all Is sportsmanship through rise and fall So at this stage we teach the youth The beauty of sports is the truth That “on the fields of friendly strife” Is served a perfect slice of life That skills are fine but the true worth Are attitudes and values given birth It’s sad that as the youngster grows Success in sports comes to mean the pros 
RJM 1/21/88 POETIC LICENSE It’s been five years since I first waxed poetic Some of the results have been quite pathetic But to me, each one serves as a reminder A snapshot of my mind I can put in a binder That can be stored on some little used shelf And referred to for glimpses of the past self To see the state of the thinking and feeling See when I was stable and when life had me reeling And each one, whether somewhat dumb or profound Gave me satisfaction, a chance to expound On thoughts and questions that rattled my brain Inspiration often the result of some strain I now feel I’ve earned my license (poetic) And can write future verses much more frenetic And show the English language great abuse And for form and clarity have little use And connect words and lines with crazy glue And do all the things the modern poets do And I’m not sure it will be that much fun Or that I’ll have said much when I’m done So I think I’ll reconsider the whole deal Maybe it’s not so great behind the wheel I’m not sure those guys are such winners I think I’ll apply for my permit (beginner’s) RJM 11/9/03 Golfer’s Blues I played in the pouring rain But I’ll never do that again I played in the driving rain But I’ll never do that again My glasses got wet and my grips got soaked Got a little upset when my umbrella broke Had big clumps of mud on my pants and shoes This rain’s got to stop, got the golfer’s blues I played like I have no brain And lost my cool like a royal pain This game’s driving me insane The more I try seems the less I gain One shot is left and the next shot right Wacked my club on the ground with all my might Missed a two-foot put for another loss I won't say what I said, gave my ball a toss I think I’ll give up this game It’s way too wild for me to tame My life’s a mess and it’s to blame But it just wouldn’t be the same I mean for one thing all my friends are here And when I really play bad they buy me a beer And there’s always that chance for a career round And there’s no “honey-do’s” if I can’t be found Oh, the sun came back out today Now we can all go back out and play The sky is blue and we’ve got a breeze We’ve got some balls and we’ve got some tees Might as well admit that I’m hooked real good There's just no way I'll quit even if I should My hope is renewed; I’ll tee it up again The game’s cornered my soul and I say Amen The game’s cornered my soul … and I say … Amen RJM
August 23, 2009 Sir Cumference His nickname’s Sir Cumference because he’s always around He’s not a poodle or collie and he’s no bassett hound He’s a Cairn Terrier giant and he loves each one daily He goes by many names but he’s officially Bailey His personality is awesome, hence the surfeit of names He’s a fantastic sportsman always making up games He plays indoors and outdoors, in the yard or the hall He loves soccer and football and, of course, Barry Ball He’s an auxiliary conscience, he allows no swearing But if you’re sick and tired he’ll spend all day caring There’s no problem he can’t solve, he’s certainly no dummy He’s sure he can fix anything if you’ll just pet his tummy But don’t come down the driveway on some errand or mission Without giving him notice and requesting permission And as for snowflakes or thunderstorms you may think it’s odd But he’s quite certain he didn’t give permission to God He’s not a dog, he’s a person who walks on four legs He can melt you with his eyes but he never begs The love he gives we return and as for friends he’s the best And if more people were like him the world would be blessed RJM
1/21/88 TREES Any man can make a tree Only God can make Amy The same is true for Sal and Mo And Matt and Ben, we know it’s so So when out working in the yard Remember, if you think it’s hard That there is not a clump of sod That compares to the work of God God’s seeds come from a place Where there may be infinite space They aren’t planted in a hole But they yield a human soul Trees can demonstrate the source Regeneration of life’s force Each springing from its own kind But God gave man an inquisitive mind Robert J. McBride, Jr.
December 6, 2009 Fading Do we have enough money? Do I have to work more? How will we pay for the things you get from the store? Can we go to Ohio and see my home this September? What’s happening to me? Why can’t I remember? All I look forward to now is Reminiscing In today’s world it seems like there’s something missing I remember my youth and the great football teams But sometimes I can’t distinguish my life from my dreams Thoughts flutter past, then flit away, too faint for me to catch these days My days go by in a kind of haze; am I moving on to the next phase? Do we have seven children; and a bunch of Grandchildren too? Where do they all live? Are they in this picture with you? Do they ever come visit? Are they coming next week? Who’s that in this picture kissing me on the cheek? Who are these people who are surrounding me? Are they my children; are they my family? Where do they all live? Who are they married to? They say that they love me; I know I love them too Thoughts flutter past, then flit away, too faint for me to catch these days My days go by in a sleepy haze; am I moving on to the next phase? Who is this woman? What is this place? How old am I? Do I know your face? Are you my mother? Is my mother alive? Where is the bathroom? What car do we drive? Thoughts flutter past, then flit away, too faint for me to catch these days My days go by in a foggy haze; am I moving on to the next phase? Dedicated to my father, Robert J. McBride, Sr., one of the greatest men the world has seen, who faded with Alzheimer's in his later years, and to my mother, Mary McBride, an equally amazing person who rewrote the book on caring for someone with this disease and stretched the good years for my father and the family. 
RJM 2/10/18 Just Because It was simpler when I was a kid And I needed to explain something I did The complete answer to why was The profound reply, “just because” But the other side was simpler too When I questioned something I was told to do Authority challenged my need to know It sufficed to say “because I said so” But for all the reasons that went unspoken There was a premise which was unbroken That obedience was needed at the start And authority had my best interests at heart For some this wasn’t always true And continually being told what to do Can lead to backlash and crowd out thought And reduce reflection on what is and what ought Time went by and the rules of my youth Broke down when authority stopped telling the truth Miscalculation and hubris led to very bad places And ideals took a back seat to the saving of faces We’re still reeling now from this absence of facts As both sides condemn how the other side acts And make incredulous arguments that we should dismiss About why they want that when our side wants this Before our generation goes out of sight We need to make some wrong things right To live up to ideals and banish flaws And if you ask why, it’s just because RJM 12/12/2020 The Big Test Perhaps a small percentage pass the test And most of us stay right here with the rest Maybe for a select small few the path is clear While most of us just remain right here If you have a lot, it’s harder still Your cup’s so large it’s hard to fill It’s not about trophies on your shelf It’s about how you get beyond yourself It doesn’t matter just how rich or smart What counts is how you use your heart It’s not what you have but what you give The big test’s both why and how we live It’s not fearing God and being frightened It’s not becoming a monk to be enlightened The answers to the test are in your soul Let love and kindness be your goal RJM
6/27/18 Contemplation Here I sit contemplating my navel Thinking how to arrange the socks in my drawer When all the sudden the urge to rave’ll Hit me so hard that I let out a roar And put my feet on the ground and walk out the door To see the wonder of all creation And ponder how and why we’re alive And my mind gets filled with doubt and elation About our place in the cosmos and whether we will survive And just about then is when my grandchildren arrive And all thoughts of my navel … RJM
January 11, 2002 Bwa Bwa Book My grandson wrote the Bwa Bwa book And he’s only 8 months old Actually he dictated and notes we took As we sat around enthralled We’re certain he’s a genius child And so good looking too He was just three days when he first smiled Or maybe it was two He loves to listen to us read Sits quietly on our laps Then there are times to feed And occasionally he naps We’re sure that he’s the first to do The kinds of things he does And don’t deny that this is true He’s my grandson, that’s because 
RJM 6/21/2020 Memes to an End Tropes and memes, to me it seems, are the latest language trends But my hopes and dreams re: tropes and memes are that this meme justifies their end RJM 7/2/2020 I’m a Poet I’m a poet not a performer You won’t see me in front of a crowd But when my poems are put to music Sometimes I like them loud Others are better played softly Some are just meant to be read Some meant to bring a smile Some just to clear my head Some are expressing love Others expressing hope Some search for answers Some just help me cope But regardless of their purpose They originate deep inside They fulfill some basic need That will not be denied May 17, 2014 RJM Coaxing Out the Spark Life goes on around us Coaxing out the spark Miracles surround us Coaxing out the spark What we know astounds us Multiverse to quark But ignorance confounds us We’re still in the dark How matter is energy When did it get its start The infinite reality Of which we are a part We strive to understand it all With our science and our art The biggest mystery of all The beating of your heart (Inspired by the instrumental The Sparky Paradox by Laurence Juber) RJM 3/27/87 DAYNIGHT I’m in the bag It’s such a drag Back in the sack with jet lag It’s midnight oil On foreign soil Watching the pot that will not boil I toss and turn My eyelids burn Keep hoping sleep will return This awful prose Brings sweet repose A rhyme in time allows me to dose I start to nod I thank my God Rest is the best thing for my bod RJM 11/3/88 BRAIN DROPS When you are low and tired Your brain will sometimes be inspired The birth of things to be desired Can occur when you are really wired It seems that ideas are invented When the mind is a bit tormented And in the throes of sleepless nights The mind’s fancy takes its flights And if it’s true that inspiration Is fueled by lots of perspiration Then it would seem a sure bet That thoughts must cause the brain to sweat So if you start to get depressed It’s better than you might have guessed Your mind is likely to be blessed When your body is crying out for rest RJM 2/1/89 TAPS Bored to death in a local pizza parlor Tapping my fingers to the sounds of my headphones Recalling my admiration for another hand My father’s tapping in another time and place How much of me comes from him? Certainly the parts I like most about me Actually, my mother shares any good traits And the lesser items are all my own When I think how heavily I was influenced I am grateful for the blessings Their wisdom and love were constant Their values and happiness were related Now I am trying to pass on their goodness The job is challenging but rewarding A big part of life’s purpose and meaning And I’ve got a great partner for the job RJM
9/11/2021 Here To Be I was here to be a fool I was here to be a sage And I’ve been a bit of both As I passed through every stage I did my best with my meager gifts Squeezed all the toothpaste from my tube I always gave an earnest effort But couldn’t help being a bit of a rube At times I could be lucid At others as dull as they come Shifting back and forth between insightful And being incredibly dumb But I guess I’m not unique In this bouncing back and forth Chasing some illusive shadow Then focusing on my true north In the end it only matters To the world we leave behind Did we leave it all in tatters? Or more beautiful and kind? 9/11/2021 – 9/16/2021
RJM Like Hell Like Hell You’ve got to be kidding about that Like Hell It’s gonna be as hot as it can be Like Hell Stuff like war, hate, fear and all that Like Hell What my life would be like … If you ever left me If we pollute and destroy our planet, we’ll make it … Like Hell If we hate and abuse each other, life will be … Like Hell If we strive for power, wealth, and fame, our lives will be a losing game … Like Hell, Like Hell, Like Hell If we shoot that junk inside our veins, then we deserve all the pains that come with making our lives … Like Hell If we pollute and destroy our planet, we’ll make it … Like Hell If we hate and abuse each other, life will be … Like Hell If we strive for power, wealth, and fame, Then for what we get we are to blame … For making heaven on Earth, Like Hell If we let our egos drive our moves, then … I guess it only proves that we deserve to have our world be … Like Hell Like Hell You say humans could disappear Like Hell Along with most plant and animal life Like Hell What the outcome will be is not clear Like Hell Will Earth remain a living paradise … Or get fatally stabbed … by our knife As we look ahead through shades of greed Will we care about what our progeny need To keep this planet from being … Like Hell RJM
01/08/22 Empathy and Kindness (Inside Each Other’s Shoes) I don’t really know what it’s like to be you And you don’t really know what it’s like to be me But we can both kind of know And that’s what they call empathy Not caring to see is willful blindness Trying to know is an act of kindness But on this matter we get to choose Whether we try to step inside each other’s shoes I don’t really know how it feels to be you And you don’t really know how it feels to be me But the fact that we even try to know Is the best thing about empathy If we do try we might not get it right But if we’re open and honest we’ll gain insight And if we share and listen to one another We’ll realize that we are sister and brother I don’t really know what it’s like to be you And you don’t really know what it’s like to be me But we can both try to know And that’s when we’d have empathy Nice deeds without empathy are good manners Nice deeds with empathy are acts of kindness RJM
01/11/22 Frustration and Rage (Shit on My Shoe) I don’t really care what it’s like to be you And you’ll never know what it’s like to be me So let’s not pretend that we care And from that bullshit we’ll be free You see yourself as some bloody sage But what you really are sets me into a rage Why should I give a damn what happens to you When you mean as much to me as shit on my shoe I don’t really care how it feels to be you And you’ll never know how it feels to be me We’re so different, you and I It’s in our nature to disagree If I tried to see your side I’d only get pissed At how stupid you are and the stuff you missed As far as I’m concerned you are the other And stay the hell away from my sister and brother I don’t really care what it’s like to be you And you’ll never know what it’s like to be me So get the hell out of my face Leave me alone and let me be RJM
01/9-12/22 Pretending Pretending is to pretense Like offending is to offense Noun from verb in some tense Like it’s happening right now Pretending can be quite fun But it also can hurt someone Are both playing or just one And does it violate some vow Will there be a happy ending To this game that you’re pretending Or is there sorrow pending For the one who doesn’t know The offense you are committing Although perhaps not admitting May well in fact be hitting Someone else a painful blow RJM
July 11, 2023 Building an Inheritance Start a family and tie your hopes to some low-hanging fruit And you’ll be able to get there even if you’re not too astute Then turn your gaze to the next lowest branch And get that too without betting the ranch Then keep on climbing a branch at a time And see how high you go before hitting your prime Now you’re high in the tree and you’ve hit your stride The hours worked just consume you but you’re bursting with pride Then you realize that the higher you get The more you lose contact; the more you regret Until you start to wonder what’s the sense of it all The higher you climb, the farther you’ll fall And you begin to question how fair and how just As you shackle your offspring with your will and some trust And rob them of their chance to lead authentic lives Because on the same day each month their inheritance arrives And they work hard and travel, focused on their career Spending less time with their family with each passing year Trading love for prestige, on which their hopes are pinned Instead of true wealth, they will inherit the wind RJM
9/27/23 The Same Amount of Sunlight Are we all created equal? - kinda yes and kinda no Do we each have some purpose? – well the Good Books tell us so Are we all supposed to be alike? - that would not work out too well How much different is it okay to be? - before you’re damned to go to hell Maybe we’re all on many spectrums from autism to the shade of your skin And how fast we can run and how we think - are determined before we begin Maybe we’re all meant to be different without any shame or conceit And what one lacks another fills in for - so the whole body can be complete All around nature tells us that variation makes things thrive So variety in our own species will help humans to survive Maybe if we look to the heavens at how our planet moves in space We’ll get some inspiration for how we should live in this place We all get the same amount of sunlight but due to certain cosmic reasons It can be the same amount each day or vary wildly with the seasons If we all lived at the equator perhaps we would all be the same But we’d miss out on so much beauty it would be an awful shame Let’s all use the sunlight we’re given to make the world a better place And be thankful for each other without regard for gender or race We’re all just human beings sharing this heaven we call earth And we should be grateful for each other because each is of great worth RJM
10/6/2023 Angry Artists Why are so many artists angry? Why are so many artists loud? Why are so many artists “out there”? Trying to appeal to the avant-garde crowd Could it be that it’s just lack of talent That makes these artists so mad? Could it be that their artistic efforts Just seem to turn out so bad? Who would pay for a blank canvas? Or music of such dissonance? Who do they think they are fooling? Only wannabe’s with no common sense Why value Andy’s soup cans? Or what the Sex Pistols had to say? Why should we follow that crowd? Has insecurity led us astray? What happened to Norman Rockwell? What happened to Robert Frost? What happened to Harold Arlen? When did our sense of beauty get lost? Perhaps our distorted values, are creating distorted art Not meant to draw us together, but rather to tear us apart No longer looking for or expecting, the best from ourselves We’ll display the vile and the ugly, on our walls and on our shelves RJM – 12/10/23
Ode #1 to 3 I think that there will never be A number that’s more odd than Three Oh, One is great and so is Two But Three is the first time you have a few And Three is the only time When three numbers in a row are prime And one more thing that’s the truth Three’s been retired since Babe Ruth And, of course, as you can plainly see It takes One plus Two to get to Three So we must surely give their due To those magic numbers One and Two Before Two there was only One And being alone was not much fun Then along came Two just in time To be the only even prime At first One was quite elated But in time One became deflated Because when counting as One could One saw that Two was twice as good Then Two was followed by Three and Four And then, of course, by millions more And One was able to save face By pointing to its primacy of place So they all became a happy squad Trying to count all the way to God And we can thank that first trinity For pointing the way to infinity |
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