Dixie Tune

 Go on your way, way way over the delta

Come home, come home

All ye travellers of the trail

On your way

Over that old Mountain, 

Over the paths of stone

Step your clip-clop shoes

On the paths of stone

Over that wide river

Row, row your boat

row it til  the break of day

Heave, heave your shovel in the mud and clay

Over that old mountain, mountain all the day

Step, step upon the trail

Where the white doves sail

Through the mists of day

Up into the sunshine

Til you find your rightful way

Once you're there, once you're there

time turkey

 I used to lie in the gravel of the sun

For hours and hours

Used lie above the woodshed

On the virginia creepers

And examine the soft jews ear

That grew on the elder

That stood by the slat wooden fence

That sometimes blew down in the wind

I used to watch the cat walking along the fence top

And then she would travel down

and up the side of the house plot

I had a heart to love

All the bees in the foxgloves

But I can't say that now

I used to feel care free chasing butterflies in fields

Or watching snails wandering underneath Rhubarb leaves

I used to have that desire to find out all about the world

But I don't have that now

Wooden Verse

 You might be a weary traveller

Or tourist down the road

You might be party rabbler

Who needs to lighten his load

Well might the words unravel her

And let down Rapunzel's hair

For Poetry is the great relaxer

It has time to stop and stare

You might be loose like a canon

Bowling down the street

Or you might stand by your stantion

And never move your feet

There is a poem for everyone

For each a line or phrase

That sends the heart in all directions

Like a new sun's rays

And if but just one word

Might linger on your lips

Then lightness as if of a bird

May begin to swing your hips

And if in a restful moment

The thought bird does return to rest

Upon your troubled shoulders 

then from its presence you can learn

For nothing may ease the soul

Then the sweet honey of a line

That is you can have my money

If I can take your time

Do you think that I'm a fool

To want the things I want

To throw away the lines from school

Like water from the font

Well, welcome one an' all

To the writer who's on pont

Now lay down all your tools

And hear the things you want

travelogue

 Through hell and high water for the captain's daughter

I roamed across the sea

And though I had sought her,

I never found what I oughta,

But I was just tryin' to be free

When she walked in a bar

Like a movie Star

I was someone behind the scenes

And she tried to mar,

My feathers and tar

She looked cruel and mean

And I bit her bra

And I lit my cigar

On her fire, if you know what I mean

now she's travelled far

in a big black car

and I hardly know where I've been

well it could have been mars

Or down the bottom of bell jars

But that must have been pretty lean

Now she has gone back

To her homeward shack

And I'm left like a string bean

All strung out on the shelf of self

Left here alone so unclean

I must wash myself of her elf health

And get me back on the road again

And it should not be a wealth to

discover oneself

Right back where I had always been

Only in creation are we living beings

Only through destruction can we find construction

And that's all I have to say of those things

In the circus

 Oh the distance I travel in my car

Is not as far as I go on my guitar

In the circus

And the lamp posts and telegraphs 

They raised

Are just like crazy paving

Another sign of the days

In the circus

And if I could talk to any cat

Who walked down the road

I'd probably mention that 

In the circus

And a picture of blue sky and waves

Was drawing in my mind

Like some crazy craves

In the circus

But near or far

I don't think so much of high or flat

Just the plans of the government and that

In the circus

Wonderland

 Are you going to the Wonderland?

Are you going my way?

For I wish to be there

For as long as I can 

oh

Are you going to stay?

Can you take me in your hand

Can you show me the way

I want to visit the Wonderland

I want to go down that way

Life is dreary and I can't stand

The traffic of the highway

And the leaves are falling

and turning brown

I don't want to go down that way

So if you visit the Wonderland

Be sure to bring me along

For I have a wish on the stars and the sand

That in time I will be strong

Enough to stay in your Wonderland

Vice Versa

 Vice versa

A song about an anvil

Oh hard lump

Hardest of metal chunks

Beaten on daily

The hammer head

How can you take the pounding?

The ringing in your ears

Must be astounding

What a vice!, What a virtue!

What a curse! What a curfew!

To be tied down

Screwed to the bench

Just to know you can never wrench free

But you look over to your cousin

In Engineering

The vice,

What advice would you give he?

He is always under pressure

Never a go getter

But always a setting free

Please release me

The wood and metal cry out!

I can't I can't

The vice says back

With mouth filled

Lock jaw

Jaundiced

Bulldog grip

Snap shut

Break its jaw with

A gun butt

Oh no

A bullet wouldn't do it

A lead sandwich

Soft

And you can hear the Anvil ringing again

Always engaged

Talking in the sound and fury

The inane beating of the hammer stroke

Progress it says

Is second nature

Produce

Secure

Resound and stay

Safe

Close to the furnace

Bellows pumping

And iron thumping

Like a beating heart

The hearth and heart

Of home