Tag Archives: Chicago

Birds of the City

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Would city birds leave if they could
Fly away from the skyscrapers and sirens
Over the lake to Michigan and rest
To land no longer on towers but trees soft and green
To escape the busy city scene
Or do they enjoy the rush
Soaring from tower to tower
Picking up scraps from late night prowlers
Living off the city streets
Begging to make ends meet
This is their home and ours
We share it willfully but not willingly
Would we dismiss all of these birds
Shunned away from the city, scourged
But the what would float from rooftop to rooftop
Making its way with wings expanded and strong
Calling out in its evening song
They are part of the landscape of this city
They too are the blood pumping in the veins underground
Keeping us connected to nature in the cement ground
I look up to see a bird fly by
This keeps me connected to the life
That lies beyond these city skies

The Sweet Smell of Rejection

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Nothing like the sweet smell of rejection in the morning

To receive the call an early warning

Its not the right fit but I wish you the best

But if you had to receive a grade you failed the test

Refreshed I see it in a morning sigh

No more than a simple rejuvenating sign

That more must be done to push forward

No looking back or retracting your hand

Giving my best out there I cannot look back

The evening lines have been drawn in the sand

Take a breath and begin again

This will seem to happen every now and again

I take it as a compliment

That the successful plans have been laid

I will not give into some cheap demands

To jump at their will fall upon their command

People look for something to fill their own void

All the while they hold stiff while creativity is destroyed

Looking for something to replace the old

Will make the fillers seem out of place and cold

Wet and waiting on the driveway of replacement

Taking what just comes along seems way to complacent

They want someone who will fit the mold

Casting away the unique and the wanderers

The fearless and the bold

For someone who does not mind to grow mold

Upon their creative gears and will simply listen to their peers

Me that I am not and surely never will be

What will ever become of me I guess I will wait and see

As for now I am content on my bed of worthlessness

It does not fear me to be alone out here calling

Much better than rich and my creative mind mauling me

I recluse back to come back stronger

Eager to fight again

Rejection is nothing more

Than a reason to start again

The Daily Routine

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Ah the challenge of keeping creativity alive in my life. As I am pulled to try and sell the art and the creations that have already occurred. It is hard sometimes to step back and try and let the creative juices be heard. So I sat down to try and document my daily routine of keeping creativity alive in my life. So here it is – enjoy!

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The daily routine

Wake up in the morning

Make sure to exercise

Work out the arms and the thighs

Get back and get cleaned up

Got to write and practice

Keep the routine up

3 or four hours later

I now sit at the compu-tater

Life’s lines complex yet defined

I make this no place to wine

Letting go on paper what must be done

Seemed like a good idea

Challenging and fun

Poems must be constructed daily

This challenges what I have to say

About beauty, art, and the progress of today

The challenge is not to conform

But to set a new aggressive norm

Creativity must be engaged often

Or else the course muscles will soften

Decay and leave your soul

Looking for someone else to enroll

The creative spirit can be fleeting and gone

So I must capture these spirits in songs

Poems, writings, and other means

Or else I will be left with nothing

Creativity gone and no job to boot

I look pretty bad now in a business suit

Full of aspirations are these writings

Even though my mind is rattled with distractions

I must be real and stay ahead

Better off here trying

Than creativity dead

The Old Car

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The old car is still hanging in
making it through Winter’s thick and Summers thin
The AC rattles
the carpets are worn out
But the motor still delivers me to the destination
very devout
The weather is broken in
The locks don’t work and haven’t for days
The radio still sings out a couple of melodies
But when the wheels struggle up the hill it gets my sympathy
on a warm day in June
When the engine is ringing out
In it’s classic tune
Bellowing out like a great monsoon
This is my car and I stand by it
Even though the dollars I’ve paid have been multiplying
But it is a true beauty and I ain’t lying That’s all I have to say about this your car
It’s taken me miles and miles afar
The dream alive when I get down
We’ve toured we’ve laughed we’ve cried
In this cabin we lived our lives
So this car I say cheers
I hope you may live on for years and years

Corporate Giants

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Oh no it looks like the corporate giants are at it again
Taking money from the thick and thin
They don’t believe in things like sins
If it’s one more dollar in their pocket they win
Deceit and betrayal are their corporate focus
Taking every little dollar from every little person with a little hocus-pocus
Don’t worry about calling them they already know what’s going on
They don’t much care that what they do is wrong
There is a little hope and redemption from a small voice like mine
I guess it just must be at sign of the time
Before too long I’ll be back at it again
Because corporate profits are the same now
As they were back then
A dollar earned is a dollar saved but a dollar stolen is a dollar played
Corporations love their games and love their dollars
The best I can hope to do is just scream and holler
Greed will continue on regardless of its ambition
It will write a new book the third edition
So don’t forget when somebody takes your money one day
It’s the one and only
Corporate way

TV’s On

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Late night at the Italian joint

we sit tired and staring

talking about how we are

going to make our lives

work

6 tv’s blaring telling us what to think

Next I am easily distracted

by the compact box

lighting the room

the food is good and will do

but as for me and you

it has been 10 years in the making

no more waiting

we are going to make our move

but for now in this vacant little resteraunt

we enjoy each other

even with the tv’s on

The Shortest Night of My Life

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A simple writing from my experience in the air over Leipzig, Germany. I have never flown across the ocean, but it surely was an amazing experience – you never get to experience it for a first time again – so I wanted to document it. So now we are in Germany and having a wonderful time. I hope to keep the blog up to date with new experiences and stories. I am sure this trip will give me a lot to say. All the best and enjoy – Cheers!

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The shortest night of my life

started around 5 P.M.

got in a plane in Chicago

got up in the air and off we go

before too long the sun was down

headed east

pulling around some sharp turbulence in Quebec

Got me feeling dizzy

in only hours gone by the sun has risen back

in the sky

my heart beats out of my chest

I felt I could die

that surely was the shortest night of my life

The River is Swollen

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Up in Fargo, ND there is some serious flooding going on – in Chicago too. I scribbled this together with Siri on the 16 hour drive home. Enjoy.
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The river is swollen.
Fargo fields are flooding overflowing
with water and run off
falling from the sky filling the fields 3 feet high.
Taking turns to throw sandbags to hold the river back.
The water collects the fields and dirt and turns brown and black.
While the snowflakes fall fast and crash on the pavement.
Painting the fields and streets White a revealing statement.
But the river water will not turn from our abatement
Flowin and rolling through the Fields
Making its way
While the water doubles it’s yields.
There is no shield from this water
flowing it just pushes its way wherever it’s going.
Because when the Fargo fields are flooding it’s as serious as can be.
When the fields are full and the animals flee.
What to do with the river now is up to you and me.

The Young Working Class

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A late evening in Chicago. Had a nice time enjoying some drinks and laughs with friends. Hope you enjoy. Cheers!
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The young working class
Service industry of Chicago Illinois
Sparse light in a dim bar
Conversation flounder and puff
Into inaudible crackle
Faces gleaming orange and yellow
Filled with powder and fluff
Men reclining willfully to distant music
Irrelevant and monotonous
Pushing eardrums back and forth
Jaws pumping laughter heralding
Anger dispensing
Question asking
Bar tender looking for connecting eyes
Asking quickly for a drink
Tip jar sitting silent yet demanding
Women relax on sofas talking about dinner and evening plans
I am but a witness to these thing
On a late Friday night
In Chicago Illinois

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

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As I listened to NPR cover the story unfolding in Boston yesterday on my way home from Chicago – my fiance and I were just silent. Sometimes it just takes time to realize that some people have that much hate inside of them that they are willing to act out and hurt others. It was a very difficult listening to the coverage – and violent acts happen all the time. So I have begun working on a song called “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”. I feel that I have had this song on my chest for a long time. Something that I can turn to when I feel worn out by peoples hatred and violence. A song to give hope, but also deal with the hard question of “why?” Obviously, I do not have the answer – but I know what can make me feel more loving in my own heart. To recognize what is great and take time to be thankful. It does not erase the pain, but rather helps me deal with it in a positive manner. I will have the song posted here tomorrow afternoon – for now here are the lyrics. I just wanted to say there is no reason for why bad things happen – other than the existence of hate/evil. Rather than focusing on evil, I wanted to focus on love and hope. The verses are about what makes this country great and what I am proud of. In verse 2 it is my call to action. I hope that you can relate with this and find it helpful in this time of grieving.

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Keeping everyone affected by this in Boston and throughout the world in my thoughts.

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When Bad Things Happen to Good People

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When bad things happen

Oh my god

To good people

There is no way around

It is a quieting sound

But hate won’t tear us down

It won’t tear us down

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I love the way

People care enough to say

Oh I love you

And be safe out there

Just take care

In a world that’s always spinnin’ round

Don’t be scared

The fear will try to tear us apart

But in your heart

We must know

That the hate must die

For the love to grow

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When bad things happen

Oh my god

To good people

There is no way around

It is a quieting sound

But hate won’t tear us down

It won’t tear us down

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When news gets tough

You have had enough

Don’t throw your hands

And just give up

The world needs us now

Hate has knocked it down

Its up to you and me

And everyone around

Help someone back up

Even when your heart aches

The love you give

Must be greater

Than the love you take