HE SITS IN THE PARK

The heat of Summer, deadly, hot, humidity,

What circumstances brought him here.

He battles the elements, seasons of four,

A meal this morning, fighting for more.

Rain or shine, through the Winter nights,

He seeks shelter, he sits in the park.

His life is lived day by day, no place to stay,

Under the stars is his view of the night.

On his own and what can this man call home,

Wherever he roams and stops is all he can claim.

He sits in the dark, he sits in the park,

At mornings light, beyond what is night.

He’s no less than what you see, who is he,

A man with no plan, living in this land.

Keith Garrett

HE HAD EVERYTHING

He had everything, he could not see what he had,

More money than a man could spend forever,

His sins would cost him plenty, no money could fix.

Hurting his wife and daughter, broken hearts were theirs,

Through his deceit and crimes, a lesson might be learned,

He did not learn as it was money and blackmail that prevailed.

He escaped his dirty deeds as false faces were worn with greed,

He still had everything but in the end a man and family had nothing.

Keith Garrett

HE WANTED TO BE REMEMBERED

A journey with a friend home, a journey all alone,

Last night at campsite, a time for conversation.

A little supper under the stars, light from a fire,

Unusual talk from the lips of a friend, saying something.

He wanted to leave his mark on the world, on a friend he would,

He was to go away that night, a friend by his side.

That started a friend thinking, he wanted to be remembered,

He needed to make his wife and family understand, for himself.

Afraid that he would be forgotten, so afraid, who would remember his name,

A project with his name on it, wood tables with only his Initials would be.

One hundred years later a single worn piece of furniture many would see,

His initials would be, his name never known, he wanted to be remembered.

Keith Garrett

HE WOULD RAISE THE FLAG

An American, a patriot who did fight many battles,

His time spent in a prisoner of war camp was not pretty.

Doing that which he believed to be right was a high price,

A disgrace to his uniform but a man of principles and honor.

They could not break him, he would not crumble and fall,

He was not now less than who he was before, a man of strength.

He would speak of his rights, the rights of other prisoners,

He wanted to raise the flag, men would join him in his plight.

He would raise the flag and pay the ultimate price for the right,

Shot in the back, he died while the flag was high in flight.

Keith Garrett

FROM HERE TO THERE

I stroll backward down the road of time, to a place where the years hide,

I am a searcher of lost things, they exist only in memory, in a dream.

Back there was left a piece of my heart, take my hand, help me find,

Show me a way to close the door, move forward into my life.

I saw you all in sleepless night dreams, you did not age, not for me,

I see your faces on a magical screen, still the same pictures from my mind.

From here to there, I’ve traveled back to the past, I see this today,

Where did you go, young lady, as I wandered my world, disappeared.

Your words are heard, no voice, written to read, thoughts for my day,

From then too now is where it is I stand, from here too there, take my hand.

Keith Garrett

AN ANGRY MAN

Anger, so much mistrust for the world, he’s angry,

That which he can not control, bothers him so.

Nothing wrong with letting it out, control is what it’s about,

Angry at that which has passed, let this go, an angry man knows.

Feeling at times the universe has let him down, the fire rages,

Inside he feels the water boil, what to do when there’s no place to run.

He pounds his fists against the stone wall, thoughts of vengeance stir,

Get even is one of many stories made from a man’s angry mind.

An angry man does not see the road clearly, thinking is altered,

Eats him up inside, wasted energy but how is he to do it right.?

He has been wronged, he is an angry man and needs a smart plan,

An angry man he can be, can an angry man soon find his peace.

Keith Garrett

GIVE ME STRENGTH

Days can be a struggle at times, feeling much alone,

Physical pain and emotional scars are hard fought.

Stress and the desire to overcome tire a body and mind,

Worries of the time keep a soul from sleep in the night.

Give me strength to make it through beyond this coming sunset,

Guide me into my day of many challenges that tear at my heart.

Wisdom would be a true gift as I try to better my life and self,

Thank you for listening as there is much hope as I stand strong.

Keith Garrett

BEGINNING TO AN END

I had walked the streets in a certain town,

For so many years, familiar faces and sounds.

Everything I did, all that I knew very comfortable,

It was my home but now it has gone and ended indeed.

Once again in life, this is my new beginning, strange it is,

I feel lost, a strange place with faces unknown to me.

Street names are just that, only names but not recognized,

Strangers are only people who have not yet become friends.

My new home has neighbors who have not yet become known,

Street names I will memorize so I will not get lost and all alone.

I like my new yard, yesterday has made many a change,

I now have a spot where I can be alone, I hide from the insane.

There is life that traveled with me, some that I have left behind,

I swim in a pool, this is my new day, I heard some new voices, walk a new way.

I’m an inch away from heaven, a lifetime from where I belong,

I can hear my father calling me, In my head, there is always a song.

Beginning to an end, the world is for us not to really understand,

I am here where I am, this is my new beginning, I am where I stand.

Keith Garrett

TO OUR OWN TUNE,

WE WILL DANCE

Different we are from one another,

The things we do different make us like no other.

Some of us move with an unusual step,

Or others may talk high pitched or deep voice.

A person may think of the same thing unlike a stranger or friend,

None are the same, we may wonder why until the end.

Why we see through our eyes In our own way,

Makes each one special every day.

Dance we will to our own tune.

Keith Garrett

ALWAYS A SHADOW

The sun comes up and the sun goes down,

They’re everywhere and always, make not a sound.

Shadows from clouds cast upon the ground,

As the sun goes down, shadows all around.

Shadows upon the mountains in the early morning light,

In the early evening, shadows that hide as darkness is in sight.

Always a shadow, shapes, and sizes stretched out across the land,

Shadows of figures, like ghosts, phantoms here and there.

Always a shadow, we carry this with every step we take,

Always a shadow even with the light still upon our face.

Keith Garrett