Poetry

You're King

What did they think, early on?

It's the early dawn of a new day.

A payday away from the old, how it used to be.

There's no way they could see how it would become.

They had to run, but we focus on fun;

A nice time, a good time, a fabulous night.

A time to fight the battles of old.

The warriors told a different story.

For the glory of war- what's it all for?

We stand at the door.

We're waiting for a hand out, like we once did.

It;s like we're still kids, relying on Mom and Dad.

Or a clear path of such laziness.

Away with this! We must love again.

Again we'll begin to see each other.

Not under cover but face to face.

Place to place we'll go be great again,

Not hiding behind technology, and then

Not recognize our own sisters.

The blisters on our hands indicate

The rate that we play- Or do we fight?

No, tonight let's not party.

You're a part of me, and I am of you.

He and she too, we're here together.

We read the letters posted on the web-

They're fearless. But be aware of this:

Your words echo to the stars.

The cards were placed in random spaces.

Do not be faceless like you want to be.

Come out and see the blue skies and greenery.

It's all beautiful. Trust me.

And if you cuss me, I'll understand,

Though my trembling hand is outstretched again.

It always will be.

Simply put, work hard and don't hide.

We're on this crazy ride one time.

If you let your bright shine,

There'll be no regrets.

I must confess to you right now...

If I'm to go out today or tonight

I won't fight it. It may sting,

But I won't deny it. You're king.

Songs Never Recorded

(I've written hundreds of songs- because I desperately wanted to be a rock star when I was younger.  It would have helped if I could've played an instrument or had a nice singing voice, I suppose. I'll periodically release my songs in this new section.)

Sunny Days, J. Fredrick Clark

(Verse 1)
Thinking back to what was said
A reeling thought; comfort shed

Friendship lost then what a night
Darkness falls to squeeze the light

And I said my two cents
A fog has just rolled in

Confusion sets, disoriented
Confessed my heart, then repented

But the problem’s worse than that
I lost my mind; I want it back

Nothing left makes much sense
A dog, a bone- climb the fence

Bloody water; brain erasing
Hill and bath water misplacing

The darkness then is known
A beam of light has shown

Deep within I can’t forget
Two from one and then we split

(Instrumental)

(Verse 2)

It’s like I’m someone else
I flame the fuel and want to yell

Liquid peace the rock will move
At the fire I caught a groove

Now she is my life
I found what was not inside

Inside, inside my soul resides
I tuck it in because of pride

Be the best or fall behind
Although I wish I could rewind

Sometimes I miss the days when
We had so much time to waste

Night has left but grey remains
And I dream of sunny days

Things are good; a holding time
‘Til breath depletes, then you die

(Instrumental Bridge)

(Verse 3)
The first time that we kissed
Like yesterday I remember it

The moon was out and it was bright
You said, “Come here.” I said, “I might.”

I then remember kissing you
Oh my god, oh yes I do

Keeps me grounded you see
Back down to reality

Keeps my feet touching down
All upright, I’m on the ground
(Standing upright, I'm on the ground)



High Tide, J. Fredrick Clark

(Verse 1 )
Do you not remember;
Do you not recall;
When I ran into you
Last year in the fall?

It was a new beginning,
Like we would never end.
All this time I’m lending
So much time to spend.

Autumn love surrendered,
Parting ways; a new life.
Now without your warmness
I cannot get high----

(high) tide, rolling from afar.
I saw you and God
He was in your car.

(Chorus 1)

There comes a time when turpentine
Won’t do anymore

But when she went and loving she sent,
Walking right out the door.

Combusting love with flutter doves
And the radio a-scat.

When she leaves you will not believe,
(when she leaves you cannot conceive)
It would all go down like that.

(Verse 1 repeat)

(Chorus 2)

Raining winds and time begins
To slow down even more.

A sorrow sent ‘til my descent
A silky browning galore.

A lively group who’ve got the scoop
On all the pleasant sights

With teary eyes from lullabies
On all those homeless nights.

(Bridge)

High tide.
Trembling, rumbling through your mind.
People just don’t remember,
Crooked then divine.

High tide.
Shaking me, waking me
Keeps me alive,
And taking me-

On a ride
Lifting me, shifting me,
Holding up
And gripping me.

I got a friend,
I got a friend.
Someone....
Who won’t pretend

The bottle.
My head.
My pillow.
My bed.

Pretending
They'd die
The lights off
But why?

High tide.
Trembling, rumbling through your mind.
People just don’t remember,
Crooked then divine.

(Verse 1)

(Chorus 3)

There comes a time when true divine
Is what we’re looking for.

But it had meant my descent.
Turn the lights out close the door.

A dreamless sleep, through death we weep.
The radio a-scat

When time ceases and life releases
(when you die without diseases)
When beginning then ending pleases
(please just never repeat this)
Never go out like that.


Tomorrow We’ll Find Her, J. Fredrick Clark

(Verse 1)

Ten thousand people all screaming for me.
But they are really screaming for humanity-

And she said, the young girl in this place,
“My love for you is growing I’m bound to keep pace.

All we’re looking for can be defined.”
Only if her other lover never made up his mind.

Here in this busted town I love to sing
With the peaceniks, the war lords, the proverbial king.

(Chorus)

Tell me, Tell me
This is overwhelming.
Angelic touch- is such a rush.

With their beer and smokes
He cracks his jokes.
Tomorrow we’ll find,
A common remind her to
Keep a straight face
When you smile your smile.
She opens up grace
In Baroque style.

In Baroque style,
She opens this grace
When she smiles her smile
She keeps a straight face.
A common reminder
Tomorrow we’ll find her.
Cracking and a joking
With the beer and the smoking.

Angelic touch- It’s such a rush.
This is overwhelming
Tell me, Tell me.

(Verse 2)

A million to one shot for having fun
From a middle-class employer living on the run.

Everyone- is searching, searching and waiting,
Living out their lives only contemplating.

While their wining and their dining and their watching the lighting,
Listening to the crackling of a fault line tightening.

Here in America people are singing
Even though their hearts are continuously raining

(Chorus X 2)

Johnny's Summer So Far....

(Fans of Across the Lunchroom: here you can continue Johnny's journey as he makes his way through the summer months.)

7/23/2015
School Again, by J. Fredrick Clark

Two weeks from this day again it begins,
We retreat back to that place we've all known.
Bittersweet returning, re-meet old friends;
Certainly tans and new toys we'll be shown.

Will all things be as they were once before?
The beautiful gazes as food we'd eat,
Those feelings again I must not ignore
Across the lunchroom, our eyes will still meet.

But eternal summer contemplated;
A forever fun I hope to arrive.
Those hot jolly months have resonated
I would stay here, though I might not survive

Those moments that are still frozen in time:
Out of the memories we shall all climb.


7/15/2015
The Hair, by J. Fredrick Clark

Out of the corner of my eye
Something drifted by.

A stray hair floated there-
Grazed my nose, I'm well aware.

It tickled as it wafted through,
Past the door and down to Sue.

I heard her cough; I heard her sneeze
I suppose the hair jumped on the breeze.

It left Sue's room and turned again
It goes wherever goes the wind.



6/22/2015

The Pines of the Past, by J. Fredrick Clark

Inside this man there lives a boy,

And in that boy with little care,

Another one lives who plays coy

With a separate shiny toy,

His voice- I still hear it, I swear!

Beneath the tree we used to swing,

Up the hill that once seemed bigger,

The seat of rubber used to sting

When the sun would bake everything!

As boys we would jump and snigger.

Now I cannot recall those times,

As I could once before, you see-

Between the sappy, creaking pines

The wind would whistle spooky chimes;

This I remember vividly.

Fond memories of yesterday

Are chased by visions of the past,

Which, by my count will rarely stay

Up the hill where we used to play

And wish for times that have long passed.


6/09/2015

(untitled), by J. Fredrick Clark

The loudest sound ever heard,

It came from a creature,

From the tiniest humming bird-

One day I'd like to meet her.

Beside the birch tree

The lightning struck.

Down from the creek

Behind the truck.

The bird flew south,

She then flew west.

She opened her mouth

And finally confessed.

5/22/2015
Galamagoom, by J. Fredrick Clark

They said her name was Galamagoom
In the barn out back she had no room.

Her neck was long and her legs were tall,
And her ears hung down right out of the stall.

A jockey bought her from a man out West
It was his first time so he tried his best.

Most people know when you race, of course,
That you need a big, strong racing horse.

But the jockey knew not what he was doing
Then one night he heard the 'horse' mooing.

"That can't be right," he thought out loud.
"Instead of a horse, I bought a cow!"

But the jockey was wrong, once again
This horse-cow's neck could really extend.

He went to the computer to look it up
He poured some water in his coffee cup.

Searching for the animal he owned out back
Her skin was yellow, not white and black.

"A giraffe!" he screamed when he finally realized.
Compared to a horse she's twice the size!

Who would want a giraffe that moos?
Could he sell her back if they heard the news?

He couldn't get rid of her in the end.
Galamagoom became his best friend.



4/30/2015
Nighttime, by J. Fredrick Clark

Being here alone by myself again
Night returns like an old best friend.
She greets me as the sun slides down
With drooping eyes as the yawns come 'round

She says, "Hello," in a silky smooth voice.
We fight the bed like we have a choice.
Though once we've gone to that slumber sweet,
We drift off to meet that calm deep sleep.

We can go to such mesmerizing places
And see the most amazing faces.
We can fly through the air on the back of a bird.
We can sing out loud without saying a word.

Don't be nervous when nighttime arrives.
Though I'm not really good with the good-byes.
When daytime leaves her departure is brief.
Does nighttime know when daytime leaves?

For a brief moment the two become one.
We call it "twilight"- with the moon and the sun.
It's that space between the light and the dark.
When daytime ends, and nighttime starts.



4/21/2015
Summer Birthdays, by J. Fredrick Clark

Kids that have birthdays in the summer
Must feel like their day is a bummer.

Everyone else celebrates during the year
The whole class is happy and full of cheer.

Though I believe it makes them unique.
We go to parties down by a creek-

Or parties where we swim all day long
At pools or lakes, you can't go wrong.

The games are just different, in a good way.
Splashing around in the water we play.

Fish Out of Water or Marco Polo.
Play with a team or go solo.

If a summer storm brings on lightning
Get out of the pool, it can be quite frightening.

Just wait for the thunder and lightning to end
Then get back to it and jump back in.

So if your big day isn't during school
Just throw a party at a swimming pool!



4/15/2015
It Started with One, by J. Fredrick Clark

It started with one,

Then two were doing it.

It looked like fun.

I had to go through with it.

Even as the rain

Made its way to the dirt,

Now mud was contained

On her new grass skirt,

Everyone was grinning

Right from the start.

The song was beginning-

We knew it by heart.

Splashing around

In the rain and the mud,

We jumped up and down

Then next came the flood.

The leather and strings,

That once held my feet,

Fell all to pieces

Right there in the street.

It mattered none,

And I must say,

We all had fun

Just dancing away!