Argyle Sweaters and Loud Paisley Ties

He may be wearing an argyle sweater
He may be wearing a loud paisley tie
He may be wearing a t-shirt from a band you've never heard of
But underneath it all...he's naked.

He may offend you with his choice of words
He may offend you with his tone of voice
He may offend you because he challenges you
He may offend you...but listen.

He may inspire you with his passion
He may move you with his honesty
He may motivate you with his provocations
Let him.

He may leave you feeling uplifted
He may leave you feeling downhearted
He may leave you feeling disgusted
But he will leave you feeling.

And you may believe him to be strange
You may believe him to be an oddball
You may believe him to be a misfit
But you may not be as "normal" as you believe.

And I may be wearing an argyle sweater
I may be wearing a loud paisley tie
I may be wearing a t-shirt from a band you've never heard of
Still, I'm baring it all before you.

And I may offend you with my choice of words
I may offend you with my tone of voice
I may offend you because I challenge you
But give me a chance and you just might like me.

Ten Centiliters

Ten centiliters of water
To quench a mild thirst
But still, you're hungering for something more
As better turns to worse

Ten centiliters of tears
To soak a handful of tissues
But still, your eyes search for something more
Than everybody's issues

Ten centiliters of whisky
I offer you a glass
But still, you insist on feeling the pain
So you politely pass

Ten centiliters of rain
Collecting in your shoes
But still, you amble through the storm
With nothing more to lose

Ten centiliters of blood
Lost from the deepest cut
But still, you bind your broken heart
And kick love in the butt

Ten centiliters of hot tea
Growing colder by the minute
But still, your blood is boiling
As you discover your limit

Ten centiliters of cold sweat
Asleep and yet awake
But still, you rise come daylight
For the day is yours to break.

The Beauty Of The Moment

The beauty of the moment, so real, so sincere
The minute the moment passes, you may not be so dear

But the love we're sharing presently will not be lost to time
It will live on forever as a memory sublime

And moment after moment, a lifetime is built
By living every beautiful moment to the hilt

And letting destiny show us the way
On an ordinary day like today.

The beauty of the moment, so pure and so true
The ultimate beauty you and I ever knew

It takes just a moment for the moment to fade
But a lifetime to wipe away the memory we made

So moment by moment, I'll write out this tale
A story to be always revered without fail

Recognizing the value of what feels right
On an ordinary night like tonight.

The beauty of the moment, never odd, never strange
But bringing about a sudden and profound change

A day like any other, a night as routine
Still, a day and night as gorgeous as we've ever seen

Thus, moment to moment, an existence sustains
Itself though all the hardship, turmoil, and pain

Discerning a path to joy from strife
In an ordinarily extraordinary life.

Visible/Invisible

A life lived in agony
The pain that never ends
The wounds that never heal
But you wouldn't know

A life lived in agony
Accustomed to discomfort
Putting on a brave face
But I'm really not that brave

Every moment spent in torture
Yet I smile when I can
And when I can't, forgive me
For not having a great smile

A life spent squirming and writhing and moaning
Struggling to move
Struggling to speak
Every morning, exhausted
Every evening, exhausted
All the time, exhausted
Your sympathy, exhausted

And they tore me apart and put me back together
And I came out stronger
Yet somehow, more broken

And they gave me a pill which makes me feel better
While it makes me feel worse
It improves me
It hurts me

And they gave me false prognoses which made me feel better
And made me feel worse
For they should have known better

And you call me inspiring
You call me a hero
But I'm just trying to live
Before I have to die

And I hope I live as long as they say I will
Except when I hope I die
Because this is hardly living

And you call me positive
You call me happy
But I'm just trying to get by
I'm just trying to get through

You think I'm upbeat
You think I'm a beacon
But I'm just searching for the light
In a life full of darkness.

Walk This Bridge

This bridge is a decrepit relic
This bridge is a sign of glory gone
Carrying nothing but nostalgia
This eyesore has been here too long

My friend, we are much like this bridge
Out of commission, out of use
Still, somehow we're surviving
As our tight-knit bond grows loose

But no one can ever escape the facts
As harsh as they are, it is true
That no matter what, I'll never walk this bridge with you.

This bridge is a work in progress
Rebuilding the past for what's ahead
For that which is merely lying dormant
Is too often given up for dead

My friend, we are much like this bridge
Broken, but slowly in repair
Time is the judge, and we are the jury
Of all that is just, wise and fair

While no one can ever escape the facts
Uncertain as they are, nothing's through
So maybe someday, I will walk this bridge with you.

This bridge is repurposed, reopened
A symbol of nothing gone to waste
Carrying travelers in life's journey
With class, with decorum, with grace

My friend, we are much like this bridge
Enduring through ups, downs, redemption
Carrying us both through our journey
Is an irrepressible affection

And no one can ever escape the facts
Considering the facts, what can I do?
I cannot wait to walk this bridge with you.

Hey, Lorelei!

I noticed that you didn't post on Facebook yesterday.
And that you haven't "liked" any of my posts in three days.
Are you okay?
I even checked your timeline a bunch of times to see if there was anything I missed.
Nothing.
So yeah, if something's wrong, let me know.
I mean, you have my number.
You still have my number, right?
GOOD!
I mean, good.
Call me.
If you want to.
Please.
PLEASE.

By the way, how did you like that bottle of wine I sent you?
I would have given it to you in person, but every time I went to your house, you weren't there.
Well, maybe you were there, but you were in the bathroom or something.
Or maybe you were watching TV and couldn't hear me pounding on the door.
Anyway, did you get it?
That bottle of wine I sent you.
Oh, really?
Because I remember you saying at Pierre's on November 26th last year -- it was between dinner and dessert -- that you hate red wine.
Oh, you'd only ever had Merlot?
Well, you should have told me!
I'd have gladly bought you a glass of Pinot Noir, or Malbec, or Cabernet Sauvi -- no, no, that's fine!
I wouldn't have minded one bit!
Anything for you, Lorelei, you know that!
You do know that, don't you?
Good. But you sound like you don't think I mean it.
You know I mean it?
Are you sure?
GREAT!

So listen, I've been meaning to tell you how wonderful it was last week when I ran into you at Target and we shopped for paper towels together.
I never had so much fun at Target...even shopping for condoms!
Ha ha ha ha ha.
Oh crap, why did I say that?
That was such an inappropriate thing to say.
You must think I'm such a dweeb.
See?
You're not even responding!
You DO think I'm a dweeb!
You don't?
REALLY?
Oh, Lorelei, I love you!
That's okay...
You don't have to say it back.