Just Life
“Just Life” is a collection of the ordinary moments that somehow become the story of who we are. Workdays, routines, laughter, frustration, coffee, traffic, family, quiet thoughts, and all the little things in between—nothing extraordinary, and yet somehow everything.
“Today” captures the familiar rhythm of an ordinary workday—the waking, rushing, working, eating, sleeping, and doing it all over again. With simple words and a touch of humor, it reflects the routine so many of us know, while quietly hinting at the weariness that can settle in when life starts to feel like one long repeat.
Today
Awake
Not
Awakening
Maybe
Ceiling
Staring
Consciousness
Finally
Covers
Off
Dreading
Work
Shuffling
Feet
Coffee
Now
Cat
Hungry
Morning
Shower
Feeling
Better
Driving
Slow
Arriving
Late
Boss
Upset
Me
Okay
Finally
Done
Driving
Home
Eating
Sleeping
Routine
Repeat
Repeat
Repeat
Die
“I’m Just Me” is a quirky, honest reflection on feeling different, overthinking life, and never quite fitting the usual mold. With humor, oddball imagery, and a tender heart underneath it all, the poem embraces the strange, the awkward, and the wonderfully unusual parts of being human—and quietly hopes they might be exactly what someone else needs.
I’m Just Me
I am chicken lips
You know, something that doesn’t exist
I am rattlesnake hips
Probably something you might have missed
I’m a post turtle
Don’t know how I got here or how to get down
Or that tree that falls in the forest
That doesn’t make a sound
I don’t seem to fit in anywhere
I know I’m different and I don’t know why
I’m an overthinker and probably suffer from OCD
I’m a penguin who wants to fly
I’m the toy train on Misfit Island
The one with square wheels that no kid wants
I’m a lost ghost in a dark hallway
Looking for just the right place to haunt
I write words that no one wants to read
I write songs no one will sing
If I could make it to Misfit Island
I think they’d crown me king
Don’t know why God created me this way
These feelings and crazy thoughts
Over the years I’ve tried to welcome the crazy
I’ve struggled and I’ve fought
I hope that all this nonsense
And all my unusual and overthought deeds
Could possibly be just what someone wants today
Hopefully something they really need
I am just Me
“Words Left Unsaid” reflects on the things we wish we had spoken while there was still time. It explores regret, memory, and the quiet ache of missed chances, while gently reminding us to leave harsh words behind and speak the healing, loving words our hearts so often hold back.
Words Left Unsaid
I wish I would have said some things
When she was here and next to me
I said them inside my head almost daily
But those words were not meant to be
Sometimes you just can’t form the words
They’re all jumbled up and wrong
Then you’ll hear what you wish you would have said
In the lyrics of a favorite song
So many words left unsaid
Some words that would heal and soothe
Words unsaid you’ll not get the chance to speak
Words of promise and truth
You left them all unspoken
You wish you’d get just one more chance
But your opportunity has been missed
The music is over, there’s no more dance
The words of hate and anguish
Can stay inside your head
Keep those locked up for good
Those words can be left unsaid
But use your words to build up
To make those you love move swiftly ahead
Then you will never regret
Those words you left unsaid
“Follow the Stream” is a reflection on the way life carries us forward through joy, loss, fear, regret, and change. It explores the temptation to simply drift with the current, but ultimately chooses something braver—to use the broken pieces of the past as a bridge toward healing, freedom, and a better way forward.
Follow the Stream
Follow the stream, they say
Close your eyes and just float away
Find the peace and love in every current
Enjoy the coolness of the water day after blessed day
But as I get older I can see
That sometimes I hit a rock or dangling limb
I see others floating by me struggling
Barely keeping their nose up while they try to swim
In my past I’ve lost family members
Who’ve just given up and submerged into the deep
I’ve never understood their surrender
Knowing that life is something to hold and love and keep
So I get out of the water
Dripping wet with hopes and dreams
I think I’ll just sit here and watch it roll past
I’m getting way too close to those I lost, it seems
I’m afraid to stick my toes back in just yet
Because I’m afraid if I do
I’ll succumb to life’s dark secrets
Just like the others that I knew
The water once flowing has finally slowed down to a crawl
All the debris is starting to choke its path
I’m sure it’s all the bad choices and mistakes
Following behind me from my past
I can choose to jump back in
And disappear beneath all of the debris
Or I can make a bridge out of all my mistakes
And find my way to the other side
And be free
“Sunset” is a reflection on growing older and learning to see age not simply as loss, but as another season of life. It acknowledges the aches, changes, memories, and people we miss, while holding onto gratitude for what remains—and the hope that some of life’s richest colors may still be waiting in the sunset.
Sunset
He awoke to the darkness
No longer could he sleep
It was just too much pain
The throbbing in his back and his knees
Stumbling to the bathroom
The light attacked his eyes
Standing before the mirror
He never thought he’d be this broken and this size
Looking at his reflection in the mirror
The image blurry and out of sight
He needed to find his glasses
But he wasn’t sure where he left them last night
How did the years slip so stealthily by
His youthful blond hair turned platinum gray
Maybe he had been too busy
As sweet time slowly slipped away
Finding his glasses on the nightstand
He returned to the mirror
Now this image was better
But his aging face was so much clearer
It was like all the colors in his body
Were leaking out of his feet
From his gray hair to his pale face
The transformation was near complete
His life was far from over
He was mostly healthy and loving life
His children still came around
To see him and his loving wife
He had lost some of his dearest friends
He missed them but kept their memories in his heart
How really blessed he was to still have this glorious gift of life
He still loved every amazing part
So he tells the image in the mirror
“Don’t worry and don’t forget
There’s so much more to do
Before the beautiful colors of your life
Return in a blazing and amazing sunset”
“Life Lines” is a striking reflection on the words that shape our lives—words of love, pain, regret, hope, fear, loss, and promise. Moving quickly from one life-changing phrase to the next, the poem captures how a few simple words can hold entire stories and mark the moments that define us.
Life Lines
What have I done!
If I could only...
I cannot believe I said that!
I knew better!
If I’d only known!
I hate you!
Please stop!
I thought you loved me!
I didn’t mean that!
Why, just why!
What are we going to do?
Help me understand.
It just happened!
Please...stop!
Please stay!
Please don’t go!
Just one more!
It won’t hurt me!
I can handle it!
Just one more chance!
Don’t do it!
If I could just go back!
If you were here now!
Please don’t stop!
Why God, why!
It hurts!
There’s always tomorrow!
You’re pregnant!
You have cancer!
I want a divorce!
Will you marry me!
I lost my job!
I’m sorry, I really am!
I love you!
I do!
“Should I” is a reflective poem about looking back, wondering about the choices we’ve made, and wrestling with the quiet fears that come with growing older. Yet beneath the questions is a deeper gratitude—for family, for life, and for the hope that even a few honest lines might still bring comfort, compassion, and healing to someone else.
Should I
Am I angry that life is fleeting by
Or am I grieving for choices I made
I look back on some decisions
But the reasons I made them have started to fade
Could I have done better
Could my family be happier and more secure
If I’d done this or done that a different way
Would more money have been the cure
Should I just appreciate what my life is now
Should I say, “It is what it is”
Should I just look around and notice
How blessed I am for all of this
So many things in my life are wonderful
Some things are challenging at best
I’m like so many other people
Who sometimes struggle to chill out and rest
My mind seems to be working overtime
Busy overthinking the smallest task
If I’m walking down a hallway somewhere
I’ll straighten every picture when I walk past
So I don’t really think I’m grieving
Or even angry in my later years
But I do have some real concerns
Or I guess you could call them fears
I’m afraid I won’t love enough
Or leave a legacy of humbleness and care
I really want to make a difference
I want to show compassion and to share
If just a few lines in a poem
Could soothe and calm and heal
Then maybe this gift that I’ve been handed
Isn’t really such a bad deal
“Unicorns and Rainbows” is a playful, tongue-in-cheek look at the fantasy of a perfectly easy life—where everything goes right, every team wins, every road is smooth, and not a cloud ever appears. With humor and a sly twist at the end, the poem pokes fun at wishful thinking while reminding us that sometimes the most perfect life is the one we only visit in our dreams.
Unicorns and Rainbows
I totally can’t believe how great things are
I’m rolling in high cotton for sure
Everything in my world is golden
Nothing to complain about or endure
My smile is locked in on my face
My eyes sparkle from an inside glow
Nothing bad is coming in the future
I can’t imagine any negatives or lows
My barn is full of unicorns
And a rainbow is forever overhead
I’m walking six inches above ground
I’m healthy, wealthy, and well fed
My friends and family love me
I feel like they’ve all got my back
They’d never let me go astray
There’s nothing I’m short on or lack
All my favorite sports teams are winning
And I’ve still got most of my teeth and hair
If I wanted to go on a sweet trip
My perfectly good car will safely get me there
Get out of my way because I’m on a mission
To show the world just how it’s done
My life is always chock-full of successes
Nothing but laughter and fun
You wonder how I accomplish all this
It’s really not a plan or a scheme
Because in just a few hours
My alarm clock will go off
And I’ll awake from this incredible dream
“Forgive Me” is a tender and humorous reflection on growing older, forgetting little things, and learning to accept the changes that come with time. Beneath the smiles is a simple request for patience and understanding—and a grateful reminder that getting older is not something to fear, but a privilege to cherish.
Forgive Me
The years are starting to add up
I’m not as strong or as smart
Sometimes I can’t finish
Because I’m not sure where to start
Forgive me if I don’t recognize you
My eyes aren’t able to clearly see your face
And forgive me for asking you to repeat yourself
The words don’t always fall into place
If you told me to do something
I’ll do my best to see it through
But I can’t promise you it’ll happen
My memory may not have a clue
I’m still me, so please be patient
I’m doing the best that I can
It’s just the top of that old hourglass
Is slowly running out of sand
I’m not old, just numerically challenged
And I’m learning as I go along
I’ve never been this old before
And I’m not sure of the lyrics in my song
My distant past is clearer
Than the lunch I had yesterday
And I’m not sure just exactly why that is
As I go along my way
But life is so precious
Each day a blessing to behold
I’ll always be so thankful
And consider it a privilege to get “old”
A nostalgic song on the radio stirs up memories of youth, first love, and nights that felt like they could last forever. But when life suddenly shifts from joy to fear, the poem becomes a tender reminder that every moment matters. I Don’t Want The Song To Be Over is about love, memory, and learning to treasure the fragile beauty of every single day.
I Don’t Want the Song to Be Over
Driving down the highway
The radio playing songs I’ve heard before
Then that one song that meant everything
The one that brings back memories of great times before
You know every word and every chorus
You’ve sung it time and time again
The fun and friends of times long gone
Starts the smiles on your face to begin
You don’t want it to be over
You turn the volume up so loud to hear
You don’t care what the other drivers think to see you singing
When you stop at a light and they’re so near
You’re finally on that first date with
The girl you’ve begged for days
The conversation is easy
You both seem to think the very same way
A dinner and a movie was always the plan
But you both just enjoy the talk
So you look to find a nice safe place
To hold hands and slowly walk
You don’t want it to be over
This night can’t come to an end
What you thought would just be a date
Became something so much more
Than just finding a friend
A call comes in that shocks you
You rush out the door to your car
You feel like your world is in slow motion
Your destination so full of traffic and so far
Walking into the emergency room
They tell you where to go
When you walk in to see her
She smiles and you feel your heart glow
The doctor tells you it’s serious
But she tells you it’s gonna be okay
You want to believe what she’s saying
You hate to see her feeling this way
You don’t want it to be over
There’s no way you can lose her now
You pray that the doctor can help her
They have to someway and somehow
Life is full of such moments
Times that take your breath away
So squeeze out every single minute
Find some love and joy in every single day
“Eggshells” is a humorous look at what happens when everyone around us has to tiptoe through our moods, opinions, and expectations. With a little exaggeration and a lot of self-awareness, the poem pokes fun at how easy it is to become difficult without realizing it—and why sometimes the problem may be closer to home than we think.
Eggshells
Don’t step right here or over there
Be careful where you put your feet
Stop making those loud stepping sounds
Don’t run or shuffle or leap
Just walk where I tell you to walk
And don’t stray off of the path
I know all the best ways to go
Don’t snicker at me or laugh
If you would have told me you were coming
I’d be much more prepared
Just talk about what interests me
Change the subject if you dare
I’d offer you something to eat
But I know you don’t always eat what you should
I usually don’t keep any junk food
And I wouldn’t even if I could
We can always talk about politics
As long as you agree
Because that other side is totally crazy
Just between you and me
And most of all agree with everything I say
Because you know that I know best
To disagree with anything I say
Would make you an unwelcome guest
I’ve been placing these eggshells all around
And some just can’t resist the urge
To stomp all over them sometimes
Or at least that’s what I’ve heard
So welcome to my home
I don’t get too many guests
And I don’t understand just why
But it’s their loss, I guess
“Compassion and Kindness” is a reminder that the smallest acts can carry the greatest weight. A smile, a gentle word, a helping hand, or simply taking time to notice someone can change the course of a difficult day. The poem encourages us to choose kindness on purpose—and trust that even one caring moment can ripple farther than we may ever know.
Compassion and Kindness
Compassion and kindness
Two words we’ve heard before
Sometimes we use them
Sometimes they mean more
Put into action
As we live our lives each day
Can make someone happy
As we go along our way
A smile or a nod of our head
Maybe a gentle, “How are you?”
Can perk up the saddest face
And change someone from feeling blue
It’s easy to be kind and compassionate
Because it’s what we’d like to have
And we only get what we give in life
So I’ll choose kindness over sad
Sometimes life can be difficult
And we have to make a choice
To stay in our funk and suffer
Or find our giving voice
So I urge you to do just one thing today
To give kindness and compassion a try
And who knows what might happen
You might just spread that sparkle in your eye
Senses is a reflective poem about the precious gift of experiencing life through sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Through tender memories—like the birth of a child, the words “I love you,” a mother’s touch, the smell of rain, and the taste of pumpkin pie—it reminds us how deeply the simplest moments can shape our hearts. It is a gentle meditation on gratitude, memory, and the everyday wonders that make life so meaningful.
Senses
If I could see just one thing
And then my eyes were through
If one sound was all I got to hear
And then hear nothing new
If just one touch was all I got
Then feeling gone for good
If just one taste was all there was
No matter how wonderful the food
Finally, if just one smell was all I had
That wafted to my nose
And then my nose shut down for good
No matter how fragrant the rose
So, if I only got to see one thing
There would be no surprise
It would be the birth of my dear child
While tears flowed from my eyes
I think the sound I’d love the most
In all my many years
Would be the words, “I love you,”
Whispered softly in my ear
The touch I think that meant the most
The one I miss so much
Is the warm, soft and loving hands
Of my mother’s touch
So many things have smelled so good
But if I only got just one
It would be the smell after a springtime rain
As the clouds were parted by the sun
The taste that I would love the most
If I truly got just one
I think would be a slice of pumpkin pie
After the holiday meal was done
Everyone has their favorites
And you’d have yours as well
All would be so different
It’s just a thought for you to dwell
How blessed we are to experience this gift of life
To see, hear, taste, smell and touch
It makes life here on this ole Earth
A joy we all love so much