Footsteps On The Staircase.

Hearing footsteps on the staircase
a young boy is silent in his room,
only moonlight from the window
brightens the darkness and gloom.
His heart beats fast, fear increases
as an angry father opens the door,
staggering drunkenly towards him
to inflict violent cruelty once more.

Join the ice cream army, as they head off to the coast
In the stationary traffic, they sit there and they roast
By the time that they arrive, the day is nearly done
Join the ice cream army as they race to catch some sun

Join the ice cream army, sitting safely on the sands
Lazing in their deckchairs with their sundaes in their hands
Basking in the sunshine, laying like they’re dead
See the ice cream army, watch them all turn red

When everyone wore a fedora
And smoked fifty dollar cigars
Ate in the finest of restaurants
Mixed with the brightest of stars

When life was a little bit gentler
With tennis and tea on the lawn
And everyone dressed up for dinner
Then went out to samba till dawn

When today was once tomorrow
When the future seemed so bright and clear
When life was packed full of adventure
How I wish that those days were still here

It was out in Venezuela when I ran into this sailor
He was sitting at the bar, right next to me
He was rugged he was mean and he wasn’t very clean
But I listened when he spoke about the sea

There were stories there were tales, of the hunt for killer whales
When his leg was bitten off below the knee
How en route to Senegal they were shipwrecked in squall
He survived for sixteen weeks, tied to a tree

Like the deepest darkest chamber
Way below the castle wall
There’s no one to see the teardrops
There’s no one to hear you call
High above a light is shining
Is that laughter you can hear
People talking, people playing
While you’re petrified with fear
Though the cell is non existent
You have only you to blame
There’s no lock there are no bars
But, it holds you just the same

A silent white shadow
A ghost on the breeze
Adrift in the air
I sail through the trees
A phantom a spectre
I scare girls and boys
In the darkness of night
An uncanny noise
Their eyes wide and staring
They listen for me
Envisioning demons
Or ghostly banshee
I’m spooky I’m scary
And what’s more, to boot
I’m an owl I don’t care
I just don’t give a hoot

She can take you to nirvana
She can make a life worth living
She can show you all the pleasures
But she’s taking and not giving
For she’ll wake you in the morning
Rend the flesh from off the bone
She will tear your heart to pieces
She will leave you all alone
Then regaining all your senses
In the morning light you shiver
As you wade into the waters
Of some cold and icy river
And the current takes you down
And your drowning in you sorrow
But you fight to reach the surface

We can all spend a lifetime searching
Searching for that final piece
The part that makes us whole
That makes the pain of life
Disappear into nothingness
Imagine.
After a full life
Long after you have stopped seeking
That mystical something
Lands in your lap
Hits you in the face
Like a custard pie
Turns your whole life inside out
You hold it for one fleeting moment
Then, it vanishes in a puff of smoke
Poof! It’s gone forever
But now you know
You know what it was

I post this every year in tribute

Merry Christmas Mama

Merry Christmas mama
I'm sorry there's no tree
And I feel kind of bad
With no present to you from me

Merry Christmas mama
You should see the lights
They're so beautiful this year
All of them so bright

Merry Christmas mama
I'm blowing you a kiss
Trusting that an Angel
Will see it doesn't miss

Merry Christmas mama
From me, your youngest child
Clutching tight to memories
Of the many times you smiled

A sparkle from an eye,
As the other winks approval.
He sees you and is happy,
With all the work you do.

The festive spirit,
Lives inside of you.
Giving from your heart,
Is what it means to you.

Happy you are,
For family and friends.
Even of those,
From way back when.

The merry man's wink,
Is all you need.
Happy holidays to you,
Your whole life through!