Dark Matter

The ABCs of
Dealing With The Times
By GC SMITH

Always and forever
Be wary of
Candy from strangers

Dirty thoughts
Evil designs
Foment in bad minds

God awful things
Horrible happenings
Invariably result

Juveniles trust
Knowing nothing
Leastwise not much

Mothers worry
Nastiness abounds
Optimism fades

Pedophiles lurk
Quaint lies from their lips
Rotten perverts

Sad state
Today’s concerns
Utterly sad

Veritable prison
Where one is locked
Xanadu it’s not

Yet there’s hope;
Zip guns I think

Memorial Day

Parris Island South Carolina

I played golf yesterday on Parris Island
yup, the east coast Marine training depot
and I thought as I drove the dimpled ball
about those kids who will graduate this day

Every Friday new minted Marines
molded by a Drill Sergeant’s words and deeds
stand at attention at graduation ceremonies
while proud Moms and Dads look on

I’m comfortable in my retirement days
while these kids get to look forward to Iraq
I spend my days hitting golf balls, drinking beer
while young Marines dodge bombs and bullets

Sometimes I think old guys
like me should fight wars;
the kids should stay at home
to play golf and live life

___________________________________

BLUE ANGELS

Thunder rumbles,
greased lightning flashes,
the Blue Angels fly by
in the Lowcounrty sky

Precision flying,
inches between blue F-18s
as wingtip to wingtip
they come to formation

Barrel rolls and Immellman circles,
now some wing over wing flips as
planes climb toward the heavens,
as they plunge toward the earth

Salute the great fliers
who bring us this show;
amazing those daredevils
up there in the air

Marines should be thanked,
they sponsor this show;
but then we should honor
all that Marines do

Honor the Navy folk
and those in the Army
and also the Air force
they command our respect

They are brave men and women
who are sent to far places
to face myriad dangers
not known to civilians

So stand up and salute
those in the Armed Forces;
they do what they must
while we're safe at home

_____________________________

Memorial Day

We called it decoration day
We’d decorate the graves
Of those brave soldiers
Who never made it back

They went off innocent
They fought our wars
And they never asked
A single thing of us

They braved jungles
They crossed deserts
They took each day
One step at a time

We must not forget them
As we fire up our grills
Pop tops from cold ones
As we celebrate the day.

They braved hardships
Suffered unbearable heat
Fought frost bite cold
Endured mud and vermin

Do not forget their terror
Their watching buddies die
Their seeing suppurating wounds
Their knowing of shattered minds

Now it’s Memorial Day
We must remember those
Brave soldiers who returned and
Those who didn’t make it home

~GC SMITH

Fun in Mexico

Spring Break

The gal in turquoise assesses:
the drunk guy has an itty-bitty package
so she decides she'll pass him by

My plastic boobs are sexy hot
says the narcissistic blond in black,
she'll forego boozed up guys, play with herself

And tangerine shirt is telling whopper lies,
of course, t-shirt gal didn't do any of what he says
but blue shirt wishes fervently to believe

Ah, sweet youth, it's flown
but that's more than okay because
back in my day there was no spring break

~GC SMITH

Guilt -- Redemption

Unforgiven -- Unconcerned
By GC SMITH

One life to live
that's what I know
it's there to do
so I do it, and you?

Maybe you wouldn't
but it is what I've done
I don't look back
I don't worry it none

Guilty conscience,
ha, not a little bit
I've lived, I've done
I'd damn well do again

Redeemed
hell no, I think not
I did it; it's history
I had me some fun

Yippie-yi-ki-ay

Dreamin’ of Woman
By GC SMITH

It’s pure goddamn misery
out here riding the range
eatin’ trail-herd dust clouds
day dreamin’ 'bout strange

Long corn silk blonde tresses,
clear eyes, brightest blue;
one dazzling sweet smile
makes all lies ring true

A deep soft feather bed
plump pillows of down
instead of this bedroll
laid out on cold ground

Day dreams and night dreams
keep this lone drover sane
on the trail movin' beeves
across the nation’s vast plain

Dreamin’ of a sweet woman
that’s no trail hand joke
‘cause when the drive is done
there'll be bucks in my poke

I'll wine her and dine her
bedeck her in fine silks
with rings for her fingers
then I'll have her foe mine

It's dreams such as this,
a cowpoke's lonely game,
passin' time on the trail
keepin' mind fairly sane

Gone

Of A Temporary Nature
By GC SMITH

it doesn’t matter a bit
what you hold dear
it won’t mean a thing
in a few short years
‘cause whatever it is
it will disappear

It won’t matter
wealth or youth
a fine tuned mind
they’ll all be gone
no remains
it's a matter of time

You may think
everything is solid
that it’s all planted firm
but you’ll be fooled
‘cause very soon now
it’ll all fly by

Poof, vanished
disappeared --gone
vapor now,
maybe not fair
but all now
up in thin air

Is there a way
to beat the odds
to keep what’s dear;
well perhaps, we can live a lie
but when it comes down to it,
why care, we’ll die

Mothers Day

Risked
by GC SMITH

she bit the apple
was it the forbidden fruit
her future will tell

______________________

Mothers
by GC SMITH

They come
in all shapes,
sizes, demeanors;
not all
are Hallmark
Hall of Famers

Some Mothers
are
good ones
other's
are horrors

We don't get to
pick them;
sometimes
we get lucky;
sometimes ...

Childhood Home

Fifty Nine Vulcan Street
by GC SMITH

It wasn't much
it sagged a bit
plaster was cracked
paint peeled in places

The kitchen table
chrome and formica
held many a thanksgiving turkey
and many a raucous card game

My bedroom had the attic way
up there Christmas cookies were stored
I'd sneak up that creaky old stairway
to steal treats to munch under covers

A poorly built old building
devastated by floods from a hurricane
it was all the home my folks had
so we rebuilt it with hammers and sweat

Cherchez la femme

What did she do?
by GC SMITH

For sure I know
what she just did
I think I know exactly
why she did the deed
She didn't make a secret
of it, she did it, yes indeed, she
brazenly did it right before my eyes
She did it in the plain light of the day
where all the world's witnesses could see
Did she have a motive for the rotten crime
no, not a single one that I could understand
And exactly how she did the dastardly deed
was by far the most frightful thing, you know
But what, but what did she do, you may ask of me;
well reader, I'll simply leave the finding out to you