New York winters are fun when you're a kid
Every season held a special feel
Some things you don't forget
Like blistering my fingers bailing hay at thirteen
On a farm where huckleberries grow
Early beginnings, lessons in life
No way of knowing how many pairs of gloves
I was ever going to need

Amused by the python, and countless others
Original humor in its best form
Shared laughter with a common thread
Soiled armor, run away, minkey
Laughter is a beautiful thing

Swam in the summer
Standing down from a perch
above the deck around the guarded water
that bordered the arena and courts
Eyes behind shades
Blocking the sun
Hiding the truth
Lost in a smile

Before the final flight
Time spent tending the bar
Across from friends
Mixing up memories
That go down smooth
And have an ever-lasting affect

The sign read leaving paradise
Entering New Jersey
Years of absorbing oils from waters on the edges of the land
The lack of eyes to help watch the way of the highways
Watch for hazards at every turn
Given every chance to fail
Misunderstood by a man with a corner office
It is this or that
There is always the door
Misjudged by the judge
Honest and loyal until the end
Dedication lost for good
Find the truth
Let the wrongdoers feel remorse
Now my sun rises in the tropics

06/27/2004