NIRVANINA
“Will you walk with me for a while?”
Those dark eyes smiled
And called to me
My head and hand said yes,
But time will be the test
Of what our hearts will let us be
Roads and rails and tides
Can’t erase this lonely distance we can’t hide
We live and laugh and kiss
But something is amiss
Too little time and too much pride
Our dream is bright
A full moon in a night of shining stars
That thrill our eyes
Until the morning light
New days will dawn
Though I know, this loss will haunt us ‘til we’re free
My journey with you takes me back to me.
SNAPSHOTS
Whirlwind vacations
In the station wagon
Slide shows, Super 8’s
Camping at the Canyon
Compact education
Sing, think, pull your weight
Red and yellow t-shirts,
Beach balls, miniskirts
Holiday portraits made you proud
You showed me how to show up
Not how to grow up
Never allowed to get loud
So many snapshots
Petticoats and polka dots
Rows of forget-me-nots
But I never knew the true you
You guided me through cold caves
And lifted me above the waves
Holding me a little too tight
We laughed at spooky movies
No Polaroids or Fujis
And you vanished every Thursday night
So many snapshots
Tang and tater tots
Proms and parking lots
But I never knew the true you
Taking our Kodak grins
For a final spin
We knew there’d come a day
Now I’m ready to fly
With you standing by
Waving as I walk away
Thank you for the snapshots
Petticoats and polka dots
I’ll keep those forget-me-nots
But I wish I knew the true you.
OKEMAH
I was born in Okemah
Now I’m passing through
Dusty Oklahoma
Filling my old soul with memories of you
Settle down, they told me
You can’t change mankind
But no walls can hold me
I gotta follow the dreams in my mind
Four wheels to carry me
Hard highways call
To gray infinity
Blue skies will come and go
I know I’ll rest in Okemah
When my soul is worn
Trusty Oklahoma
Love you or leave you, my destiny’s torn.
TAIWAN PIJIO
Where am I, who are we?
Have some bubble tea
Taipei 101
Pingtung Kaohsiung “wo shang heuh”
Taiwan Pijio
Incense smoke fumes
Cats in costumes
A cappella bands
Young fans clap hands “wo shang heuh”
Taiwan Pijio
Plastic trinkets
Bright night markets
Organized kindness
Rice for breakfast “wo shang heuh”
Taiwan Pijio, Taiwan Pijio, Taiwan Pijio
WOMAN IN THE MOON
Millions of miles away
From where we started
Is where you are
Some journeys short, some long
And some uncharted
Among the stars
As a midwestern girl
You saw your life unfurl
Beyond the land, the air, the earth
Then NASA opened a door
Where no woman had gone before
To lead and lift off
No mentor to look up to
But you looked up
And played a different tune
The woman in the moon
Six months above the blue
You traded space for space
And cut your hair, slept in the air
In a white suit, no tie
You took your walks outside
On floating footsteps
New beauty we all shall find
You’ve touched our minds
We hope to join you soon
The woman in the moon.