Poetry
I am not someone who makes time for reading or writing poetry very often in my life, but I have done both. I achieved my goal of passing the Intro to Poetry course I took in college. I enjoyed learning about it, reading it, hearing it read aloud, reading it aloud, and writing it. I wrote a lot of poems in a spiral-bound notebook that were reviewed by the professor who deemed them worthy of a passing grade, and then I lost them somehow soon after college. Since then, I've bought a few books containing poems that I enjoyed reading. For example, "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams is memorable to me, and "The Essential Poems" by Jim Harrison was money well spent.
As a professional technical writer for a few decades, I've written tens of thousands of pages of how-to information intended to help people use software. It's really boring and I don't enjoy it at all, but I'm good at it, and it pays the bills. Perhaps as a result of this, I crave writing something that is more creative, and since I am a self-taught guitar player, it was natural for me to also become a self-taught songwriter. My typical approach is to write the lyrics first before the music. The types of songs I write are not serious or complicated high art music. I theorize that serious poetry fans probably get into the more serious types of music like classical and jazz, and would be less likely to enjoy the simple, low art acoustic rock music that I write.
I've also written what I think are poems, but definitely not serious literature. Sometimes I set out to write a poem that evolves into a song, while at other times I set out to write a song that evolves into a poem. Either approach is probably ill-advised by the experts. Some academics think song lyrics can be poetry, and that Bob Dylan deserved the Nobel prize, but I suspect most do not. English professor types might argue the poems I've chosen to share below do not qualify, but I don't care what they think.
Sometimes I just feel compelled to start typing some words in an electronic document on my computer. Sometimes those words become a blog post, sometimes they become song lyrics, and sometimes I conclude they are best if read in silence without any music. Well, you could have some music on in the background as you read these, and that would be fine with me.
C'est La Vie
by Scott Cooley on 11/1/2018
All I had to do was show up, but I didn't go
We were supposed to meet, but I left you alone
I can't say why I couldn't bring myself to you
At the last minute, I just didn't know what to do
So I retreated and felt defeated even though
I knew it was wrong as my spirits sank low
I let it keep me stuck in the snow
Frozen in my tracks and feeling blue
Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy, c'est la vie
With no chance for our relationship to grow
I found myself wanting to let you know
But I couldn't think of any excuse to use
So I never called to explain it to you
Time has passed, but it's been painfully slow
Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy, c'est la vie
Thanks For The Bark
by Scott Cooley on 5/25/2016
When my dog hears other dogs bark in the distance at night
He barks back to them to let them know they're not alone
If I could speak for my dog, I wonder what I'd say?
If I could translate, what would the other dogs say back?
I hear you, hear me too, you heard me back, we're not alone
We're living lives nearby, yours must not be so different than mine
Obviously, they let you out regularly, just like me
And back in, too, but don't you ever wish we were free?
Who are you? How are you? I remember your bark now.
Are you being treated well these days? Is your life ok?
Mine could be better, but at least I've been let out...again
Life's hard sometimes isn't it? Do you think we have it easy?
My people talk to me, but it's not the same as talking to you
They don't always know what I want, but my people love me
I guess I'm happy, and I can tell from your bark you're happy too
Do your people make you feel better when you're down?
Do they go away and leave you, and do you sleep a lot too?
Do they let you do the things you want to do?
Yep, same here. I'm always happy when they come home...
So I won't be alone. Are you in a similar boat?
Wish they would let us play together, be around each other more
Glad we could bark this out together, glad we're not crazy
Are they slow to let you out, slow to let you in? me too
How's the food? food meant for us, not bad, their food, better!
Me too. Do they not walk you enough? me too.
I hear you, you hear me, even though we're trapped, it's not so bad
In those barks, is confirmation, complaints and comparison
I hear you, you hear me, maybe we're not trapped, it's not so bad
Wouldn't you be glad if you were free to roam free? me too, me three
We're in this world together, aren't we? with similar dreams
Dreams of roaming free, but maybe we'd get tired and hungry and cold
We'd need to eat, and how would we find food?
We'd need to sleep eventually, but how could we feel safe?
Maybe we've got it made already, maybe we're lucky
In this small world together, neighbors with homes and people
People who love us, feed us, let us sleep in a warm, safe place
These things we have in common, don't we? yes, we do
Life is good, isn't it? life is good, thanks for the bark, good night
The Candle
By Scott R. Cooley (written Jan. ’00)
When you lit the wick, the flame flickered in the wind
Light casting shadows on the wall that danced through halls that were dim
Spirits from the afterlife matched their wits with our world’s form
Reminding us that life goes on when we die as replacement lives are born
As the wax melted and dripped, you dipped your finger tip in
You felt alive as it burned then turned to solid again on your skin
Like souls re-shaped and recycled, yet the balance forever changed
Fire in the Earth’s core will make everything new again
And when the candle was no more, its lifetime came to a close
You thought of people making a difference, and that’s the way it goes
The moment that you’ve shared your thoughts, the world’s a better place
And like the warmth and beauty of that candle, you’ve put a smile on someone’s face
Smash the TVs
By Scott R. Cooley, completed on Tuesday, February 12, 2007
BRIGHT LIGHT SHINES ACROSS THE HORIZON, AS THE MORNING SUN IS SLOWLY RISIN'
THE WEAPONS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE, ARE SCATTERED ALL ACROSS THE FLOOR
WE WONDER WHY AS WE CLOSE THE DOOR, WE'RE OFF TO FIND OUR MINDS
GORY SCENES FLASH IN AND OUT, LIKE MOVING NIGHTMARE DREAMS OF DOUBT
HALF-ASLEEP AND HALF-KNOCKED OUT, THESE MOVIE SCREENS THEY MAKE ME SHOUT
THAT WAS THEN AND THIS IS NOW, GOTTA PUT THE PAST BEHIND
AND AS WE GET INTO THE CAR, HIGH IN THE SKY A SINGLE STAR
REALITY IS SETTING IN, YOU’RE IN A RACE YOU’LL NEVER WIN
YOU TRY TO SHIFT GEARS, BUT ALL THEY DO IS GRIND
GOTTA DRIVE AWAY FROM THIS ELECTRIC HELL, GET BACK TO WILD NATURE SMELLS
SMASH THE TVs AND OPEN THE BLINDS
THEY WANT TO KEEP US DRUGGED, KEEP US FAT, MAKE US LABORATORY RATS
FEED US FULL OF IDLE CHAT, UNTIL WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT
LIKE ZOMBIES ALL WE ARE IS LIVING DEAD
NEVER KNOWING HOW TO CARE, NEVER NEED TO BREATHE FRESH AIR
NEVER FREE TO SAY A PRAYER, WITH NO CREATIVE THOUGHTS TO SHARE
IT'S NOT FAIR TO BE HANGING BY A THREAD
WE'RE PUPPETS FOR A SICK REGIME, WITHOUT A CHECK THEY REIGN SUPREME
THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD IS GONE, BUT A DAY LIKE NO OTHER HAS DAWNED
SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE IS BLOODSHED
AND IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO THE WAYS OF OLD, TIME TO WAKE UP AND FACE THE COLD
SMASH THE TVs, AND GET OUT OF BED
SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE A STAND, FIND A WAY TO LIVE OFF THE LAND
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU KNOW IS TRUE, DON'T BE AFRAID TO START ANEW
WHEN YOUR LEADERS HAVE TOLD YOU NOTHING BUT LIES
WE REMIND OURSELVES OF ALL THESE THINGS, SO WE DON'T FORGET TO LAUGH AND SING
WHEN ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS QUIT, AIN’T IT TIME YOU FOUND A BETTER FIT
LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE
FIND A PLACE WHERE YOU BELONG, WHERE YOUR NEIGHBORS ALL SING THE SAME SONGS
IF ITS SOMETHING THAT YOUR HEART BELIEVES, ITS SOMETHING THAT YOUR MIND CONCEIVES
USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE, AND YOUR PRIDE
WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AROUND, SOON YOUR SPIRITS WILL RISE FROM THE GROUND
SMASH THE TVs, BEFORE YOU DIE
SMASH THE TVs, AND GET A LIFE
Driftwood on the Beach
By Scott Cooley, July 9th, 2006
Driftwood on the beach, I wonder where you've been
You were once part of a living tree, but you’ve long since been dead
Did lightning make you fall off a limb, then get lifted by the wind
Did you make a big splash, did you crash or break or spin
Did a tornado drop you off miles from where you once grew
From stream to river to lake, were you once part of a canoe
You came in with the tide, once water logged and slimy
Now you’ve dried out in the wind under the sun that’s been shining
Maybe on some other sunny day a thousand years from now
You’ll become petrified like the rocks I find spread all around
And maybe in a million more, you’ll be scattered grains of sand
Like the ones you’re nestled in now, right here where I stand
I could pick you up and keep you, maybe start a new collection
Maybe your relatives will float along and I’ll attempt a resurrection
I could use you to make furniture, or perhaps a work of art
But you look so good just where you are, I don’t think I’d have the heart
Your reflection in the water sure does paint a pretty picture
Your travels must have been as slow as reading scripture
And as I stare at you and ponder the places you might’ve been
I can’t help but wonder all about the how and the when
No cross section rings could ever begin to tell your story
So I’ll simply let you be right here in all your natural glory
I’ll resist temptation, and spare you the pick up and toss
Driftwood on the beach, I’m glad our paths did cross
Head's An Antenna
by Scott Cooley, Wednesday, July 14, 2004
They say I've got night terror, but I don't remember much
Sit up in the bed, screamin' and such
I don't know why it happens, don't know why I've got another language all my own
I speak to myself with, in my mind, when I'm alone
They say I speak it in my sleep, and sometimes I sleep walk around
Sometimes it's quiet, sometimes it's loud
Other dimensions, untapped potential
The mind's existence in a life transcendental
After I die maybe I'll get the answers, but for now I do what I can
Could be I'm a zombie, could be I'm an alien man
Every now and then I get this mood that's intense - Is it creative? I don't know
Other people's words flow through me, Like I'm writin' down a script from a live show
I get in this frame of mind that puts words in my head
People talkin' to each other, could they be dead?
I won't know unless they tell me, but they never do
Sometimes I tune in or out, sometimes they're stuck there like glue
Could I be pickin' up waves, signals from cell phones
My head's an antenna, for regular folks callin' their homes
Could I be pickin' up waves, radio or TV?
Is it even possible, or is it just me?
I know they're real, I hear the voices so clear,
I could probably type out what they say, the conversations I hear
They never talk to me, so I guess that's cool
Is this a special gift, is this a special tool?
Could I use it to be a spy, can anyone else do the same?
Maybe I'll post up a web site, get a host and a name
Maybe they're ghosts in purgatory, waitin' to be free
Maybe they don't know their fate, maybe they listen to me
Well, the moral of this story is don't spend too much time alone
Move out to the country, make the wilderness your home
Get out of the way of the waves with the voices
I'd do it myself, if I was prepared to make those choices
But for now I'm immobile, and all I can do is my best
To listen to music, talk to people, and hope I'm not possessed
For Lucky
by Lenore & Scott Cooley - March '09
Every day when we come home, he greets us at the door.
Toy in mouth, waggin’ tail, as he melts down on the floor.
“Scratch my belly, please,” he says, as we comply with a smile,
Then he wants to go outside and run a country mile!
He’s the king of our back yard, keeping the critters at bay,
No squirrels, no rabbits, and no raccoons, he chases them all away.
Sometimes he lies in waiting, staring up at a tree,
Waiting for a squirrel to descend so he can pounce with glee.
He’s come so close a million times, with the squirrel just inches away,
But he never lets it get him down, he’s back again each day!
At night when we go to sleep, he jumps up on the bed,
He nestles in between us, on our pillow he lays his head.
He has a ton of Lucky toys, and carries them wherever he goes,
He even has one who looks like him, and he loves to bite his nose!
Hair, hair, everywhere, but he’s worth it, I must say,
We just keep rollin’ it off our clothes every single day!
Household chores aren’t so bad with Lucky by our side,
Lots to do and Lucky is glad to come along for the ride.
Speaking of ride, he loves…loves…loves!! to ride along in the car,
Head out the window, flappin’ ears, he feels like a movie star!
But I think Lucky is happiest when it’s just us three,
Hanging out watching him shake up his toy, Scottie, our Lucky, and me.
A Battle Won
By Scott Cooley 3/31/2004
You're gonna remember the last mistake I made
You're gonna remember all the other ones too
You're gonna believe all the dirt they dug up on me
You're gonna believe all the mud they slung at me too
And when I'm down on the ground you're gonna kick me all around
You'll say I'm a disgrace and then you'll rub my nose in
You'll get everyone else to jump on your band wagon and jam pile on top
You'll all stomp me dead, then stop and celebrate your win
And everyone will say you did the right thing
They'll all be on your side and be ready to sing
But my voice will ring in your ears forever more
Things I said instead of the ocean's roar
In every shell you hold up to your ear
My music the only thing you'll be able to hear
You'll live with what you did 'till the day you die
You'll try to forget and go on livin' a lie
All you'll see is me when you close your eyes
When you sleep you'll dream of all your lies
Over and over again never leaving your head
Your conscience will kill you slowly 'till your dead
An early victory won with deceit made you smug
An early grave for the loser you happily dug
It didn't concern you how the battle was won
You never thought winning could be so much fun
But now you'll never get pleasure from fun again
You'll only think of what could have been
But it's gonna eat away the crust of your very soul
Your Christmas presents will all look to you like lumps of coal
To fight fair and lose and die with dignity
Is something you'll never have, and so you'll never be free
My ghost will haunt you into eternity
So you'll know what it's like on the other end of mean
You may never give up, you may continue to win
But you'll always live knowing you lost from within
And every time you grin, the rest of the world will see
Just what a fool you've been, and what a fool you'll always be
A Toast For The Jolly Hostess
by Scott Cooley on 07/18/2007
Let's toast our jolly hostess, for she's the life of the party
Our palettes were parched and our appetites were hearty
Now we're full of good spirits, full from our feast
We're full of good beer and good cheer, to say the least
This merry group of revelers is festive and jesting
Our good fortune is such a beautiful blessing
So let's raise our glasses to the queen of this affair
May she take a break, take a drink and let down her hair !
Sleep
by Scott Cooley, sometime in about 1999
I never seem to have the time to do nothing long enough to do something
Seems like I’m always behind, it keeps me from the right state of mind
I get so close
Longing for that mood again, when I can really jam and be myself
I’m looking for a dream to paint a picture on some tape
Can anyone out there relate?
We compromise integrity out of necessity
Not alone enough
I just need everyone to go away, I need to be left alone to play
Work my way into a wired frenzy rush
Get my brain insane when my world is hush
Stay up late and ride the wave ‘till the break of day
And then in my bed I’ll lay wondering as I drift off to sleep
Was any of it good enough to keep?
God let me live to do it again
Cause the longer I live the closer I get
To the end
BAREFOOT
By Scott Cooley on Friday, June 11th, 2004
Barefoot, rustling through a pile of leaves in fall, crumbling, falling doesn’t hurt at all
Barefoot, dirt and bugs between my toes, hope they don’t get in my nose
Barefoot, sinking deep in powder snow in winter, trying not to get stuck, too cold
Barefoot, gotta rush back in, it’s gonna feel good to get warm again
Barefoot, through a puddle in the rain in spring, splashing, Dad’s wearin’ galoshes
Barefoot, walking across the river, slippery rocks, gotta make it home by dinner
Barefoot, tall green grass, sand in summer, dry or wet, memories I’ll never forget
Barefoot, hot asphalt pavement, eggs don’t really fry, got to fly across and I’m
Barefoot, feelin’ cool, wearin’ socks and shoes can be so cruel
Barefoot, give your feet a break, set them free, happier, try it and see
Barefoot, like a cave man, stompin’ grounds, jungle tribe, natural way to be
Barefoot, feelin’ the ground, lettin’ ‘em breathe, footloose and fancy free
Barefoot, danglin’ off the dock, a dip in the pool, no more stinky socks
Barefoot, testin’ the waters, ticklin’ the bottoms, runnin’ through the woods
Barefoot, soakin’ in the tub, hot water wash with soapy suds
Barefoot, getting’ a petticure, massage and rub, pampered for sure
Barefoot, life is good. Barefoot, the way we should. Barefoot, life is good.
Comforts Of Home and A Green Kitchen Phone
by Scott Cooley on 9/26/2014
In our avacado-green kitchen
There was a matching green phone
On a green formica table
In my first childhood home
The long cord fascinated me
As my Mom got things done
Cooking with it on her shoulder
Listening was fun
So efficient her movements
While she laughed with a friend
I didn't understand the conversations
As I drew pictures with a pen
But remembering how I felt
I knew I was learning little things
As I watched and listened and drew
Feeling the love only a mother brings
Safe with a place in this world
Where I could just be myself
Figuring out who I was
As she got bowls down off a shelf
Soon we'd have dinner
And Dad would be home too
Happy to see me
And ready for beef stew
I didn't mind her talking
And not paying attention to me
I was happy she was happy
I was comfortable and free