once upon a time
i began a simple rhyme
with no deeper thoughts in mind
just the urge to share in kind
and to fill a line or two
with things i think of things we do
every once in a long while
to amuse myself and make you smile
and so a Tale I Tell to you
to keep your thoughts from turning blue!

there was this man who lived a life
of constant anger and mental strife
he knew not how to find some peace
and went about all ill at ease
no friends he had of lovers few
he ran off everyone he knew
with his attitude and words so crude
his every day ended in mortal feud
with this man or that with dogs and cats
with thuggish crews and bus drivers too
a cloud of confusion followed him
and not a person called him friend
in fact each and every place he went
he caused distress and discontent
his aura disturbed the flora
to the fauna he was a primadonna
and yes i tell you this is true
this man was not like me or you!

until one day unlike the rest
this poor soul to his God confessed
he knelt down low and bent his head
and prayed aloud then went to bed
when he awoke the world had changed
he thought he'd died or gone insane
the sky was purple instead of blue
instead of one sun there were two
the trees sang aloud in perfect tune
such lovely melodies they did croon
he walked about no longer in doubt
that he was loopy like a deadhead groupy
but to his ultimate chagrin
he found he had to make amends
to those he'd hurt with his mental cruelty
he pledged himself in perpetuity
the only thing he had to share
was the fact that he now cared
and if he could do it all again
he'd do what he must to make a friend
no matter the cost to his sense of self
he realized love was the one true wealth
so when the night fell he was spent
thinking about the places he'd went
all through that crazy maze-like day
and what he'd found along the way
he'd found himself i hope you know
into a new man he did grow
and when he woke upon the morn
his former self he surely scorned!

the moral to this Tale I Tell
is that your self you must know well
we must realize the consequences
when we build those mental fences
that keep others out and our true selves in
these situations we cannot win
this man was changed in every way
and i promise you that to this day
whenever he ventures into the hood
he concentrates only upon the good
he credits God with his change of heart
and for the chance of a new start
more of us should have such luck
but with our karma we are stuck
living life paying for what we've done
there are no secrets under the sun!

once upon a time
when i began this simple rhyme
no destiny had i in mind
though this story i did find
i hope that it is in good taste
for your time i would not waste
and so i leave you once again
if you don't mind i'll call you friend
and spend a thought or two on you
or three or four on your thuggish crew
off to sleep i go once more
with my eye upon the door
for if i wake and the sky ain't blue
then not a word i've said is true !