John Yaws

We built on a solid foundation of lies-
And then it all crumbled, much to our surprise.
I know that I loved you, no doubt you loved me-
But the dreams we were building just never could be.
...

I guess the most effective-
Of writers, great are small.
Is the one who is objective..
Like a "fly upon the wall".
...

When the rose of romance withers,
And the heart is sere and dry-
And you gaze upon the wreckage-
Of your life and wonder why…
...

I find as I grow older-
I often contemplate-
My foolish past decisions,
My days of tempting fate.
...

I thought I wanted to Fortune-
Then I thought I wanted fame,
For everyone to know me-
My accomplishments proclaim.
...

It is the time of year, I guess-
When folks start thinking back.
Evaluating lives they've lived,
A way of keeping track.
...

You see me here, a derelict-
Not much to see it's true.
But once my lad, I too was clad
And better far than you.
...

The wretched poet sits and sighs-
And feels onset of his demise,
The words won't come, the thoughts are gone
What can he do but sit and moan?
...

I ask myself more often-
With every passing year...
The point of my existence,
What am I doing here?
...

All the world's a stage-
Is what Sir William said,
I guess that every actor
Approaches it with dread.
...

It is a different kind of lonely-
You encounter as you age.
All the scars and wrinkles on me-
Are the type on my front page.
...

"Do you love me? " was your question-
In the middle of the night-
"Why, my dear, how could you doubt it? "
Was my frivolous reply.
...

They tell me I am jaded- Dreams long ago have faded...
Of what most people call the normal life.
A job, a home, a family; it seems are not for me
I guess I've made a stranger of my wife.
...

Ah, here's to Robert, King of Scots-
Whose rhyme surpassed them all..
So lightly from his silver tongue
Did weighty matters fall.
...

"Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing..."
Or words to that effect-
How well I understand that wish
When striving to perfect-
...

If I could make my pen a brush-
Express myself in art
I'd paint the breadth of human mind,
The depth of human heart.
...

They say that you can measure age-
By the way you feel.
That growing old is optional,
That old age isn't real…
...

I looked into the mirror just this morning-
To my surprise a stranger stared at me.
A man as hard and scarred as any warrior
I wondered to myself, "who could this be? "
...

I still recall, when, as a child,
I dreamed of grown-up things.
Then after I discovered books-
My fancy did take wings.
...

I just called you up to tell you-
I don't love you anymore.
I'll make it fine without you,
Just the way I did before.
...