To Cathy

The silent cry of the aborted child
Hangs heavily in the air
With the agonizing cry of a three year old
Who thinks nobody cares
And the heart-broken cry of a momma
That the skeloton in the closet
Will soon be swept away
And she cries again for the laws of man
Who have put her baby there
She wonders why money talks louder
Than all her love and care
And why there is no justice
In a land that's supposed to be free
But the law sells its soul
For a pot of gold
And Lady Liberty cries.

Walk Beside Me

I do not want to follow you
Perhaps you walk too slow
Or you might choose the higher path
While I might seek the low
Perhaps our paths might split somehow
And we might drift apart
No, I do not want to follow you
I'll say before we start.

I do not want to take the lead
For on the lead depends
The safety of the ones you love
The fate of your dear friends
No, I do not want to walk in front
For I might lose the way
Just one mistake could haunt my life
Until my dying day.

But I would love to walk with you
Together you and I
Could see the morning awakening
Could watch the night birds fly
Together we could face the world
And all that it portends
If you walk beside me
And simply be my friend.

Walk With Me

Come walk with me awhile today
I think I need a friend
Who understands my silence
But who will hold my hand
I need someone who will listen
If I feel the need to talk
I need someone beside me
If I only want to walk
I need your broad strong shoulder
To lean on if I cry
I need your arms to pick me
and give me strength to try
I know I ask a lot of you
But I hope you understand
Come walk with me awhile today I know I need a friend

The Child I Gave Away

I stand by the gate to the playground
just to watch her play
That little girl in ruffled dress
so happy here today
I watch her kiss another's cheek
Hear her call that other mom
And know I never told her
In these lonely aching arms
I come here every morning
to watch her at her play
And pray she never learns
Shes the child I gave away.

For Annie

When sunlight streams in
Through your window
To play on the floor in your room
You can see a new day dawning
You can think of no reason for gloom
The dew that has watered the grasses
Has left a blush on the rose
Today you have time to enjoy
A beautiful flower as it grows
Stop just awhile in your hurry
To gaze at the stones at your feet
Then I listen awhile to the songbird
As it sings it's song so sweet
And linger to see the sunset
Tell you your day is complete
Time lays all the cares you had carried
In a neat little pile at your feet
For you see you have no time to worry
Gather your gold on your way
The gold you have in friendships
Of those who surround you today
And though we will miss you greatly
We are happy to be here today
To share with you a milestone
HAPPY RETIREMENT TODAY!