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Listen To Hot Black Coffee And A Cigarette

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Hot Black Coffee and a Cigarette

A thousand demos a day

All I can do is pray

When I rock and roll

It comes from the soul

I have sung them blues

Lived a life of bad news

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

How could life get better yet

Just enough to keep me going

Just enough to keep me growing

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

Looking for a soul to steal

The devil comes to make a deal

But I see through his disguise

Cause his words are only lies

The way Satan he function

He’ll take you to down to destruction

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

How could life get better yet

Just enough to keep me going

Just enough to keep me growing

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

Right now I’m below low

Up is the only way to go

Hitch hiking for a rocket

Only got three dollars in my pocket

But three will pay the toll

On the highway of Rock and Roll

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

How could life get better yet

Just enough to keep me going

Just enough to keep me growing

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

I see a light in the black night

I see a light burning green with delight

I hear a voice that always calls

I feel a hand that lifts as I fall

I may never make it to the top

But the truth is I’ll never stop

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

How could life get better yet

Just enough to keep me going

Just enough to keep me growing

Hot black coffee and a cigarette

Monday, April 28, 2025

My Decision an Excerpt from CAN I GET A WITNESS?

My Decision

Becoming a Christian was the best decision that I have ever made in my life. I want to show the dynamics of my conversion. Everybody’s decision of faith comes about differently but I am sure there are also similarities.

First and foremost I was convinced that Jesus Christ was the Son Of God. This conviction came solely from the reading of the Bible, in particular the New Testament. In fact I hadn’t even read the Old Testament when I was baptized. My friend Frank always liked to rave about a book he read called, “Lord, Lunatic or Liar.” I never read it but Frank may have given me a copy of it. The basic premise of the book is that if you dissect Jesus’ words there are only three conclusions that you can come to. That he is either the Lord or a lunatic or a liar. I believed He was the Lord.

Secondly Frank’s Bible studies taught me the plan of salvation at least in a primitive form. The study he shared with me was something he developed as an offshoot from his experience with the International Church of Christ. I can’t remember much of it. However I did discover a study when I was searching in the basement. I had to laugh at the simplicity. The study presented a scripture and then there was a question regarding the scriptures. Then four answers were presented making it multiple choice test. I recall reading a question, “When the Eunuch heard the gospel how did he respond?” One of the answers was to say the sinner’s prayer, another was of course baptism.

Frank also used the book of Joshua to help me understand the nature of the gospel. It just so happened that we were studying the book of Joshua in Bible study at the time. In particular we talked about the walls of Jericho falling. God gave Israel what seemed to be some outrageous and illogical commands. They were to silently walk around the city day after day and then on the final day shout. Israel obeyed God’s command and they were successful. The principle is that if God commands you to do it then we are to obey, even though it doesn’t make sense. So getting immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, (Acts 2:38) might not make sense to us but it is what the Bible teaches. Now I understand that at baptism we join Jesus on the cross and the blood washes us from our sins, Romans 6. (We will look at this in depth using scriptures.)

Thirdly I had a lot of people who were great Christian influences in my life. They were warm and accepting and showed me genuine Love. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this. If the Love wasn’t present I may not have accepted Christ.

I had announced to Frank that I had planned to hitchhike across the country. So what he did was teach two studies on one night. I believe it was a Thursday. As a result of the studies I was convicted that I needed to get baptized. My motivation was to get my business right with God and to do what He wanted in my life. I remember driving to Patty’s apartment who was Frank’s girlfriend at the time. I was praying with all my might that I wouldn’t die along the way. When I got to Patty’s the bathtub was full of water waiting for me. I was baptized.

Frank said something to the effect, “When you got baptized you shoulder wasn’t under but it doesn’t matter.” This statement always pricked at my heart from time to time. I certainly didn’t believe I wasn’t a Christian. My life had drastically changed for the better. However from time to time, the devil would torment me with those haunting words. Then I said to myself, ‘why are you being so foolish?’ I simply went into the water once more making sure I was completely buried in the water. Now all doubt is settled in my mind about my baptism.

Three important things happen at baptism. As we mentioned before one’s sins are forgiven and the new Christian receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38. The third is that the person is reborn and enters the kingdom of heaven, or the Church of Christ. “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God,” John 3:5. No matter what the age of the Christian they are a babe in Christ spiritually immature.

Babies of course must be treated with special care. If ever a Christian needed the love and the support of the congregation after baptism is the moment. The presence of a young Christian should make us use our tongue with care, especially when talking about others and church problems. A new Christina needs to be fed with milk and not meat. The Bible in Hebrews 6:1-2 defines what milk is. “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”

Even if you do your best to help a new Christian some are going to leave the faith, it is what scripture teaches. Luke 8 depicts the conversion process as planting seeds in four different soils. The first seed lands on the way side and there is no conversion. That is the person who doesn’t believe. The second falls on the rock. These people start to grow but have no root. They eventually fall away. The third group falls among thorns. These grow but are eventually choked by the cares and riches and pleasures in life. Only the last group consisting of those with a ‘good and honest heart’ hears the word and keeps it bringing fruit, so based on that if one out of three people remain faithful you are doing well.

Mind you that it is not your position to determine who is a genuine Christian and who is going to fall away. Some of the strongest Christians I know had a shaky start in their faith. Personally, several months after my baptism, I was committed to a psychiatric hospital. I am very glad not everybody gave up on me. Also you have to understand that not everybody in the church is a genuine Christian. Mathew 13 depicts the ‘kingdom of heaven’ as being full of wheat and tares. The wheat is the children of God and the tares are the children of the devil. Over time it may become evident as to which member is wheat and which member is a tare. People are known by their fruit. So we can go to Galatians chapter 5 and see the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Those who do evil are for the devil and those who do good are for God. But we are not to judge, that is Jesus job. We don’t know the heart. The parable of the ‘wheat and tares’ commands us to let them grow together. At the harvest, or Judgment Day they will be separated. The reason giving is that if we pull up some tares we might inadvertently pull up some wheat in the process. Also when wheat and tares are young they are indistinguishable in appearance when compared to the wheat. Best policy is Love everybody and hope for the best.

CAN I GET A WITNESS?

Folk Singer

You were sweetness with a guitar

A rising rage a shooting star

The rose is pretty with her thorn

We cannot chose the way we are born

Folk singer with a folk song

Doing right is never wrong

Keep on going be strong

Folk singer with a folk song

A war was raging the country afire

Peace and love such a worthy desire

In fighting history history was made

A pretty nickel you got paid

Folk singer with a folk song

Doing right is never wrong

Keep on going be strong

Folk singer with a folk song

Well the years they roll on by

We all laugh and we all cry

And there is an answer to ‘why?’

But they only tell you the grand lie

Folk singer with a folk song

Doing right is never wrong

Keep on going be strong

Folk singer with a folk song

The scenes change but the story stays

It is always the poor man who pays

Alas we all pass naked as we came

All this hate and killing is a shame

Folk singer with a folk song

Doing right is never wrong

Keep on going be strong

Folk singer with a folk song

Bells And Whistles Thorns And Thistles

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Crown Of Thorns

HAIL THE KING!!!

Cries the voluptuous blonde

Edgar’s lustful eyes gaze upon

Hail the king!

With pleasure those words sing

Edgar sits upon a throne of gold

What is your wish?

Asks the blonde with fire

Tell me your secret desire

Edgar smiles content

“Surrender” Edgar commands

The blonde beauty she understands

The i n t e n t

“But first” she does proclaim

A crown worthy of your fame

Trumpets BLAST in unison

Crowds cheer as if victory won

The blonde returns

Her face full of mocking scorn

In her hand a ‘crown of thorns’

“NO!” Edgar tries to resist

The beauty transforms to hideous beast

Slimy green skin and large sharp teeth

“NO!” Edgar does insist

The monster raises the symbol of pain

Edgar screams vain

“It was good enough for My Son”

Booms the voice of the Holy One

Passion Of The Born Again Poet

Poverty of the heart

A beating bankrupt mechanical machine

Void of the thrill of exhilarating art

Pumping the essence of mere meager existence

Always giving but never truly living

Until Love as a grand mystical force

Became the source

Born again torn when I came to discover

That life itself was my sensual lover

To capture the universe in radical rhythmic verse

I kissed the desire

Embraced the fire

My blessing synonymous to the ultimate curse

I wondered in deepest compassion

The plight of the poor

The wickedness of war

I sought to define my place in time and space

In capturing the muse I was caught

In liberation and liberating I was taught

All the answers seemed to fade into the wind

And I guilty of the greatest sin

Convicted of looking with a blind eye

And being deaf to the overwhelming cry

It was change or die

To embrace the truth and forsake the lie

The hammer had struck

Fragments flew in diverse directions

Miserable woes, too numerous to mention

But the solace of my manic misery

Was the undeniable truth

I was free

They may give me a barb wire crown

And crucify me in the darkness on the edge of town

Still I have the answer that the prophet's sought

And life now full of the

Passion Of The Born Again Poet

Would never again be for naught

Check Out Polished Fragments

Buddha

Buddha was a merry old fellow

His skin and teeth the same shade of yellow

The fat old man was thought to be wise

And the words he taught opened many eyes

Though some contend they were all lies

Statues of Buddha now abound

In some he’s thin and in others round

They are supposed to be a good luck charm

But I feel in fact that they do harm

For statues of stone or gold or tin

When they are worshipped it is a sin

Buddha in his glory may sit on many a throne

But for me I’ll leave Buddha alone

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Pink Hair Cowgirls

Sitting on a park bench reading to believe

The sun is slowly setting on Friday’s eve

Waving saying hello as neighbors pass by

There she was the glory of my story why

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Tell me I’m pretty I got plenty of pride

Smile child I’m on the wild side

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Long lovely legs strutting like pious prayer

Laughing into nothing like a breeze with no care

Fantasy flashes in the mind of an old man

Pink hair cowgirls are part of the master plan

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Tell me I’m pretty I got plenty of pride

Smile child I’m on the wild side

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

She rides wild unicorns over rainbow trails

Collecting coins of gold in overflowing pails

With a whisper she confesses her inner desire

Pink hair cowgirls the whole rodeo’s on fire

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Tell me I’m pretty I got plenty of pride

Smile child I’m on the wild side

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Double shots of whiskey feeling frisky

You got a lady but will you risk me?

Put a silver quarter in the jukebox machine

Select me a number of someone obscene

Yee Haw she cries out in the middle of the night

Yee Haw she cries out she’s feeling allright

I’ve got bills to pay I need me a hit song

Pink hair cowgirls they can’t do me no wrong

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Tell me I’m pretty I got plenty of pride

Smile child I’m on the wild side

Pink hair cowgirls they love to ride

Monday, April 21, 2025

A World Without Borders

I think therefore I see through my eyes

In the murky mist of geography

Not even second sight is right to see

Beyond the madness of myriad lies

There is this crap on the map

A soldier in camouflage green to attention will snap

Two huts serving as headquarters

Leaving lonely wives, sad sons and dismal daughters

But we must defend let’s pretend

For there is always the greater master plan

I can conquer the world oh YES I can

Even if I don’t have the soul of Hannibal, I have the goal

I will push the line

With broom or mop

I will not stop

On this modern page

Until they bomb us back into the Stone Age

Of course, I’ll be kicking back with the bankers

In Costa Rica

Or even Porto Rico

Though I don’t speeko Spanish

Or even Pig Latin

But I will fatten on the blubber of the innocent child

Lost in the whimsical wild

Who happens to transgress the longitude and latitude

With sincerest gratitude

The divine land mine explodes

And a cripple is born

While heaven is torn

Slowly dying

If there is a God, He is crying

I dream of a world without borders

Where generals give no orders

Imagine?

A world without sin

Can’t we start by having a heart

I’ll join the cause against unjust laws

I’ll do my part

A world without borders

I present it to you

May dreams come true!

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Carolyn

She was never tight for a Saturday night

But that was alright she was out of sight

In tender surrender such a slender delight

She gave it her all with all of her might

Carolyn so deep within

A sultry siren of sin

Carolyn give me a grin

Please please come again

Oh my darling Carolyn

Calling us names while playing drinking games

Carolyn wants to win she has no shames

The star of the party laughing with Marty

Carolyn gets good grades what a smarty

Carolyn so deep within

A sultry siren of sin

Carolyn give me a grin

Please please come again

Oh my darling Carolyn

Well girls are girls and boys are boys

Come on Carolyn lets go make some noise

At the institute we cherish forbidden fruit

There’s a long line to give her a salute

The wheel was in spin and so was Carolyn

In bed with Ted and then Mikey did win

A happy couple until the fire began to burn

Off went Carolyn to give another a turn

Carolyn so deep within

A sultry siren of sin

Carolyn give me a grin

Please please come again

Oh my darling Carolyn

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Ethan’s Song

I wish you the blue of heaven the glory of the sun’s fire

May your road always be even when you meet your desire

Riches may come your way but I pray your heart stays steadfast

That the treasures you truly treasure are the things that last

Ethan there are mysteries deep

Ethan there are nights void of sleep

Jesus loves you those are words to keep

Ethan there are mysteries deep

When the eagle first spreads its wings to fly the world opens wide

The finest things in life are the secrets they try to hide

Beyond the mountains are many places that you’ve never been

The gold always shines brightly but then again so does sin

Ethan there are mysteries deep

Ethan there are nights void of sleep

Jesus loves you those are words to keep

Ethan there are mysteries deep

The straight and narrow is the way that Jesus trod

The cruelty of the cross was an act of God

When you surrender everything you attain

And love I mean true love is never vain

Wine women and song these are the pleasures of life tempting sore

Take a sip from the golden chalice and you’ll be wanting more

Trouble will come the whole world dances to the devil’s drum

They promise heaven but at best they are comfortably numb

Ethan there are mysteries deep

Ethan there are nights void of sleep

Jesus loves you those are words to keep

Ethan there are mysteries deep

The Word of God always rings true but can a youth comprehend?

Every day you live takes you closer to the journey’s end

Poets dream of simple things that kings and queens could never attain

Don’t you know for flowers to grow they need sunshine and rain

Ethan there are mysteries deep

Ethan there are nights void of sleep

Jesus loves you those are words to keep

Ethan there are mysteries deep

Life’s Journey

Run, run, run

The race has begun

Grace

Will take you far

Faith too has its part

Let Love reign supreme

In your heart

Money, money, money

Is not the key

In life’s journey

Let it be told

Silver and gold

Will weigh you down

And forsake you when you are old

Abandon greed

Do a kind deed

To succeed

Remember to Love all

Great and small

Carry your cross

Trust in God

The Truth shall make you free

In life’s journey

Friday, April 18, 2025

Dragonflies Emerging From My Pond

From the nearly silent humming

I know they are coming

An event I find so fond

Dragonflies emerging from my pond

It is a sight

Of wonder and delight

Most majestic of the insects

I hold them in great respect

Their wings flapping fast

Gracious long green bodies

Resembling the behemoths of the past

One by one I see them rise

Until like stars they speckle the skies

Every time it captures my heart

Dragonflies emerging from my pond

It is God’s work of art

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Cold War Blues

Capitalism is marching dreaming of mammon

The depths of Africa are suffering from famine

The Russian bear wants to tear the world apart

Because communism exists in the core of his heart

There is a time you must pay your dues

Sitting in fear singing cold war blues

Insanity it comes in a myriad of hues

Angel of death bringing cold war blues

You’re damned if you don’t and you’re damned if you do

There’s going to be a battle to divide the world into two

And all I want to do is sing my songs of peace

May God brings us the love to make all this hatred cease

There is a time you must pay your dues

Sitting in fear singing cold war blues

Insanity it comes in a myriad of hues

Angel of death bringing cold war blues

I’m leaving on a jet airplane

Gotta go or I’ll go insane

Off to America the land of the free

Off to America and opportunity

Fair well Uganda fair well

About my future who can tell?

It may be heaven it may be hell

Fair well Uganda fair well

Nuclear stalemate terrorizes the strongest of men

It seems that Armageddon is coming round again

When will we learn the lessons of a love pure?

When will we be able to sleep in a place secure?

There is a time you must pay your dues

Sitting in fear singing cold war blues

Insanity it comes in a myriad of hues

Angel of death bringing cold war blues

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

You Me and our Melody

I saw you in the muted light

You were such a dazzling sight

Something told me here’s your chance

So I asked you for a dance

You and me and our melody

We are dancing, dancing free

Life is wonderful fantasy

You and me and our melody

Well you swayed lightly on your feet

And your perfume was exquisitely sweet

I though my God what did I do

To meet someone as fine as you

You and me and our melody

We are dancing, dancing free

Life is wonderful fantasy

You and me and our melody

Well time has passed it’s been ten years

We shared some laughter we shared some tears

And ever since the night we met

I have not had one single regret

And I’m a proud as a man can be

Of our lovely daughter Melody

You and me and our melody

We are dancing, dancing free

Life is wonderful fantasy

You and me and our melody

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

There Are Many Herods

There are many Herods

Yes indeed

There are many Herods

Poisoned with greed

They are an envious lot

Best to be forgot

Longing for the sky

Coveting God’s throne on high

From the stars

Dealing scars

See the children die

The moan of the drone

Flesh burned off the bone

A smell of hell

Nothing is well

These many Herods

They are not near

To hear the desperate cry

These many Herods

Living a lie

They have no fear

As they are a world away

They dance and play

And curse with scorn

As the world does mourn

But yet in each generation

A baby is born

A champion of salvation

Inwardly torn

Dancing the reds

Singing the blues

Saying what needs to be said

Preaching good news

There are many Herods

History tells of them all

There are many Herods

But they all shall fall

Beaten down by the rod

Of the Son of God