SOUR MASH CORRIDOR

I 24 East
Tullahoma Tennessee
Sour Mash corridor
The sign says “See Rock City”
A grand weekend cruise
Nothing left to lose
Such a mortal pity
Rude Redneck Dicks
NASCAR wannabes
Disrupt the highway peace
With their dangerous antics
Nickajack Dam
Lower Tennessee
River watershed
Scenic majesty
Old South hospitality
I 75 East
Atlanta Georgia bound
Antebellum grounds
Street gang warfare
Silver Porsche Spyder
Dr. Homer Adenoids I presume
Perhaps Thoracic Surgeon
Professional Idiot indeed
Flaunting his prestige
He should be ashamed
He’s far too old to drive like that
If money makes one act like that
Then none for me I say
On this sunny Saturday

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

A FEW MILES EAST OF LECOMPTON

Lawrence Kansas
Home of the Jayhawks
Rick, black soil
Acres
Of coal tinted cornfields
A few miles east of Lecompton
Territorial Capitol
Pioneer Plains dreams
Pale faced schemes
National Guard convoy
Slowly make their way
To their next taxpayer assignment
On this crisp autumn day
More road construction
Leavenworth log jam
DAMN
It’s irritating
But necessary
To safely transport
Our children’s future children
Iron Maiden trilogy
Compliments the brilliant golden leaves
Welcome back McRib
Even if our time is limited
I missed you my old friend
Fabled Tonganoxie
Your noble history
Unfortunately
Disturbed by more impatient drivers
Yet another stupid fuck
Far too immature
To operate a pick-up truck
Ramrod insanity
Ballistic tailgate mindset
Chill out spastic boy child
Lasso those adolescent hormones
You’ll get there
As your trip is done
Try to have some fun
Soak up this beautiful landscape
Take a few deep breaths
Before you contribute
To yet another
Unnecessary Highway death
Toll Plaza exits
A novel taxing scheme
No worries Kansas Commonwealth
I gladly donate
To your turnpike action plan
A well spent $2.50
For safe and well groomed
Rustic Kaw Valley roads
A woodsman’s wet dream
Close to Bonner Springs
Where outdoor freedom rings…..

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

A SEEKERS YONDER GAZE

October 29th, 2011
6:30PM CST
My bones ache
My spirit
Simply tired
Two months of roaming
Homeless
Still inspired
Arthritic atrophy
Chemical synapse
Defensive walls collapse
Thumping pain
Cross wired
Anxious to arrive
Wherever I am meant to be
A steady place to lay my head at night
Holiday Inn Express
Columbia, TN
A temporary cloud
Squeaky clean oasis
Shelter from the storm
Excellent value
For this weary road warrior
Running low on currency
No permanent domicile
Coincidence
Karma perhaps
I’ve closed my eyes on two consecutive nights
In towns named Columbia
Last night in Missouri
Tonight in Tennessee
Earning my wayward stripes
My wanderer credentials
Logged 8,708 odometer clicks
In 60 whirlwind days
Homeless vagabond
A Seeker’s yonder gaze
The stare that has no focus
No laser beam close up
Always staring blankly
Searching for a trusted focal point
From last chance Gas Stations
To convenient Burger joints
Where sanitary restrooms
Rule the Atlas jungle
Sweet smiling faces
Shine like Batman’s beam
Thank you Holy Jesus Christ
For unique kindred souls
You place within my path
Who nurture human trust
Inspire my upward thrust
Your mystifying ways
Shall always be the topic of my song
The lightning in my smile
The passion in my prose
God knows……..

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

LOVELY NATIVE LADY

Pine Bluffs Wyoming
Gas pumps in the nick of time
Stretching out on fumes
Speed warp evaporation
Lovely Native Lady
Her brilliant smile
Scintillating
Bright
Wide
Like the big sky
I find myself lost in
Her eyes dance
Sincere hospitality
Her impact on this weary nomad
Significant
Most appreciated
“No money in your pocket and your jeans are torn”
“Your hands are cold but your lips are warm”
Dire Straits conundrum
Homage to being homeless
Following your heart
Love
Conquers all
I can dig it…..

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

MUSICAL THOUGHTS

Almighty God
Shaking
Moving
Grooving
He fills my thirsty soul
With toe tapping music
This morning’s fine example
Sly and his Stone Family
Woodstock magic moment
Day 2
3:30am
Rhythmically seducing
The soiled Hippie Tribe
Half a million strong
United by a song
“I’m gonna add a little guitar”
“Make it easy to move your feet”
Synchronized soul rhythm
Rocking magic trance
They all got up to dance
Violet Sunglasses
Body heat Aura
“Way up on the hill this time ya'll”
“Wanna take you HIGHER"
“HIGHER”
Trumpets raised to boogie lips
Snapping off incredible concert grooves
Hip to chest moves
Peace sign salute
Nourishment
Life giving water
Feeds my minstrel roots
I am grateful…….


©http://www.slystonemusic.com/music/sly-family-stone-woodstock-experience
© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

DRIVING THROUGH A POSTCARD

October 25th 2011
10:00AM MDT
A stone’s throw from Laramie Wyoming
When I owned a rocket arm
East bound
Cruise control engaged
Guilty of extreme intoxication
While driving through a postcard
Snowcapped mountain splendor
Soulful Sanitarium
Treating me
For corporate devastation
Point blank summation
Acute penetration
Fog copulation
Such a gentle caress
From low hung liquid clouds
Frozen silver mist
A brief pit stop
30th Street Exxon
Another thirsty tankful
85 Octane
A Diet Mountain Dew
Propers to the righteous cashier
A young man
Maybe 20
Hospitable Brother
I saw God swimming in his friendly eyes
Grateful for his kindness
Impressed by his sincerity
More importantly
His addition to my permanent clan
Our Coat of Arms
Easily recognized
“You will know us by our love”
Saved by Holy grace
His glowing smile upon our face
A part of Him
In all He calls His children


© 10-25-2011 Bill Grimes Jr.

REFLECTIONS ON THE WORLD’S LARGEST PRAIRIE DOG

Wednesday Oct. 26, 2011
Trip of self-discovery
Obliged inward emphasis
Just outside of Limon Colorado
A beautiful snowfall
Virgin white
Crunchy
Falling gently on my jacketless shoulder
I am genuinely enamored
Grateful for this stunning frosty gift
Clutch on the aging CD player
Thunder bass ripping
Jamming hard near Kit Carson
His icy western mansion
Few Pilgrims venture out
On the frozen roads
They hunker down instead
Ride out the blizzard fun inside
Me
I choose to ride
Traveler’s pride
In this time of uncertainty
I’m seeing who my friends truly are
Both near
And from afar
I sincerely thank you all
From the depths of my soul
As I push the Buick eastward
Enjoying God’s country
Bovina Colorado
Villanova Junction
One of Jimi’s finest instrumentals
I wink at the Pink Cadillac
Perched atop a sturdy steel pole
Flagler’s finest Diner
So I am told
As the blinding snowfall thins
SuddenlyI see
A herd of black cattle
Each with white midsections
As if they were hand painted
A puzzling surprise
Definitely a first
For these curious eyes
I-70 East
Mile marker64
Somewhere in snowy Kansas
Home to the world’s largest Prairie Dog
Weighing in
A hefty 8,000 pounds
Roommate to a five legged Steer
Assorted Rattle Snakes
Now THAT’S entertainment
“I used to lover her”
“But I had to kill her”
Axel
You’re a hoot
Slash
A top shelf Maestro
Of the Gibson Les Paul
Further down I-70
Mile Marker 266
BTO a blasting
As loud as I can stand it
“Let it roll”
“Down the highway”
An old familiar chill
My most trusted companion
Dancing down my spine
The cell phone rings
Above the rock and roll
A Friday interview
A blessing indeed
Come on Kansas City
I’ll be honored
To call you my new home
Suspend my jobless roam
And I smile
In gracious reflection…..

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

SWEET PAMELA

My sacred friend
My cherished confidant
Sweet loving lady
Flowing nonchalant
Filled with Holy Spirit
Blessed Christian love
Her presence warms my deepest soul
A gift from God above
I celebrate dear Pamela
My words forever bound
So grateful for her harmony
Her fellowship profound

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

ARTISTIC DNA

Saucy slow Blues in C
Ritchie Blackmore’s genius
Fender Strat concerto
Heavy organ riff
Such a lovely trance
As my aging mind drifts
To a much more carefree state
When alarm clocks mattered not
Scores were settled by the tribe
By passing round a peace pipe
Triumph felt so right
With no set agenda for the night
I smile in fond remembrance
No excuses for my path
Never would I trade one single moment
God’s sacred holy gift
Artistic DNA
Screaming forth
From my deepest being
No way my friends
No way……

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

OBELISK (A true story)

A friend of mine
A Navy Seal
I’ll call him Obelisk
And if you dare to steal his meal
He’ll shit upon your desk
If you don’t believe me
Ask Glen
He’ll verify
Tis good he lived to tell the tale
When you play with fire
You die…….

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

SOMETHING SACRED

Dance
Trance
Spiritual advance
We crave something sacred
Deep poetic thought
Transcendental art
My heart
In need of a jumpstart
We all have a story
An epic tale to tell
Lofty rise above the fray
Crash and burn in hell
I know them both so well
I know them both so well

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

SUBPRIME MARKET CRIME

Babylon crumbles
Wall Street limps along
Goldman Sachs commissions
Subprime market crime
A billion pensions lost
Such a lofty cost
Unbridled excess
Liberty undressed
Overvalued housing
First time mortgage dreams
Raped by Ponzi Schemes
Completely void of logic
So it seems
Morgan Stanley bullshit
Citi Bank’s raw greed
The monkey on our back
A travesty indeed
Joe Citizen is drowning
Nursing ancient rage
Narcissistic daze
Duped
Out of the hallowed nest egg
Our self made flood is rising
American Dream
Is slowly dying
Rest in peace
Sacred 401K
A noble vision shattered
Is there shame in strategic default?
Almighty Spike TV
Sixteen commercial barrage
Yes
I said sixteen
Every 15 minutes it seems
Now that’s entertainment
So many elephants
Stampede our tiny room
Gigantic pile of doom
Such is our predicament
As despondency flows forth
Following its own due course……..

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

ANOTHER DAY IN DIXIE

Four square winds
Swirling apparition
The tempest wreaking havoc
No power to distract it
Raindrops big as marbles
Golf ball sized hail
Black demon clouds
Camouflage fierce lightning
Scattered broken branches
Conceal my neighbors Lexus
She’ll need a photograph
For insurance reimbursement
The candles get a workout
To assist my aging eyesight
I listen to the sound
Of bored children neighbors
I take it as it comes
Absorbing my surroundings
Another day in Dixie
Another tale to tell

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

PARADISE SUBLIME

Trade Winds gently beckon
Calling me back home
Sweet Coconut Oil
Fresh Shrimp frying
Such delicious fragrance
My Haole sunburned skin
Dancing in the hot shower
As I rinse her salty essence
My soul belongs to her
Exotic Island Lady
Her sand between my toes
Her breath
Tickles my fond ears
Melts away my fears
Dries my homesick tears
Landlocked days are numbered
I was born on ocean time
Such reverence in my rhyme
Paradise sublime

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

ODE TO CANNED MEAT PRODUCTS

Avant-garde technology
To me
From shining sea
This day I stand before you
With this firm decree
Tis Amish I shall be
Tis Amish I shall be
Demon canned meat product
So tempting on the shelf
So tempting on the shelf
Near fatal mistake
That I made
I turn my back on thee
I turn my back on thee
Half beats
And half measures
Musical treasures
Mystifying pleasures
Require drastic measures
Require drastic measures

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

UNTITLED

My surging mind
Fierce energy
Blasting through its mirrored halls
Hemorrhaging
Weakening walls
Lightning bolt synapse
Welcoming collapse
Alas
It shall not come
For doom
The Ghost Dancer told me
Is only for the dead
A far cry
From my pounding head
And its written destiny
So share my thoughts
I must
So difficult to trust
The growing inspiration
Diverse amalgamation
Acceptance
Of this human nation
Quite fragile
Meek
Misled
Lost
Roaming
Filled with dread
Longing to be led

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

June 4th, 2011.

All the words have been spoken
All the muted thoughts
Now broken
Of life
Love
And living
Of where this ship has BROUGHT
Us
A rhyme
You demand
I offer this
My severed hand
Use it as you need
Toss the rest to greed
Ancient ones know well
The specific lay of HELL
Their wisdom sends us onward
Far beyond this wicked place
Our anguished eyes
Concealed
From her vile face
Yes my friend
Beautiful friend
This is my humble end
As a new day
Begins
The old one has retired
No conspiracy
Conspired
Simply
I am tired…….


Inspiration from:
“It hurts to set you free….but you’ll never follow me”……Jim Morrison The Doors©
http://www.last.fm/music/Jim+Morrison/+videos/+1-O66rPVIp1_E

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

APRIL 27th, 2011 7:15PM

April 27th, 2011 7:15PM
As I sit here in the haunting candlelight
No power from the storm
My mind completely focused upon God
How Mighty
OMNIPOTENT is HE
How small and powerless am i
His light storms rake the sky
Howling tempest
Trees cracking from the raging winds
Funnel clouds
Hell-bent on total decimation
Hailstones
Golf ball sized
Smashing windshields
Hammering my fireplace flue
Torrential rain
Blasting sideways
The deafening ROAR
Of 10,000 Freight Trains
Carving their own tracks
INCREDIBLE
I am still
No true distractions
Just tears flowing down my cheeks
The brilliance of the storm raging outside
I think of those who have no safe shelter
Live underneath bridges
In the woods
I admire the warriors
Power Company Linemen
Law Men and Women
The humble Firemen
Nurses
Doctors
Hospitals
And those who keep them running
The very same beloved, brilliant caregivers
That replaced my diseased hip
What IF…..
They lost power as my body lay splayed upon an Operating Table
First Responders
Red Cross
Military care
They do it EVERY DAY
WOW
Is all that I can say
I thank you Jesus Christ
My Father and my Friend
For your majesty and grace
For loving me unconditionally
Despite my unworthiness
My aging eyes can’t see as well to write by candlelight
So I will close for now
Simply say SELAH
ALL PRAISE AND GLORY BE TO YOU
Please comfort those who suffer this brutal night……

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011

Set Backs

Set backs
Create comebacks
Come backs
Create peace
Lessons learned along the way
GOD’S grace
Shall never cease
© Bill Grimes Jr.
2011

ODE TO HIS GHOST DANCE

Paris
1971
We lost someone
Rebellious son
The “Lizard King”
The “Backdoor Man”
Young Dionysus
The Poet one
He saw his Shaman
Throughout his days
Drunken haze
Unbridled ways
Age 27
I’m still amazed
Such art
Inspiration
Poetry
Beyond imagination
Warned to tame his art
Ground breaking
Bleeding heart
He never compromised
His fans adoring eyes
“They want something sacred”
His music “broke on through”
Ghost dance trance
Spiritual advance
Single feather
Circular motion
“Soft Parade” notion
Finale derived
“No one here gets out alive”
In the end
A candle flickers out
Thus the world
Lives without
As their hope passes on
I leave you with my thoughts now
So you may understand
Yes
Because I can
I’ve ALWAYS been a word man
I’ve ALWAYS been a word man

© Bill Grimes Jr. 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_One_Here_Gets_Out_Alive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azCon4I7fWA