An Invitation

Look at me not as a wacko,
An oddball, a weirdo, a dope,
For you cannot see
What lies inside me
Until you become my friend.

Try to look beyond my clothing,
My hairstyle, my posture, my looks;
You might just find
When you look down inside
Someone you may call a friend.

When you see me stand in the corner,
Simply do not pass me by,
But ask me my name
And I’ll do the same
And then you may be my friend.

For I have a soul such as you have!
And we all are looking for love,
So come walk by my side
With your heart open wide
And please, just be my friend.

Grandfather

My grandfather is someone
I’d love for you to meet,
His life has stood like iron,
His kindness so concrete;
I always love to visit
And he’s glad to see me too,
It brings a gladness to my heart
That I wish to show to you.

A Carolina cotton field
Was the place he called his home,
Until his country called him,
Foreign lands he had to roam;
There he served her proudly,
A soldier in Liberty’s pay,
Protecting everyone back home,
In that land so far away.

And then upon returning,
He found the love of his life,
And quickly ascertaining,
He took her for his wife;
They had a son and a daughter,
The daughter married a man,
And after several years had passed,
I was brought into the clan!

He’s as good a friend as
I think I’ve ever had,
I know that I can count on him –
That always makes me glad;
And when I’m old as he is,
I hope that I can be
As good of a grandfather
As he always is to me.