Summer's End

By Rick Williams


Cold and damp, the evening air
as October's end draws near;
The lazy warmth of the evening sun
is gone until next year.

The leaves of many of the trees
are turning red and gold
from the lack of the sunlight
and from the night-time cold.

Wood stove smoke hangs heavy
in the cool, moist night time air,
and in the mornings fog and dew
are not exactly rare.

Gone are the musical ice cream trucks
with their irritating tunes,
Replaced by quiet, empty darkness
and hazy, orange full moons.

Pumpkin fields, awash in orange
are everywhere you look
and cornfields cut to mazes
like puzzles from a book.

Soon it will be Halloween
and children of all sizes,
will be busy ringing doorbells
in search of sweet surprises.

Witches, ghosts, and monsters
are what they used to be
but now they're cartoon characters
and heroes from TV.

The favorite sport will also change
from one game to another.
Instead of swinging baseball bats
they'll be tackling each other.

Bodies once totally bare
to the hot, dry summer sun
are now covered completely
with no button left undone.

So put away your swimsuits
and beach towels for a bit,
and dig out all your winter clothes
to see if they still fit.

The satin sheets can go as well;
use flannel ones instead,
and spread the quilt that grandma made
out over the bed.

With holidays just ahead,
and everyone baking treats
the diets will go out the window
as everyone overeats.

Whether it's due to boredom
or what, no one really knows,
but as least our overeating
will be hidden by our clothes.

So if you end up feeling down
and melancholy too
just think ahead to summer
and you will make it through!

I Don't Need a Reason

By Rick Williams


People often wonder
what is right and what is wrong.
We wonder what our purpose is
and where we all belong.

We wake and rise each morning
and ready for our day
some may go to school or work
and others might just play.

Some people have a purpose
and others have no clue
of why it is that they're put here
and what they are to do.

Many people need to think
that "someone" put them here
while others are content to have
no god to praise or fear.

To some my way of thinking
is called "outside the box"
but I don't care that they may think
my head is full of rocks.

For I believe that this is hell
and not what's after death.
All the things that happen now;
before our final breath.

Pain and sorrow are no fun
on that we all agree,
but they can be our private hell
and feel like eternity.

Me? I don't need a greater reason
to live upon this earth
than to eat and drink, and maybe sex,
and share a little mirth.

Who knows how long that we may last
or how long we'll be here?
So eat and laugh and love,
and drink another beer.

Sometimes my thoughts can be quite strange
and border on bizarre,
but that's what makes me who I am
instead of who you are.