I IMAGINE SO

I IMAGINE SO G. Smith (BMI) ====•==== I imagine she's better without me, Not staying up half of the night, Thinking I'm out and carrying on, Or coming home looking to fight.

I imagine she's found her a new love, Who takes care of her every whim; And smiles at each chance to please her; I image she's better with him.

Of course I don't know; But I imagine, so. Yes, I don't know, But I imagine so.

I imagine she's better without me, Not having to sit by herself; With pictures of our happier days, Staring down from the breakfront shelf.

I imagine she's found her a new life, Same old family, and just her friends; Who don't remind her of all the mistakes, I repeated again and again.

Of course I don't know; But I imagine so. Yes, I don't know, But I imagine so.

I imagine she's better without me, Despite all the years that we shared; And I imagine I did a good job, Of hiding just how much I cared.

Of course I don't know, But I imagine so, No, I don't know, But imagine so.

====||==== From the November Challenge to write about an imagined life...

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IF ONLY I'D DONE THE NEXT RIGHT THING

IF ONLY I’D DONE THE NEXT RIGHT THING G. Smith (BMI) ======•====== If I’d only listened a little bit longer, If I’d only stayed awake; If only I’d been a little bit stronger, If only I’d seen how much more I could take.

If only I’d been paying attention; If only I’d picked up the phone; If only I’d come to sit down beside beside you, If only I’d not left you standing alone.

If I’d only done the next right thing, If only, if only, if only. If only “If only,” made everything better, If only, if only, if…

If only I’d taken a minute or two, If only I’d taken your hand; If only I stopped and listened to you, If only I’d said, “I do understand.”

+++++•••+++++ Another from the day 3 prompt of the 2016/November PAD Challenge: finish the phrase: IF I'D ONLY___

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IF I’D ONLY KEPT MY BIG MOUTH SHUT

IF I’D ONLY KEPT MY BIG MOUTH SHUT G. Smith (BMI) ~~~~|~~~~ They looked at me in the strangest way, Like they couldn’t believe what I had to say. Religion and politics? Not among friends; Only one way the whole thing ends. A simple discussion run amok; If I’d only kept my big mouth shut.

Friday night at the corner bar, I may have pushed it a bit too far, Chatting up a sweet young thing, Didn’t see her boyfriend swing; I guess he wouldn’t’ve kicked my butt, If I’d only kept my big mouth shut.

If I’d only kept my big mouth shut, If I’d only kept my big mouth shut, If I’d only kept my big mouth shut, Where would I be now?

She was waiting for me when I came in the door, Wound up about something like some times before. I felt like a bowl of warmed over death, And muttered something under my breath, She sat up straight and asked me, “What?” If I’d only kept my big mouth shut.

####/-/#### Answering the November PAD Chapbook Challenge to finish the phrase: IF I'D ONLY ____

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18 INCH DIFFERENCE

18 INCH DIFFERENCE G. Smith (BMI) ——-//—— I want to stay, You want me to go; I want you to say why; I need to know. Does this come from your heart? Does it come from your head? Is it something I did? Is it something I said?

I want us to laugh, You’d rather cry; I want us to sing, but, You want to die. Does this come from your heart? Does it come from your head? Is it something I did? Is it something I said?

All is forgiven, You can’t forget; I’ve put it behind us, You haven’t yet. Does this come from your heart? Does it come from your head? Is there nothing to do? Nothing to be said?

I want you to stay, You decided to go; You never did say why, Now I’ll never know. You never did say why. Now I’ll never know. ======/====== For the Day 1 prompt, "a go or stay poem", at the Poetic Asides November Poem-A-Day Chapbook Challenge...

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WE WANT TO KNOW?

From the Poetic Asides weekly Wednesday prompts for 5/4: WHEN EVERYTHING STOPS

Lemme know if you think I should've stopped sooner...

WE WANT TO KNOW? (c) 2016 G. Smith (BMI) ======€=====€====== This old truck of mine, Runs along just fine, Till it won't, till it won't; What went wrong? I should see it coming on; But I don't, no I don't.

With a shudder and a sigh, I pull over as it dies, Take out my phone, take out my phone; Slam the door, raise the hood, No way this is any good, Sit all alone, out here alone.

When everything stops, We want to know, Why we didn't see them, Starting to slow. There may have been symptoms, There may have been signs; But we may not notice, We choose to be blind; When everything stops, We want to know, Why we didn't see them, Starting to slow.

That old washer chugged long, Singing its laundry song, And then it quit, just up and quit; It was full, about to spin, But it won't do that again, That was it, that was it;

It shuddered once and sighed, Full of suds, it up and died, Just one last load, one last load; Every thing was wringing wet, It hadn't rinsed the soap out yet, I shoulda knowed, shoulda knowed.

When everything stops, We want to know, Why we didn't see them, Starting to slow. There may have been symptoms, There may have been signs; But we may not notice, We choose to be blind; When everything stops, We want to know, Why we didn't see them, Starting to slow.

This is where you kissed me, Where is it that you missed me? How long ago? How long ago? You may not recall, You were my all in all, And it showed, how it showed.

But now you've gone away, And it's just another day; Maybe for you, yes just for you; Without a shudder or a sigh, Our love just up and died; I don't know what to do, what to do, to do.

When everything stops, We want to know, Why we didn't see them, Starting to slow. There may have been symptoms, There may have been signs; But we may not notice, We choose to be blind; When everything stops, We want to know, Why we didn't see them, Starting to slow.

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WHEN EVERYTHING STOPS

Just because the Poem-A-Day challenge ended with April doesn't mean the Poetic Asides blog has stopped posting its weekly Wednesday prompts... And the 5/4 prompt is the title is what follows...

WHEN EVERYTHING STOPS (c) 2016 G. Smith (BMI) -----------|||----------- We start running before the sun is up, Get our breakfast from a cardboard cup, Bumper to bumper, next thing we know, Punch the clock and it's go, go, go.

Ninety miles an hour on a dead end street, Quitting time and we're both beat. Chores galore when we come through the door; Get to bed in time to do it some more.

But, When everything stops, And the noise fades away, And we catch our breath, For the first time today, We spoon in the darkness, You know what I'll say; "I love you, you know, "In so many ways."

We've disagreed a time or two, But never about something we couldn't undo; No harsh words in any of our fights, And we patched things up before turning out the lights,

And, When everything stops, And the noise fades away, And we catch our breath, For the first time today, We spoon in the darkness, You know what I'll say; "I love you, you know, "In so many ways."

There's too much going on, To let things slide; But it's worth all the work, To stay by your side.

Because, When everything stops, And the noise fades away, And we catch our breath, For the first time today, We spoon in the darkness, You know what I'll say; "I love you, you know, "In so many ways."

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CUL DE SAC BLUES

The final prompt in the April Poem-A-Day challenge is DEAD END~

CUL DE SAC BLUES G. Smith (BMI) -----------£----------- I come home from work, The commute is a bear, To our gated community, Where there ain't no there there.

I'm tired to the bone, You're worn slap out, too; There's only one thing That we both can do.

We've gotta leave this cul de sac, We've gotta get ourselves back, To where the neighbors are neighborly. And the roads are straight, We've gotta leave this cul de sac, We've gotta get ourselves back, Times're changing way too fast, And you know we can't wait.

We moved up to the city, But didn't live in town, We found this subdivision, And we laid our money down.

We've got a little bit of grass, We were raised on so much more, And still can't quite get used to having Folks so close next door.

We've gotta leave this cul de sac, We've gotta get ourselves back, To where the neighbors are neighborly. And the roads are straight, We've gotta leave this cul de sac, We've gotta get ourselves back, Times're changing way too fast, And you know we can't wait.

Ninety miles an hour On this dead end street, We need to feel some fresh dirt Beneath our feet.

We've gotta leave this cul de sac, We've gotta get ourselves back, To where the neighbors are neighborly. And the roads are straight, We've gotta leave this cul de sac, We've gotta get ourselves back, Times're changing way too fast, And you know we can't wait. ***** Check the whole month's mayhem at writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides

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IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Here's another IMPORTANT "BLANK" song... 4/28/16

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS G. Smith ===#=== Is this seat taken? Mind if I sit? Haven’t I seen you someplace before? What’s your name? Come here often? Care to join me out on the floor?

Like the band? Where you from? Do you know who you look like to me? What do you do? Like your job? Watching the game on TV?

Important questions, Important questions, They can wait, they can wait; Except for that big one, The hardest of all; Asking her out for, A second date?

Brothers or sisters? Wanna eat something? Can I buy you another drink, and, Are you alone, tonight? Need a ride home? Alright; What was I thinking? Was I thinking?

Important questions, Important questions, They can wait, they wait; Except for that big one, The hardest of all; Asking her out for, A second date. • • • • • (With a nod and apologies to George Strait, Brad Paisley, & Dierks Bentley)

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IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES

Coming down to the wire, the 4/28 Poem-A-Day prompt is: complete the phrase IMPORTANT "BLANK"

IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES G. Smith (BMI) ——-|||——|||—— I went to Newnan High, You went to La Grange; I was a little shy, You thought that was a little strange. I lived outside of town, You lived off Main; My dad plowed the ground, Yours scheduled the trains. How our paths crossed, I still don’t know; But I’d be lost, As you well know.

Important differences, Between me and you, There aren’t that many, Maybe one or two; But we go over them, Like we always do, Those important differences, Between me and you.

We went to college, Two opposite schools, One for knowledge, The other for cool. You and your Tigers, Me and my Tide; No way we’d fight for, The other side; Still, we stayed in touch, Despite losses and wins; And when we we got home, We picked up again.

Despite, Important differences, Between you and me; There aren’t that many, Maybe two or three; As long as we keep ’em, So we both can see, Those important diffences, Between you and me.

Southern Presbyterian, Southern Baptist Church, I won’t leave you worrying, Standing in the lurch; You won’t leave me here, Standing on my own; Neither one of us, Will ever be alone.

Important diffences, Between the two of us; Don’t really matter, Aren’t worth the fuss; If you won’t carry on, Then I won’t cuss (dag-dummit), Those important differences, Bind the two of us, Roll Tide, Those important differences, Bind the two of us. * * * * * Two more days of the April Poem-A-Day Challenge will be posted with rest of 'em at writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/poetic-asides.

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TAKEOFF

The 4/27 Poem-A-Day prompt prompt is TAKE OFF (or TAKEOFF)

TAKEOFF G. Smith (BMI) ——/——

How many feet of lumber? How much concrete to pour? How many yards of carpet? How many square feet of hardwood floor?

How many piles of ceramic tiles? What color do you think? The light for the dining room, Grass in the yard, and don’t forget the kitchen sink.

How many pounds of nails. How many pounds of screws? Granite or solid surface counters? The choice is up to you.

How many squares of roofing? How many gallons of paint? Howany brushes and rollers? Are we done yet? No, we ain’t.

Bricks and sticks, Are all it takes, To frame and build a house; But it takes more, Than windows and doors, To turn a house into a home, a home To turn a house into a home.

How many electrical outlets? How many feet of wire? How many feet of plumbing pipe? How many hammers and saws and wrenches and pliers?

How deep is the foundation? How high the ridge line above? How many hours of labor? How much a labor of love?

Bricks and sticks, Are all it takes, To frame and build a house; But it takes more, Than windows and doors, To turn a house into a home, a home To turn a house into a home.

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