The Essence and Origin

In the days of old, times of legend
And wicked evils takin' hold
The people trampled underfoot, havin' had enough
A shockwave of light from above!
A gift to a land under the flood 
of sadness, tears, thunder n' blood

Torrents of ash, screams, blood and gore
Spinnin' winds and blowin' storms
Mothers in black as they mourn
But from this wilderness a pure form was born 
to save the world, tattered, shattered and torn

In that universe of free verse,
tall tales and volumes of words from being hurt
Endless days of Darkened skies
and rivers of tears
year after year being cried
Would you believe there
was once a time
when one might alliterate for a line
And a little rhythm
would ring with rhyme
Oh, how there was
happiness in those
golden glory days of
smiles and sunshine!

Blowin' winds flowin' change
Chosen to be the form by 
which man might be saved
A just, simple man simply going about his day
Then a light from above
and from above
Down a gift of heaven came
Chosen on that day, a man
Rick was his name

Chosen by the winds blowin'
to bring heat
to the world's cold n' frozen
Rhyme was the gift
To man named Rick
So he could heal the rift
Born to be the Essence
And drive evil to the cliff!

A world now risin' from the dead 
The fire risin' higher and higher
That began to spread
It didn't take long
From that day on and on
Whispers of the name became song
Rhythm and rhyme found melody and time
And the Era of the Essence had arrived.

His kingdom was born
When the people worn 
turned their head
To see the light at the edge 
of the coldest night, 
wakin' from stones they called homes
They could hear him say in his peculiar way,
'Sleep here tonight, if you might, ok, alright'
And so Rick the Essence
found the peasants 
to become his Disciples and Knights

As his kingdom grew
So many had come from so few
And as their spirits flew
The people would take reason each season
To name him something new
Born to be the Essence
The peasants bowed
with respect in his presence
They called him Mr.
then Dr.
now Wizard
He found the lost, bore the burden of their cost
His spells cast away the frost and blizzard
Turned to stone the store of vile snakes and lizards

The legend of his spells began to swell 
as he transmuted to golden eagles and hawks,
the muted macabre lovers and buzzards 
otherwise confused, 
always picking their own old wounds 
goin' blind in sunless rooms
spinnin' tales of blood, doom and sinkin' moons

He brought light to the people
And showed them the joy of life
Spreading his words and the craft
Were his disciples and Knights
Swings of their pens and their swords
One and the same
Just dependin' on how you pick to fight

Rick the wizard
casting magic with his wand
Castles to pigs and lizards
In a style of which we're all quite fond
His spells spell concise
Leavin' ya feelin' contrite
Showing men they're mice
While keeping it
short, sweet, and polite
Knowin' he don't gotta be showin'
His Thor-like power n' might
While we're all already blinded by his light

He's the master, he's the wizard
Spell caster, rhyme blaster
rockin' his wand, wavin' his finger
Call him Dr., never mister
A blistering pace, melting our face
With wisdom, now listen
You tiny peasant,
Whipped with penance
bow and thank ya God 
you were blessed 
with the presence of the Essence!

Hit your knees 
and reflect with repentance
Get down and bow
before the man with the might of the world
dropped from a single sentence

The light from above that came to save us
It's Rick, the gift that god gave us
To show us the way away 
from the grave of poetry bent
to sadden then enslave us

Rock Bottom Rhymin'

I'm just a rap rhymin' junkie
Over the top, rock bottom
ramblin' flunkie rollin' money
wrappin' ones, snortin' twenties
Chasin' my last line with another
Racin' with a double shot of somethin' tougher
A bump n' grind lover
Burn a line, blow another

An introspection injection
Straight to the vein
lightin' ya up, easin' the pain
with an easy flow
a seedy come and go
a junkie ya all seen
but none'uh ya know

Molly, lolli!
She got me
Grinding my teeth
Rhymes in my mind when I sleep
Tip of the key to my tongue
it's bitter but I'm young
Lazers like glitter
got me comin' undone

Alliterate to obliterate
End rhymes and slants
Beaten with repeatin' consonance
An addiction that can't be beat
Just a rhyme junkie gettin' high
Thinkin' he bringin' heat
Mad rants of a bum on the street
Rocks ova' rum, and call'uh complete

Can't name too many poetic devices
Chasin' too many synthetic powder vices
It's been a rocky road
Would I have started had I known?
My first hit and that was all,
That was it
Felt like 'Sand Below My Feet'
As I met defeat, a fire was lit
That was all, that was it

Now it's sparks and butane couplin' afternoon
With bubblin' spoons and risin' blood moons
Trouble n' doom in spinnin' rooms
I just can't quit
These rhymes, I'm hooked on it
Just gimme... one... last... hit...

Lovin' gunnin' wantin' more, gettin' less
Stumblin' tumblin' on the floor I'm a mess
Rumblin' thumpin' this poor heart in my chest
Huffin' Puffin' runnin' short on breath
(thinkin', grinnin', that rhymes with meth)
Fumblin' crumplin' Evermore, Angel of Death?

Nah, just another rhyme junkie
pressin' his luck to the test
Now, bow ya head and pay
some respect to the wretch
Say it slow:
May his soul pay the toll and be ever blessed
And may his rhymes take control of ya soul
and see that ya never rest
when ya pen and paper
Get together to do the press
Amen, God bless

Babe Bartender

Californ' at Warren and High

Clouds marchin, blue sky 

makin' ya wish ya could fly

Stoppin in, stopping by 

Plaid, Vans'n Cap'n on my mind 😉

Tacos too! Days like dreams

Fireball with Duvall on the screens

It's perfection it seems!

Heaven's here

Or Hell is the place to be!

Three feet of concrete

'tween you and me

But from where I sit, 

Girl, I like what I see!

Life flowing, lights glowin'

No where to be goin'

Takin' time'n rhymin'

With a little buzz that's climbin'

Maybe by now you're blushin'

But I'm just havin' fun n'

Comin' up with things to say

'Fore I close the tab

And get goin' on my way

Squeezing limes n' scribblin' lines, 

neon signs of the times

Steel guitars and barnwood pines

Got me feelin' better than fine 

Señoritas pourin' margaritas

Sippin', Tippin, 

Trippin' slippin'

I keep askin'

'Man, what's she drinkin'?'

I must be trippin'

But really I'm just playin'

Never knowin' what I'm really saying!

Just teasin' and cheesin'

On a day made for seize'n!

Ages 18 to 29

A War for the ages 

Ages 18-29 that is

Boys turned to men

And men turned to bodies

Bodies turned to heroes

No names, just 1s, and lots of zeroes

Youth and life come and gone

21 guns and their song

Storms from the north

Bringing Winter winds

Guns of August fire 

through November

And you people won't remember

Ya promise once more to never forget

But another war is all we ever get 

Chew 'em up, spit 'em out

Grind 'em to grit

Take the fruit, leave the pit

Brined and dead inside

When ya hear that battle cry 

Look through the propaganda pride

And call 'em out
Call 'em out where they lied

Honor the fallen, 

forget why they fell

Big Sam callin' 'em up

Sending his boys straight to hell

Missin' his legs, but, my neighbor's "doin well"

Fighting war for ages

Tombstones and unwritten pages

Jaws ripped off their faces

Blood dripped, tracing panicked paces

Living with scars nothin' erases.

Soldiers mistreated and abused

Fooled by "duty" and 

the entertainment we call news

Fighting for a win

When the plan is to lose

Tempt 'em with loot

Got em signin' without a clue

Teach 'em to shoot at what they see on the late night news

Now hear 'em sing the empty boot blues.

We call them heroes and
pretend the fight is for freedom

But never stop to ask

What's with all these wars?

Do we really need 'em?

Once again it's time

To remember the fallen

Ghosts of Tonkin' still callin'

Hidin' Ghadaffi's coffin, stallin'

Horrors still hauntin'

It's a web we're caught in

Countin' the wars our

Boys've fought in

And for all our fightin'

All their writhin' dyin'

Its only claps and closed traps

The support we're supplyin'