The Smoker's Lounge

Change of Venue

2011-03-12T21:25:00.000-08:00

Due to boredom, I'm switching my blog to http://smokeyjoe3.blogspot.com If anyone actually reads this, check out the new site....I'm gonna be working on updating it in the next few weeks seeing as though it looks exactly like this one. lol. hmu. Until then, peace and love.

Color Scheme

2011-03-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

It's all the red in me, this intensity
and you're as pure as purple
as cool and calm as sky blue
and as naturally green as my envy
for the other Navy Blues
...as it all fades to black
I'm reborn in a burst of yellow
full of vibrant pink life
yet still lost in the bowl of oranges
blinded by white light

2011-02-23T20:46:00.001-08:00

Like she was plucked from a picture
and placed there facing me
with gorgeous eyes that seemed to gleam
and could shoot a glance to cut glass
and break hearts

Untitled

2009-12-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

They go marching at the slightest of commands
Like hired guns paid in carnage
all they want is a taste
a taste of you at your worst
the sight of your last breath
as it condenses in the cold air
like your soul being set free
as your body becomes theirs
they'll take as they please

30 Days of Darkness

2009-08-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

It's almost dawn
and goodbyes will last forever.
Together we are
and together we will be.
You embrace me as I melt away
and the comfort of your care
will last me an eternity.
Goodbye will last forever.
It's almost dawn.
...goodbye

The Mourning Dove

2009-08-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

The caged bird flys
so sad and far from home.
All alone amongst the grey sky,
it sings a song of mourning
like the doves
perched upon the wire.
They see all
Hope and happiness
loss and longing
fair and foregoing
yet they still sing
their song of mourning
They still stand their perch and wait
all alone amongst the grey sky.

Like You Knew Me

2009-07-01T14:22:00.001-07:00

Oh, baby,
if you only knew
my thought process
and how it pertains to you.
Long, amber hair,
eyes wide for the glare
Oh, baby,
it just ain't fair.
You stare right through me,
like you knew me
all the while.
With an honest smile
and a lightning in your eye,
it shocked me to hear
only truth and not lie.
Oh, baby,
if you only knew.
It just ain't fair.

If Only a Whisper

2009-06-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

Everything ended so abrubtly.
It's a wonder I wonder
about you at all.
Still I do.
Can you still see
the beauty in the trees
the breeze blowing life
through the leaves?
Do you think about me
as the sunsets?
As it disembarks
below the tree line,
do you wonder if
I'm somewhere watching, too?
Or are you too absorbed in you?

You could ask the same.
Do my dreams whisper
your name?
They're more like a scream
and I awake without you
beside me.

So Many Miles, So Short a Distance

2009-06-11T20:10:00.001-07:00

I drove miles, passing time alone.
So many miles, you'd never know,
to pass my time with you.
It feels like I've travelled the world.
Yet here I sit in the same town
I did all that I could, I hope you see.
There's so many feelings
bubbling up inside of me.
And instead of hiding, I run.
I drive so many miles, you'll never know.
It feels as if I've travelled the world.
Yet here I sit in the same town,
passing time alone.

Longing for the Light

2009-06-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, for romance.
For the feel of lips
cold and wet from the water
that we swim in.
For the feeling of flesh
pressed against flesh.
Face to face
as we bob like swans
upon crystal-strewn waters
in a sea of contentment.
For the kiss that's shared
for the first time together
and the feeling in your heart,
the light feeling in your stomach.
Like the light at the end of the tunnel,
there is hope.

Our Last Moments

2009-06-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing lasts forever.
So I hope the vision of you,
running barefoot
through the cold wet grass
in the black of night,
soon fades.
A streetlight lit your silhouette
and I nearly stopped
as I heard the echo of your voice
crackle with held back tears,
begging me not to leave.
Still I sped off, I turned the corner
and the last page of our chapter together.

"Taking a break" was your way of progressing towards permanence. One week would become two, would become three, would become forever. Because "taking a break" is the long way to "breaking up" and I refuse to continue to put my life on hold in order for you to continue fumbling around in the dark. A streetlight lit your silhouette, yet you remain simply a shadow.

The Warmth

2009-05-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

Like coming in from the cold winter weather
Removing gloves, scarves, hats, boots
and laying down in front of the fire
wrapped in a blanket
Feel the warmth as it begins to tingle in your toes
Spreading, you relax and breathe deeply
There is nothing like it
The way the warmth makes everything okay
It is the best feeling you will find
It is like being a kid again
coming in from the cold on a snow day
and letting the warmth
melt away your cares

The Depot

2009-02-10T22:53:00.001-08:00

You said you had to get out
You had to go right now
So I followed you downtown
To the depot
Where a one-way was enough
It was enough for where we’d go
And we’ll know we’ve arrived
When we get there
Where we always have enough
Where our life is never rough
And the sun is always shining
Through the rain clouds
We could live just how we want
Without any consultation
If we only could get down
To the depot
Where we’ll bravely board the boxcar
Show a stub, light a cigar
And dream of what we’ll do
When we get there
To live out our lives in the sun
On a patio recliner
And see the silver liner
Through the rain clouds
You said you had to go
You had to get out right now
So I followed you down town
To the depot
Where our one-way was enough
To get us where we wanted
And we spent the day dreaming
Until we got there

Rain Drops and Heartbeats

2009-02-10T22:49:00.001-08:00

Rain drops broke the sound of silence
Upon a roof they fall
In an outdoor room
The beginning of a season starting
With a sunny day in April
She was like the spring
He was glad to be around

Through her touch he felt her soul
And his heart did skip a beat
Her lungs did hold a breath
To breathe with his

Through his eyes she felt composed
And her lungs did skip a breath
His heart did hold a beat
To beat with hers

Heartbeats broke the sound of silence
Upon mattresses they lay
In an outdoor room
The beginning of their life together
With a promise made in April
She was the only thing
He was glad to be around

The Marksman (I Call it Aim)

2009-02-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

The sugar and spice they speak of
She embodies the batter
A girl with a recipe for destruction
And a coy smile, shot with precision,
Suggesting every bad decision you could make
She can eat you alive
Or squeeze you to death
Either way she’s pleased
Chances are you are, too
As she shoots that coy smile
Flashes a glimmer of a wink
And turns back to her drink
Some people might call it a hustle
She’d just call it a game
But I call it a different name
I call it aim
She shoots to kill
She’s deadly on her draw
Just like in a Western
She’s the quick, you’re the dead
She can eat you alive
With a suggestive coy smile
Some people might call it a hustle
She’d just call it a game
But I call it a different name
I call it aim

Singing I Wish You Were Here

2008-09-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

For: Kristine

Singing I wish you were here
We sat with the windows wide
And the top open
Breeze through your hair
Sun upon our smiling faces
Off to the races
With the rest of the Sunday drivers
But we flew higher
Singing I wish you were here

Like the rays of the noon-day sun
My heart was warm
Like the tears I choked back
As to not ruin the moment
It was perfect
As we sat with the windows open
And the top down
Breeze through your hair
We were wild and free
I had you and you had me
And our smiling faces beamed like the sun
Singing I wish you were here

Live with Love

2008-06-02T21:03:00.001-07:00

Radiate out like the tie-die on your shirt
Beam like the sun come the summer
Laugh until you want to cry
Live with love and never die
Hold hands with every stranger
Embrace a fallen foe
Embrace your life that’s filled with love
Then get up and go
See the world and be the times
Hear the song in the old wind chimes
Like the scattering of a thousand dimes
On some tiled floor within your mind
Drop your cares and stow away
Sail to many distant lands
Float along, your head held high
Live with love and never die

Monsters

2008-04-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

I do believe in monsters
they live internally
infernally burning
they're yearing to take their turn on me
so I learned to see
past the glamour and glare
and keep my manners fair
as long as stamina's there
but a man is impaired
by that which does define him
it blinds him
yet in his own mind reminds him
of what he strives to be
until lies impede
the truth is subjective
we reply to needs
some rely on greed
to achieve their petty dreams
and conjure petty schemes not readily seen
but still steadily stream
and leak into society
prying it open
will have you crying and hoping
while slowly dying from doping on societies potion
your eyes need to open
and look inside for the token
be sure to hold it tight or else
it might just get broken
through the sight and the spoken
the monsters are provoken
and awoken inner demons
means the scheme is set in motion

Hangman

2008-04-16T18:04:00.001-07:00

I'm jaded, worn out from the abuse
I hated being torn between you
and this noose
just cut me loose
I hang in despair
but this is life, who said that it's fair
I said I was there but you chose to ignore
you let me swing
always yearning for more
this rope makes me soar
as it twists and it burns
you must be in comfort
I'm taking both of our turns

Crown of Daisies

2008-04-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

For Steve and Kristine

For a man that was married three times
He had but just one love of his life
She was the apple of his eye
She was a princess with a crown of daisies
Holding his hand to stand strong
Walking along in ruby slippers
In a Dorothy dress she sang

He knows this crazy world
He’s been around the block a time or two
His life has been as hard as he can think
And he doesn’t want the same skeletons for you

Always working, living on bread and water
To ensure she ate well was all that mattered
That she smile as she did when she sang
To his fragile face in the crowd
The room was full yet she dared not look away
For her fear of falling down
And he looked back with welling eyes
She was a star in the night
She was a princess with a crown of daisies

The Road Away from Pain

2008-04-14T19:21:00.001-07:00

Troubled youth with plans of manhood
Put it off for just another day
Another way to let you forget
Everything you’ve lived for all this time
Procrastinate, wait till later
While falling down further through the straw
Habits form, a must-do custom
Ballooning to the point where it may burst
Such a thirst for all these reasons
Where treason wounds the soul and body hurts
A hobby cursed on many levels
Befriend the devil, shake hands with the bad
Make a deal and pick your poison
Do everything you said you never had
Fake a smile, lie a while
Be sure to bare false witness through your teeth
Turn your back and leave the people
You’ve been see-through in this town for way too long

Or maybe you could make a change
Umbrellas help to shield the rain
Sunshine will find you on your way
On the road away from pain
Or maybe you could take the day
And change the things you do or say
Remind your mind it’s on its way
On the road away from pain

Dolson Avenue Graveyard

2008-04-02T22:56:00.002-07:00

My already heavy heart sunk at the sight
Part of my life dead and black in the night

Tear down everything that speaks of you
And discard it with the rest
You can fly your flag
But can’t say who you are
I took everything I could get my hands on
Threw it in the car
And took off

Our laughter masked our sadness
As we said goodbye
Deserting the dwelling
And buying into the lie that…
Things like this happen all the time

I took a picture for old times
From an abandoned parking lot across the street
You can fly your flag
But can’t say who you are
I took more than I could hold with my hands
Held it in my heart
And took off

Kiss Me Good

2008-04-02T22:56:00.001-07:00

I’d surprise you every time
If only able, I’d do that much for you
And I’ve thought about it
Told you, straight out
I long for one touch of you
One brush between us
Now hush, we’ll see this through

Lock your lips
And close your eyes

We’ll see this through
Now kiss me good
Show me that you mean it

Because I’d surprise you every time
If I could only do that much for you
And I’ve talked about it
Shown it, spelled it out
I long for just your touch
But once is not enough
Now hush, I know that it’s been rough

Lock your lips
And close your eyes

We’ll see this through
Now kiss me good
Show me that you mean it

Live Your Life

2008-04-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

For Mom

“Live your life and don’t be scared,”
Echoes from what seem like ages.
And I sit with my shoes off on the rug,
After I close the door from outside.
I’ve found inside to be much warmer,
Despite heating the entire neighborhood,
And chosen in rather than out
For in is where we keep what’s near
Near can be close enough

Distant echoes seem farther each day
For I am grown and blessed with your lessons
Kept near like my desire for the inside
Yet still echoing throughout the entire neighborhood
And kept dear like the memories we both share
“Live your life and don’t be scared.
Now close your eyes and just lay there.
Sleep will come and I’ll still be here
In the morning when you wake.”

I hear you in my thoughts
And in everything I do
I’ll be sure that when I’m through
To turn the light off as I leave

And They Say Time Heals

2008-03-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

When I pass your house
I still find myself veering towards
The curb
I look for your car
I fight to keep from beeping
The horn
Sometimes your light is on
But that’s not your light anymore
And sometimes you’re home
But that’s not where you live
Sometimes I see you walking
But that’s not the person I knew
It isn’t you there standing on
The curb

We fell so long ago
I practically forgot we had ever taken
The fall
In fact, it’s been so long
It might as well have never happened
At all
Perhaps that’s what hurts the most
Even though I no longer feel it
And perhaps that’s what’s wrong
Even though we can’t make it right
Perhaps one day I'll finally realize
It isn't you there standing on
The curb

The Moon Up High

2008-03-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

The lines of your face
On the white pillow spread
Stops my world from turning
As the train billows ahead
The moon is up high
Looking down on us two
The sun in the morning
Will light the way for what we do
Your breathing is slowed
I can watch your chest as it heaves
I’ll kiss your lips softly
And hope the moment never leaves
We’ll ease into our day
Together, hand in hand
For this is our portrait
And forever shall it stand
The stars are all diamonds
They’re shining just for you
And I’d pull them all down
If you only want me to
The lines of your face
As I lay next to you
With the moon way up high
Looking down on us two

Decadence of the Masses

2008-02-27T21:07:00.000-08:00

The semi-new reporter and I got called into the "meeting room" by the Boss today...which is fine. Except we were the only two called in. And on "meeting day", when the whole editorial staff (all 6 of us) crams in together, it's a little intimidating and potentially career threatening.

So I crossed myself, asked the Staff to pray for me and headed into this top-secret journalistic mission. Turns out we're re-organizing our beats. How fucking great is that? Now, after almost a year of faking smiles and offering insincere handshakes, I have to say goodbye to all the assholes that I've conned into liking me and begin the process all over again. Fuck me.

I really don't even think it would be that bad except for my new beat now includes a town that's a good 45 mintues from home. I'm putting enough miles on my car for not enough reimbursement as it is already without having to drive even farther to fraternize with a bunch of stuffed-shirt, small-town, bullshit politicians.

Oh well. As I said before, it's been almost a year, which means that I'll soon be considered experienced enough to proceed further along in my chosen field, a.k.a get a better job and get the fuck off the sinking ship that the paper is becoming.

On a somewhat sad thought: my chosen field, should I had known what I was getting into four or five years ago when I took all those classes in college, might have been something else. I've dedicated my entire education, which really wasn't all that educating in the first place, to a craft that 1.Stresses me out; 2.Pisses me off; 3.Doesn't really interest me that much; and 4.Has a shitty pay scale.

Don't get me wrong though, I love writing. Poetry, fiction, blogging and just writing for fun is really great. I do enjoy it. But journalism is a different thing. All the big stories have to be about death or destruction or upheaval of some sort. The common pages are left for the feel-good pieces; the ones that give people hope or pride or happiness in general. There's already enough bad news in the world without a small weekly newspaper focusing on the decadence of the masses.

Word to your mother.

Nobody's Perfect

2008-02-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

"...But I've come to believe that errors, especially written errors, are often the only markers left by a solitary life: to sacrifice them is to lose the angles of personality, the riddle of a soul." -House of Leaves

Welcome

2008-02-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Smoker's Lounge...not sure what's going to take place here. If it winds up resembling my life in any way, shape or form it more than likely will not have a focus.
Word to your mother.