TWO NEW POEMS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21...1ST DRAFTS

"Other Than That, I Love You"

I like you a lot and other than that
What I would like to say, love to say,
Like to tell you are many things about
How much you mean to me simply
Because you take the time to listen,
You smile when you talk and always,
Always remember what we last spoke of
And have something positive to offer
What i would like to know is do you
Believe that a guy like me starting over,
Might I be that man you are looking for?


~~~~~ and ~~~~~

"ROSES GAVE ME THE BLUES"

Roses are nice, red or any color
But they are a drag to deliver
The minimum wage and your tip
Just do not make up for my long walks
to the internal office of the boring office building
Where all of your co-workers yell, mine, mine, mine
They even answer yes to your name
Or offer to keep them on their desk
Because you and your boyfriend took the day off
While the poor schmuck, husband, lover, significant other
Sent flowers and you were called out to a meeting suddenly
Which held up about as long as the fragrance and kisses
That he left behind because you did not care enough to plan
The sweet lies that could have kept your rent-check going
For an anniversary that I delivered flowers from a different guy
The next year and subsequent years after that
And did I mention I am glad I lost that job?

- Tim Ward, at Barnes & Noble Johns Hopkins Bookstore, 6:05 Saturday, September 21, 2013