The Perfect Life

I made four huge decisions

That others thought quite insane…

Yet I’m here to tell the naysayers,

I would do the same again.

I chose different destinations,

Where my curious roads would end…

Marfargoa, and then Carmel,

Whidbey Island, after Jenny Lind.

Marfargoa, was the best of Okieville,

My soil, great neighbors and friends…

Every animal on the planet lived there;

The memory of the farm never ends.

Again, I made more lifelong friends,

Carmel, was living among the stars.

Celebrating, we toasted the good life,

as

 Julio Iglesias songs played in bars.

What can I say about Whidbey Island?

Such an incredible paradise,

Battered by constant winds,

While walking our dogs on ice.

Then there are the perfect days,

The most beautiful views on Earth…

Half of my life’s been spent here,

Validating the other half’s worth.

If you ever find a flat rock,

And skip it across a lake…

You’ve witnessed my life’s movie,

Recorded on the very first take.

The Rustic Carmel Bench

Tourists taking in the sights,

Fell off curbs in the town of Carmel;

They climbed back on the sidewalk,

Tripping on tree roots where they fell.

There were women wrapped in Ermine

Old men in tie-dyed shirts…

Meter maids with flaming red lips

Wore regulation Mini skirts.

A rustic bench at the Wayfarer Church

Lured men in polyester leisure suits.

The “Rest ye and be thankful” seat,

Unraveled clothes down to their boots.

The departing, now rested tourists,

Shopped around without a care…

Never knowing the finite thread,

The bench held, till their ass was bare!

My Continuing Education

Growing up, I thought drug addicts,

Were homeless on the street;

Or hidden in a drug den…

People I never thought I’d meet.

It turned out the movers and shakers,

The richest and most vain…

Were the biggest addicts in mansions,

Cruising the slums for cheap cocaine.

They made all the big decisions,

Affecting so many worker’s lives…

My friends and I all suffered,

During the boss' drug fueled dives.

Watching so many friends fall,

I should feel sad and melancholic.

But I thank my lucky stars today.

I was just a happy alcoholic.