Choices And Challenges

How many times have I chosen
The easier path
Because the mountain peak
Seemed too distant
Beyond my reach
Or saught a clear view ahead
From the lower branches
Of a tree
Because the climb
Seemed too steep
Beyond my sight to see?
Ah, but today
I am graced to face again
Those same challenges
But I have gained faith
Through past mistake
To make it far beyond
For heaven's sake.
Amen
D.A. Wittler 17'

"Can You Hear Me Now?"

For those who doubt
For those who despair
For those who can't let go
Of the hurt inside...

Wherever I Go

It's the middle of the afternoon
I was up all night
Just had to check my phone
And there you were
Said:
“Thought I'd mention,
I'm a friend.”
That was an hour ago
And here I go again.

Wherever I go
Doesn't matter where
I can always find you
In my life
Worst day
Or finest hour
Fair weather friend
My Savior
Because even in the storm
You only see the calm
When my soul rages
Doubting
That you even care...
You are there.

It's the midnight hour
Night has just begun
Working for a livin
Just barely somehow
I think I've lost my reason
To keep on going
And there you are
Said:
“Thought I'd mention,
I love you.”
Then my heart begins again
Morning rises
With a mist and sunlit horizon.

Wherever I go
Doesn't matter where
I can always find you
In my life
Worst day
Or finest hour
Fair weather friend
My Savior
Because even in the storm
You only see the calm
When my soul rages
Doubting
That you even care...
You are there…

Ohhhhh
Wherever I go
Wherever I go
Wherever I go
I can find you
Know you
Forever!

D.A. Wittler 17’

Yellow Horse

Yellow Horse

Up all night

Workin’ the night shift again

Same old  thing

Playin’ the game

Payin’ my dues

By the rules

Never gaining ground

Ridin’ my yellow horse

Till dawns early light

Feelin’ the change

Comin’ on

And I'm not getting any younger.

Doin’ right

By the people in my life

Seasons change

And little boys grow up

To be young men

What went wrong

It's all gone

And all I've got

Is this yellow horse

Till dawn

Loadin’ the big rigs

On a hot summer night.

Yellow horse

Hear my voice

Calling’ out your name

Tryin’ to be the man

I promised to be

So long ago

But it can't be

Like it used to

And dreams

Turned to streams

Of rain on the pavement

At midnight.
Thunder and rain, and all I've got are seconds, and flashes in between.

Hello again son

Got your message

You're comin’ home

I'll be waiting

When I'm done

Riding this yellow horse

Till dawn

And we'll go from here

Till I'm gone.

Yellow horse

Hear my voice

Calling’ out your name

Tryin’ to be the man

I promised to be

So long ago

But it can't be

Like it used to

And dreams

Turned to streams

Of rain on the pavement

At midnight.
Thunder and rain, and all I've got are seconds, and flashes in between.

D.A. Wittler 17’

Road Songs

Double Nickel

Well, it used to be defined

By a white road sign

Now there's almost no limit

But the sky I guess

People get excited

When they got no time

Speeding through life

Like there's no tomorrow

Beg or borrow

Double nickel.

Sammy used to sing

He couldn't drive it

Mario Andretti

On the car pool side

Traffic gets us moving

But we just can't get by

With a limit

Double nickel don't cut it

So we floor it

Leaving the honest behind.

But that's not what I'm talking about

Life is like a highway

And we joke about old age

And then it creeps up on us

And the jokes start to fade

As we question:

What have we done?

How far have we come?

Double nickel ahead

What will I leave behind?

We take to the road

When high School is over

There's always a path

Which way to go?

God only knows

But regardless of it

Double nickel knows

We might regret it

If we go too fast

Trying to keep up

With the Jones’s

In a new Cadillac

When all we've got is a Chevy

But it will do

As long as the road is open

And our minds are focused

Life won't pass us by.

Sammy used to sing

He couldn't drive it

Mario Andretti

On the car pool side

Traffic gets us moving

But we just can't get by

With a limit

Double nickel don't cut it

So we floor it

Leaving the honest behind.

One year older

And the candles flame

Who gets the honor

Blowing them out

Like an old spare tire

But that's not what I'm talking about

What lessons learned?

What directions turned?

Made us who we are today

We don't come into this world

With an owner's manual

Just a slap on the back

And the old Gideon's Bible

Where to go when?

Sammy used to sing

He couldn't drive it

Mario Andretti

On the car pool side

Traffic gets us moving

But we just can't get by

With a limit

Double nickel don't cut it

So we floor it

Leaving the honest behind.

Alright,

One more left turn in us

If we just rely

On old double nickel

To give us a ride

Slowing down don't mean we're old

It just says we're wise

Beyond the car pool side

Cruising along till we see it

Another sun rise

A roadside rest

Till the end of time.

D.A. Wittler 17’

Go On

It was an early autumn night

I was driving in my car

My eyes were all wrung dry

By the thin yellow line

Coming up

From the middle of the road

You were on my mind

Life was kicking my behind

Every moment I'd try

To be a better man

But it just wasn't working

So you said:

“Good bye

See ya on the other side”

Well I didn't know then

Like I know right now

How it all takes time

Dealing with things

Moving through emotions

Till we learn our lesson

Or die trying to define

What's wrong inside

Oh baby

I needed you then.

Don't give in

Go on

Even if it hurts so bad

Don't give up

Move on

Life is a lesson

Learn from it

Or lose everything

Even though it feels so wrong

Go on

Don't let today's troubles

Make you want to end it all

My friend

I got your back

Begin again

Stand up

Be whole

Go on.

Four years gone by

Summer time

I've seen a whole lot of miles

Pass me by

But that thin yellow line

Keeps me on the road

Though some days

I still don't know

If I can make it alone

But there is still hope

I don't need that bottle to know

Courage comes from my soul

And every day is a choice

To go on

Let go

Give up

Don't try again

But you know

We always have choices

Be free

Let those chains fall away.

                                  Don't  give in

Go on

Even if it hurts so bad

Don't give up

Move on

Life is a lesson

Learn from it

Or lose everything

Even though it feels so wrong

Go on

Don't let today's troubles

Make you want to end it all

My friend

I got your back

Begin again

Stand up

Be whole

Go on.

And so one last time

Open road ahead

I'm not getting any younger

But I feel just fine

And there you are

As clear as the moon

Shining above

Yeah,

I'm still moving on

Holding still

Rock steady

Here we go!

D.A. Wittler 17’

Silence and Ripples

Silence and Ripples

When I lose myself to silence

Water, calm as ice upon the pond

I touch it with my finger

Waves reach out beyond

Changing the shoreline forever

And there is you

A distant figure

Calling out my name.

How long must I fear you?

When will time be done with me

And we can be together

In silence once again?

No distractions

Only ripples on the water.

My God

How I long for you

Is it really necessary

Life is hell upon this stairway

People beating on each other?

From within comes our anger

But there is always silence

Crystal clear as water

Drowning out this fire within my soul.

Save me from this feeling

Falling into flames

Satisfy my desire

Find me a home in heaven

Where there are no neon signs to read

Only silence for my soul

A calm repose forever

No more halls of empty promises

No more stairs to climb in vain.

Provide a final platform for this prose

And my story will be written

Upon the ripples of time

That I was here on earth

For second chances

No more hurting souls

Emersed in troubled waters

Never alone again

Beside your loving presence.

Amen

                                  D.A. Wittler 17’

Reading Room

Reading Room

Took them down

Old memories

Moments in time

A small town

Nails remain

In paneled walls

Reminders of pain

Perhaps I'll hang them

Once again

And books

Packed away

No longer remain

On empty shelves

Only dust

To wipe away

Like crumbs of thought

In hopes of brighter days

Through generous gain

Of stories, strife and strain

For better things

A brand new life.

                                 D.A. Wittler 17’

To My Whimsical Fair Lady

Either a desperate effort to compose a love song, or just another exercise in futliliy, I offer this instead of blasts of patriotic air. God bless.

Witt 

The night is pleasantly calm with a bright moon, and  beautifully arrayed background of stars. He sits alone with a flickering candle providing a hint of soothing vanilla oil wafting through the air, and he wonders: "Will there ever be a time when this space permeats the feminine?" With sleep waiting somewhere towards dawn, not a sound breaks the silence of a thousand conscious thoughts of what was, and is to be. Perhaps tomorrow brings a whole new opportunity to find his dream amongst the brazen clover overgrown beside the stream. "Good night my Fair Lady, good night."

Sun slowly rises as birdsong enters from pre-dawn whispers. A brief night has offered little consolation to his plight as reality has evaded capture in his quest of dreams come true. Scent of morning dew gives reference to an inner longing, and in this nostalgic state he thinks to himself: "Has my heart gone cold with the tolling of the church bell?" Yet, 6 a.m. and all is well, all is well with his soul. "God must have a plan for me, and there must be answers forthcoming on whisps of wind carried aloft through my window by way of passing angel wings. Good morning my gray lady, sunlight awaits to shower golden beams upon thy face."

D.A. Wittler 17'