My Word!: (They are Publishing Me)

By Gerard A Burst

Hidden inside his shy and retiring mind

is a lifetime of words come alive.

Just the right words

said just the right way

gives you a little glimpse

a new ray

to brighten how you look at the every day.

This book is full of humor and romance,

fantasy and fun,

heartbreak and hope,

and a longing for home.

You can read a melody behind those words.

Open this book

if you want it to be heard.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647010270

Book preview

cover.jpg

My Word!

(They are Publishing Me)

Gerard A Burst

Copyright © 2019 Gerard A Burst

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2019

ISBN 978-1-64701-025-6 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-64701-027-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Hey, Baby! Happy Birthday!

Hello Out There—I’m Me

Your Good Neighbor

Writing a Brand New Song

The Beat

A Jazz Mentality

This Is Your Disco Trance

Boogie on Down

Heartbreaker

Till Our Blues Are Gone

Hit That Floor

Grannies Don’t Dance

A Grim-Faced Smile

Our Overly Dramatic Soap Opera Lives

Mr. Oliver Is Dead

These Painful Blues

The Rules

I’m Here at Last

Melancholy’s Baby

Growing Pains

The Waterfall

Dry

The Night and Her

Ghosts

Do You Know the Way to Go

Karma

Father

Mother

Mary Beth

Michael’s Song to Ann (The Heaven I’ve Found in You)

The Shaft of Cupid’s Arrow

It Gets to Me Every Time

Leprechauns

Rabbit Ears

Halloween Fun

Ghost of a Chance

The Dust Bunnies of Doom

Courting Insanity

Hidden Side of Me

Don’t Mess with This Red

A Masked Eve

All Hallow’s Day

Where Do Our Monsters Go

Exorcist or Exercise

Attack of the Wild Turkeys

Positive Proceedings for Season’s Greetings

A Christmas Wish

Let’s Have Fun This Christmas

Under the Mistletoe

Holiday Shine

I Had a Dream

Santa’s Singing and Dancing Biker Bears

Present

My Friends This Side of Heaven

It’s a New Year

Happy New Year!

God

God in Your Life

Go with God

Preachers

Whispers and Wings

This Is How I Pray

My Angel

Pray to God

A Bear Den in Paradise

Setting Up a New Den

Bear Before You

You Shop Till I Drop

What Could Possibly Be Wrong

Nature’s Call

A Picnic Breeze

Bedroom Farce

Elevate This Heart of Mine

Bless Me, Father

Pirates

Lost Wallet

When I Say Double-A, I’m Not Talking About Batteries

It’s Hard to Hold Your Horses

Don’t Condemn Me

Fred

Dear John

My Cat

Fast on the Snore

Quietly Crazy

Love Takes Its Own Sweet Time

If the Spirit Moves You

If You Knew Me

Peekaboo

Signs We Are Meant to Be

Hopelessly in Love

Between Wanting You and Letting You Go

Climb Me

More Than Just Me

Never Let Go

Senses

Wild and Free

Everywhere She Stays

It’s Our Love

A Fire in the Blue

You Should Have Known

Love Can Heal Our Broken Hearts

Places in the Heart

I Love You

Delusions of Grandeur

Lonely Tears

Caught in the Act

When Love Is in Season

I Say These Things

The Wonder Full of Love

Eternally Young in Love

Left Unsaid

A Tarnished Knight

You Come to Mind

My Holy Grail

I’m at Home with You

Light in the Window

My Love to Have and to Hold

Alone Again

Something Right

Your Love Is in Your Silence

Starry Eyes

You Bring Out the Best in Me

Always with My Love

My Heart Holds This Vow

That Word…Goodbye

Leaving Me

Portrait of Beauty

Talk to Me

I Can’t Apologize

Fever Dreams

Until the Crash, Until the Fall

I’m Not Sorry That I’m Leaving

Two Minutes Too Late

Three Sheets to the Wind

Colorblind

Near Miss

All I Remember

A Passing Thought

Troubadour

The Wandering Minstrel

Always in Transition

Identity

A New Age

The Search for Love

Behave

In the Heart of a Child

I Dug a Hole

Imagination Lives

Idol

Teasing

That’s What I Tell Myself

The Creation of Me

The Picture’s Painting Me

Water

Look Up

Ten Against the Teardrop Blues

Bring Out the Best in Me

Like Don Quixote

Driving These Thoughts Away

A Dangerous Man

Good for Something

A Cemetery Grave

Before They Know It, I’ll Be Gone

To Roam

She’s Just a Goodbye Girl

My Sins

I Sure Can Pick Them, Can’t I?

It’s Really Up to You

Hurt Like a Brick

One More Note

Help Me

Turn Another Corner

Broken Hearts

The Road of Good Intentions

So Be Happy

It Can Take a Little Time

Somewhere, Sometime, Somehow

Asleep at the Wheel

A Touch of Rain

The Sun Is Coming Up Somewhere

Chase the Sunlight

Colors

Miracles Out There

Give It a Little Time

Do Karaoke

You Are Worth

Living My Life, Stuck in the Slow Lane

A Heartland Smile

The Nature of Love in View

Questions

Making Faces in Mirrors

And The Sign Said

Life

Love Within Time

I Want to Have a Sleepover With You

A Wish Just for You

I’m Not Asleep

Fighting Sleep

What My Pillow Has to Say

Bedrest

Breathe

Morning

Fatherly Advice

My Daughter and Son

The Clouded Over In-between

Peanuts Envy

Men Say Hallelujah

Foreword

I’ve been writing since

high school;

poetry, lyrics, short stories, and other things.

It was finally time

to dust them off

and get them together

into some form of book.

Took me long enough!

I’m over fifty years old now.

Better late than never!

So I hope you enjoy this book on its own merits.

Some of it’s sad.

Some funny.

Some a bit down right strange.

That’s life for you;

it doesn’t always play by the rules.

But it’s nice when something good comes to you.

Introductions

1. Hey, Baby! Happy Birthday!

2. Hello Out There—I’m Me

3. Your Good Neighbor

Hey, Baby! Happy Birthday!

When I first met you; you were beautiful,

and baby, you haven’t changed a bit.

I confess.

It was love at first sight;

and that hasn’t stopped, despite

you’re growing up every year.

Hey, baby! Happy birthday!

Glad you are here.

I hope the times have been good;

not too hard on you.

You look like you came through all right.

Tonight;

I raise a glass in your honor,

and thank your mother and father,

for giving us the gift, that is you.

Hey, baby! Happy birthday!

Glad you are here.

I know, sometimes we forget,

with everything, that’s gone down;

how much we love having you around.

But we are reminded, this time every year;

how special you are,

and we hold you dear.

Hey, baby! Happy birthday!

Glad you are here.

Let’s make it, a day to remember.

Balloons, candles, and cake;

make a wish to last forever.

You’re something special;

and it’s your day.

Hey, baby!

Hey, baby!

Happy birthday!

Glad you are here.

Hello Out There—I’m Me

Here I am again.

How did I get back here?

It looks like it might get crowded;

but damn! I feel so alone.

I couldn’t take another minute

of staring at the mirror;

thinking, judging the person,

staring back at me.

I had to get out.

Be around people I don’t know.

People who don’t see me;

only what I want them to know.

I wish I could drink.

I really need a drink.

Where is that bartender;

when I need him most?

I need a prop in my hand;

so I look right.

Like I belong.

So I don’t look out of place.

So I don’t feel so wrong.

I want to feel alive.

I want to believe;

that everyone is really here

to want to welcome me.

The life of the party!

A joy to behold!

If I could take them staring.

What would they think of me?

Why can’t I be daring?

Why am I so afraid…

…of me?

I want to touch…

someone special.

I want to be thrilled,

to learn about someone new.

I want to be seen,

like I’m worthy,

of hugs and kisses,

and all the applause

I’m due.

Dammit, I’m human!

I deserve better than this,

crippling fear,

of not knowing

what I miss.

When I just stay home

in my bed alone;

not knowing

whether to laugh or cry.

I have my work

and my home.

I have some friends and family too.

But how do you explain,

things you can’t talk about.

There’s got to be more than this,

before I’m through.

Tell me what I want;

somebody, please!

Tell me what I need,

to be set free.

If I stay here,

for a little while.

If I stay here,

quietly.

Would someone whisper

that little secret,

about what love is,

in your company.

I’m not ashamed

to admit, I need you.

I want to shout,

"Let me in

or let me be!"

Let me take the time

to introduce myself,

"Hello out there!

I’m me!"

Your Good Neighbor

It was a train wreck,

from start to finish;

and lucky me,

I got to see it.

I had a front row seat,

to this little episode in your life.

I’m just the good neighbor, next door;

who watches you

go back for more,

and who gets to

pick up the pieces,

when you crash and burn,

cut like a knife.

Well, I know, she sets your heart afire;

but the way she treats you

is nothing to admire,

and, honey,

you can do better anyway.

I wish you could see the look in your eyes;

when she gives you that movie star smile,

right before,

she walks away.

You keep telling yourself,

once more, into the breach,

but, baby,

she’s out of your reach,

and this is just not your day.

God! Just once;

I wish you would,

look at me, that way.

I’m the one, who is left,

picking up the pieces.

At least,

miss-do-not-touch,

didn’t give you, no diseases;

just shards of a broken heart,

over and over,

to the end.

I’ve got the glue,

to put Humpty Dumpty,

back together again.

That’s what good neighbors, next door

do for their friends;

pick them up off the floor,

until we become something more.

Something, worth waiting for.

I’m not a cup of sugar;

but you can borrow me,

until the next train wreck comes along.

I can hear that whistle now.

I’m sure it’s picking up steam.

Just once, won’t you let it go;

and settle down here with me?

No more tears, at the end of this scene.

Don’t you know; I’m your happy ending.

If you’re good; I’ll take you shopping.

I know where you can buy me a ring.

Hitch up your caboose, baby.

I’ll be your everything.

I’m your good neighbor.

Come on over, and stay.

I’m no cup of sugar, darlin’,

but you can borrow me, anyway.

Let’s Dance

1. Writing a Brand New Song

2. The Beat

3. A Jazz Mentality

4. This Is Your Disco Trance

5. Boogie on Down

6. Heartbreaker

7. Till Our Blues Are Gone

8. Hit That Floor

9. Grannies Don’t Dance

Writing a Brand New Song

Writing a brand new song.

One that will make them laugh,

or make them cry.

Trying to come up with the words,

from what I’ve said,

and what I’ve heard.

Find a melody;

a new original sound.

First, I’ll try it upbeat;

then I’ll try it down.

It’s got to sell millions;

be the latest thing.

Be the song;

everybody likes to sing.

It took so long in writing;

I’m glad it’s almost done.

With this as a hit,

I’ll be number one.

The publicity isn’t enough.

It’s great, that’s true;

but there’s nothing,

like the satisfaction,

of singing it for you.

The Beat

Everybody’s got their very own beat.

But they keep it to themselves.

To make that circle complete,

you’ve got to give a little bit of yourself.

Take a step in time.

Add a little rhythm.

Make up a rhyme.

Give it a reason,

to live inside you.

Let that music get around;

to help somebody,

when they’re feeling down;

and no matter where you are bound,

it will come back to you.

Give me a little beat.

I want to feel it in my feet.

Don’t keep me in my seat.

I want to feel it with you.

A Jazz Mentality

Quiet…slow notes,

followed by a bass,

thrumming over your mind.

Taking you up,

and then down;

till the beat is the thing,

to take you away.

Just a jazz mentality.

Riding notes over a high;

then, into a narrow wave,

that twists you, up and around.

Silky smooth voice, bearing a torch song.

Firing it up and laying it down.

Filling up a smoky place,

in a low down room.

Empty and full at the same time.

Notes linger, as they drift off.

Coming to an end;

only to wait for quiet…to begin again.

The song changes and the style rearranges;

but it is a hauntingly familiar memory,

all the same.

Nonsense words, sometimes, fill the verse;

scattering notes, like cats at play.

There’s a rhythm and rhyme;

in an offbeat time,

that heats you up,

in a cool way.

Something different;

then the same old, same old;

and your tired old feet,

start tapping away.

It’s strange, the way

the music makes you change;

like you are looking,

into another day.

When zoot suits were in,

and flapper girls were making bathtub gin,

and everyone was a little bit crazed.

Just a jazz mentality.

That’s all I’ve got to say.

This Is Your Disco Trance

This is your disco trance.

Opening your mind,

to another time;

when you be swayin’

and gyratin’;

to funky beats,

moving your feet.

Feelin’ high,

Like you can fly

Groovin’ to the sound;

as you get down.

No thinkin’,

when you’re sinkin’,

just lights twinklin’,

in your eyes.

And deepenin’,

your need to be hypnotized.

Like Simon says;

his words say, "Yes!

Do what I say."

You will like it that way.

Fun to be moving;

to directions; improving,

your wanton craving,

and need to be obeying.

So funky and sweet,

to give in to the beat;

and the words you feel;

Zen you, far out, so real!

Trippy in your head;

from all, you have read.

This is your disco trance;

making your mind dance;

to the lyrics of a hypno song.

Going under, by going along.

Till your flashback ends,

and your mind remembers when;

you were entranced; by the sounds and sight,

Of a dance and trance,

giving you a fun and funky night.

Boogie on Down

You