# The Poetry/Lyric Thread



## MikeyDude (Dec 30, 2022)

I didn't see a thread for songwriters or poets so - me being a musician and songwriter I thought I'd start one.

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_ A copyright must establish an author and a date. As soon as a work is posted here with it's time stamp - if it is an original - it is protected. Remember that this is a public forum and anything you post is going to be seen. If you don't want it seen or have copyright issues please don't post._


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## MikeyDude (Dec 30, 2022)

*Winging It*

You say you know me.
You say we're friends.
You convince yourself that because we've interacted for so long we must be friends.

You know how I react to you.
You know how I act around you.
You know what you do that makes me smile.
You know what you do that pisses me off.

All you really see is the facade that I allow you to see.
Have you ever seen me cry?
Do you have even the faintest inkling of what hurts my soul?
Have you ever thought of what you may mean to me?
Or do you just blindly interact?

Does it matter to you if I feel alone everyday of my life?
I'm surrounded with people that claim to know me.
That claim to be my friend.
The reality is that after all this time we're just acquaintances.

So friend... Where do I come from?
Not location on this planet, but that place from the heart.
If you know me, you must know where I come from.
You know where my scars are.
Scars that have shaped me into what you see.
Not necessarily what I AM.

I have been carved into what I am.
Carved by the jagged blade of experience.
Carved like a sculptor with a broken chisel.
And at the same time, worn down by the waters of time.
I am rough to the eye, yet smooth to the touch.

Why do I waste my time pretending?
Why do you?
If the one's that are supposed to matter don't give a shit,
Why should you?
Or I for that matter?

My destiny is to be separated from everyone by a mortal body that prevents you from truly knowing, or me from truly knowing as well.
We can't touch. As humans we all try, but we can't touch.

Roger Daultry once asked, "Can you see the real me?"

Well can you?


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## Gaer (Dec 30, 2022)

This is great, but the reason I don't put my lyrics or poetry on here anymore is there
is no protection against copyright infringement, to my understanding.
If you have a personal copyright, it's still intact, but don't people comb the internet
looking for creations to steal?
For a soul to know the correct placement of words to enact response in people
is a great gift.  I would hate for someone to take those words as their own.

If I am wrong about this, please tell me, and i will add my song lyrics too!


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## MikeyDude (Dec 30, 2022)

Gaer said:


> This is great, but the reason I don't put my lyrics or poetry on here anymore is there
> is no protection against copyright infringement, to my understanding.
> If you have a personal copyright, it's still intact, but don't people comb the internet
> looking for creations to steal?
> ...



A copyright must establish an author and a date. As soon as a work is posted here with it's time stamp - if it is an original - it is protected.


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## Gaer (Dec 30, 2022)

MikeyDude said:


> A copyright must establish an author and a date. As soon as a work is posted here with it's time stamp - if it is an original - it is protected.


Thank you for that clarification.  So, If someone takes it and adds music to it, records it, and it's a hit, we can sue them  up to
$10,000.  Is that correct?  Of course, The attorney would charge us $12,000. hahaha!
 We can sue them for thousands more if we had paid the fee through the Copyright office and had, in our hands, the official copyright.
Is this correct?  
MikeyDude, I'm still a little scared of someone taking my creative work.
BTW:  YOU, Sir, are extremely talented!  May we see more of your work?


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## CallMeKate (Dec 30, 2022)

Gaer said:


> If I am wrong about this, please tell me, and i will add my song lyrics too!


What I've found, @Gaer , is that the way it's supposed to work and how it actually works are different.  I have about 50 songs registered with the Library of Congress in DC.  Everything had to be all prim and proper before the artists did the songs and got air play. That did *not* prevent one of my composers from finding one of our songs online being used as part of a college course with no copyright notice attached at all.  I contacted the professor and got nothing more than "Oh, so sorry, I'll remove it from the Internet."  I never found out if he continued to use it in his classes and we'd decided with the publisher holding the contracts at the time not to pursue it.  That may have been a mistake.  I'm very careful with putting creative works online now.


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## Gaer (Dec 30, 2022)

CallMeKate said:


> What I've found, @Gaer , is that the way it's supposed to work and how it actually works are different.  I have about 50 songs registered with the Library of Congress in DC.  Everything had to be all prim and proper before the artists did the songs and got air play. That did *not* prevent one of my composers from finding one of our songs online being used as part of a college course with no copyright notice attached at all.  I contacted the professor and got nothing more than "Oh, so sorry, I'll remove it from the Internet."  I never found out if he continued to use it in his classes and we'd decided with the publisher holding the contracts at the time not to pursue it.  That may have been a mistake.  I'm very careful with putting creative works online now.


Yeah, That's what I thought.  Thanks.
Sorry @MickeyDude,  Didn't mean to hi-jack your wonderful thread.


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## MikeyDude (Dec 30, 2022)

Gaer said:


> Sorry @MickeyDude,  Didn't mean to hi-jack your wonderful thread.



No hijack at all... need to get this out there so everyone knows the drill. This is why I put my disclaimer on the starting post.

I've had my stuff out there on the radio and television and never had anyone grab it. The "Cease and Desist" order is the standard response. If they don't "Cease and Desist" that's when the expensive lawsuit happens. And all the lawsuit actually does is make them stop using it, and there is no monetary penalty or punitive damages unless you can prove that they used it for profit. I obviously have no issue with it because I have stuff on Youtube, Reverb-Nation, and other music hosting sites. Personally, I've never had any troubles. Your mileage may vary.

To me the saddest thing is a song that nobody hears.


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## Gaer (Dec 30, 2022)

MikeyDude said:


> No hijack at all... need to get this out there so everyone knows the drill. This is why I put my disclaimer on the starting post.
> 
> I've had my stuff out there on the radio and television and never had anyone grab it. The "Cease and Desist" order is the standard response. If they don't "Cease and Desist" that's when the expensive lawsuit happens. And all the lawsuit actually does is make them stop using it, and there is no monetary penalty or punitive damages unless you can prove that they used it for profit. I obviously have no issue with it because I have stuff on Youtube, Reverb-Nation, and other music hosting sites. Personally, I've never had any troubles. Your mileage may vary.
> 
> To me the saddest thing is a song that nobody hears.


Hm-m-m-m!  Well, You hit my heart with that last sentence.  Something to think about.


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## MikeyDude (Dec 30, 2022)

Gaer said:


> MikeyDude, I'm still a little scared of someone taking my creative work.
> BTW:  YOU, Sir, are extremely talented!  May we see more of your work?


Just from my experience, as long as a date and an authorship is provable you have recourse. They can still try to take it regardless.

I just noticed your comment... Thank you!
I plan on posting more... I have tons of it from all these years.



Gaer said:


> Well, You hit my heart with that last sentence.



That is more of my work... LOL!


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## Gaer (Dec 30, 2022)

Ok, Let me ask you this.  What are the benefits of registering a song with ASCAP?
Is that necessary?  If you do that, do musicians all over the world see your lyrics?
Is that the only way to get paid for your songs?
I looked at your profile and you write music?  Do you?
How can I collaborate with a music writer for profit?


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## MikeyDude (Dec 30, 2022)

To me, ASCAP is like a phone book of material. It has stuff out there for others to see and it makes you contactable if people know what to look for. It also helps provide you with the royalty protection if/when your stuff is played on the airwaves. But night clubs that hire cover bands and DJs are supposed to pay royalties to ASCAP and BMI. In all my years of being in cover bands I've never paid a fee or seen a receipt from a club. Too hard to prove and to collect. I've never messed with those guys because I've not been successful enough to need the lawyers to handle all that. Too expensive and not enough return for that investment.

It's definitely not the only way to get paid for your songs - nor would it be the most profitable. I get paid from my song/album sales and from my performances... very little comes from anywhere else. But I'm a performer. I don't write stuff to just sell in that way. I write stuff for me to perform. 

I'm not sure where to tell you to look for collaboration since I haven't done any of that outside of the bands I've been in.


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## MikeyDude (Dec 31, 2022)

Well - we kinda blew this thread up didn't we? Lets try and resurrect it and see if'n it works. Ya unto?

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*When I was Young*

When I was young I was not just 8, I was 8 ½.

When I was young girls had cooties.

When I was young it was status to get greasy from working on the car.

When I was young monsters were real, and couldn’t see through blankets.

When I was young Christmas Eve was the longest day of the year, and my birthday was the shortest.

When I was young Little League baseball games were 9 innings long.

When I was young a day was way too short and an hour was way too long.

When I was young the first day of school was as exciting as the last.

When I was young teachers never went to the bathroom.

When I was young being in high school was grown up.

When I was young being in the front seat was very important.

When I was young P.F. Fliers actually made you jump higher.

When I was young a mouse was a pest without the “S“.

When I was young survival was making it past the first day at a new school.

When I was young I hated sleep but could do it easily.

When I was young work was mowing the lawn.

When I was young I could really shoot people with my finger.

When I was young cartoon characters were real people.

When I was young I wished I could shave.

When I was young I hurt hard and healed easy.

When I was young I dreamed of being older.


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## Lara (Dec 31, 2022)

This is so insightful, Mickey and brought back memories. 
I like it all...but some really made me stop and feel it. 

Some made me giggle like "when I was young teachers never went to the bathroom" 
I stopped....couldn't think of any either haha

And the last line was poignant. It made me think back now of how I played the "game". I could have done better knowing what I know now. 
I bowed my head and thanked Jesus for all He's done to forgive me that I don't deserve...but am very grateful. 
And I still have a little time left


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## MikeyDude (Dec 31, 2022)

Lara said:


> This is so insightful, Mikey and brought back memories.
> I like it all...but some really made me stop and feel it.
> 
> Some made me giggle like "when I was young teachers never went to the bathroom"
> ...



Thank you Lara - I'm glad you liked it.


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## palides2021 (Dec 31, 2022)

Thank you for sharing your poetry/lyrics with us @MikeyDude! I also have a thread on SF with some of my poems: https://www.seniorforums.com/threads/reflective-thoughts-and-poems.76381/

I write music and I write poems, but rarely put the two together! haha

Looking forward to reading more of your writing. If you have any music published (Youtube) let us know.


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## MikeyDude (Dec 31, 2022)

palides2021 said:


> Thank you for sharing your poetry/lyrics with us @MikeyDude! I also have a thread on SF with some of my poems: https://www.seniorforums.com/threads/reflective-thoughts-and-poems.76381/
> 
> I write music and I write poems, but rarely put the two together! haha
> 
> Looking forward to reading more of your writing. If you have any music published (Youtube) let us know.



Wow - your stuff is really amazing! I understand about the music vs. poetry thing... These 2 I posted are obviously poems... My song lyrics tend to be simpler to fit into the format of the song.

Please feel free to add some here if'n you'd like. I was hoping to get many involved....


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## Gary O' (Dec 31, 2022)

MikeyDude said:


> Please feel free to add some here if'n you'd like. I was hoping to get many involved....


I've dabbled with poetry a bit

Here's some of my fractured prose


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## Nemo2 (Dec 31, 2022)

Found in Sofia, Bulgaria, 2017...written by a Finnish poet.


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## MikeyDude (Dec 31, 2022)

Gary O' said:


> I've dabbled with poetry a bit
> 
> Here's some of my fractured prose


I like that a lot!


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## Gary O' (Dec 31, 2022)

MikeyDude said:


> I like that a lot!


Well, put it to music, if you wish


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## Lara (Jan 1, 2023)

only i
~by lara


only i

my paintbrush dips into my soul

leaving outward expressions

of inward passions and emotions

none can dictate my perceptions

only i


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## palides2021 (Jan 1, 2023)

Lara said:


> only i
> 
> my paintbrush dips into my soul
> 
> ...


I liked the imagery you used and how you tied the ending with the beginning. Nice, @Lara!


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## MikeyDude (Jan 2, 2023)

*Questions*

Who are you?

Who am I to you?

What makes you so important to me?

What do I mean to you?

What do I have to do for you to see my effort?

When I reach for you, will you take my hand?

When I cry out for you, will you hear me call?

When I tell you what is, will you say it's not?

Where do I have to go for you to be there?

Where are you now?

How do I get you to know what I'm trying to say if you won't hear my words?

How do I get you to see if you don't look?

Why do I feel like this?

Why do we go on?

Who am I?

What now?

When will I know?

Where will I be in 10 years?

How will I get there?

Why?

 If I were suddenly not here, what would you do?


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## palides2021 (Jan 2, 2023)

MikeyDude said:


> *Questions*
> 
> Who are you?
> 
> ...


Lots of good questions! One could write a book with all the answers, haha.


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## MikeyDude (Jan 2, 2023)

It's all about relationships... and yes- you could write volumes with the answers... lol.


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## Lara (Jan 3, 2023)

I've noticed that songs about relationships between lovers 
dominate the favorites among the populace 
so that poem put to music would be a great idea. 
It's a good one.


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## MikeyDude (Jan 4, 2023)

*My Thoughts On Civilized Life*

I was taught to believe that no one’s born to lose,
That the path to happiness was something that you choose.
But again I’ve discovered that that is not the case,
Life has a pecking order, and you must know your place.

You try to choose the people that will treat you the best,
And place a safe distance between you and all the rest.
But you have no control over how people treat you,
They put you in a category as soon as they meet you.

They tell you how important you are, as you’re put up on the shelf,
And then you're left to wonder why you're left all by yourself.
And as long as they have a need for you, you’ll be kept around,
Until there’s someone better than you that can be found.

People scheme and people plot, as they look you in the eye,
All the while saying, “You’re one hell of a nice guy“.
No matter your accomplishments, your knowledge or your style,
People really snarl at you and just call it a smile.

What is the formula that’s used to decide,
Whether you’ll be let in, or left to freeze outside?
Is it money, personality, or knowledge from a book?
Or is it something superficial like the way that you look?

We tell ourselves that we don’t care what other people think,
“If you don’t like the way I am, then kiss me where I stink“.
Deep down inside you must admit that that’s not really true,
You do what you do because of what is thought of you.

Men wear suits and ties when they’d rather be in jeans,
And women put on make-up to be the girl of some mans dreams.
We act polite, we never say anything that would be crass,
Because we don’t want anyone to think that we’re an ass.

I’ve played the game and tried to follow all the un-known rules,
And no matter how I try I’m still treated like the fool.
I’m told the lies to my face and see the truth behind my back,
And knowing the truth of what is said is something I don’t lack.

The honest truth is something that you can never hide.
Sooner or later you’re actions reveal what is deep inside.
So make your words match your actions and your actions match your words,
If you ask me people are full of shit...

and civilized life is for the birds.


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## Lara (Jan 5, 2023)

Much humor, fun, and wisdom in that poem...it's balanced like life is. 
I really like it!


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## MikeyDude (Jan 5, 2023)

Lara said:


> Much humor, fun, and wisdom in that poem...it's balanced like life is.
> I really like it!


Thank you Lara!


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## MikeyDude (Sunday at 1:30 PM)

How about a little country music?
​*Cryin' In My Beer*

I should have known right from the start that she'd turn out that way.
It was plain to see that it could never be when she threw my guitar away.
Well I didn't care as long as she was there, but she was never home.
She was out on the town with some other clown, and I was all alone.

She left me sittin here cryin' in my beer when she walked out on me.
I'm singin' the blues down deep in my heart, I'm drownin' in misery.
She didn't bat an eye when she told me good-bye and took everything that I own,
And left me sittin' here cryin' in my beer and I'm drinkin' all alone.


I'd been out on the road for fifteen nights and I was ready to be home.
But when I got there the whole house was bare, all she left me was the telephone.
And when I raised my eyes I finally realized; I saw the writing on the wall.
It was her favorite shade of lipstick sayin', 'Thanks I had a ball.'

She left me sittin' here cryin' in my beer when she walked out on me.
I'm singin' the blues down deep in my heart, I'm drownin' in misery.
She didn't bat an eye when she told me good-bye and took everything that I own,
And left me sittin' here cryin' in my beer and I'm drinkin' all alone.


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