Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Boxes and rocks to build a fort
Make a boat to travel to a far off port
Little people with huge stories to tell
Magical animals dance around an old well
Climbing a mountain to the top of the slide
Sneaking around to find a place to hide
Toy cars trying to win the race
Stuffed animals flying in outerspace
Castles built from blankets and sheets
Happily playing with each dragon he meets
Imagination is such a wonderful thing
This is what helps a child to sing
Stories are written to entertain young minds
My only hope is happiness and smiles he finds


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Screams that startle in the dark
As alone you cross the park
Golden eyes glowing in the trees
Make you tremble and lock your knees
Something brushes the back of your head
You can’t wake up if you're not in bed
Someone whispers your name down low
Hurry up, you're moving way too slow
Rustling leaves heard from somewhere behind
Sanctuary in the darkness is impossible to find
Things that scurry across my feet
Fear of what unknown creatures I will meet
Hairs that stand up on the back of my neck
My nerves are shot, my mind's a wreck
Moving faster when I see a far off light
I continue moving on through the night
The light ahead flickers and then goes out
You wonder what the hell is this all about
Now you start to move your feet real fast
Fear that you may have breathed your last
Just then you realize you're doomed to be lost
Forced to pay the ultimate cost
A dog barks so close you can feel his breath
You know it is a matter of life or death
Just when you think the end is near
A familiar voice you plainly hear
“Get up and roll on out of bed
You where sleeping so sound I thought you where dead”


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 25 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Eyes that sparkle, hair full of curl
This is what I love about my baby girl
Smiles that light up even dull days
Hearing your giggles as you run and play
Watching you grow into the person you are
You have become my little shinning star
Knowing I love you as I hold your hand
This is the life I always planned


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Spaces left upon my calloused soul
Unfinished dreams leaving a gaping hole
Spaces left between love and hate
Feelings I must control before it is too late
Spaces unfilled from memories lost
Fearing the loneliness and what of the cost
Spaces like wishes that remain unfulfilled
Will be wasted like a farmer's untilled field
Spaces need to be filled with memories of hope
This is how the human spirit will learn to cope


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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When your spirt shines
Your happiness grows
The beauty of youth
Like a budding rose

With age comes wisdom
This is what I am told
Some how I got cheated
When all I got was old


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Greed is taught but so is sharing
Hate is taught but so is caring
Selfish children learn one for all and all for me
Caring children learn to give as it should be
Thinking of yourself sometimes is fine
You can still help someone to cross the finish line
Greed and hate always go hand in hand
So can we if that is what we planned


- - -
He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Flames of hate can not grow if you do not add fuel to the fire
Prejudice is hate created by fear and fear is an illusion created by a liar
Fan the flames, the fire burns brighter, without added fuel the ember dies
Unrest and violence are tools of weak, greedy people spreading their lies
Villages and bridges are built by the strong so the weak can enter or cross
Wars are caused by prejudice, hate, fear, greed and leaves us at a loss
Don’t fan the flames with words of hate, prejudice, fear, and greed
Put out the flames of hate, stop being a follower and with pride take the lead


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Naked we are born and naked we will die
Shame is taught and I don’t know why
Children will run free outside in the buff
They laugh and they play they can’t get enough
People are told they must keep their clothes on
Hide yourself from sight until everyone is gone
Man and woman walk this path through life
Modesty and shame as you walk on the blade of a knife
It would be nice if some day we all could be free
That would be nice, if the choice was up to you and me
Covering our bodies for someone else's shame
Doesn’t seem fair when it’s their modesty that is to blame
If child-like abandon was what we all suffered from
Then casting off our clothing would not seem so dumb
Naked we are born and naked we will die
Shame is taught and I don’t know why


- - -
He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Cutout hearts are a symbol of love
The sign of peace is a snow white dove
Hate has no sign, except a one finger salute
This is what the haters use to recruit
Dealing with our love is a easy task
Dealers of hate wear a solemn mask
Working towards a peaceful end to hate
Stopping the battle before it is to late
The time for love is close at hand
Bring out your heart and make a stand
Cutout hearts are a symbol of love
The sign of peace is a snow white dove


- - -
He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over 20 poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Love stories are written and war stories are told
No one knows who won the battle until all the truths unfold
If a seagull drops a pebble in the middle of the sea
Will anyone notice if there is no one there to see
If I stand upon the river bank and call to the other shore
Will there be anyone to hear me if they all went off to war
Fighting freedom's battles even with good intent
The soldier receives nothing, but the time they spent
There are cowards and extremists on both sides of any war
A soldier must choose the truth that he is fighting for
Every morning the sun rises on a brand new day
It will never work if all we do is wish our troubles away
Freedom isn’t free for those that pay the ultimate cost
When we surrender what we have it is not only their lives we've lost
Sheep will follow the leader over a cliff where they will die
If any of them survive they will surely wonder why
Sometimes the black sheep standing on top of a grassy knoll
Is not the one trying to trick us by acting like a fool
Weapons are a necessary evil to keep our leaders from leading us astray
We must never let them take our “Right to Bear Arms” away
Politicians and leaders tell us what they say is true
It would be easy to tell they are lying, if their noses grew
Politicians' truth is like a thimble completely covered with holes
Constantly pricking us and then laughing at us fools
We can no longer take freedom for granted the time has come to fight
Since our leaders will not fix this mess we must do what’s right


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over a dozen poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets: Second Anthology"

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Moon that hangs up in the sky
Disappears as clouds drift by
Staring down from his lofty perch
Making a lonely and solemn search
What can he be so intently looking for
He scans the ocean along every shore
Up the side of the mountains to the top
I don’t think he will ever stop
Shining brightly in the midnight sky
Watching for something with his watchful eye
He keeps searching through the night
For distant illusions just out of sight
Just as we are about to discover his quarry
The sunrise blinds the moon with a flurry
Whatever it was hidden just out of sight
We will have to wait for it on another night
So if you see the moon shining in the sky
Don’t just sit there and wonder why
Walk with him and help with the search
Because he is probably lonely on his lonely perch
Maybe you both can find what you are looking for
As you discover all the things life has in store


- - -
He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over a dozen poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets: Second Anthology"

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Take away my color and the texture of my hair
Forget the way I dress, it’s only clothes I wear
I must stop doing the things that I know are wrong
Don’t hate anyone because of words in a song
Stand up for yourself and give others a hand
Think before you choose where to make a stand
Stay away from people that talk hate with every word
You must learn to love, to start to heal, that is what I heard
Keeping us separate, making sure we stay apart
Is the way they control us or at least that's how they start
If we ever join together we will be an unstoppable force
It will be difficult but possible if we stay the course
Teaching hate and mistrust because of how we look
Baiting us with lies, reeling us in like a fish on a hook
You are black and I am white just another part of life
They twist the truth behind our backs like an assassins knife
Governments that build walls between races need to be replaced
Deeds done to innocent by the guilty must be bravely faced


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He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over a dozen poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Picking seashells up at the shore
My arms are full can’t hold anymore
Fiddler Crabs that scurry past
Can’t catch them, they move too fast
Popping in and out of their holes
Running through shallow tide pools
Waves that break upon the rocks
Hitch up my pants take off my socks
Wading through water up to my knees
Splashing around doing what I please
Seagulls flying high over head
Turning to look as if it’s something I said
A couple of dolphins swimming along
I can see they are sleek and strong
As the sun sets on the shimmering sea
There is no one left on the beach, but me


- - -
He was born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. He is married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. He has over a dozen poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Awakened late in the night

By a sudden flash of light

Soon to follow a rumbling sound

So damn loud it shook the ground

Watching lights dance across the sky

Children awakened they start to cry

A strange symphony playing in my head

Sounds blended as if by the dead

Something explodes as it hits the ground

Winds that blow the trash around

Just when nature's song reaches a peak

Another lightning bolt makes a vertical streak

I hear raindrops lightly splashing overhead

This late night song plays on as I lay in bed

Then as the rain starts to pound the night

Some animal in the distance howls with fright

Then as suddenly as the storm got its start

All the noise and the light show they do depart

Notes to the night song still linger behind

My search for my slumber I finally find


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Born and raised in Ohio, and now lives in Florida. Married and has two children. Most important he is a Papa. With over a dozen poems on this site and one printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Life is but a blink in time

Some will die as I write this rhyme

Bombs exploding overhead

If our ship sinks, we will be dead

Some stand up and rock the boat

Just to see what makes it float

Others hide beneath the deck

Fearful that on the rocks we"ll wreck

Sinking to the bottom of the bay

I would rather at the helm stay

Helping to steer clear of disaster

The wind picks up, and we move faster

Lower the sails to slow us down

Steer hard a port, don't run aground

We see the horizon of a brand new day

Hard to starboard, a new course we lay

Working together to find calmer seas

The wind died down, it's a gentle breeze

Life is but a blink in time

Some will die as I write this rhyme


- - -
I was born and raised in Ohio and now I live in Florida. I'm married and we have two children. Most important, I'm a Papa. There are a dozen poems on this site and I have a poem printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Hazy clouds with a lightshow behind

Thunder roars and startles our mind

Lightning dances across open skies

Blindingly bright so I close my eyes

Rain starts softly to fall to the ground

Life slows as I listen, what a calming sound

Startled by the crashing noise from above

Nature serenades me with sounds that I love

Rain increases and pounds the damp ground

Making muddy puddles pop up all around

Thunder is muffled as the storm moves away

Lightning flashes like a child with a flashlight at play

All that is left is a small sidewalk flood

And bunches of puddles, filled up with mud.


- - -
I was born and raised in Ohio and now I live in Florida. I'm married and we have two children. Most important, I'm a Papa. There are a dozen poems on this site and I have a poem printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Lights that sparkle on the morning dew
Reminds me of the light that shines in you
When it twinkles, your eyes turn blue
Light that brightens everyday brand new


*

Watching the new sun on the rise
Will you catch the liar when he lies
A new mother listens as the baby cries
She will naturely know which action is wise

*

Embrace with warmth a heart you love
Missed loved ones watch from up above
Handle all feelings with a kid glove
Be careful not to confuse loneliness with love

*

Finding it's easier to love then hate
Embrace those closest, before it's too late
Kiss the little ones, please don't wait
Life is shortened by searching for an unknown fate


- - -
I was born and raised in Ohio and now I live in Florida. I'm married and we have two children. Most important, I'm a Papa. There are a dozen poems on this site and I have a poem printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Foolishly thinking we
have time to spare
Moving around slowly
as we lose our hair
saving plastic bottles,
someday to reuse
by not taking chances
we have nothing to lose
watching the timer like
we are baking bread
still angry years later
over what someone said
realizing as time passes,
we are born with all we need
everything else is acquired
through modesty and greed
rushing through breakfast
to get out ahead
no matter how fast you are
we all wind up dead
stop to smell the proverbial roses
as you walk along
living life to its fullest
how can that ever be wrong?


- - -
I was born and raised in Ohio and now I live in Florida. I'm married and we have two children. Most important, I'm a Papa. There are a dozen poems on this site and I have a poem printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Scars that never go away
Like tattoos they are here to stay
One is art that tells a tale
One tells of the pain acquired along our trail

*

Some scars are hid deep inside
Tattoos are usually worn with pride
One comes from choices we make
One hides behind stories we fake

*

Sad and lonely as you lay around
Happiness is something rarely found
Coping with life's simple tasks
As we wear our false smiling masks

*

With patience I will climb back out
Holding my hand will help there is no doubt
The hardest part is taking you along on this ride
When we get past the bad, we can feel the pride

*

Scars that never go away
Like tattoos they are here to stay
One is art that tells a tale
One tells of pain acquired along our trail


- - -
I was born and raised in Ohio and now I live in Florida. I'm married and we have two children. Most important, I'm a Papa. There are a dozen poems on this site and I have a poem printed in "Stormcloud Poets second anthology".

Contributor: Gary Thomas Hubbard

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Mountains always have a top
Valleys go down until they stop
What goes up does come down
Make left turns, get turned around

*

Seasons change to start anew
The sky was orange and now it's blue
Moon comes up, the sun goes down
If it's made of thorns don't wear the crown

*

Love is like the woods on fire
If you add fuel the flames grow higher
I couldn't love you anymore
These are things I know for sure

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I am the father of two and a Papa. I was born and raised in Ohio and now live in Florida. There are several of my poems published on Leaves-of-Ink and I have one poem in the Storm Cloud Poets Anthology 2.