Rule #45, The Playbook

By Kwame Alexander

Dribble, 
fake, 
shoot, 
miss; 

dribble, 
fake, 
shoot, 
miss; 

dribble, 
fake, 
shoot, 
miss; 

dribble, 
fake, 
shoot, 
swish.

All or Nothing at All

 By Arthur Altman

All or nothing at all
Half love never appealed to me
If your heart never could yield to me
Then I'd rather have nothing at all

All or nothing at all
If it's love there is no in between
Why begin, then cry for something that might have been
No, I rather have nothing at all

But, please, don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may grow dizzy and fall

And if I fell under the spell of your call
I would be caught in the undertow
So, you see, I've got to say
No, no - all or nothing at all

Here and Now (Excerpt)

By Stephen Dunn

Electricity may start things,
but if they're to last
I've come to understand
a steady, low-voltage hum

of affection
must be arrived at...

Riding To Vanity Fair

Paul McCartney

I bit my tongue
I never talked too much
I tried to be so strong
I did my best
I used the gentle touch
I've done it for so long

You put me down
But I can laugh it off
And act like nothing's wrong

But why pretend
I think I've heard enough
Of your familiar song

I tell you what I'm going to do
I'll try to take my mind off you
And now that you don't need my help
I'll use the time to think about myself

You're not aware
Of what you put me through
But now the feeling's gone
But I don't mind
Do what you have to do
You don't fool anyone

I'll tell you what I'm going to do
I'll take a different point of view
And now that you don't need my help
I'll use the time to think about myself

The definition of friendship
Apparently ought to be
Showing support for the
One that you love
And I was open to friendship
But you didn't seem to have any to spare
While you were riding to Vanity Fair

There was a time
When every day was young
The sun would always shine
We sang along
When all the songs were sung
Believing every line

That's the trouble with friendship
For someone to feel it
It has to be real
Or it wouldn't be right
And I keep hoping for friendship
But I wouldn't dare
To presume it was there
While you were riding to Vanity Fair

The Fish Bowl
By Joni Mitchel

The fish bowl is a world diverse
where fishermen with hooks that dangle
from the bottom reel up their catch
on gilded bait without a fight.

Pike, pickerel, bass, the common fish
ogle through distorting glass
see only glitter, glamour, gaiety
and weep for fortune lost.

Envy the goldfish? Why?
His bubbles are breaking ’round the rim
while silly fishes faint for him.