Love To Hate

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I’m consistently astounded at how many people right here in America apparently love to hate.

Writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, wants to know why so many people Love To Hate.

By that I mean they seem to truly get their kicks from hating others to the point of even murder. In the past two days I’ve read articles…not by choice but by chance…that talked about things like:

  • Two 12 year old girls stabbing another 12 year old girl…they wanted to kill her to impress a fictional character whose name I won’t even repeat here
  • More than one young idiot with bomb making materials in their possession
  • An old friend of mine who’ll be ministering over the funeral of his cousin’s and his cousin’s wife’s funerals…they were murdered by their son

What’s making everyone so mad?! What’s driving people to the point of murder. How come so many…especially young people…simply love to hate their fellow human beings?

Ironically, the Bible ( I know that old book that’s always spouting off rules and telling everyone how to live) mentions the kind of world we’d be living in during these days. And even though it was written 2,000 years ago, it described us to a “T”. Check this out…

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.“

Whoa! That’s a very precise description of how things are today…wouldn’t you agree?

Or do you think everything is great and getting better all the time? If so, leave me a comment with some proof. I’d love to read about it.

Till next time”

Whimsical writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.

All Things Have Become New

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If you could look around at all your old stuff and suddenly say “wow, all things have become new”…wouldn’t that be an awesome treat?

Writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, shares how all things have become new for him.

Yeah, if our “things” in this world didn’t wear out, rust, mold, mildew, and generally deteriorate with every passing day, we could have a lot of spare time on our hands. It would be such a blessing not to have to paint old wood or replace rusted plumbing or mend worn out jeans.

Think of all you could concentrate on if you didn’t have to fix things.

Now…imagine your eternal soul endowed with the everlasting spirit of God. That’s the only way you can expect to have an eternal existence full of life. Life without death, dying, and decay. Life without worry about rust, mold, and mildew. Life without the worries of what’s going to break down next. That’s why the Apostle Paul described your Christianity as “all things have become new“.

For Christians, this message I’m sharing with you is “as though God were pleading through us” for you to be reconciled to Him. Why? Because God is some cosmic killjoy? Or because God doesn’t want you to have a choice?

Certainly not!

Because God loves you. He wants you to live forever. It was His intention all along that you should live forever. You, me, and everyone else. He never wanted any of us to be separated from Him forever.

But God is so loving that He’d never force us to live with Him if we don’t want to. So He made a place for souls to exist forever away from Him. He knows it’ll be a place of torment…tormented souls who will understand fully what they missed out on. But He knows they wouldn’t like it in Heaven with those people who love Him. He knows how that would turn out, and out of His love for those who love Him, He separates.

Don’t miss out on the awesome experience of how eternal life will feel once “all things have become new”. It’s a choice. It’s YOUR choice. Therefore…choose life.

Till next time”

Whimsical writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

We live in particularly dangerous times.

To some extent humans have always lived in dangerous times, but when you pause and consider what’s going on in the world…there are a lot of really mad people everywhere. What do you suppose makes someone so mad they wreak havoc and danger on their fellow human beings? I’ll venture a guess…

…they don’t have the love of God in them.

People aren’t born dangerous. They develop it. They make choices based on selfish motives. And the more a person focuses on “self”…the more potentially dangerous situations can occur.

I used to use an app on my iPhone called Flipboard. Sort of a news curation app. And something I noticed on a daily basis was how many people around the world are hell-bent on the destruction of their fellow human beings. It’s uncanny. It’s ubiquitous. And it’s so terribly, terribly wrong.

Evil, dangerous times.

I’ve never understood how anyone could get so mad or frustrated at anyone else they’d actually want to murder them. Why can’t they just walk away? Why can’t they understand the eternal consequences of their dangerous and destructive actions?

I’ll tell you why…they have no wisdom. The Bible says “wisdom is the principal thing”. It’s more precious than jewels or gold. Wisdom says all people are valuable. But wisdom doesn’t reside in the hearts of wicked and dangerous people. It doesn’t even live in the same region. Wisdom is so far removed from selfishness, it’s like the old saying…

“East is East and West is West…and never the twain shall meet.”

What I recommend during your stay here on this dangerous planet is this…take hold of the Grace found in the saving message from the Bible. You’re so valuable to God, the Creator of the universe, Maker of Heaven and Earth and all things, that He took a terrible punishment and died for you. And me. And everyone else.

I may sound old-fashioned and out-of-touch…but if so, let me never be modernized to the point of forgetting that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

That’s the only news that will take you through the dangerous times of your life.

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It makes perfect sense to buy insurance for your car or house or other personal reasons.

Writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, says eternal life with God makes the Most Perfect Sense

It makes the most perfect sense to get eternal insurance that’s already been paid for. I mean…c’mon…if you believe your “stuff” is important enough to insure…don’t you believe your soul is, to?

Let’s just say, for the sake of illustration of a point, that I’m right about humans having an eternal existence. I know it sounds crazy, but work with me for a couple of minutes. OK, we have an eternal existence to either look forward to or dread. We can look forward to it if and when we trust that someone already bought and paid for the trip, the accommodations, and everything else we’ll ever need.

We can dread that future eternal existence if we find out we have to pay for it all ourselves and the payment plan is never-ending. Talk about dread!

Back in 1969 I put my soul in the hands of my Creator. I latched onto eternal insurance, and I’ve never made a single payment…and I never will. Jesus already paid up my account. And He promised me eternity in paradise with Him. If I’m wrong about my decision to go this way, then I’ll end up being a total dork one day. But with all the intellect I have…with all the feelings I experience…with all the knowledge of all the mountains of evidence I’ve discovered, I’m totally confident I’ve made a wise decision. It makes the…

Most Perfect Sense

I don’t feel the way I used to feel.
And I don’t look the way I used to look.
I don’t say the things that I used to say.
And I don’t even read the same book.
I don’t push and shove or try to force my love
Or put a non-believer in a mode of self-defense.
I’m just looking toward the Light.
I’m not looking for a fight,
And it’s making the most perfect sense.
I can hear new songs. I can feel new beats,
And the music clears the cogs in my head.
It’s a minuet and then it’s rhythm and blues,
And then it’s altogether different instead.
I persevere to bring it all in clear,
And I pray that I transmit with an air of recompense.
I found the Key to the soul in me,
And it’s making the most perfect sense.
Most perfect…most perfect sense…
Not just a job or house or white picket fence.
Most perfect…most perfect sense…
I’m talking life that doesn’t have any tense.
It’s the most perfect sense…
To me.

© Copyright 1992 Tony Funderburk

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Someone asked me, recently, if I had ever sung a wedding song or had ever sung in any weddings. I smiled to myself because I immediately saw myself as a 19 year old young kid singing in my first wedding. Not MY wedding…the first wedding I had been asked to sing for. It was my girlfriend’s sister’s wedding, a Catholic affair in a small town in Kansas.

Once word got out that I could actually sing I sort of became the wedding singer for the area. I ended up singing in lots of weddings. Mostly Catholic, but I think that was just incidental…no particular reason. I’m not Catholic so it wasn’t because of that.

Anyway…once I’d sung in dozens of weddings I began to offer my service as a custom songwriter. I wrote a wedding song for one of my friends when she told me she was finally getting married, and then a few others asked if I’d do the same for them. I remember my payment for most of these weddings was usually a gift…rarely money of any significance.

But I was a songwriter in demand. That was more important than money at the time. It felt great to think people admired my songwriting enough to include it in the most important day of their lives.

The final wedding song I wrote was way back in 1991. (sounds weird to say “way back in 1991”) A friend of mine was getting married in Houston, and I was on the road full time. She asked if I’d write them a “special wedding song” and come and sing it for them. Of course I agreed. And wouldn’t you know the final wedding I sang in would be a Catholic affair again. Ah, the irony. Well, here are the lyrics to…

How Could We Not Be Together

Sail on forward through this life.
Woman takes a husband, and a man takes a wife.
Their destiny is harmony together in a higher place.
Move on closer to that dream…
With gold and diamonds, weave a tighter seam.
Alone is alright, but there’s such a changing world to face.

How could we not be together?
We’re joined at the hearts, and we walk in the light.
How could we not be together?
When it feels so right…yes, we know that it’s right.

Fly on upward nearer to peace.
Remember the vows…make the blessings increase.
Our love makes a friend that time and distance can’t erase.

How could we not be together?
We’re joined at the hearts, and we walk in the light.
How could we not be together?
When it feels so right…yes, we know that it’s right.

© 1991 Tony Funderburk

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Back in 1990 I was living in Colorado during a time of depressed economy and a general feeling of lack. But I wasn’t letting it get me down. I actually wrote quite a few songs that year. Some of them were pretty good, and I still play them. Others were more forgettable, but that’s the way songwriting is. I remember feeling like I was part of the song I’d write. And it happened with each and every song.

Back then I was still doing regular live music work, and I got out into the world more than I have lately. I know human interaction can be a stimulant for creativity because we’re all in this same giant blue boat called Earth. We’re all a part of the song. We simply sing or play different notes. But isn’t that what makes the world a very interesting place?

Well, anyway…I wrote a song about it. It became one of my obscure songs that I never really played or recorded. But I thought it might be of some interest to share it here.

We’re All A Part Of The Song

I climbed inside my radio
And walked along the wires.
I heard the beat of timpani
And saw some distant fires.
It felt like “this is where I belong”…
Music…and I’m just part of the song.
It’s analog and it’s digital,
And it’s a wireless remote.
It doesn’t run on batteries
‘Cause there’s life in every note.
It flies…and it takes me along.
I go ’cause I’m part of the song.
We’re all a part of the song
Whether we like it or not.
We’re all a part of the song,
A part of this big, melting pot.
If we’d open our eyes and just see how time flies,
We’d see that we’re not here so long…
Ane we’re all a part of the song.
I jumped inside a compact disc
To seek the rainbow’s end.
I heard it in those colored lights
And felt the hard times bend.

© 1990 Tony Funderburk

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I’m not very happy today. And I hope you’ll help cheer me up.

Today is Sunday…the Sunday part of the three-day Memorial Day weekend for 2014 here in America. And through a series of events (several of which were out of my control) I find my house and home in dire need of some good news.

Yet…it doesn’t come.

If you go back through my articles over the past several years, you’ll see me writing you inspirational, uplifting messages time after time. I’ve encouraged you to have faith, hope, and love in your hearts. And I’ve told you your joy does not exist in your “things”…it can only come from your Creator.

Yet, I find my own joy waning today.

Nope. Not very happy.

I think I feel a bit of what Abraham, Moses, Noah, and King David felt at certain points in their lives. I’ve waited with hopeful anticipation. And I wasn’t idle as I waited. I’ve been here almost daily writing from my hopeful perspective.

Yet, I’m still waiting without the fulfillment of my hope.

I don’t know if you know this, but…I’m not a young man anymore. I have dreams and aspirations and goals just as I did when I WAS a young man, but my years have sneaked up on me like a black panther with fangs of doubt. And those fangs are biting down on my heart today.

No…I’m not very happy. Not happy with the way my life has gone in recent years. Not happy with idiot politicians. And not happy with corruption and disregard for human life so prevalent in my beloved U.S.A. Not happy with a world that increasingly hates anyone who’d dare open his mouth in defense of unborn children. Not happy with a decreasing job market for someone who simply has a few more years notched in his belt.

I’m just not very happy today, so I have no words to cheer you up. Do you have any for me? I could sure use ’em.

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Nothing moves quite like a hummingbird.

Here in Colorado, it’s getting to that time of year when we’ll hear them go buzzing by in the back yard. Sometimes they move so fast you only hear ’em. But then sometimes they hover right over the deck or yard and seem to be perfectly content to give you a good, long look. They’re beautiful little birds. One of my favorites, and in case I didn’t mention it before I love birds.

One time, back in 1979, I used the quickness and agility of a hummingbird as an analogy for love. What do you think? Is it a silly analogy? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Anyway…I’d like to share those words with you now. They haven’t been openly shared with anyone in over 30 years. But that’s why I’ve been adding a lot of my old works to my entries here on TonyFunderburk.com. Maybe they’ll inspire, calm, or reflect someone.

Moving Like A Hummingbird

Smell the freshness of the morning air.
Hear the morning bird’s sweet song.
Just forget the things you’ve got to do.
Throw them all aside and come along.
Love is moving like a hummingbird…
Never landing in one place.
If you’re quick enough, hold on.
I know you’ll find a place.
Learn all about the strength of gentleness.
You’ve always held the power in your heart.
Don’t let the negatives deter you now.
To let go now would tear your life apart.
Love is moving like a hummingbird.
Drink of the nectar it provides.
If you desire, it will stay awhile.
Try now to softly close your eyes…I know…
You’ll find the secret place it hides.
Love is moving like a hummingbird.
Let me ride upon its back.
Take me to the place of happiness.
I’ll go, and maybe I’ll never come back.

© 1979 Tony Funderburk

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If you’ve lived long enough to be able to read this, I’m sure you’ve thrown at least a little money into a wishing well. True?

As I was working on something else in the past few hours it rained a lot here at the FunderRanch. And as I often do, I gazed outside the window for a bit. There was a group of objects and shadows in my view that seemed to form a wishing well. It wasn’t a real one. It just looked like one.

Then, I began to imagine all those raindrops falling from the sky and what a spectacular journey they just completed. I saw little droplets with smiling faces and imagined what it might be like if they were the ones who got to fill up the wishing well.

Hmm…

Maybe that would be an honor to a raindrop. One never knows. Knowing doesn’t matter in this case. Imagining matters. So, I imagined a couple of quick verses just for the occasion. Hope you enjoy, and stay dry or go sing in the rain…whichever you prefer.

The wet, little raindrops fell
From the sky in the shape of a bell.
It really didn’t matter when the drops began to splatter
In the water of the wishing well.

That’s where the wishing starts.
Everyone is playing their parts.
And you’re old enough to join in, if you simply toss a coin in…
In the wishing well of loving hearts.

Stop jumping online wishing you could find all my really refreshing Rhymes and Reasons. Just jump on the The TRUTH. And I’ll send them directly to your inbox. Do it now, and I’ll send you some songs and some other surprises: https://www.TonyFunderburk.com

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Kinetic Love

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I remember learning about kinetic and potential energy in high school science class.

Writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, shares his formula for Kinetic Love.

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. Think of your body in a car. You’re just sitting there, but if someone hits the brakes suddenly, kinetic energy forces your body to continue to move.

Potential energy is basically that same energy that CAN happen but hasn’t yet. Does that make sense? Well, potentially it should.

One day, back in October of 1989, I thought about how those two energy forces can be applied to my love for God. I have the love that stores up inside me…the potential love…that waits for an opportunity to be expressed. And I also have the love…the kinetic love… that spills out of me from an overflowing heart of gratitude. God can do those sorts of things to you if you allow yourself to be swept up in His Grace.

Well, that’s the short explanation of how I came up with…

Kinetic Love

I got dreams like the sand on the shore.
I got plans formulating inside.
I got hopes just waiting for an open door,
And I got a system true and tried.
I got a force deeper than a heartbeat.
I got a strength more potent than a storm.
I got a love that’s music for my dancing feet.
I got a place that’s always warm.

I got kinetic love…I got potential love,
And there’s a kingdom come waiting down the line.
I got a lavish love, and I got a simple love,
And I gotta share this love ’cause it ain’t just mine.

I got songs married to my mind.
I got art no one else can see.
I got roads just waiting to be driven down,
And I got a faith that sets me free.
I got a gold you can’t measure on earth.
I got jewels in the sparkling dew.
I got a wealth that doesn’t have a mortal worth,
And I got a God who gets me through.

© Copyright 1989 Tony Funderburk

Till next time”

Whimsical writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Most of us can only imagine what it must be like to be in the movies.

When I was a full-time road musician and entertainer, I often found myself in the movies in some small to medium sized town. Oftentimes there wouldn’t be much else to do during the day while I waited to do my show each night.

Back then I could still get an afternoon matinee ticket for $2.50. I’d take my own snacks most of the time so going to the movies on a regular basis was a reasonably affordable pastime for me. And I saw all the most popular movies at the time. In fact, it wasn’t rare for me to go 3 or 4 times a week.

So, I guess it’s no wonder I sort of get lost in the movies.

Speaking of that…a few years before I hit the road as a professional musician I wrote some words, scribbled some chords, and created a song about how I loved to “go to the show.” A love I no longer have for 99.99% of them, by the way. Anyway, here’s…

Lost In The Movies

There are people sitting silent on the lawn.
They’re my friends, but I know they’ll soon be gone.
No, it’s not a tragedy. It holds so much in store for me,
And so that gives me cause to face the dawn.
There are swallows flying freely in the skies.
It’s a pleasant sight for anybody’s eyes.
Though it’s like a photograph, keep in mind it’s half and half.
It’s easy. You don’t even have to try.
In the movies…I’m always lost in the movies.
My eyes have that far away glaze.
In the movies…it’s always nice in the movies…
They make you believe in better days.
In the movies…you’ll find me in the movies.
There are faces tough and tender in the dark.
I can see the players reach the final mark.
Listening for the closing word, I remember what I’ve heard,
And then I leave as happy as a lark.

© 1978 Tony Funderburk

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Sometimes you just have to look on the back.

When the Beatles were releasing 45 rpm records back in the 60’s, their current radio hit was always “Side A” or “Side 1”. But since their music was so catchy, their fans just had to look on the back and see what the other song was.

Maybe you’ve never done this, but a lot of people buy old art canvasses, take them home, and see what’s on the back…just in case there might be a hidden masterpiece or story.

One day back in 1976 I was looking at an old pendant necklace I had found in the dirt. After I cleaned it off, I noticed the backside seemed to have some tiny scratches. I looked closer, and they didn’t look like random scratches. So, I got a magnifying glass and saw some words etched into the metal. The words weren’t some long-lost romantic message, and they weren’t even important. But I figured I’d write some words to convey to the world from the person who had once worn the pendant necklace.

Hey…I’m a writer. It’s what I do, wacky or not. Here’s what I came up with…and it even became a song in the key of G flat. (thought you’d want to know)

On The Back Of A Pendant

I have begun these lines before
With different thoughts that take me far away.
I see I must stay close at hand,
Or someone else will take my star away.
There’s just a kettle of sanity,
And I have got my fingers in the pot.
A person looking on might envy me,
But looking closely shows I’ve lost a lot.
I have begun this way before,
Then breezes blow and empty out my eyes.
I wonder, could they know what’s right?
Or like before, do they blow me lies?
I will begin this way again,
In raptured thoughts with dreams that persevere.
For in my life there can exist
A heart so full of loving lines do dear.

© 1976 Tony Funderburk

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Swallowed Up By Life

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If you’re alive and reading this, then it might sound odd to say a phrase like “swallowed up by life”.

Writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, would rather be Swallowed Up By Life than choose death.

Imagine, for a moment, that there really is a Heaven…a paradise…where you can live forever in a body that will never grow old and die. You don’t have to believe it’s true right now. Just imagine.

Now…you know without a doubt there are no people here on Earth who aren’t getting older and dying. Right? I’ve seen it happen to everyone since I’ve been around, and that’s starting to be a long time. OK, this life here on Earth only lasts for a little while. Then we die. And depending on what you believe, either everyone’s going to a better place…or some are and some are not…or we all just vaporize into black nothingness.

But, like I said…imagine for a moment that you actually CAN go where life lasts forever. Well, if you think about it from that perspective, this temporary existence here and now is really nothing compared to that. This “death” we all have to experience will actually get swallowed up by life, eternal life that is.

If there’s even the remotest possibility of that happening, I want in on it.

Well, lean in a little bit, and I’ll tell you a very poorly kept secret…it can happen. And it’s as close as your very breath. With the words you speak you can change your eternal destiny from one of torment to one of paradise in the presence of the One who gave you Life in the first place.

It’s uncanny and pitifully sad how many full-grown adults…with access to basically all the current information in the world…could choose to throw eternal life away.

Here’s my perspective…if I’m wrong about this, I’m gonna look like (and be) a great big fool one of these days. But here’s a question to ponder…are you willing to say that about your worldview? If not, then you’re holding onto something for a reason other than evidence. That doesn’t sound like good logic to me. But then, who am I? Just another silly writer singer illustrator who gives credit for his whimsical words and music and pictures to the One who spoke words and the whole universe sprang into existence.

I’ll be swallowed up by life
That will never fade away
When I leave my body here
On an ordinary day.
I won’t mourn the things I lose
‘Cause there’s so much more to gain
And my spirit will rejoice
When I leave this earthly plane.
I’ll be swallowed up by life
And I’ll never more know death.
I will just begin to breathe
When I breathe my final breath.

~ © 2014Tony Funderburk

Till next time”

Whimsical writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Vivid: (adjective) producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind as in…vivid imagination.

Like I’ve said so many times, I’m sort of kooky when it comes to words. Take words that start with “v” for example. I really like a lot of them. They really pop out at you. Words like vigor, vitality, and volume. You simply can’t say them without popping them off your lips.

So…when I decided, today, to share a poem I wrote back in 1976, I enjoyed the fact that it had the word “vivid” in it. This poem is loosely based on my experiences riding a train twice a year from Texas to Kansas and back when I was a young kid. My brother and I would go through the cars and use our vivid imaginations to while away the 18 hours we spent on the trip.

We’d dream up some scenarios involving a starship…or cross-country race…or any number of things. Those images we made up helped us to forget that our trip was a result of our parents’ divorce.

This isn’t about that. I don’t do sad stuff here on TonyFunderburk.com. So I’ll skip any of those other details and jump right into…

Vivid Imagination

The bearded man on the pullman is a spy.
He’s recording all the secrets in his eye.
He has photographic memory,
A temperamental frame of mind,
And I’ll have him put in chains…at least I’ll try.
The name on his luggage is Francois,
So I think he’s probably loyal to the French.
Yes, he has a small mustache
And tiny, golden cuff links.
He’s a French spy, and the train is quite in trouble.
He’ll likely have the engineering blueprints,
And pictures of the engineer himself.
He’ll take a couple hostages if necessity demands.
He’s a spy, and we’re all lost in his hands.
“Oh please, Mom, I don’t want to sit down.
I’ll behave, if you’ll let me move around.
Let me play imagination till we get to the next station,
‘Cause I think that it’s the bearded man’s hometown.”

© 1976 Tony Funderburk

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Friday Island

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Welcome to Friday Island.

This is where you can walk the beach with no shoes and feel the warm sand between your toes. You might notice the balmy, salty air drift by your nose and tickle your ears. Out in the water you can hear the friendly waves bouncing around playfully. And you might even see a fish splash out of the blue and dive back in again.

If this all sounds like a pleasant journey…even though you can’t go right now…well sit back and relax. Enjoy a Friday Island Day…

Island Day

Over in the mango tree
Toucan looking straight at me
Starfish in the ocean waves
Dolphin, laughin’, misbehaves

Oh, oh, oh, it’s an island day
Oh, oh, oh sail your cares away
Oh, oh, oh, cross the seven seas
Oh, oh, oh, on a clear cool Breeze

Parrot is a private eye
Big Blue whale don’t tell no lie
Swordfish out there watching you
Wonders what you’re gonna do

Chorus

If you want to roam,
Just bring a little note from home.
We’ll chase the rising sun
Never will the fun be done…

King crab with his mighty claw
Claims that he’s from Panama
And he invites Electric eel
On a quick trip to Brazil.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 2008

Till next time…

Whimsical writer singer illustrator, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Ta Da! I’d like to bring you some happy Thursday words. I gathered them all together just for you my loyal readers. Well, for newcomers, too if they’d care to partake. Now, let’s see…hmm…where did I put those words.

Well, that’s peculiar. I just had them a minute ago. In fact, just before I sat down to type out the message I put them all in…uh…in what? What did I put them in?

Did I put the words in a bag
With a tag that looks like a flag?
Did I stick the words in a shoe
Painted blue to make it look new?
Did I hide the words in a drum
Which, to some, could make me look dumb?
Did I let the words out the door
Where they’ll soar and come back no more?
Did I leave the words in my head
To be read by no one instead?
Nope, I found the words in my eyes,
So surprise! They’re here for you guys.

© 2014 Tony Funderburk

Well, I’m glad it all worked out. I forgot the happy Thursday words weren’t supposed to show up here until I wrote them down. And now that I have I’ll say so long until Friday. Hopefully it won’t be a forgetful Friday. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Stay tuned,

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Pasta Palace

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

On January 16, 1976 I opened the Pasta Palace…well, in my mind’s eye anyway. And it closed the same day to rave reviews…from all the voices in my head at the time.  🙂

On this whimsical Wednesday I figured I’d share this little imaginary restaurant with you. It’s an example of one of those kind of poems I have no idea why I wrote it. Maybe I was on an Italian food kick at the time. Or maybe I thought the term “pasta palace” sounded silly enough to write about. Maybe I had indention from some bad fazoli. Who knows? The point is…I wrote it and kept it for posterity and basically no one else but me. Until now…

Pasta Palace

It’s time for a little spaghetti
Or perhaps a mushroom pizza pie,
But if you’re like me, you’ll order rigotini.
It’s the one that’s the apple of my eye.
It’s the Pasta Palace, and we’re here.
They can cover your Italian food desires.
When you go, please leave at least a dollar tip,
Or you’ll step outside and find they’ve sliced your tires.
If your tastes turn to a tasty sandwich,
Well, that’s good, they’ve a hundred different types.
They’re fast, happy, clean, and efficient.
They can clear your table off with just two swipes.
It’s the Pasta Palace and we’re here.
We’ll be smiling, all they ask is just a chance,
But they’ll say if we give them any trouble,
They’ll throw mushrooms and onions down our pants.

© Copyright Tony Funderburk 1976

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I’ve got a few tidbits I’d like to share with you this fine Tuesday…morning, afternoon, or evening…whatever it happens to be where you are as you read this.

Below I’m sharing some clips or tidbits from poems or songs I wrote.

I planned to use them in a fledgling greeting card company I was gonna start with an artist friend of mine. See if you would ever like to receive any of these messages in card for some special occasion… “Without a friend…life is lost…like a whisper in a windstorm” “It was the last thing I wanted to do…but here I am in love with you” “I’ve missed everything I’ve ever known, except being alone. How can you miss what you are?” “I’m forgetting my appointments and walking into walls. I guess it’s an emergency. I’m lovesick.” “There’s a house in the ferns and the petals of the dahlias. All you have to do is imagine and you’re there.” “The seasons are lovely today…they make my heart sing, make my thoughts cling to wondering if things will ever change me into summer. Let me be your flowers. We can be a painting if we never get sad.” “You are the needle. I am the thread. You are the reader. I’m a book to be read.” “Let’s go somewhere where electricity can’t find us and be alone together.” “I have reason to believe there’s so much we can be if we take each other’s hand.” “Here is my past…a wine inside a glass. Drink it and know of me.”

Stay tuned,

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Monday Morning Lyrics

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Yep, it’s the first day of the “work week” and I’d like to send you on your way with some Monday morning lyrics. Why? Well, I’m just that kind of guy. I think you should start your week off with some lyrics. And since I can’t get into any trouble by sharing my own, that’s what you’ll get.

So, here’s my ode to a very special elephant from Puerto Rico. I wrote this way back in 1976. It was January…winter time in Kansas…and no doubt that calls to mind images of sunny beaches and warm temps. Right? Check it out…

Marimba, The Yellow Elephant

They got a lotta pretty, white beach in Puerto Rico
Where you can hear the tambourines and castanets,
But the finest thing they got is a yellow elephant.
He named Marimba, a friend you can’t forget.
You may say you never heard of a yellow elephant,
But it’s true, and Marimba, he quite a lucky guy.
You see he stays as yellow as Puerto Rican bananas
By basking ‘neath the balmy Puerto Rico sky.
Marimba, Marimba…you lucky elephant…
Lying in the sand like a seashell.
You got Mister Blue Ocean to put you to sleep.
You get oh so drowsy from the stories he tell.
They got places down there that look like pictures.
They got weather that is sunny all day long,
But nothing can compare with the yellow elephant.
I ask you, am I right or am I wrong?
Come to Puerto Rico.
Come to see the sights,
But most of all come to see Marimba.
It’s like looking at a thousand yellow light.

© 1976 Tony Funderburk

OK…now that you have your Monday morning lyrics, don’t say I never sent you off to face the day with no uplifting, whimsical words. In fact, I’ll bet you’ll be humming this song all day…oh wait…I didn’t put the melody in. Oh well, you can’t have everything.

Take a second and join the growing body of believers who’ve already signed up for the Tony’s Daily Devotional . When you do, I’ll send you links to 2 songs and 2 books that adults AND kids enjoy right away. Then, I’ll send you flashes of light from the faith, hope, and the power of God’s love.

Stay tuned,

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Mothers Day 2014

Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Happy Mothers’ Day 2014

to all of you ladies who “took one for the team” as you…

withstood the months of labor

withstood the pains of childbirth

fed your babies when they cried at 3 a.m.

fixed “boo boos”

kissed away pain

hugged away frowns

cooked breakfasts, made lunches, and prepared dinners

washed clothes even after laundry was all done

taught truth, hope, and love…and readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic

fought tangled hair, torn pants, and missing shoestrings

remembered birthdays with just the right proportion of chocolate icing to vanilla ice cream

listened to stories of triumph, tragedy, and utter despair (mostly from teenage girls)

made or bought costumes for every goofy event imaginable

went to plays, sporting events, and music presentations…cheering for that one child who was obviously the natural born talent

brought the “something borrowed” or “something blue” to the bride-to-be just at the right time

danced the mother/son dance with the groom who had been her dragonslayer only “weeks ago” it seems

made special homemade desserts for the kids and grandkids when they came over for Thanksgiving

brought an elegant grace to the process of aging

made us believe there’s a forever, a God who loves us, and a knowledge that we’ll have eternity in paradise

It’s Mothers Day 2014, but moms will be rewarded forever.

Stay tuned and whimsical,

Whimsical writer, Tony Funderburk, signs his name to all his words and music.