Tom's story: 2020

22 pieces on this page. Click a picture or "See the whole card" to open the card.

2020 — Tom was 41 and 42

22 pieces on this year: 2 made this year or later · 20 written by this year at the latest.

MADE IN 2020 OR LATER

These carry a first possible date (a print date, a date on the paper). They may be later.

1811A LIFETIME OF RHYME

February 2020 or later (age 41 or older) PROVED

PRINTED BOOKS, BINDERS AND NOTEBOOKS

A spiral-bound copy of Tom's book A LIFETIME OF RHYME - a different poem or song for every day of the year, with a brown cover, subject index and introduction, printed on thin paper as his own note beside it says.

the card says: made at age 41 or later

See the whole card → 4 pictures

1812A LIFETIME OF RHYME

February 2020 or later (age 41 or older) PROVED

PRINTED BOOKS, BINDERS AND NOTEBOOKS

A spiral-bound copy of Tom's book A LIFETIME OF RHYME - a poem or song for every day of the year, on thicker paper and, in Tom's words on the note with it, carrying lots of notes.

the card says: made at age 41 or later

See the whole card → 5 pictures

WRITTEN BY 2020 AT THE LATEST

A book dated 2020 holds these words, so they were written by then. They may be much older.

260BFT

written by age 41 at the latest PROVED

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten song BFT, signed 'by tom jensen', a long lyric beginning 'Shameless, Blameless' about big trouble and deals with the devil, on a full lined sheet with torn edges.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

618Thirst

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older PROVED

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten poem THIRST by Tom Jensen, on a torn sheet of lined off-white loose-leaf with a note that more lyrics are on the computer, opening 'I had the worst kinda thirst', published in the Tom Jensen Poem Anthology (2013).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

258I'm tired of fakes and flakes

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten short lyric 'I'm tired of fakes and flakes', eight lines in pencil about the old self losing to the new, on a lined notebook sheet with a ragged top.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

592TEN PERCENT ONE OUTTA TEN

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten song lyric ONE OUTTA TEN, in black ink on lined loose-leaf with the first title TEN PERCENT crossed out, about ten percent of the people having ninety percent of the fun, from his 34 albums and published in A Lifetime Of Rhyme (2020).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

593H2OH

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten lyric H2OH by Tom Jensen, in black ink on two lined legal sheets with 'Third' noted in the margin, about not hiding who he is and letting the water drown out the hate, which became the song SLEEPLESS (set list 13, track 11) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 2 pictures

595SMACK DAB

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten poem SMACK DAB by Tom Jensen, on strips of lined loose-leaf taped together with 'First' noted in the margin, about getting lost in an idiot coma and landing smack dab in the middle of rehab, published in A Lifetime Of Rhyme (2020).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 3 pictures

604RUNNING FREE

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten lyric RUNNING FREE by Tom Jensen, in ink on a lined legal sheet under a bubble-letter title, asking 'Do you remember what you were / Before the world told you what you had to be?', from his 34 albums and published in The November 2024 Collection (2024).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 3 pictures

621I frame it

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten working draft I FRAME IT, on a messy spiral-notebook sheet with a hand-drawn, crossed-out box of rhyme words, opening 'I frame it / I hang it / I put it up for sale', part of the song STAY BIG (set list 3, track 9) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

622I'm fired up

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten lyric I'M FIRED UP, on a single sheet of lined spiral-notebook paper, about refusing to back down and becoming the wrecking ball, from his 34 albums and published in The November 2024 Collection (2024).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

623Everybody wants to know what you're sayin'

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten four-line lyric EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYIN', on a hole-punched sheet torn from a spiral notebook, part of the song STAY BIG (set list 3, track 9) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 2 pictures

627You can't burn what's already been burned

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten song lyric YOU CAN'T BURN WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN BURNED, on a sheet torn from a spiral notebook, a confession of saving the best for the very end, from his 34 albums and published in The November 2024 Collection (2024).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

634I'm a yellow fellow (Hello!)

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten short lyric I'M A YELLOW FELLOW (HELLO!), in ink on a torn strip of lined paper, about being a flesh and blood creature with a sell-by date trapped in a body, from his 34 albums and published in The November 2024 Collection (2024).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

638HALF WAY HOME

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten short lyric HALF WAY HOME, in ink on notebook paper, opening 'You blew out my candle / Just so yours could burn brighter', about cutting the cord and breaking free of shackles, which became the song NAMELESS (set list 6, track 8) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

639Visions of Your Future Are Found in Memories of Your Past

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten short lyric VISIONS OF YOUR FUTURE ARE FOUND IN MEMORIES OF YOUR PAST, in black ink on white notebook paper with a note on Father Time and the casino taking your last dime, part of the song FIRST GLANCE (set list 9, track 9) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

641The ocean acts as the blood of the earth

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten short lyric THE OCEAN ACTS AS THE BLOOD OF THE EARTH, in pencil on lined notebook paper with heavy crossings-out, a lament for a mother earth screaming in a flood of hurt, part of the song FIRST GLANCE (set list 9, track 9) in his 34 albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

843The old me would lose to the new me

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten short poem "The old me would lose to the new me," with his crossings-out, on a sheet of lined notebook paper torn from a spiral, which became the song BELOW ZERO (set list 6, track 9) in the 34 Albums and is published in A Lifetime Of Rhyme (2020).

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

874Rinse, lather and repeat

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older

POEMS IN THE 34 ALBUMS

Tom's handwritten three-line poem "Rinse, lather and repeat / When you got blood on your hands / You sew up what you reap," in ink on a sheet of lined notebook paper torn from a spiral, which became the song SPEAK (set list 9, track 3) in the 34 Albums.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 1 picture

1755WEBSITE PLAN AND QUOTE SHEETS

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older BEST GUESS

NOTES, PLANS AND BUSINESS PAPERS

Tom's hand-drawn plan grid splitting his work between READTOM.COM and a second site for his world-awareness writings, with a lined note, printed quote sheets he annotated, and printed ONLY THE BEST title index pages, each marked in red ADD to Book Only the best and counted (1) to (9). The index pages are an earlier layout of the subject index later printed in A Lifetime Of Rhyme (2020); the plan grid, quote sheet and note are not in any book.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 15 pictures

1964SONG LISTS BY CATEGORY

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older BEST GUESS

SET LISTS, SONG LISTS, TITLE LISTS AND INDEXES

Handwritten sheets where Tom sorted his songs by subject in capital letters - LOVE, INSPIRING, RELATIONSHIPS, HEARTBREAK, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, STATE OF THE WORLD, CHOMSKIAN, DEATH, RELIGIOUS, NATURE, SPOOFS and more - with the titles listed under each.

the card says: written by age 41 at the latest

See the whole card → 13 pictures

872I let 'em see me sweat

written by February 2020 at the latest (age 41) - it may be older BEST GUESS

POEMS NOT YET RELEASED

Tom's handwritten short poem "I let 'em see me sweat / As I cried in my beer," with the lines "My demons are like faithful dogs / Arriving when summoned" and "A chink in the armor," on a sheet of lined spiral notebook paper; previously unpublished.

the card says: written by February 5, 2020 at the latest (age 41)

See the whole card → 1 picture

What the words mean: PROVED a date or a dated book proves it. BEST GUESS our best reading, not yet proved. TOM SAID Tom's own word. LIKELY strong clues, not yet proved. NOT PROVED an estimate from the pieces around it. NOT SURE the sources disagree. No word: the card gives none yet. "About 1996-2002" means somewhere in those years; the piece is shown once, in the middle year.