It's a warm and humid night out there,
the creek beds are sitting dry,
And there's a spark of energy,
That's sailing across the sky.

You can almost feel it on your skin,
or sense it with your mouth.
It's one sure sign that summers raging,
in the Mississippi south.

Out along the beach resorts,
It blasts across the Gulf,
With all the the pent up rushing
of a radiating pulse.

Against the darkened mat of clouds,
what a frenzied show to see,
You don't need your cash tonight,
these fireworks are free.

There's no rain drops here to speak of,
beneath the brilliant moon,
but with the sky ablaze like that,
The storm is coming soon.

But enjoy it while you've got it,
Out in the yards and streets,
The flaming dance above our heads,
in the thick of summer heat.

Unrestrained by nature,
Quick and fierce and brash.
Powerful, relentless,
But vanished in a flash.

Should / Shouldn't
Could / Couldn't
Would/ Wouldn't

Win / Lose
Over / Through
Me / You

It was supposed to be simple.

Is anyone out there listening?

Or do I have no companions
save the very demons that are consuming me?

How did we ever end up in this tragedy?

And how are we ever going to escape it?

It was vicious.
It was brutal.
It was merciless.

We saw the blood.
We heard the screams.
We looked into your eyes.

Everyone knows you did it.

Yet somehow I am the one
who is made to take the bullet.

However wrong his words may be,
the Judge has spoken.

All I have left is the growing darkness.

Black and white, wrong and right,
Go ahead and trade the day for night.
Boots on the street, a slow defeat.
The lions are hungry, time to eat.

Frank despair fills up the square,
the outcasts lay their soul bare.
gaining steam, the new regime.
one mans terror, anothers dream

Distant places, angry races,
Simple lack of social graces.
They're taking part in urban art
gotta tear the place apart.

From flying flags, to tattered rags.
the streets are filled with garbage bags.
Unkempt, unclean, it's quite a scene
what do the voices on the TV mean?

They're here
and there
and everywhere.

Their eyes stare
daggers into me.
They fly around me,
ready to swarm at any moment.

They will not leave me alone.
It has to come to this.
Who will be the one
to fly away first?

Wicked jungle, wild feast.
Go the distance, tame the beast.
Dance among the deadly trees,
in the blanket of a burning breeze.

Darkened, primal, forest floor.
Frame of natures darkest door.
Up the loudly raging river.
The body quakes, the spirit shivers.

Endless leaves and ragged vines,
Can't you read between the lines?
Birds of prey and a poison snake,
The wretched animals awake.

Running down that muddy path,
face the pain and feel the wrath.
The only chance that you've got now,
is whatever instinct will allow.

On the shore of the open lake,
You've just made your last mistake.
Hope is gone, you've lost control,
in the chaos, swallowed whole.

Let go, Let go,
I've got you.
Let go, Let go,
It's okay.
Let go, Let go,
You are loved child
And I'll never be going away

Let go, Let go,
Do not fear now.
Let go, Let go,
And find peace.
Let go, Let go,
Trust your heart now.
My commitment to you
Will not cease.

Let go, Let go,
Wipe your tears off.
Let go, Let go,
It's all right.
Let go, Let go,
I am here now,
And you don have to
Stay in this fight.

Let go, Let go,
I will catch you.
Let go, Let go,
You're protected.
Let go, Let go,
and I'll give you
The nurture and love
that's expected.

Let go, Let go,
I'm here waiting.
Let go, Let go,
Don't hold on.
Let go, Let go
It is finished.
And I'll carry you home
To the dawn.

Believe in me.

Set me free.

Leave your mark

on my Destiny.

In this wild soiree,

What must be will be.

Despite the build of energy,

There’s no cause to fear or flee.

So please move on in certainty.

Because this is the new reality.

In time I know the things you’ll see.

And so I’ll make one final plea:

My love,  my dear...

Believe in me.

There’s a lack of information
On the current situation
That I hope does not cause me to go astray.

There's no evident solution,
In this air of revolution,
Just another dreary, cloudy, gloomy day.

You might be surprised to learn,
That the things of which I yearn,
Are beyond the measure of a simple man.

For I seek not destruction
But a path to reconstruction,
Unearthing all the wisdom that I can.

So if you see me in your nation,
As I wander God’s creation,
Be sure to give a smile and a wave.

There’s a purpose to my mission,
And any man in this position,
Would understand the very things I crave.

I may be travelling quite far from here,
But I promise you my love, my dear,
I will return one day before too long.

So send a little love my way,
For I miss you greatly every day,
Even when I'm lost amid the throng.

They may look like bars to you.
And I understand
why you feel uncomfortable.

It is dark,
It is damp,
It is foreboding.

It doesn't seem like a place,
where joy exists.

But within these stone walls.
I find the liberty
to be what I truly am.

And that is all that matters.

Such disturbing themes
invading my dreams.
So callous it seems,
As I wake up in screams.

Future wild, not benign
It’s my will, it’s my time.
So don’t call it a crime
When I walk the thin line.

Nothing more here,
But panic and fear,
As I feel the spear,
stare at me in the mirror.

Not joyful, not proud,
Not excessive or loud.
Just a willowing shroud,
That’s out lost in a crowd.

This prison cannot hold me.
These walls will not contain me.
I cannot be easily classified
I cannot be easily controlled.

My spirit will not tolerate
being confined to a dungeon.
My heart will not tolerate  
any attempts to restrain me.

So try as you may
to fit me into to your mold.

You won't succeed.

You will only be left wondering
how it is
that you underestimated me.

Our hearts are broken tonight,
the family is missing something.
No laughing, no happiness, no joy.
Just tears and an empty room.

Buried by guilt we ask the questions,
that will never have an answer.
Still we feel the need to ponder
"Why us? Why now? Why this?"

The thunder rumbles outside,
the rain splashes against the window,
Mother nature it seems,
is in a somber mood too.

It's an astounding thing,
how quickly graves can be filled.

It doesn't seem right,
it doesn't seem fair
but He must have had a reason
to call them home.

We cling to the memories of what was,
but warm and inviting as they are,
they can only fill the void so much.
The cold loneliness remains.

We search each other, for hope, for meaning
but will we find it?
No explanation is good enough,
No excuses will suffice.

You just can never replace a life,
that is gone, never to return.
You can't replace a heart,
that was unique as has ever been.

Maybe someday there will be new life,
new joys to be discovered.
But tonight, there's just endless quiet,
and soft tears in the shadows.

I've got a tiny lantern, it really isn't bright,
but it drives away the darkness and it keeps me safe at night.
It puts off a little heat and blesses me with sight,
In the blanket of the evening I find my comfort in its light.

It's kind of old and rusty and the handle's slightly bent,
The frame is marked with several chips and a rather ugly dent.
Its seen its share of better days by quite a large extent,
But it's still my favorite fallback for a twilight time event.

Out in chaotic wilderness, I am protected by its glow,
And it holds up to the fiercest weather: rain or sleet or snow.
In all the violent storms out there,
As the dark winds rage and blow,
If I stay and keep the fuel lit, the flame will surely grow.

And so I'll walk long with my lantern, across the great divide.
Stay on the winding dim lit paths, to the world far and wide.
Not consumed by fear or hate or swallowed whole by pride,
But strong and firm and quite secure,
With the lantern by my side.

When the river water's raging and there's chaos in the deep,
When the road is barely passable and the mountains plenty steep.
You won't find that I've gone missing or passed out from lack of sleep,
Because I have my lantern and the protection that it keeps

I get so tired of staring at these things.

Tall. Ugly. Foreboding...

For so many years I have wrapped them around myself.

Thick, dense, fortified.

No one can get in.

And I can't get out.

Prisoner to the shallow fortress

Of my own sin.

Break them down! I say.

Smash them to pieces!

But it is not to be.

The barriers of the past do not fall easily.

Far too many bricks for an easy triumph.

Far too strong a storm for the sun to crack.

So let the rain come.

And I'll stay here in my brokedown castle.

Kept far away from freedom.

And right against the gates of nothingness.

I'll tell 'em there's a problem now,
that only I can fix.
They'll never know I'm lying,
They can't see through my tricks.

I'll lead 'em down my chosen path,
and whisper in their ear.
As long as there's someone to hurt,
I can wield the power of fear.

It's too easy to find some lesser folks,
to lay on all the blame.
When really, I'm the one
behind the curtain who rigs the game.

You'd be surprised how easy,
it can be to make men hate.
Give them an easy target,
And let the anger permeate.

So, yes they've got a problem,
yet they're giving me applause.
Because they think I'm the solution,
but I know that I'm the cause.

Welcome aboard it's nice to have you here,
Come join the folks who want to disappear.
We will answer any questions now, although
our destination's not for you to know.

Place your luggage in the bin and take a seat.
There's plenty of lost people here to meet.
We've got killers, fools, and broken hearts,
And souls smashed into near a million parts.

Odds are you'll find a desperate soul or two,
And be sure not to fully trust the crew.
You may be growing uncomfortable inside,
but that's a part of what comes with the ride.

Pay no attention to the safe that's always locked.
The dining car is open and fully stocked.
On this railway, you'll find everything you need,
Even if in the end you have to bleed.

There's not much time now left before we leave,
So say your goodbyes and don't forget to grieve.
Because once this train gets rolling down the track,
There's no one that is going to make it back.

The rules were very simple,
All you had to do was listen.
But now you've gone and put me
in a difficult position.

You think that I enjoy this.
You couldn't be more wrong.
I try to be forgiving,
Now my patience is all but gone.

Don't try and lay this one on me.
You know it isn't true.
You were the match that lit the fire.
Look what you made me do.

You could have saved yourself, my dear
if you had just played by the rules.
But you had to go and break the code,
and then I lost my cool.

If you'd just do what I tell you,
If you'd never raise your voice.
Then it wouldn't have to come to this.
I wouldn't have to make this choice.

Instead, you violated me.
And this hell you put me through?
It could have been avoided.
But look what you made me do.

You don't need me.
I don't need you.
Together we ignite,
Like fireworks in the darkness.

You don't need me.
I don't need you.
We've tried and we've tried,
but we're hopelessly broken.

You don't need me.
I don't need you.
We've reached our natural end.
Still you refuse to let go...

Sheets of cold rain pour down from the clouds,
covering the sullen, black dressed mourning crowds.
Row after row of fresh looking white crosses,
Has there been anything gained from these terrible losses?

It's just one more ceremony, another farewell,
to more brave young men who couldn't make it through hell.
You listen to the speeches and the notes of the dirge,
And through every moment, there's not but a surge...

...of emotion, of morals, of human expression.
Just an unstoppable combat obsession.
"It's just part of the game" that's what you say,
"we must keep fighting on until we win the day!"

We thought you would free us, we bought into the speech,
You made us believe a better life was in reach.
So we went to the polls and chose you as the one,
setting up a disaster that can't be undone.

There can be no excuses now, don't even bother,
You sealed our fate like lambs to the slaughter.
You think you're a leader, you think you're a man?
We should have stopped this before it even began.

The war drums were beating, you just had to listen,
you were committed to the cause, a slave to the mission.
"Get me the guns, get me the ammo,
get me the tanks, the helmets, the camo!"

There's no peace in your mind, just perpetual war,
got to end all the conflict, got to settle the score.
There's no second guessing, no restraint and no waiting,
there's no need for diplomacy or endless debating.

There's only the guns going off in the shadows,
only the soldiers running fresh to the battle.
And as you gaze upon the river of blood on the floor,
all you think to yourself is "I got to have more."

How many night raids and bombs will it take,
until you think "maybe I made a mistake..."?
How many body bags,  how many graves,
before you conisder the way you behave?
  
There may be an escape here,a pathway to peace.
Would we ever see it if the cannons don't cease?
But you'd never want a truce, couldn't handle the silence,
you need the action, the marching, the violence.

No longer human, you're a terrible beast,
there's famine all around you, but you've got the feast.
You need the caviar, the champagne, the steak,
who cares about the poor souls you have to break?

The wounds pile up, the true reality stuns,
but you're numb to it all: "Just bring me more guns!"
Is there any sanity left do you figure,
when you've got your hand permanently stuck on the trigger?

The mightiest soldier, the general, the king,
but inside your heart lay this terrible thing.
The conscience is absent, there's a dry empty soul,
and a man who is primal and out of control.

There's no sense of calm or peace in your heart,
you're just patiently waiting for the next engagement to start,
Great in the theater, but no good as an actor,
There's no sense of justice, no morality factor.

A wave of change is approaching, my friend, you've been marked,
but still you just sit there in the shadowy dark,
You choose to ignore it, absorbed by your pride,
But they won't go away now, there's thousands outside.

They're sick of living in danger, of living in peril.
they're sick of the mortars, the guns and the barrels.
They've set up a cleansing to get rid of the cancer,
and I don't think they're going to take no for an answer.

You may sit there and think me a fool.
because I point out all the flaws in your rules,
but I guarantee the moment they burst through the doors,
the last shot, the very last death..will be yours.

It is what it is,
tell the parents,
tell the kids.
A little bit of take
and a little bit of give.

It is what it is.
It's how we die.
It's how we live.
We keep up on the score,
We keep our spirit off the skids.

Got to take care of the biz,
Some is mine,
Some is his,
And all that's left to say
is that it is what it is.

There are monsters in the mist.
Ancient creatures that will never
cease their unending wrath on humanity.

For thousands of years we have feared them.
For thousands of years we have fought back.

Now, there may be no stopping them.

An incredibly old force has been awakened.
And for all our modern technology....

...we are practically defenseless.

So it shall pass that we follow the path of our ancestors
and vanish violently into the night...

Suddenly, I find myself longing for the days
when we couldn't see the masks people wore...

Early morning
stuck at my desk.
Combing through endless emails.
Most of which have little meaning to me.

Then to the conference room
for yet another meeting.
What's the newest policy
that will bore my soul to tears?

A voicemail from Bob in marketing.
In that shrill and grating voice.
Angry that something was incomplete,
even though I'd actually done it.

In an after lunch performance review,
I float adrift in a sea of numbers.
Slowly tuning out the voice of a boss,
who never bothered to learn my kids names.

Five o'clock comes and I clock out.
Thinking of what little I accomplished,
and resigning myself to the fact,
I have to do it all again tomorrow.

The body mimicking what the heart feels?

A doorway to love and affection?

A brief moment of wonder in an otherwise joyless life?

A child's way of saying: "I'm okay"?

Another way to mask the pain?

Or perhaps, the subtle beginnings of happiness?

We didn't just open it.

We tore the lid right off
and smashed it into pieces.

Defiantly eager to unleash
the evil within.

Blinded by our own
selfish desires.

Consumed by our quest
for eternal power.

With nothing to hold it at bay,
the gateway to Hell beckons.

It's something of a titillating descent,
into the endless chaos.

I've trudged the ice,
I've paid my dues.
Please rid me of
these winter blues.

No more sleet,
No more snow,
Life below zero
has got to go.

I'm done with frailty,
and done with death.
I'm sick of the chill,
riding on my breath.

This awful winter,
hurts so many things.
Now I'm ready to hear,
the Robins sing.

I know your instincts tell you,
that's it time to run away.
But the reckoning is coming,
and your soul's in disarray.

No one wants to face him,
No one wants to cross that line.
Everyone is brought to judgment,
Everyone is prey to time.

You might think you can avoid him,
but quite soon you'll learn the truth:
This isn't something you can win,
These are not the days of youth.

They say he's cold and vicious,
and his spirit somewhat fickle.
No one wants the business end
of a freshly sharpened sickle.

They say every man and woman,
when it's death they're about to face,
Should put on a mask of bravery,
and accept the thing with grace.

That may sound a little foolish,
and not the gift for which you prayed.
But what's the point in ending a life,
In anger and afraid?

I don't feel anymore.
No one's out there keeping score.
Things aren't as they were before.
I've been violated, ******.

There's no emotion at my core.
My heart is sealed, I locked the door.
I've no desire to search for more.
Everything around me, I abhor.

An endless ocean, can't see the shore.
The soldiers fight an endless war.
What's left of me is on the floor.
I don't feel anymore.

Let it go.
Just let it go.
Tell me all the things you know.

I won't be afraid,
I won't be surprised.
Show me the mysteries, secrets and lies.

Pull back the veil,
Shine a light on the scars,
Let me for once see who you really are.

Shatter the barriers,
bring down the wall,
Give me everything or nothing at all.

Take off the mask,
Show me your skin.
Let me embrace all the madness within.

Let it go.
Just let it go.
Tell me all the things you know.

She met him on a blind date,
At the old Tree Top Cafe,
They were talking, they were laughing,
It was a gorgeous summers day.

Before long things had grown
Into something so much more.
They couldn't wait to see the wonders
The future had in store.

The one night, a fancy dinner,
And an in house five piece band,
They were tearing up that dance floor,
Swinging 'round near hand in hand.

The music was electric,
It became their special tune.
And by the time song was over,
They were the darlings of the room.

They danced like no one's watching,
They danced with all their heart.
Two people meant to be together,
Romance, passion, drama, art.

Soon the wedding bells were ringing,
She looked so lovely dressed in white,
Two hundred fifty in the chapel,
It was a fascinating sight.

But not quite one year later,
She barely had the ring.
Three and a half months pregnant.
He came home and packed his things.

He said it wasn't working,
But she was not to blame.
He said there was no other woman,
Just his own remorse and shame.

Soon it would be revealed,
He deceived her and he lied,
And on that day inside her soul,
The lovely music died.

So she's alone and crass and bitter,
How did this ever come to be?
The truth behind the man he was,
Why did she never truly see?

Then some long months later
On a lonely winters day,
She'll put the music on again,
And when the song begins to play...

She'll dance like no ones watching
She'll dance with all her heart,
She won't let him take it from her,
She won't let it fall apart.

Her son is five years old now,
He's an amazing little kid.
Someday he'll know her sacrifices,
And why she did the things she did.

It hasn't all been easy,
She's seen her share of grim.
But everything was worth it,
If not for her, than him.

And the old ex is out there somewhere,
But she could not care any less,
She doesn't need the headaches,
And she doesn't need the stress.

She has done just fine without him,
And though its true he did her wrong.
She's got it all together now,
And she's taken back her song.

She'll dance like no ones watching,
She'll dance with all her heart,
She'll dance her way to freedom,
She will never fall apart.

There's a reason,
but I don't know why.
There's plenty of tears,
I wish I could cry.

There's no lack of heartbreak,
or emotional crashing.
So why do I seem
So devoid of compassion?

Maybe this emptiness,
is the last thing I've got.
Maybe she took
so much more than I thought...

Who am I?

Where is the edge of the Universe?

Why must life be this way?

How was my soul brought into existence?

And most important of all:

What's for dinner?

I fill my lungs with air
on a beautiful spring day.

It's not quite as carefree
as it used to be.

The birds are singing,
flowers are blooming.

In the distance
a dark cloud looms overhead.

I take another breath,
and then let me body relax.

This simple thing, a treasure
that has been robbed from so many others.

Cruel can this existence be.

I used to enjoy your gentle touch.
And the lovely nights we danced.
The moonlight showing off
the true beauty of your skin.

The laughter we shared
walking beneath the giant oaks,
while the birds serenaded us.

Those intense and precious moments
When the world around us just washed away...

Now, I am left to watch you through the glass
While I wait for the darkness to flee.
And I shall still love you from a distance.
Dreaming of the day we can dance again.

Let the skill of my hands
Create something unique
And beautiful
Regardless of how impure
The clay may be.

The baby's crying,
The baby's crying,
What can be the trouble now?

I hear the whining,
I hear the whining,
It's enough to raise my brow.

Is she hungry?
Is she hungry?
We have so little food.

Is she hurting?
Is she hurting?
She's the smallest of the brood.

Is she dreaming,
Is she dreaming,
of some chaotic ride?

Is she wishing,
Is she wishing,
for daddy at her side?

Take my hand,
Take my hand,
You are safe my darling child.

She'll be ok,
She'll be ok.
I can tell by how she smiled.

I'm afraid of a great many things
but I'm not scared of falling ill.

I don't think the virus will **** me.

The society around me will.

There stands a man so cunning and quick,
you just know he's got a tight hold of his ship.
He knows every bolt and he knows every plank,
He knows every pulley and lever and crank.

He's been on the seas for three decades and more,
but he always gets his old boat back to the shore.
With a talented crew who stand by one another.
As one they are comrades, as one they are brothers.

They'll take whatever the great waves will give them,
they'll fight impossible battles and somehow still win them.
When the war is over they'll celebrate with an ale,
and add to their storehouse of glory and tales.

As the ship grows in legend, notch by simple notch,
You'll no doubt find the Captain as he keeps careful watch.
This is his ship, so you best play by his rules,
For he is a skipper that has no time for fools.

They'd give it up for him, their strength and their life,
They'd walk with him through every pain, every strife.
It's a unique kind of loyalty this Captain commands.
What a hero! What a leader! My god, what a man!

I remember the music we all used to make,
By the light of the moon on the shore of the lake.
Endless summers at one time they seemed,
Filled with ambition and vigor and dreams.
We'd sing songs until morning, we'd laugh and we'd dance
and maybe throw in a bit of love and romance.
Of all the instruments we picked up and played,
It's the piano I remember so fondly today.

The notes were so perfect as they moved through the breeze,
sailed up toward the starlight and over the trees.
The sound was incredible, like nothing I've heard.
It's difficult even now to put it to words.
But there was no lack of magic in that summer shade,
Nor in that lovely piano and the memories it made.

We're all older now, we've no time for the lake
and no desire to repeat our youthful mistakes.
Wives, husbands and kids, we've moved on with our lives.
It now seems so distant, those sweet summer skies.
But I must admit, though those times are no more
A piece of my heart will always lay on that shore.
It'd be fun to go back and see some old friends,
and I'd love to hear that piano again.

I could build the
Mightiest of towers
A massive spire
Dominating the
Entire cityscape.

But what does it say about me
If the only thing filing it
Would be the light of a pale sunset...

...and a few stray specks of dust?

Can’t **** it with bullets,
Can’t **** it with liquor.
Can’t **** it with drugs,
It’ll just make you sicker.

Can’t destroy it with silence,
Can’t burn it with matches,
Can’t cut out the legs
And just hope it collapses.

Can’t stop it with arrows,
Can’t stop it with knives.
Can’t stop its great fury
And destruction of lives.

Can’t erase it with pleasure,
Can’t **** it with joy.
Can’t disguise yourself from it,
It’s on a path to destroy.

The struggle is real,
But don’t give up the fight.
The only thing that
Can beat back the darkness...is light.

Get the money,
Move the tickets,
We're gonna have a blast.

You won't want
to miss this,
the best spots are going fast.

It'll be historic,
quite incredible,
If you believe the hype.

We're planning
an epic party
of a unique and crazy type.

So maybe
we lost the caterer,
and a few headliners ditched.

Ignore the rocks,
and tiny tents.
We had to make a switch.

We admit, it seems
that several things
have gone a bit off track.

But doing this was
a massive risk
So won't you cut some slack?

Crowds are angry,
Walls close in,
The workers want their pay.

So we'll get out
while the getting's good,
and party another day.

I try to love you,
You respond with apathy.

I try to honor you,
You respond with manipulation.

You are the fire,
I am the match.

You are the lightning,
I am the thunder.

And every time we dance,
The sky is set ablaze.

She left me and I don't know what I did.
She drove away in the night and took off with the kids.
She ran away and I just don't understand.
She used to say that I was her perfect man.

She left me and even stole a lot of my stuff.
She never told me she thought things were so rough.
She just up and went like a shot down the street.
She seemed eager to leave this despair at my feet.

She left me and took every penny I had.
She tore me right down like a woman gone mad.
She hopped off the train and burned down the whole track.
She left me and I don't think she'll be back.

Here I am alone in my room.
Nestled with the dark and the gloom.
A thick blanket of night,
With a layer of fright,
And a prayer that the end's coming soon.

Here I am alone in this place,
Mind adrift in the vastness of space.
A ghost without form,
Tossed about in the storm,
As a lone teardrop streams down my face.

Here I am alone in this spot,
Panicked and shaking, nerves fraught.
Courage? I've none.
This old spirit is done.
For this is the pain that I've wrought.

Swallowed up by the grass
of a thousand mistakes.
From the trees fall the leaves,
that are the sum of my failures.

The sun and wind chip away
at what's left of my skin.
While the rocks look upon me,
in sorrowful scorn.

The sword is laid down.
My spirit is done fighting.
Then my last breath escapes
at the cry of a dove.

I make an appearance when you least expect it.
Shadows announce my arrival.

I envelop everything around you.
When I am near, I am all you can focus on.

My fury is carried on the wind
and though you may find shelter.
You cannot escape what I am
or the effects of what I have done.

Eventually I will leave
but until such time
that this turbulent world
calls me back again.