You want to jump, want to fly.
Want to live, not to die.
Let yourself fall into the openness,
looking danger in the eye.

It comes to you, it comes to me.
Out of our prison, living free.
You'll never get a second chance
at existence, can't you see?

You could stay within these walls,
ignore adventure when it calls.
But what would you have to show from that
when the final hammer falls?

It's too easy to get scared.
Walking panicked, unprepared.
Afraid to face what's out there,
Because you don't know if you'll be spared.

Leave the guilt and leave the shame,
It's all part of the human game.
The world is waiting for you
and you have a path to claim.

If you're going down that road,
you'd better know the code.
They say cyberspace is wild,
if you don't get decompiled.

Colon slash slash,
the future's coming at you fast.
Click click click,
Let the website do its tricks.

Do you ever wonder why you're chosen,
as the screen just sits their frozen?
Or do you ever stop and think,
before you follow that next link?

Simple language, ones and zeroes.
Utter madness, villains, heroes.
It's my fixation, it's my drug,
At least until somebody pulls the plug.

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.

You comfort me, I love you.

You hurt me, I hate you.

You want to be with me, I love you.

You're never here, I hate you.

You lift me up, I love you.

You tear me down, I hate you.

You treat me well, I love you.

You ignore my pleas, I hate you.

You smile at me, I love you.

You're angry with me, I hate you.

You honor me, I love you.

You mistreated me, I hate you.

You tell the truth, I love you.

You feed me lies, I hate you.

You stand up for me, I love you.

You let me suffer, I hate you.

You care for me, I love you.

You ignore my soul, I hate you.

You say the right things, I love you.

You never do them, I hate you.

You make me live, I love you.

You let me die, I hate you.

It comes and it goes,
but why? I don’t know.
Just another little mystery
Of life I suppose.

It exposes and hides,
What nature keeps deep inside.
Sometimes it’s quite narrow,
others it stretches out wide.

It ebbs and it swoons,
By the will of the moon.
The old cosmic dance,
To a long ago tune.

It’s the unflappable motion,
from the heart of the ocean.
And to the grains of sand
Shows its quiet devotion.

He's got a crazy look in his eye.
He's strong and clever and spry.
In the depths of his mind,
There's a twisted design,
and a soul that's gone very awry.

He's holding a thick metal blade,
but this isn't a trick or charade.
He's found prey for his hunt,
and he's brutal and blunt.
Through his body sharp anger pervades.

He's coming for me in the night.
He's angry and wanting a fight.
The game comes undone,
with no chance to run.
He now has me locked in his sights.

I always wince a little bit
when I feel the needle tear my skin.
Staring out into the night,
Soon, the train will whisk me away
to my happy place.

The doctor was good to me this time.

He gave me a special dosage.
I fill the syringe to its peak.
A terrible smile crosses my lips
as I let the anticipation ruin me.

I inject the liquid wonderment
deep inside my veins.
My prison bars slowly melt away,
as the drugs invade my heart.

I am lifted up to the sky.
Who needs Aladdins flying carpet?
The stars are mine.
At least, until I come crashing back down to earth.

Then I will find myself in barrenness,
lost to the world around me.
Desperately searching for a new doctor
to make it all disappear.

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.

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.

She tempts me.
Teasing me from a distance
with eyes as beautiful
as the glow of a diamond.

She beckons me,
Begging me to come closer
With lips as red as roses
in a spring garden.

But it is not to be.

Rather than enjoy the splendor
of the one I want.
I instead endure the madness,
of the one I cannot escape.

Reality, it seems
is a harsh mistress.

I had an idea,
but I didn't write it down.

And if I didn't write it down,
then did it ever actually exist in the first place?

and if it didn't exist in the first place,
how could I have had it?

and if I never had it,
then where did it come from?

I have a little box.
It's plain and sturdy and it locks.
It's a proper place,
for the cold disgrace,
of my souls great paradox.

It's old and made of wood,
but I wouldn't change it if I could.
As there's something stark,
In its scuffs and marks,
That can only be called good.

It's stood up over the years.
It's held on to my dreams and tears.
It's dark and it's dusty,
but remarkably trusty,
As a means to make peace with my fears.

I have a little box,
and if only it could talk,
It would tell a story,
of pain and glory,
and a life filled with hard knocks.

It's hard for me to explain exactly
why she tempts me so.

Is it those deep red lips?
The alluring brown eyes?
Her long, dark and silky smooth hair?
That seductive smile that melts away
all my better judgment?

There's just something she does to me.

And I know I should stay away.

But I keep going back to the bottle.

There's a place
I like to go.
Where I can be free
and let it show.
My piece of heaven,
My calm plateau.
Where the sunshine beats
a steady glow.

Now life has gone
and closed the door.
Pulled me from that
wondrous shore.
Thrown me into
an endless war.
and that place I like,
is mine no more.

I feel the fire against my skin,
the embers dance against the ashes.
Brilliant pyres of light stream down,
In eruptive, blazing flashes.

The heat wraps me up, so intense,
in the middle of this furnace.
I feel a strong and primal fury,
thrashing at my epidermis.

You may call me an unstable fool,
but there are secrets I have learned.
That's why I'm here, amidst the flames,
with no fear of being burned.

There is pain here...in the darkness.
There is loneliness...amidst the night
There is heartbreak...in the shadows
There is desperation...from the fog.

Nothing blooms...in the winter.
Nothing shines...in the deep.
Nothing waits...in the madness.
Nothing grows...in a wasteland

What has happened...to our spirit?
What has fallen...from our hearts?
What has blocked...the love within us?
What has ruined...our very soul?

Can you hear me...in the silence?
Can you feel me...in this place?
Can you know me...in an instant?
Can you love me...for eternity?

How can passion...hurt so dearly?
How can energy...be so pale?
How can unity...fall to pieces?
How can brokenness...become whole?

Why does life...defy explanation?
Why does death...scare us so?
Why does a man...abandon his own?
Why does a flame...cease burning forever?

Where does a broken soul...go to mend?
Where does a person...cease being human?
Where does a boy...become a true man?
Where does a hero...find no place to call home?

Everything ends...one time or another.
Everything changes...from the tides to the sky.
Everything freezes...in the cold of the winter.

Everything disappears...in the ashes of time.

We thought we had her under control.
We were overconfident,
blissfully ignorant,
and astoundingly arrogant.

Now she is fighting back
and showing us
that regardless of what we believed
she never lost her power.

She was simply waiting
for the right time to unleash it.

It always grows foreboding,
When the sun dips below the clouds.
You can hear the fury of the people
You can feel it in the crowds.

You’d like to think it will be okay,
But you know deep down inside.
That beneath the cloak of darkness
Is where the monsters always hide.

The streets are full of trouble,
In a nation gripped by fear.
A match is lit, a bomb goes off
The riot squad is here.

In a chaotic sea of tear gas,
And Molotov soaked rags.
The crackdown, fast and vicious.
And dissenters? Bound and gagged.

You can quote the Constitution,
You can be an expert on the law,
But it doesn’t matter in the war zone,
When a nation is torn raw.

It doesn’t matter where you come from,
Could be both sides of the tracks.
But you may not live to see tomorrow
If you happen to be black.

They don’t care about your money,
They don’t care what prominence you bring,
They don’t care about your family,
They only care about one thing.

We used to think the Stars and Stripes,
Meant the land of the free and brave.
But in fact it’s where injustice,
Fills too many shallow graves.

There’s an unnerving lack of safety,
As we watch our cities burn.
What America will greet us,
By the time the sun returns?

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

It’s quiet outside tonight

For a fleeting moment
The world almost seems to
make sense again.

But that subtle mirage of normalcy
Is quickly shattered
by the eerie absence of sound
everywhere around me.

There are no engines
There is no singing.
No laughter.
No dancing.
No cheering.

An almost perfect silence
Save for the faint whisper of a girl
Who longs to be with her friends.

I stare up at the stars
For a brief moment am taken in
by the gentle beauty of the universe.

Suddenly sirens pierce the night.
Reality comes rampaging back.
And I find myself wishing I could
turn back the pages of the book of my life
to escape this madness.

But it is not to be.
So I will stand stoically in the darkness

And wait for the coming dawn.

These are the nights of our lives,
Where we laugh and we smile and thrive.
And in moments like this,
That we seal with a kiss,
I love the warm shine of your eyes.

These are the minutes without warning,
When the clock rolls past 2 in the morning.
The good music starts playing,
All the people are swaying.
And the party, it really gets roaring.

These are the best of the hours,
With their wild and mysterious powers.
It’s always so pretty,
To look out on the city,
From our perch at the top of the tower.

These are the greatest of nights,
When we’re lifted to dizzying heights.
It’s just you and me,
Unburdened and free,
As we’re bathed in the glow of the lights.

These are the best of our days,
We are joyful in so many ways.
Anything’s within reach,
As we sit by the beach.
And listen to the crash of the waves.

These are the things that remain,
When we unload the fear and the pain.
Forget what has been,
And if storm clouds roll in,
We’ll run out and dance in the rain.

I've finally reached a stage,
Where I am furious with rage.
A silver pen rests in my hand,
but there's nothing on the page.

The room is cool and dank,
and there's a devil on my flank.
Words rage war within me,
but the paper is staying blank.

I'm a soldier, see my fight
in the madness of this night.
I should be be scrawling paragraphs,
instead the pad is plain and white.

My shell is burnt and cracked,
from the eternal sting of the attack,
on my desk there's only barrenness,
where there should be a sea of black.

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.

Left eye,
Right eye,
How's your vision?
Clear or fraught
with indecision?

Follow the light,
and ignore your  
your dread.
But be careful not
to move your head.

You must endure
these tests
a plenty,
If you hope to earn
that twenty / twenty.

What am I doing here?
I don't even know.
Just counting the cars
On the freeway below.

Feet on the sidewalk,
and hands on the rail.
My spirit is weakened,
My skin becomes frail.

The grey clouds above,
drop a torrent of rain.
A fitting addition,
to the depths of my pain.

I have no home to go to,
and no place to be.
My eyes are wide open,
but there's not much to see.

What I am doing here?
I don't even know.
Just counting the lights
as the cars pass below.

I am wounded,
but no one wants to heal me.
I am wounded,
but no one seems to notice.
I am wounded,
but I still get dirt thrown on me.
I am wounded,
but the world doesn't care.

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'm alone down by the river,
but that's quite alright with me.

I'm alone down by the river,
where it's calm and clear and free.

I'm not much of a city boy,
I hate the smog and crowds.

It's busy and it's hectic and
it's chaotic and it's loud.

I'm alone down by the river,
there's a gentle summers breeze.

I'm alone down by the river,
there's nowhere else I'd rather be.

I could be mad that my tire went flat,
Or thankful I have a car that runs.

I could complain how I hate my job,
Or be happy for a way to provide.

I could be mad there is no hot water,
Or thankful that it's clean.

I could complain about eating leftovers,
Or be happy my belly is full.

I could be mad I have no free time,
Or thankful for my friends.

I could complain about the faded shirt,
Or be happy I have clothes.

I could be mad about the cost of the medicine,
Or thankful I'm not staying sick.

I could complain about eating in tonight,
Or be happy the lights are still on.

I could be mad that I cannot take a vacation,
Or thankful to have a home.

I could complain about the life I think I want,
Or be happy about the blessings I have.

Touch.
Sense.
Heat.

Passion.
Sweat.
Energy.

Alluring.
Purposefu­l.
Bold.

Intense.
Primal.
Freeing.

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.

A grand concert hall in London.
A fancy penthouse suite in Hong Long.
The Pacific Coast highway in a Ferrari.
Enjoying the view from the top of Mt. Everest.

The smile of a child lost long ago.
My bedroom from 1993.
The lakeshore where I had my first kiss.
A warm hug from my grandfather.

So much to see, so much to feel,
but inside I know that none of it’s real.

When your words are not your words,
and you keep writing undeterred,
What does it really say about your person?

Those are my dreams and fears and thoughts.
That line was never yours to cross.
Suddenly, the situation worsens.

You never had permission,
To break right in and steal my vision.
I do not take such violations lightly.

Those are my emotions and my voice.
Now you've gone and made your choice,
and a punishment is coming to you rightly.

That's what I think about you, thief,
as I work through this rhyming grief.
Like a dagger you have pierced my soul right through.

And these words I can only guess,
You'll swoop in and steal like the rest,
as that seems to be the thing you like to do.

5...
4...
3...
2...
1...


Darkness.
All I have left is darkness.

"Nerd!"
"Loser!"
"You ****!"
"Go **** yourself!"

I hear the taunts.
I hear the laughter.
I hear the snickering.

They shove me.
They slap me.
They spit on me.
They chase me everywhere.

I am a ticking time bomb.

And someday
before too long
When they least expect it...
I will go off.

It may be brutal,
It may be ******,
It may be vicious.

But it's the only way
I can save myself.

There are no other options.

The sunshine is all around you.
Birds are flying by and singing.
Kids are laughing and playing.
An old man fishes at the rivers edge.

A girl is over there smiling,
in a way she hasn't in a while.
The dogs are enjoying the warm afternoon.
An ice cream truck chimes nearby.

But you don't see any of it.
Because you're caught
in the siren call
of that white, flickering screen.

Shame.

My mind keeps going.
A million miles an hour.
Maybe more.
It is unforgiving.
It is relentless.
It is holding me hostage.
Faster and faster.
Threatening to throw me
right off the rails.
I fear I am losing control.

Why can't I make it stop?

Leave the radio on, leave the radio on.
Let the music play.
Let me hear your song.
The strings, the bass
just a beautiful place.
It's where I want to be.

Leave the radio on, leave the radio on.
Let the symphony last
the whole night long.
It's got just the right notes,
and melodic approach,
to set an imprisoned soul free.

Leave the radio on, leave the radio on,
Let the music rise up
and the voices grow strong.
The tone is just right,
To let a bold light
Shine on the things I cannot see.

Meet the new neighbors, what a lovely young pair,
He in a pressed suit and her with long flowing hair.
They've got the white picket fence, they're living the life
but something's amiss with the cute smiling wife.

She carries a secret so awful, so deep,
A woman broken and bruised at the hands of a creep.
Kept in a basement, labeled as chattel,
Treated not as human but a dumb piece of cattle.

She is his property, a lone prized possession,
Absorbing the punishment, but where's the transgression?
Her tears burst through the dam in a torrential flood,
Driven by the sight of the bruises and blood.

When they step out in public, he puts on a show,
Acting a perfect gentleman wherever they go.
Other women say "oh my, what a catch!"
As she manages to hide every deep cut and scratch.

He smiles and waves to them, what a great guy!
No one ever notices the look in her eye.
They are a beautiful couple, sharp looking and young,
Out on the town for some good wholesome fun.

It's there, the discomfort, the raging frustration,
But she holds it inside, lest she face devastation.
So she plays along with the fantasy, buries the strain,
Puts on a fake smile and suppresses the pain.

But how long can she go on with this awful routine?
"If only, if only the truth could be seen!"
She thinks to herself while committing the crime,
Waiting for an out, biding her time.

She has only one shot to break free and escape,
Away from the beatings and bruising and ****.
So she lays out every detail in her head,
Knowing full well if she fails, she's dead.

After a couple of months, she chooses her time,
Takes a deep breath and puts her life on the line.
In the darkness of night, she makes for the outside,
Suddenly she hears him: "where do you think you'll hide?"

He was already on to her, aware of the plot,
And he lashes out with every ounce of sweat that he's got.
By the time he is finished she's crushed to the core,
"That ought to teach you, you stupid young *****!"

So it's back to the basement, back to the cell,
Her own little desperate corner of hell.
Her master is so furious, angry and seething,
But by some freak occurrence she is still here and breathing.

For the next 15 years he robs her of joy,
She is his precious, his plaything, his toy.
It finally ends one day when the cops storm the place,
And walk out her master in a display of disgrace.

Down at the station they don't really care.
They just need the facts, the who, when and where.
She may be battered, roughed up and burned,
But the folks who surround her just seem unconcerned.

Walking out of the precinct a cool wind passes through,
She cinches up her jacket and thinks: "Now what will I do?
I've had my sprit torn from me, for twenty odd years,
am I just supposed to forget the dark and the fears?"

Despite every bit of it, she won't give up the fight,
though she still finds it ******* a quiet, long night.
Master's been put away now, a life sentence times three
She's away from his grasp but will she ever be free?

It cuts me repeatedly, tears me in two.
Rips at my spirit and slices straight through.
Now I lay in pieces and know not what to do,
As my lifeblood escapes me and my skin turns to blue.

I know that you hate it but the choice has been made,
Vent your anger at me and not the sharp of the blade.
You are right to be furious and to feel betrayed,
but I just couldn’t go on with this cold life’s charade.

I am the star now,
this is my show.
I've got cameras on me
wherever I go.

I'm a big deal,
Its all over the news.
Didn't you know
I just hit ten million views?

I've got a fast car,
and mountain of bling.
Go check Instagram
Where they call me "The King".

I've got the big sponsors,
Movie deals? Signed three.
Everyone in the world
just wants to be me.

I've got a massive new wardrobe
and the latest smartphone,
But underneath it all
I'm just cold and alone...

I'm a good man, I'm just in a bad place
I have a heart for justice, for duty, for grace.

I was raised well and lived in a comforting space.
Taught good defeats evil in the duel of the fates.

As I grew up I found broken hearts, dire straits,
and a large group of people with tears down their face.

I feel as though everything I knew is slowly erased,
and I'm nothing but destined to lose in this race.

So I shall accept my new spot right outside of the gates,
in realization of my rough, new found state.

I'm just small drop of white in an ocean of grays,
I'm a good man, but I'm in a bad place.

Didn't find what I came to find,
No calm moments, no peace of mind.
I'm off the grid and over the line,
So I can leave these **** things behind.

Didn't see what I came to see,
No restoration, no drive to be free.
Now on the road and I think you'd agree,
that whatever will be will be.

Didn't feel what I came to feel,
Just endless shadows, nothing was real.
Packed up when the lie was revealed,
and I'm not interested in cutting a deal.

Didn't learn what I came to learn,
Now I've been tossed aside, spurned.
And perhaps this thing I haven't earned,
but I'm gone now... and I'll never return.

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...

You won't find me in a busy crowd,
But not because I'm scared.
You won't find me at the party place,
But not because I'm boring.

You won't find me at the concert,
But not because I don't like music.
You won't find me in the airport line,
But not because I don't like to travel.

I'll be by myself walking the sandy beach,
Staring up at the stars on a cloudless night,
And wondering what treasures they conceal.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

You won't find me at a packed restaurant,
But not because I'm not hungry.
You won't find me at the street parade,
But not because I'm not festive.

I'll be by myself sitting on the rocks,
In the shadow of a great waterfall,
Watching the mists dance between the trees.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

You won't find me in a crowded house,
But not because I don't appreciate family.
You won't find me at the football game,
But not because I don't like sports.

I'll be by myself hiking through the mountains,
Staring in awe at the massive peaks before me,
Greater than any show man could ever conceive.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

You won't see me at the protests,
But not because I don't support the cause.
You won't find me at the New Year's bash,
But not because I have no hope for the future.

I'll be by myself in a rustic wood cabin
Somewhere in the rolling hills of Appalachia.
With a fire and a good book to keep me company.
If you know I'm there...

Just leave me be and let me roam,
I'm in my zone, my place alone.

Who says a poem has to rhyme?
Why can't the words alone be fine?
If I don't follow a meter line,
Is that in and of itself a crime?

Who says a poem has to rhyme?
Why can't it be unique, sublime?
What if I do not focus on the time,
but just take the vision and make it mine?

Who says a poem has to rhyme?
Why can't discordant verses shine?
And if the sentences don't align,
Can't they still be beautiful by design?

Ride for the distance
and tear up the track.
Ride for the distance
and never look back.

Ride on the thunder,
and blast through the storm.
Ride on the thunder,
The sound and the form.

Ride for the horizon,
Unhindered and freed.
Ride for the horizon,
and crank up the speed.

Ride through the fury,
and come out unscathed.
Ride through the fury,
take control of the day.

Ride through the darkness,
in the deep of the night.
Ride through the darkness,
with the stars shining bright.

Ride through the mountains,
and hold a firm line.
Ride through the mountains,
you're one of a kind.

Ride for the moment,
There's plenty of gas
Ride for the moment,
The worst things have passed.

Ride for the sunset,
The battle is won.
Ride for the sunset,
The struggle is done.

Ride on forever,
There's no keeping score.
Ride on forever,
The world is yours.

Rise Up, Rise Up
It's time to take a stand
Rise Up, Rise Up
support your fellow man.

The road will not be easy,
the other side is out in force.
But ours is a crucial fight to win
and we've got to stay the course.

Rise Up, Rise Up
Take the protest to the street.
Rise Up, Rise Up
Clap your hands and stomp your feet.

We've got to make it clear today,
that justice will be served.
Fight the hate in the here and now,
so the future is preserved.

Rise Up, Rise Up
The movement needs your voice,
Rise Up, Rise Up
For those that didn't have a choice.

Let the world see us, thousands strong
standing shoulder next to shoulder.
Lord, give us courage and give us wisdom
to be louder and be bolder.

The other day I saw
some red rose petals
slowly floating along a shallow creek.

I sat down on a nearby log
just to take in the peacefulness
of it all.

And in that moment I was reminded,
of where the beauty lies in life.

It's a bland looking place on the outskirts of town,
the sign is missing letters and the building's run down.
Sitting at the corner of an old gravel road,
a rugged, not too friendly looking distant abode.

Built back in the 60s on a small, ***** tract,
half the deadbolts don't work and the front window's cracked.
It's a glorified shack, only seventeen rooms,
And its thick with the grey fog of cigarette fumes.

But far from abandoned, there are plenty of guests,
they drive in from the north and fly out from the west.
From the old to the young, to the meek and the great,
they all find their place on this darkened estate.

It's played host to rock stars, to artists and writers,
corrupt politicians and heavyweight fighters.
They travel for miles to this little piece of hell,
the rusty old spot called the Sampson motel.

In the small cluttered office just beyond the wood door,
you'll find the manager Wayne, he lost an eye in the war.
He's a bit rough and tumble and he's got skin cold as ice,
but if you show him respect you might get a good price.

The ice machine's broken and the power cord's frayed,
so little of elegance or fancy displayed.
The plumbing is awful and the wall paint is peeling,
and most of the souls that you'll find here are reeling.

Housekeeping doesn't do much, there's only one maid.
She smokes a cigar and wears her hair up in braids.
She won't leave you a mint or turn down the sheet,
But if you mistreat her, you're out on the street.

It's the #1 choice if you don't want to be found,
as long as you don't mind the trash on the ground.
Folks aren't too friendly here so if you come stay
Mind your own business and go about your own way.

Guests come and they go almost quick as flash,
And you can be certain they always pay cash.
In darkness they'll be, transfixed by the spell
of the rusty old spot called the Sampson motel.