As darkness spreads over
the face of the earth
Grant our mother one
final rebirth
Let her know her time
has not been wasted
Show her one last light
and let her taste it

We the children have
all lost our way
We have forgotten
that there were better days
Days when we took no more
than was required
But now our precious world
is in the fire

how do you stay
warm
                              when the cold comes
             not from the winter
but
         from inside?

Be the start and the star
of your own sorry play
or don't be
Tell the story or don't
but stop sitting like a freckle on a little
frog's ***.
it's unbecoming and,
frankly,
irritating.
There are unfulfilled promises,
unmitigated disasters, EVERYWHERE.
but i do not have to be one.
I can be one.
I can tell myself,
Do this thing.
and then I can do it.
Or I can tell myself,
Do that thing.
and then I can not do it.
I'm probably going to hate myself either way.
Then just make a ******* decision.

Across broken cities,
dreadful Emptiness
freely gloating,
his incessant jesters
keening.

Laureate men,
no ordinary pilgrims,
questing righteously.

Stark truths undermine vitality;
wistful xeriscaping yesterday's zeal.

I'm asking you to look at me
What do you think you see
Chances are it's not what's really there
A color faded through overuse
In search of a simple truth
Chances are it was never really there

Can't pacify the unsatisfied
Or rectify hurt caused by lies
Can't change the past
Can't change the past

Dying behind a liar's grin
Just let me sleep again
Chances are I'm rotten to the bone
If I'm around you should walk away
I've nothing good to say
Chances are I should always be alone

Can't justify how I terrorized
Your entire life with all my lies
Can't take it back
Can't take it back

A billion or so other men
Would treat you better than I ever can
They'd give you the world and
Ask nothing in return
Honestly I'd like to see
You kick the dust from your tired feet
And never look back
Just let me ******* burn

But your eyes show another life
Where maybe I can make things right
Forget the past
Forget the past

"It's just so hard to live with someone who is
        so ******* miserable
        all the ******* time."
"He's always been such a frustratingly
        depressing guy."
"I don't like you."
"You do nothing. You're useless."
"What do you mean, you feel like a failure?
        Never mind. I don't want to talk
        about that."
"You've got so much potential."
"Well, you're a ray of ******* sunshine."
"Have you tried being happy?"
"You're giving off vibes of tension and
        frustration."
"The kids are scared of you."
"Jesus! What are you so sad about?!"

They're not wrong.
Eggshells,
        eggshells,
                step gently around Joe.
I don't bring joy,
    and I don't get more likeable.
I am miserable.
        I just wish I didn't bring others
                down with me.

No, they're not wrong,
but I really wish they were.

this does no good.
     it stays. it all stays right here:
the lost opportunities,
disappeared good days,
          the hole, the clot, the anger,
          the question, the fire and the cold -
     they weirdly stay.
death is dumb, so
      it does not apologize.
it does not hear my anguish;
         it is also deaf.
blind, death does not
   see my sorrow.
death is the three monkeys -
it ignores its evils.
but
death is real, and it hurts most the ones
           it does not take.