In a place by the lake stood a tall willow tree
It's roots stretching down far beyond where I could see
At first glance I admire its elegant beauty
But there's more than meets the eye, I learned fool-heartedly
Its melancholy dance in the cool summer breeze
Mesmerizes my senses and is enough to please
Then the reflection in the lake made it all too clear
The willow is my love but there's no need to fear
Behind her dark eyes is a cloudy sky
A girl living in fear who's dying to cry
I can see you hiding behind that brave face
Exhausted from a journey you thought was going no place
The tears I see fall are like rain from the sky
Or the branches of the willow that keep this place dry
The leaves that drape down are protecting you so
Concealing the emotions that you don't want to show
The path you traveled is something you thought you'd never surpass
Like walking down a road of rusty nails and broken glass
Like a broken heart, your feet have been torn
Yet you go on beaten and continue to mourn
But the road you walk knows another poor soul
I've been down it too, and I've paid my toll
And the secrets you kept hidden from plain sight
Are now exposed to me in the mystic moonlight
And when you weep like the willow, please know this to be true
I'll love you forever, even when the skies ahead aren't blue

-AJT

Take my hand
Follow me
Let's waste away
Together

Let the music fill your head
Your soul
Ignite the fire
And let me burn for you

Gaze into my eyes
Let me fall for you
And make things better
Forevermore

The vinyl spins like I do
When our lips meet
Joining as one
Under the moonlit sky

I'll wait for you
For a chance
A moment to seize
To see your eyes glisten
Like the stars and beyond
Gazing into my soul
Where I ache for life

Let us adventure
Into the wilderness
A dark forest awaits us

The unknown beckons
Calling us to act
Discovering more than we know
And reassuring our minds

I see your thoughts
Not too fast,
You might trip and fall
But I'll be there to catch you
I hope you know

Open your heart to me
Let me hear you sing
The song of the ages
A beautiful voice

And when you fall
Deep into slumber
I'll wonder what you dream
As I hold you in my arms
And admire it all


-AJT

Brown eyes are soft
They don’t speak too loud
But they catch my attention
Amongst all the noise
They are simple and beautiful
Full of wonder and purity
They are open to you
Drawing you in closer…
Closer for a kiss
Yet they hide many secrets
I can see why they’re dark
And the harder you look
The more you’ll wonder
What hides behind them?
Its easy to get lost
Lost in beauty?
Or lost in despair?
All I can say is…
The longer you stare
The more you’ll know
And the more you’ll wonder
And the deeper you’ll fall
With no escape

-AJT

There is pain in patience
We are no strangers to this
A man who lusts for a woman
Will lose himself waiting
A woman who waits in silence
Is screaming on the inside
We all feel this pain
In one way or another
A form of agony and distress
Longing for what we desire
Patience brings pain
And we have no control
We are afraid to act
So we sit in solitude
Our minds soon betray us
And the tears begin to fall
Frustration soon follows
And then all goes numb
I am impatient
Though I know I must wait
And when thinking of you
My spirit grows heavy
Temperance is my goal
But I fail each time
So I suffer in silence
And let time pass by
I’m longing for you
And it’s quite obvious
I know patience is key
But I’m impatient for you

-AJT

You look like you could use a drink
Heavy pour of whiskey as you sit down and think
Seems your mind is on the brink
While all the other ships around you sink

High tides and heavy goodbyes
I can see the emptiness in your eyes
Stick around longer, we can all get high
Our minds are destined for the sky

Familiar faces now enter the space
You forget why you were in such a dark place
Add a splash from the tap just in case
Makes it all easier to chase

The window is open so don't sit around
The breeze will help push you when your ships run aground
The laughter in the air is an uplifting sound
Seems what you're searching for has finally been found

-AJT

She’s a little bit cooler than me, I like that
A little more dangerous.. a bit edgy in fact
Marked with black ink, like poem in calligraphy
A canvas of expression, a work of true beauty
She brings a sense of safety, that comfort feeling of home
And I feel her warmth around me, no matter how far we roam
Just as lost as I am, and exhausted from the journey
Her eyes pointed downward, her shoes worn and *****
Behind her are the years, the ones that she has spent
And the love that she will need, well it must be heaven sent
Paying her tolls as I have, so many times before
Her scars will tell a story, but her eyes say so much more
Our paths have come together and gone apart at times
And while she’s gone I sit here and scribble down these rhymes
I see her in the distance, she’s standing all alone
A girl who’s not afraid to be left out on her own
And like a thief in darkness, she stole my heart so tender
And meeting her again, I know that its still with her

-AJT

I could never truly hurt you, not intentionally
And maybe that's why we were never meant to last
You tried to find flaws in hopes you could fix me
But you came up empty handed and dropped me in an instant
I guess you were not ready for a man like me
One who would love you and never abuse you
You deserve that love, and I wanted to provide it
But I'm moving on now, you had your chance
Go back to the ones who hurt you the most
Who never fully appreciated you're beautiful spirit
Thanks for all the good times and hand written lies
All the time I can't get back because it was all spent on you
I gave you my all, including my heart
Even though you were the one to act on yours first
I believed in us when I kissed you again
But it was just another poisonous lie that fell upon the lips

-AJT

Look in the mirror and see what I do
A beautiful woman, and that woman is you

Conquering the obstacles life puts in your way
You pick yourself up when the worlds in disarray

The first few days are the hardest days
I've learned this fact in a number of ways

But I see you walking with such great pride
So why are you worried, put those concerns aside

And one day, again, you'll be riding high
So ignore all the bad things that keep passing by

‪Just stay level headed, focus on your dream‬
Things will come around, they ain’t as crazy as they seem

And you will find in a moments time
That you will be stronger and that you will shine

-AJT

Lost one welcomed home
Strangers at one point
Recognizing minds
And words spoken prior
Beats unheard for years
Distance silenced
A vibe not skipping
Synchronized
Familiar eyes gaze
She smiles
I melt

-AJT

Nobody knows
Thus nobody cares
So I sit alone
And everyone stares
Silence is deafening
It says much more
Than the words I keep in
My mind at war

-AJT

My arm is called the epic list
Displaying the anthems of my life
One by one

I've lived these moments
Heard the music loud and clear
These melodies will forever live
In the basement of my brain

Falling into the depth of my mind
I dig it up with my hand
Revealing the traffic

I'm addicted to the melancholy
No matter where I travel
We all carry a bag

I've lived these moments
Heard the music loud and clear
These melodies will forever live
In the basement of my brain

-AJT

This town ain’t doin it for me
As I weep beneath the willow tree
I thought how could this come to be
When you’re the only one I see

And now I sit here and ponder so
About the things that I don’t know
And wonder what our time would show
With the moments shared so long ago

-AJT

While I'm awake
I see the world
As twisted as it is

My thoughts wander
Time zones away
How are you?

I'm thankful to live
Breathe in the air
Take in the love

We're far away
But I love you
So I sit and pray

I pray for your happiness
While I may not be it
And I pray for your safety
While my shelter is vacant

To love you true
Is to pray for you
Since I can't have you now
Thats what I'll do

-AJT

It’s much easier not caring
About anything really
I wish I didn’t
I cared too much unfortunately
I’d be more free than I am
More upbeat, more happy
Living is easy with eyes closed
So leave me alone
I’m only sleeping
I’m putting up walls
I prefer to hide away
Cuz I took a risk a few times
Like a fool
All alone on a hill
Where I can see everything
But they don’t see me
No contact
I don’t want to look
Sometimes I want to disappear
Leave people with the memories
Of me in this moment
Or moments past
Go to the wilderness
Free as a bird
But I’ve learned once
It’s the next best thing to be
I wish I never experienced
The best feeling in the world
Wipe my memory of you
A clean slate
Leaving smudges
Take me away sweet song
I’ll cry anyways
I still feel the void
Cold and familiar
And through the absence
Leaving behind a sense
Of something warm and calm
It creates the most pain
Slowly decaying, withering away
Eroding the walls and revealing
My emotions of you

-AJT

The world is changing everyday
And nothing ever stays the same
It's like I blink and you are there
And now you're gone, I don't know where.
The things I access in my brain
Just make me feel like I'm insane
And can't go on with out a fight
So I just might get out of sight
To be alone just for a while,
Not too long, but long enough
To make some sense of all the pain
I see on repeat on the screen
Inside my brain,
Which will never be serene...
Take me back just for a moment
I don't see things the same way anymore,
All I see is torment.
That's too bad, those were the days that
Had true meaning
But now it always seems that
I'm screaming and dreaming...
Longing for the past
That wasn't going to last.

-AJT

I sit in this place and watch the cars go by
Like the memories I have of the times that have passed
Time seems to have a lead foot
And it goes by quicker than any of them
I've buckled up for the ride
But I realize I should have just stayed home
Now I'm just waiting till the tank is on empty
Because at this rate, it won't be long till the rides over

-AJT

Paranoid
Everybody around me
Plotting
Why
I’m a fool
I give too much
They know
It’s easy for them
And my pain shows
I need to escape
Where
Another realm
I’m in a prison
Cold
Forsaken
Disguised freedom
Amidst the chaos
One true hope
Lost?
I’ll soon find out
Satan in disguise?
I laugh
Can’t be
I believe
That must be false
Am I still a fool?
Love blinds
Addictive drug
But the high wore off
I awoke and saw you
Still there
Night eyes lure me in
The fire burns
Passion
Warmth
A home
Come back
Where are you?
Gone with the wind
It’s cold again
And I’m so sorry
I must hide away
And wait
But I miss you
Lover

-AJT

It’s too noisy these days
I’m at the point where I don’t want to listen
Seems everybody’s got something to say
Leave me alone please
I don’t want to hear your chatter anymore
I wish I had a remote so I could mute you all

-AJT

I spotted you alone across the crowded room
With the feelings I thought I would never consume
Who knew that I’d gamble and come out on top
That my mind would cease spinning, and that time would just stop

-AJT