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1.5k · Oct 2010
Matters of Perspective
Benjamin Banker Oct 2010
One man's truth is another man's lie
One man's fantasy is another man's life
One man's blessing is another man's curse
One man's chariot is another man's hearse

One man's loss is another man's gain
One man's love is another man's hate
One man's fear is another man's want
One man's sin is another man's God

One man's nightmare is another man's dream
One man's whisper is another man's scream
One man's prison is another man's school
One man's genius is another man's fool

One man's Heaven is another man's Hell
One man's freedom is another man's cell
One man's wall is another man's door
One man's body is another man's soul

One man's right is another man's wrong
One man's voice is another man's song
One man's life is another man's death
One poem's start is another poem's end.
952 · Jul 2010
Time's Heavy Burden
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Don’t forget the burden, time weighing down your shoulders
Every wasted moment, every breath that’s getting shorter
Grasping on to memories, as your hands are getting colder
And you don’t know how much longer
You can bear this heavy load

The fires of your life have turned to smoke and ash
The gentle winds of time, once slow, now are blowing fast
Take in every sunset, as if it is your last
Because you don’t know how much longer
You can bear this heavy load

The ravens of deception are cawing at your door
Their evil shrieks of madness, through your mind, they slowly bore
Until time and sanity are with you nevermore
And you know you can no longer tolerate
Such a heavy load
830 · Jul 2010
Impressionable Youth
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Lock the children away
From a world that they can't understand
We must keep them in their innocence
Take out any influence
Of which we won't approve

Keep the children alone
And away from those that may do harm
Won't let them make a single friend
Will go to any end
To keep them at home

Keep the children in line
Don't let them behave this way
Make them act like they're all grown
We will mold them into our own
Ideals and dreams

Make the children conform
They are far too young to figure it out
After all, they're just a human being
We will crush all their hopes and dreams
And make them a drone

Let the children unite
Against the adult regime
Tell them you won't take no more
You have the rest of your life to become full-grown
Let the children unite
771 · Oct 2010
Embers
Benjamin Banker Oct 2010
The final embers of the fire have died
And I should go before I start freezing
You ask me to stay just a little while
But I've got someone at home who's waiting

You hold me, oh so tight
And I can feel your body start to shiver
I ask you why you care so much
When it's clear I don't care enough to leave her

You've got that crooked smile on your face
But those tears, they let me know better
"If she matters so much to you," you ask
"Then why do you always end up back here?"

"I've got a million reasons to go on home
And there's nothing of value to come back for"
The insincerity of it all
Well, it makes us both succumb to laughter

"Go on back to your life," you say
As you wipe the tears away with your hand
It will all work itself out someday
And I hope there's a part of you that understands
753 · Jul 2010
Prelude to Solipsism
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Am I paranoid
Or is it only that I think I am?
And if I only think I am
Does that make me truly paranoid?

What’s it like to be normal?
What’s it like to be different?
What if I wake up from this dream?
What if I fall asleep, and never wake up?

Would it be Heaven, or only a dream?
What is Heaven, but a dream?
Is this Heaven?
If this is Heaven, how bad can Hell be?

I think, therefore, I am

But if do not think, but am still
Is it all meaningless?
Likewise, if I think, but am not
Who am I?

Am I you?
Am I him?
Or her?
Them?

Everybody?
Anybody?
Somebody?
Nobody?

Or are you me
And I am but a shadow of a dream of tomorrow’s history?
723 · Oct 2010
The Game
Benjamin Banker Oct 2010
Broken body
Broken mind, and broken soul
My heart's still beating
But I can feel it start to slow

Love me not, or love me won't
Or love me just enough
So hard to keep on playing
I feel like giving up

Don't deny me
The truth is in your eyes
Yet, this game keeps on going
And I still roll the dice

But every game has its end
And you knew it all along
So tell me what I want to hear
Or else I'll be moving on
711 · Jul 2010
Soldier of Misfortune
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
The world’s moved on
But I’m still here
The same place I’ve always been

And though I’ve tried
To shrug it off
I just can’t seem to get ahead

So here I am
Time’s forgotten soldier
Burying my past with lies

With your eyes of guilt
You see through them all
But at least I can say I tried

The wind still blows
The sun’s still warm
But all I feel is numb

I rack my brain
Trying to explain
And pray for forgiveness that won’t ever come

I’ve seen the good
I’ve seen the bad
I’ve seen the grass on both sides is not green

Though I’m so tired
I cannot sleep
For all I’ve done haunts my dreams

It hurts so badly
But it won’t show
Because I’ve trained myself not to cry

The world’s moved on
But I’m still here
Just waiting for the end of time
To pass me by
699 · Sep 2010
Darker Shade of Black
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
I'm beginning to think that I understand
How this all works
And I'm beginning to think that I know I can
Find a way to bring you back
After I let you slip away...

It's hard to hear that little voice, they say
When it all goes wrong
It seems like it's all being thrown away
But I'll find a way to fix it
After I let you slip away...

But it's happening way too soon
The Earth has collided with the Moon
All the buildings crumble down
Waters flood the ****** ground
Watch it slip away
Fade away.


It's hard to deal with losing you
After all, it was in our grasp
Please tell me if there's anything I can do
To bring you back
After I let you slip away...

I see the tears running down your cheek
You brush them away with a shaky hand
Caught in the moment, I tried to speak
But no words came out
After I let you slip away...

I've fallen to the world of black
Once you're there, you can never go back
We continue to fight over ****** land
But until we're sure we understand
Watch it slip away
Fade away.


Now even though I told you no
You went and left me in the dark
I tried to tell you I need you so
But you just laughed
After I let you slip away...

I can feel my soul begin to crack
I don't think I can continue on
It's all a darker shade of black
I realize I need you now
After I let you slip away.

*Trying to cross the bloodied land
The shadows of you turned and ran
I tried to catch up, but they moved too fast
Should have known this could never last
But still, I long to hear from you
Until then, there's nothing I can do
But watch it all just slip away
Just fade away.
9-7-10
697 · Oct 2010
The Search for The Grail
Benjamin Banker Oct 2010
If I fell from grace would you be there
To help get me on my feet?
Or would you just smile and laugh?
It's worth my soul to see you smile

It took a lifetime to realize
But now I've open eyes
I can see that our Holy Grail
Is something we may never find

Now, I can't say that it'll stay this way
All I know is you are the blade
To help cut through this shroud of hate
That has blinded me far too long

If the ghosts of the past should rise again
Would you close your eyes, and pretend they'd go away?
Or would you welcome them
With open arms, and empty heart?

They rattle the chains that hold you back
And I know it seems you'll never break free
And I'm sure that my words only add to their strength
Just know I'll never mean to make you cry again

If you fall from grace, know that I"ll be there
To help you stand again
And though we may never find our grail
Isn't it the search that matters most?
689 · Oct 2010
Wild Waters
Benjamin Banker Oct 2010
The waves come crashing down on me
Trying to swim against the current
Being dragged along in the undertow
I struggle, but to no avail

Sweeping along, caught in the flow
I'm beginning to waste away
Now I think I see my chance
I cry out for a little help

You grab my hand, and pull me up
We're standing on the oceans waves
You smile, and apologize
And push me back in again
675 · Sep 2010
American Funhouse
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
Traveling through space and time
Puzzle pieces going through your mind
And you don’t have a box to go by

I don’t know what the picture is
I can’t tell you what you want to hear
Cos it’d all be one big lie

You’re living in the average American Funhouse
And the mirrors don’t show you
What you want to see
But if you’re lucky, they’ll show you
What you need to see
What we all see

They’re coming for you fast
The thoughts of times long past
And you can’t run fast enough to keep them away

You keep your memories to yourself
And get mad when we don’t see the Hell
You put yourself through everyday

You’re living in the average American Funhouse
And the mirrors don’t show you
What you want to see
But if you’re lucky, they’ll show you
What you need to see
What we all see
9-14-2010
670 · Oct 2010
Through The Looking Glass
Benjamin Banker Oct 2010
I'll do what I can
But you shouldn't be expecting much
All I can be counted on
Is that I will probably let you down

The world is drowning
And the future is tearing itself apart
These feelings that I try to hide
Only show themselves when we collide

Let me fade
As fate takes me to another day
Watch me fade
Watch me fade away

You wait impatiently for the revelation
As I bask in my desolation
It comes to me like a crystal vision
That I'm the key to my salvation

All at once, it's clear
The reason I am here
And I'll go through the Looking Glass
Willingly, though I won't be coming back

Let me fade
As fate takes me to another day
Watch me fade
Watch me fade away
Through the Looking Glass.
621 · Jul 2010
Days of Reckoning
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Anger, fear, death, and scorn
I’ve seen it all before
I’ve seen it in the prophet’s eye
I’ve seen it in the darkened skies
And growing in the faces
Of our nation’s youth
To tell the truth

Throw my feelings ‘gainst the wall
Love and hate, crush them all
Turn my back on my frozen mind
Turn my back on the world unkind
And accept that maybe
It’s only fair
But no-one cares

And through the reckless hate that’s spawned
An evil picture in my mind is drawn
Ten million people in mourning
Six billion people without warning
Are taken against their will
To the fiery gates
Where Jesus waits
611 · Sep 2010
Cry Dead Man
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
Cry, Dead Man, cry
Nobody wants you around anymore
And when you wake up in the middle
Maybe I'll see you on the other side.

Broken light shines through faded glass
Casting shadows on the wall
Dust is dancing in the light
Finally resting on the floor

Something's dripping from my eye
The pain's so strong
That it must be blood
I'm crying

Broken dreams lay on the ground
Gathering the dancing dust
And inviting all those who want them
To steal them

Cry, Dead Man, cry
Nobody wants you around anymore
And when you wake up in the morning
Maybe I'll See you on the other side.

Broken promises and misguided truths
Disguised as Holy Scripture
None can be so blind
As he who has opened his eyes

Broken hearts need time to mend
But time has passed on by
Inside is where the pain builds
Looking for its escape

Cry, Dead Man, Cry
Nobody wants you around anymore
And when you wake up in the morning
Maybe I'll see you on the other side.

The sights light up the night
And the sounds caress my eyes
Maybe it's too late for me here
Nobody wants to see this Dead Man Cry.


Cry, Dead Man, cry
Nobody wants you around anymore
And when you wake up in the morning
Maybe I'll see you on the other side

Broken voices echo in my soul
Bringing forth my inner doubt
Screaming, or whispering, its all the same
And I can't tell them apart

Somewhere there's a cause for great concern
And no-one can see
That behind this mask
I'm crying

Broken glass reflects the dancing dust
That's been dancing in the light
And those shadows on the wall
Well, they're growing all the time.

Cry, Dead Man, cry
Nobody wants me around anymore
And maybe - if I wake up in the morning -
Just maybe, you'll try to see me on the other side?
9-7-10
578 · Sep 2010
Morning Glory
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
Morning breaks across the land
Child cries for the day at hand
Sun rises from the North
And sets onto a sea of green

A gentle kiss from a razors edge
Painfully close to the prison ledge
Jumping off into the air
Falling to the sky below

Feet firmly planted on the ground
Eyes listening to every sound
Steps heard from behind
Belong to the person up ahead

Cloudless rain falls from the sky
Drips into the blinded eye
And causes it to see the world
As it truly is.
563 · Jul 2010
Requiem of Paranoia
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Sometimes, the mountain’s just too high
Sometimes, it’s just not worth the time
And when at last you reach the top
You stop
And look around
And realize that down
Is the only way to go

And who’s the man behind the mask
Looking in through faded glass?
And when at last he sees it’s me
Only me
Alone with you
There’s nothing I can do
To keep me from breaking in

You’d like to think that I’m out of time
You’d like to think that I’ve gone blind
And when at last you cannot see
That the key
Once in your grasp
Has been taken back
Leaving madness the only means of breaking free
560 · Mar 2011
UNTITLED #16
Benjamin Banker Mar 2011
Sometimes I lay awake at night, rejected by everybody
Because I've been caught in moments of meaningless love
Taken in by strangers and shown a familiar world
That I know I will never rise above

What have I been waiting for?
Why can't I pack my things and leave?
You brought me here, and left me in denial
But this world was never meant for me

Sometimes I sit alone and worry
And drink away the night
The cards are dealt, but I've no hand to play
So I sit until I see the light

It's borderline illusion
A sleight-of-mind I've played on me
But it's merely self-amusement
I'm too much in love with your treachery
558 · Sep 2010
Of Hope and Despair
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
Whispers of undying truths
That are settling upon the sea
Are carrying with them on the waves
A thousand different cries of hope

Deep beneath the searing swells
Hidden from the untamed eye
Remnants of the future pass
With every waking sigh

A cloudless warning upon my soul
Sneaking in on moonlit skies
A voice heard above the rest
Is forever trapped in silence

A future loss of worried sounds
Opens the doorway to my soul
Casting my heart into shadow
And my mind into despair
543 · Jul 2010
UNTITLED #4
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
So, here we sit
Around a carpet bonfire
And everything we say is white noise
Nothing here matters
Or so they tell me

There’s nothing but freedom
And the changing of subjects
But the lack of understanding is mutual
And thus, friendly

Still, I think I’d rather fly away
To a place that is free
Of all pain and sorrow
A place where I can feel love
Instead of doubt at things that don’t exist
But in my mind

I snap back into this world
Of ringing phones and lost time
And similar looking people
Who don’t listen to the words
Of prophets, of sages
And of liars
Who want you to know their thoughts
And feel their mind

The nonsense creeps into my mind
I think I’d rather fly away
540 · Sep 2010
Fools in April
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
You can hear the rain tapping at your window
You can feel the spray resting on your arm
You can hear the wind, a low mournful howl
And then a bolt of lightning flashes across the sky
And thunder claps, and rambles on forever
The rain is pouring like a waterfall
The sky is getting darker
The wind is screaming
Rain turns to hail
Trees start to fly in the wind
The temperature drops
The sky turns green
The rain stops
The wind calms
A train is heard
You step outside
Ad it hits you.

*Give my best to the Tin Man.
533 · Sep 2010
For The Road
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
As the long dark clouds are pierced by the light
And as you settle in for this long, lonely night
And I begin to fade from your memory's sight
Give me one more for the road.

As the inevitable draws near
And as the minutes and days disappear
And I give in to our greatest fears
Give me one more for the road.

And let me in to your soul
Watch my feet turn to stone
Try to hold myself up against your door
Instead, collapsing onto your floor
The only thing to save me is your smile.


As you rise in the east, and I set in the west
And as I brace myself in for my long, lonely rest
And I give in to this, my final test
Give me one more for the road.

As whatever's right seems to go wrong
And as the seconds keep ticking along
And rhyme and melody fade from this song
Give me one more for the road.

So let me in, into your soul
Feel my wings turn to gold
Flying in through your door
Finally landing on your floor
One last time to see your smile.


Let's have one more for the road.
518 · Sep 2010
I Don't Mind
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
Sitting on the couch watching the tube
The screen is black
But I don’t mind
Cos I’m thinking of you

And I want to know how you are
And if you’re missing me
As much as I think that I’m missing you

You see, I’m still not sure if what we had
Is what I want it to be
But I don’t mind
Cos it’s all what it could be

I walk into the kitchen, and poor myself a drink
It’s too strong for my own tastes
But I drink it anyway

Turn the lights down, it’s half past three
I’m not ready for bed
But I don’t mind
Cos I can sleep when I’m dead

My thoughts keep going back to you
That perfect smile that let me know
I had a reason to live

Perfection fades much too fast
No matter how numb I get
But I don’t mind
Cos memories are all I have

And I don’t mind
Because my happiest memories are of you

I don’t mind
That I don’t mind
9-14-2010
503 · Jul 2010
Given Up (Point in The Sky)
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Face down in the gutter, I've been
Kicked to the curb again.
And though I swear this is the last time,
Chances are good you'll see me here tomorrow.

When will you understand that there's
Not much more I can take?
You let me fall apart, and slip away
Before you notice anything is wrong.

There's a point in the sky,
A place made just for me.
But I'll never get to enjoy it,
My Heaven I'll never see.

It's hard to believe it's almost over,
Though it's never been easy
To admit the truth
Even to myself.
And I find it a little bit funny,
Just enough to make me laugh.
What could I have been thinking
To ever think this could go on forever?

There's a point in the sky,
A place made just for me.
But I'll never get to enjoy it,
My Heaven I'll never see.

My bedroom door is cracked open,
The kitchen light is shining through.
I'm just waiting on a phone call
I'm not too sure I want.
And there's disembodied laughter
Coming from somewhere down the hall,
And it doesn't matter how hard I try,
It won't let me forget I sleep alone.

There's a point in the sky,
A star I'll never reach.
What's the point in trying,
If I never succeed?
484 · Jul 2010
UNTITLED #8
Benjamin Banker Jul 2010
Fifteen past Last Call
And the moon is shining through
Drinking my way through the clouds
Of another Judgment Day
Taking to heart the words
Of some stranger that I used to know
The moment passes as the lights come up
Only to be met
With the other drunken glares
Why should I care?
How could I not?

The street lights guide me home
A beacon for my ragged soul
All I want is one more drink
But my pockets are empty
And everywhere is closed
Sitting down on the curb
Leaning up against a No Loitering sign
The stars are so pretty
Least, the ones I can see
Why should I care?
How could I not?
448 · Sep 2010
UNTITLED #15
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
Walking through the alleyway
Trying to keep myself dry
The rain is pouring harder now
But it will soon pass me by

The creature comforts I once knew
Mean so little to me now
Looking at the people in the restaurants
Is enough to make me smile

I can’t help but stop and stare
At the people driving by
In hopes that one of them is you
They’re not, but it’s worth a try

“Excuse me,” I say to a man
Who pushes me aside
He says something I don’t hear
Cos something has caught my eye

There you are
A sight for my lonely eyes
I run up to you, arms outstretched
As you start to cry

It’s been too long, we both know
Without having to speak
You feel like you belong in my arms
And I can barely stand on my feet

We hold each other forever
But it could never be long enough
I promise you this is the last time
We will ever be apart

The tears are flowing freely
As you smile at me
“No more talking,” you say
And that’s more than enough for me
9-14-2010
440 · Sep 2010
What's Inside
Benjamin Banker Sep 2010
What I want is not out there
It doesn’t exist but in my dreams
And I spend too much time sleeping
At least, that’s the way it seems

The world outside is so cold and frightening
And I don’t want to go it alone
I just wish I had some shelter from the lightning
But I have nowhere to go

I’m just looking for some answers
And there’s only one that I could find
Truth or lies, it makes no difference,
Cos all I am is what’s inside

I read the letter that you wrote me
How you said that you were doing fine
I might have believed, if not for the picture
I swear that those are tears in your eyes

You told me not to worry
Then talked about the good ol’ days
The words were coated with regret
About the choices you had made

You said you’d like to come and see me
If only you could find the time
As it is, you’re far too busy
To deal with what’s inside

— The End —