It started out as an innocent fall.
A folly to solve something inside.
It burned me.
It hurt me.
Now I die when I’m awake.
Feels like my livelihood’s at stake.
How can I be a man
When the mirror brings me down, jeering…

Don’t fight it,
Learn to love it.
I saved you,
I built you.
I raised you

You try to save the day for yourself.
You try to hide the pain for your health.

Now to the mirror with the reprobate frame of mind,
I hold the hammer that shatters you and your kind.
I won’t hide,
But I will cry
If that’s what takes me home.
You won’t win,
I’m up again.
Broken shards to atone.

And so we go.
Travelers two
Upon a long slick road,
Salted for safety.
The moon in the lagoon laughs at us,
Laughs with us.
Such a sweet giggle.
A laugh not heard before,
Too innocent to ignore.
It’s victorious.
Because the sword has won,
And the monster is done.
The scenery fits,
Melting away revealing a new day,
Unveiling miles upon miles of decadence.
Yes.
This, my sweet, is how we know,
We are finally going home.

Perfectly imperfect
I’m that kind of man
Happily unhappy
That’s how I stand
Chaotically peaceful
That’s my jam
Jovial anger
Is that what I am?
Obedient resistance
It’s time for a renaissance

Come, Lover
Sing me a song
Of how you escaped the ***** throng
Release the haze
Of memories erased

They will one way or another
Patiently impulsively appear
So release them to a flavor dear
Into me
Come, Lover
Sing me a song

They will one way or another
Deceptively appear
Like bugs on a windshield
Unseen until splattered across your vision
So let me see
Let me focus
Come, lover
Sing me a song

There’s no choir here
No piano to steer
The symphony
Into harmony
Devoid of melody
For the solo is yours
And yours alone

So come, Lover
Sing me a song
And be lifted above your weighted wrongs

The cleansing
The clean clear cleansing
It’s necessary
The heavy of the day is gone
Pushed down by soft swift hands
The breath is warm and inviting
Such sweet warm encompassing breath
This breath kisses the glass gently
And it kisses me
And I’m covered
And then
And only then I know
I am clean
And I am free

Some grow old,
Some die young.
Some favor the moon,
To the warmth of the sun.
Few live it through,
To cold temperatures.
But all can burn,
All can burn.

I said I’d return
Some time ago
Anticipating it was true
But broken matter surrounded me

Now it’s tantalizing heartbreak
Followed by whispers in the night
It’s like I lied
And I stole from you

Now I’m lost
I’m sorry I’m such a lost cause
I’m sorry I made you tremble

But the tantalizing heartbreak told me

That I forgot you tonight
Please stay so near
I’m crying and weeping inside
Don’t placate my fears
Nothing matters
Can’t you see
I don’t care

Tantalizing heartbreak
Teaching me whispers and lies
I did lie
And I stole from you

I’m so lost
I’m sorry I’m such a lost cause
I’m sorry I made you tremble

But the tantalizing heartbreak told me

I forgot you tonight
You’re not safe here
You’re crying and weeping inside
I placated your fears
Everything matters to me
Can’t you see
I still care

The tantalizing heartbreak
Lied

There you go again
Sleeping
Or pretending
I don’t care which
All I know is the hardship in tow
How dare you
You shattered down broken soul

Here you go again
Smiling
Just conniving
I hope you get yours
All I see is a chance to be seen
How dare you
You shattered down broken soul

Here we go again
Lying
And abiding
To each other we cry
But I know what you refuse to show
How dare you
You shattered down broken soul

Shattered down
Broken soul
Built me up
And made me whole
Took my place
Stole the show
I will never know
How will I ever be whole

Gasp!
A choke upon my own garbled breath
Am I a real man now?
Or am I just dead?
A look around
A brief pat down
I survived it
I lived it
I did it
I was it
I still am

Wheeze!
A choke upon my own weakened stance
Am I losing now?
Or just dreaming in bed?
A nasty dream
Pulled apart at the seams
I crave it
I’m late for it
I parade it
I did it
I was it
I still am

Cough!
A choke upon my own stifled laugh
Am I peaceful now?
Or still in the blood bath?
I wipe my brow
I’m better for now
I escaped it
I believed it
I couldn’t **** for it
I ran from it
I did it
I was it
I still am

And if you’re not careful
Soon you will be too

If the beat of the drum
Is the rolling thunder,
And the lull of the flute
Is cheap defense,
How does the music keep me
Asleep inside?
Perhaps the conductor
Is a wicked protector.
And the orchestra summons
The wayward ******.
So look me in the eye
And sing the songs.
My own civil war was right all along.
Because only on the inside,
War is song.

Splash
What’s that?
Splash
How’s that,
Splash
Possible?
Splash
Plausible?
Splash
Splash
Downpour.
­It rains here,
Yet the sky is clear,
And the ground is dry.
No spots in the sky.
Yet it rains...
It rains.
It rains.
Red
Black
Thick
Red
No...
It’s blood
And I feel
Drained
It’s my blood
Falling from the sky
Coming from a monster
Previously slain
Yet like this ground,
I feel so dry.
Run
I run
I run faster
And faster
He’s behind me
He’s gaining
He’s in front of me
And he says
Smile.
Flash
The ground is gone
I fall down, down, down
And upon my head
Appears a crown
With the inscription
“Little Reprobate”
He flies above me
He says Hi.
Tells me to smile
And I fall
There are shackles on my feet,
Pulling me into the sea.
Shards of silver,
With broken glass,
Litter the sea floor.
Stop.
He swims like a shark
Stop!
He reminds me,
In the cold I’m coming for you.
STOP
I should have known
There’s no peace in the pond
STOP!
The broken glass glues as one
It forms a door,
To another shore,
With a doorbell
DING ****!
DING ****!
DING ****!
I ring frantically
He opens the door and says
Die.
I SAID STOP!
You little fool.
Flash
I’m back,
I’m home
In this prison of innocence known.
Here he has no Red Throne.
For I’ve seen with my own eyes,
Dark places are my reprise.

Burning glory,
Of such I’ve never seen.
Warmth,
Of which I’ve only dreamed.
Such light,
To shine upon the sins.
Thick smoke,
To choke the loss to win.
Who wins?
They win.
White ash,
To remind of your decay.

Crows fly,
Their carrion play.
They clap,
A murderous parade.
They bleed,
Yet they don’t so who’s to say?
I say,
You say.
Who wins?
They win.
A pause.

The next day is still.
Marrow,
***** upon the hill.
Who knows,
What happened on that day?
The monument,
To remind the price to pay.
We’ll pay.
They’ll pay.
I say,
You say.
Who wins?
They win.
They always win.

Why do you hate me
Only to hurt me
You’re incapable of painful feelings
You need to love me
You need to need me
Convince yourself that I’m the love you seek
You shouldn’t see me
You shouldn’t know me
Like the earth you quake as you’re shifting
You need to want me
You need to need me

Because

Your broken soul
Has become infested
Don’t force your way close to me
Just because you’re
Socially rejected

No?
Yeah.

You’ll never hear me
You’ll never steer me
You parasite
Without me, you’re nothing
But you’ll never forget me
And you’ll always regret me
For I’ve become a better you

But I must say
Petty looks good on you
Why don’t you make it rain
Since you think you’re so cute

I wish to tell you off
To tell your tainted truth
But I ain’t got the time
To waste my voice on you

When it rains,
It pours.
Cascading down,
I guess I’ll go home,
And stay there,
To hide.
Forget about my prior notion.

Blank
Dark
Path
Silence
Where am I?
What is this box?
It’s black
Black as pitch
Yet with a mounting sense of dread
I can tell its true color is red
Red like Him
Help me
Somebody help me
Please

Yesterday you took the morsel not for you
Only now do you see your mistake
Underneath lies years to recall your fears

Blank
Dark
Path
Can I be forgiven?
When by sin I am smitten?
The Red Man
On his Red Throne
Laughs and scoffs
Taking no pity for me in this box

Listen close, my son, and know
Indeed there is one true way home
Take the sins left in your wake
Take the faults you try to forsake
Lift them high above your head
Enable your soul to no longer be dead

Blank
Dark
What’s that sound?
The box is closing in
The Red Man’s wicked grin
Frightens me to know
This box is mine and mine alone

Flee this place and never look back
Only a deep few have realized their lack
On this my voice you’ll be free of this place
Learn your lesson or stay in Red Space

Blank
The Red Man’s vile smile
His face inches above mine
In this box
I can’t move
I can’t cry
But I do

Silence
The silence is broken
By my woeful wails
Forgive me, my family
I deserve this Red Jail

Path
I can see it
The path’s been made clear
The Red Man has lost
I’ve beat him this year

Dark
The box shines
The Red throne turns to glass
The darkness is gone
The Red Man is last

Blank
Blank
Blink…

… I’m free
The box is no more
The Red Man unseen
On this luminous path
I travel along
There’s room for me now
So I travel in song

Or maybe the current can take me away.
For upon this stiff plane,
I don’t know where I’ll stay.
The path is familiar,
Yet still it is long.
A recluse come true.
A lonely man’s song.
The trees aren’t foreboding,
They welcome me home.
This is the real peace that I’ve longed to know.

Here I sit
Upon this old rustic wood
Gazing upon her untouched shore
Her wind softly kisses me
And caresses my back
Her tears fall as cracked brown spotted leaves
Making way for fresh green feelings in spring
It’s quiet here
With just her and I
Nobody says a word
Yet I can hear her contently sigh
She greets me with her shiny bright eye
And whispers
Welcome home

I guess I’ll follow you
I guess your way’s what’s true now
I guess this means goodbye
To my old life
Shades of grey swallow me
Every single day
Please show me how
To make sure
That I can be ok

Wake up to find it’s gone
It’s gone for good
The old way is gone
It’s a new neighborhood

Nothing’s quite the same
Same old rules
New twisted game
No feelings save for hate
No love to contemplate

I’m blind without what I need
Without it I’m all alone
I don’t feel safe
Can I learn to call you home?

Gone,
Gone the man who came before,
Who knew to stay safe on the shore.
He went too deep into the surf,
And drifted away,
And now he’s hurt.

Gone,
Gone the creature who used to sing
Songs in the dark to a shadow bell’s ring.
Its melody’s gone sweetly stale.
Cold as night’s wind,
A truly sad tale.

Gone,
Gone the one who was the greatest.
The one who was saved by this the latest.
The latest of thieves to steal from the wrong.
But now they’re all gone.
Where have they gone?

Gone,
Gone the man who became the greatest creature.
Saved by thief’s song at the shore as a feature.
He knew what he was doing,
But he was wrong.
Now he’s all gone.

You don’t belong here.
You weren’t invited.
But others came dear,
They were delighted.
I am Death.
Come and taste me.
Just one swift bite,
Bleak paradise you will see.
Feel the taste of dark.
Feel tortured peace.
A demon fair,
With snow white hair.
Can lead you from this life.
I’ll feel your blissful strife.
Come closer to me,
I’ll be your star in this night.

Here of late I’ve been an irresponsible mister,
Bogged down by the endless voices of life.
Though for them I try to smile,
I sometimes sigh.
I can’t go unless I let you all know...
Can you hear me?
Here of late I’ve been the Hit-And-Misser.
But I can’t...
I won’t...
I won’t let you see.
Yet still I go.
I’m afraid of the cruel mistress of life.
Can you hear me?
But I can’t reveal my pain,
Lest you see that you’re my bane.
You’ll be burned by what you see.
So behind the thickest smile I hide.
Father, try to understand me.
Mother, don’t weep for me.
I’m trying to hold,
I’m trying to hold close.
The hearth of treasure I’ve known.
Sister, move on without me.
Brother, don’t forget me.
I’m crying for your help.

Just to last to a brand-new sunrise
That’s all I ask of me
Just to last to another sunrise
Find out what victory means

Just to last to another sunrise
That’s all I ask of me
Just to gain a stop on this great ride
Towards the victory I seek

I need to last until sunrise
I need the sun to see
That I’m more than my nightly low cries
No more will they define me

I’m fighting for my sunrise
For my last chance to see
A life beyond this shadow
A smile just for me

Just to last to another sunrise
Just to say without forced luck
Good morning, Peaceful Sunrise
Good night, Tearful Dusk

Goodnight, Mister Sun.
Goodnight, Long Day.
Gone, bye.
I wish that I could try that hard.
Good morning, Night.
Good morning, Midnight Cry.
I wish that I could salve my scars.

God day, Morning Haze.
Good day, Familiar
Fog Bank.
I wish that I could someday fight.
Good morning, Light.
Good morning, Daylight’s Shine.
I wish that I could try.

In the dark of the night,
The secrets crawl
Out from their tombs.
Born into fright,
My heart calls
For the soul’s survival.
I want to tell you
It’s too dark at night.

Cast me down,
O cursed heart.
Can’t you see I’m late to start?
Please depart,
For even a soul with holes is whole.

Cast me down,
O wayward soul.
Falling is high and rising is low.
Don’t show,
For even a mind of lies is kind.

Cast me down,
O subtle mind.
Disprove my wings so I’ll never fly.
How divine,
For even a man who stands expands.

Cast me down,
O wicked man.
O wicked ***** cruel man.
This is the end of our earth,
But our fight finds new hearth.
So cast me down,
And take the crown,
I’ll get you next time.

Excuse me, Good sir
Excuse me, Kind Lady
But a piece of me is gone
Have you seen it lately?
I can't describe shape
Nor for
Nor feel
Without it I'm lost
No steering
No wheel
Perhaps you have it some
Though not quite like mine
Everyone has it
To avoid dark decline
The darkness is friendly
Now that I've lost it
I don't like it
Yet I do
Bittersweet like dark chocolate
But wait
There it goes
How it's flown so far
To catch up to it
I must collapse like a star
I guess then they'll see
I guess then they'll know
What happens when you lose
The untouched part of your soul

Come
Come one
Come all
Gather 'round and gather here
Listen close and settle near
For on this day
Authority is interrupted

I've come as close as any man
Can get
To stealing his own shadow
What?
Divine throwback
A crime so small
It's never shed

Come
Come far
Come wide
Sit on grounds of moss and stone
Observe sinful musings to atone
For on this night
I disrupt authority

I've gone as far as any man
Can go
To shatter down my broken soul
What?
Opaque treasure
A ruse so slick
it's never seen

Come
Go
Be broken
Be whole

Who died and made me king?
Who burns my Icarus wings?
I can't afford such dreams.
They take,
They steal,
They seek.
Well, I'm no king.
Specifically, not your king.
But I dare to dream.
And I strive to sing.
Through wingless flight
I gain my stride
At altitudes high,
As the shackles start to sink.
I'm no king.
I'm no king.
But still, I dare to dream.
I need those things

But shackles under my feet
Pull me into the sea.
The world's most genuine kick-starter.
Unfathomable dreams,
I don't know what they mean.
Perhaps this sea's just shallow water to conquer.

The sun begins to rise,
Shining regret on a grown man's cries.
He knows he's irresponsible.
He wraps around the pole of knowledge-all.
There's a child who says
"I tried".
Regret on one shoulder,
Regret on the other.
A new day to bear new lies.
The ledge looks ever so tempting...

I AM the river that roars
And razes lost souls
I am hard
Cold as arctic ice
Yet free running liquid
I will teach you

To live for yourself is free
Others need not impede

I AM the sound that rings and screams
And sears your ears
But your screams are silenced
By my vicious jeers
I will teach you

Live with fruitful abandon
Bury those who disgagree

I am the darkest most vile maw
My breath fresh
My teeth unseen
I will teach you
I will disappoint you
And then, I'll smile

I know your soul
Worst and best
I am vengeance
Stray, and you're next

Return to the river that roars
And razes ravaged lives
And remember:
Your mistakes will find you
And history defines you
So hey, hey, Little Reprobate
Say "hi"
To your fate
The one you built inside.
Take watch
A chalice of broken glass
Falls dry as the story unfolds

Ask yourself
Can you change the world?
Can you make its heart bleed?
Are you capable of storming its tallest of mighty towers?
Can you ring its shrillest of bells?
Ask yourself
Can you rule the world?
In the absence of a blood king by right,
Can you take charge?
Can you create the Empire of Necessity?
Tell yourself
No one died and made you king
No one sheds your mighty wings
But still
Someone can find them true
In the realm this side of blue
Tell yourself
You’ll do just fine
You’ll be ok
Just give your best shine
Ask yourself
Then tell me
When you can be
Finally free

I am locked in a Prison of Innocence.
The warden is kind,
The guards are stern.
The cell of stale straw candy.
My own home to yearn.

Stuck in the Lost Town of Resonance,
My feet are scarred and bare.
The shackles are soft.
But they burn if I stare.
I may never see the privileged loft.

How I got here is a story too long.
My crimes and my sins
Born from lonely heart song.
You know it.
We all sing it in the dark.

I am locked in the Prison of Innocence.
it shouldn't have gone this far.
Though imprisoned, I know they love me.
They'll tearfully let me leave.
This prison is all of ours.

If a wish would come right now,
And I lost all the head weight,
And Father Time himself sat still,
I'd have time to contemplate.
And all the lights in my world
Would shine a luminous blue.
So take this to the cold:
I am coming for you.

Shards of silver,
Broken glass.
Here I am.
Once again, I hurt myself,
and red I bleed.
I'm a lonesome man.
Here I am.

Shards of silver,
From tainted hands.
Once again, I turn away,
so I can't see.
Red I bleed.
I can't see.
I'm a wholesome man.
Here I am.

Shards of silver,
Broken glass.
Here I am.
I won't let you
see the real me
Red I bleed.
I'm a broken man.
Here I am.

I won't let you
understand me.
I can't see.
Red I bleed.
I can't see.

Shards of silver,
From tainted hands.
Here I am.
Red I bleed.
Here I am.
I can't see.
Here I am.
help me
Here I am
red