My path to happiness is spiraling
Spiraling down the drain
Locked up in the closet
Waiting to hear my name

I wait and wait
Sitting beside myself
Alone and yet together
With my declining health

There’s someone coming to save me
To open up the closet door
I hope, and hope, and hope
And then I hope some more

But there is no one that’s coming
I know what there is in store
I must face all of my demons
And nothing can come before

Not until I realize
Exactly who it is I’m doing it for
Until I break the chains that hold me down
Can I spread my wings and soar

What do you see when you're looking back at me?
A smile so personified
You're unaware you've been deceived

But if you look deep into my eyes
You'll catch a cloudy undertone
A sadness that you'd never guess
Is mixed with the grandest rage you'll ever know

The mask we wear acts as a filter
To shield others from the truth
But the most jovial of my days
Were lost way back in my youth

The smile, a reminder
Of days from long ago
No longer any relevance
****** into the undertow

Inside the belly of a whale
My life ended, as a meal?!
Let's take a look back on it now
And all that it entailed

To quote the great Captain Ahab
"Thar she blow"!
Or the Doors' Jim Morrison, who said "This is the strangest life I've ever known"

To send away the demons
You must cast the first stone
But be sure to have a witness
Never try it while alone

This ensures your safety
Keep your distance from the scene
Maybe you'll wake tomorrow
And it will all have been a dream

Be sure to check all of your limbs
Try remaining in one whole piece
Compelling as this may seem
Still no need to call a priest

Nor the admiral of the Navy
Or our commander in chief
They'd just as soon have you locked away
Right after they've been briefed

Thrown inside the dungeon
Tossing away the keys
Oh, you'll have your day in court
With a story that not a soul believes

Instead just hold your head down
Walk away, sight unseen
Accept it as a learning tool
Claim you were only being green

The curiosity of a cat
Landed you inside the belly of the beast
And if you hadn't thought quickly on your feet
You'd have been a savory feast

However unbelievable
This somehow is the truth
Not just another fairytale
But be sure to have some proof

Something from your journey
Something visible and real
Unfold it like an onion
Shed a tear with every peel

Help to remove every layer
Until you reach its core
No more self discovery
For you to explore

Just misguided youth
Pent up energy in spades
Clear of all transgressions
That caused you to disengage

Fall back on your laurels
Wash away the mange
Look over the horizon
Start fresh and turn the page

Reread every chapter
With the knowledge you now hold
Except this time around
Try doing what you're told

You'll be shocked by what you see
No more cloudy haze
No more hiding behind masks
Only clarity for days.

Like a boat
I thirst
Parched in life
Since birth
Mouths gone dry
Under cloudless skies
So barren I could burst
Brittle like the earth
End scene in the play of life
Where nothings been rehearsed

Trivial

Trivial

Nothings unexplained

So many times I’ve asked how?
Before I realized there’s a way.

So many times when people, have left me in dismay.

Overcoming fear; being unafraid

All of those unhappy, until they made a change

No longer getting hurt, when we stopped to ease the pain

No longer getting wet, when we step out of the rain

Overcoming obstacles; getting out of our own way

Not putting off tomorrow, what you can do today

Giving others credit, without throwing any shade

Taken from the wild, in order to be tamed

Building up the courage, to set aside the shame

Content with who you are,
Instead for seeking out false fame

All can be explained

All can be explained

‪Buildings, count them, one by one ‬
‪Down the narrow streets ‬
‪A vast array of colors ‬
‪On the façade of the concrete ‬

‪Independent structures ‬
‪A motley of abodes ‬
‪Close to one another ‬
‪But decently exposed ‬

‪All the roofs and windows ‬
‪All the chimneys and the doors‬
‪All built by men in dungarees ‬
‪Like the men who came before

Just a moment of silence please
No point in looking back
Prayers for all our fallen men
For their-heroic acts

Dreams were lost in battle
Fathers, brothers, sons
How are we to carry on
With no more smoking guns?

There’s simplicity in chaos
Our bodies still feel numb
Underneath the battle scars
Are layers tightly spun

What act of valor did our soldiers learn?
Watching men die never to return
Life goes on, until it burns
Wasting time, no great concern.

They’re still fighting far from home
Into the abyss of the unknown
Caught up in a spiderweb
Made from flesh and bone

We owe a debt of gratitude
While our way of life remains
A safety measure as it were
And all that it contains

Stand up tall and salute
To the flag we share with pride
While nations all around us fall
How many more must die?

Wars are fought but never won
That’s why we must carry on
We pray for peace under the sun
Embracing all that we’ve become

Our voice and thoughts burn in our brains
There’s still hope which we now contain
Nothing comes without change
A life of peace, that still remains