they danced as one
under the candles and mirrors
his dark gunslingers boots perfectly matching her steps
her hair flowing in the hot air round his face
entangled in emotion and motion
enduring in passion
they danced deep into the night as one
this was joy

the day a furnace of desert sun
the street a wander path for hardy soul
he sat in thin shadow
and breathed slow thick air
watching the slice of horizon
that he could perceive
he knew that someday his brother would come
from out of the wild country south of the borders
knew his brother would come seeking revenge
for the betrayal

the gunslinger and his lover rose
were the talk of the town
how she had tamed the wild man from the southlands
how he had saved her from a life of disgrace
everybody loved them
everybody wanted to be them
modern day romeo and juilet
but romance is no suit of armor
and danger was at the door

the lawman rode all night
and camped on a hill above the town
there by his campfire looked down on his brothers happy new home
saw the light in his brothers window
and plotted his move

last call at the saloon
and the townsfolk drifted out into the darkness
by one's and two
calling out their goodnights in voices
tinged by beer and wine
the gunslinger and his beloved rose
fell to their bed embraced in love

morning slipped over the horizon
the lawman walked slowly down the hill into the town
reckoning had come
his brother would have to face the gallows
for his betrayal
calling out the gunslingers name
calling out like a voice of doom
calling his brother out to face justice

the hand speaks with pen
the eyes speak with phrase of subliminal gesture
the soul speaks with
a power that defies mere words
a million years of a
art and written word
and we have not expressed
the
finite
sum
of
human
soul

breath the solid logic
of your every day existence
see how your every step forward
is more than mere meat hitting the floor
breath the liquid nature of your mind
thoughts are malleable
but the mind can be broken
think on that kiddo
fore you drop the steel

make love to the rationalization
of your premise
you live to sense joys
but you spend your days seeking pieces of green paper
and approval of people you barley know
choose
breath
think
or stay there in the darkness

his barren field mind
a dust mote adrift in the vast ocean of
humanity's ever changing face
buoyancy of his heart can keep him afloat another day
for he is sure that as a good man
he can come to no harm
but in the haste of folly
is the seeds of what awaits him

his rough face looks out into distance
and knows no fear
or perchance just shows none
for every man has that kernel deep in his soul
that awaits him each night as he folds himself into his bed
that he dreads to
look at

i borrowed from the silence
i stole from the darkness
i leaned on the morning
and broke pieces off the sky
but sooner or later you have to pay the price
the words came harder to come by
the phrases that used to roll of my fingers
like sweet rain
now bleed like a cake of agony
eat it slow
relish each mouthful
like moms apple pie

presence
feel it
know its sad dark face
bleed with its sinister thought
so sure was i
but desire uncovers beasts inside of us
and her face may be fair
but its bitter bread
dry and harsh
diseased and barren
that one gags at you force yourself to feed on its flesh

bleed on her
as she looks up at you with trues loves gift
in her still innocent eye
touch her clean surface
taste her fresh sheets
knowing all the time inside
that from this moment it will never be the same
stolen the thing within
within the within
and you know it aint right

fourty years ago
and i could have known
did i know
was i warned
why am here

it was a nuance of the moment
that made him look to her for more
than just a fleeting release
more than some casual words meant to placate

she never asked him to build an empire
she only asked that he survive night
she had no dreams of riches
no aspirations of greed

he says to himself
to her
forgive me

far into the night
far into the depths of the soul
far into the realizations and rationalizations
that makes up a man
day to day
but distance will not restrain
the hand hand hoping to cease that fatal flaw
only reality can accomplish that
it is held hostage to the idea
that the soil of any soul
can be a home for the seeds of a future
born of such a presence
of such barren hope

its unmistakable
not just another caravan of faces
not just another passing year
under a strange sky
iv reached the edge of the world
nothing but open sea to my back
as far as the mind can see
and i'm riding a west wind on a quickness breeze
on a middle of the night skiff
to the the small island
where she waits for me
where she sleeps tonight
the bold song gone soft an slow
the guarded smile relaxed into a champion of joy
and conquers all her sadness
with a single tilt at the windmills
like a knight in shining armor

nothing but deep sea
nothing but night salt and sea

and as i draw near
she sings from her soul to mine
come to me lover
laugh
yes cry out loud with all your joys
laugh pure and easy
i'm the mood for you boy
i'm in the mood for your hand in mine
dance in my heart
its a warm night in the tropics
and we got the world to ourselfs
so may i have this dance
spin
dip

ballroom of sand
laugh with me
run with me
we are free
all our lives people have tried to put us away
keep us down
now look at
dancing in the stars
look at us free and easy
dance with me baby
make love with me honey
on this ballroom of sand
laugh pure and true
with simple joy
here by salt and sea
be young with me

tonight on this ballroom of sand
come home to me
warm me with your touch
comfort me with your eyes
iv waited so long come home to me

nothing but open sea at my back
and i feel so alive
i feel so free
and my lover is near iv never been so alive
running a western quickness breeze
on a skiff heading home
to her
jezebel