I'm not in pain
Because strength can only be distracted
It is only life that I must be
The good and the bad
Without blood my body would be cold
Without bleeding I wouldn't know I was alive
It stopped when I needed it to
I'm only human anyway

I'm not in pain
Because sorrow is where dignity comes alive
It is only sad that I must be
The feeling that I loved someone
It is so natural to me now
Without your memory I would be alone
Without a past I would not know who I am
It stops only when I die
I'm only human anyway

I'm not in pain
Because walking the streets told me so
It is only empathetic that I must be
I can see you now
Because I heard you speak about hunger
Without you I would laugh too much
Without you I would not know pain
It stops when I close my eyes
I'm only human anyway

We can’t imagine that you’re gone
Even though it’s true
There is so much of us you left behind
The part that loves you
We didn’t want to see your tombstone
Because then we would know
We want to believe you’re part of this world
It needs your seeds to grow
You showed us a way to live freely
With love and strength
You were pollen and bees in the wind
A garden of depth and length
Your light was warm and inspiring
A symphony day or night
Flowers and tides drawn to celestial bodies
Music swaying in our sight
We walk the streets you once shadowed
With lightness and humility
You never once assumed your worth
Now we cry for your dignity
We hope you can our veiled minds
We live in mourning
But yes we will laugh once again
That was your calling
Not to make light of the horror of life
For still you wept alone
But instead to light the human spirit
For a world we can call home

It’s become greater than I am
I’ve loved you for ten years
And I’ve not seen you in three
Or however far away time must be

It could be a shadow or cold sand
Dark or comforting without a sound
Lightly reminding me of what I cannot see
Still I wear eyes that want to believe

What I used to say is nothing anymore
I was a baby then and I’m a man now
You heard what I said and hung it on a wall
Take it down baby
Take it down
Take it down
I can't look at it anymore

I'm about to make you feel nervous
Maybe it's easy for you to tell me the truth
But only if it's goodbye to set yourself free
I wonder if you could ever say you still love me

What I used to say is nothing anymore
I was a baby then and I’m a man now
You heard what I said and hung it on a wall
Take it down baby
Take it down
Take it down
I'm not like that anymore

Where have all the moments gone
I think I spent them all on you
Come back find a way to begin
Fit your way in between
Rising and setting suns
Day and night
And the reasons that made it end

It’s the constant motion
You won’t sit still
You always painted a mood
But my eyes could no longer follow
Now there is no time to pause
No time to reflect
Like normal people should

Should we instead chase being ordinary
Being fulfilled is not always equal
We can find it in music anyway
There is too much pressure
Yes, too much pressure
To ride white horses
And wear red lingerie

Today wasn't fast enough
The last bus hasn't left yet
You're waving down strangers
The one who stopped said
Tomorrow is all I can spare

It's not human anymore
Deciding now or never
Time is not in charge
Waiting is not for you
So I'm gonna say I don't care

It's so easy to make trash
We do it all the time
I didn't think of myself like that
But you reminded me again
Without you I was never there

He was everything you want
Naked sincerity
Raw honesty
The vulnerability of a baby bird in its nest
And it unnerved you
There must be something wrong
That's what you thought
But you never loved an artist before
And it made you realize
You aren't ready for what you want

so many words uttered
laying on the sidewalk
surrounded by chalk
drawn by children
who once were adults

how many times asked
"will you spend the night?"

that’s how we try to survive
but if you say no
i will ask again tomorrow

nothing personal
then why did it affect me?
it’s all personal
but you didn’t consider that
because it was personal for you
and I’m outside the loop

i wonder if anything can be told empathetically

everybody has their perspective
it’s personal
they believe their story is untold
so how can i tell it for them?

stop holding me back
stop trying to change me
we are two people
why does it mean so much to you
it’s not love that makes you do that
it’s something else
but it’s not me

i wonder if everyone thinks so much
it seems to me they don’t
i’m thinking about them and myself
i watch what they should be doing
how they are interacting
but i realize they are not interacting
they are taking
they have no patience
they will risk everyone’s life to turn left

i wonder what is so important about turning left

there needs to be some sort of resolution
but the loudest among us are too angry to compromise
they just are
and they will follow anyone who agrees with them
even the most flawed person on the planet

as long as he is angrier than them

where did America go?
or in the alternative
has it been born yet?

a parent has high hopes
as do signed documents

but who is raising the baby?
where are its parents?
what example will it follow?
who remembers the high hopes?

i do

life liberty and the pursuit of happiness

all men are created equal

we once held these truths to be self-evident
so why are we killing each other to prove them?
what is the conflict about?

a woman who covers her head
in church while she moistens her finger on a sponge
or on a plane while a man screams at her?

freedom
to die for
not to shackle

freedom
we honor
not ridicule
but if you must
it is your choice

freedom
to live
not to control

freedom
and justice
for all

for all
and everything
is who we are

so why do you want me to be like you?
why are you afraid of me?
i don't want to be like you
i just want to let you be like you
please
let me be like me

let us have a baby together

we can call it

AMERICA

Whatever you think my eyes say
It could only be true
They can never lie
Not to life
Not to you

Tears that rage
Are not how I see the color blue
But whatever softens my sight
Could never be me
It could only be you

I don’t know what I’ve become
I’m living in the middle of a river without a name
If I choose I do not have to recognize anyone
I feel like no nation under God
Or no church under God
But God knows he is not the one I blame

Growing old doesn’t make it easier
I know too much to work for that man over there
Farming my mind in a one-piece rainbow jumper
Walking among those who actually do
Ashamed of my fearful dignity
The money I made killed the flowers in my hair

She was a metaphor trying to take the blame
I took it literally but she thanked me anyway
Sincerity emptied my pockets
Pretension laughed at my convention
I never knew anything about that
But my thoughts treat my demons the right way

I know you and you think I don’t
But what finally struck my heart was your aim
I watched while you let yourself go
It was the only way to know
I decided you meant everything
For a moment someone wasn’t playing a game

I didn’t find your feelings on the corner
I know you gave everything
But real life doesn’t begin until it’s over

You felt sand castles all around you
The tower you wanted fell
It was something that could only be true

I wanted to go where they write no letters
Who would live like that
Crying out is so much more better

You painted your body with my memory
Everyone can read what I did
I thought it meant you still wanted me

I’m not going to live only on your skin
But what my heart knows
Is love will never forget where it’s been

I never knew the word please until tonight
Now I’m ready to say it
I decided that only desperation is light

beyond your heart
where you are no longer yourself
where everything you’ve felt
no longer has a memory

beyond your past
where you are someone new
where everything you did
no longer matters

beyond your future
where you will not have to dream
where every worry
no longer lives

beyond your fears
where you have become so strong
where thoughts of loving me
no longer make you afraid

There was so much between us
And we came together
But the path was not the same
No matter our pleasure
I told you how I felt about it
My meaning is plain
Why should we not love each other
Even if it is in vain?
I could never hate you my love
No matter how far
For life is only what we can bear
That is who we are
It is time for you to think about us
And what it is that I said
Can we love what we once loved
In a heart left for dead?

But first
I consulted Kings lying beneath a sword
Uneasy at high noon!
By what duty
did they rule, benevolence or fear
Weakness or strength!
Did he view
his kingdom from a moving window
Square it away!
Or did they
walk by in quiet fealty as in looking at a lion
King of the forest!
The single despot
once held by all in stormy contempt
Commit them all to the deep!
The power vested
in the crown though this was their glory
Long live the King!
He thought
of a Republic but could not agree
Freedom Freedom!
Each man a King
as if he himself had grown additional limbs
We the people!
But could any man
born in idealist fervor remain as such
The invisible hand!
The merest taste
of an apple would remove his conscience
The lusting snake!
How tenuous
it would be to honor temptation so easily
Save me Lord!
And with so many
is sin best served in the heart of one man?
For I am Solomon!
Leaving behind
his favorite toy was when the moment arrived
A man haunted!
He resisted flight
though he was promised eternal life
An heirs lives forever!
The memory
of his name was all that was required
His name was his fathers!
More detective
than ruler he mastered prophecy
A spy in their midst!
He preferred
the absence of a single guiding principle
Except for his own amibiton!
For there was
none that another man would not dispute
The division gives purpose!
He knew freedom
resided in the illusion of belief in the absurd
A big lie is better than small!
Or in the
belief that the cross meant him no harm
We have lived in hell already!
For he was Caesar
and what was his was his as commanded
He received the blessing!
The thin thread
of discord were yellow black and white
And so began man’s discontent!
The braid
created more questions than answers
Borders of sand!
It was to be
richer poorer and everything in between
What do I care!
Social relationships
that accepted neither dominance or submission
Anarchy!
Social relationships
that demanded status and subservience
Royalty!
He believed
opulence fostered his acceptance by the people
The splendor!
For all his riches
so much remained for the common man
Incentive and reward!
It was the hope
of holes dug and steel forged by ideas
Entrepreneurs and prospectors!
His protection
was that no man could hoard their life
They were free!
But most of all
the trust he lacked was the same as theirs
The sword falls on every man!
The uneasy alliance,
two to collude or millions for a revolution
Trust or madness!
The first shot
is the hardest and their glory weighed upon them
Into the breach!
Mistrust of one another
was the first creation of law and order
No man is without sin!
For though anarchy
is the absence of power it is fear that crowns
Fear of each other!
The more layers
of gold upon his throne the more pronounced his mercies
The glory of a pardon!
Speech upon speech
to protect to feed to represent before God
I will be your savior!
For it was
their awe of him that made him King
They were peasants!
Who would speak
such as this except a man with enough belief
It was his gift!
And belief
was all that was required because of their doubt
Sincerity greater than truth!
Their awe
knew of nothing that a noble could conceive
For they believed!
It was the presence
of wonder as to what he was thinking
The stared at his face!
All that would
be required was to believe in his decisions
He was descended from the Gods!
For they knew
there was nothing they could do except beg
He would feed them!
And though they
hated him their fears drew relief from him
He was assurance!
He thought it best
to treat them like animals in the forest
To tame lions!
For nature harbors
no ego no memory no remorse no pride
Man’s dominion!
Only survival instincts
which he destroyed by providing for all
Their content was bought!
But where he
was wrong was that men were not animals
No they are Gods!
Providing for all
does not dig up seeds before they germinate
The will build towers to God!
For that is only
the thought of men in a tower who believe
Detachment and delusion!
And though
they knew they were the wisest of them all
For who else knew of these things!
He knew that
they failed because they were not animals
They had minds!
No, they were not
instead they were a garden full of hubris
The ego!
And to care
so much while wearing a crown is a lie
Survival is all that matters!
For the crown
only lives as long as a noble is pacified
Give them title!
And a noble
lives only as long as a poor man is pacified
Give them bread!
But a poor man
will not be pacified by eating cake or beans
Give me more!
He will not die
because it is his destiny to be so unfortunate
I am a man!
No, he will not
so what King would rule knowing any of this
The King is dead!
For it has all
been tried before, caring too much
Only for himself!
Caring so much
that freedom must be taken away for equality
Mindless egalitarianism!
Caring so much
that what a man may conceive is a threat to the crown
There greatest threat is knowledge!
Caring so much
that a possession must be taken for the good of all
For all possession is wealth!
But who decides
and who gives and who receives and who doesn't
Only the King!
Yes, it has all been tried
before and the King had no answer for him
That is why he is dead!
He knew all
of this and that is why he does not want to be King
That is why he is dead!
He does not
want to be King but there will always be someone
Wealth is his possession!
And that
is what we have now, someone not something
Save us from the evil doers!
For something
is a guiding light, a principle which we all know
Save us from the evil doers!
But someone
is nothing except what we believe them to be
They must believe in someone!
And our belief
is what someone must germinate in our garden
A lamb rise if you believe!

let it make you happy
like a dead head
because you're pretty today
it's your song
somebody said thank you
they were glad to see you
you had a good time
it's ok
clear your mind
you have to do it for yourself
the world wants you to be angry
you can't hide from it
but the feeling is the chance
when it is upon you
take it
paint your face if you have to
look in the mirror
laugh about it
you feel like an out of tune guitar
but still you make music
that's how it works
a moment
you can't paint
but you made a line
and crossed it twice
then smeared it
red and yellow
just like your painted face
look at it
and laugh
let it make you happy
that's what just happened

Who weeps for their children other than the poor
while we watch and blame them for wanting more
while they raise a glass of tears they drank from before

Who lives in the world we try desperately to hide
where death lurks within the time it must bide
where oceans of fear roll striking before the tide

Who entered your heart without invitation
to cultivate their own garden in soil so foreign
to share in its fruit before the dawn of emotion

Who would know of a God the world does ignore
in darkness where plans are made to make war
in darkness with broken promises they once swore

I know what's inside of you
It's everything you showed me
You painted the walls black
But how many rooms are left?

The doors are closed
You're not sure what's in there
I wonder if it can be that way again
Or if you think I don't deserve you

I know how to make you live
I know how to take you there
You won't let me without a promise
It's become more important than me

I broke your heart once
Now you're breaking mine
I want to see if we can lose ourselves
Can we meet again for the first time?

Listen to the song of long ago
It feels the same my love
There is no need to wonder
I hear it if only you could too

He said,
“What is it like not to be afraid to die”
I didn’t know
I am afraid to die
If I would so choose
It would be for love

It’s a war

The order,
“Take that ******* hill”
It was an order
An order to die
Who would I obey
My fears?
Jesus?
My country?

I wondered,
“Who is not afraid to die?”
Is it a rational man?
A crazy man?
A man overcome with grief?
A man overcome with love?

But they were real
Not mythological creatures
******
Loving
Violent
Men

How could a seed emerge in a field  such as this?
How could the sun bear to watch?
How could God sleep?

We are candles
The flame is so weak
But glorious
The wax
Deep
But how deep?
The wick
Threaded by someone else
But how long
So many ways to fail
The wind
The depth
The length

I pray to you now

The leaves I placed in the ocean
Will  they come back or float away

I pray to you now

The rock I skipped across the water
How many  times will it skip before it sinks

I pray to you now

The face of a man consumed by  duty
He will never tell me what I  want to hear

Take that ******* hill

Tell me what you saw from the front row
That was the problem
I was on the stage and didn’t ask you to join me
I was on top
You were on the bottom

Tell me how it looks from inside your eyes
Was I real to you
I didn’t feel that way very often
It was all an act
That much was true

Tell me if I’ve left the room empty enough
I may have left you a chair
I never did ask what you want me to do
It’s easier to pretend
It’s easier not to be there

Tell me about the reason you can’t hear me
I know you already said why
I just remembered the night you didn’t care
I said hello
You said goodbye

there i was far enough along
help me up it’s just my hand
i’ll keep the life you take the trip
where we go from here
that’s not for me to say

i was lent in your belly button
how i got there surprised you
don’t scrape me away yet
i want to hear your insides purr

how did i warn myself about you
i didn’t except to say it’s time

i’m a question inside you
friend or lover it’s so close
i couldn’t take it last week
now i’m back again but still
living like last week’s love affair

the deepest blue is where we left it
i’ve never seen a sun set so reluctantly
come back come back your eyes said
but you were the one who closed them
while the ocean told me to say goodbye

how did i walk so far with you
i didn’t but if felt that way

when the fire has a life of its own
it will burn on sand
on water
on ice
inside of me
when love has made up its mind
it will create endlessly
act recklessly
live obsessively
like me
when you see it you will know it
don't ask why
it is too late for that
the decision has already been made
by me

i seek sanctuary
and asylum
within your life
and heart

i cannot go back
there is nothing
to welcome me
or remember

yes there are scars
not to speak of
only to feel
when i look away

i tried my best
not to fall over
but what to say
as a beggar?

it was your mercy
that i felt
as i moved close
you held your ground

the kiss happened
too quickly for you
forever waiting
for me

when we finished
you looked down
touching my back
wondering

whatever this is
i’ve crossed the river
i am a refugee
you are my country

Every fantasy prepared me for you
I know what to say
I know what to do
But will you believe in me?

Even childhood stories remember
That is why we became a movie
I cannot waste even a moment
Are you ready my love?

There is no more illusion
What is real is all I can be to you
Do not run from this chance
I will explain it when it is over

i almost lost it
it happened so fast
everything i worked for
years of work
what i tried to understand

failed me again

control
it was once mine
but then it never was
never was
i thought i was so clever

i'm not

they control me
me
no matter what i do
they always win
because i care

let them run a red light

I saw you talking to him
You touched your hair
Then his shoulder
I saw that laugh of yours
That’s when I knew
I lost you right there

I asked if you were attracted to him
You didn’t answer right away
I knew what it meant
Usually you have something to say

Finally
She whispered softly in my ear
And the sweet breezes that I once could hear
Swept in the clouds that made the sun disappear

We left together
It was a quiet ride
I couldn’t find the words
And neither could you
He was like an ocean sunrise
Our love was lost in the tide

I asked if you still loved me
You didn’t answer right away
I knew the answer was no
You always knew what to say

Finally
She whispered softly in my ear
And the sweet breezes only I could hear
Swept in the clouds that made the sun disappear

Sometimes
you need to be part of something
Not a follower
but something they would miss
Not a gift
but something you have earned
It's the feeling
of watching a baseball game
Or sitting
at the bottom of a swimming pool
Surrounded
by what makes you feel welcome
I felt it once
long ago inside an old chapel
And when
you cried because I was leaving
That's when
I knew that I was a part of love
That's when
you finally became a part of me

It's as if there are a million candles in my mind
I see flickers of light in every distance
I hear exploding phosphorus
Movement
Sound
Light
It is you my darling
You are lighting each candle in silence
And the light is beginning to grow
I can see it now
With each new burst of air my life changes
Warm
Soothing
Light
Do not speak of it
I want only to  watch it happen
Because I want to remember
And not wish for anything more

See them all in their little holes
Even the big ones are small
There is so much to place just so
But they spill out onto the road
Where we walk upon them together
Wondering about the noise we hear
It’s the same as the one we make

Where is the life we once described
It was a beautiful story
We dared to dream it as we planned
We waited for it to happen
It was almost true as we spoke
To say yes this is how it will be for us
We should not have spoken of it at all

What is it that makes us torture ourselves
We never know how it will end
So we think of it in terms of the pain
But now I think of it like it was the story
Not what we dreamed of
But instead how we lived
Because we were together then

Disturbing images of reality
you finally looked
Reflections of a mad child
you raised him
Sample whiskey plate dream
your escape plan
A year ago knowing nothing
where you began
Reduced to what is lacking
it must be dealt with
Anything wrong is the scope
that's all there is
Recent polls do not know you
are you surprised
A conversation never happened
you didn't listen
Good night is no longer useful
it never was
Failure never felt so good
you became human
Walking forest contemplative
it survived the fire
What is going to happen tomorrow
only free will can say no

I once slept knowing you loved me
I could breathe and you would notice
While my chest rose with a full heart
You touched my hair without malice

Now time passes without a hint of promise
We spoke the other nightbut then you left
The way it was is like a movie to me now
I started to watch but I already know the rest

Knowing how you love is not a sad story
It's just life and everybody lives like that
I thought maybe something was still there
But those mountains roads are now flat

I walked the streets of a strange town
It's me now who makes them walk away
Mourning love covers me like a veil
Morning suns shine hope for another day

I have not forgotten you my love
The years between us have passed
But I have no choice except to wait

Every morning I remember
But still I walk slowly on distant shores
Because love said it's never too late

There are no broken mirrors
Or paintings of jagged emotion
You were always my friend
Though you once said I was the one

We both know how we once felt
I don’t know if you live for something new
Or for someone who believes in fate

Maybe I’m just a bridge you once crossed
But the fire you see in the distance is my torch
The line destiny draws is not always straight

There is no broken glass
Or songs about bitter love that was lost
If we can only be friends
I will always smile no matter the cost

Talk to me Sergeant

Why is my girl telling me about a new friend
He's just a friend
They just talk

She just wants to know that I'm alright
But she won't fix my head
She's not interested in that
It's just a job
And a flag
I should be honored
But it's not like that

Everything is normal for her
She's learning how to get over me
She might as well
I'm not the guy she remembers
It's because now I know
And she can't hear about that
It's too hard

She thinks I'm trained Sergeant
She thinks you made me immune to pain
She thinks you yelled at me enough
But you can't yell that at me enough
You know it
I know it
You know how it would be
You gave me the manual
But not the horror
How could you?

Now she has a friend
It's only a matter of time
Or maybe it's past time
When they tell you they have a friend
It's really a confession
She's lonely
That's enough for anything
Nobody prepared her for that

Tell me about it Sergeant

You couldn't prepare me for the horror
You couldn't prepare her for the loneliness

He's a good listener

I wonder if she was able to enjoy it
She did with me
I could tell
She cried the first time
Somehow I reached her

But now she needs someone's body

He won't reach her
But he's there
And I'm here

That's all it takes

Distance

And time

Now she can talk
Because he will listen
Listen to her
All I can do is read about him

But I can't talk anymore
Not like her
Not like him
She just wants a soldier
I have to be America
I have to be strong

I don't blame her
But I can't take it
I have her picture
I can't defend her honor
I can defend our country
But I can't defend my love for her

I have a gun
He has an ear

I have to ****
He has to listen

I have a picture
He has her

He has her

Once there was a balance
like the time we smiled at the same time
or kissed like a real couple before parting for the day

Did I promise only caution
when I look into your eyes?

It felt like a storm once
there was no training for our differences
it was such a surprise I wondered if we lost our way

Did I promise to reject
my gifts that are revealed?

It’s all in my hands
to walk away without a fight
to walk with you towards the light we both will find

Did I promise to turn away
from what I may become?

I built a shrine for us
with a star a rosary and a book
it was the only way I could know what to do

Did I promise my life
no matter the pain?

Do we belong together?
Is there something greater than desire?
Is it fate?
Is it destiny?
Is there a difference?
Does it matter?
Two souls that are alike
Beautiful as snowflakes
But not as different as they are to one another
Or is it a coincidence?
Was it easier to open that door
The one where I stood
But I love you
No matter the reason
My mind is made up
I know it's true
Yet love asks more than that from us
It's not enough to know who you love
Fate is not enough
Nor destiny
Or an open door
It's not enough
I have to feel hurt from you
Difficulty
Anger
And remain by your side
I have to say goodbye to someone else
Be loyal to you
Tell them you are with me now
And show you that we are
I once knew how to do that
But now
I only know who I love
That's all I know
It's all I can do
Just know
You

it's not something you can hear
i want you to feel it
every word
softer than a whisper
not the way life can be sometimes
but i know
the way to you
is to tell you in this way
so that only you will know
that what i say
is true

have I tried so hard to see
that I've blinded myself
i'm not fighting the past
but that's not true
i can't remember what it was
yes, that's what I tell myself

i can still smile brightly
i surprise myself sometimes
where did that come from
then i become angry
why should i question myself
when i am happy?

there is so much good
that's what i want to see
i should have said to be
to be what it is i want to see
peace and your smile
that's what you gave to me  

soon what is true will be true
it should be more than a dream
but the water hole awaits
the moon makes no shadow
if you will let it happen to you
then you can show me how

It’s hard to get to know you
When you hide your other faces
You don’t want to talk about it
You try to fill those empty spaces
Your life spun itself too tight
The scars you bear alter your flight
I thought you were made for flowers
The ones I gave you died every night

How can we get together
I guessed wrong I can’t pretend
It’s fate and nothing more
That’s how you decided
That’s how you decided
It didn’t matter how it starts
It doesn’t matter how it ends

It’s easy to start in the evening
It’s hard when the morning ends
You changed your face, still I saw you
You said something about being friends
I need to know who I’m talking to
I could make it up the way I see it
You let the wind tell you what to do
It told me the things you can’t admit

How can we get together
I guessed wrong I can’t pretend
It’s fate and nothing more
That’s what you decided
That’s what you decided
It didn’t matter how it starts
It doesn’t matter how it ends

The path is not of this earth
except when loving thy neighbor
for holy forgiveness is how we are fed

The path is not of this earth
though you wash dirt from your feet
it is your soul that remains pure

The path is not of this earth
except the memory of your savior
for his life was spent among us

The path is not of this earth
though it is in everyone you meet
for as the prophets walked so will you

The path is not of this earth
except the wood for your cross
for it is their judgment you must bear

The path is not of this earth
though the weeping of your heart
was caused by those sleeping soundly

The path is not of this earth
except to comfort them for their loss
for this is why we pray his will be done

The path is not of this earth
though where we begin is where we part
and whoever desires this path will find it

we started filling it up so long ago
it should have been for sailing
and watching dreams come true
but
how it began
is not how it ended
the water would never seem the same

there was too much unpleasantness
like a hard wind spoiling a sunny day
i kept wishing
for the sunsets you wanted
but
you thought I brought them with me
that’s when I lost you

a lake still needs a river
the doors were already open
the trickle at the bottom  made it so
but
when your heart started to empty
the lake fell
revealing what I already knew

bare naked trees
poking through the ripples
The way you kissed promised so much more
for some reason
i thought you meant it literally
but
it only lasted as long as you needed

i could hear bells skipping across the reflection
it was the promise
one person to another
We noticed how the wind tried to calm the rain
but
it wept uncontrollably
because of how shallow we had become

I told her I was going to kiss her
But she beat me to it
It was so fast and then she laughed
I said maybe I didn’t say that right
She said maybe you didn’t
But you got what you paid for

She said that’s what a memory tastes like
It’s never long enough
I said it wasn’t time for remembering
It was time for dreaming
She smiled and said keep it to yourself
I’ve heard that kind of talk before

It’s not time for losing control
It’s not time for reading minds
It doesn’t matter if it's late
It’s still the first date
Still the first date

Somebody told her older men can’t wait
I said maybe we’re afraid of time
It’s because we know how good it can be
She said it will be better than ever
But she wanted a cigarette first
Later we’d only spend time doing it again

I decided to light it for her
She was in control and that was her game
It didn’t matter to me anyway
At least my pride is tougher than a long night
Then she said you don’t care how I act
As long as you get what you want in the end

It’s not time for losing control
It’s not time for reading minds
It doesn’t matter if it's late
It’s still the first date
It’s still the first date
First date
It's still the first date

It is within the province of the personality where freedom finds its voice; but never assume that the freedom exhibited by someone else precludes their capacity for kindness and a gentle spirit; for what is foreign to you does not marginalize their humanity.

Trying to make them love with hatred
Trying to make them forgive with judgment
Trying to make them understand with ignorance
Trying to make them give with selfishness
Trying to win hearts and minds with bombs
Trying to change the world with intolerance
Trying to end racism with predominance
Trying to make them happy with power

We can be deep,
alone in a silent world;
or distant,
wishing upon a star;
but when we come together
as a community,
whether in mourning
over the loss of someone who touched us all
or to share the joy of the insular world of music,
where those who plot to save us
with the clever comfort of fear cannot penetrate,
it is there where we can see the promise of love;
unconditional;
a smile for a stranger without expectation;
a man and a woman dancing together
without remorse or confusion;
go there,
take it with you,
it means something
and it exists already in your consciousness,
in the unseen world of your being,
where your feelings live,
always in need of a friend

The speed of life, faster than light
The sorrow of life, darker than night
The way of life, sinning in his sight
The fate of life, will it be wrong or right?

Death gets our attention because the human race lives under Damocles Sword; we know it is there but we are able to summon an inhuman level of denial about our mortality. It will always be a shock when someone dies; always to somebody. Then we move on and return to our world of delusion, chasing the fountain of youth.

In the case of Prince, it is the life he led that makes us notice his death that much more; to lose such a rare gift of creativity and true genius reminds us not only of what we had but of what we lost. We now see how he lived and contrast it with our own lives; and we realize there is so much a human being can do.

There are many others who are alive and walking among us. If you wish to honor them as if they just passed away then you have that opportunity but love is never greater than in the moment of loss. It is the human condition to not know what you have until it's gone. Tell someone you love them right now; do it for them, do it for you; do it for all of us.

I love you

And tonight I will be going alone to see Duran Duran and I'm going to enjoy them for the great times of the past and how this world still has joy in music; I'm going to receive it and hopefully pass it forward....

I’m glad I lost someone that I loved
I’m glad I’ve felt being alone
Love is not about kicking the right leaves in a pile
It’s about the chance to bring them to you
And remember the one you picked
The Fall that you rose again
When you looked at me
It was the way the season knew who you were
Moving towards the next one
The chill was the end of the sunshine
But the colors were the hope of our differences
Until the flat carpet of memory told me so
You just lived a life
But it’s not over
You just became a human being

To be able to prove it to you
Aging is my story
It’s all there
Look it up
Listen to it
You want to know me
I’m right here
And my skin is as clear as my mind

The worst part of it though
Is a young girl will never ask again
“How old are you?”
I know what I said
“How old do you want me to be?”
A rock star moment
Instead my children laugh
Their rolling eyes make me slip

I can cry over Ronson or Farner
I’m not their lover
But I love them
Without fear of who I am
Sometimes I grow far or fast
Even though I'm right next door
But my space mask is on loan
Earning interest in a bank

There is no excess to report
Neither promiscuity or wild intake
I ingest the passing air
And the hopes of my friends
We haven’t given up
I told them not to
**** the feeling of irrelevance
A singers song knows who we are

The common thread,
braided by life,
pain,
suffering,
joy
and love
binds us together as humans;
our differences make it America

A rose garden knows what to do
Alone doesn’t mean having to hide
What’s up what’s going on why not
Questions don't make a girl confide

A dusty bottle an old dry cork
No matter how hard it is to pull
What’s inside is what’s past
What you drink is a memory full

Hang on to what you got
Nature has a way with the lost
Find yourself take a look
Look around look around
That's what she took

Dancing on the porch
The moon is entertained
What you do is what you do
Even long ago feels no shame

Smell a rose leave it on the vine
Pour a glass full of old red wine
She’s out there you know where
Drink it up maybe you won’t care

Hang on to what you got
Nature doesn’t add up the cost
Find yourself take a look
Look around look around
Forget what she took

Your silhouette outlines my dreams
Your breath fills sails tied to a mast
Your touch proves you are willing
Your shadow makes quiet my past

Your words echo my silent thoughts
Your smile is the light of my spirit
Your life gives mine its final purpose
Your love my heart needs to repair it

It is the will

The will to be
The will to give
The will to love
The will to live

That is all there is

Sew and lash
Are you the wind?
Sew and lash
Are you the sail?

You do not believe
You cannot see it

But neither can you see the wind

She dances without music
She can hear what she needs
She is so sure of being herself

But her sails beg for new seeds

The will to be loved
The will to be hurt
The will to cry once more

Whose sails will you fill today?

Sew and lash
Are you the wind?
Sew and lash
Are you the sail?

Life was given to you
With time unknown to span
In death you may not part
Except by your maker’s hand
Change the only constant
Love moving you forward
You may enter the kingdom
When your faith he does reward

Everyone suffers
We are all the same
We live each day
Just as we came
If a baby lives
So too shall a man
No matter the consequences
Of his unspoken plan

In his silence
You must walk
In his silence
He hears you talk
If you believe
Hear his voice well
You are his witness
You must ring the bell

Everything you touch
And everything you bury
Is blessed by your love
And to him this they carry
We have our own time
As they had theirs
They are telling you now
It's not time to climb the stairs