i wanted to spend all my time
inside your heart
instead I spent all of it
creating art
but if I reach you in this way
then it will be true
it will be true
my love
that I am inside of you
and because of this
you will know
that how I feel about you
is what I say is true
but you left anyway
because inside your heart
you never knew

She said being lonely is better than what time drags along
It reminded me of a conversation from long ago
It ended because nobody would admit they were wrong

All my dreams vanished because I can’t sleep long enough
A mind full of hope is like a sail full of promise
But the wind only laughs when the seas get rough

I thought about jumping
But I started climbing instead
I thought about crying
But that’s not what my heart said
My memories were once in my pocket
Until they tore a hole in the thread

You said it to me but there wasn’t time for it to sink in
I didn’t listen but I hear it now
You hear a voice but an echo tells you how long it’s been

I thought about jumping
But I started climbing instead
I thought about laughing
But not because of what you said
My memories were once in my heart
Until they tore a hole in my head

I want to love you
The way I want you to love me
I want to tell you
The things I want you to tell me
I want to touch you
The way I want you to touch me
Yes I want to give you all the things
I want you to give me

Tell me it’s true
The things that I want
You want them too

I want you to show me your tears
Like the tears I have saved for you
I want you to believe in all the years
The years I want to give to you
I want you to show me your dreams
The ones I imagined every night
Yes I want you to give me all the things
I want to give to you

Tell me it’s true
The things that I think
You think them too

I want to know what's inside of us
The way we know what's on the outside
I want us to trust each other
Like people who are not afraid to confide
I want us to be able to smile each day
The way people who know love smile
Yes I want us to give all these things
You give them to me
And I'll give them to you

Tell me it’s true
The things that I love
You love them too

I have a headache
And I'm tired
Once I was young
But now I'm unwired

Anymore
Meaning I not

I can accept the truth
Even if it hurts
Maybe that's why I'm tired
But lying makes it worse

Anymore
Meaning it does

You don't mind saying it
It's easy for you  
I have to accept your life
You told me what was true

Anymore
Meaning you are

I took a walk
I could hear the traffic
But I was far away
The trees eased my panic

Anymore
Meaning I was

It's the change
When they don't tell you
You know where you stand
And they do too

Anymore
Meaning I know

Still, I can take it
I'm still the same
If it means to be a man
Then I can't complain

Anymore
Meaning I  won't

The war is always far from the naive shore
But the horror remains for some at home
The faces of those who paid the price
Grace small mountain towns standing alone

Only quiet streets understand

Setting sail with sad winds at their face
No man can tell them of their fate
For it has already been cast before them
And now they live knowing it's too late

But honor lives forever

We can only fear each other
For what we know
Is what we are told to believe
But still I believe in you
Because you believe in me

What land can we discover now?
Who can we civilize while we **** their culture?
We can only turn on ourselves
Distant shores of honor no longer have a future

Only a past

He cannot remember a time when he could smile
He knows the things that is a death warrant to leak
It is unbearable to share time with those who do not care
The truth is a door that opens to those who dare to speak

If only they didn't bury the key

We only fear each other
For what we know
Is what we are told to believe
But still I believe in you
Because your eyes are all I can see

Inside the saliva that forms when she parts her lips
The dream was a steady drip
He knew
Art never passes beyond an approximation
Unless it reaches someone
But knowing the woman he loved dug her claws into his skin
It was no longer an opinion
Or an accusation
It was reality
And it no longer required a brush to play pretend
To paint the warm tears upon a canvas required his own
Because then he would know it was true
Deciding between truth and faith tore his heart apart
He wanted to believe
And not know
Because belief was hope
And knowing was fear
Fear that the cornerstone of his being was as human as blood
Blood that could not be washed away
Only form a river of electrical activity on a screen full of dots
It meant he was alive
But he realized he was translating himself from another life
The words were easy to write
But the meaning required a life to have been lived
That way his errors could be identified
And meaning
And unresolved memories
Like water spilling out his side
Could moisten her lips while she made love to another man
So he could dream again

Strength isn’t a burden if you don’t think about it too much
Knowing who you are is the feather you possess
The lightness of a heart that is true and a mind that is open
Is the way up when the world makes you feel less

There’s not a day goes by that someone isn’t feeling weak
Taking our turn we pass along each other’s duress
We watch birds in a square from windows we cannot open
It seems someone won’t let us change our address

For once I’d like a conch to listen as intently as we do it
Would the hollow shores recede as we confess?
As I walk in a dark room thinking of what I cannot change
I finally realized it’s your turn for happiness

Let’s forget all this stuff
I know what you said
How you loved everybody
Or did they love you?
You went along with it
But they couldn’t handle it

Collecting rings is like art
But you let the dust collect
The only feeling was disdain
Empty fingers are never true
Being asked was good enough
But being free was better

Let’s forget all this stuff
Tradition is for our parents
I know you’ve loved someone
Maybe it was last night
But he doesn’t know me
He just knows I’m there

You said call me when I’m free
That sounded like a promise
A wall is for the one who built it
But a good climb once made my day
You know what’s on the other side
It’s the way we used to be

Let’s forget all this stuff
I have so much to say
But I’m not sure enough
My moods woke me up
It wasn’t love that scared me
It's that I change so much

I feel ironic
I want to be a free thinker
But I believe in order
Anarchy is the same as fascism
I feel fear
I want to be an activist
But I don't want to lose my job
Protest doesn't pay the bills
I feel agnostic
I don't know how to believe
But I pray everyday
God is something I can't question
I feel love
I want it so badly
But though I know how to be alone
I hope it forces itself on me

She begged me to stop
She was standing on a mountaintop
But I wasn’t there
The only way she could reach it was with my thoughts
No one else could ever imagine such a place for her
But the rivers that took her there
Transformed
Back into ice crevices carved into her heart
The winds that carried her
Changed direction
To await the birds that had all flown south
The sounds that soothed her
Grew silent
Like the desolation of a dream waiting for me to wake up
You angrily swept yourself away
Not caring how fast you descended
Or even that I had finally appeared at the summit
There was no lie to tell
Or truth to remember
Only the myth of a love that you knew was real
But was unable to believe in itself

When you can no longer live in your natural state
As the desert once it has felt the rain
You begin to curse who you are
For dry air and sparseness offer no relief
And while the heat recites a story of certain death
The sand and cactus, as the heart and mind
Parch and wither, forlorn, waiting for its mate
But she no longer believes in possibility
Or you
For as she rained down upon you
You made no pools for her to gather
No rivers for her to roam
Instead she was only to vanish
And die
As you do now
Until the rain answers your prayers
To try again
To effect your very nature
As an oasis would
Where those who live hard lives go
For life

You don’t have to love it
You don’t have to hate it
Just know something about it

Don’t be ignorant
Don’t be belligerent
Just be intelligent

You don’t have to buy it
You don’t have to sell it
Just know something about it

Some things have already happened
I’m not the one who can take it back
Some people like to put it one way
Others talk about it like it’s fact

You don’t have to become it
You don’t have to agree with it
Just know something about it

Don’t be judgmental
Don’t be prejudicial
Just be spiritual

You don’t have to make dark of it
You don’t have to make light of it
Just know something about it

There’s more missing than we care to admit
We hear things then hang the phone up slowly
If you are choosing which bridge you must cross
The decision to change your nature is for you only

I thought it was always the right measure
I’d notice how they had everything one could invent
It was as if an artist had drawn their pedigree
Yet it was darkness that the sun eclipsed
The life they lived was picked clean by the false messages they sent
To wake up to this realization was to know there was nothing left to find

I’ve learned that a place-setting once was life itself
When the news traveled slowly the time was spent on finer things
Now we quarrel and abandon the soft edges
But you must know that a pillow exists in my heart
Where you may lay your head close to whisper of the birds of spring
The walls still stand strong all around paying my reticence no mind

I’m sure you will be alright either way
I have not heard of any true calamity in my absence
And though I could never deny
That I’m as common as a yellow can on the shelf
And that I’ve never once felt that nerves immobilized you in my presence
I’m filled enough with life to strike fear into the silence I might leave behind

Indifference is not an act of desperation
To allow time to pass swiftly by without so much as a wave
Is to trust that fate loves as much as I do
And the wind I feel upon my face is upon yours as well
Let us find ourselves my love as it is sanity that we must first save
For I cannot take your hand without first knowing if you are my kind

Only God knows all our wrongs
But though arrows point at our souls
The whispers of the lamb dull his vengeance
A man has to die before he lives forever
While parades remind us of his courage
Some stand still thinking only of progress
Train tracks laid across holy ground
Desperate men laid to rest
They ask if evil killed each other
Or did we also sacrifice the saints?
They made peace with their destiny
A story they never thought to question
Right can never observe wrong blithely
And those whose spirits keep watch
Silently shed their hopes for the truth
Because history is still written by man

I wondered how long it would take before I could only see your mind
I didn’t long for the day but I knew we’d both leave our lust behind
What takes me an early morning always took you most of the night
I want to see things by day but you don’t like to dream by the light
We sail side by side but my hull is made of steel and yours of wood
We felt the same current but how it affected us we never understood

The blue skies were too few
And the sunrises were too red
Maybe that’s why we drifted apart
What a fisherman knew to be true
We decided to ignore instead
Because we sailed first with our heart

I wondered who would decide which way to go when the skies parted
A storm doesn’t listen but a glistening bow remembers where we started
You don’t forget who you were with when waves are bigger than the boat
That’s not the time for blame it’s just the way love sometimes has to float
We didn’t know if by sail or prop was the best way to turn this thing around
I wanted to believe in your instincts but instead I ran the boat aground

The storms were too many
And the sunsets we barely knew
Maybe that’s why we drifted apart
When the days heat was plenty
And the evening breezes few
We stopped sailing with our heart

There's somebody worried about a baby
Pray with them
There's somebody missing their mother
Comfort them
There's somebody who needs you
Be there for them
There's somebody who is very lonely
Spend time with them
There's somebody missing their father
Hug them
There's somebody needing it to be true
Believe in them

The young man
listened
He watched a face
move
He thought about  
words
And then he spoke
deeply
They asked how he became
wise
He said it was because of
them
But he did not memorize
facts
Or carry a notebook full of
blame
He only opened his heart to
others
He was not afraid to show
them
And because they knew it was
true
He was able to bring them
near
Because the truth of a
feeling
Is all it takes to make a
friend

An ego too far removed from God, flowers or tea
A dragon burning the hearts and minds of the people
A monster with insatiable lust for evil
The arbiter of destructive nationalism
The hero of those who thrive on vicarious pleasure
Who see themselves in the exploits of strangers
Waving a flag of perceived greatness
Because they are unable to find themselves
Unable to impact the culture
So they become the mob instead
And though pulsing through time without form
It is the ego of the mass that looks for its mate
And he is waiting like a spider
But not to devour them
But instead to instruct them
And teach them why they are angry
And who to blame
The pain, jealousy, rage and heartbreak must be given a voice
But they did not speak
Instead they listened
It was not time to mourn the past
It was time to avenge themselves
No mist in the forest would soften the ground beneath their feet
No rainbow in the sky would soften the metallic sounds of treads
No gentle stream would soften the grinding of fox holes into dust
No
They did not look to nature for their purity
It was him
HIM!
Exclaiming yes, yes, yes, YES!
YES!
We hate them too!
THEY are to blame!
THEY are not like us!
THEY must not become us!
We are not them!
YES!
We hate them too!

And so he smiled
It was time to begin
As far as he could see
Water
The surface begging to be rippled
But it was so very shallow
He could walk anywhere he wished
And then dive into the portal
To change their nature
They didn’t want to **** anyone
Not really
But he had to make them want it
BADLY
And so he waded
So very easily
Every step accepting his suggestion
Accepting his premise
Accepting his anger
He could skip rocks across it
Float upon it
But never drown
For unlike them he knew to stand-up
While they lay face down
Prone
Not knowing they could save themselves
Instead they allowed him to rescue them
On his terms
And the time came when their fears rose
Like a Soufflé
And it could not wait
It had to be served

There were no walls to be built
Instead the boundaries were to be pushed outward
Like the shock wave of a fission parade
The order has been given
The suspension of humanity must begin at once
There will be no innocent victims
For once the order is given they will  die
All of them
The innocent and the guilty

The cold air was just enough to cause dilemma
A wrap or scarf
The natural light was all that was left
Dreams were made from such moments
Especially when there is nothing left
And nothing worth remembering
Except eyes cast upon
Psychopaths
Moral destruction
Patriotic lunacy

But the past had happened
And the future had not occurred
He knew
It was not his country
But he was sent
The pawn
Representing the hopes of all
The former slaves
The  weak
The infirm
The aged
But he knew why he was there
He knew the murders of Malmedy
The word had reached him
The story had ended for him
He had become a cold-blooded killer
It only required their faces
He thought of the unborn world

“I would **** every poet before they are born
For who would rhapsodize about my dilemma
Invoking the Valkyries as if this legends nobility guides me
As if Valhalla waits for me to take my place in the great hall
Yes I would **** them and their mothers
For they are no use to anyone except their own comfort”

He wanted to think of children playing
And laughter
But it made him weak

He wanted to think of revenge
And laughter
But it made him feel revulsion

He wanted to think of why it was that he was here

History recorded that lives were no longer necessary
Except during the trials that became folly and propaganda for good
Like drowning rats they would turn on one another
Suddenly life had meaning
As long as it was their own
Then they gathered as time began its rehabilitation
For though life no longer had meaning to those they murdered
The past must be re-written
The  fatherland became light
Death became honor
Prisoners became justice
Denial became duty
A cyanide capsule became remorse
For he had become a tragic and heroic figure
The perfect myth
The penalty became the reinstatement of the law
The quarter they did not give swiftly strode into the room
Cloaked in robes and white wigs
Vengeance the first casualty
Man-kinds outrage failed them
But it was time to re-arrange the world once again
In the reflection of prosaic words of scales leveled no matter the accused
Where all men are equal
Where all men are made in the image of their creator
Where all men are safe
Because that is what we want to believe to be true

But he could only see blurred images

A crucifix
A female figure
A scroll
A medal

Unspoken tears are why men drown inside themselves

War is why men harden their hearts

What is overwhelming can never be true
Even if you are the one who did it
You were once a baby
You have a mother
This is not what you were taught
But you became death

Why do they think I am a hero?

i am not a demographic

i am a human being

and if you see me carried
upon the shoulders of those you do not understand
it is only because I have chosen to understand them

even more than I understand myself

and should I perish for this understanding
then do not lament my passing but for a moment
because the body is a temporary state
and the thoughts that were carried aloft
are as easily obtainable to you
as the air you breathe

except for one difference

you cannot asphyxiate yourself as easily as you can choose

to open your mind

and if I should soon perish for these thoughts
then to remember me best is to find out why I died
for that I did die is only an inevitability
while the reasons are the choices that can be made
if only you would consider them

if even only for a moment.

Still they march
For though the butterfly has emerged
A legacy has eternal life
And though grace cannot be earned
And though faith is about trust
Still they march
For the bridge they crossed is a promise they made
To themselves
And to those who crossed before them
And until butterflies teach moths
That a flame is not the answer
There will be those drawn to the fire
Of human sacrifice
For another

It may not be a life that you love
And try as you might
Discouragement
Sadness
Disillusionment
All take their place at the table

But there is also someone who loves their life
Who also sits at the table
And they love their life
Because of you

Because you are their parent

Or their child

And it is your life that allows these things
To gather together  
All at once

Because your strength is the table
And your love has become their life

I saw the stars,
and thought foolishly once again

I asked for so many things;
things I thought were out of reach,
but near to them

I finally realized,
they were asking me all along;
for they were as distant to me
as I to them;
and the things we needed;
from each other
were the things you can find;
from a friend

When she is in your past
    you think of yesterday

When she is in your dreams
    you think of someday

When she is in your arms
    you think of today

When she is in your heart
    you think of everyday

I cannot judge anyone

I cannot say,
you are right,
you are wrong

Unless you hurt someone

The mirror of life
shows me my failings,
as there is no safe harbor;
I no longer wish upon it;
I only ask for forgiveness

I will not tell you how to be a man,
or what it is to be a woman;
these things are not why I live;

I will not tell you how to worship,
or what to believe
these things I do not know

I read the words about peace
and love
and planks in my own eye
and then I know

For whatever man may be different,
and whatever woman may be different,
is no longer my concern

What would you say,
when the one you thought was evil,
weeps and cannot sleep at night;
and the one you thought was good,
smiles and sleeps even during war?

Would you ask them what made them that way?

I do not know who was sent to us

I do not know who confuses us

But when a man kneels,
and is kind,
and is a peacemaker,
and is a lover of all that we are,
then I want to know that man

No matter who he is

No matter his race

No matter his belief

No matter who he loves

Because that man is a better man than me

It seems I’m living a life of decision
It used to be so easy to make a choice
To feel desire was to know what to do
I never lost my confidence or my voice

I believed in who I was more than  I do now
It’s a funny thing when you know so much  more
But I only believed in what I wanted with you
And it was so clear that I knew what love was for

I’ve lived more than once
And I’ve seen the signs
I never want to have to say maybe next time
But if I do
Then I will be the first one there

I read once an old man’s virtue is only a loss of energy
But you know I know how it feels now to be left behind
And I want to believe that I love you enough to stay
The beauty of your eyes makes me hope you’re my kind

God tell me how to know
Tell me how to know my mind
To be so sure as I was long ago
To tell her she is who I was hoping to find

I’ve lived more than once
And I’ve seen the signs
I never want to have to say maybe next time
But if I do
Then I will be the first one there

Hey baby you got me thinkin’ about you
That’s how it always starts
I’m gonna’ say what I got to say
But are you gonna’ hear me tonight?

My dreams moved right in with yours
But I think they already knew each other
We just have to forget about losing
At least we’ll remember when it was right

You got to give me more than a smile
But a woman wants to see a man work
I know what you want me to do
I’ll run for you baby
That's the game we both have to play

Hey baby you got me dreamin’ about you
That’s how it always starts
This time I saw you before the sunset
I wanted to see you in the light

Don’t give me no hard time
There’s plenty of time for that
Go ahead and put on your crown
The jewels will guide me tonight

You got to give me more than a while
A woman wants to make a man wait
I know what I’m supposed to do
Sit still for me baby
The game's over why don't you stay

One day I walked down the hallway
I said hello to everyone I saw
Then I became randomly ridiculous
She said I was absolutely insane
But her laughter told me it wasn’t true

I knew I would see them again
After all we worked together
They didn’t notice I wore no collar
Breaking the  dress code gave me power
But still my teeth hurt from the night before

I gave the phone calls no resistance
even though I knew they were wrong
To make people question themselves so
I laid a bridge to a safer place on the carpet,
crazy words that made everyone else feel sane

Black eyes longing not to have to say goodbye
But ready to leave as soon as this world will let them
Our children play while singers cry loudly
We know too much about the sacrifice
How can we teach them to choose wisely?

I watched a man cross the void today
I know I will miss him
We knew when we spoke but still we labored
The time for me will come someday
Until then I will help the others heal at my expense

How did it happen
My foot isn't straight anymore
But still I walk with purpose
I know what I am living for

How did it happen
I forgot someone’s name for an instant
But still I remembered to be kind
I know what is important

How did it happen
I don’t laugh as much as in the past
But still I have a warm heart
That part of me will always last

How did it happen
I ask questions as never before
But still I have my faith  
That is all I need and nothing more

I built this road with the wrong sidewalk
The man who walked on it told me so
He said he couldn’t hear the smooth sounds
Only the bitter tones where bad dreams go

He felt justice all the way to the marrow
Seeing the man made me think about it more
I try to stay out of everybody’s business
But I’m saying the next road won’t be like before

I paved my own road
All I did was lose my way
He knew it when he saw it
But I didn’t know what he was trying to say

I could scatter the rocks side to side this time
And make it a little wider for everyone to see
Nothing to divide with only street lights to share
We can be together singing songs about being free

I wondered what’s wrong with acting like that
I didn’t think too much about if it could be true
I just wanted to believe in something greater
But the man said I should sing them for you

I paved another road
This time I found my way
I saw her standing close to me
I turned to thank him but he said some other day

There is so much time spent being a reservoir
A holder of the things they want us to cherish
A tribe defined by what we hold in common
Yet our differences breathe life into our individuality
I don’t know if it is that I need a passenger
Should it be my destiny to explain guide or suggest
When it is that I prefer no past
And no future
Not because of shame or death
But because these things cause discomfort
It is instead a life of calm that I seek
As it is walking with nature or the animals we care for
I can only ask if you want to fall in love
Or if there is a word that would describe me
I hope it is honor
And truth
I don’t know how it is we can agree not to be perfect
We have such a precise expectations for our life
Would it be better not to watch through a moving window
Instead we could be a part of what it is we seek
Or create it for ourselves
If only we knew how

An explosion in your head
Not so shallow as our nihilism
Or cruel as our abuse
He only wanted to talk freely
You couldn’t take his mannerism
Martians aren't so conservative
Instead it became something you read
You were shocked by his optimism
Smiling he lit the fuse
His pink dress flowing freely
His spike heels killing cultural fascism
You couldn’t believe the alternative
Flesh painted red
It was only lipstick narcissism
How else to make the news
His religion spoke freely
A guitar conducted the exorcism
Only God understood the narrative
You wondered who was in his bed
You only could see hedonism
And not the future with nothing to lose
And now we walk freely
The bomb blew up your prison
It is your turn to live

When the sun ends
Winter
Where we hurt
Life

When secrets end
Truth
Where we reveal
Friendship

When the moon ends
Longing
Where we cry
Love

When hatred ends
Equality
Where we laugh
Joy

I’m not in despair for who I  am
What my eyes see
Are the worlds that you are chasing
I found myself but I can’t be too free
The children that look to me
Make me realize that being a man
Is being myself but also loving them

I can find a moment in every day
When I’m the crazy enough for  my tastes
I can’t make the world a bigger place
But I can know more about it
You know being lost is still an adventure
What you learn is how to cope
You just to have the strength to try again

I haven’t fallen from grace
Because I never opened the gift
Maybe I climbed the wrong mountain
But I see the light I once set adrift
My mistakes were only slightly ajar
But still my door is open
I know I can tell you anything
Being a friend is loving what’s broken

Is there anybody who gets me
They never will if you live to discover
You can’t worry about an opinion
If it’s meant to make them feel better
If someone trusts you
They will let you bleed openly
Because they know where you’ve been

I haven’t eaten my daily bread
Because I didn’t know I was hungry
Maybe I walked on water
In a dream I thought was reality
I didn’t mean to hurt you
It’s hard to live knowing what I said
It may be too late for us
I guess only God can raise the dead

The dead have been spoken for
But who will remember?
The living must speak for themselves
Will it be violent or tender?

The unborn risk their lives by our choice
In silence they wait
While our minds, a legacy of failure
Play God with their fate

What would make me finally act my age
When youth smiles not upon the wise
Is it to speak to young women without remorse
Or become the stranger who empathized

The shallow lightening flash of narcissism
Strikes close to our children
Which images will they choose for their life
Pleasure or to fight explosions inside the gates of heaven?

What the tears of a man say
Even though you saw it
You couldn't believe
He believes something different
But what he felt at that moment
Was alive inside the mother of a dead child

You don't like the answers
And you don't what to feel them either
Like a poor hungry child
Who is taught something different
Something that cannot be proven
Just like the things we believe

Maybe we should decide
In the moment we make love
Or when we have been pushed too far
Or have lost someone we love
Is that the moment to decide?
Or is it the moment we should ignore?

Would you say that it is fear
That makes you question their love
For their children or their race
What would you say that it is
That makes you fear for the freedom
That has already been taken from them?

How many times do you not know?
I would want to know
The blood that was taken from you
Was there all along
I would want to know
And now you do
So you can live another way
Unless you've become what you thought you knew
It's so hard to change
Believing something
That's all it is
A belief
But who said it was forever?

I know how it is that I felt
But it was not a frozen heart
Nor did it melt
There was no need for stolid strength
Or ponds for weeping
It was only how I am
Refusing to live falling apart on the inside
Or unmoved by a changing life
I cannot give darkness any more length
Or make stones for keeping
But what I had in my heart
Was the stillness where prayers once knelt
And the whispering sounds of a new winters start

I miss him mommy
When will daddy come home
But he can’t hear them
It is his life that has been sown

Hi darling
I’m thinking of you
I love you so much
I hope you know it’s true

It was obvious
Somebody will die again
The news reports statistics
But a number is my friend

In a short amount of time
My whole life changed
I would never go back
My emotions are rearranged

Happy birthday son
I said it to a bird
In vain, it swept away
Wings were all I heard

Chu Lai, a refuge
A lie, only for the enemy
Mines, natural as the wind
John cleared them for me

I will never see them again
How could I leave?
I loved my home
But not as a place to grieve

Mired in stalemate
Death, shrugging its shoulders
They didn’t seem to care
Except to **** my brothers

The choppers, red cross buses
Politicians have their own ride
Silence is consent
But I know who lied

Our leader, iron willed ambition
Would no longer lead
His ranch calls to him
While bullets make us bleed

He left us behind
But a marine would never
How long would I be here
For a soldier, its always forever

Order at home, shoot protestors
Peace abroad, would I live to tell
The same words over and over
A white house and a jungle hell

From the very start
It seemed nobody understood
We didn’t speak the language
And we never would

Even death could smell itself
Though the trail never died
Rain, once the giver of life
Only increases the dread inside

We were so thirsty
We tried to drink morning dew
To see green grass, a flash
Made me think of you

I saw him remove his stripes
They shot our officers first
He tried to give new orders
My skin knew it would be worse

I thought about a hill I once climbed
It looked like the outline I now see
The answer was not letting anyone down
And the next man up was finally me

We were going to **** everyone
Their orders were the same
Were they scared or nervous?
It seemed they were glad we came

We raced up, the lottery all around
I forgot about being a hero or a coward
Duty made us think of our children
But the only way home was forward

Mommy, why are you crying?
What did that man say?
I will tell you later my son
First we must kneel down and pray  

The flag waves silently now
I don’t think about love or hatred
Instead it reminds me once again
How the life of a soldier is sacred

But who owns the hill we once won?
Forty years gone and still their children cry
The faces on the magazine cover
Are the ones who can no longer ask why

Who could take me seriously
When I have never lost my pride
Never felt hunger
Never feared for my children
Not like they have
But if I hold your hand
And you hold his
And he holds hers
Until we hold the hand of tears
Where the river begins
Then we will be together
And I will be able to speak
Words
Screams of anguish
Because then you will know
That when I speak it is not for me
But instead it is for them
For I do not have to suffer to cry
And I do not have to live like them
To die in shame
Because I was unable to carry them
Or make you believe in them
Like God does

En un sueño
Me convertí en marinero cuando antes temí el diluvio
Ya que en el agua volví a nacer
En un sueño
Me convertí en el silencio cuando antes solo me oía a mi mismo
Ya que en el silencio escuché una voz
En un sueño
Me convertí en un momento cuando antes solo pensé en mañana
Ya que en ese instante no tuve preocupación.
En un sueño
Me convertí en la sabiduría cuando antes solo rezé por locura juvenil
Ya que en mi mente supe de virtud
En un sueño
Me convertí en la esperanza de la boca de una paloma antes de ahogarme
Ya que el árbol de la vida estaba ahora en mis manos
En un sueño
Soy la imaginación cuando antes solo fui duda
Ya que hoy solo veo lo posible
En un sueño
Me convertí el la creación cuando antes fui solo destrucción
Ya que hoy me ha perdonado el pasado
En un sueño
Me convertí en regalo cuando antes fui solo egoismo
Ya que mis anhelos se hicieron perdón
En un sueño
Me convertí en la humildad cuando antes fui la arrogancia
Ya que mi nave tan fácilmente se perdió
En un sueño
Me convertí en la piedad cuando antes fui la penitencia
Ya que las piedras que sostuve cayeron de mis manos
En un sueño
Me convertí en justicia cuando antes fui venganza
Ya que lo justo es amor
En un sueño
Me convertí en vida cuando antes solo supe de muerte
Ya que la gracia me recordó mi opción

Winter followed me inside
I used to smile at the cold
It always drew you close
Like I am now to the silence of leaves that have fallen

I heard a love song today
I used to feel that way once
I thought I heard your voice
But it was just the echo of a season soon forgotten

Seeing myself walk next to someone younger than me
I see how much I’ve changed
It’s not just my thoughts
It’s the look upon my face

I’ve learned the secret of my life
I thought my time had passed
But now I know it’s not true
Every time a snowflake melts there is another one calling

I don’t understand falling in love so quickly anymore
Every flower is pretty in its own way
But what of the roots we cannot see
Only a true friend can take your place

Character without will;
a butterfly crawls into its cocoon,
walking away from true love;
who will exert it?

Humanity without strength;
a world at war with morals,
a nation governed by fear;
who will show it?

Ingenuity without vision;
a scientist splitting atoms,
a man become death;
who will see it?

Power without balance;
a culture believing in a man,
a man who knows;
who will challenge it?

he said,
it’s good to still be among the living;

a new year makes someone say things like that

but I wondered,
is it better than walking on streets paved with gold?

the life we leave behind is for those who will miss you

the legacy of our journey, is it in need of forgiveness;
yes it is, always

we make promises we cannot keep;
we turn out lights but cannot sleep

it is because we do not know the difference
between light and dark; or if the difference matters,
we can only listen to a poor black woman, a legacy,
singing gospel with her gift to carry the shame of men;

to carry it to God; TO GOD!

to ask him to forgive them for what they did to her;
because she knew that he would ask her a question

who have you forgiven my child?

CAN YOU IMAGINE ANY OF THIS?

the longest road out west is part of the scene

you can ride alone and think about where everyone went;
why would they not want to live here when it is so quiet;
is that why; the quiet?

even looking at the word makes you feel uneasy,
if only for a moment;
but the soft wind limps behind,
while nature focuses upon you alone,
with your rifle and your hat

beyond wondering what happened there long ago,
and what might be behind that cactus, you can only
keep walking to find what you came for; or maybe
it’s just that;
you and nobody else, with brown grass
and dry air substituted for streets of gold;
and you’re ok with that;
it's because you found somebody who agrees with you

you told her you sure like talking to her; she’s not too
******* you; she gets the strain in your life and how
it’s  really about companionship and not rearranging
everything

she is part of the living and it makes you want to live;
right up to the time that gospel song began to soar,
because that made you realize this whole thing is one;
one with her, one with God, one with that song, one
with that long road

gold ain’t got nothing to do with it

What I would think to say
To be true
Like someone you once knew
But no longer love
Is the same as a stranger might say
To someone like you
Beautiful
But distant too
Hoping we will remain friends
After we meet
Instead of the way of the stars
A part of every dream
But never touching
Never knowing
Only looking
Longing
Alone
In the midst of disappointment
Where hopeful strangers once walked
Only to be reminded that it happens that way
And though while caution knows best
Our hearts will this time not set again, until
The fear of heartbreak no longer speaks to us in the night

Who plays a game?
Who learns to speak French enough to drink their wine
To make a life for their children
Is it enough while others resist?

Just a mile from freedom town
The men all gathered there
They weren’t going to stand down
No flag could block the glare

They said it was time to defend
The words they read were near
They didn’t live to play pretend
Their beliefs stronger than fear

It became clear
Crazy was doing nothing
But doing things you don’t want to do
Is like being a ******* in the middle of a war
Or sacrificing a life for people who won’t know the difference

Turn off the radio
The news isn’t good
A soldier who’s seen death
Is always ready to stand up
He’s fears not for his last breath
Does he live in your neighborhood?

Who plays a game?
Who learns to pray every day walking under an umbrella
Fear instead of faith
Is it enough just to exist?

Just a mile from Crows ridge
The people all gathered there
They weren’t afraid to cross the bridge
This time it was their turn to dare

They said it is our time now
The dream was finally near
Still they burn inside the vow
Fifty years gone without fear

It became clear
Slavery was doing nothing
But doing what you have to do
Is never losing again in your own home
When the past remains a part of your resistance

Turn up the radio
The song says you should
A singer tired of death
Is always ready to stand up
He cries in between each breath
If I were him I wonder if I would

It's not how he touches you
It's how he whispers in your ear
He tells you his worries
And it softens your heart

You said he treats you good
But why did you tell me that
It's as if you're setting me up
To tell me about your new start

Just tell me baby
I can take it
You know what we had
That's why you can't fake it
Just tell me
Just tell me he's your new man

You do things on your own now
Things you used to ask me about
But you don't have to burn bridges
When we're living so far apart

I don't worry anymore
But I still think about it
I know how you love a man
Are you going take him where I've been?

Just tell me baby
I can take it
You know what we had
That's why you can't fake it
Just tell me
Just tell me he's your new man

It is an ordinary world in which we live
As do I
With faded carpet
And blinds that carry the dust of my past
Yet it is not what I want for you
I want to say the things you've never heard
I want to show you the light you've never seen
I want you to know the love you've never felt
But how can I put my mind into yours?
How can I when I exhaust myself with these things?
To be always shiny new
To be always what it is you are searching for
Is it too much?
Because to dig into fertile soil
And to vanish into the depths where ships are laid to rest
Is to walk alone with only a match in the darkness
Who could follow the glow of a single point of light?
Could you trust the direction in which I lead
Or is it an ordinary world in which you wish to live?
Can you when it is I who would resist?
I see the path that leads me to you
But what if I can only follow the path of expression
Would you still believe in me my love?

"The poor are always getting F'd over by the rich. Always have, always will"

Platoon

"The poor will always be among us."

Jesus

what a new year cannot change is left in your hands
change is within you  
and to those who are affected by your life
it is your gift to them
but if you choose to remain in this world
remove the hands from the clock that struck midnight
nail shut the door
so that the bird that sings of new day
can no longer speak

There is no need to apologize beautiful friend
It’s not for me to judge where you’ve been
I know about the pain that you carry
But why can you not see what we can bury?

You don’t have to tell me your story
It doesn’t matter if it was about loss or glory
I just want to see what time will tell
Will it be about how we climbed or how we fell?

I can see that your heart has been broken
Your eyes are louder than words that are spoken
Now you only think about healing
And living a life without mistakes or feeling

I want to touch your cheek with my breath
So you will think about life and not death
But what is a soft touch from another man
If his heart is not there to hold her hand

The time has passed for a promise
All we can do is try to be honest
We both know about the end of the night
And how sometimes wrong can feel right

All we are is the wind crossing the land
And to go it alone is not always to understand
If it’s me you see planting seeds where you might live
Then don’t be afraid to try one more time to forgive