I need a sign
I live a double life
Whatever you say
I will disagree
The spoken word
Even dignified perception
Is heard in the comfort of our needs
Some things are best sung in the dark
When weird wired sounds freely float unimpeded
By a truth fabricated in a childhood of awe
Justified and rationalized for fear of discovery
Where is my sign?
Yesterday I accepted Christ
By morning I bid him fond farewell
Wondering if I would thus live in vain
Impaled by my fearless worship of scientific facts
Discovered by others and insisted upon
You know what you know
I don’t know what you know
You want me to believe what you know
When what you know is not knowing at all
But certainty built slowly as one sand block after another
With one eye on the rain clouds
And the other on me
Your mission
Neither reached or repulsed
Merely confused
Flip flopping like a fish on the dock
Or a girl who won’t sit still after I loved her
What conviction can I offer you?
Other than to say
Don’t ask me

I shouted into the tomb of refusals
It was as I feared
There wasn’t even an echo
Indifference had shuttered her memory
A response was not worthy of being heard
Yet a faint sound melted away the silence
For once the sad song was about me
A song I never cared for
Suddenly had meaning
Because it was about you
And me
But who played the notes you never heard?
Who wrote the words about a dream you never shared?
For once I wondered
About how a stranger
Could know me so well
I wonder if he knew you

Where is the love that understands love
As a flower understands the sun and rain?
Where is the friend that understands friendship
As an eagle flies with a life adorned with free reign?
Can we raise the level of consciousness between us
To feel the unseen and see what we have never felt?
Where no goal or means to an end will exist
In the canyons carved into our hearts where loneliness will melt
Filling the void as you set sail on my presence in your world
Unthinking but reacting without recognition of roles
Because we are not in love but are love without expectation
As time becomes love lived but no longer measured by our souls

When
I wanted love
You were gone
When
I
Wanted
You
You no longer wanted
Me
All the days
Of my mistake
Left me awake
With the regret
Of a lifetime

In your heart I will live
With my eyes I see you give
Everything
For me

When
I wanted solitude
You were there
When
I
Wanted
Me
I no longer wanted
You
All the nights
Of my desire
Left me asleep
With the dream
Of a lifetime

In my heart I will live
With my mind neglect will give
Nothing
To you

They say walk a mile in another man’s shoes
But why must you be asked to go so far?
Isn’t it enough that he lives and breathes
To know that one day he will bear your scar?
It may seem that life gave him free reign
He hurts others and expects to be forgiven
But you have not witnessed his punishment
It is not God’s plan to reveal when he will be driven
Into the desert of scorched lament and sorrow
The clock will strike when God makes the decision
The test is not only in bearing your own pain
But also in our discomfort with God’s random precision
The one you hate suffers more than you will ever know
Because his conscience burns deep into his heart
And when he faces you in his unrepentant guise
You must ask did God give you the power to make the sea part?
Did God hand you the hammer and the nails?
Did God hand you the judgmental stone?
Did God ask you to be the tool for retribution?
Or is today the day for you to atone?
To lower your gaze and be the truth
The truth of humility and an open heart
Not to be hurt once again as before
But to show that God is the one who makes the sea part
And as you walk in fear towards an image beyond crashing walls
The pain you bore is trampled under your feet
The worthiness of the forgiver has been written for a thousand years
And on this day you will begin the journey your tormenter could never complete

We saw her walking away
We smiled right through her jeans
Sometimes she looks so good
But I don’t really care what it means

We laughed because we’re so bad
It’s not like the girls don’t know
“What are you gonna do now?”
“I’m gonna take it as far as it needs to go”

Take it as far as it needs to go
She may be in it for love
But I’m gonna take it slow
Take it as far as it needs to go
She may look good
But love needs time to grow

I may want a girl
I may want her bad
But after a night of love
I’ll probably just make her sad

Can a girl make love for nothing?
For nothing but how I make her feel?
I already know what she’ll do for me
We’ll see what happens once it gets real

Take it as far as it needs to go
She may be in it for love
But I’m gonna take it slow
Take it as far as it needs to go
She may look good
But love needs time to grow

You had a name
And a pretty dress
You wore it well
You wore it to impress
We smiled
And said what we say
It is the dance of strangers
Wondering if this is the day
To be who we are
To prepare our minds
For the journey beyond the superficiality
The imperfect word failed to find
You wanted light
I wanted darkness
And yet when it was my turn
The light was my fearlessness
To tell you that I am everything
Everything you want
The challenge that you need
As you flicker through this moment
To the time and place of a dream
Igniting before your eyes
As my calling became yours
And you finally removed your disguise
As spontaneous prose burst before you
To the laughing mirror you were sent reeling
To confirm what you already knew
Beauty could not stop what I was stealing
Yes you are pretty
So very pretty
But is today the day
To find your soul in the city?

He wanted her to stay the way she was
The way she was the day they first met
She wanted him to change the way he was
She loved him but he wasn’t there just yet

She was so wild when they first met
But she was ready to grow up
He was still just a wide-eyed boy
It takes a man time for him to catch up

They didn’t realize it was happening
But they started drifting apart
She only thought about the future
He only thought about her heart

He’d watch her when she was reading
She knew but pretended not to notice
She felt the pressure of his eyes
And wondered if she could satisfy his lust

Twenty years passed
He wondered why she had to grow up
Twenty years passed
She wondered when he would catch up

It seemed they were never really together
They would make love but then talk about the weather
She didn’t know that he would always be a boy at heart
He didn’t know she wanted to be an adult from the start

They didn’t realize it was happening
But they started drifting apart
She only thought about the future
He only thought about her heart

Twenty years passed
He wondered why she had to grow up
Twenty years passed
She wondered when he would catch up

It was just the three of us… me, my girl and her friend
We played love songs that made us cry when they would end

Then her friend decided to go
“My husband and I never sing
So I can’t stay just to cry alone”
But my girl said at least you have a ring

I wondered why we were able to be so free
And yet I couldn’t bring myself to fall to one knee

It’s the knowing that I can leave
That eases my worried mind
It’s the knowing that she’ll wait
That makes me treat her so unkind

She looked at me with her heart bleeding rivers of when?
I told her it worked for us because I’m not like other men

But she did not like that answer
And her hurt tore me up inside
I couldn’t think about tomorrow
But she had to think about female pride

I hate the way the world works with all the rules
It seems everyone repeats the mistakes of fools

“My mother is ready for me to get married
My friends have their rings for all to see
You don’t understand what it’s like to be the last one
To have a man show everyone his love for me”

I was thinking she had her rights and was truly free
But maybe love bound her with the shame I could not see

So what should I do my love to ease your pain?
Am I with your mother or am I with you?
That is not what our love is all about
The moment we change our love will too

So is it time for you to move on and find someone to come home to?
Yesterday will make us cry because we will long for the days we once knew

You finally got the courage
To tell her how you feel
You showed her your heart
You told her it was real

But some other guy
Already whispered in her ear
And you know he told her
The things she wanted to hear

Now she has a story to tell
About how a night always must end
And while she will see the sun
She’ll never see him again

Tell her the things she wants to hear
But tell her while you draw her near
When she wakes with that same old fear
She’ll see that you’re still here  

She knows there’s a force inside
That tells you what to say
But when you fall asleep
She worries about another day

A man will say anything
To get love in the night
But a love will do anything
To try to make it right

Tell her the things she wants to hear
But tell her while you draw her near
When she wakes with that same old fear
She’ll see that you’re still here

I’m still waiting
I’m in one spot
Just one long note
Sustained
Looking for something
A place to go
But this one feels right
It seems as if it provides the answers
Maturity
Creativity
Availability
Longevity
Spontaneity
Re­liability
I know my spot so well
I can’t imagine any other
I can look back
And see the line
Traced upon experience
It seems as if it provides the needs
A roof
A job
A car
A bed
A breath of fresh air
There is nothing that I want
Or is that a lie?
Can it be that I want something?
Yes
I do
But who can give it to me?
Do you even know what it is that I want?
I know what it is
But there is nothing anybody can do
Except make me forget what I want
For a moment
That’s the problem
You cannot compete with what I want
You just can’t
And it’s not fair to you
So that is why I let you go
Because maybe you are what someone else wants
But what I want
Is not flesh
And it never will be again

I took her to my home
Still I forgot her name
She was a problem child
But I wanted to play her game

If I never see the sun
I won’t be losing again
Because the parting light
Means the heartache begins

I never know which drink
Is the one before too many
But I know why the sun shines
On a room that is empty

You made every mistake
That a woman can make
I know all your flaws
But whose heart is gonna’ break?

If I never see the sun
I won’t be losing again
Because the parting light
Means the heartache begins

I wonder if a woman
Can feel a man while she sleeps
My eyes won’t leave her alone
She doesn’t know I’m playing for keeps

You don’t know Joy
Neither do I
She’s only twelve years old
But she impacted a lot of peoples lives

She was a normal girl
Full of life
She had lots of friends
She was popular

Joy has two sisters
And a mom and dad
Just a family
They go to church
Her parents both have jobs
The economy made that necessary

But something happened
Halloween was cancelled
People who used to leave their doors unlocked stopped doing that
People who believed in the sanctity of their homes stopped thinking like that
A sleepy college town became part of the real world

You see
They were murdered
Joy
And her parents
Her sisters weren’t home
But they came home to that
And they are scarred
And the murderer was never found

The sherriff said
"But I can see Joy's eyes as clear today as I sit here talking to you."

It happened in 1966
I was eight
And I remember
Because I lived in that town
I was there that night
We read about it
I was scared
But I had forgotten
Until last night when I was reminded

Now I weep for Joy
I want to live a dream for her
But I don’t know what she wants
I want to go back in time
I want to be there when the murderer arrived
And I want to stop him
I want to be there with a shotgun
And blow him away
Maybe you think this is getting too intense
Well it was for Joy
And I’m man enough to do it
I want to **** this man
And I am not sorry that I think this way

I love you Joy
And I’m glad I was reminded
Because a little girl should not be forgotten
Just because time has

The flower is in full bloom
With exotic allure
Covering its true self
What it is I’m not really sure
I’ve lost my mind
As I want to possess
It is a calling
That a man cannot suppress
But the memory
Of a bleeding heart
And stained hands
Reveals love is more than art
Mi querida are you a rose
Or a daffodil?
Must I live with thorns
Or is your soul tranquil?
I stare into the painting
And touch your wild colors
Can you hold yourself in the moment
Or will you collapse like all the others?
Why do you want me
To be your lover?
Why do you show me a mirror
And hide behind my fantasy’s cover?
You cannot be a rose
If you are not
And even so
How do you know what I want?
Should you even try
To bring me near?
When the petals fall
Will the thorns appear?
Only you know the truth
Of who you are
I can only love
Someone who can share a scar
Don’t be what I want
Be who you are
Love will die
In soil we cannot share
Let the petals fall
And we will gather them together
Because we know they will
They cannot stay forever

It was so long ago
Or was it… yesterday?
Separated by fears
Of love that would not wait

But if I had known
How I would feel today
I would have taken your heart
And shown it a world
Where dreams really do
Dreams really do come true

It’s like a regret
That you always feel in your heart
It’s like a love affair
But only you will play the part
How can I live
When time has left me no choice
But to die or be alone
Because love never found its voice

But if I had known
How I would feel today
I would have taken your heart
And shown it a world
Where dreams really do
Dreams really do come true

I don’t understand
****** for power
I don’t understand
Complaint without solution
I don’t understand
Ego without accomplishment
I don’t understand
Action without reason
I don’t understand
Judgment without experience
I don’t understand
Advancement without merit
I don’t understand
Worship without thought
I don’t understand
Belief without proof
I don’t understand
Love without kindness
I don’t understand
Want without need
I don’t understand
Talk without meaning
I don’t understand
Celebrity without talent
I don’t understand
A white lie
I don’t understand
Falsehood without challenge
I don’t understand
Might over right
I don’t understand
Beauty without soul
I don’t understand
Law from faith
I don’t understand
Victory at all costs
I don’t understand
An end by any means
I don't understand
Commerce over spirituality
I don't understand
Greed over giving
I don’t understand
Hurting a child
I don’t understand
Reward for failure
I don’t understand
Too big to fail
I don’t understand
The Virtue of Selfishness
I don’t understand
Too powerful to question
I don’t understand
Arrogance from vicarious pleasure
I don’t understand
Ambition without empathy
I don’t understand
The sale of loyalty
I don’t understand
Money over honor
I don't understand
Ignorance over education
I don't understand
Cheating
I don’t understand
Hate
I don't understand
Why the good die young
I don't understand
Do you?

We left this world
As we came
You were the first
And we both felt pain
As I carried you to God
I knew the clock began
In the time to be born
It was to you I ran
It took nine months
For my life to start
And nine more
To rejoin my heart
As I existed
Within you and without
I felt your presence
There was never any doubt
It was our destiny
To always be near
There would be no separation
This much was clear
They did not want me to die mother
But it had to be
Things were never clear
I was unable to see
Into the depths of suffering
I sank until there was no light
Then God’s hand reached out to me
And created day from night
The door of pain beckoned
And I entered without fear
Though I knew those left behind
Would shed another tear
It is who we are mother
The young ones in their memory
It is how we must live
And how we will be remembered by history
It seemed a cruel fate
But for what did we pray?
Eternal life in heaven
And that is God’s way
Do not weep for us
We are together in this place
We quietly wait for the day
For our family to join us in God’s grace

It’s not the way your smile draws me back to you even when I wasn't invited
     It’s the way you walk upstream when it would be so easy to float away
It’s not the way you paint pictures of your life as if it’s your last day to tell
     It’s the way you love because you know how to let someone be free
It’s not the way you kiss me and show how a woman loves a man
     It’s the way your dignity tells me that no matter what you will be alright
It’s not the way you light up whenever I walk into your life
     It’s the way you would rather be lonely than settle for the easy way out
It's not the way you make love and forget how a lady should act
     It's the way you remind me that a lady is what a lady decides to be

To the living
It is the end times
To the dead
The times have ended
Alive or dead
Meaning
Has its purpose
The only way to God
Is to believe
In the primacy
Of your own heart
Before the dust settles
The belief
In your nobility
Cloaks your delusion
As you assume
Your impending doom
Will either be pardoned
Or crowned
But the end
Cannot be determined
Only lived
If you were hurt
It is not what I wanted
If I kept you from love
It was not meant to be
As you search
For meaning
Look not to me
But through me
As my back
Is all you will see
To prepare you
For more meaningful disappointment
Cry not
For my heart
Was never open
It was sent to you
To warn you
To prepare for the end
Of who you were
And the beginning
Of who you will be
Look not to me
For answers
Look to me
For hope
For I am flesh
And I have taught you
To be spirit
Whole
Alive
Free

You ran
When it was your turn
Hiding
While the poor did burn
Now you ruin
The lives of others
Ignoring the cries
Of tearful mothers
With shameful assurance
In your own power
You now stand tall
Pretending you did not cower
Allowing others
To walk and die
In your place
So you could lie
About your past
And how you believed
In a just cause
While your kind deceived
The sheep
Herding us along
You pretended to be strong
But in fact you were wrong
And now seasoned
With a flag
And a god
You brag
Of America
And it’s greatness
Yet you destroyed
The moral compass
In your desire
To ****
And for what?
To achieve God’s will?
The same God
Who said
“Blessed are the peacemakers?”
As he led
The meek
And the poor
As they seek
Deliverance
From the likes of you
Who can only steal
From the hearts of the few
Who continue to believe
In a world of green meadows
Sparkling oceans
And the love they conceive
As their children
Look to them for guidance
In a world
Where avoidance
Of conflict
Is rewarded
With the power
To ignore the exploited
And to line the pockets
Of those who said no
To service
But now say go
To those who have no option
But to fight and die
For the chosen few
Who will not tell us why
They can live with impunity
Never answering the question
Of how God’s grace is given
To Satan’s confession

I'm gentle
     Except when you want rough ***
I'm sensitive
     Except when you want a real cowboy
I'm vulnerable
     Except when you want toughness
I'm domesticated
     Except when you want me to be wild
I'm open
     Except when you want mystery
I'm predictable
     Except when you want me to be spontaneous
I'm mature
     Except when you want me to act like a kid
I'm serious
     Except when you want me to make you laugh
I'm a hard worker
     Except when you want me to come home
I'm talkative
     Except when you want me to be quiet
I'm able to read your mind
     Except when I can't

I'm all these things

The problem is guessing when is the right moment.....

There’s no place to make a sound
If nobody cares about your voice
We all need a way out
But dying is our only choice

So we retreat into death defying acts
It’s all we have as everybody knows
The seeds have no place to go
Because love ends when the rooster crows

The stack of chips follow certain people
But only those who control their fate
Girls look for a skinny circus mirror
And smile at friends they secretly hate

We eat the stale bread of promise
And complain about our lot
Yet the blessings pile up in the corner
Unknown, forsaken and unsought

Hope vanishes in the mist
Its face shrouded in ambivalence
It’s up to you now my God
Will my destiny be your deliverance?

He has a wife
And three children
And he joined the army
But there is no such thing as toy soldiers

He became everything they wanted him to be
A soldier
A warrior
Able to pull the trigger
But today he pulled the wrong one
The one that was for him
And him only

He wasn't following orders
Just his own
A mind is a terrible thing to waste
And his was wasted

It was time to ****
Non-believers
Sixteen people who don't believe
Not in Jesus anyway
Well they do
Sort of
But not like they believe in Mohammed

That's right
He shot them
Now everyone's mad

"Why?
Because everyone is dead!
Just dead!
I killed them!
That's what ******' happens!
Why are you surprised?"

They dropped an atomic bomb once
He got a medal

She wants to be good
And eternal life
We must not forget about that
So she prays
And preaches
And gives witness
And tempts the Lord
With her faith

It’s so far beyond my capacity to reason
Or maybe it's beneath it

That kind of belief
Cannot be discussed
In present company
I’ve never felt such unworthiness
And the need to reject
All at the same time

Does something terrible have to happen
For me to believe in this manner?
It’s not a matter of humbling myself
For God (if he’s up there) knows my limitations
I’m not fooling anyone
I know this
I really do

So why am I drawn to cemeteries
And crosses
But not to people?
It seems only the dead interest me
Maybe it’s because only they know

As I wandered
I saw a row of signs
The first one said

     Thou shalt not ****

The second one said

     Thou shalt not ****

The third one said

      Thou shalt not ****

It was not God speaking
It was my conscience
Because I know it to be true
It was endless
Each sign
Saying the same thing

     Thou shalt not ****

Yet we do
And we live with it
We live with the killing
And we hear the drums

     Of war

It is happening
And we are helpless to stop it
It will happen
In a land far away
Is this why you are not afraid?
Is it because you know you will survive?
As will your children?

     Thou shalt not ****

Yet we do
And we will
As will they

Where fear lives
Hope struggles
To survive
Where anger exists
Dignity fights
To remain alive
Silent worry
Met by prayer
As mortality looms
We smell
Burning denial
And death’s pungent fumes
And now
The seeker
Will roam
Walking the halls
Of God’s message
When will he be called home?
The door
Of pain
And agony
Opens
It is time
For your testimony
Of who you were
And how you waited
Living with tomorrow’s promise
Which suddenly
Is upon you
The doubting Thomas
Do you stand
In your confusion?
Or do you kneel?
Helpless and alone
With your ego’s sword
Now melted steel
Who will make you strong
As uncertainty reigns
And drops its unmerciful curtain?
Who will win?
And who will lose?
Once assured now uncertain
You witness
Laughter and joy
As a prayer is met
With clemency
And grace
As God did not forget
Will you utter an aging promise
With tears from closed eyes?
Giving another false pledge?
Delivered only upon
Your need for God
As you crawl along the edge
Of the end
Of life
Or is it a new beginning?
What will you learn?
How will you live?
Will it be about giving?
You walked into the chamber
And judged yourself
With God’s own revelation
The picture
One of failure
And embraced temptation
When you return
And plead for your life
Or that of another
Will you remember this day
And how you begged
To be mercy’s lover?

Is it morning in America or should we continue to dream?
Should we go to sleep or stay awake to watch others scheme?
And as I drift in and out of the twilight’s last gleam
It becomes my choice to stay silent or to wake up with a scream

Is reality as it should be or is it still a nightmare?
No matter my state I cannot tell if I am here or there
The words of long ago remind me that life isn’t fair
Was his dream accepted or does anyone even care?

Should we sing another verse of “We Shall Overcome?
Should we continue to bang on the drum?
Will we ever know what the content of our character will become?
It remains the failure of man instead of color or where we’re from

What fear awakens the slumbering mind to the curse of hate?
What need to hurt rouses the racist to **** another’s fate?
What silence in the heart of a good man made it too late?
What bullet struck the man because the rope wouldn’t wait?

How can eternal good live in a world full of evil men?
The graves of a thousand innocent slaves rise to face them
Fearless before God they question their faith and his plan
He wouldn’t even give them a cross for them to pay for their sin

He was murdered because he asked to be our equal
Courage in the face of unrelenting fear is the prophet’s ritual
Today we remember but tomorrow we will forget to be spiritual
And history will once again demand the unrepentant sequel

This will never happen
I’m tired of waiting
A dream is exhausting
Yeah that’s what she said

She knows
The future
Because she knows my past

You won’t be a man
And you will never be
Unless you set me free
Yeah that’s what she said

She knows
The future
Because she knows my past

She reached me
She did it so easily
She made me want to love her
It’s not just her beauty
It’s how she understands a man
She loves being a woman
And she let me be me
She did it without even trying

But she knows
She knows what will happen
She sees the look on my face
It’s not here
It’s not with her
It’s somewhere
But it’s not here

She’s a prophet
She’s a prophet
She’s a prophet
She’s a prophet

It must be said
Once again
No matter how you tire
Of sin
And hopelessness
Where God lives
Is love
Understanding
Selflessness and wisdom
The Mahatma
Courage
Achievement
Humility
Without rank
Without ambition
Morality
Merit
Human
Determination
Dignity
Sacrifice
Pai­n
Patience
Kindness
Principle
Standards
Where oppression exists
There is no God
With power
Comes differences
Rank
Superiority
Predominance
Hierarchy
Religion
Patr­iotism
Nationalism
Jingoism
Legacy
Birthright
Force
Class
Pride
Privilege
Hypocrisy
Corruption
Humiliation
Indifference
Cr­uelty
Violence
War
All faiths
Should be considered equal
Before a God of all faiths
Acceptance
On Earth
You cannot **** God
By killing his believer
You cannot **** a believer
And be loved by God
No man or woman
Is subservient
To another
No man or woman
Is held above
Any other
All kneel before the maker
Worship
No man
No victory
No wealth
No fleeting beauty
Honor
Charity
Empathy
Tolerance
Diversity
Culture
Art
Just­ice
Freedom
Creativity
Fairness
Deference
Humanity
Where do you sit?
At the head of the table
Or at the foot?
What do you wish for?
Riches?
To be respected?
To be feared?
To be loved?
What do they say about you?
Do you know?
Do you care?
Are they fools
To be exploited?
Is life only for your gain?
Can you be trusted?
Can they count on you?
Or do you count on them
For your achievement?
For your glory?
For your power?
For your face to be carved in stone
Above men
And God?
Is that you?
Is that what you want?

Were you really alive?
My emotions tell me so
I stare and wonder
Why I need to know
I see a stranger's grave
But I’ve never seen yours
They told me you died
But instead I pray over hers
The dream of your life
Intertwined with my own
And hers with ours
All etched in stone
A simple epitaph
You were here
She was there
And I stand near
Who cried over her
As I cried over you?
Does anyone remember?
I wonder who
As does she
Her flowers need water
From either you or me
And yet I wilt
Even as I live
With simmering remorse
Because I cannot give
To you or her
Or those who loved
The two of you
And what of things unresolved
About her place
And yours
In my life
And how it obscures
Any meaning I may have carried
From that fateful day
When I was told
Your own hand took your life away
And brought me here
To this place
To learn of her
While imagining your face
Who loved her
As I loved you?
You were my friend
This will always be true
Even as time has separated us
But your presence
And the feeling you are there
Is here in her essence
In how she reaches me
And how I long
To know her
But is it so wrong
To place vicarious sorrow
Upon her shores
To use her life
To remember yours?
Will she
Rise up
Out of the ground
To fill my cup
With her love
For deliverance
By me to you
So that for once
The memories
That were buried with you
And with her
Will come into view
For all to see
As I bridge
The gap
And acknowledge
That the story
You both now weave
Lives in my mind
While I grieve
For you
And for her
And for those
Who cry as they remember

We The People
Sailed the same course
Some willingly
Some by force
We The People
A document to inform
A more perfect Union
To weather any storm
No more kings
No more oppression
No taxation
Without representation
Checks and balances
And the rule of law
Mitigating injustices
Safe harbor for all
The secular trinty
President, Congress, Court
Not one above the other
Veto, fiat, tort
Our common interest
Of defense
With liberty
And justice
Our common tranquility
And general welfare
A union
With resources to share
American rights
And protection
From a despotic government
Or an insurrection
Free to worship my God
Or your God
Freedom to find God
Or deny any God
Open discourse
Speaking my mind
And yours
However unkind
Collective grievances
Peaceably petitioned
We walk together
But never threatened
To bear arms
For our security
Never being forced
To quarter unwillfully
To remain secure
In our sanctuary
Unless presented
With writ of entry
Neither held
Absent habeas corpus
Or loss of property
Unless agreed by us
Or forced to testify
To contradict our own denials
Or brought forward
In duplicitous trials
To face our accuser
In much haste
Represented by counsel
Our peers decide our fate
Not one but twelve
Examining the facts
Brought forward
But only this court acts
Reasonable recompense
For fine or bail
Cruel or unusual retribution
Shall not avail
An enumeration
Merely provides illumination
But within the penumbra
Reveals more freedom
That is self-evident
No list or count
Exists to encumber
Or restriction to surmount
A union has formed
But sacred remains the individual
The tyranny of the majority
Is not permissible
A living breathing document?
Or static words unbending?
Even as we amend
Change never ending
Open to interpretation
If you see a right
But others may disagree
There may be a fight
The spirit of intent
Is there to see
Freedom to choose
Secured by liberty
We The People
A sacred quest
We The People
No more no less

When I need a break
There’s a place I like to go
Sometimes it’s just the water
Sometimes the islands show

It reminds me of us
How we aren’t always there
I’m never sure where we stand
Or if we even care

Things change
Things I used to touch
What always was is now not so much
When I see a lake run dry
I realize what money can’t buy
Yeah things change
Things change

I wonder where life may lead
I have no money
I have no home
There's no place to plant a seed

Is it about being alone
On an island of sand?
Is it as simple
As needing to hold someone’s hand?

Things change
Things I used to touch
What always was is now not so much
When I see a lake run dry
I realize what money can’t buy
Yeah things change
Things change

Maybe this is all there is
It seems we still can laugh
We can take one night
And forget about the past

They say, "embrace change"
But sometimes it's not to be
We don’t care about tomorrow
Or is that just me?

Things change
Things I used to touch
What always was is now not so much
When I see a lake run dry
I realize what money can’t buy
Yeah things change
Things change

Why do I keep throwing my memories away?
Every new girl wants to **** my past
Now that you’re gone
The next one will want to **** you too

I don’t want to deny my past
I just want something that will last
Why waste time talking about her?
That’s all behind me now

I never think of them
Except when you bring it up
I’m not the type to go back
Why do you want to go there?

Don’t make me deny my past
I just want something that will last
Why waste time talking about her?
That’s all behind me now

You were supposed to make me forget
But you kept reminding my heart
Why did you do that?
You turned us off before we could start

I put on a slow song about the coast
And then I said, “Let’s dance”
But before long
You said, “That was ya’lls song”

It must be terrible to be so afraid
Why are you scared of a ghost?
You worry about what will never happen
You keep thinking about that song about the coast

Don’t make me deny my past
I just want something that will last
Why waste time talking about her?
That’s all behind me now

A feeling
Is not about who is best
Art
Is not a contest
To insist on a victor
Is an ego that has broken
Showering hate upon the lives
Of hearts that are open*

What may or may not be poetry
Is instead the heart of our family
You commented rather pointedly
About your superior ability
And eloquent verbosity
Most likely derived from history
Of the friends of Neal Cassidy
And other written eccentricity
Yet you forgot your humanity
And instead introduced a monstrosity
An ego steeped in personal vanity
Insisting on being treated royally
Demanding your subjects bow immediately
As you crashed into the sea of tranquility
Planting your flag of superiority
And crushing our words spoken so plainly
But heartfully
Because the letters are unworthy
To one who is challenged emotionally
Unable to live peacefully
Amongst those who wish to learn gratefully
About a craft you have reserved selfishly
For yourself and those you deem to be equally
As adept as yourself in the vagary
Of references you declare to be wholly
Fresh and newly
Minted by your ability
To walk around the cliché so gracefully
While we repeatedly
Use words such as lovely
Or heavenly
Or tearfully
Or holy
So we beg you openly
To understand what is primary
In a place for the novice to publically
Air their emotions unapologetically
And speak candidly
And unconditionally
About how painfully
It is to live freely
In a place so worldly
Where men think judgmentally
******* the life from those who live meekly
And wish to exist thankfully
Amongst those who understand brotherly
Love and who affectionately
Praise those who tenderly
Open their hearts to humanity
Giving mercy
To those without the gifts you egotistically
Bludgeoned us with so artfully
But failing miserably
To impart insightfully
Your wisdom for those who willingly
Would receive daily
Your transcendently
And insightfully
Spoken songs of serenity
But instead you callously
Reminded us unfortunately
That mere man is weakly
Empowered to exist commonly
And instead arrogantly
Cuts the rose greedily
Leaving the thorns sadistically

The sheep walk the fields
Unaware of their impending doom
Rustled by a barking dog
Swept along like dust on a broom
Slowly walking in a dreamy haze
The sun provides a moment's respite
Happiness masks tomorrow’s uncertainty
Oblivious they know not to be desperate
A banquet at their feet
Digesting their way through life
Swirling, ritualistic endeavors
Instinctive, unthinking actions are rife
Dancing on a precious patch
Herded, prodded, shoved
Head down for the moment
Do they know they are unloved?
A symbol of inevitability
I watch with idle curiosity
What is the point of this?
Other than to inspire verbosity?
Are we worthy of their death?
Or their aimless existence?
As I walk away to another duty
The answers are whispered in the distance…

She covers for God
Not you
Are you worthy
Of her will to be true?
To the word
As it is written
Not of man
But begotten
Into the cradle
Of our existence
Heard by those
Who lower their resistance
To what is holy
Not on earth
But in heaven
Where a woman’s worth
Is measured
By the blessing
Of her womb
Life-giving and supporting
Each new creation
Equally touched
By the unseen
But untouched
By sin
Until the apple is offered
By the bare flesh
To our sons and daughters
Yes she suffers
Behind the cloak
Of piousness
Wearing its yoke
Until the strength
Of one man’s soul
Reveals itself
To make her whole
As it was intended
For man and woman
But not before
He has proven
His understanding
That a hijab
Is not weakness
But God’s robe
Which he dare part
To find paradise
In the strength
He saw in her eyes

You must never change
For me
You have been spared control's wrath
You will follow your heart
You will follow your path
You were free when we met
So this I do not give
But instead it will remain
Rather without
You will be with
My desires are dreams
Not commands
Be as you are now
You never have to worry
I will enjoy
Rather than allow
But when you become lonely
Will you think of me?
I may not be the only
But I will make you see
Love
Passion
Strength
Freedom
With this you will live
In this you can believe
I did not come to you
For your mind's conquest
You are not my goal
You are not Mount Everest
Others will try to construct
The vision they conceive
But I see a vision
In you
And together we will weave
A life as we define it
Our voice unrestrained
Our thoughts unexplained
Our existence uncontained
And when we are apart
Your heart will rest
Protected by the walls
Of trust's treasure chest
Walk alone my love
And carry your wishes
And I will carry mine
Together we will share love's riches
But as you live your life
As free as you can be
I have but one question
Can you do the same... for me?

I really do
It burns the fields
Of happiness
In another's
Accomplishments
It floods
The gates
Of admiration
With tears
Because
I didn't do it
I hate my ego
The menace
To society
And friendship
There is not enough light
To share
As its shadow
Swallows
Your pride
Whole
Because
My ego
Can only exist
Alone
Without you
Without your genius
Without my respect
For you
Because my ego
Only recognizes one thing
Itself

$     +     ?

Can all of life be reduced
To a sign?
Is it a dollar?
Is it yours or is it mine?
Is it a cross?
The sign of death
The sign of resurrection
Eternal life taking its first breath
Is it a man
With the power of reason
Filtered through perception
Changing every season?
Do you even know?
To whom do you pray?
Or do they pray to you
As you make them obey?
Do you crawl?
Or do they crawl to you?
Begging for mercy
As you would do
How would you describe yourself?
A Machiavellian?
A winner by any means
Even at the cost of heaven
In God we trust
But stuck in the eye of the needle
We extend our hand
Clutching the root of all evil
Unable to shed
Material things
Instead we cling
To gold and diamond rings
What is your sign?
I see it in the fruit you bear
I hear it in your words
I see it in clothes you wear
I see your assumption
Of privilege for yourself
As you take without asking
Adding to your wealth
A dollar sign
Is that your answer?
The cross
Is it your cancer?
It is written
Man cannot live by bread alone
Yet you insist
And refuse to atone
There is a sign
For each of us
Is it a dollar
Or a cross?
You decide
And for you I will pray
But make haste
It could be your last day
Do not take it literally
It's only a question
What is your sign?
I leave you with introspection
Or is the choice
To live under no sign at all?
Only to believe life has no meaning
For we live.... and that is all

Can you see it on my face?
That last smile you gave me
****
Dread
That’s what I felt
You are so ready to fall completely in love
Maybe you already have
And I’m so ready to turn out the light
Darkness is calling again
And it is all I can hear

     You see the moon
     And think of me
     But what you failed to notice
     Is how the moon is positioned
     Tomorrow there will be an eclipse

To think of life without considering anything or anyone
I need that
It’s not about “me” time
It’s about a “me” life
And you don’t know this about me yet
But what I thought I tamed
Is out of the cage
It’s running wild through your forest
The one where you go to smile and be in love
Now there is something bearing down on you
In slow motion
Because I can’t say the words
I don’t love you like that

Hey hey little Davy
Guess that was the last train
But you forgot to say goodbye to Jean
Now she’s crying herself to sleep
Who will kiss the homecoming queen?

Hey hey little Davy
We’re still the young generation
And this is what we have to say
We wanted to be just like you
Now you’ve gone away

Hey hey little Davy
We’re still messing around
Following in your footstep
We hopped on those stones
While we ate our breakfast

Hey hey little Davy
We loved you as children
We always were your believer
Now that we've seen your face
We'll never forget Saturday morning fever

I saw her on the side of the road
Her thumb was scrapping the sky
I couldn't believe what I was seeing
She was standing where love goes to die

I asked, "Where you headed hon?"
She just smiled and climbed on in
I put my love life back into gear
But she was just lookin' for sin

"This is as far as my heart will go"
She made it clear to me
"I just like the honeymoon
And that's all it's gonna be"

She was ready to double-down on love
Even though she had no idea what came next
It didn't matter if she won or lost
Her heart was used to writing that check

I was maybe just the next ace
But gambling was her life
She just liked the excitment
She didn't care if she became my wife

This is as far as her heart will go
She made it clear to me
She just likes honeymoons
A beauty queen won't settle down for free

For a moment I thought I saw it
She was telling me she's been hurt before
Just when I thought she might settle down
She started looking at the door

This is as far as her heart will go
Just to the next stop
She'll ride with you for a while
But soon you'll be alone on that blacktop

In a world of questions
With headstones as the answers
No one knows God’s will
As we dig another hole
Soon to be prayed over
Who will be the next fill?
In whistling ignorance
While at work or play
The next grave prepares itself
Too young to listen
Too old to remember
All that matters is material wealth
We hear the ancient words
Channeled through dilated eyes
As if they talk to the face of God
No longer seeking knowledge
The decision has been made
And now our obedience they ****
Killing in the name of God
Insulting in the name of intelligence
All those so sure bring their armies to bear
Caught in the crossfire
Of dogmatic accusation
The agnostic voices speak if they dare
And so the truth is lost
In the eye of the hurricane
As we are swept away with the tide
And yet we return again and again
Even to face certain death
As we who ask stand before those who lied
They hope to find the truth
In the rolling sands of receding waters
That chase the clouds away
Living through uncertainty
But loving one another
The flash of blue seems to light the way
Climbing through the mounds
Of broken dreams and memories
We sew hope into our lives
Mending our discouraged minds
And remembering tomorrow
We faintly hear the rising voices of lies

I took another wistful drag
Thinking, "That's some ***** ****"
I don't know why I do it
As soon as I light one up
I'm already lookin' to quit

Expectation and anticipation is all I have
But what's real is no dream
I build it up in my mind
Knowing how it's going to be
But an imagined ocean is only life's stream

Making some money presses upon my mind
I say something intelligent every now and then
But there is no challenge
There is no thrill
In a situation where I've already been

I think about *** all the time
It's the only thing that I can see
Letting myself go
Her gasps in the wind
It's the only dream that becomes reality

I can't spend my whole life in ******* fury
Pleasuring my girl until she screams
I have to find something
Anything in my life
But I am a man of extremes

I'm exactly what every girl suspects
A charming rogue impatient with spark and court
Why are they interested
In a pathetic freedom rider?
They know I'm not really their sort

Can I be someone's lover?
I'm beginning to wonder about that
What will we do today?
What's wrong with you?
They question where my mind is at

Well let me tell you something about it
It's not here that's for sure
As you stand before me
I am merely an image
It seems I only make you feel insecure

All I can say right now
Is there is pain with no end
A wanderer cannot rest
Or learn to be content
I know I can never pretend

Let's talk honestly about life
You know I love you
But can you love a rock
Drifting towards an unseen sea?
Because soon I will fade from view

Someday on your door I may knock
Wondering if my dream is alone
I have agreed to suffer
In return for my own life
But can an unworthy man approach your throne?

Walking away burdened by regret
I know I've made a mistake
But is that really true?
I received what I asked
Instead of giving it seems I can only take

I think this is my question
Was that really for me?
Your smile has scattered my mind
Like children at the end of a school day

Screaming and yelling recklessly
Running away from tedium
With no thought to anything
But the happiness they will spend

And when you laugh
Birds of a different feather
Gather with no thought of difference
But with hope for your call

As do I
Or is it just who you are?
A girl with a smile for a stranger
Because life is about what you give

Am I wearing you out?
I don’t want to be sad
But it’s so unfulfilling
Pretending to be glad

Am I bringing you down?
I don’t want to make you mad
But it’s so hard to smile
I don't follow the latest fad

How can I ignore
How we are not free?
How can I laugh
When the world is not all it can be?

Am I too much for you?
I don’t want to be so intense
But I can’t relax
When nothing makes sense

Am I driving you away?
I don’t want to lose you
But I can’t be who I am
If I can't be true

How can I ignore
How we are hurting each other?
How can I laugh
When we don’t love one another?

Is there room for you in my life
When there is so much pain?
It takes up all my mind
It’s so hard for me to explain

Is there a moment for a dreamer?
When I feel so unworthy?
All I can think of is disappointment
I hope this is not the end of my story

How can I ignore
How I am not the man I want to be?
How can I laugh
When people cry because of me?

Young man
Where is your voice?
The world awaits
You have no choice
Don't look back in awe
It's time to lead
I want to know
How strong is your creed?

Why do you seem so tired?
You lost your breath
Why do you crawl?
Take your first step
You've just been born
Open your eyes
Help us my child
Show us the lies

The world is decaying
And you along with it
I'm tired of praying
Are you complicit?

Are you awake
Or do you even know you sleep?
You won't risk your day
You let laziness creep
Deaf, dumb and blind
Is fear your ale?
Come forth
Let your anguish wail

Your legacy is so full
Of youthful protest and rage
When they die off
Who will turn the page?
Faint to your mind
Because you won't look
It's not about Old Glory
Please read a history book

The world is decaying
And you along with it
I'm tired of praying
Must I be explicit?

I know what you're thinking
Why try? What for?
So worldly you'd rather be
A ****** being like children before
You think you've come of age
Because nothing's pure
True insight eludes
Yet you seem so sure

Look at me
Old, tired and cynical
Searching for something
So true, so lyrical
I continue to lift my pen
Making my anger rhyme
While you embrace leisure
Letting it rot your mind

The world is decaying
And you along with it
I'm tired of praying
When will you get with it?

Tomorrow has become something else
Last week, last month, last year
But anger is the chord and action the melody
And this you refuse to hear
You borrow my nostalgia
And believe it's happening to you
Become the new voice
Lead  us on through

Where are you my child?
The world needs you now!
I'm dying with my memory
It is your turn to face the enemy