Nothing so dead ever smelled so alive
The air full of soft cedar perfume
But where now the bees and their hive
The birds and the trees?
Every one that shaded our walks
Now a grave yard of memories
Cut down in haste before the sun
While the moon witnessed the sin
No light so bright ever felt so glum
Full as love once was young
Resisting the salt of *****
And tears never to be forgotten
To live instead without depth
To wade in shallow ponds
And not beneath the surface
Where our souls silently guide us
Is to allow the past, lying prone
To be trod upon by progress
No, it cannot be so
Where a breeze played alone
And a shadow dodged the sun
No, it cannot be so callous
As to allow its own heart to die
While the body walks away
Empty except for malice
Because for another to atone
Is to not be the comfort parade
For those who beg not to lie
Beg not to watch an eclipse
That can only sing sad songs
That only remind of its own
And how the only home
Remembered as it was made
A life without ever being paid
Only a sanctuary for the afraid
Now the busy dead live among us
And we must allow it to be so
The cross is where the bark fell
The spirit is what I shall tell
For I’ve become a birds nest rising
But it’s not so surprising
As my rhyme wavers once again
I must choose another hole to live
The one I once loved is full
Full like a rising tide
Reaching for its mother
Take me home the ocean cried
For what is left except for you?

my heart is not a game
it is as serious as life can be
and though it can laugh
it will not compete for love
nor will it wander aimlessly

the reflection of a distant pond
but its light knows the dark
it is unafraid to be alone
a newborn knows no one
nor the hole a ***** will part

it remembers the past
and how it once did love
but that is a movie now
with characters so young
and futures unconceived of

tell me how it can be
are you right, will I be free;
free to live my purpose
then to find you waiting there
to love what is inside of me

do not try to play my heart
though it is an instrument
hear the music it makes
believe in the faith of sound
to you, it has already been sent

Something took your place
There was despair, now I pray for grace
I let it get away from me
The memory I left behind won’t let me be
There was a time when I was so unafraid
Now I can only think about mistakes
Instead of thinking about someone new

Something took my place
I’m getting nowhere, I’m losing the race
I can no longer see
The vision I am chasing doesn’t recognize me
There was a time when I would have stayed
Now I only think about what keeps me awake
And the time I thought I was in love with you

In the mendacious times of human existence
The dominion of truth exists only in those willing to die for it
To whom, so sure of themselves
The graves are full of those willing to accept God's will
For they know sin speaks in many ways

"Join us if you have the courage
Otherwise remain as you are
Failed men afraid of their souls
To divine your purpose
You must walk in the dark
While the moon weeps
Eat without a plate
While a King sleeps
Fail at love
While she slays another
You must know fear
As does your mother
Then and only then will you be ready
For the bullet seeks only a hero
But it will only know if you speak your mind
And if you die green we will grow again
And if it is the winter frost
Then we will know our solitude is ready our fate"

how many times did his hands search his pockets
it seemed that’s how he turned his face on and off
today’s blinking light was for his broken down heart
but he could only find his keys

a ride in his car was how he thought best anyway
that was what he wanted to do or so he believed
he was tired of being up so early all the time
maybe that’s why his heart stopped saying please

it was time to live like it was still the night before
if you don’t fall asleep you won’t catch a hangover
he was tired of people who are only in it for the money
luckily Sunday was still there for his worn out knees

he thought about spending the day with someone
maybe a walk and a goodbye to her forever
he couldn’t remember who put the hole in his pocket
or why birds don’t make nests in the wrong trees

There was a time when I would play
Today was the same as yesterday
The news was read by a man named Cronkite
With my Dad we listened in the panel room light
I wondered if war was wrong; or was it right?

What could I ever know
Except what the TV might show
Was it what a preacher might preach
Or what a general might teach
The canon of a ghost a father and a son?
Or flags flying high above a smoking gun?

I saw a man with a loaded gun
Pointing at the temple of another one
But they were far away from me
Then I saw the barrel of a rifle
And a flower planted by a disciple
He said blessed are the peacemakers
But so too a man who lays down his life

I thought about a carpenter
A soldier and a gardener
The gospel rang in my ear
So too the flag I hold dear
And as I tilled the soil
My blood began to boil
For I have become a sinner
Who has no King but Caesar

Where did the little boy go
Who believed in good and not evil
Now he sees hate without reason
And love lost without a season
As he walks in the desert sand
A soldier and a prophet await
For what is man without fear
Or faith without scars in his hand?

It is not enough to travel
For a mountain is a mountain
Grand but a foot stool for the sky
It is not enough to take a photograph
For a picture is a picture
Beautiful in stillness as you take it with you
But can it feel how a child may cry
Or even tell you why

It is enough to think it through
If you will only do it
No matter where you are
Night after night
Pure empathy
Able to see food flow to their stomach
To see the part of their mind their father killed
To describe the sky not as blue
But as black
Decorated with lights hung by the gods
Because that's what it is
So tell them it is so

No matter what you are today
You can be someone new tomorrow
If you will only talk to them
Not the mountain
It won’t help you
It can’t

But actually it can
It will remind you that it is there
And that what is greater than you is true
It is not a trick
You can believe it
Being overwhelmed is not a lie
It is life
And it will accept you as you are
If you will let it happen

A bridge
Between people
Your past
Tomorrow
Life
Death
Love
Hate
Knowledge
Ignorance

You know enough now
You have the mind
Build the bridge

To see both sides
Is to become both sides

No matter where you are

I try to describe what is me
And how it was described by you
Or what I wish it to be
I will try to tell you how I feel
But let me finish walking this highway

The preacher seemed so afraid
He keeps steering me away from this world
He says he’s trying to take me to my rightful place
And that there is too much sin
But this is our home

It’s not like it’s my last meal
At least it’s not what I thought it was
Inside the fears I confessed today
I found something new
And it was to say it to you

Yes, that’s how I feel
And what is pouring down upon you
Is all the vulnerability I possess
You have to be the one who takes my hand
Because I know about me but not about you

paint not in haste or trepidation
the mistakes of a brush
are not the mistakes of a heart
for a painting asks not for time
or reward
it does not live solely in this life
it is only born here
and its birth
like that of a butterfly
has a life of its own
surrounded by white lace
the womb of an artist
where a new life is created
without fear
only beauty

They rode upon rising swells of hope
Every culture with its own dream
But we couldn’t sleep together
So our nightmares became mean

The ocean is not wide enough to stop a wave

He didn’t lengthen time, just the distance
It takes an illness to build that high of a wall
The thick became thin in a simple mind
Violins can no longer play nor a child’s doll

The sky is not high enough for clouds to disappear

Is it power or compassion that makes a decision
We can’t wave a hand like a beautiful woman can
The stretch marks on his head swelled with pride
While the church decides what to say to the man

The milky way is not bright enough to last the day

We imprisoned a man without telling him why
We told his mother we are afraid of her baby
We told a prophet he was not the one we believe
We told God that faith is not about a nations safety

We assume grace will ignore our unforgiving fear

You have a gift
Yet it remains unopened
It is the door you think is locked
But the key is in your heart
If you will only look at a stranger
Or a friend
With eyes that see
Them
And not yourself
For once open your eyes
So too the door
And compassion begins
And so too art
For to describe a life
Suffering
Bleak
Courageous
Whether through a written word
A color
Or a sound
Simple put
Or drawn
Or felt
Not to amaze
But instead to open the door
To another life
Is to give a gift to someone else
The one you found for yourself
The one in every heart

I want to open the door
I want to see you standing there
I have a pocket full of keys and a mouth full of please
But they're not working like before

You seem better when we're apart
I don't know where to start
I don't want to open the door if you're gonna leave
Am I on the right or wrong side of your heart?

I want to talk about trust
I want to talk about forgiveness
I have a dream full of tomorrow and a heart full of sorrow
But you said it's not about us

You seem better when you're with him
I don't know where he's been
He doesn't know what I know about your life
Will I be a lost or found memory as a friend?

Hung up on how to make it work
So easy to say, do it for the children
Erase every border no matter why they are there
Draw new lines with a fountain pen
Then walk away
Who's problem is it now?

We make art with knives
Deep colors
Bleeding from our fingers
Like weapons of mass emotion
Launched in the dead of the night

Marching citizen soldiers
Let them know how we feel
But back to our lives
They hope we forget
Our problems are all too real
Who has time to sweat
Or freeze on the streets
After all, it's only tomorrow’s children

It was time to search our souls together
Our eyes knew no other place to look
But then mine wandered away
I wanted to see world one last time
Before I fell in love with you

I stopped when I felt your breath
The distance between us a lifetime
I asked if you were ready
You smiled and said kiss me now
Then you will know if the answer is you

It was no longer a dream
And as we awoke from our slumber
The real world tried to break us apart
But you are the only thing that is real
Your closed eyes told me what was true

The sky is black but there is no rain
It seems I’m only waiting to lose someone else
I watch as you grieve and thought of how it would feel
The river is dry but not the pain
Are you in a silent rage?
There’s a book and God turned a page
It was the one written about her
Who would want you to miss someone so much
It’s the same story about life
We are not soldiers but we watch people die
The fire raining down upon us cannot be seen
But we can feel the fear
The test of our survival is either true or a lie
The reason seems to be of no concern
No matter, it is our condition Lord
The new love we sent to you is a good reason to cry

There are many moods
Some ****** upon me
I wish not to exploit or indulge anger
Instead I will wait
For it is the philosophical man
Created by time and distance
Who will know the right thing to say

Would that I preach solely from a book
Or live by my heart
Would that I demand a promise for a vote
Or live by my heart
Would that I judge without judging myself
Or live by my heart
Would that I scorn the life I do not know
Or live by my heart

Away from darkness
So you may choose
The truth is your friend
Make yourself incorruptible
Confront your desires
Acknowledge your blessings
Knowledge is kindness and love
All else is time passing you by

So today is the day
You thought about being old
Your prayers suddenly became real
You saw your Dad in the backseat of a car
Until you remembered he’s no longer there

My eyes were closed
But I was still awake
I saw only grey until a small hole appeared
Inside were tiny pink flowers on a window sill
Now I’m wondering what they were doing there

It’s come down to this
Everything is a sign
It’s not so much about enjoying myself anymore
I wanted to ask someone whose been here before
So I dug a hole just to see if anyone was there

Doing yourself a serious favor
Is trying not to think so much
The answers are the usual questions
I’m not dying young but which way is the door
I drove off I but gave money to a man over there

It is better not to say anything
So many words spoken
So many promises broken
So many to be forgiving

To be human
Is to see nothing except another human

To not take but instead imitate
That which is good from within
To not judge nor begrudge
That which is an honest mistake

To be human
Is to see everything that makes them human

To know of their past struggles
Their people and their mind
To listen even if they are angry
To answer the call of their troubles

To be human
Is to see the differences that are in every human

To know they are not like you
Neither their skin or how they see
What they see from life is failure
Will you make their expectation true?

I can’t believe all you can see is how I hurt you
I think we fell in love but I'm not sure for how long
When the sun rose everything about you turned blue
The sky was beautiful but you decided you didn’t belong

I remember when we walked into the shadows
You had me and you smiled the way it felt
Your eyelashes were alive like a breeze in a forest
But you said I was too cold to let my heart melt

You love too hard now but you don’t think so
I heard a song about him telling her no
But it was because he didn’t want her to go
I once was young enough to be that way

I want to bring back what was lost
I want you to believe this time it’s real
But I’m as different now as you are
We have to learn to love the way we feel

the hot white light moved into position;
the aurora borealis traced each leaf,
spawning a shadow that sprung to life,
laughing, defiantly at its soon to be short life,
it silently, tightly, embraced the door;
once fire engine red,
now a grey, lifeless shell;
unable to make a sound;
the paint could feel its own age,
but the shadow fooled the painter again,
he thought grey was red;
so he poured himself another drink
and called it a day

a cloud drifted into the picture,
a jealous rage coloring its cheeks;
its shadow, merciless,
a whale swallowing an entire neighborhood;
but no more than our fears for tomorrow,
casting itself all about inside your mind,
choking your heart of all desire;
because you can’t imagine love inside a storm,
waiting and living with doubt and uncertainty;
not knowing what to expect,
but you must stop thinking like that;
there is no point to worry;
because that is not nature’s way

I want to love you with all my heart
But you are not the reason it exists
It is there to give you love
But I am the source of that love
And the blood that is made
Is the blood you cannot see
Except in my tears
Absent of color
Absent of you
But I will live on
For the heart that is mine still beats inside of me

I am not a politician
Or a lawyer
I am an artist
And I am for you
Not borders
I am for you
Not judgment
But do not lie to me
No matter who you are
I can forgive a mistake
But only humility bring hearts together
And vulnerability
Not calculating clever talk
That promises something
But is really nothing
Know your speech well politician
Do not think me a fool
For I am not
Rank means nothing to me
Nor party
Only truth
For I know whom the throne favors
And it is not me

When a voice carries like that
I wonder if you can hear what I hear
I want to know everything about him
And why he says what sounds so clear

I don't think of him as a lover would
Only as an idea I can take along
When I walk this way it takes time
Starting over doesn't have to be wrong

Look into my eyes for once
Don't be embarrassed to see
Clear your mind my love
I only want good things for you
Even if it's not me

Let's gather those notes together
He can't play for us whenever we ask
It's up to us to remember what he said
And take with us the things that will last

I can look at the title of a book
It doesn’t matter where I found it
A shelf
A desk
It still means what it says
Even drinking tea in a restaurant
I already know if I want to read it
Fiction
Non fiction
None of that matters to me
I can make it real if I want
If it has a mysterious way
Channeled
Left behind
Either way it’s some sort of path
But it’s my private confidant
I listen no matter which way
Learning
Rejecting
Nothing is the answer to anything
It’s only a suggestion or a haunt
You can’t sleep if it’s unclear to you
Accepting
Ignoring
That’s the choice of a new idea
It can either inspire or taunt
But I only have to read the title
I know
I don’t know
I don’t have to know to explain it
Because the title became my jaunt
And I’ll go wherever I feel like going

Where the sun always sets
They arrived
Armed with nothing
But truth
The Bill of Rights
Courage
And faith
They came
To do the right thing
To show them a rising sun
And how it exists
For everyone
No matter what they were told
No matter the lies
No matter the hate
Yes
The rising sun was there
Eclipsed by fear
Morning in America
Blinded their eyes
And they knew not to look
It was not for them
And as they looked away
Their long nights were empty
Without peace
Without justice
Without sleep
Not even a dream
And yet they remained
Although silent
They knew
Because hope grows
In the dark
And as they tilled the garden
They did dare to cultivate
Hope
By awaiting
The deliverer
And when the truth
Perished
In their midst
Those who were privileged
To see the sun rise
Remained silent
Even though they knew
Of the truth
And how it could never live
But finally
The deliverer did arrive
Heralded not by a trumpet blast
But with God’s message
In his heart and mind
And man's own words
As they were written
In his hand
How all men are created equal
He came
With solemn righteousness
With words
And a dream
He came
And told us of unmerited pain
And of burning churches
Where anguished cries
Once again were not heard
And how those who remained silent
Were the key to the idea
Of America
Where liberty
And Justice
Is for all
Where the sun rises
And sets
For every man
And woman
But on that day
When the evangelists
Of civil liberties
Were tortured
Killed
And buried
So their mothers could only weep
Over unmarked graves
The sun did set
And failed once again
To rise
As the children wondered
Why am I different?

Don’t give to her reluctantly
or resentfully
There are no warnings in her life;
no blinking lights
She knows any moment could be the last
Not for life; at least not her own;
no, it wouldn’t be right
Instead, it must be all around her;
to the things or people she loves
Life prefers cruelty to kindness;
to win an unjust fight
But she said, “I won’t give you up;
it’s not time yet”
It will always be her nature;
no matter the frost upon her heart,
the path remains steadfast in her sight

now (i) look into his eyes; can he hear us
(i) have seen no visions; only a movie
no matter; it is enough for (my) soul to stir
the simmering *** is where the truth may be

where to start; humility has bound (my) veins
(i) read the words of a bitter man; justified
somehow (i) accepted responsibility for his trials
(i) confessed though (my) white skin never lied

(i’m) trying to decide how to describe (myself)
it’s better to sit in a shadowed corner of a room
you can never prove what you would have done
but he knows (my) fears; they ensured his doom

holy water washed his ribs clean
we have filled our cups yet it remains dry
we cannot believe he is risen nor our evil ways
so (i) listen to horn blasts from man; not the sky

I think it's really over
You keep saying maybe
I keep wishful dreaming
Is a memory best left unsaid?

I can't believe you don't remember
Is it that the times are past
Or is it too much to risk again
Why worry about me instead of him?

Something new is your home
We once made rain together
You decided they were tears
It's true if that's what you want

I compare everyone to you
You're not perfect except you are
I don't care about mistakes
Only the night knows what matters

I was sitting there
languid, almost serene
your perfume in the air
but I  did not know your name

The moment was ours
or at least it was mine
how to make it yours
It always seems to be the same

The skin of the air was so clean
your scent, purring upon a pillow
your eyes,
slowly receding towards the night
they’re safer there
just the stars and you;
drawn to one another,
waiting for something to happen
but another sigh awaits

You left without a sound
except your chair, dragging
I hoped you’d turn around
But your heart made no claim

I’d seen it before
the entire moment
played over and over
I try to give them away
some gifts are left unopened

I thought to write a fantasy
But I prefer reality
If you need a dream from me
Then I wonder why
We can play pretend
But what is left
Except the truth of a memory
The one that made you look to me
Hoping I knew something new to be
And if you cry
So do I my friend
But fantasy is only theft
We can never love reality
Until faith in what we cannot see
Remind us that even love becomes angry

I want to see you
Were you there when I was born?
Will you be there when I die?
I want to ask you
What we believe is old and worn
What is true and what is a lie?
I want to hear you
Speak in the tongue of Gabriel’s horn
But will it be from below or on high?
I want to know you
For your image has become torn
The divide between a laugh and a cry
I want to understand you
The lash and a crown of thorns
Then a stone turned aside
Did it save me or you?

I picked a flower
But not just a flower
A rose
But not to give it to you
But because it was you
I want you now
Make my skin bleed with your nails
Shed your petals
Leave the ground beneath me awash in memories
That fade
Then shock me with your beauty
For it will bloom
No matter the rain
The pain
The sun
That burns into the soil
Into your heart
Where you really live

I walked upon the sand
But not just the sand
The desert
But not to die
But because I want to prove it to you
I want you now
Make my mind bleed by your absence
Let it see visions
Of palm trees and water
Where the crawlers gather
But they are not imagined
They are beneath my feet
Laughing as I begin to crawl with them
They know it is not how I live
I am weak
But I proved it to you
It’s what you wanted
Burning on the inside
Willing to tell you how I feel
Rejected
By a desert rose
Still the distant flute rings clear
I was not put here because of you
Only to suffer by your hand
Even dunes can make shadows
That draw trails down the hillside
To be forgotten until the next desert storm
Or a hurricane
Because sand is sand
It is all the same
The horizon is not you
But the sounds of the tempest from within is you
Because I choked on the sand that I thought was your heart
And it was
Once

I cannot stay in this place
For the roots that dug through my mind
Have punctured my heart
I must find a way out of this subterranean pain

I cannot stay in this place
One prayer at a time can be so unkind
I must ask for it all at once
It is because the past has plowed the field once again

I cannot stay in this place
It is not for me to say what must be left behind
But what lies beneath the layers of time
Can only be mined by someone unafraid of an empty vein

It’s not enough to say
I could tell you of the stars I saw
But that would leave out the ones who heard me too
I could describe the pain
But it might not sound as sad as what happened to you

I decided to watch some candles burn
It’s the way they share themselves
But then they’re gone forever as is the moment they lit
We were the same but wax is not love
Now I have to light another one to help me forget

I started to pray but then I stopped
I wanted you to decide on your own
The way water falls is to not worry which way to go
Living like that washes away the past
But when I flooded your eyes with sadness you said no

I’ve said so much
and like every word,
gone as the memory of a baby,
the things I wish to be
are as distant as an old pinewood floor;
The one I walk on no more

You heard what I said,
but you said actions are what people remember
How did I make you feel?
It's not so easy to be memorable,
all I can hope is that the past was real enough;
most times smooth, sometimes rough

When the rain falls
I take the time to count my regrets
Blessings are for other people
I don’t know that I did anything right by them
I can’t seem to shake this feeling,
about what it is my worries are stealing

I don’t think you’re waiting anymore
I know I’m not
That’s the biggest lie I’ve told all day
It’s hard to believe I can live like this,
knowing through an open window, what I’ve seen,
was the rain that once washed our hearts clean

If I knew I was dying
I know what I would say to you
There would be no promises
Only words I know to be true

I could think of life after death
Or of dying after living
Which one would mean more
If it was to you the eulogy was giving?

Sometimes it seems so close
But only when I think of you
We gave each other a chance
Now you're on to someone new

I remember every kiss
Now it's something I can't find
Did you give them all away
Or did you just leave them behind?

If I knew I was dying
I would know what to say
I would be so honest
And you would live for today

(slaves)

we are a conquered people
but we walk freely as servants
our masters are not at peace
for they know what they do
yet before us they stand
as we weep for our loss
or exult over our victory
and though they are of Caesar

we give that which is God

(supper)

we wash in the headwaters
the water that cleanses my soul
we harvest the vineyards
the wine that became my blood
we cast seeds into the fields
the bread that is my body
we listen to their promises
but a voice became the word

we cannot speak of the image
the ritual looks not upon idols

(kolam)

she made chalk from rice fields
all are invited except evil spirits
lines and circles for prosperity
tomorrow another will be drawn

(death)

is there injustice
speak to me
purify myself
non-violence

until the bullet says no more

(resurrection)

she drew two needles
two needles that cross
two needles that mend
the eyes cast no stone

(desire)

they wear only robes
all desire has passed
the moon guides them
upon waters with no home

(pilgrimage)

seven circles against time
kissing and touching stone
prayers where they stand
drink water from the well

(incorporeal)

how to describe the ocean
to a baby that cannot swim
when we cannot see the edge
nor all that lives within its womb?
all we can do is reap its harvest
by drawing fish in the sand
removing them from the nets
and from baskets made full

(love)

no heaven can accept my sin
no hell can accept my goodness
i can only tell you how I feel
though what I see is you
and what I know is me
you have become like the stars
as beautiful and distant
as grace is to a man like me

i see what you see
i hear what you hear
we speak with understanding
not of each other
but of fear
you live to be justified
you honor me if i agree
to speak as brothers weeping
a stream begins by the falling rain
and love must trust the words of the sea

Her face is like a museum
An old church decorated like a saloon
The world had happened to her
She rushed back and forth
A bottle and a preacher shared the same room

She had a way to fool a man
And it was easy for her to say it was over
She was trying to survive
They never knew that
It may be a man’s world but not under her covers

She had to learn how to love
The trap didn’t work anymore
Whatever song they once heard
Doesn’t sound like it did before

Her sexuality was her genius
The preacher knew and tried not to swoon
He was just a man
A robe is a man’s veil
She laughed then remembered the blood moon

She washed off her make-up
She cut her hair and lit a cigarette
She thought about being a mother
A bar is no place to teach a baby the alphabet

She had to learn how to love
The men don’t look at her like before
But they couldn’t hear the song she heard
She wasn’t that young girl anymore

When the moon doesn’t move fast enough for love
I look at its reflection in the ocean
I never let the moment forget whose life it is
And it's not about stillness but instead motion

I opened my eyes too soon
Only in dreams do I take the time to ask questions
Whoever sent it to me said take my time
But in my haste I forgot to remember his suggestions

A mariner across the sand needs no arc
It is the same with a camel as a wooden ship
The life you leave behind is not enough for fear
What matters is the courage to make the trip

Have my virtues changes as I’ve aged?
I cannot believe in what no longer tempts me
And I cannot pretend I have grown stronger
What is easy to resist is not living free

I never want to think we’ve met before
To be reminded of so many others
It only means I’m looking over your shoulder
I can’t paint with everybody else’s colors

Am I myself or what life says I must be?
I know the answer but it depends on the time
Drawing a road in the desert is how we do it
What seems the same to you is not in my mind

Writing a song alone at night
That's how I get someone to listen
Nobody does when they're yelling
A dark light is all I can believe in

A poor man can't accept his wife's misery
That's why he's so angry all the time
Nobody can live if they failed as a father
His neighbor said it's a mountain we all climb

There's no dignity
And no pride too
It's harder than they can imagine
Pretending is what rich people do

Dying was something he thought about
Who wouldn't want to walk streets of gold
He wanted to ask the preacher about it
But the gold crosses made him feel cold

He watched her drive off with the kids
They were scared but he knew it was best
The pain inside was louder than sorrow
That church bell guilt won't let him rest

There's no honor
And no pride too
It's as real as he feared
It's something he always knew

He didn't know who he should forgive
Isn't that what Jesus taught us to do?
But he was the one that life had wronged
They would forgive him if they really knew

Living between heaven and hell
That's only life he knows
It's easier to be a criminal than a saint
That's what he told her when she decided to go

There's no hope
And no pride too
Everybody said he was lazy
Her family said it was true

How impressed must you be
I didn’t think that was how two people share a life
I saw you raising a glass again
Are you looking for something or running from it?

If it’s so important
Then why are you afraid of me
It’s not that I’m not good enough
It’s that you no longer believe in you

How holy are your thoughts of you?
God told you he would forgive you
You’re afraid of what I might do to you?
What road could I lose you on that he cannot find?

It seems every word I’ve thought of falls short
I wonder how long you will wait for me to get it right
Sweeping someone off their feet is not so easy
You want what’s sure but love can only say what might

How holy are my thoughts of you?
God told you me would forgive you
I’m afraid of what I might do to you
What road could I find you on that he won’t mind?

How can I know about death
When I know so little about life
What assurance can I offer?
What martyr has spoken to me?
What folded flag offers wisdom?

The place of my birth is a story I was told
The life I have lived is as weak as my strength to tell it

No one claps as I ascend the stairs
Only my daughter and son guide my lonely steps
What vows can I offer to a past that testifies against me
I raise my hand to no man
For what I swear to you serves no purpose
The setting sun returns silently
As long as I live I can only live day by day
And pray that you to believe in me by night

Whatever code I honor
I will not speak of it
It will burn silently inside my heart

Upon my last breath you may lay a wreath
And as it falls upon the fire that was once my body
Do not cover my eyes with the coins of Caesar
Let them instead see you from the other side
For the vision I bring to our Lord are not the words of a man
But instead the gift of you that I return to his womb

Only my spirit knows how long
It is not a question of time
For the time around the sun is not how we love
It is not time that measures sadness
It is only that it is
How can something like this feeling need a body?
I only know how it shakes when you are not around
Chilled by the air
It cannot change the season
Parched by the sun
It cannot make it rain
Hurt by pain
It cannot make it stop
No, it cannot
It can only live with the things it cannot control
But wherever I may wander it follows
Or does it lead?
How can I know if I cannot hold it in my hands
Can you tell me my friend now that you're gone?

Don't try to figure it out
It's obvious
You just know
But you can't believe it

Do you think I love you
Of course I do
I'm not the only one
So why would it feel so different?

Deep inside you lost your way
Boys burn holes with their eyes
Now a man plays like you
Every word sounds like goodbye

What happened to you?
You were untouchable
Now a flower without a vase
Lying alone not knowing why

Older changes patterns dissolve
Younger dreams love to solve
Older who knew what to do
Love decide me or you

Deep inside you found your way
The fire of desire became your own
Now you play like a man
Will I be the one lying alone?

We begin
once what we would die for is what courage did discover
We search
for truth not within need but instead in why others suffer
We fail
where our morals cannot withstand the oppression of desire
We believe
as children do but not if ignorance and fear must conspire
We listen
only to what we think until we realize pride provides no cure
We feel
until the pain is so great that we turn to our vices to endure
We bury
ourselves side by side with the love that forgave each other
We arise
when shadows of a cross are created by the light of the savior

The whole world all around
Celebrating being free
Their savior’s coming
But he doesn’t see what I can see

I’m still here Lord
Have you made up your mind?
I can no longer bear this burden
What is it in me you hope to find?

I see it in their faces
Jesus on the corner
There are no wise men bearing gifts
Only the cold air will remember

I tried to climb a mountain
But it was crying too
No matter what nature says
It’s no better than what a man can do

It seems my memories have become nails
I look at my hands and you won’t let the heal
Tell me Lord how long will I have to live like this
They cut my hands and you cut where I kneel

I see it in their faces
Jesus on the corner
There are no wise men bearing gifts
Only the cold air will remember

It was time to prepare the table
The chain of events could only be seen in reverse order
As each moment was carefully placed
The table cloth suddenly became wider
With no heed to meaning
But in haste the cup was passed before it became dry
To share with another rider
Was the only way his life’s worth would be able

The spaces of the past can only be filled by imagination
There is not enough inspiration to remember
The sense of time has been ignored long enough
Is the barren mind of youth any more than a whisper
Strangled by the embrace of an age old mistake?
A garage is where rejection becomes acceptance
Pretending the audience is not there they play
The ones who will love you understand blind emotion

We can meet at the pass
I don't care from where you arrive
The decision is yours to make
The question though is mine
Will you walk as you are?
Not as a reflection
Or as a scar
For in your beauty lies nature
Living free no matter the wind
A pure face without deception
A soft heart without malice
These things you possess
You must only ask for courage
To believe in your past
Ready now to live as a river beds memories
For you have no childs wonder left
No need to walk like all the rest
You are ready at the pass
As am I
It is there where we begin
It is where two equals can rest
Looking for peace
Whether east or west
That you must decide is upon you now
Though it is not about direction
Nor any vow
Only the courage to believe
That a tree is as beautiful barren
As spring leaves that will soon be fallen

Everything seems warmer than it used to be
But the world is still cold
Life goes on no matter how hard it can be
I’m feeling the pain of gettin’ old

I wish I could take one last look
But you didn’t tell me about your plans
It was enough to write a book
And I’m left with the pages in my hands

Too many times
Too many days
Too many gone by
Life goes on
I have so many tears
Too many asking why
But it’s too cold for me to cry

You might be thinking it’s easy for me
That I’m able to live without you
There’s more to a heart than a beat
Now I know what you said was true

I know what to think
But I don’t know what to write
I don’t know if I want to read about it
I just know I keep thinking it
You left me like that baby
I’m not gonna’ ask a book to tell me why

Too many times
Too many days
Too many gone by
Life goes on
I have so many tears
Too many asking why
But it’s too cold for me to cry