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

I was made to love
Who do you think you are worthy of?
On this Earth I will roam
You should stay home
I have set myself free
You are lost at sea
I want to rush in
You only wish to sin
I don't want to hold back
It is discretion that you lack
I am a lover
You will never recover
I want to be completely open
Your misery will only deepen
I want to take a chance
Upon prudence you dance
I want a new romance
You don't live in France
I want to sing
Your delusion has taken wing
I want to paint
Why can't you show restraint?
I want nothing but passion
It's not the latest fashion
I am the key to life
You merely invite strife
I will soften the blows
You are weak as everyone knows
I will make words come alive
These things you merely contrive
I know what it is that I am
In the game of life you are a sacrificial lamb
Why do you stand in the way of joy?
You act as if love is a toy
Why do you remove my wings?
I am your mind and I tire of these things
But it is I who bears the pain
And I save you again and again
If I cannot love I will die
Why do you believe every lie?
Because that is why they call it chance
You and your childish notion of romance
You will have to trust me this time
It will only be another mountain to climb
But the journey will invigorate us both
It seems it only feeds cynicism's growth
Because you are afraid to give
All we ever do is try to forgive
Maybe you have discovered the secret
I don't have the heart to stand it
That is why I am here
I need you to draw me near
From our own cup we will drink
What will other people think?
We control our own mind
But it seems sadness is all we find
If I can live in sorrow why can't you?
Because I don't know what to do
Then trust that I am stronger than you know
I will then let your love show
Only then can we be whole
I am sorry for the passion I stole
Tonight we will begin our life again
Yes... tonight we will let love in


Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Mark Lecuona

What can a reflection be to itself
Or a falling leaf apart from its mother?
She did not know the answer
She could only scratch her heart until it bled
Like eyes watching lovers that fall but never set

Pilings choking under rising tides
But not high enough to relieve their burden
A wax candle waiting for the torture of the flame
She could only watch knowing its life was short
Soon to join the memories she could never forget

By her rosary she knew somewhere was a blessing
By her cross she knew she was still saved
The stars that had chosen those who would look
Lit the path as she returned to the night sky
As her heart asked if life was only about regret

Listening for the sun, pretty ballerinas waiting
Glasses full of ice but what of their hearts; are
they still hoping or is it just sadness escaping?

Reality or mere existence, it’s hard to know how to live
Solitary women making their lips sing, but would the
stars remember what tomorrow can never forgive?

There was nothing I could say
Walking inside a fish bowl
You can’t hear the light
But what we choose to see
Is either the prism of what is right
Or the shadow of what is wrong

Listening for the sun, desperate men burning
Eyes full of passion but what of their hearts;
are they still hoping or is it a memory forgetting?

Reality or mere existence, it's hard not to think of it
Solitary men making their voices heard; but would
meaning choose which candle would finally be lit?

There was nothing I could say
Walking inside a fish bowl
You can’t hear the light
But what we choose to see
Is either the prism of what is right
Or the shadow of what is wrong

Crying without tears
Living alone for too long
It’s not what I’m used to
I don’t do sad very well

I wonder if I should just let it go
The flood building up inside
Or the feeling I have for you

Crying without fear
Living apart feels wrong
You know what’s really true
It’s just hard for me to tell

I wonder when you’ll let me know
You smile but you never confide
Are you hiding somebody new?

Crying about years
Living distant days is too long
I wanted to come see you
But what if your heart already fell

I wonder if you’ll just say so
Why do I believe what you denied
It’s because I’m a jealous fool

Is it the reflection of my heart in your eyes
Or the light you bring to my life?
It’s a room I enter every time I think of you
As I close the door behind me
I wonder why anyone would ever leave such a place

Is it you who gave your heart away
Or did I just reach inside you and take it for myself?
It’s a selfishness that is stronger than lust
As I force you to notice me
I wonder how anyone would ever let you go

Is it the beating of my heart that keeps me awake
Or am I afraid of the dream?
It’s a moment I always regret
As I awaken and you’re not with me
I wonder why anyone would ever live inside a fantasy

I want to give you flowers
Red lilies from the window atop a windmill
Where your fantasies are made real
If only you would go there with me
The vase though is not what I want
I want the moment in your eyes
The instant when you believe in me

And there they are
Alone by the window, longing for Holland
Is it possible that you have forgotten
It is hard to live life as a movie
To know that this really means that
But  flowers in a darkened room know
They knew because the water was cold

I want to live my life with yours
I would sleep in the other room, a year or more
Flowers have nothing in common with obligation
But only what you believe is what matters
The rest of my life is open
The soil awaits the seeds you hold in your hand
I thought the flowers might remind you

I walked away
From a time and a place
You moved on
And tried to leave me no trace

But I can’t pretend
It’s your tracks I’m following
I can’t pretend
It’s the past I’m still swallowing

Letting her go
I knew it wouldn’t be easy
Now I know
She’s not the only one who’s crazy
Time said no
The days stopped trying to please me
You said so
I realized how lonely life can be

I came to say
How we learn when it’s too late
You said I’m wrong
I’m just not accepting our fate

I can’t pretend
It’s the past I’m still following
I can’t pretend
It’s your memory I’m still swallowing

Letting you go
I knew it wouldn’t be easy
Now I know
She’s not the only one who’s crazy
Time said no
The days stopped trying to please me
You said so
I realized how lonely I can be

Why are we digging up graves
And picking their forgotten pockets?
We want to bring them up
And wear a dead man’s locket

A doomed ship brings comfort
At least they died in history
To a man who has nothing
It’s better than anonymity

How you gonna die
When you don’t know how to live?
What’s the point of fighting
When we all forget to give?

A man only see his color
And still he points a finger
A woman sees her *******
And still wants a man’s power

They only want what you got
Or they want to see you fail
Either way that’s how it is
Just don’t ask them for bail

Who wants to **** a man
For the sins of their father?
Who wants to silence your mind
Because freedom can’t be bothered?

Forty years ago they sang of Green Berets
And being on the Eve of Destruction
Now it's the same thing and I can't believe
How can we suffer so long and keep passing it on?

I never met a man who talked so freely
Like a man who can’t be found
We hear the voices from the wilderness
Tearing the fabric of which we were bound

I know people who hate me
Because I won’t hate the one’s they do
They say I’m the problem
And the world will be better when I die too

I wonder where I can live without all the noise
Maybe one room is all I need
Just some candles and book from long ago
Then I can relax instead of bleed

I’m ready to lose all my money
I’ve already picked out my street corner
It’s just a matter of time before you see me
Then you can drive by and throw me a quarter

I wonder if I could really do it
Live in the rain and cold outside of churches
I wonder if the President would take me in
Guess I’ll sleep under newspapers printed with his speeches

It seems everything that mattered happened long ago
I still cry when I hear songs of my childhood
I can't find a new memory to take their place
Maybe when I die I'll see them before they light the wood

Wake me up when my dreams have come true
But not until yours have had their chance
I’ve learned to live while I sleep
You can have the day's next cheap romance

It’s in here
My happiness
Even if you can’t tell me it’s alright
And I’m asking you
Is it really alright for you?

I know your pain
Because it’s dying inside of you
That’s why you feel so bad
But living means you feel everything
And dying is letting it all go

It’s in here
Your happiness
I want to give it all to you
But you have to win the battle
Because your life must be your own

I know your pain
Because I see you crying
The flowers are bursting forth
Every thorn raking your soul
So they can let the sun inside

It’s in here
Our happiness
If we can just forget everything
Except to kiss each another when it rains
And hold each other until the skies clear

I know your pain
My heart finally learned to love
I no longer have to wait
It’s happening to me now
Because you taught me how to pray

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

A fateful cocoon
Just a feeling
Nobody told you
You just knew
You hear sounds
And sense the light
As you ready yourself
For loves revival

A sparse moon
Staring at the blue disk
Awaiting his lover
Silently wondering
Aglow from desire
Reflecting passion
Fed by the desperation
Of loves survival

You pushed through
The vine was bare
A budding romance
Warned by your thorns
To be ogled
And pruned
Until the day
Of loves arrival

I can't treat you like the rest of my life
What it takes to pick myself up
Is not the kind of strength you want from me
I don't really fall down anyway
I think about it all night
And fit you in between work and a dream

It's really not that deep
But I committed to white water rapids
I have to see this one through

I can't treat you like a paycheck
I know I need it but sometimes I want to quit
It's not the real world anyway
Even though you said it might as well be
I keep thinking if I can write a check
Then our problems won't really be

It's actually very deep
Things move slow this far down
I'm still hoping you'll see this one through

So you have a new boyfriend
How about that
He likes everything you like
At least he’s smart enough to try
Maybe in ten years you’ll know if he was serious

So you have a new lover
How’s it feel this time
I won’t tell him the things you did
Maybe he thinks like I do
He’s the only man  to make you love like you do

Make sure baby
Make sure it’s love
You look too good for honesty
A man will promise anything
To make love to you

So you think you’re in love
How would you know
Loneliness is nothing to compare love to
But if you’re trying to forget me
Look into his eyes, I will be waiting for you there

You can’t make your bed with our sheets
I took them home with me
I didn’t wash them because it’s your memory
I’ll bring them back someday
But first you have to love him instead of me

Make sure baby
Make sure it’s love
You look too good for honesty
A man will promise anything
To make love to you

i saw a light skipping across a deep blue sea
It’s the same as the one i saw in the desert sands
where many distant dreams pilgrim all my pleas
reflections change but we don’t know how it works
transparent or not we hold the truth in our hands
the storm I see now is where your dark side lurks

you came on like the weather nobody can project
wave after wave shallow and deep at once they came
i grabbed the mast when I realized you were a wreck
was it solid ground waiting or a wooden ship floating
you could say it’s neither or either but it feels the same
the stress of the deciding is like sand and wind blowing

i stopped thinking about double pain windows and prayers
an open heart is an island where hurricanes refuse to atone
remorseless broken glass dips into the blood of my nightmares
every faded scar begs for loneliness to finally accept its fate
but nothing built upon these shores was made to walk alone
and i will believe once again in a reflection of love and not hate

It seems time can only dig holes
I can’t keep falling in them
I can’t keep pretending I don’t feel them
But I do

Rivers flow downhill
And where it goes
Is where only tears know
They know
And so does my heart

Why does everyone pay so much for nothing
Love is free but it costs too much for you to call me
Maybe it’s because you can’t buy it
It’s safer to pick out a star for your own

It seems that time is trying to make me old
It’s not weary eyes
It’s not tired feet
It’s saying goodbye so much while I pray

I’m not afraid to tell you I love you
That is a gift you know
But you don’t have to open the box
Maybe the ribbons are pretty enough for you

Rivers flow downhill
And where it goes
My tears will follow
Emptying into my heart
It's how heaven raises my spirit

You have to be willing
To have your heart broken
You have to be willing
To hate me someday
If you want my love today

You already know I’m willing
To have my heart broken
You saw that in my smile
But why wait until someday
When we can find love today

I want all of you
That’s why I say these things
If you hold back
I’ll know it
And then someday
Will be today

You can’t love a man halfway
You can’t just wait and see
Do you want to ride your fears?
Or do you want to ride with me?

I can see it’s what you want
You’re tired of being afraid
You don’t know where to start
Why don’t we begin today?

I want all of you
That’s why I say these things
If you hold back
I’ll know it
And then someday
Will be today


Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Mark Lecuona

I followed the sunlight to a closed window
But my soul requires no opening
Neither my heart
As the will to live passes through all mediums
The barrier between extremes
Opaque or transparent
No matter,
Life offers only the choice to cope
And as the light carried the weight of all expectation
Misting dust reflections without a home
Gathered upon a falling feather
The wistful cry of a bird, shedding its past
Frightening the wind,
Silenced, while natures wing absorbs all our fears
The distance, so far away,
It seemed as if a rainbow was laying on the sand
To my eyes what was true
Was the same as a small square of blue,
The only clue a prisoner has of the outside world
But I cannot falter,
For we are not promised all knowledge
Only faith
It is as the light,
The answer to our own darkness
The truth that shadows cannot deny

All that can be touched
And seen
Renders the verdict
All that cannot be seen
Or touched
Sows mankind's conflict
Stranger upon stranger
Bound by pride
And certainty's cause
In mortal combat
To demonize each other
Reaping evil's laws
No delusion
Or assurance
Can be true
When we hate
And ****
For what either will do
There is no master
Of a man's heart
Other than his own
And in preservation
Of one another
We may atone
For yesterdays end
And tomorrows death
In the face of our present reality
It is all we have
Unless we believe
That the true myth is our humanity

He wanted to float on an island
Make the sea rise like melting ice cubes
Drink from a coconut he shook from a tree
And serenade seagulls with the bark he stripped

Walk with me anywhere but here

He’d rung the towel as hard as he could
Nobody can do anything with it now
All that’s left is to live with his emotions
Instead of telling stories about how he feels

I love you but you already know that

He played all his face cards
There’s no saving this hand
He went all in without remorse
Tears always let themselves go

I have nothing to hide anymore

He didn’t look before he dialed the number
Rejection’s no different than yesterday
She could feel the strength in his heart
And wondered how much he could love her

Don’t be afraid that I learned to be so strong

She knew then
War is hell
On God's green earth
She heard Satan’s bell
The men approached
An officer and a priest
She fell to her knees
Her joy deceased
Her prayers betrayed
All the good lost
Silently hoping
Knowing freedom's cost
The ultimate sacrifice
To give up a son
And now he is gone
How can she live on
To tell a mother
Of her grievous loss
There are no words
Only another cross

As she plummets
Into the abyss
The spirit moves
Delivering a silent kiss
Her life shattered
The garden forgotten
Dinner has become cold
Will her heart ever soften?
Hatred where there was love
Bitterness all she can feel
As their lips moved
Words shock does conceal
She stares into the night
Nails piercing her memories
His face the shattered mirror
Where she found all her worries
Floating in front of the bullet
She wipes his brow
There is nothing in this life
Nothing matters now
She covers his pale body
As the blood of life flows
He shivers touching her hand
She smiles because she knows

The mercenary
Loves his mother
It is her special place
There is no other
Did he call for her?
Did he have time to cry?
Or did death give him leave?
An honorable way to die
His duty to his country
Planted the seeds of pride
Now he is dead
She wondered if soneone lied
Is it time for anger
To walk down hatred’s trail?
She prayed every night
Hoping for a holy veil

"I pray for my son
Oh Lord remember his name
Spare him a short journey
Do not give Satan true aim
Return him to me
The one who bore the pain
I only ask for life
All mothers ask the same"

And now her prayer
Has become profane
What once passed her lips
Will never be spoken again
Can she turn the other cheek
For the unknown ******
Or for his “superior” officer
Who gave the order to the killer
Was he expendable
As a stone over the breach
Did the others to climb
Leaving the dead on the beach?
Did his killer survive?
Or is his mother bitter?
The sons of ambition
Are now only its litter
Glory is no solace
As we struggle with a memory
Life must go on
But not in a cemetary
Did one more death
Win the war?
He was proud to go
Now she wonders what for

She is gone now
Whispering at the end
We were not there
Flowers we did not send
She never saw butterflies
Or heard birds each day
She only thought of her son
Hoping God knew the way

I watch my own son
He smiles with his friends
I wonder about the flag
That covers our sins
It was folded for her
Forever never to wave
Will it sit in a drawer?
Whose life will it save?
Can I offer him for freedom?
As Abraham offered Isaac?
I cry as I feel the shame
Courage is what lack
Did her son die in vain?
Will my son soon follow?
Or will I spit out
The pill others swallow?
How can I comfort
A woman I never knew?
Tell me the answer
What should I do?
I ask you the same
What would you do?
There are no answers
You love your son too
So as we fall silent
I will pray over how she bled
Hoping never to see lips move
Telling me my son is dead

You walk
And wait
With aimless expectation
As love kisses the moon
Unaware
You turn the covers
For the night
While the kiss
Is blown to you
Silently touching your heart
Coloring your dream slumber
With a promise
For your awakening
When you will see
Lost feelings... drifting
In the sky
That covers your life
Feelings
Wandering aimlessly
Until you collect them
With your eyes
And put them to rest
Inside your heart
Opening the door
Inviting the moon's silent kiss
To live forever
Where the marriage
Of feelings and a kiss
Will remain
While the sky
And the moon
Give... and give
More... and more
Filling the gap
Between you
And me

Our eyes met for a moment
But you looked away
Our eyes met again
And your heart began to obey

You act distracted
Your friends ask "What's wrong?"
You say, "Nothing"
But your heart hears my song

Your eyes told me
I knew you were mine
Your eyes told me
They gave me the sign

I know what you're thinking
You can't give yourself away
But this time you did
And your pride you did betray

Your eyes told me
I knew you were mine
Your eyes told me
They gave me the sign

Yeah...your eyes say you're mine
Even though you looked away
Yeah... your eyes say you're mine
There's not much else to say

Every man knows
How a girl acts
Instead of letting it show
She'd rather cover her tracks

You tried so hard
To not look my way
But I saw what I saw
You gave yourself away

Your eyes say you're mine
Even though you looked away
Your eyes say you're mine
There's not much else to say


Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Mark Lecuona

I want to start over but from where I am now
I may be old but my mind knows how
To listen to the knowledge of the street
And not college where the frat boys meet
Inventing the art form of a young man’s life
Trying to find himself before he finds a wife
Not playing all the people like they’re a game
Making their heart remember your name
Not because they made love with you
Or what you dropped inside just came due
It’s more like this where a girl walks away
Thinking what the **** did he just say
That was like watching a movie or a play
But it was in my bed and he knew what to say
He told me the way but first I had to weep
No way somebody’s spoon could dig that deep
It had to be with my hands my mouth my feet
Nothing left for me except a mind ready to eat
Ancient texts about suffering causing my desire
Or reading stories written by a winner and liar
How pretty can I be if the world is still on fire
Nobody gives a **** except that boy I inspired
The one who won’t call me love but still wants more
How can I tell until I give it all away like I did before
Well maybe I should just not make myself a temple
Instead I’m a sidewalk where a memory is a riddle
You walk on me and there I lay white naked cracked
But now I know you and the manhood you lacked
Yes it's the way to be, unlike a ****** drinking tea
The more my body takes the more my mind can see
Because nothing’s sacred besides what I think of me
And the truth of the world is not so shocking or free
I wish you hadn’t started over like I thought you doing
But what I must ask is who is listening and who is drawing
Shapes on the sidewalk where blood was finally spilled
And the sermon given by a **** whose mother was killed
I haven’t confused the parked cars yet with my directions
And the ***** I made was the least my own affections
The movie had an intermission asking what year it was
The lobby was wearing a facemask that only said because
It’s the rebellion of the common man after quitting time
Nobody can tell who they are but still they wait in line
Did you go my girl to the grave of an unknown soldier
Do you know what it is that makes him your keeper
He died didn’t he and the headstone said he was brave
It’s act two scene three of the conversation with a grave
You’re not feeling so pretty now because he can’t see
It’s up to you now to think of something to say or be
That’s what I wanted you find inside the history of man
The terrible tale that a spider and a planet understand
But let’s not fret about that we can’t change the past
Maybe we should start instead with what we thought last
Did it make sense did it mean anything did it feel good
It was the flame you ignore though you piled on the wood
It’s not really suicide as much as it is ripping out the wires
And walking with candles for eyes and years for hours
It’s living without giving a moment or a life away
What’s real is everything you do and everything say
Do you really think you’re evolved because you laugh
Was it your own wit or something you read in the bath?
Don’t be so shallow that the pool you drained is on me now
I can’t take it any more I can’t take it though I know how
Let me start again let me start again let me start again
Then you can listen in yes then you can listen in
Because what I’m ready to say is what you just heard
But you can’t remember because it’s not actually occurred
Has it my friend, a dream hasn’t actually been your story
It’s only what you wanted to live but all you can be is sorry
Just like me the courage to be was only the fear to be
But the genius inside of you is also the genius inside of me
And wherever whenever I leave you I will draw a line
We were here because the sidewalk witnessed our crime

Lo que los ojos de una mujer pueden decir
Es más de lo que un hombre podría decir
Pero lo que sus oídos fingen escuchar
Es más doloroso que el silencio de su boca
Porque el sueño un día también crecerá en silencio
Y volverá al silencio de sus ojos para preguntarle a su corazón
¿Por qué me miró mientras dormía tranquilamente?
Porque mi vida es atormentada como un lobo aullando a la noche

Where confusion robs consciousness
Is in the choosing
Of the wrong mask
A rapacious avatar
To live the life of meaningless existence

Is it better to be nothing
With nothing
But freedom
And the need
For nothing but your true essence?

To follow a path set before you
By those who thought they understood
But cannot live your life
Creates the bond
To perpetual acquiescence

We who know of these things
Yet follow in your path
Continue to discover
Again and again
The cold pale rot of ambivalence

And in the final awakening
Shedding all that we know
Returning to the womb
To choose the time of our rebirth
We break water in your presence

Water becomes tears becomes love
And becomes you
To carve your path
No matter the obstacle
No matter the resistance

There’s a man standing at the end
He said, “I’ll welcome you but only when
you walk the length and breadth
gasping for air and cursing the depth
of the suffering you can’t overcome”

It’s a path not a nail my son

There’s a woman standing at the head
She said, “Be born into this misery instead
of thinking it’s something more or less,
it doesn’t mean what we all bless
or any of the things we have become”

It’s a path not a sword my son

There’s a mist floating you cannot find
It revealed something to your mind
“It is not where there is water or dust
or within the heart of shiny things that rust,
but you are deaf because you only play a drum”

It’s a path not a stone my son

There’s a light alternating between dim and bright
It waits while you gather for a life without sight
But what guides you will not speak as you wish
It only feeds those starving for bread and fish
While you walk with those who will not come

It's a path not a judgment my son

i cannot speak their language, but
it is strong in my heart;
i saw a child
and i knew then that my heart was the same;
to cross the sand or a river is to make a better life;
but is it to change history or to reclaim it?
is there no remedy?
the movement of the people has always been so,
but the one thing we will not do is sin
and expect to be forgiven;
it is our decision and his life;
he did not ask to go,
now he cannot stay;
the river does not know who suffers the most;
still it rises and falls in the hearts of the helpless;
the only culture we have is the one that changes;
that is freedom;
the only love or hate that is honest,
is what i say to their children
for a child, life;
for his father, pride;
i am not the law, instead
i am light,
because i choose light;
but i am also darkness,
because i hide behind the fear of being wrong,
instead of the courage of compassion;
the fight is in our heart and mind;
it is the way we choose to live and die
these people who cross;
why are they here?
we know why;
is there anyone so strong
who would live where they are not wanted?
is there anyone so weak
who would be afraid of their children?

Pick a card.... any card
     But why just one?
Because that is the game
     But I don't like the rules
Do you want to play or not?
     I am playing
You can't pick more than one card
     I already have a deck of my own
But you have to play with this deck
     Your deck is like mine... lots of variety
Yes but it's not a game of variety
     But I like all the cards... some more than others
That is not allowed
     I can't play with them?
No... you must pick one and then play with that one
     What is the point?
There is no point... that's just the game
     How long can it last with just one card?
The rest of your life.......
     ****

She passes us by
But she doesn’t know we're right here
She’s been living a lie
Taught that perfection will bring her near
Nearer to God  
And all the things this earth cannot provide

The rising night pearl
Inside a giant shell that never opens
Just like a beautiful girl
Our watching eyes like needles and pins
Pricking her skin
And all the things that she can no longer hide

She was a good girl
But good does not always see light
They made her live their life
It became an empty way to live
Even though they told her it was full

She fell into a trap
Nothing left but darkness to avoid
She thought she had a map
They said only the next life could be enjoyed
But she only could see the night
That’s how she knew she's still inside

Her parents called her
They thought she was going to make it
She became a soul they could no longer stir
What her fears came to admit
Scared them
Their desires she could no longer ride

She was a good girl
But she couldn’t smile anymore
Her mother kept asking her why
She was pleasing somebody but not herself
She was a sheep wearing everybody else's wool

A baby was born
Not knowing his people
Or that his path had been chosen
When he realized the truth
Of his color and his world
He saw the struggle to keep his pride unbroken

He will never be free
Until a bullet learns how to love

He read the words
And saw the pictures
Of long ago dreamers and haters
Wondering if it was real
And what he should do
He had no idea he would die like his savior

He will never be free
Until a bullet learns how to confess

As the anthem was sung
His hand covered his heart
But his people continued to cry
His children tried to laugh
But someone told them no
He did not know how to tell them why

He will never be free
Until a bullet learns how to be equal

A boy was put in his place
He learned about rejection
All he wanted was to make a friend
A bullet punctured his dream
But his children still knew
That grace saves what men would condemn

He will never be free
Until a bullet learns how to be human

It’s hard for me
You look me in the eye
And you want me
But I want the sky
It’s hard for you
You want to drink tea
And be in love
But I want the sea
What you want
Is not me
What I want
You can't see
I want the world
I want life’s problems
I want to think
I want to solve them
You want a quiet moment
And so do I
But you want to relax
While I want to ask why
And then you ask me
Why do you have to be that way?
I don’t know why
It covers me where I lay
I see your frustration
Instead of an oasis
I bring discomfort
And restlessness
I want to dig deep
Into the reservoir of emotion
I want to feel the pain
Of the human condition
You want to escape
You need me to take you there
Instead I push you away
All you can do is sit and stare
I let you in my life
As far as I can
I know it’s not enough
I’m not a companion
Yet you seem drawn
To the pictures I paint
The words are like a movie
You watch while I show no restraint
I want to drink that cup
And show you I can care
But as soon as I sit down
My mind drifts somewhere
And it’s not here
It’s not with you
Even with all your beauty
I still can see through
I see through you
As if you aren’t there
Because in fact you aren’t
You’re gone and I paid the fare
And when I sit alone
And wonder what I’ve done
You will think about me
While you are with another one
Drinking your tea
And being loved
While I suffer over you
And riddles that are unsolved

the contents of the letter indicated,
at least it raised the question if not the direction;
could a deep breath just after the first kiss
be held long enough to save herself from
all that will follow tomorrow?

he grimaced as he wrote it, he thought too much,
he decided to put it in writing, it was his gift,
the paper she might later throw in his face,
it was the commitment of the moment;
he could promise anything to anyone

she remembered every word when they first met;
that was her advantage; because lust was a toy
and she held the batteries in her hand; but the
light in his heart did not need anything this time;
this time he knew he meant it

the hardest thing was to admit if she was his type;
beauty was everybody’s preference;
but he had to climb the stairs slowly this time,
was she a cave-dweller or a kite; he would know if he
was either by walking the same ground as yesterday

Our voices
Are they an echo
Of a desolate love in the air?
Our longing
Are they the reflection
Of an unrequited love affair?
As we sleep
It watches
Knowing all our secrets
All our pain
All our loves
A reluctant confidant
Suffering
For all eternity
Witness
To all who love
And to all whose dreams are crushed
As we raise our eyes
And bare ourselves
The mirror of our sadness
Understands
In the shadow of it's light

Picture perfect like a ballerina waving her arms;
deep gorges and rolling valleys, a morning smile,
but the armies of pain tried to make her forget

She lay awake watching for birds too blind to fly

She wanted to wear her slippers
But the hot embers of war remained
She wanted to twirl on extended toes
But the holes she penetrated had no end

He had thought himself as a fallen prince but she
could not accept cruelty as fateful romance; only
furtive, plaintive, pointed glances remained;
wanting to shatter glass without breaking form
over every new set of lustful eyes

She knew he had never kissed a storm

A black swan; she hated that she had no concern
or seriousness until after it happened and yet he
was also a black swan swimming eagerly towards
her sweet lips

She kissed him as if it was a mistake

He was consumed with fantasy; another knight
pursuing his prey; she knew he was already in love;
it was too easy to hurt a man; every naïve inference
he followed was in reality her rigid body saying no

Ste remembered who slayed her pride setting
in motion the earth’s plates beneath the ocean
that shattered salty skies with its ruthless
obsessive deluge crushing the future

Nothing would ever be perfect again; or was
it that she realized it never was; she knew
normalcy could never reveal her criminal side
or what she would do with a man who knew
how to touch her

She wanted to be wildly melodramatic, but
the elevator would not descend for those
who could not control themselves; the
reflection in her wine glass reminded her
how quickly it would sink into the ******
mess she had become but at least it would
know why being strafed, shot and left for
dead had become so important to her

All this and his lips were still moving, prying
open her mouth so he could pleasure himself;
such a man was not what she wanted but
it was time to let him be a man and she was
willing to donate herself to the cause; if only
he knew how to do it

What is sentiment
except lament of choice
Or the things
we want to remember
I will not say
I am glad to be free
Or that I’m sorry
I removed my chains
Would you that
what you chose failed
Would you that
what failed you buried
Do I thank the bridge
I crossed in cautious haste
Or curse the feet
that took the first step
And though
the span seemed endless
The thought
of water flowing below
Made me wonder
if the other side existed
Had I become
concrete, steel and form
A span existing
only in dreams of lust
Or a mountain
ignoring clouds and stars
A difficult way of living
but what is life if not?
I cannot smell flowers
while building bridges apart
But it will never burn
because of you my love
I will name the one
upon which I stand after you
There is nothing to say
because I can never turn back
What I thought to do
became only what I was able
You know why I did it
I crossed because of you
But the distance served
is the time I have to know myself

As long as he could see a ray of light
even from a borrowed memory in the pouring rain
he knew that what made some cry was just another day

There was a way to believe in himself
it was to not be jealous of another man’s choices
and find love from a woman who could understand his way

Arriving in the city or the country
There was no way to know where she was from
The mystery was the game
She wore high heels on a gravel road
Even the dice burning in his hands didn’t know which one

He paid no mind to clashing rocks or sirens
there was no purpose to risk passage to the desire of a dream
he knew not to bargain in the way he would pray

He could never decide how to approach her
there wasn’t any time to think of how to he should be
only to see if there was a door to her heart inviting him to stay

Swimming in oceans or climbing mountains
There was no way to know what she wanted to do
The expectation was the same
She wore a bikini in the snow
Even a ball rolling in a circle didn’t know what was true

Have we lost faith in the ability of our
values to withstand their own bare feet;
darkness has become a boot with so
many holes we bleed on our own streets;
we’ve become a Judas to ourselves,
betraying the things we once believed;
in jeopardy we watch the skies empty
of doves who cry about being deceived;
is it true that as life becomes hard a man
does not know the reason he should die;
his beating heart, pushing his hand away,
asks if fear ever knows the reason why;
the land that we love bears the weight of
so many who wish to walk with the free,
but are the words of our savior lost when
our earthly life is the only life we see?

I’m not going to rest
The last moment is not who I am
Neither will be the next one
I’m going to invent myself every day
There’s always more work to be done

I don’t look where I’ve been
I just carry it with me
There’s no need to throw anything away
Even my mistakes have meaning
That’s what I remember the most anyway

Don’t think I can’t love you more than her
I don’t have to make a resolution
There’s always a bird flying by
When they leave I wonder if lonely is being free
Is that why I am happy to see an empty blue sky?

The good thing is I know where it all began
And if I can’t take you there then
I’ll bring it to you except it will be new
And when you ask me about her
My heart will tell you what’s true

Let’s feel the pain and the joy
That will be our paradise
We will know how to live a real life
There are no longer any  storms that we fear
Turn your back on me now; I threw away my knife

Well I'm away now
It's not the same as it once was
It might look like it to you
But the past won't be my last

I'm ready for the next big thing
But it has to be my idea
You may never know it
I can say no and make it so

Some things just won't go away
One day you just accept it
It's part of your life and you live it
Or you ignore what happened before

No past no future how long do I have
If someone would just tell me
I wonder how I would live in the now
Would I be leaving, would I be grieving?

I want to be about hope
Not so much for my own worth
But just more time and temperance
And for you, you know it's true

One day I will let myself go
That is the void I haven't crossed
It is my mind without fear
To lose as long as I choose

Whatever you are
You meet something else
Part of you is the border
The other part is a long stretch of difference
Will you let them cross
They have to walk on your soul
But the other side you also know
The collision is what knocks down the fence
Nothing stops the wind
Or the birds flying south
If you let it happen that way
A stone becomes a river bed of conscience

I remember the feeling
Of walking into clouds that were bleeding
That’s the kind of love I always needed
The kind that comes and goes
You followed me all over
Watering me until I grew older
But what I finally realized about you
Was a memory that never grows

If you knew me once
I’m not that way anymore
You always lived in the past
But that’s not what tomorrows for

I remember the meaning
Of chasing clouds that were leaving
That’s the kind of love I always hated
The kind that comes and goes
You made me follow you all over
Denying me because I was older
But what I finally realized about you
Was a future that never knows

If you knew me once
I’m not that way anymore
You always talked about tomorrow
But that’s not what you wanted me for

There was a green meadow
And on it a house
Inside were bright curtains and wooden floors
And a garden on the side
Where she got dirt on her blouse

There was a desire to love in her heart
Then there was a man
In him there was fire and feeling
And strong hands gentle enough
To till the garden where love began

He walked proudly next to her
But she did not feel the same thing
She wondered if she was on the rebound
He wondered why she kept that old ring

But like a winter bird she finally flew
It was not how he wanted it to be
They had their ups and downs
But something more made her stay away
An empty horizon was all he needed to see

He slept like a baby next to her
One night he had to find a different dream
She finally left him without a sound
Except the echo of a lost lovers scream

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

Her mind had become one large empty room
With only a chair
She needed a place to sit and think

She felt like an empty alley crossed by railroad tracks
Life seemed to have a way of going its own way
While she watched silently waiting for the next train to pass

She heard a noise and it was a spring bird gathering twigs
It was undaunted by weather that won’t make up its mind
It’s a feeling inside that drives it to plan ahead
No matter the cold air
It must be nice to know what tomorrow will bring

It’s that feeling though
It can make you wait for the wrong thing
To believe in what is not right for you
To forget the pain they put you through
You remembered a glimmer of good
And made it the entire story
That’s why the room was empty
That’s why a glimmer is welcome
But there is no other chair
It’s because you put it on the other side of the door
And you did it for a reason
And now you’re thinking of bringing it back
What you don’t know is that it’s not there anymore
Someone else took it

Maybe you’re in the wrong room
The door is unlocked
You can leave if you want
Or you can wait
Because a fantasy is easier than a decision

You know you might could just do it
Do your own thing
But nobody’s gonna’ pay you for it
It’s only a way to pay yourself

Go ahead and be you
It’s not easy being different
But it’s easier than being something else
Don’t pick the wrong version of the story

When you decide to breathe again
I hope you’re the one who’s there
When you decide to speak again
I hope you’re the one who cares

It’s time to quit pretending
There’s nothing but pain there
It will happen soon enough for you
But now you belong to your own heart

When you decide to see again
I hope it's you standing in the mirror
When you decide to love again
I hope it's my heart that becomes nearer

As their lips neared the shores of chance and promise
He stopped the water and swept the sand clean of candled muses
The wind swept air paused for them to decide
They didn’t know about love when they could still feel their bruises
She thought she heard him say the word forever
But how could it be when it was only what she’d given away before
Though he stopped her breath she opened her eyes
She wanted to see what kind of man it was who finally wanted more
The fortress she made was only made of sand
But when he pulled the moon close the tides of love swept it away
And while fires burned inside glowing paper bags
The roar of exploding shells fueled their desires where they lay

There are times I need the spread of a meadow, green and flat
Or maybe a field with perfect rows of corn as I drive quickly by
I want to see the distance but not so much that I cannot be a part
Because where do people exist except in common occurrence?

Hands across the void unable to touch each other
Giant clocks with hands that move though we cannot see
Hands reaching to heaven but all we can feel is the rain
The sun and moon shine upon us but time passes not so gently

Between mountaintops is there a promise for the future?
What we see and gaze upon is only a moment to contemplate
Though some live in God’s country it is not the pleasure of most
To walk upon burning sands is the promise that we will live together

It is the truth that you must see in order to know truth itself
And so we must see his presence in the things we cannot touch
Yet what we feel is the warmth of day and the chill of the night air
And the sense of self that brings us together on common ground

We are drifting apart my friend
Is it because of a woman?
Maybe it is in some way
For what dims our light, reminds
Of promises I made one night
We cannot talk about it
But our friendship reads minds
We do not judge one other
We are able to turn back time
And though will never forget
Between men of weakness
Knowing is where we meet again

You are by day my friend
But she is by night
You offer what you are
She offers dark and light
No tears for losing a friend
Only sadness in the desert
No calm for losing a wife
Only pain when seas part
The heart will break bread
With both sand and water
And while the dust that rises
Lives in the minds of two men
The seas upon which I must sail
Render the verdict between life or sin