i sit on a friends couch,
and listen to stories of all of the people in their life.

all of the good and all of the bad.

then i’ll tell them about
all of my good and all of my bad.

shedding and letting go
of all of the things.

letting them slip
in between
the cushions of the couch.

this is how we make the world feel lighter.

I want you to ruin my life
and maybe yours at the same time

I want you to tell me you love me
even if you don't
because for a moment it could be nice
to just be in the wrong

We could sit amongst the rubble
talk about the meaning of it all
as if any of it matters

I want you and I know I shouldn't
I'm just searching for validation
while you look for an exit sign

But, maybe it'd be nice
to set it all on fire and fall for a line

I walk under fluffy white clouds,
and I tread through glowing green grass,
I can feel the breeze on my skin,

for a second I'm still in first grade,
for a second nothing bad has happened,
for a second I can feel my surroundings,
for a second its comforting,

glowing evergreen and warm,
the sun soothes my skin,
bathing me in honey like gold,

it's a feeling I will cherish,
the warm embrace of a mother I never got to have,
the confident reassurance that I am worthy of good things

I am worthy of feeling warm sun,
of glowing green grass,
and seeing bright fluffy white clouds in the sky,

for a second my mind clears,
the birds sing and the crickets chirp,
I hear the soft crunch of leaves under my shoes and I smile

for just a moment I'm in first grade,
for just a second,

nothing bad has happened

Bad news come for evil yet rules
And more evil yet cloaked until
In triumph in all the world
In the news from its knees rises

The Devil, ceases its pretence
To pray; And all barely sheep-cloaked
evil bared, and with whip commands
As I knelt now bow before me

All eyes in heavens and all earth
Will see that you in your free will
In your calculated choices
Choose Evil and reject the King

And they the exiles in their homes
The aliens from Eden on Earth
Aggrieved beyond bearable grief
Shall see judgements and wondrous grace

It was bad as I always imagined
Honey no longer tastes sweet
All who partake intoxicated
Words melted in the midday heat
Illusions beyond comprehension
Evoking apparitions from a fleeting flashback
Fragments claimed in the light of day
Painted my world in shades of black
I could only watch colors fade
Charismatic allure had me paralyzed
Energy spent transformed into tears
Crossed paths unrecognized
Time has not dwindled intensity
Feeling depth exceeding all measure
Defined by despondent devotion
You no longer bring body pleasure
I dream a life free from anchors
The shadows darkening the air
In moonlight images my skin unblemished
Make-believe scars were never there

When we as loveless humans failed,
With hate in every word exhaled
We turned and let our gods all crash,
we turned our children into ash.
.
And from out the ashes crawled
A thousand demons, wide and tall
Roiling mud and blood and stench
Tore out from groaning wound-like trench
.
And then down from the sun there flew
(not too many nor too few)
A band of angels, a golden choir
Singing songs of purging fire
.
And at the end of battle-day
In the fields of war there lay
No liars, beggars, thiefs or knaves
But a thousand crying naked babes

You've gotta learn to love the vinegar,
Even if the taste is bitter,
Because times always get tough.
It's about drinking it in, taking it in;
Finding the strength to get back up.
To slog off the rough
And chisel something out