We took a drive. I had things to say.
My heart was aching, shattered.
I rehearsed the words throughout the day,
Believing that it mattered.
I met you then but I only saw,
The mask you chose to show.
If you were suffering underneath,
Then how was I to know?
I said,
" Your grey facade hides worlds so vast,
Naked flesh of fruit, beneath the rind.
Your future's informed by its turbulent past,
Full understanding; when you look behind."
You said,
" You try too hard, you think too much.
You never live for now.
Wrapping words around the wrong ideas,
You miss the point somehow."
"Stuck in place, because it's safe,
You're too afraid to grow.
If you had begun to change your fate,
Then how was I to know?"
You saw me within a grey facade.
I saw you within a grey facade.
We could not say more, it seemed sufficient,
That love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love is ignoring all that came before,
Loving only the moment.
That coin of the realm: elusive, bright.
Your grey facade hides
Such a beautiful light.
Love has many names.
Call any one aloud and I will answer.
I will come.
You will see.
You'll see me clearly, even behind this grey facade.
I took on a second spoken word collaboration with a composer in the Netherlands I met through SoundCloud.com. The track was titled "Grey Facades" and, so, I gravitated toward this theme... exploring the differences between our outer, public personae and our inner, personal lives. In this case, the mask is harsh but conceals kindness and life. The speaker, themself, seems to have a thin mask and an analytical nature. They wear their beauty and darkness right on their sleeve but still remain obscured in other ways.
This is a collage of stanzas written independently over many months, but tending to relate to the one theme. When I simply stacked them up and read them, cold, against the track, most of it's parts just clicked right with the changes. I was surprised and really like how it's going. Will post the final mix when it's done.
Update: A final mix now exists.. Give a listen:
https://soundcloud.com/flowermouth/grey-facades-feat-warmphase