I knew I had a choice in that moment
To either say something or not
I knew it might be my only chance
That I may never have another shot
But I blew it
I couldn’t say a thing
I was afraid of your reaction
And of theirs and that sting
Of your look, hurt yet defiant
And unwilling to admit your part
I know I want to fix it
But don’t know where to start
I know that could have been the moment
I know that could have been key
But I couldn’t walk up to you
With everyone watching me
I’m left with a bad feeling
I guess that’s mine to keep
To dwell on in my own time
And keep me from my sleep
I hope that we can move on
In our separate ways
And remember those times
When we had better days

Oh let us have a darker sky
Give us a chance to look up high
And see the diamonds sparkle there
In Mother Nature’s beauty share
So many hidden in the night
So often drowning in the light
A precious gift for you to find
To contemplate, expand your mind
I have the chance, wrapped up in dark
Out in the woods, out in the park
Find joy at what the eye now sees
The stage is framed between the leaves
But there, one star, it sets a course
Driven by unnatural force
A satellite across the scene
Of beauty up there still serene
But then a second, third and fourth
Heading South, East, West or North
So many more since I was young
And now I feel the bell has rung
A tolling to lament the past
Once innocent, that didn’t last
Give it another twenty years
And then I wonder if my fears
Of seeing hundreds file on by
Will come to pass, I wonder why
I value specks of nature’s light
Not any formed by human might
By people there are wonders made
Some that last and some that fade
But just for once I’d like a place
A truly untouched open space
For once let interference cease
And solace there will be in peace

You’ve found yourself in a lonely place
With nothing left to lose but face
That you try to save but fail
To see the never ending trail
Of destruction from your hate
At an exponential rate
Trust has fallen, love is lost
You didn’t think what it would cost
You at the start when you began
And now I wonder if you can
Ever find a way to heal
The hurt that all but you can feel

I wish you every comfort
As you settle now to sleep
You can do it all your own way
There’s no timetable to keep
I know that you can hear me
But can’t express your need
But you don’t need to worry
Every tiny sign I’ll heed
Any possible discomfort
I will soothe away
All love respect and care
That it’s possible to pay
Is yours for now and always
As it comes upon your time
And the privilege of caring
Is forever mine

Hush we’re not talking about it
We have nothing to say
No we have nothing to share now
Nothing can help anyway
We buried it deep you can’t find it
And we won’t let anything slip
I can’t even try to explain how
But I’ll try to give you a tip
Just walk away, what you don’t know
Can’t hurt you or anyone here
We smothered emotion completely
So now there is nothing to fear.

Only in true darkness
Can stars really shine
They await the setting stage
Patiently through time
They watch the plays
Of all our days
Showy and shallow and shrill
While peace is theirs
And now it’s mine
And I am with you still

“Don’t put it up inside the house..
It’s bad luck”
He looks at me, his thumb on the button
Then bam it’s up, it’s out in all its glory
You can probably guess the story
I get mad, “I told you not to..
And you did!”
He looks at me, not understanding
Why it’s so important anyway
I bite my tongue in an effort not to say
All those irrational fears
But they’re there
In my head, as he raises his voice
To scold me for raising mine
I apologize and say it’s fine
He says he just wanted to see what
It looked like
As I ponder endless consequences
As inevitable as the tide
For opening an umbrella inside.

If you have time
Well that is fine
But if you don’t
Then it won’t
Stretch to accommodate
While you procrastinate
So do it now
Work out how
Tell them what they mean
To you, hard as it may seem
If you, love them let them know
Before it’s time to go

My boy has gone
My wonderful beautiful boy
He was my world,
My life, my everything, my joy
The house is empty now
An all encompassing emptiness
It swallows what is left
And leaves a crushing loneliness
It grabs me round the neck
And chokes the sobs out strangling
I’m so tired and worn out
I can’t talk or think of anything
But my boy is gone

You changed my life quickly, in the blink of an eye
And I’ll always be wondering, exactly how and why
I used to be so confident, but not anymore
Now I can’t do things that I used to do before
Like walk around this town without this knot of fear
Not knowing if you or anyone who knows is even here
Does anyone remember or can tell me what I did?
I so want to know, but reopen wounds with every bid
To find out what happened, it’s what I have to do
But what if all the answers then lead right back to you?
You took away my power, memory, control
But you couldn’t touch who I am deep in my soul
Did you get what you wanted? I really hope you didn’t
I long for some kind of justice but every day there isn’t
It tears me up to think you could be doing the same
To somebody else out there, like it’s some kind of game
It’s too much to hope that you even care or think
About what you’re doing when you spike someone’s drink

Like a runner in a relay race
Passing the baton on
Then it comes round again
And I’m not the only one
Feeling the sprint get harder
The distance longer round the track
Some runners stumble and fall
But we don’t have time to look back
More batons now add to the load
It’s hard not to let a few drop
But the pace is relentless
There’s nowhere to stop
The spectators of this sport are watchful
Especially those in the VIP box
Be careful that you never slip up
Or you’ll find yourself pelted with rocks
We each wish it could all be over
We’re thinking enough is enough
But they say the tough get going
When the going gets tough
We want to support each other
As we know what we’re going through
But we barely have time to say ‘thanks’
Or ‘we need and value you’
As more fall by the wayside
We struggle on under the strain
Collecting our burdens like trophies
Ignoring all our own pain
We’re in this because we are selfless
Driven to help those in need
But best not examine too closely
Our faces as there you will read
Behind the smile there’s a sadness
With exhaustion exacting its dues
Because the game never changes
And this was yesterday’s news

The effects will be temporary
That’s what the official said
But there’s nothing temporary
About being dead
A blip in the economy
Quell the panic buying
Keep supplies coming
The market isn’t dying
If you wanted toilet paper
In your weekly shop
Then you’re out of luck
Those hoarders never stop
But you don’t need to worry
The effects are temporary
We are sure to beat
Our latest adversary
Just be sure to wash your hands
The masks won’t help you much
Keep coughs and sneezes to yourself
And be careful what you touch
But it’s all temporary
Watch us now beat this
Remember no more shaking hands
And certainly don’t kiss
You might find you have to
Self isolate at home
Just for fourteen days
But try not to moan
‘Cause it’s only temporary
That’s what the official said
For most of us anyway
Unless you end up dead

We’re on it.

The curse is out there
And it will find you
Because it knows
As well as you do

What you did.

You took something
That you had no right
To take away
In the dead of night

We’re on it.

The curse is out there
Each day refreshed anew
Don’t expect anyone
To have sympathy for you

Nothing but bad news anyway
What will people die of today?
Buried in rubble after an earthquake?
Thrown from a car driven by a drunk?
Or cut up and thrown in the river
Or lost in the snow storm to shiver
And never find a way home
But die alone
Or be trapped in a city of millions
As a virus multiplies by billions
Infecting
Incubating
Mutating
Killing
Nothing but bad news anyway
And it’s set to get worse they say

Oh won’t you stop dwelling on the misery
And look on the bright side?
That guy was convicted of his crime
Yeah but his daughter died
That baby was found and cared for
Yeah but first he was abandoned
Those kittens were rescued from the ice
But they suffered before they were found
That child was pulled out alive
Yeah but her parents lay buried
The virus is only killing a small percentage
Yeah but we need to be worried
Yeah there are positives
But come on, you can’t hide
From reality, perpetual misery
Is the flip side of the bright side

He stands there alone studying his list
The warmth making his glasses mist
He squints at the words scribbled down
He didn’t want to go to town
He just needs a few essential things
Stuff his friend usually brings
But now he’s isolated
Alone, desperate, ill-fated
The shelves are ransacked bare
There’s nothing there
He shuffles on his feet
And wonders what he’ll have to eat
He feels an ache in every bone
Contemplates the long walk home
Energy and hope are wearing thin
For old folk just like him
He’s had some troubles in his time
Now let’s make them yours and mine

The wind howls and whips
Blowing snow as it rips
Away heat and living things
Huddle in the chill it brings
White whirling in the air
Mother nature doesn’t care
That protection’s wearing thin
Her icy fingers burning skin
The need to hide and survive
Drives all creatures still alive
As the weakest fade and fall
Now the strongest beat them all