Making Trouble

You'll fall to pieces

when the dream is done

and stand by destruction

rather than taking flight

never giving up the fight

because it's your problem

something you made

like it or not

Like fish

Like fish in a bowl

or puppets in satin's hands

preaching, preaching

war, war, war

holy or not

this our divine plan

not plot

Left Behind

Once you had something to defend

but you let it slip away

blinded by promises

of better days ahead

now those days

have been

left behind

Metropolis of Shame

We can see right through

each candidate

spinning webs of lies

called promises

and yet we fall

for each and every one

again and again

sending them off

to the metropolis

of shame

Curse You

Who is playing with my head tonight

putting things in there that I don't want

what's messing with my emotions

I caught them swimming around

whispering things to me

when I became aware of them

I chased them out

sitting silent, pondering their origin

who keeping these things out

to get caught by me

everytime I had the answer

it slipped away

never enough time

to understand the things

life had to say

curse you wicked thoughts

go away

Repeated Mistakes

We've been here before

in another shape, in another form

trials and tribulations

still the same

we just call them other names

an endless loop

of repeated mistakes

Jones

headline fight

calling for attention

wrong or right

from arid desert to arctic zone

war won't leave us alone

sustained on misleading information

forgetting the burnt red

the innocent charred bones

everyone a Jones

without a name or face

until apology letters

reach waiting homes

stop at once

give us hope

for a better place

to find some peace

something to share

a reason to care

nourisment

for weary souls

something we all want

Steets of Heaven

The man said he was a wisp of love

coming out of the night for some sun

kept in the dark for so long

in a room of fears

telling him what he was supposed to be

evil reflections

pain, confusion, conspiracy

he washed his soul clean

walking the streets of heaven

remembering seasons of fire

buring in the soul once again

Growing Dim

things make the candle grow wiser

this night of waning life

time stealing tomorrow

with each passing second

this world grows dim

Out the window

The man down the street got my call

but I didn't know who he was

his replies coming back to me

mumbling through the receiver

he said he's doing fine

and not much was going on

I wondered how he knew that

how he knew something was happening at all

so, I looked out the window

to see what I was missing

Tired Inspiration

Gold was thinly spread over the edge of the horizon

fingers dipped into cold water for relief

the moon coming out to put the sun away

over these seas of tired inspiration

where her love awaits

Packed Up

I'm not me anymore

somewhere along the way

my dreams packed up

and headed out the door

just a shell left to stay

and suffer cut after cut

who could ask for more

Rock-N-Roll Deli

Everyman in Florida has his day and this one was Sam's.

He'd been a middleman for years, and she was sick of it. It had gotten old fast.

What he needed was some excitement, something like a new drug.

His life was a mess. The whole room smelled of week old pastrami and stale bagels.

What Sam needed was a new shipment for his customers.

He found the deal of a lifetime and got on a plane to South America.

There he met with a man of dubious origin.

A hundred grand later Sam was loaded with Peruvian Pig Tongues.

They were hot items in Florida, but smuggling them in would be difficult.

Sam had to dodge Salami Vice.

The folks that broke up illegal delicatessens.

If they got word that some bad tongue was on the street if would be over for Sam.

Goodby testiment

Today give praise,

a new day,

a goodbye testiment

Stiff Cold

Clutching feverishly

to remaining bits of light

anything

to keep impenetrable black

at bay

fighting desperation of thought

unyielding sound

this burden

thick, moist, earthen

burning my nostrils

sulfur giving way

to the stiff cold

up ahead

Can't turn back

The distasteful endurance

of light

somber faces

with glaring blank eyes

reflect the candles

on the table

fearfully clutching

each other's hands

a mood of desperation

settled over the room

the murmuring voice

chanting, beckoning

the presence

of the fallen and forgotten

this moment spurred

game, test, dare

didn't bring forth

expected results

instead a scare

and a laugh

the room cold

pounding hearts

and the chants

unknown prankster

cloaked in fear

suddenly appears

the room goes black

there are some things

you can't turn back

I'll fly away

I'll fly away

if you let me

to soar above

in the realm of dreams

this is where true love lives

Beyond why

that was your mother

life stopped

a single point in time

somewhere

between now and then

and your father

just a working man

he tried his hardest

returning too old

your brothers did too

all this such and such

loaded questions

beyond reason

beyond why

Magic

There's a magic to life

it requires no potions

just open eyes

and open hearts

Fate Knows

how do you let words of uncertainty

part from fearful lips

when the past sealed the heart so well

is it love this time

only time will tell

can the spell be broken that she cast

or will each love end like the last

only fate knows what lies deep inside

where emotion has left to hide

Sealing Fate

his heart taken away

when his love left

pain sealing his fate

with a deepening hurt

not to be undone

The Beat

if by luck

the wicked turn to friends

and anger is seized

obliteration of thought teased

running scales

like poets with guitars

when the beat fades

don't look back

when putting away

the things that we love

it's best to not

look back

On hold

all our tomorrows

put on hold

until we grasp

our dreams

and fly

with them

Waiting to find out

the days float by

waiting for us

to find out

who we are

Our better days

We built an empire

above all horizons

a future to grow into

a fitting statement

a testiment that still stands

reminding us

of our better days

Formulas

We had a formula for the future

all our problems would be gone

and life would be a dream

and dreams would be our life

until that day arrived

and we found none of it came true

Journey Forward

Take me to places safe and warm

a future of possibilities

with many forks in the road

where adventure lies ahead

from this journey forward

Find yourself

Find your center

and you'll find yourself

waiting

you've been
for nothing

let your journey begin

Be happy

The walls decide to stay where they are

maybe they'll find you again in time

for now remember you've been released

and left this world behind

don't let the doubts haunt you

or take your friends and destroy your home

seek out love, out there to find

do more than sleep lost and alone

nothing to hold but memories

until the cold morning light

let the past go, be happy