In the dark night
shadows move swiftly.
Carrying burdens
greivous to be born.

Brandishing pitchforks
lanterns and axes.
Off on a witch hunt
to settle an incident.

Innocent victims
abused for their differences.
Knowing not why they'd been
driven from their homes.

On with the tyranny
there by the waters edge!
Silenced in terror
at the first light of dawn

Deprived and destitute
there in the morning.
Hung by the neck
to end the alarm.

In some way, no matter how bad things got or how low I’d get
For some reason it felt like I hadn’t hit rock bottom yet
My premonition told me there was one more bullet to take
So I bit it, jumped in the flame and put it all at stake

But I paid dearly, nearly lost my sanity dealing with it
I looked for signs and some other guidelines to help me get through
While I was fighting depression writing made an impression
Like deep cuts spilling my guts on paper gave me a new view

I wish I didn’t
know you so well,
for being so far
into your soul blinded me.
I yearned for unruly entanglement.
You seek freedom of a different kind.
I know the thorns which accompany
the softness of your heart,
for we are all petals
swept between pavement cracks,
sometimes one finds a home
sometimes one remains waylorn.

to become affianced to the grim reaper,
who never promised me a rose garden
nor crystal clear pool of fragrant delight
to accompany last living breath
before succumbing into the soundgarden
of a black hole sun
re: the void of nothingness
with absolute zero remembrance of things past.

Once, long ago
in fields of wild clover.
We wept side by side
lamenting the day.

In silence we stood
drenched in emotions.
Wanting to say things,
which we couldn't say!

There was no time left
to share on that day.
The firestorms had come
to sweep us away!

The clouds drifted away today
By eleven the sky was a spotless blue
And as clear as my unburdened heart

They've drifted off to the west now
They're magnificent against the setting sun
I think I'll stay here a moment longer
To see lightning flashing in the dark
Against the northern horizon
And be amazed by the smell of wet earth
Drifting down with the breeze

Be whatever you want to be—
Be the drifting cloud,
Or the free-buzzing bee;
Be the timeless-running river,
Or the wild and whirling sea.
Be the ocean, vast and calm;
Be the meadow,
Or the steadfast-rooted tree.
Be whatever you want to be.

I see you—the benevolent sky,
The forever-blinking star
That never fades, never dies.
I see you—the shining sun,
The brilliant moon,
Unwavering and high.

In my recurring nightmare, I've begun a new job,
but my responsibilities are always very vague.

And I cannot find my car when the workday is done,
whatever that may have been.

And, on queue, my phone is unable to make a call,
or do anything of use to help with the predicament of my dream.
In an act of futility, I keep trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

These recurring themes feast on my anxiety
until they are full. But soon, and maybe again tonight,
I'm sure they'll be back with an appetite.

PSYCH WARD

The hollow breeze blows along the corridor
That still retains the faintest whiff of bleach
Another open door reveals an empty room
A ceiling striplight flicker offsets the gloom
Reflecting views that few had tried to teach
But now, there is nothing left here anymore

Standing tall 'round five-foot-three
Little ole me, little ole me
Chased a raccoon from my tree
Oh, little ole me

Hit the ground and turned on me
Little ole me, little ole me
Chased me up into that tree
Oh, little ole me

Here I sit up in this tree
Little ole me, little ole me
Wonderin' who will rescue me
Oh, little ole me

Shame has come, I've got to pee
Little ole me, little ole me
Still that raccoon's keepin' me
Poor, little ole me