THINGS HAVE CHANGED

Things have changed around me

And I'm not surprised

For I'm not the same

Except for my mistakes

The ones I keep repeating

Those stay.

Things have changed around me

And I'm frankly glad

For who's to say what's better

Except in my heart

Where I know what truly is

I do.

Things have changed around me

And I am scared

About how good or bad this will be

Or how good or bad I will become

Is it a pretty picture?

Maybe not.

Things have changed around me

Ugly world, ugly people

Beautiful words, beautiful lies

Sadness and brilliance sharing time

Then gone.

Things have changed around me

And yet, here we are

Circling around the same fire

Living our days with melancholy

And hope.

Things have changed around me

And I have changed around things.

WORDS DON'T WORK

I've said everything I had to say

And I've said nothing at all

For all the words in my repository

Still seem so empty and small.

Tears flow down but those are drops

That have a mind of their own

Not so good at expressing a thought

They leave me feeling more alone.

I hear a song and it touches my heart

Yet, it's not the song I'd sing

For a song needs soul and I'm out of that

And all I can feel is a sting.

There's hope they say, round the corner

And I fervently pray they are right

For all the things they say aren't true

And hope isn't watertight.

It's not too late for conversation

But talk when wedded to lament

Is just a chaos of despair and defeat

And probably a summary of repent.

All the words and all the silences

Will never suffice, I fear

So I guess it's best to be monotonous

And live to persevere.

LIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE

The best intentions have gone wrong

The strongest bridges have given way

Believing in yourself didn't bear fruit

It's not like tomorrow's a better day

And yet, there's a fire burning in hell somewhere

The hell they call your mind

And it’s telling you just one more time

Don't leave that hero behind

There's a bit of faith somewhere within

Not in your heart, but way deeper

And if it's ashes you're seeing right now

It's because you can't spot the ember.

Everything won't be well

Everything won't be as before

But everything will be a lot better

If you just live a little bit more.

Everything won't shape out perfectly

Everything won't result in more

But everything will be a lot better

If you just live a little bit more.

The sun is setting early, the daylight has passed

And each day is that much longer

Your conscience has weathered a storm and yet

It's still not a minute stronger.

There's a sanctuary where you'll escape

A sanctuary inside your head

Where the voices of guilt and shame won't speak

And you'll make an uneasy bed.

Let that sanctuary fill your insides

Let it be more than an oasis

And if you fill that void with light

You'll probably see a way out of the abyss.

Everything won't be well

Everything won't be as before

But everything will be a lot better

If you just live a little bit more.

Everything won't shape out perfectly

Everything won't result in more

But everything will be a lot better

If you just live a little bit more.

You're looking back and you can see

That it's not them, it's you

You're looking forward and you know this

That you still don't have a clue

Your eyes are losing focus and yet

You have a sight of a different kind

It's making you squint and squirm and feel

Like you're just better off blind

Open your eyes and realize this now

This path is difficult to walk alone

But if you can shake off the ominous

It's still the path that's your chaperone.

Everything won't be well

Everything won't be as before

But everything will be a lot better

If you just live a little bit more.

Everything won't shape out perfectly

Everything won't result in more

But everything will be a lot better

If you just live a little bit more.

THE UNWRITTEN SONG

Slowly simmering along

No words, and yet a song

There's no fire without a flame

And there's no player without a game

But there could be a story without focus

And that's probably what’s made us

This is you, this is me

And this is our practicality

And while this world will string along

We'll still be writing our unwritten song.

Obvious isn't all that sure

And sure isn't entirely pure

Everything that had meaning seems quite lost

In the pathways of what was star-crossed

Once upon a time, we were clear

And now, clarity is replaced with fear

This is you, this is me

And this is our reality

And while this world will string along

We'll still be writing our unwritten song.

Fact sheets have proved misleading

Our convictions are here a-bleeding

We placate ourselves with a pack of lies

Knowing full well, they won't actualize

All that is done, can't be taken back

And all that is behind, comes to attack

This is you, this is me

And this is our actuality

And while this world will string along

We'll still be writing our unwritten song.

SERIOUSLY, I'M ALIVE

Seriously, I'm alive.

Though I hardly ever feel the sun beating down on me

Or see my furniture arranged differently

But seriously, I'm alive.

Though my days are mundanely absurd

And news floating around me is way too disturbed

But seriously, I'm alive.

The metaphorical masks we wore, have a literal version too

And about things like travel and wine, we no longer have a clue

But seriously, I'm alive.

Who can say what's the end and what's the beginning

Who's doing the right thing now, who's sinning

But seriously, I'm alive.

Religion is still playing it's best card, and we're game

Stigmas still abound, we should hang our heads in shame

But seriously, I'm alive.

This battle may end, but at what cost?

We may gain perspective, but how many lives lost?

Seriously, I’m alive?

FOR ME, IT'S HEAVEN

I have a corner I call mine

It's by the window

And it doesn't come with a great view

But there's some sunshine streaming in

And for me, that seems like

Heaven.

I have a kitchen, not too big

It's got no fancy gadgets

In fact, the roof is leaky

But I've had some great conversations here

And for me, that seems like

Heaven.

I have a money plant in a bottle

A bottle of gin that I drank all of

The plant itself may not grow

But perhaps, it’s stronger that I think

And for me, that seems like

Heaven.

I have a lampshade by my bed

It's old and has seen better days

Not too big, not too pretty

But its light is all things mellow

And for me, that seems like

Heaven.

I have a coffee mug that I drink out of

It’s been used and reused way too often

And maybe it needs to retire

But maybe it needs another coffee

And for me, that seems like

Heaven.

I have a corner I call mine

It's by the window

And it doesn't come with a great view

But there's some sunshine streaming in

And for me, that seems like

Heaven.

BRAND NEW DAY

You and me and the sky

We made a tryst to love each other

And then the sea intervened

So we decided to share secrets together

The sky and the sea are still out there

Waiting to hear us say

Let's start again where we left off

Let's make it a brand new day.

You and me and the trees

We could listen to each other sighing

And then the birds chirped in

We were no longer scared of flying

The trees and the birds are patient

They'll wait for us to be brave

Let's take this out in the open

Let's make it a brand new day.

You and me and the rainfall

We would often exchange more than news

And then the puddles started laughing

For they wanted us to break loose

The puddles and the rain will miss us

If we could only find a way

Let's change the stagnancy of the present

Let's make it a brand new day.

WHAT HAVE YOU

There's someone who's distracting

And someone who's distracted

There's someone who's attracting

And someone's who's attracted

When you're sitting at home, thinking up things

Who's to say you've not over-reacted.

Who's to say there's not a table

Laid out just for two

Roses and music and well,

What have you.

There's a tune playing somewhere

And one playing just for you

There's a film you think is brilliant

And one you can't get through

When your mind is both full and empty

Who's to say what rings as true.

Who's to say there's not a journey

To which, you haven't got a clue

With twists and turns and well,

What have you.

There's a conversation that's started

And you feel you can change its course

There's someone who's decided to ghost you

And you feel not a pinch of remorse

When everything around is moving steadily

Who's to say you can't apply force

Who's to say, you're not that bolt

That strikes out of the blue

Who burns and stings and well,

What have you.

A POEM ABOUT HER

She'll kiss the storm

Because she kicked it up

Then break her heart

Not knowing how to pick it up

She'll burn a hole

Because she thinks she can

Then try and stitch it up

To end up where she began

This is not her story

This is not her song

This is not her right

This is not her wrong

This is the life

She's lived far too long

This is the life

She's lived far too long.

She'll make a deal

Then question it again

She'll throw in her cards

When she stands to gain

She'll quit the game

Just as it was going her way

Then find herself at crossroads

That lead to a cliche

This is not her yin

This is not her yang

This is not her pain

This is not her pang

This is the life

She's made into her plan

This is the life

She's made into her plan.

She'll find the answers

To questions in her head

Then she'll question the answer

To find what lies ahead

She'll catch a glimpse of the sun

And bask in its shine

Then relish the rain

As if it were wine

This is not her show

This is not her sell

This is not her sin

This is not her hell

This is the life

She's born to tell

This is the life

She's born to tell.

DOING THE BEST WE CAN

We can go round and round

And come to the same conclusion

We can take everything as it comes

And further add to the confusion

We can discuss things to death

And worry ourselves to a point of no return

We can throw caution to the wind

And watch one another bruise and burn

There's no right or wrong answer

There's no yes or no plan

There's just a sense of knowing

That we're doing the best we can.

We can fall back on our old habits

And find that we're fed up and tired

We can pick up the pieces and start again

And see if we're differently wired

We can let our shadows haunt us

And create a narrative quite frightening

We can light a candle in the dark

And find the prospect enlightening

There's no good or bad reason

There's no lesser or greater than

There's just a sense of knowing

That we're doing the best we can.

We can shake up the constant

And make changes work in our favour

We can hold ourselves accountable

And emerge a whole lot braver

We can seal it all with a kiss

And carry the memories to our grave

We can shove it all below the carpet

And make regret our only slave

There's no bright or dull moment

There's no lesser woman or man

There's just a sense of knowing

That we're doing the best we can.