Poetry & lyrics that I've written throughout my journey along with some of my photos.

What others are saying -

"Bright blasts of mystical wisdom reminiscent of Emily Dickinson"
 
 Doug Mcgill - Founder / Rochester Meditation Center

All works copyright 2021 - Gary Bares

I AM

​

I am a secret that I couldn't keep

The dreams of the dreamer who talks in his sleep

​

Safe but unseen in the depths of the night

I am the shadow that longs for the light

​

I am the answer, still trying to learn

The reason that fire can never be burned

​

Born into riches, like the prodigal son

I wander the earth as if I have none

​

​

Naked and hungry, I cover the land

In search of a beggar with a bowl in his hand

​

He'll know who I am

Unanswerable Riddle   (Lyrics)

​

My faith & my doubt

Roll around on the floor

They’re still fighting it out

But I don’t know what for

... Just can't leave it alone

​

It’s a dubious prize

For whichever one wins

Truth is hard on the eyes

End up trading it in….

... Then they'll do this again

​​​​

It's a delicate balance

The Yin and the yang

A dungeon, a palace

The pleasure and pain

​

(So) we live in the middle

Guess the Gods prefer grey

An unanswerable riddle

Holds the whole thing in place

.... So we leave it alone

Cloud # 8

​

I'm really not lost

Though I am running late

Got tired of the climb

So I stopped at Cloud 8

​

How high should I go?

This place is just fine

And I bet it gets crowded

On cloud number 9

​

& The view here is nice

Couldn’t ask for much more

But it’s not twice as good

As I had on Cloud 4

​

So, I’m starting to doubt

If higher is better

Maybe throw out the numbers

& just use some letters

​

Yeah, I think I’ll just rest

I don’t mind being late

If they’re looking for me

I’ll be here on cloud ‘H’

White and Turbid Wake  [Lyrics]

(Line form Moby Dick)

​

"I leave a white and turbid wake"

Cast my fate upon the stars

Not sure why I’ve given chase

Or just what the dangers are

Might be a white whale or a ghost

Might roam the forest or the sea

Might raise a dagger or a toast

To the deepest parts of me

It’s the night that leads me on

As it cloaks the mystery

Is it the moon now or the dawn

That’s the greater friend to me

[Chorus Goes Here or after 2nd set of vs.]

It’s been months now since I sailed

But it feels like years to me

Guess time crawls when you’re jailed

Or when you’re not who you want to be

Is that a shadow in the night

Yeah, perhaps the time is here

I could tell if I had more light

I could see without the tears

I leave a white and turbid wake

Heading for a vast unknown

It’s a call I can’t forsake

I can feel it in my bones

​

Not Waiting on Destiny  (lyrics)

​

No, I don't believe in fate

Not waiting on destiny

It might just be running late

But I've got somewhere else to be

​​

& I'm not wishing on a star

(it) Doesn't seem all that wise 

To be looking so damn far

For the things I have inside

​

Chorus//

I aint gonna fall for that

Aint gonna fall for that

What I need

It's all in me

So I aint gonna fall for that

End//

​

& no rabbits foot for me

Didn't bring much luck to him

Not sitting by the bodhi tree

I'd rather be out on a limb

​

No genie at my command

(I) Don't have a golden flute

There's magic in who I am

Just depends on what I do

Endless Flight

​

Complete dependence, the soul's release

Temptation and pain, the guiding forces

A jagged path that leads to peace

Through sacred lands go untamed horses

​

Panting struggles on perilous hills

Workers enslaved by works, at birth

And storms that breed the earthly thrills

Now wash the trail of crumbling earth

​

Collapse, despair, the throbbing terror

As hooves sink deep in earthly pain

The gasps of lungs that thirst for air

But find instead, the blackened rains

​

Unconscious mouths then drink of wine

Now flowing from a distant world

Revealing man to the divine

And to divinity, the soul unfurled

​

Deathly shudders release the spirit

Now swirling in the morning light

The weakened soul, drawing near it

Collapses into endless flight

​

​

​

In the Shadows

(Jungian shadow work i.e. reconciling the polarities within and integrating the released psychic energies. Not referring to external gods & demons. Quote from Jung - "the one arose from the melting together of the two" )

A battle was raging

& My soul was unwell

It was reckoning day

Between heaven & hell

So, I called up my demons

And I summoned the gods

I just couldn’t see that

They weren't really at odds

They came to my temple

To be formally wed

But I preached about purity

And divorced them instead

They went off in silence

Estranged from each other

& with night setting in

They had to take cover

​

They now seem like ghosts 

If they even exist

But there's nothing so real 

As the things I resist

​

They wait in the shadows

Until I come to see

That my demons & gods

Are just fragments of me

When I’m done casting stones

They’ll come out of hiding

They’ll join hands together

& become one inside me

A Soul undivided

Emily

​

Because I could not stop for death

He kindly stopped for me

It wasn't quite my time just yet

But he left with Emily

​

I still feel his hands, & I know his plans

Haven't changed much to this day

& I'm pretty sure, that there is no cure

For the ones that get away

Chorus /

Oh, sweet soul, you're finally free

But you're still here with me //

​

On the carriage ride, once you're inside

The journey isn't all that long

Where you're going to, it depends on you

You won't hear that in a song

But I think you'll find that the night is kind

& much lighter than the day

As the carriage fades & they pull the shades

I bet they're laughing to this day

​

(Bridge)

The sun will rise & the sun will set

It's never about how far you get

It's 'bout who you love on the way

You have not lived in vain  //

​

Water into Wine   [Lyrics]

Thought I’d try & part the sea

As a nice little test of faith

But when I got up past my knees

Guess I saw it a different way

So I figured I’d start smaller

Maybe turn water into wine

Brought a glass into the shower

Get my money’s worth this time

Three tries & I quit trying

(spoken word chorus //)

Seems like I’m always confusing God’s role & mine

Biting off too much, chewing too little

Feeling low, trying to get high

But there’s just no edge

 when you’re living in the middle

//

​

So I had to try again

This time the fishes & the loaves

Turned a fat guy into twins

Not really how it goes

​

Still I gave it one last try

Raise some fella from the dead

But at the funeral they did have wine

So I raised a glass instead

(Spoken word chorus)

But I finally learned my lesson

Just play my part & keep it small

A leap of faith, but no more ledges

Just don’t have as far to fall

Poetry.....

​

It's a question that starts...

In the depths of our hearts...

Where the pain's paired with word...

That it finally be heard...

By the heavens above...

That it may ask of love...

"Why must you remain,

Both healer and pain?"

​

Begging For Change

The lame and the wicked

Are left minding the store

With the old hound of heaven

Asleep by the door

& The artists, the poets   

The sultans of strange

Are handing out treasure    

While they're begging for change

[Chorus will go here]

They're the terminally gifted

The tragically blessed

No crime's been committed

But still they confess

The light in the darkness

The yin to the yang

Just fill the blank canvass

With a bloody red stain

Guess we've done it again

​

​

​

​

I’m no Angel   [Lyrics]

I once was lost

Now I’m just running late

It’s not the speed so much

As the path you take

And yes I learned

About the early bird

(but) They don’t tell you

About the early worm

[Chorus]

& I’m no angel

Thought you’d be surprised

Guess that’s the trouble

With such a thin disguise

If I was an angel

I would’ve pawned my wings

Traded in my halo

For some darker things

……and the rush they bring

[End Chorus]

If there’s a heaven

Doubt they’d let me stay

I’d be like graffiti

With nothing much to say

​

So, I won’t hurry

Toward the pearly gates

(but) Don’t get worried

They know I’m running late   (space out?)

Beautiful Screams

​

Wrote this about artists protesting with screams of beauty.. Often, the deeper the ugliness, the louder & more beautiful the screams. It may be societal or personal ugliness. i.e. Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ being inspired by the view out his asylum window..

Beautiful screams, in nights of despair

While ugliness dreams, with hardly a care

​

Breeding with light, engulfing with pain

The dark of the night, now tortures the sane

​

Muffling the cries, with an ironclad hand

The darkness can rise, to conquer the land

​

With no hope in sight, they swallow their dreams

In the depths of the night, come beautiful screams

Stuck

​

A river above

A river below

I'm in between

With nowhere to go

A stagnant scene

While everything flows

​

What keeps me here

Trapped like a tree

I don't have roots

So maybe its me

I Know Who You Are  [Lyrics]

​

In sadness, in silence

I know who you are

Try to run from the whispers

But you never get far

​

And I’ve met all your demons

I’ve seen where they hide

I know that you feed them

And I understand why

​

[Transition/Chorus]

But I think that there's more

It's just hidden from sight

I guess maybe we find it

When the moment is right

[End Trans]

​​

In satin and shadows

I know where you’ve been

Always diving for covers

As the night crashes in

​​

& I heard the confession

From your small crowd of sins

I was there at the temple

As you ushered them in

​​

[Transition/Chorus]

But I'm sure that there’s more

Somewhere deep in the night

Where the secrets all go

When the moon is too bright

[End transition]

​

And the dark-hooded thief

That ran off with your smiles

Well, I know where he lives

(&) why he’s living in style

​ 

Yes, I stood by the gallows

With your future in doubt

And I heard all the screams

That could never get out

​​

[Transition/Chorus]

But I know that there’s more

It just waits in the night

I guess maybe alone

It’s afraid of the light

[End transition]

​

​

​

The Prisoner

​

The soul has a wondrous story to tell

Of an innocent child locked deep in a cell

​

He's told he is sentenced because he is broken

A verdict returned before he had spoken

​

With the judge and the jury thinking they knew

That acceptance demands you mustn't be you

​

They left him in darkness, trying to find

A kingdom existing solely in mind

​

The child is most patient, his sentence not death

He'll wait here in silence, a voice without breath

​

He knows they'll return since peace is forbidden

To those seeking treasure beyond where it's hidden

​

They'll search for their kingdom but won't understand

That the key to its entrance is here in his hand

​

In time they will tire with a weariness of mind

And then in their depths, his secret they'll find

​

Returning at once, with contrition and pleas

But all that he asks, is the trading of keys

Awareness

​

Desire is a bandit

​

And thoughts can be thieves

​

Will they leave empty-handed

​

That's all up to me

​

​

​

Something I’ve Lost    [Lyrics]

I feel like I’m looking for something I’ve lost

It’s vague and its shy but the scent fills the air

Yet there’s always a void that I can’t get across

Seems like some part of me is already there

It feels like I’m losing, whenever I win

Like the game that we’re playing, just isn’t mine

The curtain goes up and its showtime again

But I can’t act the part, no one gave me the lines

Chorus //

It feels like I'm lost though I've traveled so far

Wandering & wondering where the hell we are

Looking for clues, of how it might've gone down

But I don't think that I'll find them on this side of town

End//

​

Not sure why I search for the meaning at all

Never comes into focus, it's never quite clear

When you wait by the phone, seems like nobody calls

And the louder I question, the less I can hear

​

I feel like a pilgrim, can’t find my way home

And the dark lonely streets, no longer have names

Some look familiar, and some are unknown

But they never lead back, not the way that I came

​

A Different Drummer    [Lyrics]

I never fell in love

But I slipped on lust

As far as I can tell

It doesn’t hurt as much

And I never really cared

To have the world on a string

Not like some friends of mine

What would I do

With such sad little thing

Maybe twirl it around just to kill some time

Chorus//

I march to the beat of a different drummer

& I dance to the music of the spheres

See a shooting star, stick out my thumb (for it)

Can I get a lift, I never liked - it - here

(last 3 words stretched out)

End//

And who are  the jones’

& why should I keep up

Bet they’re going pretty slow

Carrying all that stuff

And I’ve never felt

I had to keep the faith

Where would I put it

My pockets are full

Get some later, saw it on Ebay

Get it just in time to save my soul

​

Eddy in the Flow

​

At  the intersection of spirit and matter

A fallen branch

An eddy in the flow

A holding on that gradually grows

A persistent tightness

A painful informing

Calling out

For me to let go

​

​

​

Control

​

I did not initiate my entrance into this world and I shall not control my exit. I didn’t choose the color of my hair nor the shape of my mouth. I didn’t create the mechanism of voice nor the words that I speak. A beating heart has sustained me long before I was conscious of life. The air so necessary for my survival was awaiting my first breath. The nourishment of the land predicting the exact form of my hunger. Yet, somewhere along the way, the reigns of control have found my hands. Suddenly, I alone must steer myself and others to prosperity, to safety, to harmony. And, if the outcomes will not submit themselves to me, then at least the understanding must be mine. How did I go from being the wild, free colt to grasping these reigns with such clenched desperation?

​

control

​

The loss of control

The gains of the soul

The terror of the fall

To the heart of it all

​

The bluest of skies

The purest of cries

The darkest of nights

The heavenly sights

The birth of a soul

In the death of control

Poets's Dance

(Finding a very old book of poetry on a dusty bookshelf)

​

The cover opens, the pages turn, a book that rested high

The poets wake and one by one, they dance before my eye

​

They move with joy that must have come from such a hellish wait

Like soul's whose death is spent in doubt before the pearly gates

​

Their heaven's not a place or time, but just another soul

To share the dance of hope and grief, oh, how love takes its toll

​

The ink, the page, the joyous phrase, the beauty and the beat

With steps in time to nature's rhyme, they dance with lettered feet

​

They take my hand and lead me on, it's they who know the way

These unsealed lips have kissed the past and have so much to say

​

Their echoes ring throughout the hall, with spins from page to page

Each poet shares the dance of time, then exits from the stage

​

But far from gone, their spirits last, and soon will join the next

Then hand in hand, the dance will grow, this ballroom of the text

​

The heaven's saved the depths of time, they lingered in the air

'Til winds of truth blew poets near, and trusted to their care

​

The secret dance of souls gone by, with steps we'd all forsake

Had love and joy not made demands, it's these that we must take

​

The night draws on and soon of course, the cover must be sealed

Like a coffin lid that once had hid these poets since revealed

​

Though on these faces laid to rest, I thought I sensed a smile

Perhaps this time has been just fine, if only for a while

​

The cover falls and once again they're hoisted to their grave

But rot they won't, for nature yields, her secret theirs to save

​

'Til some fair soul, again may pass, perhaps like me, by chance

And come across this treasured past, still longing for a dance

The Desert   [Lyrics]

​​

I wasn’t there the day lost control

Heard about it from some friends I've known

Helpless crowd, they just watched me go

Now I’m

Wandering the desert tonight

​

Why do the gifted and the good die young

& hope just seems like a setting sun

If you don’t know could you find someone

I'll be 

Here in the desert tonight

​

Chorus/

I'm down on my knees

But I'm all out of prayers

& I don't think a bottle's gonna get me there

End//

​

I have a feeling that the deck is stacked

A slight of hand, and a vanishing act

All I heard, is he was dressed in black

I bet he's,

Out in the desert tonight

​

Can you tell me where the innocence goes

(The) things we lose are what we need the most

I’d ask my priest, but I don’t think he knows

I just,

Saw him in the desert tonight

​

Chorus/Again

​

No one's leaving this world alive

Kinda looks like the perfect crime

Take the stand & blame the other guy

Now he's

wandering the desert tonight

​

I wish I knew where nirvana was

I'd get some friends and a big old bus

But the road is hidden from most of us.

So we're

Still in the desert tonight

Painting the Town   [Lyrics]

​

Said she'd call me by nine tonight

It's about quarter to eleven right now

But she doesn't worry 'bout time,

Says, the hands always come back around

​

She's the kind of girl, who walks on a wire

tell you there ain't nothing to it

Wild & free, light as a bird

And she's got the scars to prove it

​

Chorus/

Said she'd love me forever

Her forever just isn't that long

More like June to December

& I'm just trying to hold on

November is already/almost gone

End//

​

Was a starry night, when she caught my eye

(She) was there by the carnival booth

Said you gotta be this tall to go on this ride

But the rest is all up to you 

​

Didn't take long & I fell for the girl

Spent our nights out painting the town'

But it ain't no paint by numbers with her

(it's) Like Van Gogh ran into a clown

Colors flying all around

​

Chorus Again/

End/

​

Like fireworks in the summer sky

Some things just don't last that long

That's how it feels when she lights up my night

But I'm just trying to hang on

Long Gone   [Lyrics]

​

He laid down his laws

In matter & physics

He couldn't stay long

but I hear he still visits...

​​

I bet he stops by

On Christmas and Easter

Maybe one other time

If we're having a leap year

But I don't think he sleeps here

Doubt he likes what he sees here

​​

​Chorus//

​Long gone, I guess he's long gone

(I) Heard he rarely comes back

​​

Long gone, I bet he's long gone

Really don't blame him for that

End//

​​

He lit a bush for old Moses

& left the plans for the ark

Said hey, what do you know

I should be home before dark

​​

But I bet he's looks down

& thinks what have I done

Looks like a circus and clowns

But they're not having much fun

Well, goodnight everyone

​​

Pursuits, Substitutes, & Ghosts

I’ve been swinging at shadows

Throwing punches at ghosts

But they’re always behind me

So I never get close

​

I went chasing a rainbow

Found a big pot of gold

But it’s sure hard to carry

When you’re out there alone

Didn’t bring that much home

​

I sought the ocean of love

Found my other half first

But there’s never enough

When you’re dying of thirst

​

So, I looked to the preachers

Had such fine things to say

Thought words were like windows

To some brighter place

But they just got in the way

​

Finally gave up the chase

​

The Time Has Come

​

Time… I think the time has come

The past…. I think it's just begun

This winding road, it doesn’t take us far

It just leads back to wherever we are       

Time….. I think the time has come

Our way…. I think we lost our way

The path..... You know, in time it fades

Got turned around, & upside down

Got the outside in, and the inside out

Our way… I think we lost our way

​

​

/// Chorus - YTD ///

​

​

Pain….. I’m seeing so much pain

It goes…. but the it’s back again  

The medicine seemed to work so well

But in the end, (it) makes us sick as hell

Pain…. I’m seeing so much pain

Home….. I think it's calling us home

Deep down….. I think we’ve always known

Turned our back went we walked away

(But) I get the feeling that a part of us stayed

Home, I think it's calling us home

Here In The Night

Waiting wearily
Beyond the weathered door.
His body still, his mind pacing.
Which way shall it open and when.

Flight has been futile
As hunter grows larger to prey.
Two forever one yet strangers
Wind blowing silence away.

Here in the night.

Hell must be ambiguous he thinks
Unsure of himself.
Recalling the prisoner's journey.
Both ends through the same door.

Inertia charges by the hour,
Scattered bottles attest.
Emptiness growing in shadows
More painful than he.

Time demands its release
If only to the light.
The latch rises slowly
Dreaded foe or numb hand

Here in the night

Light in the Distance (song)

​

What's hidden in that darkness

What ghosts have come to call

Who chased away your sunlight

The shadows growing tall

​

What's there within your winter

The heart's barren veil

What secret pain still guards you 

In that secret jail

​

Whose hand was on the switch

That dimmed your brilliant light

Who closed the weathered door

That keeps you in this night

​

If the screams could find an exit

What stories might they tell

What restless mob of sorrows

Waits outside your cell

​

If I told just how special

And beautiful you are

Would you lift your weary eyes

Of keep them on the scars

​

Now the story needs an ending

Like stories always do

A canvas lies before you

What colors will you choose

USA - USA     [Lyrics]

​

So much pain in the world today

I hope we can find us another way

(But) the darkness tells me it's getting late

USA – USA

​

Battle lines on a lonely street

The angry mob needs an enemy

I pray to god that it isn’t me

USA – USA

​​

Broken windows and a shopping cart

A blue light special by a police car

Can someone tell me who the bad guys are

USA – USA

​

Chorus/

& I (just) don't know how we ended up here

The un-united states

Started out with good intentions

(or - ...towards the promised land)

Got lost along the way

(&) Sure is getting late //

​

We make an altar out of dollar bills

Sacrifice truth to relieve our guilt

Pray that it works but I doubt it will

USA – USA

​

(hey) Come on over and join our side

You know, truth alone can still survive

But it takes a village to raise a lie

USA – USA

​

Chorus Again //

​

Who needs god when you’ve got scientists

Feeling down, how about trying this

We treat our souls like our appliances

USA – USA

​

We raped the land but we left our prints

& now the law is finally closing in

Guess who's back on the run again

USA - USA

​

(poss Bridge)

And you say that, - you have, - someone to save us

Right along party lines

But I aint, gonna wait, for some (new) messiah

Cause I don't think we have time

Think the job is yours & mine

Dragons Den  -     [Lyrics]

​

Friday night about half past ten

Walked into the Dragons Den 

Just a little place, but friendly folks

Light on dragons, heavy on smoke   

[Figured I’d stick around, I'd heard good things]

​​

Guy in the corner with a snakeskin pipe

Waved me over, he needed a light

Said hey there friend, (have) you tried this stuff

Said, once or twice, But it didn’t do much

[He said you haven't had this particular brand, & offered me some]

​​

So I grabbed the pipe & I thanked the guy

Took a hit and then I closed my eyes

Heard a sound like an avalanche

& reality didn't stand a chance                       

[You know, the guy wasn't kidding about this stuff]

​​

Cause the roof & the walls just disappeared

Found myself in a house of mirrors      

All alone, but there were 20 of me

Got to pick who I wanted to be

[Third guy from the left & I went walking]

​​

There was a wooden arch by a magic shop

‘For madmen only’ written across the top

I’d been called (much) worse before

So I went right in where there wasn’t a door

[And they were waiting for me]

​​

There was a slightly manic coat check girl

By the 7 wonders of the underworld 

Pointed at the map, while holding a beer     

This dot on top, well ‘you are here’

[& it’s all downhill after this, I’ll show you around, so we walked]

​

Saw a purple pigeon in a pickup truck

(He) pulled on over to pick us up

Said howdy folks, where you headed

I’ll get you there, for a loaf of bread    

[You know the pigeons do like their bakery products, even down here]

​​

​​(She) said we’re going to Poseidon’s place

Got a little trailer with a private lake

Guess all the gods downsized a bit                

You know, the market crashed, they took a hit

[But, when we got there, turned out he wasn’t home, so we just kept going]

​​

Saw a hideous creature with a dozen mouths

Had been the meanest monster in town

But now he's working at the lumber mill

Trying to make a dent in his dental bills

[That's the side of monster-hood you don't hear about - maintenance costs]

​

So she took me to a museum of sorts

See a bunch of stuff that happened before

Main exhibit was the Holy Land

Not a whole lot of peace, (just) a whole lot of sand   

[… saw a little scene happening with Moses] 

​

He was arm wrestling an octopus

Didn’t turn out like I thought it would

Moses was tough, but he was just a man

& The other dude kept changing hands

[If your gonna part this sea, you have to go through me]

​

& the Jews & the Christians were at it again

About the empty tomb, & the guy that went in

The Jews said it was all just a magic act    

Like pulling a Rabbi from a hat

[Said, that’s a bit much, so we were heading out, but we saw a little skirmish off to the west.]

​

It was God & the devil playing basketball

Devil had a shot to win it all

Would have made it, I have no doubt

But he tripped on his tail & time ran out

[Never read about that in the bible.. Then I said how about somewhere less biblical…]

​

So, she took me to a tiny little town

Hookah pipes being passed around

The dormouse looked at me and smiled

Said reality's just a stubborn child

[Deep little critter but we had to keep moving on]

​​

Saw Buddha sitting by a burned out tree  

Said the best things in life really are free

But hey, can you spare a buck or two

Got child support & the rent is due

[Guess he didn’t think that one all the way through… but we were flat broke so we kept going]

​

Saw a kangaroo riding an elephant

Swerving all over, think they both were drunk

Went in the ditch after hitting a deer

Trunk flew open.....peanuts & beer

[Didn't see that coming.. That was fun but I figured we should be getting back..]

.......the stuff it was starting to wear off,

and it was getting late....

Actually I have a confession to make

The truth is I never did go in

To a little place called the Dragon’s Den

Didn't need drugs to get me high, had everything right here inside

​

Sacred Fire     [Lyrics]

Holy ghosts creeping in

(your) kicking up the

The past again

Sacred fire

Consuming me

Burning down

What I used to be

But I never made it out

Couldn’t find the shrinking door

Guess now I'll finally know

What the night is really for​

What are you supposed to do

When the ashes and the residue

Were once the biggest part of you

Just dance to the deathly rattle

Slide across the blackened floor

Try being light for once

See what all the death was for

​

its best to just stay silent

In the temple of the beast

You wouldn’t know who to call

The demons or the priest

Falling through the flames

There's noting to cling to

Better let go of sanity

Before it lets go of you

Castle Walls     [Lyrics]

Castle walls, I stumble & fall

When I come up on my dreams

Forty feet high, shiny and bright

They don’t look much like me

Spoken word chorus/

Sometimes dreams are friendlier when they’re farther away

When I get up close, I realize why I made them so big to begin with //

So I back away, find somewhere to stay

Make a house in the fallen trees

And most nights

That’s where you’ll find me

[Break]

Wounded dove, collided with love

Fell out of the sky

Now it wanders around, makes friends on the ground

And forgets that it can fly

(Spoken word chorus) /

There’s a fine line between not being able to do something

And being afraid to try.

And the lines gets even more blurry at night

Cause that’s the same color as my bruises  //

So it looks away, finds somewhere to stay

Makes a nest in the fallen trees

And most nights

That’s where you’ll find me

UNION

​

It's the enchanting flame for the proverbial moth

Drawn to the light, doesn't realize the cost

​

It's the final temptation for the journeying soul

Wanting to taste what is swallowing it whole

Illusions

​

Can you imagine a world

Any stranger than this

The only way that it's real

Is if it doesn't exist

...... Just a thought

Wishing on the Stars

​

Looking up at the sky tonight

(And) wondering where I'm from

All those stars seem small and shy

So different from the sun

​

They look so peaceful as they float

On a dark and silent sea

I wonder if there's anyone home 

Maybe someone just like me

​

All those stars just hanging around

Yet none look out of place

So many miles between us now

And so much empty space

​

All those lights left on, it seems

There must be someone home

I might be wishing on the stars, 

(but) It makes me feel less alone 

Inspiration

​

You hide enough 

To leave a choice

It comes in whispers

Your sculpting voice

Afraid To Go In     [Lyrics]

​

Gonna climb up the mountain

And find Noah’s ark

With no one around

He picked a strange place to park

​

Got a new submarine

It'll seat 20 of us

Has a sign on the back

Says 'Atlantis or Bust'

​

At a pawnshop in Cleveland

Someone spotted the grail

There was a unicorn too

But it was missing its tail

​

We dredged up the Nile

Looking for Moses' raft

Got a hundred foot pile

Full of crocodile crap

​

Chorus//

We’re searching for God

All over the place

Now I even hear

That we're digging in space

​

I think he’s hiding out,

Where he’s always been

We’ve had him surrounded,

We’re just afraid to go in ///

​

We camp out at Cavalry

With our shovels and pails

Quick, stop the presses

Found a rusty old nail​

​

We've cleared out the temples

Deciphered the old texts

Got our television shows

About where to dig next

​

Lets go back to Peru

Or maybe even Tibet

Think we just haven't looked

High enough yet

​

Chorus //

We’re searching for God

All over the place

Now I even hear

That we're digging in space

​

I think he’s hiding out,

where he’s always been

We’ve had him surrounded,

We’re just afraid to go in. ///

My Black Cloud & Me   (addiction)

​

I met him when I was twelve years old

I was sitting by a lonely tree

Looked pretty dark, as far as clouds go

But he seemed OK to me

He asked if he could tag along

Said he didn't have much else to do

Then he said, don’t get me wrong

It’ll also be good for you

See, the summer sun, it sure gets hot

You won’t always have a tree for shade

It made perfect sense, said thanks a lot

To this new friend that I just made

He also said, I'd be free from rain

See as a cloud he was rather dry

He had no need for joy and pain

And clouds like that, they just don’t cry

Ah, those summer days, such a splendid time

Didn’t need no friends or family

Just kept playing, come rain or shine

My black cloud and me

But time went by, and I should’ve known

That nothing in this life is free

Cause my black cloud, he just kept on growing

& took the whole world away from me

​

So, now we go from town to town

And walk the empty streets

Sure is quiet, with no one around

Just my black cloud and me

Red, White & Blue

Red, white, and blue

Is that really you

So clearly defined

By the edges and lines                  

And the cash and the cars

Do they take you that far

The things that you own 

And all that you know

Is that who you are      

[Chorus will go here]

​

And the world that we see               

Through the mental debris

The battles and scars

Is that all we are

The flesh and the skin

That are holding us in           

Can I ask you, my friend                  

If that’s where we end                                          

Where do we begin        

[Chorus again]                                 

The prize that we chase  

While we're running in place

What’s this hunger we feed

This insatiable need

Is it a memory we taste?

​

Hymn of the Pearl     [Lyrics]

​

Yeah, I’ve got a secret

cause I’ve seen the truth

But I’m not meant to keep it

So I’m sharing it with you

​

See, I lived in the fast lane

Asleep at the wheel

Weighed down by the gold chains

Guess my fate had been sealed

​

Had a thirst deep inside me

But I drank/chose the wrong wine

I grew weak, I grew weary

But It was all by design

​

[Chorus – children’s voices]

I’m gonna live forever, I’m gonna find the sea

The question is now whether, you can all find me

(or - you will follow me) //

​

I awoke in a castle

So far from the world

& the song that they sang there

Was about a lost pearl

Said it waits by a dragon

& it waits in the night

But if you can claim it

It can fill you with light

& The words and the music

(they) Just sounded so true

So I knew in that moment

Just what I’d have to do

Chorus Again

So I fought with the dragon

And I fought with myself

& The pearl, it was waiting

In the place where they fell

When at last I could hold it

It was well worth the fight

Cause it filled me with music

And it filled me with light

It’s then that I remembered

All the words to the song

And the music was perfect

So I just sang along

​

Have a Little Faith in Me     [Lyrics]

​

Had a little visit with my Father today

A bit one-sided, he had nothing to say

​

Got so many questions running round in my head

I try praying louder but the line has gone dead

​

(Trans)

Been awhile since we talked

I forget what he said

Something about...

​

Chorus//

Have a little faith in me

Can't you just wait and see

Things are gonna turn around

Never gonna let you down

End//

​

The world is getting louder & the devil chimes in

He's so damn clever, I don't know that its him

​

I get lost in my darkness, can't find my way out

Playing blind man's bluff with the shadows & doubt

​

(trans)

Been awhile since we talked

I forget what he said

Something about

​

Chorus//

Have a little faith in me

Can't you just wait and see

Things are gonna turn around

Never gonna let you down

......

I'm never gonna let you down

Crumbs

​

All the things I want

Seems they don't want me

So the cage is open

But I'm still not free

​​

I'm too weak to fly

I'm too tired to sing

Just getting by

On the crumbs they bring​

​

​​

Someone stole the sky

But they forgot to run

Now they spend their time

Just blocking out the sun

​

​​So, the night grows heavy

On these dusty wings

I forgot my song

I can't hear a thing

... Just getting by

On the crumbs they bring

Simple As Can Be      [Lyrics]

​

I went searching for God

Thought I'd find where he hides

But when I finally slowed down

He snuck up from behind

​​

Now I'm learning some things

They didn't teach me in school

Like the mind's a great servant

It's just not fit to rule

​​

& It's a beautiful ride

If you don't hold on too tight

& possessions are prisons 

If you pile them too high

​​

Chorus//

Hey, Hey look at me

I’m hanging out like a leaf on a tree

Hey, Hey,

Simple as can be

I always wondered what it was like to be free

End//

​​

& Desire is a bandit

And thoughts can be thieves

Will they leave empty handed

That’s all up to me

​​

& I saw how the vine

Both gives and receives

Guess, from water to wine

There's a lesson for me

​​

& Time’s just a thread

But it's tight as a noose 

'Til the moment arrives

Ends up cutting me loose

​

Chorus//

Hey, Hey, look at me

I’m hanging out like a wave on the sea

Hey, Hey,

Simple as can be

I always wondered what it was like to be free

End//

In The Middle     [Lyrics]

​

Turned on the evening news

Whole world is black & blue

What the hell’s happening here

​

Everyone's drawing lines

Something to hide behind 

& light aint making it in

….. Where do we even begin

​​

/Chorus/

I’ll come over your way a little

If you move my way too

Maybe we’ll find some peace in the middle

God knows there’s plenty of room

…. Gotta do something soon    /End

​​

​​

Blocking the sunlight out

Scared of our shadows now

Screaming at everyone else

​​

Yet nobody hears a thing

Cause no one is listening

End up repeating ourselves

I know that story too well

​​

Chorus again / End

​

​But, their views are heresy

Just fueling polarity

 Maybe try looking again

….. I am what I’m pushing against

​

Certain where truth resides?

There’s a little in every lie

Careful ‘bout holding too tight

Chorus Again / End

​​

Chorus again / End

​

Loving your enemies

That’s really not meant for me

Just isn't practical now

​​​

Really don’t need a mirror

The problem is very clear

At least I have someone to blame

…… (but) reflections are sure hard to change

Take It Slow          [Lyrics]

​

You know I’m such a lucky guy

I cast my prayers up to the sky

Rarely have to ask him twice

I’m truly blessed, just me I guess

​

I gave my cares up to the wind

You know I haven’t seen ‘em since

I doubt they’re coming back again

Such a lucky guy, hardly have to try

Think I’ll climb a mountain top

Come so far, why should I stop

You say that's brave (well) thanks a lot

​That's just me, got more to see

​​

[Chorus]

(You know)

If you didn’t fly so high,

Then you wouldn’t sink so low

Learn to take your time

Enjoy the winding road

See where it goes

Take it slow

End//

​​

I guess I thought I had it made

I thought that peace was here to stay

You know I didn’t see it wave

But I know it left, probably while I slept

​​

Cause now the storms are rolling in

The rain is falling once again

Guess I should probably start to swim

Cause its getting deep & it’s coming for me

​​

Seems like I’m always tossed around

I’m either up or else I’m down

Need to find some stable ground

But not today, not with these waves

[Chorus]

If you didn’t fly so high,

You wouldn’t sink so low

Learn to take your time

Enjoy the winding road

See where it goes

Take it slow

End//

And now it feels like judgment day

Can’t keep my head above the waves

My hands are too damn busy to pray

I’m going down, without a sound

​​

Next thing you know I feel some sand

Washed up on some foreign land

Then somebody takes my hand

Then I know, & then I know

​

[Chorus]

He says,

If you didn’t fly so high,

You wouldn’t sink so low

Learn to take your time

Enjoy the winding road

(Take it slow)

See where it goes

End//

The Dark Night        [Lyrics]

Approaching clouds and dark footprints

The nights speak loud, they don’t drop hints

​​

The shades are pulled but the night sees in

With senses dulled, let the feast begin

​

The broken shadows unleash the rain

While the men in robes are all insane

Chorus

Even the past has a past

If you know what I mean

It just gets recast

And we.re caught between

Every night has a night

Where it’s already been

Think you’ve seen the light

Better think again

[End Chorus]

​​

There's wounded doves and twisted steel

And God knows what is still concealed

​

The crowded halls feed empty rooms

Where darkness breeds what it consumes

​

Chorus Again

If You're Selling Your Soul 

 [W.I.P - C-F-C-G ?]

(whimsical i.e. John Prine)

​

Sold my soul to the devil last Saturday night

For eternal youth & a case of Bud Light

​​

Woke up on Sunday, I was still old & gray

What the hell happened, not the deal that we made

​

As I looked in the mirror, I was kicking myself

Think I mighta sold my soul to somebody else

​

I Don’t think that fella was the devil at all

Just some guy with a pitchfork, wearing overalls

​

Chorus/

You can’t trust the devil, guess it's true what they say

And there are so many devils out in the world today

​

So, you gotta be careful about the company you keep

And if you’re selling your soul make sure you get a receipt

Maybe ask for ID

End//

​

​What can you do, I guess you live and you learn Some dude got my soul, I didn't get much in return

​

​I bet he hangs out down on Broadway at night

Selling second-hand souls by a neon light

​

​Chorus/

You can't trust the devil, guess it's true what they say

And there are so many devils out in the world today

​

​So, You gotta be careful about the company you keep

And if you’re selling your soul make sure you get a receipt

​

Maybe ask for ID

End//

​

​Kinda makes me wonder what he’s asking for mine

Probably selling that one down by the 5 & dime

​

​Maybe I’ll go down there & see about getting it back

Probably sitting in a pile out on the discount rack

​

​

Note:   (lyrics in () are optional to fill out the right # of syllables for meter. also, could use

[dont always know who the devil is today -- or who's the devil today] 

[magic was starting to fade]

Here Comes The Rain

(W.I.P.)

​

Found the letter that you wrote to me

When we were first going out

All the love that you were feeling 

That you're not feeling now

​

It was hidden in the corner 

Of our old, oak dresser drawer

And now all the feelings that I hid/tucked away

Aren't hiding any more

​

So much promise in the words you wrote 

It was just such a happy time

I guess something has to give way

When the present and past collide

​

(pre)

I didn't realize my world had turned, 

So dark and grey

It's been cold & cloudy for months (now, but)

Here comes the rain

​

(Chorus continuing w/)

Here comes the rain, a falling

Here comes the rain

Lightning from the past & now 

Here comes the rain

Here comes the rain

Thought this one was gonna last, but now

Here comes the rain   //

​

You said that we meant for each other

That you, found your other half

Time has a way of changing things

I don't  -  have to tell you that

​

I've been going through the motions 

Saying that I've been doing OK   (just fine)

But the feelings that I'm fighting back

Have something else to say    Tell me I mighta been lyin) see it another way

​

I didn't realize my world/sky was

So (damn) dark and gray

It's been cold & cloudy for months now

But here comes the rain

​

[Chorus continuing]

Here comes the rain a falling

Here comes the rain

Lightning from the past & now

Here comes the rain

Thought it was gonna last & now

or

Tonight your ghost came calling, now

Here comes the rain

​

(repeating)