Pushing Ivory

Fireflies are the guardians,

that keep vigil through the rain,

their steady glow must undergo,

the things that never change.

Starlight is a bride of June

she pushes antique ivory after dark,

the songs she makes

the things we take

to eagerly plunge into our hearts.

There's nothing left to say today,

no turning back this untimely dance.

No regrets, just cigarettes

in love and war,

and risky games of chance.

My beloved,

are your roaring, darling?

are you mending summer's dress?

your stow-aways are numbered days

in this madness you've confessed.

In passed lives you took a world by storm,

touched by angels in the sky.

Your gracious reprieve and reverie

continued when you died.

Starlight is a comet passing by

she's goddamn brilliant on the page,

timeless through things we do

as everything continues to age.

Rosemary Ave

There’s a tearstained piece of paper,
blowing aimless in the wind,
Wasteful as the countless tales
You hear of love that doesn’t win.
To me that you wander
like a tremor in my heart.
This is why I wonder if
each soul has a plan and a part?
I’ve basked on center stage.
I’ve waited in the wings,
pulling velvet curtain ropes
as I listened to DC sing.

All is fair in love and war,
we play our lives like lyre from Hell.
In those songs we spin the whole world
Be I angel or devil?
Who can tell?
Inside myself I walk two roads;
heart and mind in separate directions.
My soul lingers everywhere,
with wicked seeds to it’s own destruction.
A broken heart left me weak and shaken
my calloused hands too numb to reach and grip.
I have sucking chest wounds steal my breath,
Her eyes alone could launch ten thousand ships.

To crawl bare belly along this floor,
to gasp and choke on every breath
I hope it is all fear leaving the body,
I fear not life nor shame nor death.
Speak no evil and share no blues,
you swear that’s life long resolution.
Leave no traces but touch the few,
I still think we could’ve had a revolution.
Missing without being missed back
is a devil with no name.
Blood rushing, I hear my heartbeat,
you’d never guess what I became.
Star light star bright,
there will be no tears tonight.
I do wish someone’d tell me though
that no matter what,
it’’s going to be alright.

Burn Away

I don’t care who you are anymore.

I don’t want to see your face.

Oh how the mighty do fall,

and your descent’s a disgrace.

Not only are you not a truth sayer,

you’re not even smart.

You were pretty and got lucky in life

You took a bunch of circumstance, 

then you called it art.

In your sleep and in your dreams,

front to back and in between,

where’s your faith 

where’s your will?

You take all you want

and go for the kill.

It’s on the street 

it’s in the air.

You can feel me everywhere,

I’m your passion

I’m your shame,

But you were no moth

to this wiser flame.

Love is gone but I’m still here,

in your laughter in your tears.

I’m the one you’ll miss the most,

I’m your hero

I’m your ghost.

Burn the pictures and burn the letters,

set fire to anything we had together,

From those ashes I will rise

Spread my wings and touch the sky.

I’m in your soul and leached into your head

I’m the one you will not forget.

Oh the ways I could make you feel,

brave Achilles,

I’m at your heals.

You feel you’re sleeping in my stare,

but when you wake there’s nothing there.

I’m the whisper buried deep in your shouts 

You walked away but there’s no way out.

Fly Away

Won’t you feel sorry for me, Jesus?
Won’t you send me down my peace?
My hands are sore and frozen
When will the racing madness cease?
6:00 PM has rolled me over,
I suppose I’ve passed another day.
I’m giving up on rites and worship
on my knees so long it hurts to pray.

I’ve been caught up in the rapture.
I’ve been crushed like a tin can by the pain.
I lived through the anxious nights
marred by solitude and cobalt rain
I walked across the graveyard,
outside of St. Alban’s church alone.
It secured me safe passage
for thy without sin cast the first stone. 

I miss my young hands
I miss my young face,
and I can not keep warm
in change’s tight embrace.
As this time of trouble
goes on and on for days
I find my strength in knowing 
that I can simply fly away.

Won’t you understand me, Jesus,
hold my hand down this long pier? 
There’s a silver angel near my heart
and there’s Delilah in my hair.
Won’t you hold me, Jesus?
when I fly away from here?
The storm’s fury blows it all away
and everything seems clear.

I walk out to the river and I listen for the thunder,
my body starts to shiver and I feel myself go under.
Jesus, won’t you pay attention?
Jesus, won’t you save the day?
I deserve less than what you gave me,
so now’s the time to fly away.

NW Ponderosa

Prepare for the blades of Heaven,
calm yourself the night has come.
You’re living and dying 
all the years you live 
So yes, it all has just begun.
This cool Sunday night is passing
quick like water through my hands.
The sanction I find in your laughter
starts like a pinprick 
then the ripples span.

You move me like the roaring thunder.
You shake me like a crashing wave.
This is the apex of my survival,
the saints are singing “Amazing Grace”.
Until they close that coffin
I’ll be my mother fucking self.
I’m a white tiger on the prowl
with my blueprints and my health.
And I wish not to be who I am not.
I’m to old to be under lock and key
maybe that’s calling the kettle black
but no one tells me how to be.

Have a love bigger than an ocean.
Don’t regret drifting a world apart.
Find that will that’s stronger than emotion
and find enough room in your heart.
You might have to be extra forgiving
and everything could go wrong
but if helter skelter were tomorrow
I need you to be super strong.
Go rest against me and sigh,
it’s such a long journey 
will we ever arrive?

Make my road an adventure
aim far; we’re looking for distance.
After all we are going
the less certain path of greater resistance.
That burning sphere is sinking fast,
how longer will the illumination last?
Johnny Cash song’s wafts through the screen door
as tiny ovals burn out of existence tonight.
Right now I want to be somewhere I adore
dancing, laughter, and lilies
on a mid August night.
You move me like the roaring thunder.
You shake me like a crashing wave.
This is the apex of my survival,
the saints are singing “Amazing Grace”.

Trains of Morn

The trains shook me in my amour

which keeps me safe but not warm.

Train whistles like a siren

greeting the hours of a new morn.

I’d pluck the flowers from the treetops

and bend an endless rainbow to see you.

Over the starless morning

these moments are hard to breathe through.

So let’s call it even with the universe

and forget who said what first.

Is that Haley’s comet flying by?

We live in sin and then we die.

I’ll be just fine

right here in my room.

It’s the end of the world

not to be over soon.

I’ll be just fine

sorting it out by myself.

I’ll do just fine,

I don’t need any help.

I’ll go soaring through the fireworks

until I reach your ports.

Until my vessel reaches your harbor

I’ll never feel completely sure.

The morning shook me like a freight train

and hustled me like a street,

but at least I krept through the night

and past the corners from my sleep.

Good to Be Writing

This year’s finally dying

and I’m glad to see it go,

false profits, mindless drama

heart break and not enough snow.

Early mornings I spent crying;

my dearest Athena, rest in peace.

You were you truly exuberant,

now I’m broken to say the least.

I can’t sleep at night anymore

days seem shorter than they’ve been,

I may fall or crawl the walls

 but at least it’s good to be writing again.

So many dreams dashed

so many promises crushed,

I haven’t had a drop to drink

my head’s as heavy as a lush.

I have lived more than I should have

and all lessons learned in time.

You have to be disappointed to know joy

and pushed to know the line.

I’m looking forward to January,

knowing now the combination,

to the lock that opened my eyes

teaching me silent contemplation.

Maybe a good snow storm and a candle

would move the gravity of my pen

I’ll come out of my room when I’m ready

but at least it’s good to be writing again.