(In alphabetical order)
153 More Days
Little cat is on her toes
Out the door and off she goes
As if caught in midst a well-planned crime
The sound of Spring makes me strong
Hold on babe, it won’t be long
Until the hops start to climb
Light slowly starts to appear
And finally some sense of being here
153 more days
We will be here, struck by grace
Safe travel on your way
We will be here at your break of day
153 more nights
We will be here to witness the light
The smell of soap, the smell of dirt
A slightly bigger linen skirt
And you smile as if you’re finally home
High time for the silver birch
And for fireworks to re-emerge
Babe, your sister’s on the phone
A growing calm, a settling sea
And a nameless sunrise as if it was for you and me
153 more days
We will be here, struck by grace
Safe travel on your way
We will be here at your break of day
153 more nights
We will be here to witness the light
Of life and its might
In my haze of early morning
You were chasing butterflies
With a blanket tightly in your hand
And your mother’s dark brown eyes
153 more days …
Dirt
I dreamed of a blood red sky
Carelessly colored, as if hiding a lie
I dreamed of the day that I die
I dreamed of a blood red sky
I live in a house made of dirt
Carelessly crafted in the wake of her mirth
I sleep in a bed made of hurt
I live in a house made of dirt
I witness the fall of a man
I witness the wreck of a poorly made plan
I’ll remember the blood as she ran
I witness the fall of a man
Who spun the web, who got caught?
Love is just what we forgot
We were raised in the light of Her crown
But died on Her cold, cold ground
I wept as the fire drew in
I screamed at the fire scorching my skin
And I sang for the baby within
I wept as the fire drew in
Distance
The U-Haul tore free from the Northern hills
A burning heart, six burning wheels
Now her voice still whispers down the hall
As if she’s part of my four walls
Only distance
Just distance
Only distance
Just distance
Trust, it breeds on honesty
Love, it thrives on you and me
These few words do mean a lot
In these times of winter drought
Only distance …
So keep your nightlight burning bright
And keep indifference out of sight
A lot of things were never said
Between the moon and this empty bed
Only distance …
Fool’s Gold
Search the war front for something new
Have your ego to pull you through
Pour your heart out, cut your throat
Feed your horses with creosote
Water rising, truth unfolds
Cram the meter with fool’s gold
Blame at random for your loss
Hang your shotgun above the cross
A brand new family, a worn-out soul
Another dollar will make you whole
A sudden sunshine, a lighter air –
Too blunt to notice, too tired to care
Water rising …
From The Ones Inside
This is from the ones inside
They come with the darkness and leaves none aside
This is from the ones within
They beg for a heart’s-ease with a broken violin
Through the fog I hear them cry
They tear, they hurt, they lure, they lie
Night crawling, I’m falling
Dark only, scared, lonely
Heart stumbling, I’m crumbling
A thin, red line, I need more time
This is from the ones within
Bring on the driving rain, let the crying begin
And I will lay my rifles down
And wait for the firing squad to slowly come around
Through the fog I heard you pray
To send the monsters on their way
Night crawling …
Gentle, My Fire
Night, and the monsters move in
Don’t worry sweetheart, I won’t let them win
Sleep, and I’ll be with you soon
I’ll leave your cars for the stars in the light of the moon
Goodnight to the blackbird
He’s flown into the night
Yeah, it sure’s getting colder
But I know he’ll be alright
Yeah, I’m sure he’ll be alright
Gentle, my fire
Gentle, my flame
Tomorrow’s another day and you’ll still share her name
Dream of the blue sky
Dream of the rain
Gentle, my fire
Gentle, my flame
Cry, like the world falls apart
It cuts through the bone and goes straight for the heart
Smile, and you’re forgiven once more
Just leave your shoes on the table and your glass on the floor
Build me a castle
Then cannonball along
I stand humble before you
And I love you like a song
Gentle, my fire …
Hands
Look at the man
Who shouldered the wheel
Look at his hands
Once stronger than steel
And now they’re gently trembling
Raise a glass to the woman
Who raised us young
Fifty-odd years
Of biting her tounge
And now her colors are slowly fading
Now her colors are slowly fading
Remember the house
Where memories were born
Now the curtains are torn
And the carpets are worn
And the heater broke down last evening
I remember the kid
Once climbing the pines
Now he’s a singer/songwriter
Who don’t have the time
For the ones that really matter
And the ones that really mattered
Look at the man
Who shouldered the wheel
Look at his hands
Once stronger than steel
And now they’re gently trembling
And now they’re gently trembling
Here’s The Fall
A shameless night, an aimless talk
A godsent smile, a monster walk
I’ve crawled around every goddamn block
A shameless night, an aimless talk
Here’s the fall and here’s the landing
On top of what I had
Every night I see you standing
On the other side of a stone-cold bed
Step out of the water
Shoot off into the air
Bring me home to something
On a wing and a prayer
The flood came in, and the day went dark
You said ”I’m tired” and ”Where to start?”
Across the sea pounds a humble heart
The flood came in, and the day went dark
Here’s the fall …
Through the noise I can hear you singing
Like the sound of a clear bell ringing
I’ve drawn your face in the empty air
I’ve screamed your name in a crowded square
I’ve searched the house but you weren’t there
I’ve drawn your face in the empty air
Here’s the fall …
I Am
I am the city that never sleeps
I am the landscape the cold wind sweeps
I am the tall pine offering shade
I am the fire weed left here to fade
I am the fire, I am the rain
I am the pleasure, I am the pain
I am the sunshine that warms your skin
I am the cold front moving in
I am the car wheel with shiny spokes
I am the engine misfiring strokes
I am the cold steel forged to last
I am the plastic, mediocre cast
I am the fire …
I am the duck hawk dashing through the air
I am the Greyhound for 2 a.m. Eau Claire
I am the castle in a nursery tale
Lord, I am the truck stop in the driving hail
I am the water for you to sail
I am the flickering flame fighting the gale
I am the small bird locked in a cage
I am the tiger full of rage
I am the fire …
My, My, My, The Pouring Rain
Back before the fall-apart
I roamed the nights in nothing
And drank on an empty heart
With a wish to just feel something
A void, no sleep and Plath
And a smell of something dying
Regret, shattered glass
Through a storefront I went flying
Leave me here to fade
I’m tired of always trying
Leave me reef my sail
With bare feet in the driving hail and
My, my, my, the pouring rain
My, my, my, the pouring rain
Here, where the sane are rare
Each day’s a mindless journey
We stare into the empty air
Face up on a worn-out gurney
Stripped down in broad daylight
I once was someone’s daughter
I spoke to Death last night
Down there in the deep, dark water
Leave me here to fade
I’m tired of always fighting
Leave me reef my sail
With bare feet in the driving hail and
My, my, my, the pouring rain …
I embrace her as she mumbles ’bout the mess the fox’s done
Something’s hiding in the shadows but for now we’re in the sun
My, my, my, the pouring rain …
Rodeo
Bare knuckles and a broken smile
Send your numbered days through a cold turnstile
Another grain slips through your hands
Troubled by a dark you don’t understand
All thrown up in the pale, blue light
A momentary vision but it goes out of sight
You move to slow, you take another blow
We were born and raised on a rodeo
Star bound traveler, dive into the gravel
We were born and raised on a rodeo
We were born and raised on a rodeo
Stray sessions keep the wolves at bay
For every single action there’s a price to pay
Another grain slips through your hands
Cluttering up the space where you stand
All thrown up in the pale, blue light
A momentary vision, then along comes the night
You move to slow …
Space
In the dark of the night
When the temperature’s falling
I can still hear them talk
Of a hurricane warning
There’s a crash up ahead
And the pile-up is growing
And by the side of the road
A thousand vultures are showing
Outside the world moves at different speed
Nothing but a wild chase for the things we don’t need
And the sailors are cursing the sea
But honey not me, not me
Outside the world runs a different race
Dressed up in sequins and a quilt with a lace
Ooh, I need space
In the dark of the night
When the temperature’s falling
I can still hear them talk
Of a hurricane warning
There’s a box full of bones
Down by the waterlogged trenches
There’s a bag full of stones
Rusty nails and worn-out wrenches
Outside the world …
The Raging Sea
Slept between spins and at noon I awoke
Half a bag of Ruffles and a Diet Coke
I curse the bad weather and the sky so grey
I leave the blinds shut, I might sleep all day
I pass the days just moving along
And at night I tell the truth through a microphone
No smokes, no girls, no job, no pay
It’s been thirteen days since I last got laid
I’m a little bit lonely, I’m a little bit sad
I’m a little bit tired of this life I’ve had
I turn off the screen before I turn out the light
I’m a little bit hungry but I’m doing alright
Tommy’s downtown with his right-wing boys
Drinking, showing off their latest Wi-Fi toys
Airing their views on gun control
While tossing dollar bills on the floor by the pole
Gina shares pictures of cats that’re kissing
3k likes but still something’s missing
Spends half her check on a designer chair
Tearing her hair about what clothes to wear
She’s a little bit lonely, she’s a little bit sad
She’s a little bit tired of this life she’s had
She turns off the screen before she turns out the light
She’s a little bit thirsty but she’s doing alright
2 000 miles away across a raging sea
A mother’s hanging on to ship debris
No home, no shoes, no food, no rest
And a picture of her family strapped to her chest
And you follow, you swallow, you choose your own facts
Back here in the land of the burning shacks
You shout from the rooftops, you take a stand
As long as you don’t actually have to lend a hand
You’re a little bit lonely, you’re a little bit sad
You’re a little bit tired of this life you’ve had
You turn off the screen before you turn out the light
You’re a little bit nothing and you’re doing alright
You turn off the screen before you turn out the light
You’re a little bit nothing and you’re doing alright
Your Love Will Let You Down
What did you find in the ceaseless hail
Of spurious compassion and true betrayal?
Spite will thrive where reason fades
Trust will be breached if trust was made
And your love will let you down
Roses will wither and fall to the ground
And your love will let you down
Let you down
What did you find in the whispering wind?
What will you do when the ships don’t roll in?
All gather round to watch the show
A friend of a friend and off we go
And your love will let you down …