the quiet place

i am your greatest grandmother
softly calling on the ocean winds
i was never lost to you forever, only
swallowed by the other half of life
come down with me to the quiet place
deep down to the beginning of us all
there are no words in the quiet place

                               only song

naked jaybird

the wicked emperor has been exposed
yes, he was naked as the jaybird all along
that priceless rare invisible silk was just a
cover up for some sinister conspiratorial plot
it seems that we were meant to be deceived
it couldn't have been us that chose to mis-believe
what a devious charade they played upon us all
how could we possibly have seen behind
such a clever exhibition of smoke and mirrors

yes, he was naked as the jaybird all along !

by his absence

one can only ever truly
know him by his absence
as the buzz and flutter of
his presence so confounds
he came to walk among us
as his father's precious gift
he cannot always be here
to help us through the night
one day we shall arise
he'll be no longer here
it's not for lack of love he
will choose to leave us thus
for his place has always been
there at his father's side
i beseech thee to be fully
present as he abides with us
he cannot always be here
to help us through the night
one day we shall awaken
and he'll be here no more
then it's but for us to strive
to know him by his absence
as the buzz and flutter of his
presence will be forever gone

essence of night

the essence of night

is her infinite darkness

that cannot be measured 

by space or in time

she's as large or as small 

as one cares to imagine

with allmighty power

or....she's nothing at all !

to examine dame darkness

and learn of her secrets

she must be approached

with advantage of light

but whenever one dares

to surprise her as such

no matter how silent or sly

she instantly pops out of sight

she must certainly then be

endowed with black magic

or possessed of a spirit or two

it's far beyond reason that
she performs this slick trick

one moment she's as broad and  

as high as the vast midnight sky 

then poof !....she's swallowed by light

behind closed doors

there is a big old elephant
stinking up our family parlor
back here behind closed doors
we all just play make-believe
as if he ain't even really there
not only is he sitting pretty in
the epicenter of proceedings
there's that other crucial matter
of the poo mound piled so high
heaven forbid that any of us
should dare to bare this secret
everyone knows it just ain't done
ours is but to grin and bear it
and never reveal what lingers
in here behind closed doors

pray for him

he refuses to listen to reason and
must always be seen as correct

pray for him

he presumes to be one in authority
with etched-in-stone ways and beliefs

pray for him

he abhors that you dare disagree
with what he deems good for us all

pray for him

you are often beneath his contempt
he's not averse to inform you at all

pray for him

like many a rum fascist before him
he must rule with iron hand and will

pray for him

how could we do without our hero ?
as to reign is his preordained fate

pray for him

of course it's a foregone conclusion
that he's the only man for the job

pray for him

he's certainly not a good looker
tho he promotes himself awfully well

pray for him

his ego and pride are all wrapped in one
woe be to he who sees past the front

pray for him

he cannot let go of the need to control
as he abides in his frail house of cards

pray for him

he must ever exist in a furious frenzy
chaos and drama are tools of his trade

pray for him

spite and betrayal are all that he's known
and he can give as good as he's gotten

pray for him

he's hard-wired to be vengeful and cruel
if he thinks that you stand in his way

pray for him

he cannot conceive there's anything wrong
with the world view he's so slyly devised

pray for him

he'll huff and puff and put on a grand show
but wait til you sleep before he strikes

pray for him

he's been trapped behind the mirror's lens
far too long to ken that his vision's flawed

pray for him

he righteously battles that which he sees
as clear and present threats to his stance

pray for him

forgive him father, he knows not what he does
forgive him father, he needs you more than I

pray for him

bully boy

every day along the path
ye must e'er encounter him
as it's the only way to arrive
at one's intended destination
the rules are clear and simple
surrender up the going rate or
suffer the bully boy's wrath
this game is old as man himself
yes, and women play it too
there's no mercy for the weak,
the sick or maladjusted ones
it's a proven ancient culling tack
to ensure survival of the pack
in case we think we're over that
check out our schoolhouse halls
the killer instinct of human beasts
is very much alive and well

sacred cows

you must do just as we say
but certainly never as we do
this will hurt us more than
it could possibly hurt you
sacred wisdom does apply
to all, except of course for us
thus our broken hub-less wheel
keeps us ever stuck, you see
if the wheel were to roll along
then wherever would we be ?
quite likely ending up outside
our off-white ticky-tacky boxes
horrors upon horrors, goodness me
how could we dare to dream of
risking such an open-minded scheme
it may be good for you folks but
surely not for double-dealing us
we have come so far for this
to be righteously perceived as
true and guiding lights for all !
so it is decreed by self-anointed us
you must but do just as we say
and absolutely never as we do
you must place your trust in us
it's for your greater good, you see
you will thank us in the end
there is no doubt or question
you must but do just as we say
surely never ever as we do
if this continues as we hope
then another day shall pass and
double-dealing us won't be found out

horrors upon horrors, goodness me !

Judas calling

a man named Judas came a-calling
knock-knock-knocking at my door
boldly stating "you can trust me sir,
have i ever lied to you before ?"
i was looking for some back-up
with the sacred mission i am on
"i'll be there when you need me
sir, of this you may rest assured !"

i was startled by the curious mark
that was struck across his brow
unlike anything i'd ever seen before
i chose to take him at his word as
this mission cannot be done alone
i soon realized he proved true and
faithful as his solemn oath declared
if fair and sunny weather did prevail

but when nature's fickle forces shifted
so too our doubtful sideman changed
he then became an unwitting saboteur
at crucial times of struggle and strife
it seemed he could not help himself
if up was called for, down he would
invariably proceed, and "forward on"
was met with stubborn blind retreat

it's certain he was driven by his very
best intentions, surely true of all he tried
his clever plots and schemes of such
profound benevolence and good will
were designed with a crucial fatal flaw
he couldn't ken the difference tween
the image in the looking-glass and truth
thus his great intentions e'er led straight to hell

forgive him father, he knows not what he does
forgive him father, it's he who needs you most
if he could only see the nature of his treachery
but the halls of darkness don't allow for light
it's the guiding light of truth and nothing less
that would show him where to strike the torch
not only is it dark there behind the mirror's lens
but back is front, here is there and e'er shall it be

forgive him father, he knows not what he does
it's his very nature that allows him not to see
it cannot be for me to condemn one such as he
if he could just but see the nature of his treachery
i'm certain if he could change, then he surely would
betrayal's piercing blade tho, is all he's ever known
if all he knows is darkness how could he ever see
that light of truth and nothing less would set him free

forgive him father, he knows not what he does !

just keep moving

he had no notion how deadly hot
was the fire he danced with daily
he could not foresee that sudden
swift descent into hell on earth
he became convinced he had sold
his soul to the double-dealing devil
but couldn't remember how or when
he was certain there was no way out
death would prove but worse, and eternal

he wasn't tooled to know how to escape
there seemed no relief, nowhere to turn
no-one to talk with, he no longer recognized
the stranger occupying his body shell
it seemed forever he couldn't leave his home
during daylight hours, venturing out only
at night for necessary food and supplies
it was love for his mother, then alive
that kept him from committing suicide

when all seemed lost, he found himself
penniless, homeless and hopelessly alone
the emotional agony and mental anguish
seemed excruciating, unending and unbearable
the city became so hard, cold and unforgiving
he rightly sensed it would soon devour him
there was nothing left but to hit the road
and keep moving, only just keep moving !

the highway soon became his only friend
in time it seemed not to matter which
direction he was headed, as long as he
could keep moving, only just keep moving !
while he traveled out on the open byways
he didn't need sweet soothing mary-jane
only but to keep moving, just keep moving !

he must have traveled 100,000 miles
in those lost years alone on the road
during times he chose to stop for a while
that powerful urgent compulsion to linger
with sweet mary-jane would surface quickly
the only solution he knew could help was
to keep on moving, only just keep moving !

now in his seventh decade it's but a short
time since being driven to surrender to
the merciful universal powers that be
only now can he be still and calm here
without being driven to hit the road again
in times of trouble, conflict, grief or strife
he's no longer compelled to just keep moving !

thanks to the merciful universal powers that be !

patience

she was always in such a
frantic hurry to acquire that
elusive priceless jewel we've
come to know as patience
which forever showed to be
one step beyond her grasp

it seemed to matter not how
clever was her master plan,
how hard she tried or fast she ran
it was like that tasty carrot
there dangling oh so close
and still so very far away

one must not forget to mention
those stacks of books, sacred texts
and ancient tomes collecting dust
upon her rare antique oriental shelves
or impressive posh degrees hung
above the pricey marble mantle

if only she could have solved
the mystery of how to chase
that juicy morsel, yet eat it too
surely then precious patience
would have finally proved to
be her true and just reward

if only !

still waters

water ever seeks it's perfect peace
from distant mountain heights
to the depths of scattered seas

so too our spirit follows every
mist, ripple, torrent, wave and tide
of this worldly song and dance

searching for it's place in time to
settle into nature's one true goal
to be still, to be calm, to be free

family

there's no-one left to love
but every living soul
with nothing left to lose
still he shares the whole

his sisters and brothers
are foreign to him now
his mother and father lay
dead and in the ground

quite some time ago
he had removed himself
from any Christmas list
especially his very own

the open wound across
his pristine mourning heart
bleeds for what is lost and
can ne'er be found again

it was love for life itself
and morbid fear of death
that called him back to living
having no-one else to care

he remembers names and faces
of those he knew as family
now upon sincere reflection
they were never ever there

it's not with condemnation
that he looks upon them now
but sad and aching grief where
once there had lived hope

doing time

another mark upon the
shit-stained plaster wall
he stopped counting 'em
too many days gone by
he's likely doing time
for someone else's crime

he can't remember what
got him ended up back
in stir this time around
he either did it or was framed
at some point it seemed
just not to matter anymore

on those rare occasions he
was loose and on his own
he'd sit there staring out
the open bedroom window
longing for the freedom of
those rusty jailhouse bars

whatever game that was
being played out there
he never made the team
and didn't know the score
now all that's left for him is
this old revolving iron door

old dog blues

he's been around the block
and even toured the world
with scars upon scars
to show from many an
epic hard fought tussle

yet like most old dogs
in this neck of the woods
it's like he has never been

the young, sleek and strong
preen and prance about
strutting their stuff so fine

the old dog's eye can see
and battered snout sniff out
that they have rarely ventured
beyond their own backyard

he lays here now curled up
at well-earned blessed rest
wondering why the young-uns
show not a whiff of interest
in learning of his old dog tricks

what is an old dog to do ?
with no more bite to bark about
and teeth too long or gone
now the only growling going on
is in his ample belly while
awaiting on the dinner bell

desert song

the infinite cool desert sky
is blacker than night
with stars that are stuck
on with twinkly light

evening's fire softly subsides

sister wind she is sighing
her sybilant caravan song
our stout beasts of burden
are settled in for the night

the silence is humming
in sweet harmony with all
that is timeless and true

there's nowhere that i'd
rather be on this night
with only one heartfelt desire

to dance with my beloved
neath this crystalline moon
and the infinite cool desert sky

as evening's fire softly subsides

self-anointed savior

there must be marked upon this brow
some special brand or symbol
to advertise that i'm fair game for
every pompous self-anointed savior
with their divinely decreed sermon
chosen especially for me today

heavenly father, spare me these
righteous christ-aholics, please
for this i sincerely genuflect
down on worn and aching knees

i near choked on my own vomit
from the latest god-sent dissertation
rammed down my gullet on this morn

i wonder where you are, sweet lord
when these crusading zealots call
could it be that you are stuck
again hanging there upon another
urgent hopeless bloody cross ?

or perhaps you've slipped away
to wander in the barren desert
for yet another go-around of
forty days and forty nights

i wouldn't fault you in the least
if you felt a need for some relief
it's a tough job you've been assigned
without the option to retire or resign

it seems to me, oh blessed lord
that they are not yet finished
with your poor and pitiful
blood-soaked, savaged carcass

it's certain ye shall never be
freed from that unholy crucifix
and mercifully laid to final rest
not as long as there's this
blind and desperate need for
some convenient sacrificial lamb
to take the brunt and blame
for their endless crimes and sins
or a suitably sanctioned
official trademark for that
exclusive inner-circle club

heavenly father, spare me please
the well-meaning, self-ordained
crusading christ-aholic saviors

and as for me, sweet lord
i have learned to set you free