From My Arms

Written April 12, 2009

There are lights
So many lights
On this star-lit night
Full of wondrous life

I’ll be right behind you
Everything will be okay
There’s no need to cry
Everything will be okay

It’s hard to see passed what’s falling
I don’t even wanna blink
Maybe it’ll help if I call on
Just one or two more drinks

There are lights
Too many lights
On this star-lit night
Full of wondrous life

What’s that supposed to mean
What are you trying to tell me
I can’t do this on my own
What are you trying to tell me

Don’t take the babies from my arms
She’s too little for me to let go, let go
Don’t take her to the cold
Don’t take her to the cold
He’s too little for me to let go, let go
Don’t take him to the cold
Don’t take him to the cold

These balloons are the hues of the blues in the night
The ocean of color brings wonder of life
The past and the present and the future of you
How I’ll never get to see the things that you’ll do

Photography by freestocks.org, from Unsplash

My Girl Next Door

Written March 18, 2009

To love for the first time
Is to have never loved at all
Every other heart you long for
Will never have you fall so hard

But then you grow up or so you think
And though I shouldn’t try
I wish you had never changed

Every time I flee passed your street to my own home
I’m reminded of what we used to be
When you were my girl next door

Because we’d be rolling on the ground
Taking pictures while I sang our song
And we’d test out your bed again
And sit outside as the sun set again

Those are the days I miss
When you were perfect
When we were perfect
When ignorance was bliss

But you’ve grown up or so you think
And though I shouldn’t try
I wish you had never changed

Because every time I flee passed your street to my own home
I’m reminded of what we used to be
When you were my girl next door

I walked to your house, you let me inside
I gave you my clothes because you were cold
We laid together for many hours
Just trying to guess what the other was thinking

I should have let that sink in
‘Cause now you’re gone, gone, gone
And I can’t seem to move on, on, on

Because every time I flee passed your street to my own home
I’m reminded of what we used to be
When you were my girl next door

Photography by Karl, from Unsplash

Listen

Written January 27, 2009

The hundreds of drops
With no intention of stopping
I didn’t listen

I walked up the stairs
With warnings to heed everywhere
I didn’t listen

If only I could have listened
I’d still have you, I’d have your trust
I’d see your smile
I’d get to hug you just a little while longer

The memories were fading
I couldn’t believe you were actually waiting
I should have listened

One of my greatest fears
Nearly brought on the tears
I should have listened

I swear to you that I’ll listen
Do I still have you? Do I have your trust?
Can I see your smile?
Can I hug you just a little while longer?

I didn’t know and I don’t remember
But that’s no excuse to be a sinner
It all washed away on a forgotten night
Why did I betray everything that was right?

Do I still have you? Do I have your trust?
Can I see your smile?
Can I hug you just a little while longer?

I can’t afford to lose you
Not after all we’ve been through
I can’t afford to let you go
Not after all we’ve come to know
I can’t afford to walk away
Not after all we’ve had to say

Photography by James Sutton, from Unsplash

Let Go

Written January 19, 2009

I’m squeezing tight with all my might
I don’t want to lose those memories
I’ve got to fight for what’s right
I just want to replace you, please

The waves are many
The waves are high
That’s not water on my face
It’s tears in my eyes

I’m letting go of all I’ve held on to
I’m letting go of these memories of you

You can have ’em, you can keep ’em
You can throw ’em away
But never again will they be part of my day

Someone needs to be where you left off
And put the pieces aside
Someone needs to be where you left off
And put the pieces aside

And when the new wave breaks onto the sand
I just wanna have the will to stand
On my own two feet
And walk this crowded beach

I’m letting go of all I’ve held on to
I’m letting go of these memories of you

You can have ’em, you can keep ’em
You can throw ’em away
But never again will they be part of my day

With all the sleepers around me now
I’ve got to wake them up some how
Get them on their feet
Walking this crowded beach with me

Let go, my friends
Let the suffering end
You’ve got to
You’ve got to
You’ve got to
You’ve got to let life begin

Photography by Bryan Minear, from Unsplash

And The Ash

Written December 03, 2008

The red light’s flashing and the noise is blaring but there ain’t nobody home
At least not in his head, he’s just lying in bed
Beads of sweat dripping off his own
He took half the bottle to knock him out so that he couldn’t feel the heat
Curled up in a ball, away from it all
For when it crumbled to his feet

He could cry
He could cry to himself about the failure he’d become
He could die
He could die inside, left to himself, alone

Take what you can, he screamed
Take what you must, he cried
I don’t mean to be this way
But I can’t live with myself another God damned night

Take all possessions, get out and go
As far away as you can
‘Cause after tonight there’ll be nothing left
Except for me and the ash
Except for me and the ash

Beams were hitting the floor with thunderclaps but he didn’t seem to mind
‘Cause there ain’t no man in this fatal plan
That could make it to him in time
Upon the ceiling the fog is rising, without a call to the savior fleet
He just planned to fall, away from it all
For when it crumbled to his feet

He could cry
He could cry to himself about the failure he’d become
He could die
He could die inside, left to himself, alone

Get out children, he screamed
Get out love, he cried
I don’t mean to be this way
But I can’t live with myself another God damned night

So run out the door, get out and go
As far away as you can
‘Cause after tonight there’ll be nothing left
Except for me and the ash
Except for me and the ash

His eyes began to close
His heart began to fail
He could feel the heat, hear the sound
As it encompassed him all around

For when it crumbled to his feet
He could cry
He could say goodbye

Photography by Sagar Chaudhray, from Unsplash

The Beast

Written November 27, 2008

The most feared things are the things we cannot see
The beast in the night hiding in the shadows on the street
Just waiting to scare you
Just waiting to scare you
Just waiting to hear your scream

Across the distant oceans
Are the monsters we fear most and
We can’t even check under the bed
For things we left unsaid

She told you to trust her
You thought she was safe
But you were betrayed
‘Cause you had been played

Just a fool
Just a hapless fool
It went and happened to you
How could this happen to you

Keep running, son, ‘cause you don’t know what to do when it comes, son
So run, son, ‘cause the moon is out and there ain’t no sun, tonight

But you can’t run from it
‘Cause it only comes from it
The end of your days
The end of your ways
Are all gone from it

Do away with the people that brought it
Those who ignore say they never got it
And every little lover wished they could have fought it

Truth be told to help save your brothers
Keep the tears from the eyes of their mothers
‘Cause it’s you against the others

The most feared things are the things we cannot see
The beast in the night hiding in the shadows on the street
Just waiting to grab you
Just waiting to grab you
Just waiting to hear your scream

Across the distant oceans
Are the monsters we fear most and
We can’t even check under the bed
For things we left unsaid

Photography by Dmitry Ratushny, from Unsplash