Tripping Back Into the Old Days 2002

BROKEN DAYS

I will not sleep tonight
too many thoughts, muscles too tight
here in the dark I’ll replay
all that has passed, my youth, the glory of broken days
cold winter sun, rises, decays
I’ll just get up to stay drunk all day
too many doubts, thoughts that delay
it is now gone, it’s gone, the glory of broken days

IT'S OKAY TO BE SMALL

skies are open again
birds in the willows . . . grin
I watched you drowned
afraid of the sight, afraid of the sound
swallowing air, lungs break
heart in your hand, heart in ache
blue grass blowing again
waves through the summer trees spin
bumble bees drinking lilac wine
soft is the fur, tangled and vine
I watched you cry
afraid of the light, afraid you would die
listen for breath, bone body aches
alone in the night, loneliness breaks
cotton flies in the sky
wind breaks the branch, orioles fly
dark skies grow, clouds fill with rain
summer storm rolls
electric again

THE LAST WINTER

quiet, until springtime
and the cold winter air seems so far away from the summertime
and we will wait until springtime
and we will wait for the gentle breeze of the summertime
as we move through this winter town
one last look, one last day, but so far away from the summertime
we’ll be glad when we leave this cold, fading town
but so sad when we think of the gentle breeze of the summertime
and we are forever, hey, hey

ASLEEP IN THE RIVER

sparks fly upward again
our dust in spires, spin
ashes and snow in my eyes
red embers paint blackened skies
my heart froze in the river
winter water black and dead
I hide snow in my heart
and orange velvet fires in my head
blue flames dance in the wood
I'd hold them on my tongue if I could
silence is gold, and I sink
in the vastness of you, I shrink
Cuyahoga
remember us in the ground
in thick brown earth we drown
dried, broken, split our skin
green blades grow, new again
Cuyahoga
I fell asleep in the dream
in icy arms in icy streams
my eyes are open, gather moss
in deep green heaven, we’re lost

FADES DOWN FAR

today the mood is broken
I’m restless and I’m so afraid
the outside seems so distant
the day, it fades down far
and I move through another...
another day that’s just the same
today the day is broken
the day, it fades down far
another distant morning
I stare over the vacant field
so white and gray and broken
the day, it fades down far
fades down far

GIVE UP THE GHOST

light in your eyes
fading and dies
spirit - wound
spirit - move
I don’t know, I don’t know
where you go, where you go
alone in the room
the ghost of the moon
moth and dust
wood and rust
spirit - wound
spirit - move
I don’t know, I don’t know
where you go, where you go

VACANT WINTER DAY

washed out, pale skies
cold sun burns bright
I can really feel this vacant, winter day
taking me away
...I’m gone
...far away
cold breath, hits hard
sun sets, late March

GRAY DECEMBER DESERT DAY

here I am
once again
just a shell of nothing
this all feels
just like nothing
except nothing at all...
why do we
try so hard?
to prevail over nothing?
such a waste
because nothing
is just nothing at all...
I can’t change
restless again
close my eyes, I’m nothing
fade real hard
on to nothing
except nothing at all...
can you feel
this last day?
this last day is nothing
the time fades
because nothing
is just nothing at all
sliding in to
the gray
December desert day

BLUE HERON

I was out walking in your eyes
lines on my hands map the skies
we were just falling in deep sea
I’m afraid of you - and you of me
naked before you, I stand
this flesh is a line in the sand
your smile is my only true friend
when I see it broken I end, I end

HALFWAY BETWEEN HERE AND THERE

I drive, I stray
for three long days
straight towards the sinking sun
sadness builds, I am done
drifting through the miles
no words, no smiles
I don’t think, I feel
I don’t speak, I’m just...
halfway gone
caught in between
here and there
hey, hey

CAT & DOG

I saw you standing in a field of green
you were smiling, shining in the sunny breeze
and you were fine
I saw you sitting in the trees
you were dreaming, reaching up on bended knees
and you were fine
we are rolling, flying on the sea
arms extended you envelope me
and we are fine
and we are fine

PALE BLUE PREVAILS

as the afternoon, summer sunshine prevails
flowing, flickering, off the desert palms today
washed out summer blue, hovers closely to the rails
I stand quietly, I absorb it all today
pale blue prevails
first so quietly, then so violently, the train...
roars so endlessly, on the desert floor today
cypress green details, summer clouds prevail, then rain
I stand quietly, I absorb it all today