Sandcastles

Sandcastles 6/11/2012

So this is the age
Of being who we are
And getting what we want
Anything, anyway
Just as long
As it never hurts.

Examining our feelings
And killing our conscience
Just to avoid the guilt
Even if others suffer
From here until the end.

We can bully our way in
But can never get away
Sitting in a mighty castle
Tall, strong, thick, and stout.

Built up block by block
Much better than the rest
But if founded on a feeling
Shifting and sinking
Every single day.

You can throw a great party
And double down if you like
Throwing caution to the wind
Just because of how you feel.

The age of reason has long ended
And wisdom was the first to die
Dead at the feet of feelings
When everything is too much trouble
And everyone a bore.

Because who needs respect
And who needs dignity
When the future is just an option
And the past is far away.

We ran away
When it got hard
And we hid in the dark
Where no one could see.

Taking all the treasure
And pretending we couldn't hear
The cries of the wounded
And the agony of the lonely.

How many were left behind?
On our trips to and fro
Littering our past
And frozen forever
Like bodies in the snow.

Because it is easier to step over
Than it is to stop
And nothing gratifies the ego
Like comfort and praise.

That elusive feeling
Free of moral constraints
When we toss off
All our obligations
And run upon the shore.

Loyalty becomes abstract
And love becomes absurd
Because we only love ourselves
And leave all reason behind.

Some search for enlightenment
And some ponder philosophy
But who can ever learn the truth
If he floats on the wind?

Riding on the current
Will never help a soul
As we slam against one thing
And then another.

Who can depend upon the feelings
Of the foolish?
Scattered to the wind
And nowhere to be found.

Riding high for a moment
And then crushed into nothingness
Victim of the vicissitudes
Of nature and man.

If not for the few
Who sink in their feet
Deep enough to weather the storm
Firmly planted and strong.

Though they may be beaten
And though they may be bloody
Have saved us all
Many a time
And many a place.

Some may live
And some may die
But who would you rather love?
When the rains come
And the wind picks up.

Life plays with my emotions
But I am not here to gamble
Cutting cards with the reaper
For a few dollars more.

Go ahead and pretend
And go ahead and fly
Because I have seen enough
And I know the reasons why.

All is said and all is done
And it is nothing but a joke
Nothing but a diversion and a fantasy
Gone in an instant
Like a puff of smoke.

I’ll be here
Just where I belong
With my feet on the rock
Letting my heart remain
Growing larger and stronger
With every single storm.

Though the waves may come
And wash away our plans
My love for you remains
Tumbling over and over
In the tiny grains of sand
Rising and falling
Eternal and true.