Bleeding Through

Bleeding Through 4/30/2013

They have held me up
And frozen me in space
Like a specimen in a jar
For a laugh and joke.

The world begs for answers
But always rejects the truth
Careening from one day to the next
Without ever learning a thing.

No matter how many times you say it
A lie is still a lie
And no many how many excuses are given
Every decision counts.

The great experiment is over
And the great extinction has begun
As we douse ourselves in gasoline
And light up
A cigarette.

You can tell me story
And you can make it good or bad
Using me or using them
To freeze and burn.

Everyone can see
But no one does a thing
All singing and laughing
As we drive off a cliff.

But real men breathe
And the truth endures
Hidden under a glacier
Far away from here.

There is no need to guess
What difference it could make
When you are left to twist
And die in the wind.

Because that is what happens
When the odds turn
And it’s no longer convenient
To stand with your friends.

And that is what happens
When all the money is gone
And everyone forgets
All you did
And all you lost.

Running away
In an instant
To ride out the storm
And cry on your casket
After you are dead.

Blaming you
And hiding the truth
Just to cover up
All they never did.

The first shall be the murdered
And the forgotten heroes
Standing alone
Without any help.

But even cowards
Grow old and die
Alone,cold
Frozen and gray.

Who else shall remember?
What it is
That they did
Always ready to take the credit
And drink the grapes
In the sun.

The surge is coming
And the choice is risky
Bleeding through the white wash
For everyone to see.

But it doesn’t matter
How many shall fail
Because it’s far too late
Just to sit and watch.

Black Birds

Black Birds 4/29/2013

A diamond lies in the dust
On the dark side of the moon
In perfect silence
Cold, dark, and pure.

Above and beyond
An indifferent earth
Turning slowly over
And roasting in the sun.

Living in the seasons
And dying on the vine
The bitter fruit of pride
Spoiled, bitter, and wasted.

Just because we have not seen it
Doesn’t mean that it’s not there
And just because we have no future
Doesn’t mean
That God doesn’t care.

What good is thought
That needs to ask permission?
And what good is logic
If it leads to slavery?

I’ll take my chances
With the gift of wisdom
Rather than a promise or a check
Signed, sealed and delivered
With a smile and wink.

Did they think
I was finished?
And did they think
I was dead?

Excusing themselves
And forgetting the past
Writing off their books
And closing all the files.

But time has looped around
And now I am here
More than what I was
Clenching my fists
And flashing my teeth.

I am here
And I am ready
With all of my dead friends
Circling like blackbirds
Over the earth.

Diving, swooping
And rising higher and higher
Calling out their names
Over and over again.

Nothing is settled
And nothing is over
With hell to pay
And all eternity to wait.

Making the turns
And picking up speed
Faster and faster
Free and alive.

With nothing to lose
And the whole world to gain
The wind rushing by
Pure, cold, and clear.

Blue

Blue 4/25/2013

Things don’t always work out
And that’s the way it is
When victory remains
Just inches from reach
Of our cold dead hands.

Sometimes we are fortunate
And sometimes we are not
But if that is all the difference
Then we might as well all
Go out in a hail of bullets
Exploding like fireworks
In the sky.

But life is also tedious
And life is also a bore
Slowly unfolding
In a million thoughtless hours
At the sink
And in our cars.

I am just another guy
Taking up space
Getting in the way
And overstaying my welcome.

Unable and unwilling
To take the hint and leave
Wasting your time
And prolonging our misery.

But what if there is more
Than everything we think?
And what if there is something greater
Than everything we feel?

Something that explain
The code written in my genes
And a reasonable solution
To all the horror and waste.

Because if there is no answer
Then there is no reason
And if there is no reason
Then nothing else matters.

If I cannot think
And I cannot choose
Then my feelings are a pain
That should be masked and subdued.

Because pain means nothing
Without growth or learning
And loss is torture
Without the possibility
Of gain.

Without evil
There can be no good
And without judgment
There is no hope.

My life ends
Even if I try
And even if I struggle
Gone in like a rain drop
Falling into the sea.

But I know
That there is more
And that is why I ask
And that is why I pray.

That everything we suffer
Is remembered
And everything we lose
And tallied up
For us to gain.

That we will not remain
Just a piece of trash
Walking around unwanted
And ashamed.

God has claimed me
Because I said yes
Redeeming me
Once and forever.

And when I walk
It will be with head held high
No better and no worse
Than any and all.

Ready to give
All that I have learned
A faithful servant
Purified by fire.

I will have
And I will hold
Never again forgotten
Rejected or alone.

Driftwood

Thoughts on Driftwood 4/24/2013

The thoughts creep up
Unsolicited and unwelcome
Desperate feelings
Of hopelessness
And worry.

About everything I remember
And everything I knew
All vanished in a heartbeat
Like it never happened at all.

I look around and watch
And see all the familiar faces
All of them scrambling for position
As if it matters at all.

Some will win
And some will lose
But either way
They are forgotten
And sleep in the dirt.

They have pledged their whole life
Upon a faulty premise
Always looking for something
That cannot be found.

If only I had known
And if only, I had reasoned
Taking the time to observe my life
From a safe distance
Present, but impartial.

How much further
Could I have gone?
Without fear or doubt
Never a hostage to my own emotions
And never hesitant or double minded.

I thought I knew it all
But I didn’t know a thing
Wasting a whole decade
Lost in a blizzard.

Time is a killer
And time has killed me
Crushing my spirit
One day at a time.

I kept trying the same old things
And ran inside a circle
Wearing down a track
That I could not escape.

My mind raced far ahead
Of all that mattered
Considering all kinds of possibilities
That were useless
In the here and now.

I knew it, even then
That I was expendable
Just a useful fool
Hitching a ride.

But even fools love
And even the worthless
Have a heart
And now mine beats before me
Pulsating in her hands.

The world sighs
As water drips eternal
Just waiting for someone
To wake up
And turn it over.

Justice may never come
Or it just might come tomorrow
But either way
We must carry on
And love the present.

If life should end
Before I get to see it
Then it still won’t matter
Because the truth endures
And lasts forever.

Truth and Error

Truth and Error 4/23/2013

Sometimes I dream
About making it right
Going backwards in time
And finding the answer
To all I lost.

But when I wake up
I am still forgotten
And I am still trash
Carried away by the wind
And endlessly tumbling
Down the road.

It’s not about what we do
And it’s not about how much
Or even how far
But rather the most important part
Is why
And for what.

What is it
That we so desire so badly?
And why do casually discard
All that we have?

Are we searching for status?
Or is it approval?
Nothing more than a feeling
That comes and goes.

What did we hope to achieve?
And what was our goal?
All that we do out of boredom
And all that we reap
Because of pride.

I was blind
And I was dumb
Picking up the pieces
Just to bust them up again.

I wanted to create
And indulge my passions
Without a thought to the consequence
Or the weight of burdens.

Living in my own emotions
And tossed about by the waves
As I carried everyone with me
From shore to shore.

I put off the change
Until it was too late
And cruelty found me
And has never let go.

Some people wander the desert
And some people sail the seas
But I was lost in a fog
For as long as I can remember.

Some questions
Don’t seem to have an answer
And some dreams
Can never come true
But it doesn’t keep me from dreaming
And it doesn’t keep me from asking.

There is more than enough love
In our hearts
To understand it all
Forgiving it all
So that we might live.

I love all my friends
Even the ones who crushed me
Because they have yet to know
And have yet to understand.

I ask
That we shall be together
And together we shall be
All because I prayed
And all because I asked.

Flicker Flash

Flicker Flash 4/22/2013

The light inside the mind
Flickers in the distance
As man surrenders his birth
And surrenders his control.

We who have moved around
Of our own will and reason
Are nothing without the power
To think
And to choose.

Becoming nothing more
Than an animal
Placed on a path
For success or for failure
Without any effort
Or desire
Of his own.

Going through the motions
And waiting for his food
Like a dog growling over a dish
That someone else
Has made.

Waiting for the master
To decide how much we're worth
Lapping up whatever it is,
That they are selling
And believing it as truth.

And what advice can a man give?
If he has never tried
And he has never lived
Because living is more than breathing
Or existing.

The lazy will give up a future
And sell themselves as slaves
Never knowing or understanding
The surrender that they have made.

There is more than one way
To starve the beast
And there are still more choices left
Than what anyone might think.

We can always choose
Where we go
And what we do
Who we feed
And what we support.

We can knock on the door of heaven
And ask
And we can keep on knocking
No matter how long it takes.

This too shall all pass
And there shall be peace enough
For those who stand
For what is good,
And what it true.

In countless ways
We can choose to reject
All that is wrong
And start the whole world
All over again.

Smithereens

Smithereens 4/19/2013

Spin me a yarn
Or tell me story
Anything they think will work
And anything they think
Will deceive.

The is the dawn of extinction
And this is the cup
That we have poured
And now we shall drink deeply
The blood of grapes.

The words were blurry
But now they are distinct
Brighter, bolder
And screaming on the wall.

There is no other reason
Than to sink a ship
And there is no other justification
Than hatred
And envy.

Overcrowded and heavy
We founder in the water
Flooded on purpose
From the outside in.

Who has done this?
And what is the reason?
Nothing but temporary convenience
And cancerous hatred.

Unhinged the world spins wildly
And falls upon the innocent
Crushing the many
By the silence of a few.

The truth is out
But some will never believe it
Blinded by emotional ignorance
And propaganda.

They laugh and dance with glee
But their own hatred
Shall swallow them whole
Entrapped by their own snares
They shall all disappear.

The black flag is raised
And the price is death
As the opportunists circle
And the scavengers wait.

But this world is dying
And with it
Shall perish all the beasts
Who never knew
And never understood.

Woe again to those
Who call evil good
And good they call evil
Trapped in darkness
Now and forever.

Double or Nothing

Double or Nothing 4/18/2013

Tragedy happens
And so also does loss
Punching you in the stomach
Without warning
And doubling you over
In pain.

The world that I knew
And all that I dreamed
Has all but disappeared
Sinking into the cold dark waters
Miles below my feet.

My plans, and my goals
Did not come to pass
And all that was left
Was survival
And continued humiliation.

My name was taken
And ruined beyond repair
Sold for scrap
And traded for nothing.

And no chance was ever missed
To remind me
About all that I have given
And all that I lost.

Discarded and forgotten
And passed over
Time and again
For reasons unknown
But somehow justified.

I asked to understand
And I asked for decency
But I never received either
And I guess I never will.

My blood was gushing out
But the only help I got
Was a band aide
And a hug
All gone and washed away.

I sunk far down below
No matter how much I struggled
Without a hand to lift
Or a line to grab.

They wished me death
And never missed a beat
Watching my every movement
To see if I would slip.

Ready to write me off
And ready to erase my memory
Hoping that I would fail
And die in a hole.

They write about the end
As if they know it
And they describe the autopsy
As if they were there.

But they are blind
And they are foolish
As they please each other
And think they are God.

But we shall rise
And do it all again
Because if it has happened once
It will happen again.

When we return
They will scatter like dust
Blown away
And turning to mud.

You can look east
And you can look west
But its behind your back
Where the damage is done.

Every day the story changes
And every day the picture morph
Just as obvious as the sun
The who and the why.

Men without a conscience
Never pause or doubt
Willing to lie, steal or murder
Just to get what they want.

But the truth is changeless
And God is everywhere
Unraveling every plot
And exposing every lie.

Open Casket

Open Casket 4/17/2013

So evil shows its face
In the glee of the hateful
And the wishes of the damned
Hidden for the longest time
And now finally coming out.

No longer do they hide
Behind any modicum of politeness
Sensing the change from the top
To the bottom
They emerge from the shadows
Spewing acid and bile.

The guilty are not punished
And their bloody goals obfuscated
As terror becomes a secret
And the truth becomes a crime.

Weakness makes the jackal bolder
As he circles and growls our name
Unprotected and undefended
By the few
The many are exposed.

The magician uses distraction
To divert our attention
So that we never see
The sleight of hand
That fools us every time.

But the passage of centuries
Have not hidden
The words and the aim
To conquer, plunder, and steal
Anyway they can.

The world is a puzzle
With many different pieces
And while we pick out the shiny ones
The others, shift, and sizzle.

I am the hated
But it will not change a thing
Because I am not afraid
And I will not be defeated.

Death has no hold
And death has no teeth
But silence and complicity
Has eroded our faith
And murdered our spirit.

Beware the masks are off
And fall to the floor
Showing all who can see
The good and the evil.

Drop by Drop

Drop by drop 4/16/2013

Another drop through the glass
And another day to kill
Just another side step
But you should know the drill.

Reality floats by
Unseen and unheard
Passing by like a shadow
Behind your back.

Gone in a second
And vanished forever
Hiding behind the curtain
As we look up
And the killer ducks down.

You can’t always believe
Everything you hear
But habits and history
Always point in the same direction
The same as they always have.

We all have appetites
And we all have reasons
But some thirst for blood
And the more innocent,
The better.

Come look, and see the truth!
And come and ask the questions!
The kind no one hears
And no one wants to answer.

The skies light up
And blood covers the moon
Just another day dream
On my way to somewhere else.

Someone left the door open
And many have closed their eyes
Fortifying themselves
And shutting us out.

Spin me a tale
And see if I believe it
Because everything falls apart
If you don’t stay awake.

This is today and tomorrow
Is here
Another day to live
And another day to dread.

The future unwinds
As our efforts unravel
But even though they laugh
It is their world
And not mine.

Death doesn’t hurt a bit
But a thousand cuts
Will bleed
Dragging out the misery
As long as they can.

The blind refuse to see
The gruesome truth
Staring them in the face
And spurting blood all over.

Same as it ever was
And same as it is
Determined, cruel,
And, never satisfied.

But, I also hunger
And, I also wait
With blood in my mouth
And death in my eyes.

Dead Mans Burden

Dead Man's Burden 4/15/2013

You can hear them everywhere
In the office
Or on the bus
Talking all the time
All about themselves
And all about nothing.

People chatter on the phone
Shallow, dumb, and predictable
Never real and never true .
And just as sickening as ever

They make small talk
And they talk about the weather
Distracted by fake reality
And wishful thinking.

They plan their vacations
And they mock their neighbors
Making every decision
Based on selfishness
And convenience.

There is nothing better
Than being authentic
True to oneself
And the world.

But it would be foolish to expect
Anything close to acknowledgement
Or appreciation
Because a good man
Must always remember
Who he is
And where he is.

People wobble
And people waffle
Never able to stick to principal
Or honor what is right.

They make speeches
But stand for nothing
Except for lining their pockets
Every chance they get.

The good are sold out
And left without help
Their deaths all covered up
And forgotten.

No one remembers their name
And no one speaks about what happened
Because that would expose the truth
Full of treachery and horror.

People fear losing face
And people fear losing their job,
Reputation and money
Fearing the fall
From the grace of men.

But he who has a heart
Let him listen
To the screams of the forgotten
And the cries of the rejected.

For them I have lowered my head
And prayed
Trying hard to remember
Every single one.

When I was down
They tried to destroy me
Taking all that I had
Or ever hoped for.

Grinding me down to nothing
And reminding me every day
Covering me with a great weight
So that I might never stand.

But it is I
Who has stood up
And almost found my footing
My face bloody
And my name ruined.

But I want more than vengeance
And I want more than a reward
Nothing less than life eternal
At the endless feast of God.

Today is the day
To know what you do
With your heart hidden
And staring straight ahead.

Boring down on the truth
without flinching
No matter how much it hurts
Or what it reveals.

Our teeth are sharp
And our minds alert
Awakened, angry,
Determined and defiant.

Walking the Plank

Walking the Plank 4/12/2013

You can believe
Anything you want
Even if it’s a lie
And even if it hurts.

Others have also
Wallowed in guilt
But seldom do the truly guilty
Ever bat an eye.

Nothing good
Comes of envy
And who should ever care
How it looks
Or how it seems.

But even now
We jostle and push
Flinging ourselves up a ladder
That leads to nowhere.

I have kept her hair
And I have kept her letters
My most precious treasure
That I ever lost.

Life is nothing
But a long set of goodbyes
As the platform of safety
Is removed
One plank at a time.

Leaving us to dance
On whatever is left
Hopping on whatever is left
Propping up ourselves
Just as long as we can.

But I never learned a thing
As long as I could hide
Because I preferred security
Over the great unknown.

I did not see
And I did not know
That everything I had
Was all in my head
And all of that
Was twisted around.

That I could never be myself
Until I surrendered my soul
Given away all my plans
And all of my pride.

With nothing to hide
And nothing to protect
Nothing to prove
And nothing to win.

Without expectation
And without pretense
Nothing but an open heart
And a grateful soul.

We all do the dance
And we all make our choices
Even if we never learn
And even if we never grow.

Some people land on others
And learn how to use
And others will only help
If they get something in return.

Others just fall
And hope someone will catch them
Riding on the backs of others
Without any responsibility at all.

The scavengers come
Just to take what they can
Stripping away everything of value
And then throw it all away.

All that is left is a shell
And all that was worthy
Is forgotten and abused
Unremembered
Until we wake up
Or die along the way.

My world was broken into pieces
And lay in ruins at my feet
Rusting away into oblivion
Like I never started at all.

But even my life
Was never about me
And even my plans
Were never meant to last.

Now I grow
And now I try
With more than ever to give
Now that I see
And now that I know.

Dark Lightning

Dark Lightning 4/11/2013

Last night
I rose from the bed
And passed through the walls
Rising up above the house
And into the black.

The wind felt cool in my hair
As I followed the street
Up and down the hills
And on my way home.

I could see the tail lights
As I followed the traffic
Heading west
And to the right.

I am not alone
Even though it seems that way
And I am not forgotten
Even though
I am ruined.

With each blow
I have risen higher
And now I am picking up speed
Following the turns I know so well
Back to where I saw
And back to where I knew.

There are bigger things
Than what we see
And there are deeper meanings
Than what we know.

Secrets and messages
Inside of our cells
Recording forever
Everything we are
Or ever were.

We are not here
Just to struggle and strive
But to grow
And emerge.

To finally learn and understand
Where we are from
Who we are
And what we must do.

My eyes have opened
And I cannot forget
All that was
And all that will come.

I am coming back
And I am almost there
Straight down
And through the door

Unstoppable and determined
Dead level, and fearless
Taking back, all I lost
And a whole lot more.

The Empty Spot

The Empty Spot 4/10/2013

Some days drag by
Incredibly warm, stale, and dead
Lingering on at room temperature
And just as pointless
As they began.

We build houses
And then let them rot
Eaten away from the inside out
Right under our noses
And right under our feet.

The storms come
And the winds drive by
Mold grows and multiplies
Every day, and everywhere.

But nothing lasts longer
Than a dark night of the soul
When sleep never comes
And the terrors commence.

And you are afraid to turn over
And face the empty spot
Where once you were held
And belonged.

Knowing that every day
Will be the same
Nothing but a long slide
Into oblivion and death.

It makes your throat tighten
And your heart race
While your thoughts turn to desperation
And impending doom.

I can remember the feeling
As I lay in the bed
Sweating through the sheets
Willing to give up everything
For an hour of blackness.

Morning comes
And so also does love
At the last possible moment
When we surrender our heart.

Sometimes God finds us
And plucks us out of hell
Lifting us up
For reasons
We do not know.

Tragedy shakes the soul
And want straightens our pride
But loss breaks us down to nothing
Just where, we needed to be.

Ripe for growth
And open for change
At last, willing to believe
Without reservation, or fear.

What can man do to me?
And what inevitable end
Should we fear?
When all of this is temporary,
And gone in a day.

We can still stretch out our hand
And we can still hold out hope
Embracing each other
Without restraint or fear.

The world can have my head
And throw it down the stairs
Trashing my name and reputation
If it makes them feel better.

They can think
They have won
But even this shall pass
All the way to Hades.

Morning shall come
And we shall all be together
Shining like the sun
And happy forever.

Creeping Shadows

Creeping Shadows 4/8/2013

No two people are alike
And this life
Is a gift
To be relished
And shared.

When we are born
Our parents hold us
Nurturing us
Either for the better
Or the worse.

There is nothing greater than love
And nothing stronger than family
That instills in us the desire
To be free and unique.

Charting out a life
That maximizes our talents
And hones our abilities
Preparing us for a world
Filled with promise
And peril.

What kind of man
Would seek to limit
Their potential?
And what kind of horror
Would communal control bring?

Holding us back from innovation
And forcing conformity
Brining all of man down
To mediocrity and serfdom.

The gift has been great
But so also is the price
That we must fiercely resist
Any effort to control.

The defenseless need guidance
To ignite the flame
So that we may
Always seek
And always learn.

Unafraid of obstacles
And undeterred by threats
Ruthlessly questioning everything
And most of all
Ourselves.

Darkness shall always seek
To extinguish the flame
Crushing spirits
Every chance they get.

Fight it
With all your strength
All your spirit
And all your soul.

In the end
We belong to no one
Except ourselves
And God.

The defenseless
Look to us for protection
And he who stands it now
Shall live forever.

Just Waiting

Just Waiting 4/5/2013

You can think
Whatever you want
But it’s easier to believe
Than it is
To give up.

We can control our own destiny
Or sit on our hands
Waiting for someone else
To help
Or to blame.

Things may work out
Or maybe they won’t
But there is no sense in waiting
Just to know
How it ends.

The time to wait
Was yesterday
When we were sleeping
And did not know.

But time is a luxury
That no one can afford to lose
More precious than gold
And more important
Than we know.

What is here
Is what we have
And all that we have
Is each other.

After everything is gone
What will the children mourn
Would it be a theory?
Or would it be a family?

I also know
And I remember the feeling
When I tried so hard to save
Everything I had
And everything I was.

We all need love
And we all need the feeling
Of knowing we are accepted
Just as we are
And ever could be.

I have not forgotten
And no matter how hard I try
Nothing can ever replace
What I had
And what I have.

All that we have
Is enough to last forever
Close enough to touch
And right In front
Of our eyes

Overflow

Overflow 4/4/2013

They put the dead in a chiller
So that when you kiss them
Their skin feels like stone
With their spirit gone
And nothing left
But hair, flesh, and bone.

I kissed my mother goodbye
And let them burn her to ashes
Never again to comfort
Her only beloved son.

I stood at the place
Where I used to hide
Knowing that it would be the last time
That I would ever visit
What was never mine to keep.

I packed up my father’s things
And moved him
In with my sister
Saying goodbye to a time
That can never come again.

In a perfect world
No one would ever lose
And no one would ever die
Safely ensconced
Where we would all love,
And be loved, forever.

I have imagined a world in my head
But it’s a world I cannot achieve
Always coming closer by accident
Than anything I did with my hands.

A real new world is coming
But it cannot be born
Until the old makes amends
Purging all its poison
Fresh, clean, and pure.

I shall yet belong again
And I shall yet happily forget
What it meant to feel safe
And what it meant to lose.

All that was
And all that was hoped for
Shall all come back
Ten times ten thousand
Until we fill up
And overflow.

Monster

Monster 4/3/2013

I painted my hands silver
And photographed them
On black velvet
For no reason at all
And just because I am alive.

Life is full of angles
And we are constantly moving
Because we were meant to create
And we were meant to burn.

I broke down the door
And then I had to fix it
But it felt good
To unleash the monster
Even if it hurt.

Not everything has an explanation
And even random kindness
Should be cherished
Not because it is appreciated
But because it is right.

The world
And all its glamour
Is but a fraction of the past
So let’s use it all up
And throw it all away.

No one is going to remember
What I said
Or what I did
But we will live with ourselves
Forever.

So let today unravel
Because tomorrow may never come
Knowing that we have forever
And living without regret.

Fearlessly searching
For truth
Defying man
And death.

Torn

Torn 4/2/2013

What good is anything
If you can’t make it art
And what art is better
Than something different
And off center.

People try to make things perfect
But they will never succeed
Achieving nothing but a cover
Shallow, thin, and transparent.

Devoid of character
And without a soul
Predictable, pedestrian,
Boring, and cold.

Man imitating man
Like a monkey in a tree
Wasting his time and effort
And nothing
That lasts.

Everything that is easy
And everything that is safe
Is nothing but a joke
As useless as ashes
Floating away in smoke.

Everything ages
And everything falls apart
Pitted, damaged, and destroyed
By the ravages of time.

Time speeds up
Until it runs out
Looping over
Until it starts all over again.

There is nothing better
Than to create
To tilt things on their side
And make them new again.

If it doesn’t work the first time
Then just set it aside
And come back later
To look at it again.

Rip it
Spike it
Paint it
And destroy it.

Whatever it takes
To be what we are
Anything but normal
And anything but average.

Mirror Mirror

Mirror Image 4/1/2013

Nothing remains
That we have not seen
And nothing rises
That is not dead.

If you can imagine the day
Then it will come
And if you keep on thinking
Maybe you will see.

Consider the bones
Buried in the ground
Staring back at us
Deep dark and vacant.

What did they see
And what did they know
Crying out in the night
For anyone to hear.

We are no better
And we are no wiser
Even though we have their words
And we have their DNA.

They also had hearts
And they also made choices
Giving in and giving up
In a million small degrees.

They also watched the lines blur
As greed replace virtue
Escaping into hedonism
As their civilization dissolved
And their frontiers collapsed.

So what do we see
And what do we know
When the truth is forbidden
And eyes are everywhere.

If we were born with rights
Then who gave them to me?
And If God gave them
Who shall take them away?

It is no secret
And history lasts forever
If you know where to look
And know how to think.

If we are alive
Then we must learn
Or face the end
Twice as dumb,
Foolish, and forgotten.

You can't bet on tomorrow
If you cannot control today
Content to focus inwards
As you fall all over yourself.

They can have my words
But they can't have my bones
Hidden away
Where they will never find them
Or ever know who I was.

I will have them back
And we will have our place
Invincible, glorious,
Steep, and mighty.