Sunday, August 13, 2006

It's true.

So you want to know what's what?
Learn how to play some mean putt-putt?
Figure out the way to make a penguin fly?

Well, I can tell you how to alchematize
Your humdrum life before your eyes
But someday you'll have to realize
It ain't just the truth that hurts.

Baby, let me be your super ego!
Let me tell you right from wrong
Tie your blues
And sing your shoes
Cause, baby, it's been too long
There's evil afoot
And it's after my sole!

You say you got a weight upon your shoulders?
Holdin' the world up by yo' self?
Well, honey, I got the solution in my cellar
A nice, antique cardboard shelf.
So put up that globe
And watch it aallll fall down.

What's that you say 'bout physics?
Maybe Atlas didn't look for strings.
Well, ya know, he's a deep thinker
Thinkin' bout all sorts of things
Mullin' over something bigger
Ponderin' about the gap
Twixt our planet and our psyches
(Or perhaps he took a nap)

You still want to make your ice hot?
Raise Ol' Yeller from the dead?
Well, darlin', I couldn't tell ya
What you ought to do instead.

Who's afraid of the dark?
This little light of mine
He's surely gonna shine
Gonna blindside you
Right back where you belong.
Still need to know the secret?
Honey, come back to the shade
Starin' at suns, it's bad for business!
'Sides, yo' entrance fee's been paid.
You're in the door
Don't worry 'bout no key.

But still you want to know the reason
Still you need to know the way
Well, sugah, I got that answer
It's like my momma used to say:

Once, there lived a man in a nondescript house on a street of medium length.
The man worked as a tollbooth operator thirty-nine and a half hours a week.
He had Tuesdays off and three children.
He died at the age of seventy two.

Once, there was a man
Who lived in a nondescript house
Cause he didn't need no attention
To the plans he made.
Spent his life opening doors
To places you couldn't dream.
Six day a week, he'd pour
His heart into the wind.
And on the seventh day of rest
He commanded armies to save the world
Wrote symphonies and sonnets
About the ones who got away.
But he wasn't a bitter guy
Found a gal and, on the fly,
Raised himself some soldiers close to home.
And after he done lived awhile
He decided he'd had his fill
So he opened one last door
And walked right through.

Still want to find that money tree?
Climb the Big Rock Candy Mount?
Well, sunshine, you're on the right way
Just keep on what you're about.

I knew this fella'
Used to ride a unicorn to work
I always asked him where he parked it
He'd just say
"Out back."
I never did find that stable
(Good thing yetis park themselves)

Sometimes, I look next door
And see the Jones' AllYouCanEatatron 5000
Next to their Intellifence
Behind the Shrubberglee's
Which obscure the Sexaseals
Covering the Port-alls
To their summer homes
And winter castles
The fiefs of which send them crops
Of friends and fame
Yearround.
Their ambrosia garden's produce
Is donated entirely to orphans around the world.
They're even honest about their taxes.
Now, the Jones are quite nice people
Reliable
Principled
Funnier than you would not believe
Always there for a pal in need
(And everyone's a pal of theirs).
I have them over every once in awhile
To my earthen igloo with reinforced
Aluminum can siding.
They also help me decide
Where to donate my leftover asparagus
'Cause sometimes I run out of lettuce
Before the year's through.
Sometimes they ask me about envy
I tell 'em
"Don't worry. Y'all be happy someday, too."
I do so love to see folks smile...

You want to steal a zebra's stripes?
Cleanse your soul with babywipes?
Friend, don't drive yourself berserk
Because someday you'll make it work.

Some guys have to know exactly what's going to happen
at every single minute of every single day
so they can prepare for the next moment
which will be used to prepare for tomorrow
which will be spent preparing for next thursday
when the surgeon general is releasing
his second album
complete with all the footnotes and antidotes
a man needs to know to keep his mind at ease.

This is the story of Hobo Joe.
Hobo Joe wore tin foil
Instead of sunscreen
Hobo Joe never went outside
During a full moon
He saw a werewolf
Ask him about the time
And he says he ain't got it
Too few things to do
And not enough ways
To protect oneself
From the onset of paralysis
Take two tablets every six hours

Hobo Joe was worried
He might get stomach cancer
Or an ulcer
Of some malevolent form
Which would disrupt his tennis games
With Hobo Flo
He would check every meal
For uncertain discrepancies
In composition
Similar
But not limited to
Pennies and happenstance

One day
Hobo Joe won
A million dollars
He doesn't remember
How he ever managed
Without it
I couldn't tell you

You're saying that you want to raise
An island called Atlantis?
I can't say I know the name
But I'm optimistic of your chances.

Where art thou, my love?
Where art thou, my steady?
My bedbuddy
Bestfriend with all the benefits
Only bestfriends can have.
So where are you, love?
I'm worried.
Don't have a picture to show the police
Can't describe your pretty face
So it's just a race
Against the time
We might have lived forever
If you hadn't forgotten to pick up the milk
On the way home from Church.
I'm worried.
Worried that you went searching for a gallon
And found a cow
That steered you in the wrong direction
Away from home.
I've fallen
And I won't get up
Without you.

Nevermind.
I left the oven on.

Still looking for that pot of gold?
Maybe some magic beans?
I'm telling you what I've been told:
It's there, just keep digging.

Directions to El Dorado?
Turn left at the second stoplight.
Look for the giant golden gates on your right.
You can't miss it.

And so you worry every day
You hide under the covers
Of darkness but you can't see enough, so you need to know
Who's the better man always getting you envious of the way
You feel guilty for
Everything doesn't turn out like it should
You have turned at the first light instead?

You want to live a life that's good?
Do unto others as you should?
Find somebody to hold you tight?
Someone who'll love you wrong or right?
Not worry about that Final Day?
Find happiness and make it stay?

Me too.

It's hard, but trust me:
You'll never be alone
Even when the sun finally does go down.

If it makes us happy

Just believe

It doesn't matter

Whether or not

It's true.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Before.

Oh, Adlai
Our Adlai
The burden's not yours
You can't find the cures
For the dead.
Oh, Adlai
Our Adlai
You fight but can't win
You run from your sin
Instead.

You see, you're just human
You're one of that race
No abomination
No ugly disgrace
I wish I could tell you
I wish I could say
All the words you've inspired
And the persistent way
You've encouraged my heart
Urged me on to my goal
But how hard it can be!
To fill the hole in one's sole...

Oh, Adlai
Our Adlai
I hope that some way
I hope that some day
You win.

Oh, Eugene
Our Eugene
I want to conceive
I want to believe
What you say.
Oh, Eugene
Our Eugene
Lend me your spirit
Don't let me fear it
Today.

Your brotherhood of man
Seems like some cruel dream
Something of desire
Something for the team
But when I look at man
I see just a seed
No beautiful flowerful
Just some desperate need
But this demand is one
I can't seem to supply
I can't carry that weight!
But Lord knows I'll try...

Oh, Eugene
Our Eugene
Kiss me on my brow
Remind me of how
We should live.

Oh, Robert
Our Robert
Why'd you make me believe?
Why'd you give hope then leave
Me behind?
Oh, Robert
Our Robert
I can't do this alone
I can never atone
For my kind.

I wish I had money
I wish I had fame
So I could speak out
Without sounding so lame
I wish I could live
Like a dead Kennedy
But I'm just some dumb kid!
What's the matter with me?

Oh, Robert
Our Robert
I want to do what you did
But what can a kid
Hope to do?

And soon this dumb kid will become a dumb man
And he'll cry every day and he won't understand
Why no one can care and no one can see
The way that things are or the way they could be.

Hush, little darlin', don't say a word
If you do you'll sound absurd
Keep yo' thoughts inside yo' head
Hoard them dreams until you dead.

Can't want it too much
Can't cry too hard
Can't scream or shout
Gots t' keep em out
Of your heart.

Somebody loves me, I been told
But that lie, she's gettin' old
So go ahead, tear down that wall
Mr. Egghead gonna have a fall
From grace.

This little spite o' mine
I'm gonna let it dine
Upon the secrets
You keepin' inside.

Oh, Adlai
Oh, Eugene
Oh, Robert
Oh, Lord
Help me open up my heart
Help me clean out my soul
Help me love like you all loved

Before.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Think.

Give me a reason,
A reason to rise.
Give me a reason
To open my eyes.
Give me a reason
To hope that someday
I'll have a reason
For you when you say
There is no reason
But you.

But you, you
You.
You prophecy
You mockery
Of life and love
You loss.
You sedentary
Ordinary
Day old
Weekended
Lump of life.
Lieing in my bed
Lieing in my head
Lieing like I'm dead
Dead

And gone.

No, I ain't gonna rise
I ain't got no reason
To open no eyes
Just gonna lie here til you realize
Reason ain't no reason
To live.

Why live?
Why love?
Why laugh and cry?
Seems we'd all best up'n die
Cause where's there's no will
There ain't no way
You'll get my heart
And soul today
Ain't getting nothin', long as I live
Ain't got no reason
Ain't gotta forgive.

But Christ, I forgive you.
I forgive you your Frankensteins
Your Palestines
Holy Landmines
Left behind
For me.
I forgive you.
I forgive you, I forgive you, I forgive you, I
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm so so so sorry
I... I don't know,
I'm just sorry.
I just want it all to... stop.
Oh, Hell.
What am I doing?
What have I done wrong?
Why is it taking so fucking long
To find you
To find you
Found you
All around you
Loving every sin
But never any sinner.

Cut my highs on Occam's Razor
Can't see the blood
Don't seem to phase her
Don't seem to make you stop and think
That maybe life ain't bout the brink
That maybe life ought best be lived
And death
Ought best be buried.

I hope you enjoy that tourniquette
That "Don't Stop Yet"
That's getting off
Cutting off
The beats and blood
From home.
There's cutting highs
And cutting eyes
And, baby, we're both blind.

Once was blind
Now I can't see
The pain the world done caused to me
World upon my shoulders
Heart upon my chest
I think it's all just too much weight
I just can't get no rest
Can't get no rest til I done proved
I'm innocent.

Innocent til proven human
Proven consumin'
The world away.
Just melts
And oozes
Melts
And cruises
Down your furrowed brow
Down your curvy chest
My soul! Abreast!
My soul! My world
Body unfurled
Waiting to be burned.
That world just melts
Just melts
Just molts
Your wings away.

You clipped my wings,
You horrid child
Went running wild
And tripped
And fell
And then, oh Hell,
You put my mind's eye out.
Momma done warned you
Not to play with snatches.

Won myself a trophy wife
And locked her up inside
Let the neighbors come and see
Before the poor thing died.
Let the folks back home just think
That maybe I done won some race
Maybe I warn't the disgrace
I'd said I'd always be.

Tain't right, Tain't fair
To have to care
To have to dare
Be wrong.
To have to think
It might not work
(Or even worse, it might)
So long!
Farewell!
Good by the by
I'll see ya someday
And laugh and laugh
About the way
About the way we played tag
With hearts.

You're it!
Unless, you know,
You say you're not
Playing this game no more.

Jesus Christ, you're one sick dude
You saved my soul, but then accrued
A penchant for just a bit more
Than any man could quite afford.
Any man, of course,
But you.

Give me a reason
To go back to sleep
Give me a reason
That won't make me weep
Give me a reason
Give me a way
To wake each morning
Get up, and say

Today, I'll make life beautiful.
Today, I'll truly live.
Today, I'll laugh,
Today, I'll smile,
Today, I shall forgive.
Today, I will not hurt my self or the human race
Today, I will not fear the end,
Today, I shan't deface.
Today, terror is not my guide
Today hatred's not my way
Today I rise, look in your eyes,
Today, again, I'll say
I love you.

At least, I'd like to

Think.