I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--
I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

When I was young and bold and strong,
Oh, right was right, and wrong was wrong!
My plume on high, my flag unfurled,
I rode away to right the world.
"Come out, you dogs, and fight!" said I,
And wept there was but once to die.

But I am old; and good and bad
Are woven in a crazy plaid.
I sit and say, "The world is so;
And he is wise who lets it go.
A battle lost, a battle won--
The difference is small, my son."

Inertia rides and riddles me;
The which is called Philosophy.

He that loves a rosy cheek,
  Or a coral lip admires,
Or from star-like eyes doth seek
  Fuel to maintain his fires:
As old Time makes these decay,
So his flames must waste away.

But a smooth and steadfast mind,
  Gentle thoughts and calm desires,
Hearts with equal love combined,
  Kindle never-dying fires.
Where these are not, I despise
Lovely cheeks or lips or eyes.

Echo-cho-choes bounces off my wall
Of my mind and ring through my mouth
In stereo I find I try
To convey what I'm speaking about
Let it out it says in perfect pitch
To my inner ear so no one hears
You've got something to say, then say it
Don't go out like a *****

And I stand upon my soap box
As I point you out in the crowd
Stranger I've never seen before
I hope you read this nice and loud
In reading this, you owe me a smile
A hug, a handshake, or a kiss
I'm the lover that went unsung
And so I'm writing this

I am the bone man,
That's what they call me,
Can you touch the dead like me?
My closets are full,
With skeletons we dance,
A candlelight trance for me,
I collect my bounties under moonlight,
No sight for sore eyes on the horizon,
Guns in hand,
Cold steel for the warm ones out tonight,
I've done this for five years in my Ford Falcon,
That's the only thing he left behind for me...
I've had no other choice than running,
My fear of self engulfs all things,
I have no room to be afraid of any other,
I am the bone man,
That's what they call me,
Can you touch the dead like me?
My closets are full,
With skeletons we dance,
A candlelight trance for me,
Maybe I'll dance five years more

They stole the night
out from beneath their feet
and replaced it
with endless painted black billboards
with cosmic advertisements
that read: tired of those pesky feelings?
then come on down to the real world
and the stars were switched with
fluorescent bulbs and Christmas lights
the clouds are just moving back drops
and the moon a search light
they stole the day
replaced vibrant blue with
coral blue #64
or baby blue
but mostly gray
they beat ambition with baseball bats
and left it for dead in a ditch
on the side of a high way
they took life
and made it banal
a product
Honey I've shrunk the conversation!
they took the world
and all of it's people
but don't let them
mean you

If the sun would shine on me for just a little more
I could finish these few lines and know who I write for
Darkness is coming soon and I find my time is fleeting
A pen and paper in setting sunlight with lines that need completing

My lungs are tired and my throat hoarse from screaming past the distance
Arms so sore from wrestling with my heart and its resistance
Persistently finding myself with no wisp of what to do
Trying to find the proper lines that lead me up to you

Sun stand still, keep your place in this purple, dimming sky
Let me finish the words to my beloved in one last try
All my trying has come to naught, in purple, black, or blue
Dearest lover, pray the sun stands so I might search for you

**** mine eyes,
For I wrap them in the sun of days made shade by these specter hands,
That's right you're a nightly spectacle set upon a dial counting days with your fingertips sewing these lips with a strand of the melancholy black band string,
Ring the twelfth bell toll to tell tales of the twilight nights not kept by dreams, it seems my seams shall not snap against these silent sounds of reasoning,
For I am bathing in the bath of my backwards ways,
Oh emotions ocean, will your motion swallow me?
Can I be like your sons, walking on water with wooden ships,
No,
For by my burning rights,
My heart is embers,
I remember that my covenant would sink me,
So think of me,
I'm at the bottom of the sea,
You'll find me in the grave of lesser explorations,
Where all the sailors sleep,
Reaping seeds of defeat,
Sewn into water,
Water without end,
Lo,
Waves wash over my body
Crashing against your feet
The sea has taken me,
Whole

You make man made gods with your colors and screens
But can you knit hearts with holding hands?
No
For you are far from the keys that turn to open these doors
To slay the selfish dragon
And behold the wisdom of selflessness
This is to become humility