The world we're living in is one big masquerade.

She could light up the night sky
             With the twinkle in her eyes.
I could start fires
              With what I feel for her.

The more you hold someone in the dark, the more that person will find that they are comfortable.

"If A Man's Home is His Castle" this is another musical number I wrote for "Mister Gates and the Return From Nowhere"

If a man's home is his castle
Then I am a king who's been dethroned
A man has his dreams in this world to dazzle
To carve his name into the stone

My life has always been merry
Well ordered, yes some might say
But I've reached the age where
Life has stopped giving
And instead has taken away

If a man's maids are his servants
To obey his each and every command
Then they all have turned into serpants
And I haven't a leg to stand

What other life do I know
But a life of morals and merit
What more may I teach to mold the breed
So one day they might inherit?

If a man's own wife is his queen
To rule each day by his side
Then why must the queen in her way intervene
And mistake my judgement for pride?

A man has dreams, goals, ambitions
To etch his name into time  
To leave his mark into life's own arch
But the man is stripped from his prime

If a man's home is his castle
Then I am a king who's been dethroned
I've never once asked for this hassle
And it feels as though I must suffer alone

Amidst the far, and flowering brush,
Dwelt a place, where,
While we were much older,
Still had we remained children
At purest heart.
The fair aroma reconciled my passion-
The constant burning in my soul
Which I had long forsaken.
There it swelled, and my heart,
While it remained volcanic,
And while the blossoms of the field
Were very well endowed,
In childhood hour,
While my spirit still dwelled,
In the passing hour, I did not.

This is a musical number i wrote for a scene  on a play i am writing titled Mister Gates and the Return From Nowhere. In this scene Mister Gates is being followed home by bums.


BUMS:
It's a cruel, dull life
In the slums, (In the slums)
Considered by the village
We are bums, (we are bums!)

You have silken sheets
And warm feather beds
We have city streets
With a rock to lay our heads!

(TO MISTER GATES)

Please, Mister! Please!
Could you spare a moment of your time?
A portion of your love
Indeed Could make a world so fine!
Please, Mister, Please!

Mister Gates:
I work all day,
To the common man I'm a slave!
And yet the people here
Expect me to give it all away!

Bums:
Think about the children,
Do you have any of your own?
Winter's here again at last
And we are forced to roam!

Our stomachs all are empty,
But our dreams they are full
We are down to our last shilling
A life of a *** is absolutely cruel!

Please, Mister! Please!
Could you spare? Be so kind!
A portion of your copper
Would feed their children and mine!
Please, Mister Please!

Mister Gates:
Senseless lot!

Bums:
Mister, please show some heart!

Mister Gates:
Filthy slobs!

Bums:
By the rest of the world, forgot!

Mister Gates:
Dreadful sobs!

Bums:
We haven't got alot!

Mister Gates:
Why don't you get a job!

Bums:
Please, Mister! Please!

Mister Gates:
I tell you, I will not! GOOD DAY!

(Door slams)

Before you dare fall in love,
You have to remember to
Love someone through their storms.
You've already experienced the rain
The only difference is that
You didn't have anyone
To hold the umbrella.

Some people think its a book
That its just an old wives tale
But they don't know
What you went through
To save my soul from hell

But I know you moved the mountains
And I know you calmed the seas
Just because God loved me

Some people think youre an idol
A fire burning in the night
Some people are in denial
Even though they've seen you
With their eyes

But I know you're coming
Lord I know you're coming soon

And im ready, im waiting
For loves warm embrace
I'm seeking, im praying
To see a smile on your face
When you call me,
When you take me home
And you tell me that I am your own

Sometimes I make mistakes
And somewhere I've drawn the line
But I'm human what can i say
And I'm built by your design

I know you made me in your image
And I know you already knew my name
And You take away my blame

And im ready, im waiting
For loves warm embrace
I'm seeking, im praying
To see a smile on your face
When you call me,
When you take me home
And you tell me that I am your own

Yeah

Lord I'm ready, I'm waiting
For loves warm embrace
I'm seeking, I'm praying
To see a smile on your face
When you call me,
When you take me home
And you tell me that I am your own

I moved to the city
When I was still a child
And people then
They knew something was wrong
They'd always stop and stare
And cut me down to size
Saying "the boys too different
He doesn't belong"

It was 7 years ago
When I came to know her
Someone who saw the man inside
The only one who could see
The man behind the myths
And who could hear the truth
Behind the lies

No one even knew
What I felt for her
No one cared enough
To ask me why
I think the thing
I loved about her most of all
Is how much better I saw myself
In someone elses eyes

One night a man came to my door
With a badge of silver in his hands
He showed me her picture
And he pointed his finger
He asked me why I did it
But no one ever knew about our plans

No one even knew
What I felt for her
No one cared enough
To ask me why
I think the thing
I loved about her most of all
Is how much better I saw myself
In someone elses eyes

We had plans to run away together
Go somewhere where we knew
We would not be hurt
We would Leave town and run away
And start a new life with another name
Until a jealous ex
Boyfriend found her first

No one even knew
What I felt for her
No one cared enough
To ask me why
I think the thing
I loved about her most of all
Is how much better I saw myself
In someone elses eyes

My Notebook,
How I miss you,
And our daily conversations.
I miss the way I clothed you.
Not with outfits,
But with words for all to see and hear.
I miss how it felt,
The continuous flick of the wrist
After each word I would write
And how the way each one
Made me feel just a bit smarter.
You were the canvas,
And for once something in my life
Felt absolutely beautiful.
I miss the adventures
We went on together
And The constant foes and heroes
That we met along the way.
And the millions of people we birthed,
Who's lives are still yet to be written.
I miss the way that I was responsible
For what happened in your world,
When I have no control in mine.
And your lines, so neat and straight
Blending in with every cursive word.
The way the pen touched the paper
Was a thing of such majesty.
And like artists, a poets job
Is to make the world a bit more beautiful
One letter at a time.

A kindred spirit in a dying hour
Such a fate is not my theme!
For a life deprived of an earthly pow'r
On Earth only hope is found in dreams!

Still, I can hope
Though that word since from me departed
Hope is a thing of a passing hour
And desire has left me broken hearted

Desire! What is desire
But the things in life so undeserved
What then if not desire
Has life been better served?

They were learning how to hate,


     And they were loving every minute.

Life is the ultimate mystery. It has no purpose until we create one.

Do I really want to fully figure out
What life is all about?

Not really. Why?

It would take away the rest of the mystery.

If I figured out what I want to do in life,

I wouldn't have time to make new dreams.

Why should brotherhood divide,
As a tree from lightning, strikes?
A break of dawn, a thrash of wave
And love to our fellow man
We so boldly gave.

Why should brotherhood divide,
Will a man with you for a mile, stride?
Through the blazing heat, through the bracing cold
Should the love for man grow old?

Why should brotherhood divide,
Taking oaths, and choosing sides?
Both the old and new, the many the few
Even death will have it's due


Tis the flash of light, the blink of an eye
From mans first breath, to where he lies
Why oh why should brotherhood divide?

I'm born in the wrong generation
And I'm fine with that.
While others are
Keeping up with the Kardashians
I'm busy keeping up with the Jones'.
While others are
Listening to the new album
I'm listening to music
From a jukebox inside my mind.
I remember the 50s well,
Even though I was born forty years later.
I remember watching Jailhouse Rock
At the Drive in, inside of my living room.
The day the music died
I sat at home and cried.
There is an instant running of
"Let's Make A Deal," going on
Inside of my head.
And I can almost hear Dean Martin
Roasting Don Rickles.
Around this time, **** Van ****
Is tripping over furniture,
While Ricky is coming home to Lucy.
Or was it all just a dream that I had?

Two men were drafted for war.
One turned to the other and said,
"I find it odd that we leave our own family
To keep each other's families safe."

The man turned to him and said,
"I'll make a deal with you.
If you fight to protect my family,
Then I will die protecting yours."

Do not follow where you were meant to lead. The blind cannot lead the deaf.

I hear people saying
That we should let it go
Its in the past
It doesn't matter anymore

They don't understand the reason
They'll never know why
How it felt that day
To see our people die

Well the bible says
An eye is for an eye
So before you judge me
Listen to the other side

What about the towers
How it felt to watch them fall
What about the heroes
Who had to take that call
What about our children
Hiding underneath their desks
And all their mothers stuck at home
Man it had them scared to death
Don't you tell me
That we're just a bunch of cowards
What about the towers

Its been two decades
But still it makes me mad
To think of all those workers
And the life they couldve had

It was on every channel
And every radio
They told us to duck and cover
Some never had a place to go

Yeah the bible tells us
A tooth is for a tooth
Well after all that happened
Id have to say that is the truth

What about the towers
How it felt to watch them fall
What about the heroes
Who had to take that call
What about our children
Hiding underneath their desks
And all their mothers stuck at home
Man it had them scared to death
Don't you tell me
That we're just a bunch of cowards
What about the towers

I do not fear death. In death, it is not about the journey. It is the destination, and the path set for you to take.

Catch every stone they throw and build your walls.

Remember, only you can be the best you that you can possibly be.

Not everything that glitters
           Is always gold.
                    But it still shines.

What is it about a tattoo
That I love?
The pain? Maybe.
I love the way it hurts
When it's actually something
That I want.
Or the way the needle
Touches the skin
And I become the canvas.
My body becomes the canvas
For the work of art
A display for all to see
And some to admire.
Perhaps I enjoy the way
The hand moves in a way so graceful
That the artist
Actually becomes an author.
Perhaps because the piece
Becomes a background of who I am.
And who I am is different.
Different is the same as beauty
In the eye of the beholder.
Or to those
Who only see it as more ink
On a blank piece of paper.

The man who has only one eye will not need both to see the destruction caused by the man with only one hand. And the man who is deaf will not need his ears to hear the lies coming from the man without a tongue.

Each unsettling measure of nerve that remained, shrieking, longing for acknowledgement. Dulling my senses, shrouding me placing me in a situation and a relatively deep and dark abyss where my once every joyous memory my every childhood dream, residing in an area that even I wasn't sure existed, remaining to be seen but had I journeyed long and far to find that land - My mind.

Who you were
Is not who you are.
Where you have been
Is not your destination.
Love the person you were then
But respect the person you are now.
Keep moving forward
Because time does not change direction.
If you reflect on yesterday's storm,
You won't get the chance to see
The sun come out today.
Live like your life depends on it.

On the other side of the moon 
Stars appear like they do in June 
And I know I'll be there soon 
On the other side of the moon 

On the other side of the moon 
Pretty flowers are all in bloom 
And if I could fly why then I 
Would have two footprints on the moon 

It's up above the clouds 
It's far beyond the sun 
I'll feel so high and I won't come down 
Until I've had my fun 

We'll meet up in space
They tell me it's a wonderful place 
And we'll be so happy 
That a smile never leaves our face 

On the other side of the moon 
Stars appear like they do in June 
And I know I'll be there soon 
On the other side of the moon 

On the other side of the moon 
Pretty flowers are all in bloom 
And if I could fly why then I 
Would have two footprints on the moon 

On the other side of the moon 
I know I'll be there soon

Kind stranger!
How convenient we should meet
While fate has taken matters for its own
You must seek what I have found
And you tread on familiar ground
In another world I know your face
A time before in a different place
Where I was, you were not present
And who I am, you one day will be.

Authors and junkies
Are very much alike.
We all want to reach
That certain high,
Because everything looks smaller
When you're on top of the world,
Only to be pushed over the edge.
If you take away a man's addiction,
You've taken away everything he has, You've taken the air he breathes.
All I'm looking for is my certain high,
To have a chance to breathe again.

Put aside your self judgement.

Of course, everyone is their own critic.

Even the high and mighty know

That all that glitters is not gold,
But still it still shines

Remember to love yourself because

You are the reason people write poetry.

Don't be afraid to love yourself again.

Am I afraid of anything?
Not really.
Once you've seen it all,
There's nothing left to see.
Most of you were afraid
Of the monster in the closet.
I was afraid of the man that stood
In the corner.
Monsters do not live in closets.
They live in their own homes.
They're the ones you pass by
Every day on the street.
Some of you even looked
Under your beds.
But how do you look for something
That's in your mind?
When you had a bad dream,
You woke up and told mom and dad.
Then it was over and a new day began.
What happens when the nightmare
Lasts for eight years?
Who do you tell
When no one believes you?
Most of you have probably gotten
To a point in life,
Where you can't recognize yourself
In the mirror.
But what does it mean when you can't
Recognize any of the several faces
Staring back at you?
When you were mad,
You slammed the door.
But have you ever had the door
Slam on you?
Most of you have tried talking to the dead
But what happens when the dead
Start speaking to you?
Some of you may call other's crazy,
But have you ever had someone
Call you crazy instead?

In every rose
There is a thorn
A feeling sharp and strong

To play it safe
And not to rush
Until a true love comes along

You spoke to me
A time before
And listening was my worst mistake

That I will know
When love has come
But all I had was a heart to break

And every time
I fell in love
It seems all I hit was ground
And now I know
And now I know
And I have to reap what I sow

But if i knew then
What i know now
Would things still be the same?
But now I know
Now I know
And i only have myself to blame

And this is why
I built these walls
A fortress for my heart
And now I know
And now I know
That my pain is a work of art

But if I could
Change the past
Would I make the same mistake?
But I can't turn back the time
And I can't give my heart to break

And now I know,
Now I know
And I have to reap what I sow

People like us don't change.
We just do a little better each time.

And, as we grow,
While time passes through the glass,
May we always remember
That, with time, people change.
Of course, even if they don't,
May we always remember
That it's ourselves
That we hurt in the long run.
For one cannot forgive the past,
The odds of history repeating itself
Are inevitable.
And if one cannot forget the past,
They cannot hope to have a future.

Remember to breathe, darling.
                    It's a bad day, not a bad life.

All these plans and dreams
Dissapear behind the scenes
In the smoke of a refinery
Staring back at me

All the sleepless nights
Put away upon a shelf
Trying to find a place in life
And make a name for myself

What do I do now
Or do I just give up
Throw in the towel and walk away
And say enough's enough?

Just let me be
Who I want to be
I could never shine
In someone else's light
I could never find what I'm looking for
In someone else's eyes

Would you just let me be
One day you'll see
That I was made for so much more
Than what you're making me
Just let me be

Saying goodbye, turned around
And left it all behind
All the wishes I made upon a star
Waiting for my light to shine

But now I know it's not me
It's not who I'm called to be
Everything that you see now
Is everything you'll ever see

But something feels so wrong
It's not how I had planned
Things happen for a reason
And maybe you'll understand

Just let me be
Who I want to be
I could never shine
In someone else's light
I could never find what I'm looking for
In someone else's eyes

Would you just let me be
One day you'll see
That I was made for so much more
Than what you're making me
Just let me be

Empty homes and broken hearts
Lonely souls and falling stars
Make a wish and hold on tight
Pray you'll make it through the night

Where did we go wrong
And where do we go from here
Do we even belong
The answers there but it's not very clear

All these lives and all these people
Burning bridges fallen temples
All these plans that you've been making
Meanwhile it's my heart you're breaking
It's so dark, it's so cold
I'd never be the one to say I told you so
But It all seems so absurd
When its us against the world

Choppers fill the air
It's nearly sunset
The people just don't really care
And there's no respect

Smoke fills the sky, oh why
Did this have to happen
The sirens and lights go by
I can't imagine

All these lives and all these people
Burning bridges fallen temples
All these plans that you've been making
Meanwhile it's my heart you're breaking
It's so dark, it's so cold
I'd never be the one to say I told you so
But It all seems so absurd
When its us against the world

Mom and dad put me in a cage
But there is still enough room
To run around and play

The neighbors dog
Plays a little too rough
Everyone watches
And thinks I'm tough

They put a collar on me
And I think it's really cool
I guess they put spikes around it
Because they can't afford any jewels

But they can afford a sign just fine
And I think it's kind of mean
"Beware of Dog," it says
But the only dog that's here is me

They clipped my ears the other day
But I couldn't tell you why
It really hurt when it happened
And nearly made me cry

I wonder what theyll cut off next
My tail or something else?
But I love my mom and I love my dad
More than I love myself

I got put to sleep today
Because they thought that I was bad
All because a child hit me
So I hit him back

I promise I was a good dog
I couldn't even hurt a fly
I just wished they loved me
I just wish that I knew why

I'm in a better place
Where you play ball every day
Running wild through the fields
Enjoying the smell of hay

The people here treat me better
But I miss mine all the time
I am happy so don't be sad
That I had to say goodbye

a parody version I made of Who'll Stop the Rain

Long as I remember
The sun's been beating down
Dust and dirt a-blowing
Fire spreading on the ground

Good men through the ages
Trying to chase the storm
And I wonder, still I wonder
Who'll start the rain

I went down Amarillo
Seeking shelter from the sun
Caught up in a hailstorm
And frowns from everyone

News man on the TV
Says here it comes again
But I wonder still I wonder
Who'll start the rain

Heard the thunder rollin
And how we wished for more
To see the rain a pouring
Down on everyone

Still the clouds they vanished
The sun was blinding me
And I wonder still I wonder
Who'll start the rain

O God - how my thoughts trouble me!
And how my fears they worry me!
I alone have become my greatest enemy
And have put myself into a position
Where darkness rises over me!
But you, O Lord are my light
You are the anchor
Which keeps me from drowning
Your arms are the arms that hold me
And your voice is the voice of no other
Under your wings, am I protected
From the foe that to evil delivers me
Thi You have shown your mercy
Over this troubled soul
And to no other shall I sing my praise!

These were the days
Through the misted mid regions of Spain
During the autumn fair,
In perhaps my most hindered year.

I still remained vulnerable to life and what it had to instruct
Though had I been aware of the vast surroundings
Which shrouded my capable nature.

Al hope had been restored
My heart volcanic
My conscience, there
Through the Autumn air.

Our talks, they were distant,
And cater cousins we,
Who held solemn belief
In things, that most would turn their gaze.

"In she," said I.

"I find myself so terribly lost.

I tell you, if the sun shall rise no longer,
The rivers dry and embedded,
I shall find myself wanting to be lost once more.

And all men who gaze upon her majestic, and harbored nature
Shall gaze upon the very face of the Heavens."

The only problem with a closing door is the possibility of something falling between it, unable to be closed, and the chance of it being opened again.

What I did is mixed superstition from all over the world and put it into one humoured poem.


I have always had a thing for Luck.
I try to walk under one or two ladders
A day, if possible.
It's been rather lonely since my shadow
Stopped coming around.
I used to see him once a day or so.
My reflection has started giving me
The silent treatment
After I broke his heart.
I hear the city is repaving
The sidewalk cracks
My mother will be so relieved!
The black alley cat
Found his way back home,
So I am alone.
Except for my thirteen friends
Who only visit me on a Friday night.
I'm a little upset though
Because one of them spilled the pepper
And The bread I was fixing to eat
Fell on the floor upside down.
Nothing is going my way,
I've lost my keys
I could have sworn they were on the table.
My German friend is great
He never fails to wish me a happy birthday
Although it is still a few months away.
Yes sir, life is funny sometimes.
Lucky me!

We are not thieves, or murderers.
We may be treated like animals
But we will not become animals.
Every day of freedom,
Is an act of faith
We have all chosen this-
To live here free as long as we can.
And if we should die, trying to live,
Then at least we die
Like human beings.
And our best revenge, is to survive.

I'm nobody.
A face in the crowd.
A *** in a box cart.
A friend to some,
And an enemy to others.
A razor, if you stand too close to me.
I'm dirt blowing in the wind.
A ***** on prom night.
I'm nobody.

If I have loved but once,
Then I have loved always.

Fly away
You're destined for greater things
No prison bars hold their charm
Nothing left to make you stay

Onto greener pastures
And hilltops high
Into the great unknown
Much greater, much greater than I

You were meant to lead
Not to follow
You're an eagle
Not a sparrow
Soaring into a bright new day
Learn to fly, spread your wings
And leave the world behind
Fly high away, eagle fly

You were meant to lead
Not to follow
You're an eagle
Not a sparrow
Soaring into a bright new day
Learn to fly, spread your wings
And leave the world behind
Fly high away, eagle fly

I feel exactly
Just like you
Under my skin
My blood is blue

Our color is different
But we are still the same
I wish you thought so
It's such a shame

I have my rights
Just like you
You have feelings
I've got them too

Well my friend
It stays the same
That everyone thinks
That we're to blame

Love doesn't have color
Love has no pride
Why can't we just
Put race aside

I've been hurt
I've been accused
For committing a crime
That I didn't do

They throw their stones
They wave their signs
They say I don't belong
But I think it's time

To feel
Just like me
To heal
Just like me

Cause love has no color
Love has no pride
Why can't we put
Our race aside

Well my friend
I got killed today
For going down one road
And I lost my way

But things are different
Up above the sky
Still I can't help
But wonder why

Cause love has no color
Love has no pride
Why oh why can't we just
Put race aside