Nine lights snuffed out in a flash of intolerance and rage
Silence fell like death and for a reply, Hell just waits…

A voice arose, then two, then three…
As prayers and tears washed away blood and angels began to sing
Lights were rekindled and a fire began to burn
A storm of hate, had awakened a flood of love so great

Tragedy had darkened the doorway, but not to stay
Rather, so that Heaven could receive gifts and men could learn to pray

… Now roses line walkway and fences in front of a house of praise,
A reminder, not of horror,
But of loved ones, unifying a city full of people from beyond the grave.

We've made music 'til morning's light
passing through the night
You and I
with ocean and sky
Your constant loving breeze
my guitar with me
Together we made music
so sweet
Neither of us with anywhere else to be
with sandy bare feet
I strummed a melody
and you, you sang to me

I've seen the sun rise and set on two ocean's coasts.
I've spent years travelling, traversing and making my way from one ocean to another.
Always stopped short, by crashing waves and rocky shores
Filled with awe, my heart pumping in my chest
Also though, there is a longing now for more,
To press on out farther and see the rest.

I long to get lost at sea, to know and gaze upon ocean all around me.
To find some distant land, too far out for me to see.
I must press onward farther out, this land can no longer contain me [and my dreams]

...
I think I shall sleep tonight by the beach
And dream of waves crashing over me
Dream of being swept out with the tide
To a distant land where this place is only a beautiful memory

I drag a razor slowly across the face of this old man
as he tells me a story of youth and wasted times back when.
How he once stayed in 700 dollar hotels
and once performed on stage
He once had a family he loved and was religious in his faith.
he hesitates to tell me of
the worse parts of fate

But there's no need for words when I can read it all in his face.
divorce, deaths, explosions, deceit
******, vengeance, drugs and jail and violence and hate
all realized now, too old for mistakes
He raises an eye brow and says
"I've joined the working class again
I got a job at the restaurant down the street"
I'm glad for him I say
but wonder just how long it will last.

"I want to keep from killing myself and find something useful to do"
I tell him that we're done shaving his beard from his face now,
but he should maybe get a hair-cut as well.
He tells me, "maybe later..." He kind of likes it long,
"People don't bother with me very much at all.”

learned to play guitar
and even learned a new song
played music for money
spent time with my family
busted a string playing guitar
lost a friend
fell in love
climbed a mountain
sat on a waterfall
saw a palm tree
walked along the beach in fog
breathed salty air
swam in the ocean
discovered a fruit
saw a gay pride parade
camped in the Redwoods
fireworks exploded right above my head
made love on a cold starry night
played in sand
hiked down highway 101
slept on a boat in the bay
skinny dipped in a lake
and had *** on a train