Much, too much, too late

These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last, look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance and legitimate excuses
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure if we have too much
But we'll take our chances cause God's stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way, He must have let us all out to play
Turned His back and all God's children crept out the back door
And it's hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope, when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much, too much, too late
Well, maybe we should all be praying for time

These are the days of the empty hand
Oh, you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here
So you scream from behind your door
Say what's mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much, but I'll take my chances
Cause God's stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That He can't come back
Cause he has no children to come back for..
It's hard to love, there's so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it's much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time

~RIP, George Michael

Cradle of the best, and of the worst..

It's coming through a hole in the air
From those nights in Tiananmen Square
It's coming from the feel that this ain't exactly real
Or it's real, but it ain't exactly there
From the wars against disorder
From the sirens night and day
From the fires of the homeless
From the ashes of the gay
Democracy is coming to the USA

It's coming from the sorrow in the street
The holy places where the races meet
From the homicidal bitchin' that goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat
It's coming to America first
The cradle of the best and of the worst
It's here they got the range
And the machinery of change
And it's here they got the spiritual thirst
It's here the family's broken
And it's here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open in a fundamental way
Democracy is coming to the USA

I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can't stand the scene
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight
Getting lost in that hopeless little screen
I'm stubborn as those garbage bags that time cannot decay
I'm junk, but I'm still holding up this little wild bouquet
Democracy is coming to the USA

Sail on, sail on, o mighty ship of state
To the shores of need, past the reefs of greed
Through the squalls of hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on

Just Cause You Feel It..



In pitch dark, I go walking in your landscape
Broken branches trip me as I speak

Just 'cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there
Just 'cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there

There's always a siren singing you to shipwreck
(Don't reach out, don't reach out, don't reach out)
Steer away from these rocks, we'd be a walking disaster
(Don't reach out, don't reach out, don't reach out)

Just 'cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there
(Someone on your shoulder, someone on your shoulder)
Just 'cause you feel it doesn't mean it's there
(Someone on your shoulder, someone on your shoulder)
There, there...

Why so green and lonely, and lonely, and lonely?
Heaven sent you to me, to me, to me?
We are accidents waiting, waiting to happen
We are accidents waiting
Waiting to happen

Out To Me

Silence speaks
Louder than words
..Louder than the lies
But,   I can bare them..
(so much)
Better in silence
 (..better than the truth)
this time..
All those little things
All those little ways
All those little voices
       they paint the sign.

I know where you are..

at least,           in your Heart..

For years
I've seen this same web
Whenever
I close my eyes
inside
and behind
everything
At times
Reaching out to me
And other times
Simple Clarity
But only now do I see
That web
For what it really means..

Wires
Allowing the heart to float
Reaching out
But all the while
Isolating..
Insulating..
..Fragility
..and copper wires
Flesh shaped

Cavities

But It's okay
Because I know
That all the things 'I lack'
No matter how much I'd like to
None will be given
Back..
But
Its better this way
And yes, I know
That sounds like something
She would say..

We're all liars
Only some of us Free
And the rest,
Just afraid to be..
But as much as I'd like to keep fighting
This is where
It (all)
Ends
For me.

ⓒ 2016 Shawn Michael Quinn

Liars



You take the big one and I'll take his brother
Let's get this over with 'cause i'm late for work
Do you remember when we were young
The swingsets, the costumes, the dirt in the sun
I sold all my baseball cards to buy me some clothes
That's how it goes, that's how it goes, and that's how it goes

And I keep on thinking it's time to move on
Move out to the city so huge, meet me some people
Seems these old hills, they keep on calling
The clouds 'round here talk
Man, I been listening
I sold all these clothes to buy me this land
Now I'm sorta happy, most of the time
Most of the time..

Been riding lots of trains, the same ones as you
How come you get to talk to everybody
I'm just looking out my window at the night view
You keep on pointing out my halo
Your big pointy finger, the six-fingered hand
I sold all this land to buy me some dreams
Just like those movies we played when we were kids

Now we're just liars
Now we're just liars
Now we're just liars
Now we're just liars..

Phantom Heart / Her Wires



Nothing can save me now (it's what I believe)
The slit in the sky when you left, its all I see..
Nothing to sing about, I've bared all my leaves
No vision of dreams about you .. came true for me
(I) cut through this razor wire and died on your heart
(writhe 'till the end)

Stuck with illusion now, I drown in your sea
I hope that you first save yourself, and then come for me
Cut through this razor wire, and died on your heart
Writhe to the end (break through) collect the wires
And writhe in your heart (writhe 'till the end) away
Away (a way out), away down deep into your veins
All the way, all the way, down deep in your heart
All the way, all the way, away
Cut through (a way out) this razor wire (away)
Writhe 'till the end, break through (away)
Collect the wire (a way out), died on your heart
- - Writhe 'till the end - -

Inside of this hole you create, you hide from yourself
You separate every belief that is true and
You spend your life attached to this poison
You don't feel anything out of the rain and it's true that
You spend your life strapped to this void where you will stay always
Get rid of this thought of you rotting in the same cold space 
You don't want to feel anything new 
You decided to spend your life safe from emotion
This way you'll never be harmed again, or confused now...
You spend your life trapped in this void where you will stay away
You waste your life relaxed in your void where you will drain all of you

You spend your life trapped in your void where you will stay always
You waste your life relaxed in your void where you will stay away
You spend your life (away) trapped in your void where 
You will stay always...waste your life (always)
Attached to this Poison (always)
You gratulate all of you

Deserve's Got Nuthin' Ta Do With it..



Hey, look up
Don't make a shadow of yourself
Always shutting out the light
Caught in your own creation
Look up, look up, it tore you open
And oh, how much?
Cause there’s a hole where your heart lies
And I see can it with my third eye
And though my touch, it magnifies
You pull away, you don't know why
That original lifeline, original lifeline
That original lifeline, original lifeline
That original lifeline

Hey, look up
You don't have to be a ghost
Hidden amongst the living
You are flesh and blood
And you deserve to be loved
And you deserve what you are given
And oh, how much?
Cause there’s a hole where your heart lies
And I see can it with my third eye
And though my touch, it magnifies
You pull away, you don't know why
That original lifeline, original lifeline
That original lifeline, original lifeline
That original lifeline

Cause there’s a hole where your heart lies
And I see can it with my third eye
And though my touch, it magnifies
You pull away, you don't know why
That original lifeline, original lifeline
That original lifeline, original lifeline
That original lifeline

Cause your pain is a tribute
The only thing you let hold you
Wear it now like a mantle
Always there to remind you
But your pain is a tribute
The only thing you let hurt you
Wear it now like a mantle
Always there to remind you

I'm the same, I'm the same
...I'm try'n to change
I'm the same, I'm the same
....I'm try'n to change
I'm the same, I'm the same
.....I'm try'n to change
I'm the same, I'm the same
.........I'm try'n to change!
I'm the same.

Get Over Yourself

 

I was standing, in the corner
And you opted to come over
You said "c'mon girl, join the party, you look lonely"
And then suddenly I replied, I said,
I'm afraid of almost everything 
I'm not sure what kinds of songs to sing
And when I met you, you made me think
That I could be almost anything
That I could rise above it all endlessly
And you brought me back to life
I believe, I believe, I believe
That this is your life and it can rule you
You believe that things are better when left unsaid
But you're a fool cause you don't believe that
Anything good can happen to the people it should
But I believe in you, so get over yourself
Well no one had ever spoken to me like that
And yeah, it kinda turned me on..
But I was foolin', actin' cool and, I was hopeless
Well, I'm better off on my own
But I'm afraid of almost everything 
I'm not sure what kinds of songs to sing
When I met you, you made me think
That I could be almost anything
That I could rise above it all endlessly
And you brought me back to life
I believe, I believe, I believe
That this is your life and it can rule you
You believe that things are better when left unsaid 
But you're a fool cause you don't believe that 
Anything good can happen to the people it should
But I believe in you, so get over yourself

And I'm so excited, and I cant deny it, now I wont hide it
Ooooo now I just cant fight it, and I cant describe it.
Oh I'm so excited, oooooo
I believe, I believe, I believe
That this is your life and it can move you
You believe that things are better when left unsaid 
But you're a fool cause you don't believe in anything good
It happened to the people it should
But I believe in you, so get over yourself

Nothing Stays Hidden Forever (an open letter)

Look, you don't get to do the things you have done to me and expect me to continue to regard you as a friend, or pretend to be mine.  You are not, and I realize now nor have you ever been, my friend.  You can get as defensive and belligerent as you want, denying you've done anything to me, but you know the truth, and so do I.  Convince yourself, if you like, that I have no way of truly knowing, and then let yourself cling to that, if you think it serves you.  I assure you it doesn't, but regardless, I have no reason to play along, whatsoever.

I don't have people in my life like you for a reason.  I have, over time, weeded them out, watching the way they regard others in their life, the same way I am (finally) weeding you out.  I have a really good and important reason to continue having a friend(ly) relationship with you, as I have shown.  I am invested in continuing that, for the sake of what truly matters most. Anything beyond that however, is absolutely not possible.  Make no mistake about that.

If you really want to try being a decent human being, let alone a friend, to anyone, then be honest, 100%, all the time, starting now! But you and I both know what kind of person you are, and persons like yourself take the truth to the grave with them, as it is your only defense to continue living the way you choose to, and doing the things you choose to.  There is no justification for it, not even the pursuits of your fickle heart shaped innards.

There is a special kind of suffering set aside for those who make choices like the ones you have continued to make. There is always a better way, and choice, and you do know this, somewhere inside you.. But now I am simply wasting words.. I would apologize for my abrasive honesty, but I won't, because this is who I Am...