Priorities

Everything is nothing
And that’s not much at all
A mountain is a molehill
And that’s not very tall
Everywhere is where you are
Nowhere isn’t right
Daytime takes the moon away
Night time shows the light
Quiet breaks the silence
Sound cannot be heard
Listen to no music
Deaf to every word
Few will have the knowledge
Less will heed the call
Because everything is nothing
And that’s not much at all 

cn 3/6/10

Lament (Unknown Soldier)

Here in the land of freedom

Provided by the brave

I found the price of liberty

In an unmarked soldier’s grave

No one had brought him flowers

The world seemed unaware

A war lost in the headlines

Where no one seemed to care

He fought for God and country

But he died not knowing why

His country soon forgot him

And God just let him die

Just one more Christian soldier

Crucified without a cross

In a land grown tired and angry

Too cold to feel the loss

You see, wars are never noble

And never worth the price

They benefit the masters

Not those who sacrifice

So, put away those tools of war

And don’t give in to hate

Turn your swords to plowshares

Before it is too late

cn 06072013

For Warren Haynes

Born down here in Dixie

Bred with Delta blues

Crawled out of the cradle

With a sense of long-paid dues

He was born to be a Brother

On fire with endless fuel

And takes us down so many rows

Hitched up to The Mule

He shares his special Soul Shine

With that magic Warren smile

This special Man in Motion

Entertaining all the while

He can write songs from the heart

He can make the guitar sing

With a voice from somewhere special

That can cover anything

So, thank you Warren for your gift

We’re all so glad you share

And hope when you’re up on that stage

You feel how much we care

cn 06052013

Choices

My days are filled with endless doubt

I hardly sleep at night

A prisoner of the things I’ve done

That never turned out right

A victim of my choices

Enslaved by my mistakes

Scarred, afraid and lonely

Only a true heart breaks

I’ve been a fool for many things

While seldom thinking twice

But no one walks away unscathed

I’ve always paid a price

And now my steps are not so sure

Afraid that I may falter

A foolish sacrificial lamb

Left standing at the altar

Bravery is for the young

It fades with passing years

Forgetting all the laughter

And stung by all the tears

And still I give this heart away

I am a fool, you see

For living without love, I know

Would be the end of me

cn 08072011

The Search

I know you’re out there somewhere

 I pray we’re not alone

I looked at every altar

And every empty throne

I searched throughout the scriptures

And in churches everywhere

In the hearts of all the zealots

But I couldn’t find you there

I journeyed to Jerusalem

And just found pain and strife

I listened to the preacher

But it didn’t change my life

For four and fifty years I’ve searched

Great Spirit, just for thee

Blind to the wonder of your light

That shines inside of me

cn 7242011

Blood Money

The people may have spoken

But no one really cared

In a land that lives for money

With precious little shared

Where the hand that took the money

Is as bloody as the one

Of the one who pulled the trigger

And the one who sold the gun

And the tools on the hill

Getting wealthy from their deeds

Blind with greed, ignore the people

Caring nothing for their needs

So, rise up against this madness

Let the bastards hear your voice

It’s a life and death decision

Don’t let money make the choice

cn05182013

Dreams of You (For Wendy)

In dreams I hear your laughter

In sleep I see your smile

Memories of better times

Some comfort for awhile

Filling all those spaces

Left empty since you’re gone

A respite from the pain I feel

When I am all alone

Struggling to find the strength

To just deal with the strain

To live the life that you could not

And not succumb to pain

So, when it seems too much to bear

And I’m not sure what to do

I’ll wake up from these dreams, dear friend

And live this day for you

cn04032013