Carrying On

Memories that flood my mind

And probably always will

A pair of tiny little shoes

No feet can ever fill

A soul mate and a confidant

A mother and a friend

A road we walked together

Until the very end

An emptiness inside me

That will not go away

A darkness never ending

Even in the light of day

A sadness overwhelming

That tears my world apart

But love that death can never touch

Alive in this boy’s heart

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Morning Ramble

I’m too tired to think too clearly

But my mind won’t let me sleep

With this emptiness inside me

And these promises to keep

Regrets and obligations

Occupy my thoughts and dreams

Clouding all of my horizons

Nothing’s ever as it seems

Where the restlessness of living

Robs the hope that once was strong

Looking only for some reason

And the strength to carry on

But the coldness all around me

Cuts so deeply to the bone

Am I too old to start over

Feeling lost and so alone

So, it’s one more cup of coffee

Running out of things to say

Looking for a rhyme with reason

Just to face another day

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Mom

This journey isn’t easy

This life can be unkind

But in my darkest hour

Some comfort I can find

Because you’ve always been here with me

And I’ve never walked alone

I don’t think I could have made it

If I'd had to on my own

You taught me grace and kindness

And planted every seed

You made me see inside myself

Was everything I’d need

But still I look to you for strength

And in the darkest night

You lift my weary spirit

I’d be lost without your light

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Vigilante

I’ve got an itchy trigger finger
I’ve got darkness in my heart
I’m a heartless vigilante
Just dying to do my part
To keep the good folks safe and sound
From hooded thugs like you
I don’t like the way you look, boy
So, it’s something I must do
I’m a self-appointed lawman
I’m a madman with a gun
I don’t need a goddamn reason
I’ll kill you just for fun
Because white is right and you are wrong
For being in this place
So, beg me as I shoot you
Wipe that smirk off of your face
I can murder for no reason
Never know, I might again
For my paranoid suspicions
Or the color of your skin
And I’ll walk away protected
By the laws that let you down
And more like me are waiting
For a chance in your hometown

Stream - February 15

It’s a burden, but I own it

I really wouldn’t change a thing

But my mind in the beginning

Long before I felt the sting

It’s the price for so much passion

And admission of the guilt

But I’m more than a spectator

In the cages I have built

I’m the prince who’s now a pauper

But a jester all the while

In the company of rulers

I confuse them with my smile

All the knowledge I’ve been given

All the sadness I have seen

Might drive another man insane

Or make him cold and mean

But the pilgrim knows his burden

Like the singer knows the song

Where the notes rise up to meet him

As he tries to carry on

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Stranger

I met a dying stranger

Someone who caught my eye

With wounds the naked eye can’t see

Too far gone to cry

And as I fumbled for the words

To let him know I cared

He laid my heart wide open

With the few words that he shared

He said “I’d love to sit and talk with you

But I’m afraid I’m too far gone

All my rhymes are out of reasons

And I’m tired of hanging on

You can lead a horse to water

You can teach an old dog tricks

But I’m empty and I’m broken

And there’s nothing left to fix

Save you efforts for another

Pull your heart off of your sleeve

I’ll be too long gone tomorrow

So brother, don’t you grieve

To some this life comes easy

Simple thoughts from simple minds

But you cannot hide the darkness

From one who isn’t blind

Remember this is all there is

No heaven and no hell

Remember what you will of me

And bid me now farewell.”

Then he left me stunned and silent

As he turned and walked away

Lost in what he told me

Left with nothing else to say

You see hope is all we cling to

And once it goes, it’s gone

It leaves behind an empty shell

That tries to carry on

So, if you’re out of reasons

And feeling all alone

Let your heart reach out to mine

Before it turns to stone

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