Getting By

I heard Warren singing Soulshine

And I struggled to my feet

Burdened by all life can bring

Feeling all but beat

I've been hunting four leaf clovers

And counting lucky stars

Remembering old lovers 

And counting all the scars

Lost in those old memories

I let life slip away

Afraid that I will fall again

I lose another day

But tomorrow brings a new day

Another second chance

Time to get off of the sidelines 

And get back to the dance

Where music eases all the pain

If only for one night

For now, I'll close these tired eyes

And wait for morning's light

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Differences

Red state, blue state

Separate states of mind

Rich man, poor man

Both of them are blind

He said, she said

What you want to hear

The lines that are between us

Are never really clear

My god, your god

Looking for the light

All of us are pilgrims

Why then do we fight

Brothers, sisters

Born from the same seed

Everyone seeks someone

In their time of need

Black skin, white skin

Colors fade away

Nothing left to fight for

Nothing left to say

Harsh words spoken

Wound the tender heart

Set aside your differences

Let the healing start

One world, one soul

All of us can share

Take the time to simply smile

Let them know you care

Everyone's a  mirror

We are all the same

If you're lost in choosing sides

No one wins the game

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Journey

Well, it’s one more Sunday morning

One more passing day

One more new week dawning

So much that I could say

Far from the beginning

Closer to the end

Grateful for the hard times

Glad I have my friends

Looking for a ray of hope

Searching for the sun

Hoping that these clouds will pass

Looking for that one

Reason for believing

The gain is worth the cost

Thinking of the love I’ve known

And all that I have lost

All the roads I’ve traveled

Remembering every mile

The strangers who have touched me

With just a simple smile

The souls that I’ve encountered

The ones who slipped away

Have been my inspiration

And brought me here today

So, join me on this journey

It’s hard to walk alone

If there is someone in your heart

It cannot turn to stone

For love is all that matters

The reason for my smile

Knowing you walk with me

Makes the journey all worthwhile

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Lessons

I'm grateful for the lessons

The good ones and the bad

The times of love and laughter

And those that made me sad

For every road I've traveled

That led to a dead end

For all the love lost on the way

And the comfort of a friend

Living is a study

Not all will understand

You're either learning or you're dying

No matter what you planned

Don't look for rhyme or reason

Or logic you can see

If there is a masterplan

It's beyond you or me

Learn from everyone you love

Enjoy them while you can

For nothing lasts forever

As time slips through your hand

And in the end, it goes so fast

All you love will die

Leaving you in solitude

No explanation why

And if you've lived for just yourself

You played and lost the game

An empty life with nothing learned

And just yourself to blame 

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Legend

Put on the headphones

Turn out the lights

It's been one of those days

Bring on one of those nights

Hearing your voice

So lost in the sound

It's hard to believe

You're no longer around

Painter and poet

A real troubadour

You left us all speechless

And still wanting more

Ziggy is missing

The Starman is, too

Can you hear me, Major

This world misses you

So, I'll put on the headhones

And turn out the lights

And get lost in your music

It's one of those nights

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Awake

I woke up this morning

For the first time in awhile

Learning how to live again

Remembering how to smile

Brushed aside some cobwebs

That made it hard to see

And reflected in a mirror

On what was and what will be

Seems I'm always starting over

Nothing ever stays the same

Rules and players change so often

But it's still the same old game

And it's hard to live without you

Play the game, you pay the cost

And all the joy you brought me

Was well worth what all I lost

All I've gained from what I've ventured

All I've learned along the way

All the love that I've been given

Helps me face another day

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Respite

When my journey’s finally over

I’m not looking for a crown

Just a place beyond the sorrow

A place to lay my tired head down

I’m not looking for redemption

Or a place at judgment day

Just an end to all life’s sadness

Where all suffering’s gone to stay

I don’t need to open pearly gates

Or walk the streets of gold

I’m more comfortable with sinners

Than with the saints of old

I’ve tried to live a good life

One free of most regrets

Not many fences left to mend

Before the last sun sets

But I’m weary from the journey

And it’s taken quite a toll

All the pain that etched my face

Has also scarred my soul

So, come and play a song for me

A verse of Drift Away

Tell a joke and laugh with me

It’s much too late to pray

It’s hard to find the tears

Behind the blank eyes of the clown

So help me find a quiet place

To lay my tired head down

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