Clouds Pass By

Raw emotions screaming from my soul
Can't seem to find the path that we should go
Every inch we move seems like a mile backwards

Treading water through an open sea
Broken hearted souls in misery
With waves so large and the current getting faster

All we want to do is get along
Yet it's just so tough to carry on
Did we really bite off more than we could chew?

So many memories enwrap our souls
Our hearts so big, our plates so full
But no matter what - I need a friend in you.

(Chorus)
We talk and we laugh
We fight and we cry
With every teardrop that falls
A little piece of us dies
But still we will survive
There is light in the distance
It's time to make amends
We can't be our own resistance.

The sunlight is replaced by clouds
The thunder covers up all other sounds
Stormy weather caused by static we create

Interference from the bolts of lightning
We're at the brink and it's quite frightening
Maybe now it's time for us to wipe the slate

Lately we have been so overcast
Must be the remnants of days since passed
Clouds dissipate - of that there is no doubt

There is so much blue sky left to see
You're the friend that I want there with me
The storm is over. We can surely work this out.

(Chorus)
We talk and we laugh
We fight and we cry
With every teardrop that falls
A little piece of us dies
But still we will survive
There is light in the distance
It's time to make amends
We can't be our own resistance.

A Leaf in the Wind

Leaves falling in the summertime
Left stranded in the streets
Crying out in autumn gloom
As they wither in defeat
Where is the rain of yester years
Can't seem to catch a break
I walk along the sidewalk
Not sure just what of this to make
I want to drive into the sunset
Until I can't go on
And take a walk on an empty beach
Because it's been so long
I could ponder happenings of late
And try to find some sense
Maybe figure out my purpose here
'Cause right now I'm on the fence
I could get back on the highway
And take a drive up north
Find direction in the redwoods
'Cause my mind's so back and forth
Their needles fall amongst the seasons
In the end these trees stay green
I'd like to share that fortitude
As I struggle with this scene
Maybe then I would head south
And get lost in the Mojave
Pitch a tent and camp a while
Where there is no hotel lobby
Take a trip and watch the stars
As they glide across the night
Find some meaning in that vast expanse
And then try to get things right
I'm not finding answers here at all
So often left with only questions
And the flatness of the plains
Seems so full of tough life lessons
But I haven't found a diagram
Explaining what I'm supposed to learn
Just drifting like a leaf
Amongst a life of twists and turns.

The War on Peace

There is no rest for the wicked
Twisted words spin around – themselves
Within a cloud of distortion
Forcin'- mass hysteria all around the planet
But can it be that no one really understands it?
Mass media creating numb insanity
Existing everyday amongst a manic scene
No one has the time to see the facts at hand
Just lemmings on the beat of the marching band
Yet, as we're stuck in the sand, we lose our will to fight
And, without a will to fight we will never unite
To take back the rights of our constitution
There is a solution – To this corporate prostitution
We must realize the very nature of the threat
And understand our place in this system of debt
'Cause we're modern day slaves to those with no regret
As our fate is set, they just place their bets
The roulette wheel spins as the seconds tick by
The machine never stops, this you can't deny
A world-wide affliction, a hungry baby cries
Monetary disposition, that hungry baby dies
Wars are waged day and night - the blood runs thick
But the greed runs thicker – and that's just sick
Bullets and bombs – cash by the brick
No bid contracts galore – tax payers suck the dick
We drink the perspiration of political lies
Because of constant propaganda used to hypnotize
This is a time to stand, not a time to be shy
Problems only multiply so open up your eyes
It's not about any race, creed, or nation
But all of these differences lead to our segregation
If hesitation's not grounded in contemplation
Then all pathways end in self annihilation
Irritation in my brain makes me write this page
This ink paints the bars of humanity's cage
Walls etched in claw marks of societal rage
This is for our age – it's our war to wage
But we must use intelligence, the power of peace
Civil disobedience will bring them to their knees
With policies of domination set to only increase
We must be the police – For the violence to cease.

We are Pawns (Control by Chaos)

Why are we constantly fighting?
Striking so fast
Like a storm statically composed
Of imbecilic lightning
It's frightening to me
That we can't seem to see
How amazing things could be
If we were human beings so free
From all of the ignorance and hate
The bloodshed we create
Because this world's in a state
Of crippling self induced checkmate
But, wouldn't it be great?
Yeah, wouldn't it be something?
If we finally understood
What they never thought we would
What they never thought we should
Yet, there's still a chance we could
That when I kill you
And, then, you kill me
We both bleed - Unfortunately
But, it's for their greed
Not our security
There are billions to be made
Off of wartime industry
If they can make you hate me
And me hate you
Well, then, there's nothing I wouldn't do
For the good ol' red, white, and blue.
See, we are really the same
They are different than us
But, their media elite
Convince so many in the street
To get on the bus
Or, maybe, it's only a bandwagon
Shit, I'm still sittin', dodgin' bullets,
Diggin' holes, and sand baggin'
But, all of this is for what?
To spill my guts on top of glory?
While some corporate sluts get rich
Up on the ninety-sixth story?
These wars are for control and money
And not about regional strife
But, although, we are different than them
...With this fear of death -- I will end your life.

I Have No Idea What The Hell To Call This Random Shit

The taps and bottles call to all sitting at the mahogany bar of this establishment. Some are here to forget. Others laugh about the days happenings in the company of close acquaintances. And, still, others sit here watching everyone else, contemplating the ups and downs of life. I exist quietly within the latter pondering the essence of reality... the interwoven thoroughfares of infinite possibility that have brought all of us together her this evening. But, what of it? Those words are just a pretty way of painting over life's randomness. It's been said that the decisions you make dictate the life you lead. There is a lot of truth in that. However, it seems plausible that the decisions we make are sometimes dictated by the randomness of life... a constant game of chance that we play against ourselves and one that the reality in which we exist plays against our psyches. A mental catch twenty-two. We struggle to predict a future which has yet to be written and this only causes us to set up temporary roadblocks on our path toward real self-actualization. We tend to never really find ourselves because of the constant search to find our place in a boundless reality. Some people may get close to this idea of being one's self in it's truest variety but an inner sense of investigation always returns keeping them from attaining that highest, most awesome version of their being. Existence is a limitless game of jeopardy. Life is the answer provided to, us, the contestants. We, each and every one of us, are left to ask the questions. And, not one question is correct in a realm with no bounds. Yet, just the same, maybe all questions are right. They definitely should be asked. But, one thing is for certain.... If you spend your life answering questions instead of asking them then you really aren't playing the game at all.

I Can't Breathe In Water

(Verse 1)
There's no more hope in the world today/The grass is brown/And the skies are gray/So what do I say/And what do I do/All I know is that I wanna get close to you/To tell you everything I keep deep inside/While we sit under the moon and watch the tide/Sometimes -I- just really want to hide away/Find a little hole where my soul can go decay/Because I'm tired of picking up the broken glass of my heart/And fixing up some token mask for my part/In an ill-fated game of charades/A single spectator in the world's parade/And it's true - that I am caught in the mix/But I feel like Merlin without his book of tricks/And these bricks/Encircle my reality/So I can hardly see/Why can't I be me/Maybe its the end result of tryin' to be free/But supposedly it's all just life/But then why do rain drops feel like falling knives?/It must be the shackles of society/And I just walk around this town without a master key/True love would unlock the cage around the world/But that would mean me discovering an awesome girl/A trek with a true emotional impact/It's a search for a needle in a steel haystack/A quest with a slightly different line of vector/Not so comical to roam with a metal detector
(Bridge)
But I laugh at everything
As I sip another drink
Fallen angels start to sing
We're trapped like beetles in a sink
(Chorus)
Shooting stars, they falls upon us
Like bullets of a celebration
On the outside looking in
Trapped amongst the devastation
Watching headlights pass us by
Our wheels spin in hesitation
On the deep end of the pool
Drowning in anticipation
(Verse 2)
So where's the love kept in this city?/Sandpaper sidewalks are feeling gritty/Alcohol is cheap but jubilation - pricey/Sometimes a walk down the street seems a little dicey/Not always nicely/Dudes come and ask for money/Drug addiction in your face - is not so funny/A -sunny- day/Guy asks for my phone/He had a decent story and a mellow tone/To pick up concert tickets is what he mentioned/But he was really calling for a heroin connection/The missed calls and track marks on his arms/Were the certain curtain call that pulled his veil of charm/They chip away at my west coast mentality from the start/Another kind of reality and it's sharp/Like the clean edge of a new machete/There's no more confetti so you better be ready/And steady yourself for the doomsday precession/Make your confessions/Then reserve you a section/Then will you stop the war on your reflection?/My impression is that we must see change/Our many similarities are just so eerily strange/Could it be the fact that we are all the same/Who just live in different places with very different names?/True love would unlock the cage around the world/God forbid a white flag might have to be unfurled/It's a dream that's surely not bound to happen/No matter how many lyricists with megaphones keep rappin'/We must keep pushing for the planet of our dreams/Or we'll surely fall apart as one along the seam.
(Bridge)
Those who understand this plight
Are the ones who must unite
If we banish bad feelings from sight
We will surely win the fight.
(Chorus)
Shooting stars, they falls upon us
Like bullets of a celebration
On the outside looking in
Trapped amongst the devastation
Watching headlights pass us by
Our wheels spin in hesitation
On the deep end of the pool
Drowning in anticipation

Personalities

Personalities come in so many varieties in this multi-hued palette that we call existence. Would we really want it any other way? This large assortment of mental textures is what truly makes life interesting. Sure... we could all be the same... Yeah... it would be very easy to understand each other then. Yet, how boring would that be? It is that quest for understanding... for a furthered sense of perception... that makes waking up every day something different. Close encounters.... gazes from afar... there would be no real reason or meaning behind actually getting to know someone if we were all the same. It would be obvious what every individual was feeling or thinking to every other individual. So, what would be the benefit for any interpersonal actions? There would be no spice... nothing to spark our interests. In fact, it is these differences in each and every one of us that pull us together.... and, yet, hold us apart. Disagreements can lead to a gained sense of knowledge regarding the world around you. However, they can also lead to arguments and war.

Would we fight with ourselves if we were all the same – in some monotone world with no person to person interest that pushes us to involve ourselves with others? My first thought was that, however boring a world like that tends to seem, we would not have a reason to fight with each other. Then, I thought about it some more. Have you ever fought with yourself? A basic psychology class teaches of the idea or theory of the Id, the Ego, and the Super Ego. Each of these elements provide a different motivating/de-motivating factor to the actions of every individual's mind... to their overall thought process. Do they conflict with each other? Of course they do. In fact, all three are in a constant battle with each other. So, if we were all the same, would we all be on the same mental clock when these battles occur? The only standard in a world where everyone was the same would be the idea of the Id. It holds our basic drives For pleasure and Against displeasure... basically, it is part of our personality's foundation from birth and sometime before. The ego and super ego are very much influenced by our environments. So, can there be a world where everyone is truly the same?

If the world was roamed by people who all had the same personality they actually wouldn't all have the exact same personality. The variable of the planet on which we live would shape these 'clones' into individuals after all. Earth is not a terrarium. Temperatures, terrains, and quantities of food differ so much from point A to point B that not even complete genetic clones could expect to have the same personalties forever. After all, life experience dictates much of who you become. The battles between the Id, Ego, and Super Ego serve to decide just how much these experiences will change you and in which direction these changes will occur. Even if you started fresh with no humans on Earth then suddenly were able to somehow repopulate the planet with 6 billion infant clones – then feed and nurture them all in the same manner until they could fend for themselves, personalities would still begin to differ not long after you left them to grow.

Changes wouldn't be extreme at first. Differentiations would be, to a large extent, only seen in between long distances. Individuals at close proximity to one another would be living in near identical environments. They would have no need early on to change their actions. However, across the planet the changes would come much faster. Continent to continent, region to region, groups of people would begin adapting the the environment around them. Just as happened with the earliest humans, groups would form... the cultures... civilizations... As generations pass, one group would teach their offspring differently than would another group. The personality differences will have finally developed a solid root base in a world which began with everyone being the same. The changes would continue to mutate with every consecutive generation.

At some point, cultures would meet... they would disagree... we can hope that the outcome would be a furthered understanding of each other... because, at the start, they were all - of course - the same... but, more than likely, disagreements would probably lead to arguments... then war. And, over the course of time... thousands of years, there would be many agreements and dis agreements... Promises will be made and broken... New life will come to formation and old life will meet its conclusion... some cultural doors will be opened and some will be closed... people will travel back and forth – exchanging their ideas no matter how different they are from those of their counter parts. Some people will learn to embrace individuality as well as everything that makes them different from everyone else. Yet, they will forget to embrace the things that make everyone else different from them. And, at the end of the day... when the last ray of sun slips behind the stage curtain we call a horizon... All off the people will have long forgotten that 'their peoples' were all the same 'people' at one point in time.

Emotional Cave People: WAKE UP!

Society, this world, is made so crazy by all of it's minions.... you, me, he, she... We all wander the streets in search of something more – like ants on some arbitrary expedition to find the next big meal. The emotional rocks and river valleys of our existence only further the insanity by rendering each of us more and more different from the next individual we meet. Yet, we've been thrown into this fishbowl the we call a planet and are supposed to get along. It's humorous how many calls for world peace I can see or hear on the television or radio -- yet I can walk down the street or talk with a group and see so much disconnect. How can we ever expect everyone in this world to get along when we can't even be empathetic humans to each other in our own backyard? Respect and decency are traits that seem to be caught in the last bit of dirty, soap foamed bath water that is spiraling its way down the shower drain of our culture. Hell, maybe it always was that way... I don't know. I do know this... empathy is surely on its home stretch -- riding on the backs of those other traits. Few have this amazing ability anymore. The insanity of this is that empathetic emotional exchange is such a simple thing. All one has to do is listen to another. Talk to someone... pick up on their deepest feelings... or merely the ones right on the surface... and, for fuck's sake, don't use them for your own benefit. It is scary how often this ability is overlooked, never learned, or even abused. Empathy is how we get into each others hearts and souls. Without it, we might as well be half-robots that constantly barrage one another with deep emotional wounds. It is our choice whether we inflict any level of emotional trauma on someone in our lives. Yet, so many play it off like they have no understanding of what it is that they might have said... or done... We are all human. We know what ruffles our own feathers. And, with just a touch of empathy.... we can prevent ourselves from unjustifiably hurting others. Think before you act. Feel, appreciate, respect, understand.... In another word... EMPATHIZE...