They're just bagatelles
New song, listen here.
On that path down to the sea
Lies our weeping willow tree
Felled by neither rain nor wind
But man’s thin skin
Because it was free
Its branches sang
As wishes left the shore
So long old troubadour
On that path down to the sea
I asked her to marry me
Fate or worse came cutting in
Our thick and thin
Would never be free
I close my eyes
The waves crash through my door
I pray for nothing more
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Almost Never
Yeah I may nurse this beer all night
Even if it makes me a little cliche
I’ve always been the sentimental type
And right now I don’t care anyway
Yeah I still have those pictures hung
Looking down above me from cheap plastic frames
It’s all we could afford when we were young
And right now I’m too damn old to change
A new dawn hits
This can’t be it
I shout up through the sky
I almost never think of you
And when I do
I almost never cry
No I don’t think I’m moving on
Someone has to worry and pace the floor
And think about where on earth you’ve gone
And if you’ll come walking through the door
A new dawn hits
This can’t be it
I shout up through the sky
I almost never think of you
And when I do
I almost never cry
A new dawn hits
This can’t be it
Dad never talked about his past. But once a year, the day after Christmas, he would have 2 fingers of good scotch, talk about his childhood, then cry for about 2 minutes. That was that.
Dad never bought anything for himself but he would always read the junk mail sale flyers that came to the house. He drank his coffee and never said a word except one time he mumbled “guns are on sale.” That was that.
Dad never talked politics except for once after seeing some liberal’s campaign commercial. “Their fetishization of the middle class implies the existence of a permanent lower class, and they’re ok with that.” That was that.
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Far Away from Here
Did you find your missing peace
When you walked away that night
Is it snowing where you are
While some new arms hold you tight
Far away from here
You were new this time of year
Making plans and dreaming dreams
Can you hear my voice in there
Is life ever what it seems
All the Christmas joy I knew
Is far away from here with you
I need to know
This monochrome
Will all change back
I don’t belong
I look for you
In broken songs
Come home
Can you still remember us
When that spark comes to your eyes
I think now I understand
But I can’t send my goodbye
Far away from here
Are you rested, are you safe
What was missing we’ll repair
Gate is open, tree is lit
Find your way and climb the stairs
All the Christmas joy I knew
Is far away from here with you
Far away from here
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Another Summer
I tried to tell my story
But the words wouldn’t come
I tried to thank all of you
But the dust filled my lungs
Filled my lungs
These days are too long
Please tell me what to do
Tomorrow never comes
And I can’t make it through
Can’t make it through
Another summer
The cowards in the tower
Won’t set foot outside
The sunlight sees all
There’s nowhere to hide
Then your world is stolen
And taken for a ride
Even the good ones make sure
We barely survive
Never thought it would be ending
On a day like today
A storm tears through the canyon
Let it take me away
Take me away
These days are too long
Please tell me what to do
Tomorrow never comes
And I can’t make it through
Can’t make it through
Another summer
Somewhere, in a state-funded university, The Conductor holds court in his office. He sits around a conference table with his 5 students. They admire him but they don’t know any better. He talks about how to program a concert, how to choose repertoire, etc. He uses words like “sophisticated” and “advanced.” His students nod.
At the end of the lesson he asks for questions. A student apologizes for being a little off topic but wonders if The Conductor or other students have any advice on how to handle the overwhelming cost of college. “You just do it,” he says wisely. He pauses for a few moments, thinking back to his own college days. “Have you thought about a part time job?” He had to work to pay tuition when he was in school. It was hard to balance studies with 10 hours of work a week, but he persisted somehow and was able to graduate without any debt. Having provided a satisfactory answer, he lightly chastises the student, telling them to stick to important topics from now on. After a brief talk about alto clarinets he decides to head out for the day.
Later that night The Conductor puts on a concert. The performers onstage outnumber the audience, who gradually shuffle out of the hall as the concert drags on. At the end he pats himself on the back for doing such a sophisticated job. He has a clear head. Despite the poor attendance he will not have to worry about paying for groceries or making rent. His mind drifts to tomorrow’s lesson, where he will lecture his students on the evils of socialism. He turns on the tv, binging a few hours of the dumbest shit ever made before contentedly nodding off.
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Sandcastles
Alone on
An old gray beach
Building my castle
Just out of your reach
But here you come
Like you’ve always done
Ever since we were kids
Before I knew what I’d become
You leave when I want you to stay
Why do you come around anyway
I’m building as high as I can
So why can’t I live
Until you come knock it down again
The wildfire don’t care
If it’s wrong or right
The lion don’t question
What it does in the night
But when you look inside
What do you find
If it’s just your nature
Then what the hell became of mine
You leave when I want you to stay
Why do you come around anyway
I’m building as high as I can
So why can’t I live
Until you come knock it down again
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Cast Me Not Away based on Psalm 51
Cast me not away, o Lord
Hide thy visage from my sins
Broken spirit, broken bones
Blot out my transgressions
O God, make me to hear joy
With your lovingkindness
All throughout my days
Wash me, cleanse me of my sin
Grant me truth and mercy
Cast me not away
Shapen in iniquity
Wrought this evil in thy sight
Purge it when thou judgest me
Clean of soul and heart contrite
O God, make me to hear joy
With your lovingkindness
All throughout my days
Wash me, cleanse me of my sin
Grant me truth and mercy
Cast me not away
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I’ll wait right here
For you to come find me
I fell out of your pocket
In a weald bereft of light
Encroaching trees surround me
And the vines they pull me tight
And I’ll wait right here
For you to come find me
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Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Find us travelers in the dark
Guide us with your tiny spark
We could not see where to go
If you did not shimmer so
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are
Lead us to our open door
Step inside, we’ll walk no more
Dreaming of your precious light
Drift away and say goodnight
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are