Call of the Spring

Torn earth and handheld machinery
Grass stains and the smell of decay
I hear the call of the spring
I can't tell if it was intentional
when your midriff sought Vitamin D
I kept my mouth shut and enjoyed the scene

Blossoms reveal themselves nervously
After budding with care by design
I hear the call of the spring
Faint scents for the love of simplicity
Song birds and your breath close to mine
I can't find flaws in anything

It’s so good to have you back
Together forever, but you better never leave me again
Don’t you ever leave me again
It’s too good to feel that warm embrace on my skin
In you all live begins anew
White, green, and blue
White, green, and blue

It’s the call of the spring
And all creation sings
The call of the spring

You feel it in your bones my dear
Starts to feel like home

It’s the call of the spring
And all creation sings
The call of the spring
The call of the spring

Mighty Miss

A little plume of smoke sneaks
No stopping now
A whisper in the leaves
Flames licking out

Pages turn and curl
Scribbles crack and hiss
I did the world a favor
On the banks of the mighty miss

In the witness of tree roots and moss covered stones
I cut myself a deal
In exchange for who I’d been, I could be who I am
The water helped me heal

What if we could read
Your inner dialogue?
You know I wince at times
At how we lack resolve

The whole thing had me squirming
Transparency at what cost
Call it historic interpretation
This chapter was better off as lost

In the witness of tree roots and moss covered stones
I cut myself a deal
In exchange for who I’d been, I could be who I am
The water helped me heal

On the moss covered riverbed
I shed my old skins
I watched them drown
I gave permission to myself 
To walk unashamed
And I boogied down!

Maternal Warmth of Family

You deserve better
I see the pain age your eyes
Still you choose to let her
Close enough to whisper lies

It’s deep-seated in your psyche
The hope of what could be
But experiences differ
From your idealistic dreams

Oh I know the thing for which you year
The maternal warmth of family to warm you in return

We tend to hold so tightly 
The stories of our youth
We’ve been raised to see the victims 
And spoonfed selective truth

You spend decades just unlearning
So the cycles break with you
But the gravity of bloodlines
Proves not easy to eschew

Oh I know the thing for which you yearn
The maternal warmth of family to warm you in return

Yeah I know you’re wounded in a way
That will never fully heal
You face that pain each day

Bud Light & Bug Spray

Bud Light and bug spray
To wind down today
Locusts lulling me towards sleep
A fireside chat might inspire better thoughts
But lately I’m steering clear of the deep

It’s more a feeling than a place
And it’s harder to rediscover than you’d think
Moments fleeting, time spent in outdoor seating
You feel at home, but then you blink

Humidity is home to me 
Even if I don’t stay 
Tired and skeptical for what comes next
One more cast before the sun goes down
Moments soundtracked by the Cards on KMOX

It’s more a feeling than a place
And it’s harder to rediscover than you’d think
Moments fleeting, time spent in outdoor seating
You feel at home, but then you blink

Brotherhood

You had your work clothes on
And your back to the wall
How could I doubt your claims?

Red cars and sound systems
Late night recommendations
I thought these bonds would remain

Here we are, older and further away
If you called me this moment, what would we find to say?

Oh, it seems I’m growing wise but boring
Tired and lonely
And I want to know 
Is this normal?

No one promised this would last
The scatter caught me off my guard
And I’ll never get it back

I used to pine for what I have
Not knowing the wealth on which I stood
Now I yearn for brotherhood

Oh, it seems I’m growing wise but boring
Tired and lonely
And I want to know 
Is this normal?

Post Rock Guitar

Brace face 
it seemed a mystery to me
How the chords and notes worked together to form ghosts
Suspended in mid air 
Sometimes they’re not there
in fact, I haven't seen them in years. 
The ghosts, they bled with beauty and with dread 
When the fingers moved 
I was fine 
In fact, I was better than fine 
I was changed and I was free
It hit me differently
And I’m still limping today

Track shoes 
When Wembly Shadwell played 
I hadn't felt it before 
I've rarely felt it since 
But it got to me
I didn't say a word 
For fear of sounding absurd 
But their post rock guitar 
Accompanied me in cars on nightly drives 
When I was fine 
But thankfully moreso when I wasn't 
I imagined the fingers move 
So the ghosts could soothe me back to health 

Metro east basements
Elevated youth
Grasping for meaning
Improvising truth

Father
Mysteries are few and far between
But the chords and notes
Still blend to form ghosts
For other founts
I have to think that this counts
Cause progress is progress is progress
It's a noble cause, greeted with lukewarm applause
But that's just fine
Yeah, I think it’s fine
In fact, it is better than fine
I make my fingers move
If the ghosts still soothe
Kids back to health

Bloodhound

You hem me in
Behind and before
Putting concertina wire
Across the windows and doors

Pursue me like a bloodhound
Gaining on my trail
No amount of darkness can hide me
You always prevail

Held and beheld
Searched through and through
How fearful it is
To be known by you

I’m tortured prey now
I pray for release
But the one comfort I pine for
Views me as a feast

Pacific nor Atlantic
Neither seem to provide
Enough of a barrier
To help me hide

Held and beheld
Searched through and through
How fearful it is
To be known by you

Sobbing Body

I held your sobbing body
You asked if we'd ever laugh again
Can we once make it to bedtime
Still calling the other friend?

I know what we signed up for
But this isn’t what we had in mind
What good was all the planning
When Tuesdays happen in real time

Your quivers radiated
And filled every corner of this space
You’ve tried all you can to crush me
But I’ll never fall off pace

Love making, it is healing
And Sabbath helps us realign
What good is all the hustle
Sore thumbs cannot buy more time

Submarine

Accomplishing one more thing
Breath sour with wine
Oh my God
You’re crumbling inside

Distant and despondent
Toke to sleep most nights
But wake up
And get back in line

You think you’ve got them fooled
How cruel?
How cruel

We hear you dodging questions
You prayed for them to ask
We feel ill
And there's a tear in the mask

Like a submarine, you’re sinking
Cowards watch you crawl
And wonder
“Where does he find the gall?”

You think you’ve got them fooled
How cruel?
How cruel