Ur silence is deafening
But ur message is clear
It's not what u say
Really, its what u do
And what u do, honey
Ain't nowhere near the truth
Of the picture u painted
Keep on painting
Ur pretty words
In gold and half tone sepia
I'll watch what u do
To know all I need
And when u paint
By saying nothing at all
I will hear what ur tryin to say
And I'll know before u
What the picture is all about

Went down to the river
Went to see cousin Joe
A mean ol coot
With a heart of gold
He'd been hurt
By some woman long ago
He closed himself off
And spent his love fishin'
Cleet, that's what Joe was called
Always smiled at the sun
And cussed the fish
He could throw together
A gourmet meal in a dash
But always ate
With his fingers
He loved to tell stories
About the one that got away
And sometimes
He'd talk about fishin
Spent the day with Cleet
And left him at sundown

Went to see cousin Bell
At her uptown tony
One room studio
Nell was a painter
Of some small fame
Had one hanging
In city hall
In her hometown of 200
Sweet Nell was working
A new piece
Called it "Apogee"
Looked a lot like
An off color rainbow to me
She gushed and talked
About the society news
That and her oils
Was all she new
Ever since The Jackass left her
Ages ago
Locked here in her highrise
She doesn't see
She's locked her heart away

Got a call
From my good friend Fred
He said he had a new girl
He said he was in love
Now Fred wasn't the sharpest tool
His light was rather dim
He'd been hurt
So many times
He'd lost count ages ago
Fred couldn't sing
Sure couldnt dance
But he knew how to love
He knew how to give
And he was never afraid
To take a chance
He'd called to get me
To help him to celebrate
He called to share his joy

Well that was my weekend
That's how I spent my time
It was a grand weekend
Full of laughter, life
And grace
I came away wiser
But not because of what you think
I came away happy
Because of what I heard

Freedom flies
On the wings of a dove
She whispered her dream
And let fly her hopes
A softly spun tale
She let loose her cares
And found freedom
In the giving away

Feel free to invent
A story about you
Feel free to imagine
All the things you wish were true
You don't have let on
You don't have to say
That your living
Someone else's life

You can run like Hell
From everything you see
You can bury your head
And pretend not to see
You don't have to admit
Your scared out of your wits
You don't have to say
You wish you were someone else

You can take the easy road
And wind up in debt
You can take the hidden path
Rising above the rest
You don't have to tell a soul
You don't have to speak
Just whisper your prayers
And live a life
You can call your own

I mourn
Into the wind
And the spirit
Washes away my tears
I was a madman
Pushing against forces
I could never control
I was a fool
Now released
To feel the wind
In my face
Your hand at my back

Yes, I mourn
But you wipe away
My tears

Finally I met the match
To my depravity
She sunk to my level
With her sense of identity
She struck a spark
With an effortless twitch
A conflagration
That satiated a little itch
That wily woman
Left me not quite the same
She took what she wanted
A master of the game

Silent turns the leaf
She hid her face
In his hands
The lightening never strikes
Where you thought it would
Water leaves a dusty path
Across the hollows
Of her eyes
I hid the pretention
In my hands
And held you
While you cried

My bones ache for you
To be held by you
To feel your warmth

The thought ripped
Through his head
At almost the same time
As another

My bones ache
I need to feel warmth
My arthritis
It's killing me

A wry smile passed his lips
Time for romance
Was certainly passed
Time to get on with life
Not just to dream
But to do
And romance
Like his arthritis
Would just have to
Work itself out

Chemist's Hand

Why do I have to tremble
Why do I have to shake
Every time I'm around you girl
Why do I shiver
Why do I melt away
Every time I hear your laugh girl

Cuz ur the catalyst
The way I change
Ur the way through
To another me
Ur the catalyst baby

(Change, it ain't that easy
Gotta go through the motion
Girl you got me moving
In the right direction)

Why do I freeze up
Why do I seize
Every time you flash those eyes
Why do I loose control
Why do I pick up speed
Every time you touch me girl

Cuz ur the catalyst
The way I change
Ur the way through
To another me
Ur the catalyst baby

(Change, it ain't that easy
Gotta go through the motion
Girl you got me moving
In the right direction)

First you had to breakdown
Had to have
A shakedown
Then you had to wake me
Had to shake
And quake me

(Change, it ain't that easy
Gotta go through the motion
Girl you got me moving
In the right direction)

You got me shaking off
Spirit's takin off

Cuz ur the catalyst
The way I change
Ur the way through
To another me
Ur the catalyst baby

She said her mood was spring like
His was overcast and gusty
The two went together
Like butter and wine
Each decadent in their own way
But no good together
But they shared a desperate need
A need for each other
He needed her light
And she need his rain
She needed his power
And he, her peace

Spent countless hours
Dancing around the truth
Didn't matter who got hurt
They let the storm gather
The forces of nature
They thought was theirs
To ignore
He couldn't see the horizon
And she couldn't see
Past today
The two kept twisting together
Bringing destruction
To everything in their path

When finally they realized
The truth of it all
They stood back from each other
They took their time
Each examining the other
Til they found
How they could fit
How they could live
Enriching the other
Instead of existing
With what they took
From the other

Zoning commission
Court house steps
They planned for the future
Convincing no one
She with her blindness
And he, blind in his own way
They swept through life
Losing their faith
Time after time
She went shopping instead
And he remained zoned
Her in his head
A thousand towns
Played out the same
The zoning commission
They were to blame

We all ache
To be free
We all talk and babble
About our freedom
We all insist
That we should be free
We have no idea
What freedom is
We talk a good game
While we imprison ourselves
We preach and demand
In solitary confinement

She walked in
And flashed him a smile
Her voice
Like the morning dew
Refreshed his soul
Her eyes said
All that needed to be said
Let me set you free...

Throw away the key

The weight of my loneliness
I know you can lift
The depths of my sorrow
I know you can plumb
The empty spaces of my heart
I know you can fill
The weakness of my character
I know you can strengthen
The shallowness of my faith
I know you can make deep
The anger in my heart
I know you can extinguish
The blindness of my eyes
I know you can make see
The hardness of my heart
I know you can make soft
The pettiness of my thoughts
I know you can bring wisdom
The burden of my sin
I know you can forgive

Knowing all this
And more
Why do I persist
In doubt
In sorrow
In false hopes
And empty dreams

Closing my eyes
I didn't think of you
I thought only
Of being content to be
Here and now
A slow smile
Faded across my lips
Letting tomorrow go
I'm free to live today
Letting the chains
Of yesterday go
I can just be here
Now and content
Closing my eyes
I said a little prayer for you
And let you go
No longer worried
If you will be there
When I wake
No longer worried
If you will be there
When I wake

A beer on the table
Two guitars
And friends gathered 'round
Little moments of clarity
Softly sung blues
A song to bring back
Old memories
Dog wanders contentedly
Like our memories
The past
A soft blanket
Keeps warm our very present
And we forget
Everything, except
This moment
Not the hurts of the past
Or the worries of tomorrow
Only now
With good friends
Two guitars
And a beer on the table.

It's alright I said
It's ok
The path was made
Long ago
The way through
Is being shown
It's alright I say
It's ok
The journey is tough
The way seems hidden
But with grace
Strength and faith
We will find the way
It's alright He said
It's ok...

A gracious call
In the middle of the night
A moment of clarity
And a touch of faith
He didn't know
Who to call
He didn't know
Why he did it
He just knew
What he had to do
The number lay hidden
In the customary place
'Neath the tangle of junk
That kept him straight
He'd put it there
Not wanting to call
Not wanting to wake
What he knew he must
So he pulled out the number
And dialed it quick
Afraid to lose his nerve
He waited for the answer
When he heard her voice
He said his peace
Passed on the message
He'd been told to give
She listened in silence
And said a soft thank you
Before they both hung up
Wondering why

He never knew
What happened next
He only knew what he'd done
The message
It made no sense to him
Bit it woke his faith
The sleeping giant inside
And she?
She wept that night
Thankful for the grace
The mysterious stranger
Who'd told her that she was loved

Sometimes I wonder why
Sometimes I don't have time
My thought are too fast
My heart too slow
I have to admit
I just don't understand
Sometimes I wonder
Just what is the point
Sometimes I ignore
The voices in my head
Sometimes I wonder
If it will ever be enough
And sometimes I wonder
Just how much I have to give
My thoughts slow down
As my heart speeds up
And again I admit
I will never understand

Disposable

Hey babe
Ur so sweet to me
I feel just like a king
I'm the paper plate
At ur picnic girl
I'm the dixie cup
At ur soiree
Honey I know exactly
What I am
I'm the paper towel
On ur table
You got me so wrapped up
Babe I'm the twisty tie
On ur bread
Girl its so nice to know
What I mean to you

I look around
And see those other guys
All done up fine
I ain't gotta b fancy for you
I just gotta be me
Your a sweet thing
To put me in my place
Just tell me what u need
Cuz I'm the plastic spoon
In ur puddin babe
I'm made to throw away

another disappointment
another opportunity left at the door
another chance to see the light

What flavor will your day be
What colors will shine for you
What music will gladden your ears
What thought will make you smile
What will you feel today
What will be your sense of things

I hope that laughter finds you
And fills you with joy
I hope the air sings for you
I hope the world dances for you
I hope that time is sweet
I hope you see today
The things that were meant to be

Can you feel that
The slightest of breezes
Beginning to blow
Can you smell that
Along the wind rides
The sweet smell of
The gathering storm
Can you sense that
The growing electricity
The charge in the air

The storm is coming
The latter rains are building
The clouds are heavy
With the promised rain
Can you see that
What is gathering
On the horizon?

I'm tired of tomorrows dreams
I want to settle in
With todays reality
Yesterday is a bin
Of empty promises
But no more so
Than tomorrows vapor
Better to look around today
And find the things I need

Black water bright moon
I've been swimming
Right under your sail
Angel wing feathers
Fall like stars in your eyes
I've been watching
While you slip away
Reeds caught in a current flow
Suggest nothing less
Than the detritus of your dreams
Passing 'neath the waves
To find some purchase
I hold my breath
And wait for you.

Did you ever wonder
Where you lost your way
Was in the arms of someone
To whom you were not wed
Was in the quite numbing
Of a dirty needle
Or maybe the manic forgetting
Found in your dealer's speed
Was it in the constant chase
Of never enough to buy
Did you lose your way
In the green of her eyes
Did you succumb
To the lure of the siren
So many ways
To step off the path
So many choices
It seems we'll never be free
So which way did you go
Down what path are you headed
And will there be
My friend
Salvation
At the very end?