Angels Too Late

Angels too late
Angels too slow
They hang their heads in shame
As they rest upon a stone
Tears make the grass grow
In McPherson cemetery
From the angels too mild
Too silence all the demons carried
He pined for their gusto
He pined for their lust
While sipping a glass of whiskey
He waited for their touch
Soft upon his shoulder
Or brushed against his cheek
Pick up your sword and fight
If you refuse to speak
But down in the hollow
The angels didn't rage
Their wings departed woundless
Their energy unscathed

Apathy is more than human
It's a celestial plague
A grimace pierces the brow
Of the angels too late

Beasts Breathe Beside Me

A bruising omen beckons
The leaves have fallen from the trees
The colors seep into the soil
That is blanketed with the carcasses of bees
Sculptures made of petrified earwigs
Thoraxes hung by fishing line
Send the children to higher ground
The air smells of turpentine
All the angels are occupied
With tasks easier to complete
It seems we are too much for them
So we hold the hands of beasts
Cradling our faith in a blanket
Made of quills and burlap patch
We nestle on beds of pine cones
We drink water from a moldy tap
Ominous fortunes call to us
With the breaking of every dawn
Someone call the cavalry
There are skeletons dancing on our lawns
Chloroform fills our lungs
Since the day you said goodbye
Nothing good can come of this
There are Pterodactyls in the sky

Watching Brilliance Burn

Now I drown in cigarettes and rum
Instead of drowning in your love
All the mountains you have chiseled
Have crumbled into dust
Specks of memories with glints of brilliance
Slide along my thumb
Drifting along my flesh
Into the void that I've become

Brilliance once so beautiful
Brilliance once so strong
Wrapped up in a smile, a laugh
A glance, a sigh, a nod
Who of us would have guessed
That your brilliance had veered off
Did the sparks that set our hearts aflame
Cause the fire that left you gone

No Jester

I touched a nerve
With the tip of my tongue
Shivered your bones
With the twitch of my thumb
I'm not a god
But I'm no jester
I may stand in your court
But I don't dance for your laughter

Keep your books
Upon their shelves
Their binding is worn
But the lesson has rebelled
It must be so hard
To find color in your life
When you block out the sun
Because it stings your eyes

Sparklers In The Kerosene

Boy, if we could play
One more night away
I'd be red as Annie
Just like Christmas day
Like a pumpkin in the hay
Show these blues some anarchy
Just a hummingbird in flight
Dropping memories like dynamite
Smooth as the mists of Scotland

Ain't that what we did
The neighbors went and hid
When we started the engines
And if they only knew
What your love could do
They'd be lonely too now
But I'll laugh to your song
Pretend you're singing along
Corn cob pipe and overalls

Shooting holes into the sky
With that twinkle in your eye
Like sparklers in the kerosene

"Mama," She Cried

"Mama," she cried
When we told her the news
Over and over
"Mama," she cried
Wailing for comfort
From the hollows of her soul
If she couldn't bring him back
It was Mama she wanted to hold

"Just wait, just wait"
Her hands flailed
Life became too fast
Gasping in truth
Labored breathing
From fate's ruthless blow
I looked at her face
And suddenly she was old

With one phrase
The years had piled on
Her cheeks went gaunt
Her flesh went grey
Confusion and terror
Despair and dread
Chiseled on her face
When Sister woke her from bed

Dressed in a nightgown
Glasses left behind
She passed in '69
But "Mama" she cried

Damn You August

You came in gently
Graceful as the dawn
You left with gnashing teeth
But you didn't leave alone
Flowers that once bloomed
In your peaceful heather
Laid on a casket
On the second of September
Damn you August
And what you gave
The time that follows behind you
Feels this bitterness the same
You splintered its promise
All these years left to come
What can they offer now
But the scent of napalm

Ink

Ink stained fingers
And an ache in my head
This is what you left me
This is what I have
My mind doesn't wander
Your echo won't quit
I'll binge on your memory
Then purge till I forget
Forget all these poems
And silly little rhymes
Forget this tattoo
That reminds me of the time

You called me up
Your excitement danced through my ears
You were headed to the shop
And you hoped I would be there
To share with you a moment
To bond in our excess
Three children's names engraved
Into their Daddy's proud flesh
And I can see you sitting
In that chair all alone
Raising your head when the door opened
Waiting for the ringing of your phone
Surely little sister
Must be on her way
But I never was
And I never came

And now the words bleed
From a tear stained page
Regret will be my master
And I will be it's slave
And whenever I arrive
I'll see you in that chair
You'll look at me and smile
Brother, I am here

Let Us Rebel

"Let us rebel"
Your eyes said to mine
How could I deny that gleam
That twinkle, that shine
I knew Mother would not be proud
But if Mother doesn't know
She can't be let down

Whiskey and absinthe
Cigarettes and rum
You pressed on the accelerator
And it was gods that we'd become
With you at the wheel
We dodged the devil
Down old gravel roads
In fear and freedom we reveled

Pantera screaming
Out of every speaker
If pleasure were a woman
You would never leave her
Tempting fate with every mile
Making angels earn their keep
You gave a Cheshire grin
And waded into a memory waist deep

Crammed into a car seat
And giving life hell
I'd do it again
Let us rebel

I Am A Sparrow

I am a sparrow
I fly through the clouds
I whisper apologies
When I perch beside your house
I look through the glass
And see the wrinkles round your eyes
I watch as you lay sleeping
And I sing you lullabies
I swoop down to greet you
So you might know I'm here
I ride on embers of sunshine
And the moonbeams in the air
My smile is now a song
With notes that have never met your ears
My love is now graceful
And every morning I appear
I soar down from Heaven
Through the early morning light
Reflections of gold
Guide my daily flight
Do not think you are alone
Do not think I am gone
I am a sparrow
I'll meet you here at dawn

Mourning Rain

Clouds were in the distance
Invisible to the eye
Celebrating everyday
Like a firecracker in the night
Finally the dark had it's fill
And the beams of light had came
Then the clouds hovered above
Drops of mourning rain

Don't try to make me smile
Don't try to make me laugh
Advice doesn't adhere
When life makes it's collapse
There is only one smile bright enough
Only one song's refrain
That can heal my ache and dry my bones
Wet with mourning rain

I can hear God sigh
When he saw you at his door
"Too soon", he spoke to Jesus
Then his tears hit the floor
Soaking through the clouds
And drenching us in pain
Falling like bombs from the sky
Mourning rain

Your Immortal Harmony

Every time I sing
Your voice will harmonize with mine
Your song will never pause
Your melody will never die
Immortal through my smile
And every laugh left in these miles
The world will feel your breath
Through all the days that I collect

And I'll never forget you were here
Making precious, all those years
A glow that never fades
You left us with a sweet serenade
From deep within my soul
I pass you on to all I know
I'll never be alone
You are the marrow in my bones

Rest softly upon a cloud
For you resonate within eternity
Through every word spoken
Your immortal harmony

McPherson Cemetery

McPherson cemetery
Just off the county road
What lies beneath your earth
The sky will never know
You don't tell no secrets
But you don't tell no lies
The sky asks you where joy went
And you give the perfect alibi

Your beautiful on the outside
But cold on the bone
Give my brother back to us
Send my brother home
Fold up the chair
That sits near his throne
McPherson Cemetery
Let my brother go

Widow Song

They laid his head on silk
And gave back the ring
Clothed from the closet
Where the wedding dress still hangs
Deep in September this church
Gave me your simple name
Now on the second day
It's hearse drives you away

Where my Father gave me away
Is where your body rests
Where we stood together in ecstasy
Is now where your brother does his best
To deliver your eulogy with strength
But there's a quiver in his chin
I sit, dressed in black
And submerge in our memories again

The aisle we walked down together
Your hand entwined in mine
We tread it once more
Seperated by pine
My hand will carry you out
From where our love led us in
And in the choir behind me
The Widow Song begins

Untitled

I would put my head below water
Surrender to the tide
Take the devils hand
And inject his serum high
Give away this kingdom
And fade like the night
Rest my head on ghosts
Quench death's appetite

And I would go back into the darkness
To bring you back home from the light
Pick up my sword and dedicate
To a fated, useless fight
Bring the sword
Down on my own throat
If only you not go
Dress myself in armor
To see you come back home

The Downpour Came

What are we gonna do now?
Now that the downpour came
Rain when the sky is grey
And rain on sunny days
Thunder when the clouds are silent
And lightning when the static fades
What are we gonna do now?
Now that the downpour came
Drops the size of Heaven
That burn the flesh like Hell
The slow ride to a cemetery
And the truth is hard to tell
Dampness seeps through our eyes
And the storm never stops
What are we gonna do now?
Now that grief is all we've got

Black Horses

Boy, you hit us hard
With sounds we had heard before
The ringing of a phone
The knocking of a door
The gentle voice of a daughter
In her mother's ear
Who knew those tones of monotony
Would ride on black horses through the air
The horses trampled our souls
And like the leaves we drift away
Clinging to fragrant memories
That lose their scent everyday
All the pictures we've scattered
On kitchen tables and creaky floors
Once earned a simple smile
Now they deserve so much more
All the tears the steeds carried
And left upon our laps
Our clothes are wet and heavy
Each thought, a silent collapse
And now the horses have gone on
But their cloud of dust still remains
Forever stinging our eyes
This world will never look the same
The stealthy beasts of death
Left their mark at our door
Will we ever venture past it
Or is it in Hell where we are cursed to mourn