There is a fire Burning within the people In hope of a new paradigm What is, is outdated and unworthy So many sad stories… Some peel away the veneer And discover things expertly hidden Along with unforeseen outcomes Many cling to false comfort, from fear of change I can tell you fear is not your confidant And dogmas a detriment So Burn! Burn! And be the tinderbox for a new day

Crawling and climbing, walking and flying, growing and dying More than could ever be counted In more places than could be seen Each one in tune with the other Playing their parts in this grand symphony Mother... In the deepest dark depths of the oceans On the mountaintops miles in the sky In the heat of the tropics, on the ice in the Arctic They're born, they grow, and they thrive Mother... Drifting through the oceans Soaring through the skies Galloping across the grassy pains Growing branches 500 feet high Teeming in one drop of water Burrowing into the ground Plant life of every description Carpets the world around Some come and go in an hour One has seen 80,000 years In time, all return to the Mother To replenish this wondrous sphere Mother... Life

Slide from the places been, to places yet to see While time, as a concept measures our mortality Gently pass the moments along the way Fly, on the wings of promise, Out across the seas of time Surely holds in store our fondest fantasies Quickly pass the moments along the way Planning for tomorrow, today We ride, on the winds that take us out across the seas of time Is an endless void that swallows you and me We're racing past the moments along the way But all that ever comes tomorrow, is today

Me or we?

Pass gently on your way my friend, and speak the simple truth For the truth lives on, and lies are gone, as quick as fleeting youth The truth in time, will grow and shine it's light for all to see Cast off your fears, tomorrow's clear, the truth will set us free Those who choose decrying lies as truth with conjured proof will find That time pulls the threads from the webs that they've woven And words that they've spoken will fall, for all to see Pass gently on your way my friend, for all around us lies A delicate balance we all must hold dear, for our children's, children's lives Those who choose destroying in the name of need and greed Can claim the distinction of leading us all to impending extinction We'll reap what we sow, and tomorrow will show what will be The prophets in the balcony, in shrouded silence view This comedy, and tragedy, played out by me and you Where liars rule, and lies are tools, used to cheat and steal While the fool lays waste to the place that he lives, reality's so surreal But the gentle man, he understands The choices he's making are shaping our destiny Leaving a legacy of harmony, or tragedy, a gift From you and me

What right do I have?

Do they kill all the beautiful people? Say it ain’t so ‘Til the garbage is all that’s left Scum floats to the top to lead us Toward humanity’s death Toward humanity’s death Put your foot down to stop it! And you risk life and limb Where are those who bleed for the soul’s? Who have been wronged Do they kill all the beautiful people? Say it ain’t so… Is it change that we fear? And fear’s grip has us crippled We stand idly by Atrocities flash by our eyes Build a theatre of peace Turn the other cheek Get stomped down, yet stand up strong Then sing our song

Mohandas Gandhi "They ignore you, they laugh at you, they fight you, and then you win" Help us, lead us Guide us, teach us Join us, be us Show us, lead us His name was Mohandas Gandhi He was born into a privileged position in a rigid society, where it was pre-ordained that He would follow the path of his father, and grandfather before him. He was raised on the simple truths of his family's faith, vegetarianism, respect for all Living things, and a mutual respect for all individuals He traveled to London and studied law, so he could return home as a barrister, and take His allotted place in society But somewhere along the way he lost sight of his career, and became immersed in the Injustice that surrounded him Help us, teach us Guide us, lead us Join us, be us Show us, teach us He returned home, and started his own business, but circumstance soon took him to South Africa at a very tumultuous time While he was there, he began honing his skills in using civil disobedience, and social Resistance to bring about socio-political change He brought those skills with him on his return to his beloved India and began to build an Army. An army that would wage war, a war of peace Armed with the truth, a spinning wheel, and an undeniable strength of spirit, they waged A war on Imperialistic rule, and they waged a war on social injustice, And they waged a war on religious intolerance, and they WON And they called him Mahatma..........Great Soul And they called him Bapu.................Father He showed us that there is no fortress, no army, no force on the face of this planet that Can stand against the will of the people And as happens all to often, in one instant of violence a truly enlightened leader was Taken away from us, and all the people cried...

You know the blues are gonna run you down When you're just trying to make it through another day They come at you from out of nowhere And take all the joy away I just can't help but wonder why It's got to be this way today Let the rain come down from up above And wash the tears away Me, I'm just a simple man Living life my simple way I love it when the music flows And I try to wish the hard times away But I guess that's the price for being here It's the bill we're born to pay Let the rain come down from up above And wash the tears away

To his face you’re pleased to meet him And you might even seat him But you know the next meeting You might have tanks to greet him Plea – can you hear them crying Plea – So easy to shut them out Cause his eyes ain’t your eyes And his Skin ain’t your skin But the truth that’s always been Lies somewhere within – But you know! And his road you’ve never traveled So you don’t get his mistakes Can you see the golden path That gave you all your breaks Plea – can you hear them crying Plea – Out of sight, out of Mind Cause his home ain’t your home And his streets ain’t your streets But the fate that’s always been We all have to meet – But You Know And some bitter men will tell you How to hate and to rebuke Their warring minds and hardened hearts Muffle the sound of the Plea – can you hear them crying Plea – So easy to shut them out Cause his eyes ain’t your eyes And his skin ain’t your skin But the truth that’s always been Lies somewhere within – But You know! And the day life makes us old And to dust we will return Those things won’t really matter I hope we all can learn – Love Plea – Will you hear them crying Plea – I hope you won’t shut them out Cause his eyes ARE your eyes And his skin IS your skin And the truth that’s always been Lies somewhere within – But You Know! (4)

3am Transmissions flicker in the room A deep dark gloom Never again safety of the womb Ill and alone To much time to think No one to share the fears with Loneliness is all consuming The body crumbles The mind gives way to the pain Desolation Like being the last living thing in the world No comfort 'til dawn In hopes of being reborn with the sunrise

Does humanity have a shared knowledge, is there a commonality of consciousness, Are there things we all know collectively that we have not learned, or been taught Individually and if so, how far does that knowledge go, for we are all tied together There are two schools of thought about our existence One is that a supreme being created on of us, man, and from that one, created another, woman and from those two, and a few thousand years of begetting, here we are, all the children of our parents The other thought is that in the beginning, there was a coincidental conglomeration of chemical compounds, a "life stew" as it were And in that stew there appeared a living one celled organism, and that organism split, multiplied, and re-joined And with a few million years of evolution, here we are, all tied together so either theory that you subscribe to, we are truly all joined together, I - We I -We are capable of many things, curing diseases, and illness, Creating breathtaking art, that touches one's spirit, one's humanity Creating wondrous machines, and structures, Pursuing, and perceiving the answers to the most complex of questions, how, and why I believe that inside us all, there is a "box" a place where the darkness resides, the unspeakable, the unthinkable. A place where we keep the profanity of humanity (leave space) Not the profanity of word, or the profanity of thought, but the profanity of deed perpetrated upon I - We, by I -We The profanity of shadowy silhouettes, lying on the ground all around us of men, women, and children, slain in their sleep so that I - We could take their treasure, their land The profanity of scars that will never heal, in flesh laid open to the bone by the master's whip, crack, crack... The profanity of 140,000 of I - WE with our flesh charred on our bodies by the decision of I - WE to release the most powerful force ever discovered, upon , ourselves The profanity of I -We dressed in blue uniforms with the words "to protect and serve" on them beating a shoeless, shirtless, homeless, mentally handicapped man to death one painful blow at a time, because he did not, would not, could not comply as he screamed out in his child like voice for the only person on this planet that he felt might be able to save him. Daddy, Daddy, Daddy. Some of I -We deny the existence of "The Box" Some gaze into "The Box" and swear by all the humanity that's inside me, I will do everything I can, to keep these profanities from ever happening again Some of I - We gaze into "The Box" and think What right do I have to be in love What right do I have to be happy What right do I have,..........to be

clearly audible

Daydream, take a journey to a place between the here and there It seems, the time that's spent in daydream shapes this world we live in Close your eyes to find a place, that's waiting for you Open mind will find the place where it all begins, where the dream begins, Let the dream begin Free your mind to wander Free yourself to dream Cut those ties that bind you Leave it all behind you, let the dream begin Daydream, imagination running free, arts, inventions, symphonies Playing, intellectually, what could happen, what could be Teach the children, to take the time to daydream Open mind will find your dream Free your mind to wander Free yourself to dream Cut those ties that bind you Leave it all behind you, let the dream begin

To be or not to be, hold em', or fold em', fly or drive, mustard or mayo, plastic or cash, plastic or paper, pizza or Chinese, the Yanks or the Sox, Mac or P.C., up or down, in or out, Ginger or Maryanne, boxers or briefs, Should we use the nuclear option? Ford or Chevy, Do I want fries with that? Rye or Kaiser, left or right, regular or large, regular or decaf, regular or premium, with or without, top or bottom, left or right Democrat, or Republican, vertical or horizontal, checkers or chess, Should I speak out to make a difference?

Communication's broken, kind words go unspoken, Someone needs to step in, for the door's always open Open to change for our so-called civilization There's nothing civil about the polarization That's eaten it's way into every aspect of our existence But one voice with resolve, just might make a difference....Be the one One pitch starts the ball game One shot starts the war One step starts the journey To the places you've never been before One word starts the story One note starts the song Sing it loud, and sing it strong You just might find, they'll sing along Someone needs to change things, there's an answer....Be the one I can't make a difference, my voice doesn't count By reciting that mantra you count yourself out Out of the process that makes the decisions For you, and your loved ones, and your children's, children's, children One thing is certain, those decisions will be made So speak out for your future, don't miss the parade One spark starts the fire One drop starts the rain Once you start the journey, You're never gonna want to go back again One kiss starts the romance One punch starts the fight One way or another brother Got to find a way to get it right Someone needs to change things, there's an answer, be the one It all comes down to me and you, if you don't have one, you can't get two, Be the one