Second Sisters

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Musical Accompaniment:

Death Cab for Cutie - The Sound of Settling

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I've always done quite well

But never in that sense

I've even planted flowers

And watched them grow at my expense

My hyper heart is not a blessing

It's a burden and a curse

And the rarity of my affliction

Only makes the matter worse

I doubt I ever will get back

That which I bestow

That specific form of happiness

I sadly must forgo

I'll be an eternal brother

A true and honest friend

When something weighs upon your heart

I'll have an ear to lend

And when my resolve is tested

I'll try to hold my tongue

I'll sacrifice my emotions

In an heroic act unsung

Make me better

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Musical Accompaniment:

Alice in Chains - Nutshell

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I am a collector of useless things

The half of which are ideas

My life is full of idle distractions

That serve to mitigate my fears

With each action I perform

I suffer from the qualms

That rain down on my existance

Like so many tiny bombs

Hesitance and hindsight

The rulers of my domain

Diffidence and insecurity

The poisons in my brain

If I rationalize my life

I don't like what I see

But I'm the only one holding me back

I'm both detainer and detainee

One day I'll finally stand up

And say I've had enough

But then again it's possible

That I'll just call my bluff

I might stay like this forever

And that might be okay

But maybe one day I'll get my shit together

So I can finally fly away

Hyper Heart

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Musical Accompaniment:

Kevin Shields - Ikebana

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Judas’ heart was slandered, he only played his part
Emily’s heart was lonely, she expressed herself through her art

My father’s heart was stone, he couldn’t reciprocate what he received
My mother had a reckless heart, it’s no wonder she was deceived

Niel’s still searching for a heart of gold, no one’s told him it can’t be found
Lennon was a bleeding heart, a psycho put him in the ground

Madeleine’s heart was frigid, she couldn’t love even if she tried
Liam’s heart was stolen, he chased her far and wide

Astrid’s heart was broken, her sons died in the war
Everybody’s got a hungry heart, we always long for more

Thorani’s heart’s still beating, there’s hope she may still live
But I possess a hyper heart, I make more love than I can give

Bamboo Friendship

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Musical Accompaniment:

陳悅 - 綠野仙蹤

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I've read it in the tea leaves and felt it in the current

All the futures that could be and all the pasts that weren't

Yet all that matters is the moment, we'll never know the reasons

Our time on Earth is measured not just by the passing of the seasons

We are but single tiny raindrops falling in the storm

But in each inevitable collision lies the potential to transform

The people that we meet and the lives that we affect

Are that which do define us, that which makes the world perfect

We're here but a short while and there's so very much to learn

But perhaps the most important is to love and be loved in return

We grow as a collective, we grow stronger than bamboo

And this is why I'm grateful to have friends the likes of you

Excelsior

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Musical Accompaniment:

Marc Streitenfeld - Into the Fray

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My apathy had blinded me

as I trudged on through the fall

Without a care or worry to spare

I must have missed your call

A great black dog was lurking in the fog

of my tired mind

Life moved on, dusk after dawn

and I'd fallen quite far behind

It was hard for me to get up off my knees

for I instinctively avoid the sun

I was lost and felt the creeping frost,

I was certain I was done

The hardest were the first for those steps hurt the worst

and I'd lost my orientation

It seemed like forever, this eternal endeavor

and I was drowning in frustration

It was no easy task removing the mask

which had long obscured my vision

For so many years I'd been plagued by fears,

my life was ruled by indecision

But my redemption came through retention

of an earlier suicide

The sun pierced the clouds and revealed the crowds

and I repressed the urge to hide

I finally found a foothold; the warmth replaced the cold

and my long-lost strength returned

I felt a smile growing and from the inside I was glowing,

I knew this happiness was well-earned

I was on the razor's edge but now I'm on the home stretch,

I've left the fog behind

And though perhaps I ought, I certainly know not

where I am headed and that's fine

Let love into your heart and you gain a fresh new start,

look to the faces all around

Millions just like you trying to somehow make it through

in this life that holds us down

Man suffers from mendacity but we all have the capacity

to help each other out

So in the face of negativity, let mercy, peace and sympathy

be the rains that end the drought

Dying (II)

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Musical Accompaniment:

Grant Wilson - Cured

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When i awoke my tracks were covered in a foot of freshly fallen snow

The morning sun shone through the trees and the frozen forest was aglow

A gentle breeze came from the south and the boughs swayed to and fro

And I broke camp and headed off, though I knew not which way to go

A ten hour trek brought me up to the summit of the world

The clouds were all below me, around the lonely peaks they curled

The wind rose up the slope, the snowflakes scattered, danced and swirled

And I planted my banner beside the others, colorful and unfurled

The walk back down was lonely and I sang a song to pass the time

The tune was a just simple one and the language was not mine

When I reached the bottom of the mountain, I dove back into the pine

And contemplated my adventure to reach the enlightened and sublime

Had I achieved my goal? My thoughts had begged the question

Petitio principii so goes the old expression

For years I had been searching, this was now somewhat an obsession

The view from the top had left behind a rather great impression

But I was disappointed, it wasn’t quite what I expected

My moment of nirvāṇa had left me unaffected

Then suddenly it hit me and in my tracks I stood corrected

The answer lay not at the apex but was with everything connected

In the end it wasn’t the teachings or the training or anything I’d read

It was the love I’d shared with those I’d known, the life which I had led

It was the feeling and emotions, the words all left unsaid

It was the logic and the reason, the thoughts in my own head

So I lay me down upon the soft white snowy ground

And starred out longingly as the trees and stars all gathered round

I was sure that after time my shell would eventually be found

But my soul would long be gone, perpetually unbound

For so very long I’d been repeating life era after era 

But that glorious winter day was when I finally left Saṃsāra

Die phönizische See

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Musikalische Begleitung:

Underøath - It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door

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Die phönizische See besteht aus Limonade, Blut und Tränen

Eine Zuflucht der Verlierer, keine Herrschaft zu erwähnen

Täglich wächst die See mit jeden Verlusten und Niederlagen

Durch den trüben Schleier treiben einsame Wehklagen

Der traurige Gesang eines verlorenen Matrosen

Er rudert immer weiter mit niemandem zum Ablösen

Ein andere hat den Kopf sinken lassen und jetzt sinkt auch sein Schiff

Weder auf Glaube noch Hoffnung haben Reisende Zugriff

Die See bietet keine Obdach sondern ein Gefängnis der Grausamkeit

Ein Entkommen gibts hier nicht, die Havarie: eine Frage der Zeit

Monkeys

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Musical Accompaniment:

Incubus - Dig

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Mine was black and gruesome

Its fur a dirty mess

I’d quite gotten the impression

It was bigger than the rest

I’ve no idea just how long

The bastard avoided my detection

I couldn’t see him in the mirror

For I no longer cast reflection

Its weight had drug me down

Its words led me astray

It had been feeding on my sorrow

Like a glutton at a buffet

For all I know it could’ve just been

All I need was the distraction

But just like Jagger, I was on a losing streak

And couldn’t find any satisfaction

So I looked to you, my friends

I knew you’d never let me down

You gave me hope where there was none

And made a smile out of my frown

To each of you I owe so much

You picked me up and made me see

Put me back on track and helped me

Replace the alcohol with endorphins

Now I’m my old self again

I’ve regained my confidence and composure

So look to me if ever you need help

And I’ll get that monkey off your shoulder

Swelling Rage

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Musical Accompaniment:
Mumford & Sons - White Blank Page

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I am an empty book
But it hasn't always been this way
The book was a third full
Until I was betrayed

I ripped out all the contents
In a fit of dour rage
I couldn't stand to see her there
Smiling upon the page

I'd try to keep on writing
But the only pen I've found's a knife
I'll pour my blood out on the paper
To try to make something of my life

The worst kind of people
Are those you cannot hate
The ones that ruin everything
Yet it's still somehow your mistake

Sometimes I wanna rage-quit
But my senses tell me no
To move on and find myself
I'm gonna have to go

Where to's a damn good question
I've never felt so lost
I just wanna make it through this
No matter what the cost

So I close the book and try to forget
The stories it once told
I'll lick my wounds and try to make room
For a new life to unfold

Lemonade

 

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Musical Accompaniment:
Wenzel - Betrunkenes Liebeslied

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When life gives you lemons

You make the lemonade

So i opened a lemonade stand

Turned my bad luck into a trade

You wanna glass of happines

Well this one here's on me

Climb aboard my wayward ship

We'll sail across the Phoenician Sea

With any luck we might get there

Just the day after tomorrow

After all this fickle ship

Is fueled by tears and sorrow

On the inside I am frowning

But there's a smile on my face

I take the heartache that you cause me

And make the world a better place

A Plea For Reinforcements

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Musical Accompaniment:

Band of Horses - Evening Kitchen

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It's a bitter pill to swallow

But I'll do it for myself

I can't do it for the rest of you

Because I can't seem to find anyone else

This time around's been difficult

And I'm unsure of my task

I know that we're alone here

Just unsure who has strayed the path

Sometimes it seems I better understand

The goal we're driving at

But with my leadership we're getting nowhere

Trapped in this eternal Iliad

This the burning question

That robs me of my sleep:

Was I sent back to find her

Or was she sent to find me

Rootless Tree

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Musical Accompaniment:

Damien Rice - Rootless Tree

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Don't be mistaken up on that mountain where you are

That bright light on the horizon ain't no morning star

A hundred twenty megaton neutron bomb

Just shattered what was left of the morning calm

The end result of a chain reaction

That you set off in negligent fashion

The turmoil anchored deep in my heart

Left unchecked has torn me apart

Nothing to do but watch and wonder

As the world as you know it is ripped asunder

I won't stop until there's nothing left

Of my hopes and dreams you left me bereft

And when at last it's finally all gone

There's still one thing you can depend on

When we all return next time around

I won't rest until I've tracked you down

You deserve two deaths for what you did to me

Left me to wither and rot like a rootless tree

Lost Time

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Musical Accompaniment:

10 Years - Insects

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 One for you and two for me

I might have skipped a stage

So here it is, this one's yours

Do with it what you will

Add it to your collection 

The things you stole from me

My own fault, I guess

For burning so many bridges

This icy water feels like home

But it's got your name all over it

I suppose I should keep kicking

Knock another hole into my wall

I'll make it out eventually

Though it won't be any thanks to you

I am not a stone and I refuse to sink

Just wasting more time

Trying to find my legs

So very much I owe to you

I'm just now beginning to understand

It's a coin with two sides

And both are infinitely large

But it's a coin nonetheless

Don't think I'll forget that

Hutch Mountain

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Musical Accompaniment:
Patrick Swayze - She's Like the Wind

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I drove up to the summit

Told my parents I’d gone somewhere else

Parked my car at a neighbors

You snuck me in through the garage

Hushed voices and microwaved popcorn

We talked long into the night

You laughed at my color blindness

Because I couldn’t see the letters on the cards

But you were just as oblivious

To the feelings I had for you

Eventually I came to accept

There was nothing to be done for us

But then you took on a different form

Haunted me for years to come

Across the globe you chased me

A hungry ghost I couldn’t shake

Nietzsche said we’re all growing volcanoes

And though I don’t doubt it to be true

I’ve noticed something lately

I’m growing another you

It’s astounding just how easy it is

She’s like the wind

All I have to do is adjust my sails

She’s taking me far away

And this I’m quite ok with

I never knew where I was going anyway

One hungry ghost to replace another

These words have to get out somehow