As the wind erodes and the water corrodes,
Altering everything we think we know,
But we don’t.
It’s all temporary,
and it used to, but now that thought doesn’t scare me
or keep my feet from following one after another
until I slumber.
Then my mind not my feet wander
and dream of people and places I’ll never see again.
I’ve mended as much mental anguish as I can
And now I try to use this language to take these thoughts from my head to the pen
“Cause though I don’t speak of my dead friends or the circumstances often
the blow never softens or yields.

I’m in a desolate field lonesome star-gazin’, night-blazin’
Chasin’ traces of remembrance and reverence of relevant friends and acquaintances
and faceless and nameless names and faces
and while my mind is racin’ through these photo albums and quotations,
all these people and places are far from me
For only land and stars I see when I’m outside of the Mile-High City
which is not my city
For I was born a thousand miles northeast of here (there)
in the land of beer and lakes and pistol fire on MLK’s birthday
where there is no minority and segregation’s mandatory,
but that’s a whole ‘nother story all-together
And no matter the weather or hardships that any place brings
I’ll still laugh when people shiver and say that it’s freezing or
“Hey no wait, I’ve already had eighteen mixed drinks.”
But I guess it’s a Midwest thing
and I’m a mess from a dirty city and brought most of this filth I’ve gathered with me.

My work labors on as lovers sleep in each other’s arms.
Remaining calm and collect,
I begin my self-reflection process of redemption.
Honestly I don’t know where this road leads or if I’m even going.
Could be rowing upstream, or worse,
Chasing my dreams to the peak to finally be somebody
doing something with what he has
rather than saying again and again that “I can’t”
And I won’t anymore from this day forward
‘Cause lord knows the past is set in stone
And the present is yours to mold and to use for future uses.
I’m a nuisance I know,
‘cause I’m neither young nor old,
nor giant nor gnome.
I don’t sleep on these streets usually
though I’ve made thrones of my own.
I don’t sit well with idle hands,
though don’t know what to do when I’m home all alone.
I’m a menace, drone to society
and as it lies to me, I smile silently
as others do as they please,
I am watching and listening and I’m grinning all the while,
‘Cause sometimes all you can really do is smile.

So as the work labors on, I’ll keep on singin’ my songs.
And this day’s never done, we just keep on spinnin’ around that sun.
And through all these trial and miles all I’ve learned to do is smile.
Is to smi-ile..