Slid into the ditch I have this overwhelming loss of ambition we said let's name thirty good reasons why we shouldn't be together I start by saying things like "you smoke" "you live in New Jersey(too far)" you started saying things like "you belong to the world" all of which could have been easily refuted but the conversation was hypothetical I am totally short of breath for you why can't you shut your stuff off..... I'm in the front row the front row with popcorn. I get to see you see you close up and I laughed until my lungs hurt I love how you bust my chops you don't always feel seen sometimes you feel erasable unfortunately I cannot reciprocated in my current state I think we should be careful of how much time we spend together.
.......for a while while I'm speaking you know how much you hate to be interrupted maybe spend some time alone fill up your provebial cup so that it doesn't always have to be about you I've been wanting your undivided attention I like the fact that you're nothing like me are you not burdened by the lack of perspective people have of your charmed life(seemingly)? I'm in the front row the front row with popcoren I get to see you see you close up you never meant to be ungrateful nor held up to be whipped or wept for certainly not analysed prodded at more ways than one apparently you've been misrepresented dealing with the concept of arrows being slung towards your outrageous fortune.
Hey I'm not mad at you guardian
I'm mad at myself for spending so much time with you and your jeckyl and
hydeness I'm glad I figuratively slapped you on the wrist you laughed a
wicked laugh and said "come here let me clip your wings!"(I know he's blood
but you can still turn him away you don't owe him anything) "raise the
roof" he yelled "yeah raise the roof!" I yelled back. (unfortunately you
need a health scare to repriortize.) no thanks to the soap box. having
me rile against them won't make an ounce of difference..... I'm in the
front row the front row with popcorn. I get to see you see you close up
oh the things I've done for you may a sitch a friend a man's been left
for you oh the books I've read for you the tongues I've bitten for you
many a new city for you many a risk taken for you(not a single regret).
Baba
I've seen them kneel
With baited breath for the ritual
I've watched this experience raise
Them to pseudo higher levels
I've watched them leave their families
In pursuit of your nirvana
I've seen them coming to line up
From switzerland and america
How long will this take baba
How long have we been sleeping
Do you see me hanging on to
Every word you say
How soon will I be holy
How much will this cost guru
How much longer 'til you
Completely absolve me
I've seen them give their drugs
up
In place of makeshift altars
I've heard them chanting
Kali Kali frantically
I've heard them rotely repeat your
Teachings with elitism
I've seen them boasting robes and
Foreign sandalwood beads
I've seen them overlooking god
in
Their own essence
I've seen their upward glances
In hopes of instant salvation
I've seen their righteousness
Mixed without loving compassion
I've watched you smile as
The students bow to kiss your feet
Give me strength all knowing one
How long 'til enlightenment
How much longer 'til you
Completely absolve me
Thank
U
How 'bout getting off of these
antibiotics
How 'bout stopping eating when
I'm full up
How 'bout them transparent dangling
carrots
How 'bout that ever elusive kudo
Thank you india
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frality
Thank you consequence
Thank you thank you silence
How 'bout me not blaming you for
everything
How 'bout me enjoying the moment
for once
How 'bout how good it feels to
finally forgive you
How 'bout grieving it all one at
a time
Thank you india
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frality
Thank you consequence
Thank you thank you silence
The moment I let go of it was the
moment
I got more than I could handle
The moment I jumped off of it
Was the moment I touched down
How 'bout no longer being masochistic
How 'bout remembering your divinity
How 'bout unabashedly bawling your
eyes out
How 'bout not equating death with
stopping
Thank you india
Thank you providence
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you nothingness
Thank you clarity
Thank you thank you silence
Are
You Still Mad
Are you still mad that I kicked
you out of bed?
Are you still mad I gave you ultimatums?
Are you still mad I compared you
to all
My forty year old male friends?
Are you still mad I shared our
problems with everybody?
Are you still mad I had an emotional
affair?
Are you still mad I tried to mold
you into
Who I wanted you to be?
Are you still mad I didn't trust
your intentions?
Of course you are
Of course you are
Are you still mad that I flirted
wildly?
Are you still mad I had a tendency
to mother you?
Are you still mad that I had one
foot out the door?
Are you still mad that we slept
together even after
We had ended it?
Of course you are
Of course you are
Are you still mad I wore the pants
most of the time?
Are you still mad that I seemed
to focus
Only on your potential?
Are you still mad that I threw
in the towel?
Are you still mad that I gave up
long before you did?
Of course you are
Of course you are
Sympathetic
Character
I was afraid you'd hit me if I'd
spoken up I was
Afraid of your physical strength
I was afraid
You'd hit me below the belt I was
afraid of your
Sucker punch I was afraid of your
reducing me
I was afraid of your alcohol breath
I was afraid
Of your complete disregard for
me I was afraid
Of your temper I was afraid of
handles being
Flown off of I was afraid of holes
being punched
Into walls I was afraid of your
testosterone
I have as much rags as you have
I have as much pain as you do
I've lived as much hell as you
have
And I've kept mine bubbling under
for you
You were my best friend
You were my lover
You were my mentor
You were my brother
You were my partner
You were my teacher
You were my very own sympathetic
character
I was afraid of verbal dangers I
was afraid of the
Calm before the storm I was afraid
for my own
Bones I was afraid of your seduction
I was afraid
Of your coersion I was afraid of
your rejection
I was afraid of your intimidation
I was afraid of
Your punishment I was afraid of
your icy silences
I was afraid of your volume I was
afraid of your
Manipulation I was afraid of your
explosions
I have as much rags as you have
I have as much pain as you do
I've lived as much hell as you
have
And I've kept mine bubbling under
for you
Chorus * Chorus
You were my keeper
You were my anchor
You were my family
You were my saviour
And therein lay the issue
And therein lay the problem
That
I Would Be Good
That I would be good even if I
did nothing
That I would be good even if I
got the thumbs down
That I would be good if I got and
stayed sick
That I would be good even if I
gained ten pounds
That I would be fine even if I went
bankrupt
That I would be good if I lost
my hair and my youth
That I would be great if I were
no longer queen
That I would be grand if I was
not all knowing
That I would be loved even when
I numb myself
That I would be good even when
I am overwhelmed
That I would be loved even when
I was fuming
That I would be good even if I
was clingy
That I would be good even if I lost
sanity
That I would be good even
Whether with or without you
The
Couch
You hadn't seen your father in
such a long time
He died in the arms of his lover
how dare he
Your mother never left the house
She never married anyone else you
took it upon yourself to console her
You reminded her so much of your
father
So you were banished and you wonder
why you're so hypersensitive
And why you can't trust anyone
but us
But then how can I begin to forgive
her so many years under bridges with dirty water
She was foolish and selfish and
cowardly if you ask me
I don't know where to begin in all
my 50 odd years
I have been silently suffering
and adapting perpetuating and enduring
Who are you younger generation
to tell me that I have unresolved problems
Not many examples of fruits of
this type of excruciating labour
How can you just throw words around
like grieve and heal and mourn
I feel fine we may not have been
born as awake as you were
It was much harder in those days
we had paper routes uphill both ways
We went from school to a job to
a wife to instant parenthood
I walked into his office I feel
so self-conscious on the couch
He was sitting down across from
me he was writting down his hypothesis I don't know
I've got a loving supportive wife
who doesn't know how involved she should get
You say his interjecting was him
just calling me on my shit?
Just the other day my sweet daughter
I was driving past 203 I walked up the stairs in my mind's eye
I remember how they would creak
loudly
She was only responsive with a
drink he was only responsive by photo
I was only trying to be the best
big brother I could
I walked sometimes confused sometimes
ready to crack open wide
Sometimes indignant sometimes raw
Can you imagine I pay him 75 dollars
an hour sometimes
It feels like highway robbery
And sometimes it's peanuts
I wish it would last a couple more
hours
So here we both are batting similar
demons(not coincidentally)
You see it getting beyond knowing
it solely intellectually you're not relinquishing your mastery
You are wise you are warm you are
courageous you are big
And I love you more now that I
ever have in my whole life
Can't
Not
I'd be lying if I said I was completely
unscathed
I might be proving you right with
my silence of my retaliation
Would I be letting you win in my
non reaction?
How would I explain?
How would I explain this to my
children if I had them?
Because I can't not
Because I can't not
Because I can't afford to be misread
one more time
Would I be whinning if I said I
needed a hug?
Would you feel slighted if I said
your love's not enough?
How can I complain?
How can I complain when I'm the
one who reaches for it?
Because I can't not
Because I can't not
Because I can't walk without my
crutches
Because I can't not
Because I can't not
Because I can't help wonder why
you ask me
To all the unheard wisdom in the
schoolyard
You think you're the right ones
You think you're the charmed ones
I'm sure
How can you go on with such conviction?
And who do you think you are and
why do you question me?
Because I can't not
Because I can't not
Because I can't help laugh at underestimations
Because I can't not
Because I can't not
Because I can't afford to be misled
one more time
Because I can't not
Because I can't not
Because I cannot help without your
willingness
Why do you affect me? Why do you
affect me still?
Why do you hinder me? Why do you
hinder me still?
Why do you unnerve me? Why do you
do you unnerve me still?
Why do you trigger me? Why do you
trigger me still?
UR
Burn the books they've got too
many names and psychoses
All this incriminating evidence
would surely haunt me
If someone broke into my house
Suits in the living room
Do you realize guys I was born
in 1974
We've got someone here to explain
your publishing
We know how much you love to be
in front of audiences
Hopeful you are
Schoolbound you are
Naive you are
Driven you are
Take a trip to new york with your
guardian
And your fake identification
When they said "is there something
anything
You'd like to know young lady?"
You said "yes I'd like to know
what kind of people
I'll be dealing with"
Precocious you are
Headstrong you are
Terrified you are
Ahead of your time you are
Don't mind our staring but
We're surprised you're not in a
far-gone asylum
We're surprised you didn't crack
up
Lord knows that we would've
We would've like to have been there
But you keep pushing us away
Resilient you are
Big time you are
Ruthless you are
Precious you are
I
Was Hoping
As we were talking outside it was
cold we were shivering yet warmed by the subject matter
My wife is in the next room we've
been having troubles you know please don't tell her or anyone
But I need to talk to somebody
You said "wouldn't it be a shame
if I knew how great I was five minutes before I died I'd be filled
With such regret before I took
my last breath" and I said "you're willing to tell me this now
And you're not going to die any
time soon"
And I said I haven't been eating
chicken or meat or anything and you said yes
But you've been wearing leather
and laughed and said we're at the top of the food chain
And yes you're still a fine woman
and I cringed
I was hoping I was hoping we could
heal each other
I was hoping I was hoping we could
be raw together
We left the restaurant where the
head waiter(in his 60's) said "good-bye sir thank you for your business
sir you're
Successful and established sire
and we like the frequency with which you dine here sir
And your money" and when I walked
by they said "thank you too dear" I was all pigtails and cords
And there was a day when I would've
said something like "hey dude I could buy and sell this place to kiss it"
I too once thought I was owed something
I was hoping I was hoping we could
challenge each other
I was hoping I was hoping we could
crack each other up
I too thought that when proved
wrong I lost somehow
I too once thought life was cruel
It's a cycle really you think I'm
withdrawing and guilt tripping you I think you're insensitive
And I don't feel heard and I said
do you beleive we are fundamentally judgmental? Fundamentally evil?
And you said yes I said I don't
beleive in revenge in right or wrong good or bad you said
"Well what about the man that I
saw handcuffed in the emergency room bleeding after beating his kid
And she threw a shoe at his head.
I think what he did was wrong and
I would've had a hard time feeling compassion for him"
I had to watch my tone for fear
of having you feel judged.
I was hoping I was hoping we could
dance together
I was hoping I was hoping we could
be creamy together.
Would
Not Come
If I make a lot of tinsel then
people will want to
If I am hardened no fear of further
abandonment
If I am famous then maybe I'll
feel good in this skin
If I am cultured my words will
somehow garner respect
I would throw a party still it
would not come
I would bike run swim and still
it would not come
I'd go traveling and still it would
not come
I would starve myself and still
it would not come
If I'm masculine I would be taken
more seriously
If I take a break it would make
me irresponsible
If I'm elusive I will surely be
sought after often
If I need assistance then I must
be incapable
I'd be filthy rich and still
It would not come
I would suduce them and still
It would not come
I would drink vodka and still
It would not come
I'd have an orgasm still
It would not come
I'll be inpenetrable
If I'm aloof no one will know
When they strike a nerve
If I keep my mouth shut the boat
Will not have to be rocked
If I am vunerable I will be
Trampled upon
I would go shopping and still
It would not come
I'd leave the country and still
It would not come
I would scream and rebel still
It would not come
I would stuff my face and still
It would not come
I'd be productive and still it
would not come
I'd be celebrated still it would
not come
I'd be the hero and still it would
not come
I'd renunciate and still it would
not come
One
I am the biggest hypocrite
I've been undeniably jealous
I have been loud and pretentious
I have been utterly threatened
I've gotten candy for my self-interest
The sexy treadmill capitalist
Heaven forbid I be criticized
Heaven forbid I ben ignored
I have abused my power forgive me
You mean we actually are all one
One one one one one one one
I've been out of reach and separatist
Heaven forbid average(whatever
average means)
I have compensated for my days
Of powerlessness
I have abused my so-called power
forgive me
You mean we actually are all one
one one one one one one one
Did you just call her amazing?
Surely we both can't be amazing!
And give up my hard earned status
And fabulous freak of nature?
I have abused my power forgive me
You mean we actually are all one
One one one one one one one
Always looked good on paper
Sounded good in theory
Unsent
Dear mathew I like you a lot I
realize you're in a relationship with someone right now and I respect that
I would like you to know that if you're ever single in the future and you
want to come visit me in california I would be open to spending time with
you and finding out how old you were when you wrote your first song
Dear jonathan I liked you too much I used to be attracted to boys who would like to me and think solely about themselves and you were plenty self-destructive for my taste at the time I used to say the more tragic the better the truth is whenever I think of the early 90's your face comes up with a vengenance like it was yesterday
Dear terrance I love you muchly you've been nothing but open hearted and emotionally availabe and supportive and nurturing and consummately there for me I kept drawing you in and pushing you away I remember how beautiful it was to fall asleep on your couch and cry in front of you for the first time you were the best platform from which to jump beyond myself what was wrong with me
Dear marcus you rocked my world you had a charismatic way about you with the women and you got me seriously thinking about spirituality and you wouldn't let me get away with kicking my own ass but I could never really feel relaxed and looked out for around you though and that stopped us from getting any further than we did and it's kinda too bad because we could've had much more fun
Dear lou we learned so much I realize we won't be able to talk for some time and I understand that as I do you the long distance thing was the hardest and we did as well as we could we were together during a very tumultuous time in our lives I will always have your back and be curious about you and about your career you whereabouts
So
Pure
You from new york you are so relevant
You reduce me to cosmic tears
Luminous more so than most anyone
Unapologetically alive knot in
my stomach
And lump in my throat
I love you when you dance when
you freestyle in trance
So pure such an expression
Supposed former infatuation junkie
I sink three pointers and you wax
poetically
I love you when you dance when
you freestyle in trance
So pure such an expression
Let's grease the wheel over tea
Let's discuss things in confidence
Let's be outspoken let's be rediculous
Let's solve the world's problems
I love you when you dance when
you freestyle in trance
So pure such an expression
Joining
You
Dear dar(lin') your mom(my friend)
left a message on my machine she was frantic
Saying you were talking crazy that
you wanted to do away with yourself
I guess she thought I'd be a perfect
resort because we've had this inexplicable connection since our youth and
Yes they're in shock they are panicked
you and your chronic them and their drama
You this embarrassment us in the
middle of this delusion
If we were our bodies
If we were our futures
If we were our defenses I'd be
joining you
If we were our culture
If we were our leaders
If we were our denials I'd be joining
you
I remember vividly a day years
ago we were camping you knew more than you thought you should know
You said "I don't want ever to
be brainwashed" and you were mindboggling you were intense
You were uncomfortable in your
own skin you were thirsty but mostly you were beautiful
If we were our nametags
If we were our rejections
If we were our outcomes I'd be
joining you
If we were our indignities
If we were our successes
If we were our emotions I'd be
joining you
You and I we're like 4 year olds
we want to know why and how come about everything
We want to reveal ourselves at
will and speak our minds and never talk small and be intuitive
And question mightily and find
god my tortured beacon
We need to find like-minded companions
If we were our condemnations
If we were our projections
If we were our paranolas I'd be
joining you
If we were our incomes
If we were our obsessions
If we were our afflictions I'd
be joining you
We need reflection we need a really
good memory feel free to call me a little more often.
Heart
Of The House
You are the original template
You are the original exemplary
How seen were you actually?
How revered were you (honestly)
at the time?
Why pleased with your low maintenance?
You loved us more than we could've
loved you back
Where was your ally your partner
in feminine crime?
Oh mother who's your buddy?
Oh mother who's got your back?
The heart of the house
The heart of the house
All hail to goddess!
You were "good ol'"
You were "count on 'er 'til four
am"
You saw me run from the house
In the snow melodramatically
Oh mother who's your sister
Oh mother who's your friend
The heart of the house
The heart of the house
All hail to goddess!
We left the men and we went for
a walk in the gatineaus
And talked like women like women
to women would
Womyn to womyn would "where did
you get that from
Must've been your father your dad"
I got it from you I got it from
you
Do you see yourself in my gypsy
garage sale ways?
In my fits of laughter?
In my tinkerbell tendencies?
In my lack of colour coordination?
Your
Congratulations
I wouldn't have compromised as
much
So much of myself for fear of
Having you hating me
I would've sung so loudly
It would've crack myself!
I became self-conscious
Of anything exuberant
I wouldn't have sold myself short
I wouldn't have kept my eyes
glued to the ground
If I had've known my invisibility
Would not make a difference
I would've run around screaming
proudly
At the top of my voice
I wouldn't have said it was in
fact luck
I'm talking idealism here
I would not have been so self deprecating
I wouldn't have cowered
For fear of having my eyes scratched
out!
I wouldn't have cut my comfort
off
I wouldn't have feigned needlessness
I would not have discredited
Every one of your compliments
It was your approval I wanted
Your congratulations