RITUALS
Every Wednesday.
Every Wednesday, down to the record shop to buy another 45 to last me till next Tuesday. Stand in line and peel the Velcro back. $2.99 plus tax. It’s a bargain every time. To the basement, locked door, lights off, sleeves off, palms in, flip it till I aim the b-side down. All alone, in my basement. I pull the arm and slowly drop the needle down.
Floating in my bed.
All these daily rituals: lift it up, and lay it down. Then start it going once again. Kept on repeat all week long, until it matched the patterns on the wall. Now one last time. All these daily rituals, they come together in a liminal space. On…
Every Wednesday down to the record shop to buy another 45 to last me till next Tuesday. Land of 1000 Dances, I hear The Needle and the Damage Done,every Wednesday.
Clean slate.
A propped up cardboard cutout glued down to the floor. If the memory served, I wouldn’t do it all over again. Clean slate. Reset. Start it all over again. Suppose the memory lies to keep us upright and standing.
Urgency keeps growing, and it’s staring back as though I didn’t just hold it so close to me. Only to throw it back down and now the same mistakes are all forgotten… until it makes its way right back around again. Suppose it’s just another way to keep me breathing, and I think it’s getting better every time, but it’s so hard to know.
In a still life.
The storyline for your life, and for my life, unknown. Then turned aligned right on. In a still life form, I hold with you, we’re not alone. Stay. All alone I lie awake. I see a faded line before long.
Before long, the silhouette’s out of phase from my own. Stay. All alone I lie awake. I see a faded line before long. Faded out not long before you go. Settle down before you go. Now, settle on down for me.
The storyline for your life, and for my life, unknown. Then turned aligned right on, in a still life form, I hold with you. But I stay old friend, and trace over your outlines on my own.
HALVES
Flow State
Flow state is all I know
It’s all I got now
Flow state bring focus now
Solitude, all alone now
Flow state has me going now
Mind off move forward now
Fall in line, don’t walk away
Hope springs eternal somehow
Mind off move forward now
It’s not the first, not for the last time
Save me
Shout It Out
All said and done, dear friend
When I get too far from here
shout me out
Keep drifting out, dear friend.
Give me time to think and then,
wade back in
Friend done, calling out
Settled in no going back
hold me down
These worn lifelines grow,
growing shorter by the day,
long time gone
Time up, we’ll pull you back
No worries I’ll be there,
gone too far
Shout me out if I get too far
You said how long again
So how long?
How long all alone?
Let me shout it out
Fulfilled all alone
Let me shout it out
Two Halves Folded Into One
You say goodnight and
in the darkness head to head,
we sing a sad song.
Two halves folded into one.
We fall asleep then, we wake
half way away from home.
Hold Me Down
Hollowed out, all my anchor aweigh
Unsettled ground, nowhere safe,
worn down and out
Hold me down, make me feel, but I can’t stay long
Under now, the breaking wave, worn down and out
How long and how far I’ll go
Held above the wave, now hold me down
Hold me down
Fallen down, all my anchor aweigh
Unsettled ground, nowhere safe, worn down and out
Ultramarine
There’s a home, brightly painted ultramarine
A half life passed, it's gone.
You say life is lonely
You say, brother don’t help me
Drifting out, but don’t worry
Painted ultramarine,
half you and half of me.
Come home
Brother won’t you help me help you,
please don’t worry