June 14: Wear and Tear (Assurance)

There's a way I need to follow
That leads to perfection
But there's those things that make me stumble
And flashes of light that are a distraction

Messages come over through wire
Have anything your way
There's nothing wrong with a little fire
Unburned is how I want to stay

Leading
May lead to bleeding
But that's part of the cross to bare
With desire to give up
And believe in blind luck
There's bound to be wear and tear
Yet I hear the Word say,
"The Sons already been there."

Yeah my feet get really tired
My throat dry's out
Hope fades like a worn shirt
All signs point to doubt

If all I had was strength alone
And no need for a drink
To feel blessed assurance
Solidifies the need to think

Leading
May lead to bleeding
But that's part of the cross to bare
With desire to give up
And believe in blind luck
There's bound to be wear and tear
Yet I hear the Word say,
"The Sons already been there."

Whether into the wilderness
Or the dark valleys
There are solid small words
As sharp as a sword
Encasing my heart
Reassuring you will never depart

There's a way I need to follow
That's bound to give wear and tear
But I know I'm not alone
Cause there's nothing you haven't bared

June 13: Rendezvous

In the pitch darkness
A flash of lightning
The distant rumble
Echoing through nights haziness
Wind passes through sleeping leafs
The clouds moan heavy with rain
The pressure drops
Thrusting pellets of ice
Through the hot air
Turning into water and falling
Wetting all surroundings

The peals of thunder
Grow louder with approach
Branches fall about
With the breath of night fury
Spinning into a circle
In the violent sky
The culmination
Of tension
Released
Explosion
As a meeting of two
In a light night rendezvous


Sometimes late at night a storm sweeps through. The storm carries tension that releases itself, and before you can fully understand what is going on, it's over. And there's satisfaction.

June 12: The Merry Go Round

There is no time to lose composure
Just because things are tough
And you believe you don't have enough
This is no way to act like one so unsure

We've all felt the hammer coming down
And the axe taking its swing
Cutting into everything
Friends, family and even our town

Too late or too soon
The pressure will burst your balloon

You fill up
And let go
Drown in a liquid
So you can forget all you know
Weekend to weekend
Five days for sinking
And being spun around
On life's merry go round

There's that feeling of being spun
In all sorts of directions
Stripping the armors protection
An easy target for life's weapons

Raise your glass past
Your stressed heads height
Seek approval from the left and the right
As if this is the way die should be cast

Never too late or too soon
For the pressure to burst your balloon

You fill up
And let go
Drown in a liquid
So you can forget all you know
Weekend to weekend
Five days for sinking
And being spun around
On life's merry go round

When are you going to get off
And take a good look around?
See that there's so many
On the merry go round
Spinning and spinning
Without an ending
And simply accepting
What they thought was winning

You fill up
And let go
Drown in a liquid
So you can forget all you know
Weekend to weekend
Five days for sinking
And being spun around
On life's merry go round


I think there's allot of people in my generation who've accepted this idea that drinking is the be all and end all. All problems are solved with a drink. How that happened, I don't know?

June 11: Twelve Years Old

Twelve years old
Inching closer to thirteen
Each decision more bold
Perspective unseen
Time taken by school
Eyes glued to a screen
Ignorance builds fools
Learning more ways to be mean

By their hands
Lead to promises
Shattered by instant gratification

As hardship gets harder
Life becomes expendable
The silver lined future
Now becomes unbearable

Twelve years old
This is what we've become


I don't feel like I'm that far removed from being twelve but then again what I feel is not reality. Twelve was a long time ago. When I think back and compare to twelve year olds now, I like to think that I had it much easier. Somehow, someway this culture that we in started to put the hands on the backs of twelve year olds and push them forward. I could go into how many companies have shifted their marketing strategy's to what we call tweens but I'm sure you can just take a look at Nickelodian television and you'll get the picture.

From what I see from twelve year olds I do find connections to those much older. The attitudes and lifestyles of adults are no different from some twelve year olds. I once had dreams about the future, now it's just too painful to think that I actually thought that way. Then again I do still spend allot of the time dreaming.

June 10: Atmospheric

From the top to the bottom
Shelves neatly stacked
Aisle after aisle
From the front to the back

Brand names upon brand names
Woven into the heart
From the voices that tell
You're nothing without a full cart

The speakers
Play a song
To move
The buying along
The end caps
Sell a sweat deal
To hide
A cheap feel
It may be clever
But it's all understood
As long as it's cheap
Then life is good

In tiny print
And small molecules
Many hands and machinery
Mass production tools

Cover with shades of orange
Red, white and blue
Is soda patriotic?
Do you feel hungry too?

The speakers
Play a song
To move
The buying along
The end caps
Sell a sweat deal
To hide
A cheap feel
It may be clever
But it's all understood
As long as it's cheap
Then life is good

Thiamin mononitrate
Protein concentrate
Calcium propionate
Disodium Inosinate
Artificial flavors


The modern day supermarket is a highly organized and designed place. Have you ever wondered why the aisles are the way they are? Why the fruits and fresh vegetables at the front of the store then the frozen foods at the end? This is not an accident it is by design. Atmospherics then help us shop. When we shop, we don't shop in peace. There is a type of coercion that is happening, all in the efforts to help us buy. Then when we buy do we even know what we are buying? Do you really know what is in the soda that you're drinking or the chips you are eating? Who's made it, where has it come from and how is it able to stay in some sort of freshness?

As our markets get bigger the further away we become to that which is sold there. Then again all that matters is price and not the consequences for that price.

June 9: Rain

Rain
Breaks the heat
Drops on the pavement
As in applause
To those falling on leaves

The dust of the earth
Now settle down
The grass intakes
A fresh drink from above

The rain that gathers
Down sewers to the stream
Taking with it pieces of refuse
That is from you and me

Rain that cleanses
Rain that provides
Rain to tear down
Rain that collides
On those whose souls
Are dry on the inside

Oh heavenly rain come
Fill us from the inside


When you are in a dry spell rain comes as relief. I'm not talking about a shower that lasts for an hour but the rain that just goes for a day. Everything gets poured on and stays wet for a while. That rain is refreshing, it fully satisfies the dry need. But what do you do about the thirst that comes from within? You feel dry in your soul and nothing seems to satisfy you. Most of us go for what's man-made and for a time we get some relief, but what about something that lasts?

I think there's a really good reason why rain comes from above.

June 8: Motion Sickness

Oh when will a thousand tongues sing
The song we're waiting for?
I'm sure we'll complain about it
Even though there's no need for more

With words like hallelujah
And the adjective holy
The concept of worshiping
Is traded for something noisy

I want
What I want
And I'll get it
Because I can
My needs
Need to be
First before anything

When the mass comes together
Far from reverence
The crushing of the symbols
Will fall deaf in heaven

All the colors can shine
and the right words be said
Still the mark we're missing
A movement that's brain dead

I want
What I want
And I'll get it
Because I can
My needs
Need to be
First before anything

For those who think they've got it
Cherish it with everything
Cause masqueraders are coming
To rip it all to shreds

Oh were is the best
That'll do away with the rest?
And raise a sweet aroma
That'll lift us out of this coma
And make our eye's see
That thoughts like these...

I want
What I want
And I'll get it
Because I can
My needs
Need to be
First before anything

Lord have mercy


Is this what the American church looks like? Maybe. I will say that these words reflect how I have felt about church in America at times. Sometimes being a part of a movement gives you motion sickness. I'm tired of being sick.