Spirit


spirit

one word from you and i'd walk a little taller
one touch from you and i couldn't quite remember
where the hell i'd been

i'm not sure when you turned
i'm not sure when you changed your mind
i swear you've broken my spirit for the last time

was a slippery slope, i lost my faith and hope
i tried to make the best sense of your madness
just think about the competition you beat out
to be my greatest living source of sadness

i'm not sure when you learned
that you could tear me down to keep me in line
i swear you've broken my spirit for the last time

i know it'll get better
every day a little less oppressing
every night a little more peaceful
and tomorrow might finally be a blessing

i'm not sure when you turned
i'm not sure when you changed your mind
i swear you've broken my spirit for the last time


stay

it's too easy obsessing on beginnings and ends
it might be perspective and it might be pretend
memory is selective enough
when there's tough ground to gain
flowers and fresh dirt

and at some point belief starts to feel more like blame
not always easy to recognize
that from the cheap seats it's easy to criticize

my eyes back over my shoulder
they say bad things come in threes
and me, i'm two up and two down
and i think it's best i stay in

it's easy obsessing about the ones that you miss
and given enough time it's too long a list
is that rain in what's left of my hair
is that the sun on my face
flowers and fresh dirt

at some point belief starts to feel more like blame
it's not always easy to recognize
from the cheap seats it's easy to criticize

eyes back over a shoulder
they say bad things come in threes
and me, i'm two up and two down
and i think it's best i stay in

eyes back over my shoulder
they say bad things come in threes
and me, i'm two up and two down
and i think it's best i stay in


mistake

i never had any doubt i could go the distance
first to admit where i tripped wondering
if it'd make a difference

live and learn and enjoy what you can
head for the hills when you need a new plan
stay too many years and then understand
you're not gonna fix that mistake

time doesn't heal all wounds, it's better than friction
think what you want but i no longer need
your description

blame your past for the way you proceed
destroy what you want and keep what you need
look in the mirror and like what you see
you're not gonna fix that mistake

i hope you took some time absorbing and reflecting
direct, rude, open and honest
are not always the same things

not gonna get any rest
missing a couple of decades at best
nothing left to get off my chest
i'm not gonna fix that mistake


trip

a travel journal several days
collected rocks and bought key chains
the royal gorge a bridge to cross
and fed the mule deer at the park
snowed in flat tires alternator light
hot chocolate at the great divide
grand canyon our car stuck in a ditch
and a crater where a meteor hit

how can i count from now till then
a trip i took when i was ten

i stood in four states at one time
a desert that was painted
and a forest that was petrified
and caverns nice and cool inside
horseback riding skillet fed
a dude ranch jail a tall bunk bed
we climbed on an enchanted rock
and weren't sure when we'd found luckenbach

how can i count from now till then
a trip i took when i was ten


let go again

could have been healed by now
could have been strong
checked in with reality and moved right along

a pound of good intention
a ton of way too late
the illusion of control
when you thought you were awake

don't raise your hands to me
don't raise your hands to me

i've taken my sweet time
it's just who you are
i've taken my sweet time again
to let go again
and let go again

initially encompassed
it sort of evolved
went straight into the ground when the world revolved

call it a memory
know it's a joke
slow on the uptake from the moment you spoke

don't take your hands from me
don't take your hands from me

i've taken my sweet time
it's just who you are
i've taken my sweet time again
to let go again
and let go again

don't take your hands from me
don't take your hands from me

 

© 2007 John Lowe.