The Lathe of Heaven

Bending, not breaking
Moving, not arriving
Learning, not knowing
Revealing, not showing

The path that is chosen
The way is begun
Each step for its own sake
Yet nearer the goal

Rejoicing in action
Forsaking desire
Give in to compassion
Return to perfection

Seeing, not wanting
Accepting limitation
Or fighting the unyielding
The path to destruction

Turning on the lathe of heaven
Turning on the lathe of heaven
Turning on the lathe of heaven
Turning on the lathe of heaven

One Who Trusts

Sometimes beliefs are shaken
That never seemed in doubt
And shields that once protected shut us out
We fear what we are seeking
And question what we feel
And dreams become a little bit too real

With scars from chances taken
And risks that took their toll
And wearied by the fight to keep control
I put my faith in no one
Lived by survival's rule
Pretended not to feel the pain so cruel

In moments that I see myself
Reflected in your eyes
It always comes upon me with surprise
I find things that are hidden
Where I never thought they'd be
Parts of you that are also parts of me

It's now so hard
To leave the part I've played
To have the strength
To right mistakes I've made
But one who trusts
Can never be betrayed
(Only mistaken)

Dream on a Winter's Night

Bare trees in the winter sky
Dried leaves on the wind
The cold of night
Defies the spirit:
Dare to dream of spring

Clouds of breath float upon the air
Footsteps creak in the snow
The heavy silence
Asks the question:
Where are we to go?

Long shadows and shortened days
Life longs to be freed
Sleeping still
In the frozen ground
There lies a waiting seed

Grey skies hang with leaden weight
On the cold moan of the wind
As each hour passes
Dawn approaches
Dare to dream of spring.

Get Out of Town

He said, "I been alone at four a. m.
With just a quart of Booze
To keep me company
While Muddy Waters sang the blues."

He said, "I've struggled all my life -
It's surely safe to bet
I've paid some heavy dues
I don't know why I can't sing yet."

She said, "I ran away at seventeen
To learn the way of Zen
But the bus station was crowded
So I went back home again."

"I've known a lot of sleepless nights
I've seen a lot of tears
And I might recall some loves I've lost
After one or two more beers."

In NYC or Vegas
We could turn some heads around
Be whatever life has made us
If we could just get out of town.

She said, "I've been around from here to there 
And places in between
And I know this crazy cat uptown
Who swears that he's James Dean."

He said, "You don't believe them dudes
On Michigan Avenue
Chicago ain't no place
For a good lookin' woman like you."

In NYC or Vegas
We could turn some heads around
Be whatever life has made us
If we could just get out of town

Betrayed

Swear that you believe
That we are right
That we can see
Thinking clearly
Paying dearly

The price
Is far too great
When we become the ones we hate
Stolen youth
Murdered truth

Cast aside the weight of pride
Open eyes see through the lies
Truth laid bare to those who dare
Make the choice and raise their voice

Victims in the street
Killed by you and me
Call our names
Bathed in shame

Fight, you only choose
The side on which you lose
Nothing sacred
Left but hatred

Fear, despair and rage
Destroy the ones they cage
Tear-stained faces
In hidden places

Caught, we run like thieves
Betrayed by our own beliefs
One last chance
Break the trance

Loss for Words

Too many things to say
Too many ways to say them wrong
When every word is open
To misinterpretation
I can't be sure each one's where it belongs

Silence fills the space
That's left when fear keeps words at bay
I spend each moment hoping
For sudden inspiration
To put what I feel into what I say

Language can't convey
The thoughts I think you understand
When not a word is spoken
It's still communication
The meaning's in the palm of your hand

Loss for words - I want to speak, but don't know what to say
Loss for words - How can I speak when you take my breath away?
And I don't mind waiting
'Cause it's time worth taking
When the moment's right I'll find a way

Time and Again

As two eagles
Circle a point in the sky
Wingtip-to-wingtip
And eye-to-eye
They go nowhere
Move no nearer
Close, but not touching
Not far away
Never quite coming together
Yet nothing can tear them apart

Denied feeling
Always afraid that it shows
Constantly hiding
What everyone knows
Achieves nothing
Benefits no one
It's only a burden
That won't go away
Never quite coming together
Too strong to be torn apart

One moment
The touch of a hand to a hand
The air is electric
A distance is spanned
And then parting
Courses diverging
The cycle repeating
Again and again
Constantly coming together
To see we were never apart

Time and again
Reaching out for a friend
Finding love
And the strength to go on

Let It Fall

You want beyond words
To be given a sign
But you're still unaware
Of what you're trying to find

At the edge of my mind
There is someone like you
Though I try not to love her
It's all I can do

If you look through a veil
Can you trust what you see?
Are you reaching for someone
And touching just me?

It's time to believe
And a chance for a start
And for healing the wounds
That have torn you apart

No one can be lonely
Without someone near
No one can be happy
Without shedding a tear
And that which we long for
Is the source of our fear
Don't be afraid
Let it fall.

All That We Need

Given - What's been denied you for so long
Maybe better late than never
But it's better right than wrong
Believing - That it never is too late
Is little comfort for the ones
Who've suffered through the wait

Taken - Time that cannot be returned
And countless lives - Do you believe
It's worth the lesson learned?
Waiting - While another life is lost
We know the price of everything
But still ignore the cost

Pointing this way
Planting the seed
One in a million
Is all that we need

Denial - Won't help anyone
But every step gets lighter
Once the journey is begun
Anger - Doesn't take away the pain
Have the strength to feel compassion
And there's so much more to gain

Wake up - To the truth within your sight
No one can pretend
That it is someone else's plight
Stand up - See the goal we walk toward
But take a moment to remember
All the ones who've gone before

Pointing the way
Planting the seed
One in a million
Is all that we need