Upright

Another year to persevere
And help protect what I hold dear
So let me state this loud and clear:
I will not bow to fostered fear.

Systemic

You can’t sow
without a seed
Or ever grow
gouged by greed
With every blow
they make us bleed
Till all we know
is endless need.

Release

The roman stripes embossed
Upon that hammered clay
Displayed the awful cost
Of vows fulfilled that day
When the stone was rolled away.

The flesh was never lost
Transfigured like a ray
Of light, the Holy Ghost
Relieves what burdens weigh,
Once the stone is rolled away.

Deserted

As I look southward to a distant hill
A gaunt dryad stands tall and still
Enchanting me with unbending will

it’s creaky incantations call
In rattling whispers (thanks to fall)
And all my inhibitions stall

But I have never seen a sign
That there’s a way beyond this pine
So on I drive as pistons whine

With no one left around to lead
It’s pointless to reduce my speed
Approval never was a need.

'In' Version

Why do so many fail to see
Those who aren’t what they’re born to be
They clothe themselves in gaudy lies
When choosing their unholy guise
Deluded to destroy their worth
By he who currently rules this earth.

Confusing signals are received
By muddled minds, and once believed
Convince unhappy souls to trade
Their birthright for a gross charade
Reversing Father’s sacred will
For shoes that they can never fill.

Bust

You’re only called a poet if you spew
The narrative, embellished with cliché,
In front of phony, fawning traitors who
Will laud the scripted sentiments you say.
And if you help convert some fools you might
Be called a hero, head immortalized
In burnished bronze to symbolize the fight
That keeps the state forever socialized.
Although they speak your words with fervent zeal
Your comrades never truly understood
How freedom of expression helped you pen
Your greatest works that you cannot reveal
Exposing how their system isn’t good,
For you must lie when in the viper’s den.

Irredeemable

With every change of scene
The shadows seem to shift
Obscuring all the strings

As we attempt to sift
Through endless bitter slings
And arrows just to glean

If any truthful things
Are shared upon the screen
Or is it simply grift?

Stellar

We gladly face the fury of the sun
Impatient for the winter to be done
Oblivious to waning states of grace
The fury of the sun we gladly face

With open arms absorbing deadly rays
We brightly welcome longer warmer days
Enchanted by the seasons temperate charms
Absorbing deadly rays with open arms

A great big blast, and finally at the end
We’ll get prepared for coldness to descend
But cataclysmic outbursts happen fast
And finally at the end, a great big blast.

Offset

As the equinox progressed
Who ever would have guessed
That things could be so lopsided
Whichever way you lean
You must admit the scene
Is currently incredibly divided
If only love could sway
Those who have fallen away
Perhaps they’d be more open minded.

Unsupervised

They’ve created a world so fake it’s obscene
Unless your attention adheres to a screen
Then it’s inclusive, progressive and green

And now there’s an app you can put on your phone
That monitors meds and the thoughts you condone
But I‘ve got this hang up—my mind is my own.

Armor Up

Will you turn me in for telling these tales
My poor misguided friend?
I can only hope that truth prevails
Though it’s not the latest trend.

Please take the time to study things
You’ll see how much is wrong
And realize (although it stings)
They’ve lied to us all along,

And when you finally face the source
Of their immense deceit
You may don mail and join our force
That prays for their defeat.

Artificial

“There’s a big fat robin on the lawn!” he said
And then he finished his cinnamon bread
While hoping that the spring would be
Less brutal than the frigid spree
He had just endured.

The warming spices on his tongue
Reminded him of when he was young
And people were careful what to chew
Depending on more wholesome fare, but knew
Substitutions had occurred.

Flop

If failure equaled gold
I’d have too much to hold
But such is not the case
Though if it were best brace
Yourself for the market crash
My fortune flips in a flash.

Upbeat

I wept for the world today
Aware of the minor role I play,
I wondered what I could do or say
To resolve in a positive way

The progression of lies that I hear
Whose dominant feeling is fear
Inciting the mindless to sneer
Rejecting the truths we hold dear--

But the composer is partial to horns
And has a big set that adorns
A visage that haughtily scorns
The love of a maker who mourns

So I’ve got to pick out the notes
That silence the liar who gloats
And possibly even promotes
A joyful sound in all throats.

Rewind

You hear the first few notes
And though it’s been a while
That classic song promotes
The healthy kind of smile

As you’re transported back
To carefree summer days
A trip on a familiar track
Your happy mind replays.