The Path

Does he reach for the Bible, the bottle, or the gun?
He was once like them, like you.
Now, he's on the run.
But from who does he run?
And from what does he hide?
He was once like them, like you.
Now he's faded inside.
And where once was a smile, and iridescent eyes,
Remain cracked lips forming a liar's disguise.
And in silence he drifts. They never heard his cries.
He was once like them, like you.
Now he's paralyzed.
But there are addictions to feed, and there are masters to pay.
He'll buy a song for a dollar just to get through the day.
And he'll sleep when he can, but it never comes easily.
For there's no rest for the wicked, and even less for the poor.
And as the days passed by he wondered, was he a servant or a whore?
But still he kept going, never slowing, desperate for that golden dream.

Nominee

It's not like this is unfamiliar
The technicolor madness
Screaming out to nothing
To no one in particular
We wait with bated breath
A silent prayer for forgiveness
For the sins of all that was once held dear
Jesus called
But you weren't there
You were lost in the silence
In the violence of solitude
The only place in which we can find ourselves
The nowhere truth on repeat
Turned to the maximum
Yet still we cannot hear
Distracted as always by the game of spilling blood
A different shade of red
Into vessels cracked by time and experience
Or a lack thereof
That can never be filled
And yet still it flows
Desperate for a salvation that will never be our own
Until the picture fades
fin.

On Karma

I, like most, was taught to always do good. Yet, I grew up in an environment that certainly did not foster it, save for the things I witnessed my mother suffer through for the sake of her children. As I grew, I took pride in doing as much good, while at the same time, all too often suffering for my actions. I became admittedly cynical, almost hateful. And I have certainly been broken more than a few times by those who think only of themselves. Those who I have trusted. Now, there are very few that I trust. It's truly one of the hardest things to do, simply because I have learned that most individuals will turn on someone in an instant the moment they see some personal benefit. This has happened to me more times that I can even remember. But the damage has certainly lasted. Now, I find myself in a position of envy of those who are capable of selfishness. I often find myself wishing that I could be that person who thinks, only of themselves. I'm not saying that I am a saint. Trust me. I am a man who has, on more than one occasion attempted the greatest act of selfishness a person can commit. I have plenty of my own mistakes and regrets to live with. But on the whole, I have always prided myself on my ability and my willingness to try to do as much good and as little harm in the world as I can. Still I suffer for it, and it's rare for me to have a day where I don't almost regret this very nature. There is rarely a benefit for the good, and even that which exists is far outweighed by that reaped by the selfish. I don't believe in any sort of god, or afterlife. I don't believe in any form of great reward at the end of the road. I only believe in that which we gain and lose in the here and now. And while it is easy to say that life is what we make of it, I believe that is only true to a certain degree, because there can be little prediction as to the effects of the multitude of external factors. "Karma is a bitch" is certainly a clever catch phrase, but it is little more than an excuse or a weak attempt at overlooking the truly cruel nature of the human condition.