Ain’t no place like America today
I’m empty
are you empty
I want to share my emptiness
with you
we could fill each other
with these feelings
we could fill each other with emptiness
until we feel full
I could move things around
so could you
we could change some colors
and the mood
until that emptiness
was the color of the new
and then maybe
we would be too tired
and that we would decide
to be good
Talking to everyone
I talk to everybody
like my dad used to do
always keep it friendly
don’t wanna be rude
wanna know how you’re doing
make the world less cold
something about the burden
feeling less of a load
I see life as absurd
with some moments of truth
health as a gift
will one day be yours
serious is easy
laughter is hard
implying generosity of soul
that some kill off
can I help you with this
I see you there
this might be the only
conversation I have
how about this weather
that president
how I miss my mother
I pay back the kindness
I travel to the local community college in Bronx once a semester to speak about songwriting to the students of Dr. Michael Rose. Here's a summary:
Life of the ****
I love your body
I made a map that I study
there’s just one thing
that distracts me from loving
ideas haunt me
they take me out for shopping
through imagination
stretching endlessly
tell me what you’re building
behind those eyes
come live with me
in the life of the mind
we go from the streets
to penthouse high
but there’s something
more precious by design
enough parties
enough clothes
can’t spend hours
talking about sports
give me a novel
or a film obscure
my mind’s got enough
junk to last months
O god what have you done
leaving us with
the pain intact
and our desires turned on
I see everything
I’m going numb
evil’s let loose
in every parking lot
and I hide
and I hide at home
feeling unsafe
in futuristic clothes
my desires stretch
for miles around
while everyone else
moves to higher ground
Lovely
You’d take every kind of drug
you don’t want to be involved
with what passes
as accidents in judgement
sprawled on the couch
happy to misremember it all
it was something it was
lovely did it happen
world calls without response
hammers in your heart
is there something
now gone missing
the love hits and dissolves
scenes make themselves up
and you’re wanted
in the back seat of a black car
