A restaurant, at the end of the universe

Courtesy extended the first invitation. 

Hesitantly, because I did not think I would fit in, 

I accepted. I ate and drank, made friends, 

Returned home full and happy, with the promise of a good year to come. 

Sadly I declined the next invitation

The work of the past year bore fruit 

In the form of obligations and commitments.

Luck and Kindness gave me a second chance 

And once again I found myself 

Among friends, new and old, 

Celebrating the new year together. 

It was black and white herringbone,

Names matched to faces,

The softest green tea I’ve been privileged to try 

It was prizes and celebration,

Counting to ten and two thousand, 

Finding an understanding in words a language away. 

It was a banquet fit for royalty

Served to regular people

Who work, play, retire, and wake up every day 

And the smiles on our faces 

The songs in our heads 

And in my car as I drove away 

With the stroke of a pen 

Or the click of a key, it ended 

That afternoon became a farewell

Ex post facto. 

I belonged, for a moment.

I smiled, for an hour. 

You belonged, for always.

You believed, and it happened

And it mattered. 

What’s to come, we don’t know

The answers, you don’t have 

The future a question 

The present is passing

The past is these memories

That reverberate across the universe

And remind me at least for now,

We are still here 

Illusion

 I wasn’t there from the start, I just got here 

Not running on fumes or on memory

No, I love who I see here in front of me

And your world is an ocean

I can’t swim

But you’re singing 

And it’s drawing me in

All I know is what you show

I want to want you I don’t want to 

Follow through 

I showed up late, you rested your head on mine

You stopped time

When I looked into your moonlight eyes

You live

You breathe

You move

But most of all you love

You’re an illusion 

No one can be 

Like you

Not even you

It can’t be true

But I just got here 

Lemons and Lime

So long sweetness, time to go inside 

I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye 

You’ll live your life

I’ll live mine 

Far away from you and everyone else too

Goodbye sweetness, everything’s on hold 

Business and pleasure it’s all been postponed 

And I know 

We’ll go back to normal but I don’t know what normal is anymore 

At least I’ve got some lemons and lime

Nothing could be better in these bitter times 

And you’re there on the line

Cutting the chaos saying go find the fine

And I wish you were mine 

We gotta wait some time

Goodbye sweetness, maybe just awhile 

I want to hear you sing 

I want to see your smile 

And I think of the day I finally see your face 

And when it’s here I hope that you’ll remember 

It’s 4 in the morning somewhere 

Let’s drink to the day 

Add a twist of lemon 

May we meet again someday 

Till then I’ve got some lemons and lime 

Nothing could be better in these bitter times 

And you’re there on the line

Cutting the chaos saying go find the fine

And I wish you were mine 

We gotta wait some time

Back on the road

Four minutes after midnight
I should have been asleep long ago
But I wanted you to know
I’m happy that you’re happy
And I’m wishing you nothing but the best
Now it’s time for rest

But my mind keeps searching for something  
Have I lost my way I don’t know
Gotta get back on the road 

You see I thought you’d ride the road with me 
Hair flying out behind us in a summer wind
We’d find the sounds that match to every moment
And stay awake till the sun rose to tie up all the loose ends
I thought that we’d be friends 

But my mind remembers the one thing 
Keep it in focus I’ve been told
Gotta get back on the road  

I always knew that I would fall
I still don’t know if I will shatter
I got lost in the details here front of me
But there was only one thing
That really mattered

Waking up in California
Sun in my eyes
Song in my heart 
Gotta go back to the start
And the fire of the phoenix is extinguished
With the waves that crash on the shore
I want this and nothing more

But my soul keeps searching for one thing 
Have I lost my way I don’t know
Gotta get on the road

Get back on the road

Perpetual Motion

I know you don’t love me 

But you want to know me

From the lines that you wrote me

I don’t understand 

You are so unlike 

Anyone I’ve ever met in this life 

You’re lead - you’re light -

I’m water in your hands 

And I have to run back to the source

I can’t stay

And you don’t need me

Don’t let me go 

You can’t anyway

I was never yours

And it doesn’t matter anymore

You are more 

You need more 

Tell me do you sleep

Or have any time to dream 

Between cymbal and signal 

And all the moments I’ll never see  

You’re perpetual motion

But can we find a way to stop

And freeze time 

When it all falls down on the coldest night of the year 

Get in it’s warm in here 

I can’t stay

And you don’t need me 

Don’t let me go 

You can’t anyway

I was never yours 

And it doesn’t matter anymore 

You are more 

You need more 

You never told me about the fire 

I love you for your freedom

I wish that I could fly 

1/1000

Walking through the city after dark 

Trying to forget who you are 

I don’t know where you are

I walk up to the bar

He smiled and asked me what I’d like to drink

I don’t care, I just don’t want to think 

He handed me my drink

His hair was just like yours

But no one in this world will ever have your eyes

It’s the little things

Bringing back what used to be 

Stolen memories

Walking through the city once again 

Hear the music from a far-off band 

I like the sound

I wander in 

He looks at me then he starts to play 

I meet his eyes and then I look away 

He sings that he’ll be true 

But he just isn’t you 

And no one in this world could ever make me cry

Like the little things 

You sang and said so soft to me 

Possibilities 

Here in this small town I get the big picture

You’ll never remember me, never come back here

I’m one of a hundred — one of a thousand 

To me you’re one of a kind

I need to get you out of my mind 

And all the little things... 

When the pieces settle

At some point I heard your song again 

And I didn’t cry

Or even notice that I didn’t 

Until I realized I sang the harmony

But the melody was missing

You nod your head in passing

And we walk our separate ways

But I remember you February fondly

Blue sweater silver sunglasses 

And I smile

And you come looking for me 

In the snow and 

I hardly see you there 

And you want to say hello 

So we stand outside hair whiter by the moment

Until I drive away

Time heals all and covers up the love that once was there 

But your voice on the phone brings it back in a moment 

Your voice and your name take me back to the time when it was just you and me and a million stars 

Dancing under a full moon in the valley

Swaying and turning like time 

But I stop and remember it’s over 

Remembering’s not realistic

And I hang up and go about my day 

Next year will be better now that I’ve let you go 

Next year will be easier when I don’t feel it anymore 

If it comes back it’s yours they say

But I don’t want it to be that way  

I let you go but I’m the one who’s gone