surrender of the backseat driver

With my feet on the dash
And an upside down map
I squinted and said
“its not time for this yet"
In disbelief now
"it's not time for this ever"
and the driver He laughed
“Oh you think you know better?”
still grinning and laughing
sat back into leather
turned the radio up
raised his eyes to the weather
and he drummed on the wheel
to the beat of his choice
drowning out the complaints
of my ignorant voice.

And He said
“Well it is.
if I say that it is”
I stared down at my hands

so small next to his
said half to myself "ya I guess that you're right"
So I just let him steer
through the fog of the night.

“So what are we all doing here?”
I asked
He smiled and he pushed back his hair…
“Relax.”
Said “I think that you know here with me you’ll
survive...
and dont you think after your life
you're alive?"

Stated not so much like an inquiry
cause Lord knows that he knows my
impatient worries
She saw at times life of the solitary
Is one thing
that she knew
she’d just have to
carry
cause round here you know
you can't lay around
and let the the things in
that just weighed you down
youve gotta get out
to shine brightly and grow
though things might get quiet
you're never alone
cause the company there
in the midst of a prayer
none other
shall ever
know.

hilltops of glory i now can see

circle outside right beside the hilltop
never thought'd this' how tonight would wind up
but here i see i am with you fine people

circle outside back behind the hilltop
a group of strangers share a little smoke and small talk
but then again who knows anyone anyway?

...well he said how old are you i said twenty two
he said you're a grown woman so what you gonna do
and the speaker she was thrown to speechless somehow

and i backtracked a step said dont ask me yet
been puttin that off awhile'n tryin to forget
that this grown up child has got to be a lady now

circle outside out beside the hilltop
group of strangers goin round and sharin deep thoughts
clouds and wind blow through the pastures near

circle outside just behind the hilltop
just a group of Gods children here to watch the moon drop
new friends now i see i held so dear

quiet old man with the white silver beard
he said someones comin and it caught my ear
and then he asked the young girl if ya wanna hear more

so i said yeah and he kept talkin
my mouth was shut and eyes a gawkin
cause through the silver came the secrets of the world

and i listened for hours...

sittin in the circle outside the hilltop
under all the talkin you can hear the rain drop
seems ive found a kinship here tonight

circle getting closer as they close the hilltop
night creatures sound outside of eyeshot
summer moon and stars give peaceful light

then another spoke up said your bodys nice
i blushed said thanks and I rolled my eyes
i said lets try not to make a big deal of it

since we ran out of talk we sang bobby mgee
and to my surprise they knew the words good as me
and to melody the harmony just fit

circle outside right behind the hilltop
none of us knew this is where we'd end up
knowin each other in short time that we met

i'm gonna forget me plenty of things
cause age it comes and holes it brings
but that night i learned this lifes sublime secret

oh yeah laugh now frat boy

you pinch em and you hate em
and you drive em to the brink
the dishes stack up ten feet tall
they rot against the sink
you think that cause youre rich
that you must have to own the world
you think cause who your parents are
youll always win the girl
but this girl sees right through you boy
she knows just what your worth
your bout as deep as puddles go
and only half the girth
youll own this campus corner
till your bout twenty five
then everyone will see your soul
youll cease to live the life
and no one will care what youve got on
and pricey it may be
your stupid shirt cant hide your filth
you never hid from me.

uneasiness never gets any easier.

dust a little bug
ever so gently from my shoulder
and i think about the things
that held me here and made me older
like how i belly-crawled
and hung my head
throughout the drunken dusty summer
sat beneath dim light at cheap old tables
made for me
to drink me under
but still i see it never quenched
that lonely lonesome human hunger
for something bigger something
wild
some way to keep me younger

and i remember why there never was a satisfying place to go

because theres too many other places that my bare feet want to know

and the feeling that they never will overwhelms me now it seems

cause theres nothing more ill ever want than to chase those secret dreams

and every day i pray they may fit in my bigger scheme

my scheme of things is murky but i long to see it clean

someday it will be clean...

i want to hear the voice of God and turn my stride to where it goes

i want to see the angels on the hill and stay the course that glows

i want to walk a new terrain thats made to fit between my toes

i want to taste the rain its skies provide and feel the wind it blows

i need to have it all around me let it saturate my skin

like wet around the catfish gills i want to breathe it in

because im bored of you im bored of here and boredom mothers sin

im going to feel the brand new loved one, have to find the brand new kin...

the weak gene

youre weak
so weak
for in your thoughts you sink
so much to offer to this place
youre drowning in the stink

You fill the holes with new love
draw the curtains on the old
i never see you round these parts
your warmth so fast grew cold
you cant remember when i loved you
cause you tucked that in a fold
oh it will hit you someday
but youll never break the mold