To a Brother

I gritted my teeth through the chemical haze
And spoke six true words of love
You laughed in my eyes
And twisted the knife
And painted my face with a dove

Release

My nails are frayed

My knees are worn

I wandered here alone

Alone I find myself with you

Upon this bed of stone

A bed of nails I built my dear

To rest a while in peace

To stop a moment for a breath

Inhale

Inhale

Release

In pain I seek my soul

In peace I find my golden charter

In life I find what came before

Is often what comes after

I pause a while on my mount

To lay a funeral wreath

For all the sorrow I let go

Inhale

Inhale

Release

I never said that I would stay

Only that I can't leave

For leavings in the coming home

To where you've never been

A breath of air of summers breeze

Holds all the light you seek

So lay your head upon these stones

Inhale

Inhale

Release

Origami

I met a child who's laughter pealed

Like church bells at midday

He grinned at me

And I was back

To where I used to play

I met a girl who folded space

Beneath her furrowed brow

She winked at me

And I was back

To where I am right now

I met a man who folded time

Like origami wings

He flapped his hands

And we were back

To where it did begin

I met a child who's laughter pealed

Like church bells at midday

He grinned at me

And I was back

To where I used to play

The Artist

The prettiest moments I ever did see

Were stained with the blood of a saint

Who dedicated his life to tracing

The scars of the world with his paint

From the gate of the forest to the grave on the hill

He stood up his easel and drew

But I spat in his inkwell and scattered it round

And where it fell a crucifix grew

So while they nailed him up in the cold morning light

I pretended that I had gone blind

And I set up his easel and lifted his brush

And captured that moment in time