Simic and Williams in the wings... Bush gets the nod Huckleberry sings Pretty recent this one... reworked Some winters, most nights If you are traveling through – traveling through the darkness on a cold, endless – a cold and endless night and through the empty heavy – the empty heavy pitch you see a sliver of – a sliver of yellow light... don't be alarmed, it's only me opening the door, looking for you. If I am caught in – caught in the darkness walking on a cold – a cold and endless night I hope to see a sliver – a sliver of yellow light through the empty heavy – the empty heavy pitch and become calm knowing... it's only you opening the door, looking for me Some winters, most nights

aka Plutarchian Ruminations aka With Your Shield find myself lost back behind enemy lines head down ass down I promised them I'd stay alive but I also swore I'd do my best and rise (for all those brothers sisters) in any situation be it peace of war within and without and they cried – with your shield or on it I may fall when silence breaks I know I won't but I know I may so, carry me home on my shield or not at all...

aka Never Learned to Fly mama's boyfriend lemme have it lemme know no doing right in this life in his eyes lemme have it lemme know no wonder your mama hates you so and all them threats of to the moon and just my luck Just missed the bedpost rag doll hurled hard past sharp corners 1 room 2 walls 3 door jams 4 bedposts stone skipping off the bed fetal on the floor and think about what you did you stay in here he slams the door I never learned to fly at the sitters crying for my mom led to a room gentle hand in arm I felt her hot breath on my neck then she tussled my hair and she said everything is gonna be alright – I never learned to fly I pray begged for wings to carry me out the window down the freeway cross the ocean cross the moon but even if I sprouted wings – I never learned to fly and so, it's outta body I'm outta body nobody while my body shakes and shivers watching rhythms I don't know I never blinked I never blinked I held my breath I never breathed I never learned to fly... he cradled me into the water - now you know it's time to get clean he said... he went... then he... and then he... I never learned to fly... perhaps today I tried trying for his wrath daring him to throw me out toss me out like yesterday's trash sliding glass is open and inviting knowing deep down in some smiling place that someday one day he would push me too far too hard was all just a ballet – ballets made for moonlit balconies please don't ever say I jumped – but would have just to get away please don't ever say I jumped, please just say I never learned to fly

aka IRISH EPIC DRINKING story song aka So Raise a Glass Constance Maguire was a forlorn lass nothing ever good enough no one could ever make her laugh until one day she slipped on Corker's bridge and those that found her say that day the shallow brook did babble in a strange new way and that babble be her laugh so summertime when Kerry brook is right high and moon is shining in your lover's eye listen and you'll hear the bonnie laugh of a bonnie lass forlorn but not forgot... so raise a glass to this parted lass she may have jumped in all her sadness so raise a glass to this parted lass and drown our sorrows with some whiskey lads young Aiden McNaulty the youngest of 4 his three older brothers off n died at war and now that kings are calling he knows he must go but his mother is heartbroken and begs him please don't go I'm coming home mother I promise I swear echoes oddly in her ear she strains at the memory like she's heard it all before then comes fox holes on beaches bombs bullets and sand barbed-wire smoke for breakfast no hope black hearts of man instinct and training survival on tilt and yet another set of well dressed messengers leave a wake of wilt the flowers sure to come knocking on a mother's door a mother who attended 3 empty graves before she dropped to her knees for the first for the fourth for the last time heard sometimes boys can't keep their word so raise a glass to this fallen lad but save your tears for his mother and raise a glass for this fallen lad stop sucking in your lip cause we ain't been through shhhh... save our tears for her to cry and raise a glass to her boy that's died pt 3 so raise a glass for this fallen lad but save your tears for his mother and raise a glass to this parted lass she was forlorn but not forgot the day Aiden died for country and cause he held tight to a cameo smiling through clenched jaws at one young miss Maguire in profile looking fine as Cleopatra floating down the Nile looking fine looking fine like that sweet barley wine he kisses the cameo and tucks it away once more once more into the fray next to his heart his constant desire his last lonely thought of miss Constance Maguire and the day she tripped the corker stones she held so tight to a newsboy cap her nails drew blood like thorns McNaulty sewn into the band of the brim that same newsboy brown checked and wearing thin that same newsboy she hid under her pillow tryna hold touch smell some part of him if you know you know that same newsboy she had in her hand when she fell to the floor same newsboy screamed into when she saw messengers at his mother's door... so raise a glass to this lost pair last young love lost lost far too soon so raise a glass to this lost pair last in war we are all casualties or collateral

her dress dropped to the floor and I saw her silhouette skin glowing at the edge like she's traced in neon that starlight moonlight that fire in her eyes the only lights as she glides and floats past open midnight breezes and that fire in her eyes burning into me then suddenly her touch the rush holding my face hand on my chest soft hearts pounding and she breathed when I breathed then suddenly we're breathing together I ain't never felt quite like this before before I didn't know anything before the cool blue lights and my fingers dancing on her skin re – mem – re mem ber ing Hollywood hills and signs for dangerous curves now I finally get the joke anticipation breath quickened rhythms up as she slides the final garment down she stood there impatient not innocent for a moment but I caught the clue and rose to her pulled her close held hard in cautious passion and the moment silent held breath before the kiss mouths close oh so close soft hearts pounding and she breathed when I breathed then suddenly we're breathing together I ain't never felt quite like this before before I didn't know anything before and if I didn't know anything before what do I know now what am I going to learn to know to grow to unlearn to un-know to learn to churn with life to know hunger to know hunger to grow hunger to flow hunger to know I was starving before before I didn't know anything before so how little do I know now how much can I know how much will I forget so how little do I know now what did I know before now...

so I'll give you everything I have both barrels the whole the lot the last every thread right off my back to make you smile to fill that hold to fill the hole to make you smile my hands my head my heart my voice my calm my storm my in between I knew that I was never ever getting out alive so until I'm gone to ash and worms living is giving (given) life in service and sacrifice a life well lived we are all a social creature like barb said just people who need people but isolation disconnect overload abuse neglect here's a shoulder hey here's two here's a box with a lock my back my mind take it all it's for you my empathy my ear and most of all my time our most most valuable gift I given you mine... freely my time is yours what will you do... would you spend your time on me the way I spend my time on you.

not to be famous... not for attention... thank you for letting me share... and I hope something does... well I'm just trying to save a soul prolly won't be mine but maybe it could be yours I'm not talking some revival I'm not talking blood of lambs or any sacrifice I'm not talking deities or dogmas I'm talking making souls smile I'm talking making souls bounce and reverberate or sit back lean back vibe and recuperate and maybe resonate There'll be no laying on of hands just a simple hope to hold ya and not some magic incantation just loving touch that might restore ya tryna touch some inner soundtrack and pulling this one out the ether I'm talking making souls smile I'm talking making souls bounce and reverberate or sit back lean back vibe and recuperate and maybe resonate vessel in the verse and I am pouring hope care bear stares chocolate love and energy to cope well I'm just trying to save a soul prolly won't be mine but baby it could be yours I'm not talking some revival I'm not talking rules or regulations I'm not talking deities or dogmas I'm not talking pearly gates or hellfire I'm talking making souls smile I'm talking making souls bounce and reverberate or sit back lean back vibe and recuperate and maybe resonate

black widow intimacies can't help myself with all them beautiful legs that's not the way between the fabric and my skin testing the fiber of my fabric my friend slither tip toe 'long my spine 'tween shoulder blades and 'round my neck that's not the way up around and over my ear segments squeaking methodically marching that's not the way into the dark of my – that's not the way open gasping mouth – that's not the way clicking over my teeth – that's not the way vocal chords stung and paralyzed – that's not the way before sliding into stomachs for a nice warm swim and I want to tell ol' intimacy that's not the way to my heart.