The Sun's Curtains

 

It must be nice not to have to worry

About certain things because those things are not yet

In your circle, or in your circus, of life.

I don't begrudge you for being almost grown in

A much different, sweeter place and time. I'm thrilled

By your unique circumference of fragile beauty in the

 

Ragged fields of stars, holding your own against the

Gods who rush upon you like anthropomorphic winds to

Drive you mad with desire or something worse. To

Still be beautiful inside when someone has deliberately set

The sun's curtains on fire around you is simply

Courageous, and unique. But my protection of you is

 

Made up of my own life's nearly spent words,

Words as deeds, deeds as songs, as actions sprung

From the only imagination I know, they are meant

To armor your thoughts, always with yes, not to physically

Carry you over the raging waters of whatever personal

Demon is frothing at the mouth over your innocence, but

 

For dreaming big enough for two or more together. You

Must do that all by yourself, no matter who

You are holding to your favorite breast this time. But I

Assure you now, and I want you to feel

This, too, that I'm doing this with all my 

Heart for the living, not especially the dying. I give you

My hands freely. It's not a duty. It's no 

Mere ploy. It does not mean you are less.

It's an honor. It means you deserve nothing less.

This is my way of accepting that happiness that turns on joy. This

Is my smile. They're sure to mow my place

Down to make way for the next new comer's buildings and cars,

But I won't be there. I'll be with you. 

And you'll be with me, no matter who is

Sitting across from us at the table. Now go out there and

Make a great big difference, make your own difference. I sing like this because

I can. I sang it all on purpose. And while I 

Was doing that, I heard you, loud and clear.

Bonus Darryl poem and Lyrics:

The Ashes by Darryl Price

 

It was a cold day, but we still

went outside to be with the world. This

was something we had in common. I knew

I belonged out there more than inside any

room. But it made me so sad to

see the stranger faces stretched into laughter and

 

oblivious to our close-by wandering. I didn't know

what you were looking for, but you seemed

okay with not finding it with me. I

wasn't kidding when I was holding your hand,

I meant it, whatever holding hands means. It

got dark on us, but I could still

 

see only you, I could always see you.

Those stars said don't be a fool, let

her go. The trees said come here and

put your head in our laps, she won't

turn back now. She's gone. Rocks wept softly

with their faces in the choking dirt. And

 

they were right, all of them. I guess

I've always been a good friend to the

urgently whistling road just around the bend of

just another day, wishing I was someone who

could feel something permanent instead of this deep,

deep lonely pouring of blue, but that's not going

 

to happen when it's never happened before. But

I've still got you with me, even if

you've already left me for another life of

light, light and more rooms of more light.

That's a thing I know, but I keep

it to my tired self. It's a knowledge

 

that no one else wants to know. They

throw it on their fires and walk away.

I'll crawl into the ashes later and look  

for any trace, any trace will do. I'm

a ghost in their windowed backgrounds. If you

miss my river, please hang up the waterfalls. dp  

Fire or Flame (Low Tide)

 

When you wake up in

The bad dream and no

One says a word listen

For your silver bird and

No one understands no one

Lends a hand listen to

Your best band even if

It's only in your head

 

I don't care if they

Are made of flesh or out

Of mists they have no

Right to scare you out

Of your wits oh no

 

When you wake up in

The bad place and no

One seems to care look

For another human face there's

Someone like you in there

If you wake up in

The bad land trust how

It feels to be in

 

Love it fits you like

A glove like a glove

We don't care if they

Are flesh or made up

Of mists they have no

 

Right to scare you out

Of your wits oh no

When you wake up on

The bad plain listen for

Your poet on the wind

Each song will know you

Like a friend extend you

The helping hand in the

 

Name of its godsend and

Show you another kind mind

I don't care if they

Are flesh or made just

From mists they have no

 

Right to scare you out

Of your wits oh no

When you wake up lonely

And lost be a companion

Yourself to those who suffer

That feeling don't abandon them

To a harmful reeling keep

Connected to them keep all

 

Your bells ringing for them

We don't care if they

Are flesh or made up

Of mists they have no

Right to scare us out

 

Of our wits oh no

When you wake up in

The bad funk and no

One is around listen for

Any natural sound coming right

Up out of the ground

You'll be found on the

path again you're not sunk

chorus