Snapshot I:

Produce vendors, flowers and
The smell of burning pastries
A man trips, spilling cherries
Peaches, plums and other tasties
Country music drifting softly
Above the humming of the crowd
A woman strolls her poodle
Past the sign "No dogs allowed"
A girl skips for ice cream
With her mother coming slowly
Two classmates turn their faces
Pretending they don't know me
I sigh, take up my sketchbook
And begin to sketch a face
As the mouth curves, start to notice
It's the friend I can't replace

Fairytale

SOMETIMES THERE'S A FAIRYTALE
BUT STERN COLD HARD GREY
REALITY CRASHING TO THE FLOOR
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
YOU CAN'T JUST SAY I HAVE NO HOPE
NO DREAMS, WISHES, POSSIBILITIES
INKLINGS OF CHANCE
I DON'T CARE HOW UNLIKELY.
THAT DREAM IS MINE
AND YOU CAN NEVER TAKE IT
BUT YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN
AND NEVER LET IT GO
NOT FOR ANYONE

I THOUGHT IT WAS A FAIRYTALE
A QUILT OF ALL THOSE LITTLE THINGS
TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BE TRUE
THREADS UNRAVEL, PIECES FALL OFF
BUT I WON'T LET YOU TEAR WHAT'S LEFT

SHATTER-SHARD-SPIRALING TOWARDS

AN UNKNOWN PLACE

WHERE DO DREAMS GO WHEN THEY DIE?
OUT THE WINDOW? INTO THE VOID?
BUT MY DREAM WON'T GO THERE
NOT WITHOUT DRAGGING ME ALONG
AND IF WE GO DOWN
IT'LL BE SOMEONE
TOUGHER, MEANER, GREENER
HARSHER, HARDER, SMARTER
WHO PUSHES THE PILE OF
HOPES DREAMS WISHES
AND UNFINISHED PROJECTS
ONTO IT'S FACE
IT WON'T BE YOU
DEAL WITH IT

AND BEFORE YOU TRY TO PUSH ME OVER
DOWN INTO THE GROUND
(BUT IF YOU DO, I'LL STAND)
THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN FAIRYTALE
IS IT THERE WHERE YOU LEFT IT
COVERED IN DUST, TEARS
MEMORIES, FRAYED AT THE EDGES
IS IT FALLING APART?
BECAUSE I'LL HELP YOU FIX IT
A BOTTLE OF GLUE, A NEEDLE,
A SPOOL OF THREAD, A HAND
ANYTHING BROKEN CAN BE MENDED
SEWN TOGETHER AGAIN
OF COURSE YOU DON'T TRUST ME
YOU LIVE IN YOUR OWN LITTLE WORLD OF LIES

YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A FAIRYTALE
A WISH COME TRUE FOR YOU TO BE
ON TOP OF EVERYONE ELSE
YOUR BUBBLE OF LIES
'CAUSE YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE
WHO STAYED BEHIND
LEFT TO LEAD, YOU SAID
BUT POWER HAS A PRICE
AND NOTHING WILL BE FREE FROM
BLOOD, SWEAT, TOIL
TRUTH THAT WE CAN'T FACE
SOME DAY WE HAVE TO

BECAUSE LIFE IS NOT A FAIRYTALE
AND HAPPY EVER AFTER
AND MAGIC WON'T MAKE IT ALRIGHT
THE WORLD OF LIES
THAT YOU TELL YOURSELF
AND MAYBE IT LIFTS YOU OFF THE GROUND
BUT MAYBE IT GIVES YOU FARTHER TO FALL
AND HIT THE GROUND ROLLING
THERE WILL BE STONES AND STICKS
BRIARS AND BRANCHES
THE STREAM CAN BREAK YOUR FALL
BUT SCARS ARE HEROES
AND SOAKED-WET, SHAME
SO YOU CAN MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES AGAIN

YOU'RE STILL STUCK IN YOUR FAIRYTALE
BUT AM I REALLY ANY BETTER?
I WON'T LET GO OF MY PARADISE
AND I SUPPOSE I'LL LEAVE YOU TO YOURS.
TEAR, PLUCK OUT, PUMMEL
IS THAT WHAT WE ALL DO?
I DIDN'T SEE MYSELF AS TRYING TO LIE
BUT DOES THAT MAKE YOU ANY WORSE?
CLINGING TO WHAT WE HAVE LEFT
WHEN THE WORLD SHATTERS US
MAYBE ALL IT IS IS A FALSEHOOD
WE TELL OURSELVES EVERY DAY
WE TRY TO RISE ABOVE OUR ROOTS
ONLY SO MUCH ROOM TO GROW
YOU DID YOUR BEST TO TEAR ME DOWN
BUT WITH YOUR WORLD
I DON'T BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU SEE
BUT AM I TRYING TO SHATTER
STAB, PUMMEL, BURST IT?
OR ARE YOU TRYING TO HELP?
LIKE I THOUGHT I WAS
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'LL LEAVE YOU TO YOUR FAIRYTALE
AND YOU LET MINE ALONE
I'LL STITCH THE PIECES TOGETHER
WHEN THEY MIGHT SHATTER
I'LL KEEP DREAMING WHEN IT'S GONE
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT FAIRYTALES DO
THEY DISSAPPEAR INTO THE NIGHT
LEAVE YOU HANGING ON A THREAD
STOP A FEW LINES BEFORE THE END