FALL ON THE LAWN

burning eyes
no one sleeps tonight
must keep on
till someone has won
weird conversation
eyes bring questions
candlelight till dawn
when will we fall on the lawn?

© 2003 thomas bates

DARK STAR

music drones through the speakers
no one can be found laying at rest
out here people join the acid test
mister, mister... with your funky guitar...
don't break the beaker
bearded one of the old and weary
you sing not of love, but of lonely journeys
you claim death is your friend
but he became your enemy in the end
there was a time where you sought refuge from the storm
but when death finally caught up with you there was no war
oh bearded one of the old and weary
you sing not of love but of the lonely, hard journey

© 1995 thomas bates

THE BOLSHEVIK COMMUNION

starvation, skin covered skeletons
eyes laced with ambition of freedom
throats and stomachs dream of life's seed
many people line up for faded dreams
money and power in the hands of tyrants
a civilization is choked by their famine
bullets ring out for land and food
but when there is silence, there is doom
explosions are heard all through the land
in the fields, streets and homes lay the dead
swollen bodies are found here
the tyrants do not shed any tears

© 1996 thomas bates

EXPLOITATION

i'm a deer in your headlights
evaluating my life as you see me
but i missed myself by a mile
as you would hit me with your eyes closed
and my pride is smeared all on the road
laying there with the other parts of my life you obliterated

© 2002 thomas bates

THE HEART OF A YOUNG MAN

softly, mother spoke to her child
she told him to stay awhile
serving milk and cookies to kill his pain
and sent him out to play till there was no more day

father broke his son's first mitt in
threw him a fast ball and a spin
but never did he miss anyone
he felt so much pride for his dear son

outside on the street
a boy tries his best to beat the heat
he's all alone
he's got no home
life was good in the past
till he lost his mom and dad
but in his heart, he's glad
for in there, they are not dead

throughout the years
there were some tears
but the love still goes strong
in the hearts of our young

© 1996 thomas bates

FLOOD SIGNS

dripping
slipping
drowning
groaning
losing consciousness
into oblivion
save me
sinking
deeper
deeper
sleeper
sleeper

© 1997 thomas bates

RIPPLES

quietness of the serene
angel of mercy watch over me
guard me with your love
shining down on me from above
ripples in my soul
floating out of the window
into empty spaces
leaving behind no traces

© 2003 thomas bates

#29

many words through many years
many words brought many tears
i write to release my inner demons
to get rid of them before i enter heaven
i am still not perfect... never will
but in the end, i want perfection still
i won't stop till i reach my goal in the end
but it is an everyday struggle in my head
i write questions but to whom will lend an ear to little me
i write questions to my thoughts which are bastard seeds
planted in my head to grow fear and doubt
but i will not give in and i will never fall out

© 2003 thomas bates