LAKESIDE

moonlit night
shines so bright
shimmering ripples of a lake
like a crazy fire fly's flame
dancing around in disarray
the trees peacefully sway
people talk to a friendly ear
while an acoustic guitar echos near

© 2001, 2007 thomas bates

CHALK DUST

take away all that i am
take it away from me, You can
i no longer deserve to hold on and to keep
this person, i no longer want to be
erase my soul
make me whole

© 1997 thomas bates

WORDS AND TEARS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT

what can we be proud of?
how can we live on?
tears of frustration and regret
how can we ever forget?
years of pain
what did we gain?
nothing except lessons of how to avoid certain issues
yet barricades do eventually fall and you're faced with "you"
you run and don't stand
many voices behind your back
ramble, ramble, ramble, ramble... on
keep putting the blame on someone
tear down someone to justify the means
yet you're the instigator to this attack on self-esteem
fear is a mind killer
become a fallen broken pillar
to accomplish something, you might never know
till someone hits you upside the face and shows
a diary of painful experiences
is a glimpse of life's lessons
to teach discipline and self-will
then fear can be killed

© 1997 thomas bates

CHANGE OF VIEW

who am i?
who do you see?
when you pass by the room
do you look inside for me?
do you intend to see me?
or is it coincidence of a chance glance
i look but what do i see?
curiosity
but... is it curiosity?
or did curiosity kill the cat this time
i become one with the surroundings
a blur to your passing eye
a blend of colours
why look if only do we look for a change of view
change of environment and atmosphere
passing eyes never to meet
passing eyes that need
a change of view

© 2000 thomas bates

SUNSET BEACH

the breeze is cool on my skin and smells of salt
palm trees dance to the gentle wind's rhythm
seashells give out a rainbow of many colours
onto the beach there quietly unfolds the water
a lonely boat is anchored to the love of fishing
seagulls fly away to nest away their dreams
the sun is swallowed up by the sea
checking out from turning around the earth and us

© 1994 thomas bates

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

A FRIEND IN ME

peace be still
to hurt isn't my will
stay here in my arms
stay here where there's no harm
i can clothe you in security
to be safe is to be here with me

© 1997 thomas bates

#28

her eyes twinkle at me
green of the colour of the sea
blue swallows me
she hides inside of me
i will guard her from all wrong
she is in my heart strong
i am grateful for being her friend
but where shall i stand in the end

© 2004 thomas bates

PEACE THROUGH SORROW

through the doorway they look
something has happened... something is wrong
an empty seat all alone amongst the crowd
the silence from it was very loud
a whisper repeats a phrase of sorrow
"just like a vapor... here today... gone tomorrow..."
a teacher crosses out a name
and life scratches out a face
but out there seeing life in full understanding in God's grace
there is a new and deathless face, but the same old name

© 1996 thomas bates

#27

crawling through the ears
sneaks the aural snake
until it sinks in its teeth
the pounding of the beat
of the ancient tribal spirits
breaks through your skin
slowly pouring in... mixing in
the infusion of the blood burning intense
gives birth to a new breed
the beat drones
slipping you into a coma

© 2004 thomas bates

FLEETING GLANCES

love is not for me
but i want it so much
when will i stop hurting
when will i stop searching
when will i stop searching those eyes
those eyes of avoidance
when will there be a connection
an exchange of greetings and a smile
instead i see nothing
i get nothing in return
and i keep walking
alone

if they only knew

© 2004 thomas bates

SHE'S A BEAUTIFUL FACE

my heart is a room with doors all around
there's no key to that special one i have found
where there was love is now nothing but thin air
i stopped my hands from moving and looked everywhere
i thought i found a love to take me out of this place
someone that i enjoy, but she hides away her face
she's a beautiful face, but it all falls down
and i am left with spinning horizons all around
she's a beautiful face
don't let her get away

i'm all alone, because of one little conversation
i look up, but where's my gaze's destination
my love is gone and the sky has a sorrowful hue
but i see someone, and i finally can get over you
she's a beautiful face
don't let her get away

does she know how much she means to you
then why does she avoid the ever present issue?
does she see you walking around?
what's in her heart, will it slip out?
does she see you late at night,
when she lays her head and shuts her eyes?
what will happen when she opens her mouth?
what will the words be when they come pouring out?

what she doesn't know, would she know now?
what she doesn't feel, would she feel it somehow?

© 2001, 2007 thomas bates

THE COMING OF THE WHALES

a winding road near the edge of the cliff
leads to the house of a man named jim
sitting all the way on top above the ocean
jim enjoys living up there with his woman
at night, she looks out for him
he is a sailor and loves to fish
he will be gone for awhile with full sails
she knows he'll be back with the whales

© 1995, 2007 thomas bates