Kaleidoscope

We lie in the ruins of this city
Alive, though we don't know for how long
And we lift debris off of our bodies
And we can't pin down where thing went wrong

I dig through the rubble for survivors
But find only bodies, black and fried
Remember their names - stare at the faces
But try not to look them in the eyes

And the light has died tonight
There's a sheet of fog above a sea of smog
Keeping the bloodstains out of sight

It's down to the six of us plus nothing
But tattered and torn clothes on our backs
Tomorrow was going to be a cookout
But shattered are dreams and plans like that

'Cause now all the meat's well-done and crunchy
And we like our steaks medium-rare
Though if you like em smoked, you might be lucky
'Cause we need a mask for this black air

I guess we're gonna starve tonight
Unless we find some food that we can hope to chew
We might be dead before the light

Ruins

My bike was stolen last night. I'm pretty pissed off about it. Writing this helped a bit.

Just last night, deep in the dark
Around 3 AM, here in Lincoln Park
While I was soundly sleeping, quite unaware,
You snuck up to the building in the frigid air
Maybe it was impulse, maybe calculated
Maybe it was just convenient, maybe it was fated
But you pulled your wire-cutters from your tattered pack
And with a single simple snip, my bike was stolen fast

And though the rage this morning fills me to the brim
And I'm wishing you would suffer for your deadly sin
I want to keep my faith in the good will of man
And I'm groping for excuses, doing all I can
Maybe growing up, you had a violent dad
Who would drink and hit you hard whenever he got mad
Maybe all your suffering internalized 
And the innocence and empathy inside you died

Maybe you are suffering from a crack addiction
And you need to sell the metal just to get your fixin'
Maybe you were running from a hitman's shots
And you needed to escape before things got too hot
Maybe you mistook me for a high school thug
Who tortured you and squashed your ego like a bug
And eager for revenge, you saw your chance to prove
That if you try to fuck with karma, you will end up brusied

I'd really love to think that you are not to blame
That we're both pawns of circumstance inside this game
But deep inside my gut, I feel the anger grow
And if our paths do cross again, I'll let you know
You probably will never once consider me
Just another nameless victim in an endless sea
But I will not forget you, and if I'm in luck,
The chain will snap and you'll be splattered by a truck

Pawns Of Circumstance

Foggy city, I'm sleeping in
Dreaming of places that I've never been
Work nights now, all the time
Stay within the limits, draw between the lines
Foggy city, take off the sheets
Let me see the sun and let me feel the heat
I think the population's had enough
When Winter's over, come and wake me up

Hey, hey, 
And I've got nothing to say
But I'm still singing
The sky is grayer then gray
But the bell's still ringing

Chug coffee like it's all I need
Feel it in my veins, absorb the energy
Stare blankly at the streets below
Where are the people going - I will never know
Oh, oh
They scamper round, looking for food to eat
Promptly forgetting evey face they see
I want to ask them all why they avert their eyes
But I can't work up the courage - We're the same inside

Hey, and I've got nothing to say 
And neither do you
But we're all talking away
It's all we do
And my butts will clear up someday
When we need em least
But right now, I'll sleep the morning away
'Till the cold has ceased

Foggy city, I love you so
But get your act together 'fore I have to go

Foggy City

Where I Belong

Boxes

Lakeside

Everything's slowing down and I am watching the 
World as it spins around and I am thinking it's 
lonely lately
But it's not so bad
Nothing can heal the pain except a dosing of
Time, as it burns away, and I am mostly okay
I can get through the day

Now that we 
Stand on our own two feet
We'll find our way

I still think of her every day, but all the thoughts are 
Beginning to slowly fade, and there's not much to say anymore
But my door is always open
And should our paths intersect, a year or three from now,
We can both sit, reflect, and laugh together just like we used to
We knew
Our days were only numbered

And we will be 
The best that we can be
Now that we're unencumbered

Mostly Okay

As the sun starts to set on the water
We watch as the fireworks blow
All of our gazes drawn upward
Toward this magnificent glow

And I know that we
Are exactly where we need to be
And we dance and sing
Celebrating what life has to bring

We've found something far brighter than fire
And it's filling our hearts to the brim 
It's been there all our lives, sometimes hidden inside
And out here, we can let it take wind

Insecurities
Incinerate into the breeze
And the stars all stare
At the bright beauty that's filling the air

And out here tucked away in the forest
Our laughter and cheers out of range
Of the rest of the world, we all twist and we twirl
How strange that this could seem so strange

So take my hand
Even though we don't quite understand
Let the fire burn
Let it melt away all our concerns

Burn

This ball of hate
Will dissipate
This sense of fear
Will disappear
Away from here
A fresh, clean slate
Start up the moving van 
Let's take
All of the things 
That bring us joy
Oh, we will bring
Each shiny toy
And leave the rest 
Out in the street
Next to a sign that 
Says it's free
It's free 
It's free
As the sea
And we will be
Happy

I know, the winter
It was rough
Clouds all turned black 
Ground opened up
And sucked the light
From every day
A vampire feasting
On its prey
But there are better 
times ahead
Just let the sunshine
Pierce the dread
And hold on tight
'Cause it will be
A few more weeks
until we're free
We're free
As the breeze
And the leaves on the trees
And we will be 
Happy

Shiny Toys

Hey there. 

My name's Austen. I write songs.



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