Preach

There are demons at the door
And I think they're here for you
Everything you've ever feared
When lies become the truth
Hopeful that the son of God
Was punished for your sins
Now you meet your maker
Then life will begin again

This is how reincarnation
Is an endless cycle
But its your choice how you choose
To be Lucifer or Michael
An angel or a devil
Will determine what is next
If you live a life that's pure
Then you avoid a hex

Of complicated problems
That cause suffering and pain
You're a loner with no love
No shelter from the rain
A burden on society
From your own selfish acts
And when you're gone no one will care
Sorry but that's a fact

So listen to these words I preach
And use them how you will
I'm not you conscience or your brain
Your heart I cannot fill
These are tools that I have learned
I share them by my choice
Now use my words and augment them
We want to hear your voice

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Pain (Both Physical and Mental)

You left me hurting like I need another pill
But when I'm sober my bones always feel a chill
Oxycodone seems to barely kill the pain
But if I have too much, I lose track of my brain
And diet soda always seems to rot my teeth
They're falling out, revealing gum disease beneath
The ones that I still have are starting to turn grey
My jaw locks up on any given winter day

This is price you pay for not taking care
I should've saved my cash, now I'm losing my hair
Kidneys barely work, and liver always throbs
So pissed off at my lungs for not doing their job
When you get older, everything shuts down
If I was king of decay then they'd award me a crown
When you're American, this is what's normal
All the world laughs at us for being informal

But why complain, when I live in luxury?
Unlike the population begging on the streets
When I was young you had to earn what you were given
Now just for standing there they want a gold ribbon
Crime seems to be on the rise, but I still feel good
I never made the choice to stay in the hood
I'm just a product of whatever I sought out
I'm a product of risk and reward, not endless fear and doubt

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Plenty

Your tattoos are shoddy
The ink starts to run
A taste of quicksilver
Burned out from the sun
Loss of all pheromones
And blood on the street
Losing your sanity
Faith feels so bleak

Never before the asphalt was stained
Except when the rosebushes gave you a prick
Hell freezes over with seconds to burn
Then all your ideas now start to click
So many colors blur right past your eyes
Suddenly longing for more black and white
Future's uncertain while questions remain
But hey, you should be happy you still have your sight

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

An Angel's Reply (Unfinished)

Tell me what can I do?
I'm looking for the truth in your love
I've been sent here by God
To watch over you from above
I gave up my wings, to be by your side
'Cause there's no heaven without your bright light
This is an angel's reply
I wont let you die all alone

And his love was ancient
And her love was free
Their endless devotion
Will last for eternity

And he would move mountains
And she would climb trees
May their love last forever
Forever in eternity

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Story of Today

My brain feels like the earth sunk in the ocean

A never ending source of all erosion

An explosion of my heart inside my chest

And all my feelings stay hidden for the best

How you see my grievance come to fruition

And I starve myself to the point of malnutrition

It's intuition that I see inside my mind

And happiness that I leave behind

I scratch the itch that comes from open doors

And infections that spread to all my open sores

Whore myself to little bits for you

And if I fall apart just get some glue

Blinded from the broken glass reflection

My life is just a case of misdirection

Correction comes from all my past mistakes

If I don't feel then I learn to fake

You can tear my flesh and feed me to your young

I referenced it in every song I sung

But If my tongue gets quick then cut it off

I'll let you know if I have to cough

This is just the story of today

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Motel Sacramento

Bright sun, bright blue sky
A cool breeze that will dry out your eye
Feel the mist of the river nearby
On the road to redemption, rebirth, then you die

Curved road, cool to the touch
Windows down, not awake very much
Passing cars as you think about lunch
One more day until your weekend starts

Palm trees off in the distance
A perfect silhouette for a photo opportunity
Pull off to the side, postpone your ride
This is the only chance you may get
Let's all go to the Motel Sacramento

The sun sets, everything turns grey
Your sweat fades and your thoughts dissipate
Sketchy characters emerge from the shade
But you've got your plans in motion

Door locked, peek through the blinds
Faint sirens with red and blue lights
Another victim in a city full of crime
But this is the way it's always been

Telephone poles off in the distance
A perfect silhouette for a photo opportunity
Come out of your shell, walk around this hell
This is the only chance you may get
Let's all go to the Motel Sacramento

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Heatwave Goosebumps

Led me astray one too many times again and again
I see those streets are waiting for me to walk them
So absent of a mind with no compassion
Heart yearns for some sort of satisfaction

This pain will hurt you like no other that you've felt
Your smile sill appears when I close my eyes
Possibly I've burned too many bridges
I keep looking back, but I know I must move forward

Free form flowing thoughtless rants of repetition
All the crystalized resin has disintegrated from my brain
There's a slight reflection gazing back from out the window
Leaves have dried up and now become mulch

No victim, just a pillar under marble
Not a crutch, just a hopeful little spider
I walk endlessly for miles until I lose it
Since you've been here, my heart has been gone

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Feelings

Second guess, will I get another chance?
Why does my heart come before my head?
I'm so sensitive to the ones I love
Why have I given up my dreams instead?
I know this is not your fault
I only have myself to blame
The secrets that lurk inside my skull
Are rotting the important parts of my brain

It's useless to think I can dig my way out
Without hurting you like you've been before
To make myself happy is like amputation
Like picking at an open sore
But when I look in the mirror I don't recognize
The face that glares right back at me
I'm a shadow of my former self
Existing in a state of melancholy

Never been a sinner in all my life
Except when I don't do what's best
I'll go on living like a lobotomized patient
With hardly a beating coming from my chest
And yet, I'll be there just like I promised
But it's hard to think it's what you want
Like maybe you've settled to avoid past mistakes
And inside you're feeling endless distraught

Sometimes I think I'm afraid to be alone
But other times I welcome it so
The pain and agony of not knowing the unknown
Or enjoying being solo
This is a poem not meant to be read
But more just my thoughts pouring out
Don't take it so literal or personal, please
And don't cast a shadow of a doubt

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Trying Something New

If I had unlimited funds
If I didn't make the wrong choices
I'd cross the pond seeking adventure
I'd go anywhere in this world

If the sun was never rising
If our fun was always free
I'd shoot a hole into the skyline
I'd go anywhere in this world

If all hope has ceased to exist
If all the seas had turned to black
I'd be the only one out on the water
I'd go anywhere in this world

If I was smart, I'd be open-minded
If I wasn't lonely, I'd be there for you
I'd fill my lungs with salty ocean
I'd go anywhere in this world

I'd dehydrate in the desert
I'd freeze from polar winds
I'd slide down falling rocks on crumbling mountains
I'd stick to fresh frozen black tar
For you I'd give all my poisoned blood
For you I'd share a river bed
For you I'd wreck emotionally
For you I'd break my heart

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Media Mayhem in the 21st Century

We're living life through our phones
There are no seconds to spare
No more enjoying the moment
To take in this atmosphere
Our world's connected by cables
Plus information's online
And all these places shut down
If there's no trace of wifi

I've got a filter on my camera
I take my photos from above
And all my comments are haters
They've got no concept of love
But you can send me a message
And I'll respond with a "like"
Then I'll retweet your vine video
If you promote my website

Then we'll put links in our blogs
It's called cross-promotion
We'll start an Instagram account
That will cover this commotion
But the Huffington Post
Will hijack out profile
And we'll be in litigation
For a very long while

Then someone will imitate
And catfish a stranger
They'll prey on the innocent
Who've got no concept of danger
But when they find out
The truth in the lies
The cameras will be rolling
To uncover their disguise

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

My Mantra

It's tasteless, all consuming
But the stock market is booming
When I go off on a tangent
And those folks tell me to can it
I've got nails in my backside
I've got wounds that seem to itch
There's no words that can describe
When I seem to rip a stitch
Hopeless boundaries are forgotten
You seem to call the kettle black
Thirty thousand people follow
But you never follow back
My eyes are always sunken
And the days seem like a blur
I'm so tired of youthful clichés
So I tend to write these blurbs
But none of them make sense
Cause the world is under fire
I will lose all patience waiting
For the truth of my desire
There is no money to be made
And why buy the things that I don't need?
I've got a spirit that needs healing
To rid me of this disease

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Shapeless Figures in the Dark

We come from the darkness
We're here for your soul
Oh you don't think you have one?
Well give us control
The smell of wet dirt
And lives that are christened
We wont bury you alive
If you give us submission
How about dominion?
Leaders of light
Fear of the unknown
Blind from the night
Eyes that are empty
Not a word has been spoken
Your heart is in shackles
And your faith has been broken
Rest assured of our answer
And pain comes from within
We will punish the righteous
Then release you from sin

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Thoughts of Summer

Sometimes it gets so real when the blood starts pumping
Hurricane coming when the rain keeps dumping
No more wind storms like last winter
A cold front seems to be making wood splinter
Have you ever seen the sun hide as it has lately
Spinning clouds cover warm beams so greatly
As I sip on my coffee and dream of the summer
Small trip to my mind to escape all this bummer

Looking back on hot sunny nightmare
Darkness spreads but you're drawn to a light there
Lightning rod catches all your thought patterns
Shock to the system leaves all your clothes tattered
Bite your lips and feel your tongue start to swell
Who knew California would feel like hell?
Temperature rising like another forest fire
But nothing burns worse than a coward and a liar

Back to the middle where you always feel safe
Comfortable discrepancy is all it takes
Grass turns yellow and you can't use your water
Sweat drips down your brow, but you keep getting hotter
This is the time when you'll always remember
Counting down the days until another breezy November
Hat tricks, back flips, and other celebrations
But you love it outside with total loving dedication

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Untitled #02

Destined to be average
Destined to be plain
But I wish I was a savage
And I wish I was insane

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Not a hero, just a dude

You were a staple of my childhood dreams
A funny character that brings back memories
They paint you as a king of death and despair
Your reputation is too damaged for repair
I never looked up to you as a peer
Just a smile whenever you would appear
I'd collect your papers but never trade them in
Who'd accept such a thing from a little kid?

So much effort went into your style
The ads were subliminal but colorful and wild
When I close my eyes it's like it's '93
A little prankster busy climbing trees
Before the internet when people still talked
And if we wanted something we had to walk
Or ride our bikes with cards in the spokes
Yelling out curse words and telling dirty jokes

So when I see you again, I go back in time
Before they used you as the culprit of their crimes
You showed the world you can smile and chill
But now they got us on anti-depressant pills
They act like it's so much better now than way back when
I'd like to see them before social media then
There you were in all your glory
But that's just part of the messed up story

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Modern Day Martyr

Trash control like a modern day martyr
Sugar coated thoughts and bad fire water
Loose lipped terrorist plotting evil deeds
Encrypted messages fueled by caffeine
Amphetamine dreams stopped your speech in silence
More thought provoking than life on an island
Holy rollers coming with a notepad
Convincing you that a rebellion tastes bad

Teeth rot away but your brain is thinking
Excess fluid and your body is sinking
Depths of hell right here on in the city
Hold your head up high as things are shitty
Bombs away on your sense of morals
Rusting cages come from quarrels
Six inches deep cut into your skin
Pay your penance for a life of sin

Have mercy for a man glued to his TV
They sold him lies and he just can't believe he
Fell for the pitch of a greasy slacker
Now he dines on piles of saltine crackers
Four walls come down when the rain starts up
This whole damn system seems corrupt
As the land of the free is only free with cash
But we'll all burn away and become black ash

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Royale Rule

We've been through many feelings
And we've been through so much more
I'm anxious to see the future
What lurks beyond the door
There are many paths to choose from
It's all up in the air
We could live in prosperity
Or danger if we dare

You can never predict the weather
As a storm is always coming
The choice is to stand and deliver
Or hit the ground running
So many things flow through my brain
The dark and light and in between
I can be a peasant or pope
And you can be my royal queen

We'll rule the lands like the lord above
Or cast upon our iron fists
A plague more worse than ever known
Hard to believe it even exists
Tension mounts as revolution lingers
Can we be what they all hope?
I can't proceed without you there
As the weight is one I cannot cope

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Robot

I'm not from outer space
But I don't come from this planet
Every single thing I want
It's like I've gotta have it
I will swallow the earth
Like a giant from a novel
You'll have to build a machine
With more power in the throttle
The ocean waves that crash
Are like puddles on the pavement
Your firepower like pebbles
That cause my enragement
There's no hope for you humans
As you fight amongst peers
You're too busy not agreeing
To see me shifting gears
I've set my phasers to kill
And my fans on high
Who will be the first to run?
And who will be the first to die?

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Young Skin

Am I the only one who can see your self esteem?
It's so low it should be buried underground
You show your skin because you love the attention
But a sea of misconception will cause you to drown
The kinds of people who comment
Are the kinds who you'll never give the time of day
They're the herds of sheep waiting for their next idol to worship
But isn't that the human way?

You may feel the warmth of love and affection
But everyone gets older with age
And in a decade from now when you still don't love yourself
You'll look back on this time as a mistake
So I'd think twice before following this path that you choose
Because there are higher roads to traverse
Or else you'll end up being used and abused
And feel like you're stuck in a curse

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Freedom Never Existed in the First Place

So many people are afraid of change
I admit I have been as well
For the world goes on in new directions
A better future they try to sell
But the old timer's just aren't buying it
Not ready to give up the past
They perceive it as losing another freedom
But how long did they think it would last?

Their so called "freedoms" have been abused for decades
And the government they just don't trust
But if they wake up they'd see they never had control
So complaining and resistance is a must
They take away your guns, they take away your land
But it was never yours to begin with
You were born with the idea that you could do what you want
Though in court you can still plead the fifth

The constitution was written 200 years ago
Do you really think it still applies?
As we've seen it happen time and time again
The leaders in charge are full of lies
You'd be ignorant to think this is a conspiracy
As it's been right in front of your face
You can choose an ideal, or follow your peers
But the illusion of choice is much the case

So I would suggest you sit back and relax
As the world will constantly change
For better or worse, you'll have to move forward
Or the stress will cause you to age
They'll all look at you with a ridiculous smile
And pretend they care about your concerns
But beyond the plastic lies plans to forget
Your time has ended and now it's their turn

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

A Magical Place

I want to drown in your water
I feel your mist across my seasoned cheeks
The sound of pouring rivers get louder
I could freeze in this moment for endless weeks
Close my eyes and imagine the past is clean
More so than the waves of the shore
Rock formations covered in wet moss
Mother Nature's wild lioness roar

It's like music to my baby ears
Or African drums pound straight to my chest
There's something primal about this place
Something tribal more so than the rest
No urban concrete jungle gentrification
Just leaves and trees and all God's creatures
Leeches of the world have no place here
No corporate scum or religious preachers

This is where I'd be happy to die
Or at least where you spread my remains
But keep in mind when I've lost my mind
To remind me of this day

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Thoughts from Prison

Hook in mouth, reeling you in
To a den of debauchery and sin
Sensational pain with infatuation
Anticipating permanent vacation

Letters to home, sent from hell
A closed off forgotten prison cell
No staff in sight to help take care
And hunger pains are hard to bare

Six inch nails and rotten sores
Dehydration is what's in store
Paper blankets to keep you warm
Segregation will help reform

A world inside so cold and bleak
Haven't showered in many weeks
Dinners consist of bugs and mice
Welcome to your paradise

Hopeless cries all night and day
No help in sight, just soul decay
Victimless crimes lead to echoes below
Will the truth ever be exposed?

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Nightmare of Aging

Snakes and bugs, mice and rats
Flies and maggots covered in gnats
Things that come from nightmare land
Beneath the gentle playground sand
Strangers that follow every turn
But you never seem to learn
What lurks beyond in the black
That make the hairs raise on your back

You're so afraid to leave your kids
Until the day you want to get rid
Of them to gain an empty nest
And when they're gone you wish the best
But out there trouble catches up
They find the world is cruel and rough
There is no coming home to hide
Must stick with it and swallow pride

Children learn to be grown ups
And get passed all that kiddy stuff
Their soft skin turns to calloused flesh
Suddenly they're not so fresh
Wrinkles grown where youth once lied
Yellow teeth and droopy eyes
But if they learn to stay young at heart
Then that's when life begins to start

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Your Effect on Me

I love to be alone except when you are near
My mind was suffocated but now it seems clear
I used to find myself clever and witty
When I was living in the middle of the city

But my brain was clogged and my heart stopped beating
Too afraid to get a psychic reading
For what she may have seen inside
All the demons I have to hide

So you can never know who I was before
My feelings kept locked behind a door
With chains wrapped around till the wood was covered
Afraid to ever get close to another

And all these pages scribbled with feelings
Most of them painful, but some of them healing
I tried to move on from mistakes that I made
But constant reminders lurk deep in the shade

And come out when you feel careless and free
This is the story, everyday that I see
So kiss my cheek as I sleep, and dream about love
You are the one that helped me rise above

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Saturday Mornings

Saturday morning, driving down the road
The air is moist and crisp
Looking for an answer in the sunrise
Feel your fingers through the mist
Shades of orange and yellow shine through
Bright blue sky fades into green
You've got the whole weekend ahead of you
Just pause and enjoy the scene

Car blasting early 70's rock & roll
You can close your eyes and go back in time
How long will you keep them shut?
Before you return back to your mind
It's so easy to get lost in the music and speed
And wish that you were there forever
Like falling off the edge of a mountain
And floating down like a feather

This is the moment I'd like to keep
When I finally choose my afterlife
No more times of darkness and black
No more eternal midnights
Early summer Saturday mornings
Wind blow through my hair
There's nothing better than this moment
Except to have you there

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney

Untitled #01

So this is it, I can't blame it on you
You did everything that you could do
I'm so addicted to the feeling of rain
Soaking me to death, wash away my pain
And I will always run towards the storm
Anything that will keep me from the norm
I choose this life I lead, it's time to man up
Like a bottle of champagne waiting to erupt

Time has always been my enemy
The face of the clock always laughing at me
I'm the tortoise, and I'm falling behind
But the story says that victory will soon be mine
I see smiles in the photos, but none in the mirror
My teeth are rotten and I don't shed a tear
I made this face no matter what they say
Because tomorrow will always be a brand new day

I gave it all, I lost it all, but I have no excuse
It's been a long time since I untied this noose
And now I see the error of my ways
If I regret them then I will be the waste
So take my hand and we'll both sleep on a cloud
Here on this Earth where we shed all our doubts
And when it rains our sins will be rinsed clean
For now our world is just a den of relief

Copyright 2014 © Stephen Gedney