Shake It Off

I’ve been living in greyer places

work all day with head in hands

and it’s hard to cover these thinning sleeves

stammering through the wet lands

I should be fighting back I never learn my lesson

when it should be sinking in

I’ve got new lines where I used to have curves

used to have brush marks now I’ve got slurs

you’ve got my attention

my attention’s all you’ve got

you’ve got my attention

what do you want?

some troubles are worth the bitter cold bite

mostly it’s a washed up ship

some would not walk out and others just might

I’m on neither side of it

I hate to see you cry

and I’m heartless to just walk right by

time, time like a steady old mare

time, time leaves sparks in the air

time lays out a map the world holds

time sometimes can be spun into gold

time sometimes leaves a mark on a chest

and at best, it’s a regular thief

here is to knowing you’ll find the time that you need

hands, hands are the start of a life

hands take you through struggle and strife

hands hold the moments the world can create

hands can bend and sometimes they break

hands withhold scolding fires and winds cold

and I’m told that they may even heal

here is to knowing, you’ll find the hands that you need

craving the subtle un-windings

of a terrible storm

call it a bombing or a brilliant save

over my feet and into my heart

and into my yard

where do you go when the place you adore

is no longer where you set it down anymore

I want an ocean of air on my skin

and a good gail to push me in

I’m caught on the line

(you ain’t never gonna get it / never gonna get it)

starless reminder on a burgundy night

everything in the world just stammers by

it can’t be irrelevant if it can stare you in the face

making you untimely side

making it all out to be something better than now

and back to the place you started out anyhow

beautiful moment what a pity what a sin

baring it all and still sucking in

when I was a young girl barely grown up

firey red temper in a paper cup

you could soak the sides and watch the water rise up

all the while learning how to swim

each town came with a small town ‘tude

don’t try to be different you don’t want to be rude

certain that nobody’s gonna lift up soon

it’s  waiting for your god given day

when you find that clear blue sky

come and carry me away

everybody will be looking up high

see that little hand wave

when you’re in god’s town the brighter it shines

everyone will tell you so

your thunder is stolen from under your feet and that’s when it’s time to go

you can search your back wonder how you got through

make up the stories you want

it’s still a hit and run and all for the fun of learning how to never get caught

caught in the centre caught on the side

do what ever will get you by

you’ll remember you were such a little kidder and a little bit shy

and hope it’s enough to get by on what you know…..

you don’t have to listen

at least not to me

it’s one of those days of contingency

I’m gentle with foot steps

I’m caution with fear

all on the out chance that you would be near

your mouth is wide open

you don’t make a sound

how do you figure

anyone around you can hear yousay that dear

too old for this child game

too young for this job

put it all on and shake all of it off

we want all of our purpose

to be less of a cause

heart should be in it despite any flaws

but your heavy on the pedals

you’re hard on my mind

when I look for you

you’re hard to find

hard to hear you say that dear

a melody broken

a harmony peering

out from the chaos

and suddenly I want to hear you say that dear

tiny steps to get your hands in place

push a feeling right against a wall

and try to cover it with white sound

push a feeling right up in my face

It’s a big deal

but what you gonna do?

it’s a big deal

but what you  gonna lose?

double digits reach for everything it sees

it makes you it double takes you every single time

rough tidal on a puddle in your play ground

you’re still the strangest thing that has happened to me

and when consciousness met it’s rival

i bet they just stammered into each others’ arms

an unusual meet and the kind of defeat

only the best way to sound out any alarms

send out a military heart in the place of the art

of love and the ship that it’s in

I am calling out over a tower of immeasurable din

it comes away only when it’s pushed away

something we don’t like to say out here on the battle grounds

it’s hard to live like you’re not wasting years

when it’s all in front of you twenty five times around

twenty five times around

a little like a hole in the head

a little like all the different shades of seeing red

carry on

I bet it was calm there in the centre of the storm

in the middle of it’s god-for-saken eye

but I just kept my cool this time

ricocheting out of place I forgot all of my lines

something ’bout growing up

something ’bout keep in touch

something ’bout all of the spaces between us

it’s a bit like have a cyclone follow you like a tail

and I swerve to try to deviate it’s rails

but I don’t want anything to do with a last regret

I don’t want all the thickened air to harden in my chest

always in a hurry

to arrive before you’re there

there’s a mess of wind and paper

you’ve got leaves in your hair

wishing will keep you wanting

it’s intangible this kind of hold

you can arrange what

you will of the scenery

this heart is open

this game is old

you are a map of every journey

you’ve got a key to every hotel

you look familiar

and this hand that I’m holding

I’ve traced the back side

I know it well

under a tree on a rainy day in Jericho

I came from one hostel to this out of the seedy city

vancouver is too big and I can not wing it on my own

but it’s quiet here and there’s telephones so I can phone home

I met William from France and he just flu in from Japan

he’ll be hitching on the highways looking for a big red balloon

I said there’s no balloons here if you wish I will share my red apple

he said he’d take me to France but instead I got the bus before noon

and its’ then you realize you’re alone until you hit East Hastings

there’s one in every town/ you don’t stick around to find out

and it feels kinda funny to be running out of money just by being there

you can get everything you want there but it’s not free

he Rockies are awaiting my arrival now on Wednesday morning

that’s 13 hours on a GreyHound bus

to heal the dents in my shoes

this country’s looking bigger every time I see something

that wasn’t there before

surely enough closing one, opens up a different color door

jericho you are so kind, you’re the first rain I’ve seen

and your beach is on my front step covered in drift wood

I shudder at the thought of leaving this part of the city

so thank you for taking me when I needed some peace