It has me clinched it its fist,
The evil that covers me.
It marked me off of its list,
It has won more than victory.

I'm down on the floor.
I'm buried in emptiness.
I'm conquered for sure.
My chest filled with building stress.

Why am I tired and lost?
It just happens again, again.
And now I suffer the cost,
The pain of uncovered sin.

I feel like I'm already dead.
My breath is avoiding me
Because I already said
Everything that there is to say.

I hope that you understand
The darkness inside of me.
Now please just take it away,
No, I don't want it to stay.
There cant be a chance that
I'll keep feeling this way,
Just take it away.

I need a new place to land,
A place full of bright white light.
Digging my feet into the sand
Never felt so good, so right.

I want to sleep on your shore,
The waves sweeping over me
Until I remember no more
The ache of my agony.

But now its dark in this room.
It's hard to strike up a light.
Will you do it for me?
Keep it burning throughout the night.

Now come close to my side,
Take my heart, hold it in your hands
And remove all dirt
To give it back to the land.

Please remember my name
When I climb the last stair to you.
Let me enter into your glory
To claim you as my story
And to know that I don't have to worry,
Let me enter your glory.

Life's Not The Same, Dear

Life's not the same, dear
As it used to be
I'd fall on my face
To keep you near me
Things keep on changing
As far as I can see
Yeah, life's not the same, dear
As it used to be

We twist and we move, dear
As life drifts along
We walk in the hope
We hadn't got it wrong
So let's sing it together
This time-tested song
We twist and we move, dear
Our entire lives long

Life's not the same
No-no, not at all
Life's not the same, dear
But were in 'til we fall

Life's not the same, dear
But were in 'til we....

Politicians

As I have gone about my days I have had a recurring thought working its way through the twists and turns of my mind. See, it’s my first time to vote in a general election this year and I have been troubled about who to choose for President. See, just like many of you, many ideas and opinions have been pounded into my head by numerous people. One says “Vote McCain, he is pro-life!” Another says “Vote O’Bama, he will bring the troops out of Iraq!” A father says “Vote McCain, he will keep taxes low!” A mother says “Vote O’Bama, he will save the economy and give tax breaks to the middle class!”
See, I’m all for ending the Iraqi war, low taxes, and a healthy economy. I would love to see the U.S. having better relations with foreign nations. I am in favor of America. Yes, I am in favor of all of that, but there is an issue beyond that that hovers over all of the minor issues we face as a nation. The real problem is the division that these issues cause in our homes, in our schools, and in our states. Wasn’t it Washington, the first leader of this fine nation, who said something about not creating divisions in the form of political parties? Why didn’t we take his advice? Honestly! People have been advising others against political parties for a long, long time. It was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a man of the 18th century, who said “It is important...in order to have a clear declaration of the general will, that there should be no partial association in the State, and that every citizen should express ONLY his own opinion,” meaning, not conforming to the opinions of the political party. This guy knew what he was talking about, too, because the repercussions are very evident today.
See, because of these divisions on the national level we have divisions in our communities, in our churches, and in our own families. The community, and more so the family, should be the one thing that keeps us knit together, but because of opinions, because of differences, they are divided. No wonder the majority of students in the U.S. are turned off by politics! All we see is differences of opinion, division, and chaos created by the convoluted ideas and notions presented as to how this country should be run. Maybe the reason for some of our generations’ apathy is that we haven’t been introduced to and brought up in the atmosphere of meaning and purpose that our relatives have past experienced. Whatever the cause may be, the minority of us who actually care (and yes, we do exist) have our minds pressed with the decision to choose sides, to draw battle lines, and to fight against other Americans for what we think is right.
So after all of the struggle, all of the pressure, I now have come to a final conclusion about everything. Our job as Americans is not to tow the party line. Our job is to act on what we believe in and vote that way, and not conform to what others are trying to impress upon us. Our job is to do our research on who we should vote for and then vote for that person. It is time to abandon our silly ideas about government and political parties and vote for what we believe in. We are the ones who decide what the future holds and I hope and pray we make that future happen by thinking independently.

Within You by Ray LaMontagne

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

Love
Love
Love
Love

War is not the answer
The answer is within you

Love
Love
Love
Love