Explorer
I.
You are a fire in the snow
all bright hope consumed by change
a fleeting brilliance in the energy exchange
receding quietly to white and grey
we walk for miles among the graves and stones
recite the words that have been said before
human waves, unbroken chains of victory
...defeat...
these are the stories that were told to me
these are the songs that I will sing for you
here is the path and there is the moon
You decide
We move with purpose in a single file
along a road into the earth, or sky
Promise and purpose; sisters of futility
they sing their songs and you must not listen
you must put first one foot before the other
we must destroy the thing that stands between us
we've many songs to sing before the sleep will take us
...This way...
across the ice and through the barren plain
the sun and moon and stars and then the sun again
some decide that fortune hides
where sages say
that madness lies
First rays of light across the eastern sky
a winding path along a rocky shore
you take in a view
a broad, gleaming bay
a ship in the mist
and a light on the shore
II.
Even now distant home awaits us
As the ships depart you must know
The stars above will guide all of our
Colony in tow
See our soldiers strong and brave
Sturdy ships with which we'll forge
A way is clear, should doubt appear
or incandescent fear
Carry on, proud standards waving
Stirring fierce ambitions of a
Brave new world, banners unfurled
We'll seize the seven seas
So we carry on...
Touching ground, we kiss the ashes
Time at hand to take what's ours now
by steel and blade, or masquerade
Or ambassadors of trade
III.
Before there were legends
there were the titans
Prometheus and Epimetheus
Tall as skies, fire eyes
And teaching all the animals
From the red earth
At his father's command
Did Hephaestus make Pandora
Curious and spurious, a gift behind a lock and key
Wouldn't she want to question why?
It's not a question of do or die
Wouldn't he want to set her free?
Just think of what this world might see
And she looked high at the sky so far away
What can be said in defense of a hero?
Our unlikely Epimeheus
A brother's bane to soothe her pain
Wnwittingly and fittingly
Life is a lesson and pain is a virtue
Hear Pandora's mocking laugh
Free as the sky, she's still alive
Spreading the apocalypse
Wouldn't you ever wonder why?
There's no escape, all men must die
And she looked high at the sky so far away
What if he never set her free?
Such shapely forms we'd never see
And now these eyes can never look away
IV.
I've done the math
I've done the math enough to know that nothing good can ever really come of this
And now i know
And now I know that those I thought my freinds were only ever my aquaintances
And now I know
Today I'm turning I'm turning a new leaf
Today I'm burning I'm burning the old me
Today I'm leaving the things that I don't need
Way too many words
You swear a lot of things and I will grant to you that some of them are even true
But I don't care
You heard me right
I don't care and I won't waste my time in trying to determine how to spot a fake
can you relate?
I see your yellow ribbon hair
and pavement reaching out to meet the rain
It's not that I'm indifferent to your pain
But I'm a creep and I don't care
I've done the math
V.
Better than you, better than you
Everyone knows, wherever she goes
She's better than you
It's the littlest thing
but it brightens my mood
Wherever she goes, everyone knows
She's better than you
Once there was a time
When people like you and I kept promises
That was then and this is now
Look at all the damage you can do to a man
discarded and scorned, as if he was a broken toy
The nerve!
Smarter than you
Prettier, too
Everyone knows, wherever she goes
She's smarter than you
Better than you
Better than her, too
I think that I know that the knife cuts the other way, too
I like to think I am an honest man
I like to think I'd have the sense to just walk away
But somewhere sometime the stars will align
and there in the light of the moon you're gonna cross my path
And we'll see...
VI.
Last night I said I was at Alton's
you know, that wasn't strictly true
And you won't hear this from your girlfreinds
I'm sorry I've been cruel to you
Honey I know
I said I would treat you right, I did wrong
And that's all
I could have found the strength inside to hold on
I let go
And It's all my fault but one thing is true
I love you
And I'm waiting on your blue sky
I guess there is no way around it
This life is empty without you
And I'm hoping that it's not too late
It was a big mistake
But it's all true
To swim in a clear blue sky
Tonight
And I know I can't turn the clock back
So I'm asking you to cut me slack
I'm so sorry I've been cruel to you
VII.
Early summer 1943
27,000 feet
flying over the German coast
to strike hard where it hurt the most
We were the fist of the combat wing
the 91st and David's Sling
Shining over the clouds below
flew the mighty Hello Rainbow
A stately shining queen
One hundred three feet wing to wing
Leveling out to begin her run
Screaming death out of the sun
VIII.
The colors and the wonders
Discover with my brothers
So I say, hello rainbow
The sky is blue and wide
just for you and I
And so I say hello rainbow
Soaring high in this magnificent place
Trust the stars and radar navigator
Guide me now through mist and haze
Spread across the spectrum
A seeping mental venom
To which I say, hello rainbow
Friendly help in gift wrap
Or deceitful mind trap
To which I say, hello rainbow
Sunlight gleams on an enemy plane
The tail gunner sends her down in flames
Guide me now through mist and haze
The colors and the wonders
Discovered with my brothers
So I say, hello rainbow
The stakes are high
for you and I
And so I say hello rainbow
three hard hits and we're ditching the plane
The Hello Rainbow rolls, and falls away
Guide me now through mist and haze
IX.
The zombie knows all about it
He knows about it cause he read all about it
and he can't spare a critical thought because
No one he knows would do a thing like that
The zombie talks about the oppression
human suffering and occupation
The closest to a ghetto that he's ever been
is a faculty lounge
so critical
It's almost mystical
poison hysteria
why is it typical
for a zombie
to think he fights the machine
when it's so easy to see
he's only brainwashed to its service
The zombie drives the right kind of car
He's with the right people in the right kind of bar
and they all agree that we've gone too far
with the drinking
and their driving
His information can only be pure
he thought you were a freind but now he's not sure
They circle their wagons
and they stick to their guns
Its an ego thing
it's getting critical
And it's so unnatural
the poison hysteria
why is it typical
for a zombie
to think he fights the machine
When it's so obvious to me
his tiny brain quit working at seventeen
you can do what you want but you have to ask
you can have the things he wants you to have
and you can be free if you stay on the path
you can only be free if you stay on the path
you can only be free if you stay on the path
critical
it's almost mystical
poison hysteria
why is it typical
for a zombie
to think he fights the machine
when it's so easy to see
his tiny brain quit working
X.
Things just don't seem rosy anymore
when you can't buy a thing at the store
And you're watching the news and your heart is down
And it's crazy, like the whole world is turned around
it's upside down
Are the markets up or are they down
Doesn't matter when you're working downtown
Will the children pay with their future lives
When all they can do now is just survive, while we divide
Lift them up and let them die
souls of torture, hear them cry
children sing with hearts of pride
scorch the earth
dividing line
Miss Direction takes to the streets
Few clothes to wear, nothing to eat
The fuse is lit and this hell is armed
It's a flash in the pan now, she'll do no harm
She'll do no harm
Lift them up let them die
Soldiers march they do not cry
Earthen hell, to ring the bell
Children march, their numbers swell
XI.
So long, black and white
Weary of darkest night
Weary of morning light
Mirror mirror never lies
Hey, I'm not afraid
Love is a womb
Love is a grave
Hey this I will allow
There is no line
There is no line between us now
I am decietful and spiteful and cruel
faithless by nature and false and unkind
subverting your words and confusing your mind
I am jealous and fearful and dripping with pride
And tainted by evil I try to disguise
I'm a poison idea that eats at your mind
We look for clearer skies
In short and fitful lives
Our moral coin is spent
for something permanent
for something permanent
There is nothing permanent
equal measure proud and sad
Complimenting good and bad
Complimenting sane and mad
Contemplating life
is contemplating death
Wonder is discontent
XII.
Born again out of the fire
Smoke and steel, glass and wire
Each with thirteen guns
Incindiery bombs
A swarm to hide the sun
and find them in their homes
Here we raise the flying queen
The queen was made from honeyed steel
Great big canopy forged at the grinding wheel
Two broad wings, a true bird of war
Four great engines of the fighting air corps
XIII.
songs fade
and echoes subside
but flip that record over now
and play the other side
consider for a moment
how fortunate we are
to journey so far
on this long and lucky ride
I am foolish, can you make me wise?
Join your strength to mine when I must decide
we build our towers and we're counting the cost
I was only hiding then, but now I'm lost
A strength inside myself
I never wondered why
cause I was hurt so many times
that I was scared to try
but the fire of determination
simply will not die
I know I am not falling
I am learning to fly
XIV.
Set apart from land and home
we travel now in the blackness roam
finding little solace as our vessel emerges from a spin
a crushing emptiness descends
and unknown forces allow us to carry on
guide us now through endless space
the last survivors of the human race
Lost alone in a sea of stars
And though we know not who we are
If there is anyone left alive
In the darkness we can survive
Why we move ahead, the unanswered question
behind my sense of dread
we do not understand but to live
we have to try
it defies contemplation
this helpless flight towards a destination
Belief in what you know is true
or trusting the voice inside
And is it too late to turn around
Simply make up what we have found
But the truth must shine
Discovery is its own goal
Understanding girds our soul
The truth must shine
For you and I
XV.
I relax and let my eyes half close
Then I fall into a practiced pose
And hide from any light that might expose
The thing behind the face I chose
This thing that I have become
XVI.
I'm digging down to gather courage,
to do what I must do
Then I pass down the orders to charge down the line
A fire grows and a bullet flies
right between the eyes
fearsome cry, my last goodbye
Good men die beneath the blackened sky
Thought it all wouldn't end so fast
Over the wall, my lot was cast
And the last thing I remember is my home
I'm all alone, here I'm alone and I drown inside a hole
In the broken ground
XVII.
Soldier in another man's war
but I'm the one who he pays for
and now I leave my soul to soar
I'm here to greet you
I'm here to take you home
I'm here to guide you to a place where you belong
There is no turning back for you, this is to be
my smile widens as I see that you now recognize me
Come tomorrow this no longer is the world that you know
The glowing sun will burn your skin
the stinging wind it will blow
You cannot hide from me, you're inside of my awful machine
So take my hand and talk a little while with me
XVIII.
I burn for you
you beautiful child
I gave you your name
you're growing to be a man
Well let me say
I've been a man
For quite some time
And it's better to be a child
For now, you'll see
As the years get shorter
And I grow grey
I will help you as I can
I can teach you what little I know
And if it ever is too much
You know there will always be a home
In your eyes I see
reflections of me
And innocent dreams of peace
Once I had dreams too
And I was like you
I pray to my God that there is a Heaven
Because we belong together
And I will see you again
Yes, I will see you again
In a world without end
So don't you cry
XIX.
They make an offering to Neptune
Master of the sea
Dominion of aquarius
Submarine marquis
seafaring wanderers
for safe passage plea
Fearsome partiots
can you hear me call?
Though my sun sets I,
I do not forsake you at all
just remember when
I was merciful to you
