Talking To The Dead

Talking To The Dead

People say the nicest things to the dead,

But by then, it's just too late.

Why can't we say these things to the living?

Those who can hear such sweet sentiments.

Don't save these things for bodies in the ground,

Who's decaying ears will never again hear sound,

Who's dried out lips will never again form words,

And tell you they feel the same.

Speaking to memories of people lost,

Will never fill the void left behind;

Tell the living you love them,

Now, is the only time.

By J. Barrett

Miss (Your) Fire

Miss (Your) Fire

Since you've been gone
        I've been playing with sparks;
But nothing else burns like you did.

My life's been lacking focus
        like peering through smoke;
From the inferno that you ignited.

I tried to put out the flames
        but they just keep on burning;
Growing higher and overwhelming.

I've tried lighting others
        to fight the fire with itself;
But those flames of yours repel me.

By J. Barrett

To Kill

To Kill

                He killed a man tonight
        Put a gun to his head
And blew out his thoughts
                He killed a man tonight
        That somebody lies dead
But he'll never get caught

He deserved to die tonight
        He'd wronged something right
                Made another's life hell
He deserved to die tonight
        Without the chance to fight
                The trigger pulled, farewell

                He killed a man tonight
        An evil man, a monster
Who raped & hit & tortured
                He killed a man tonight
        He overcame and conquered
Disregarding this slaughter

He deserved to die tonight
        He was nothing if he was bad
                Worth only the bullet in his head
He deserved to die tonight
        Gotten all that he should had
                And now he lies still, dead

                He killed a man tonight
        And now he was the same
He could feel the evil burning
                He killed a man tonight
        And he could feel all his pain
And knew why he was hurting

He deserved to die tonight
        Or so he keeps repeating
                It's his mantra, it's his chant
He deserved to die tonight
        Even though life is fleeting
                He wants to forget, but can't

By J. Barrett

I Was You

I Was You

I have lived many lives,

Packed into this existence.

And I think that's the problem,

Because, you see, I was you once.

we even had the same name

but she had to die

She could have never lived on.

When the time came and she left me,

I knew it was right, but it still hurt.

And I think that is the problem,

I see a lot of you in her, her in you.

I've worn your shoes

your clothes

your hair

I was you once.

And I ran away from it all too.

By J. Barrett

Amber Wisdom

Amber Wisdom

Is there anything worse than drinking alone?

Yes. Being alone with no drink.

With no glassful to cloud those constant thoughts,

Your mind starts to do its thing and think.

At least with a drink firmly in hand,

Routinely pouring it all down your neck,

Those evil thoughts steadily subside,

And leave you feeling more less the wreck.

Your drink is the friend who never leaves,

Always listening to how it is you feel,

And offers that age old sage advice,

Tell 'em all to, go to hell!

By J. Barrett

YOLO

YOLO

Fuck all the bullshit!

You just have to laugh.

Do what you want,

fuck the aftermath.

You only live once,

is this generation's creed;

But a life of regret,

is what it really means.

Not treat your body and spirit,

with careless regard.

You only live once,

so live with your heart.

Follow your dreams,

give love and receive;

And do give a care,

about the people you meet.

But don't give a shit,

if they treat you like crap,

use and abuse you,

and put knives in your back.

And who gives a toss,

if you try and you lose?

“You gave it a go,”

should be good enough for you.

And who gives a hoot,

if people see you as strange?

Feel with your heart,

think with your brain.

You only live once,

so make it your best;

We only get one,

nothing more, nothing less.

By J. Barrett

Over It

Over It

You can only treat someone like shit for so long,

Before they finally see,

all that is wrong.

That maybe you're not all you appear to be,

That façade you portray?

It's crumbling and weak.

And that deepest of fears,

that you've always known,

That you are doomed forever,

to be alone.

By J. Barrett

Junk

Junk

that stinging pinch on your softest of skin

watching your life cloud inside that barrel

ready to plunge; head first into oblivion

the only place you can never take your pain

that feeling of warmth travelling ever upward

riding on a beating current of life and lies

doing it's work to take you out of this dirt

that's polluted your mind since before forever

and when it hits, it hits hard and you're reeling

you're gone, you have vacated your shell

and every little bit of pain you were feeling

has been numbed, left down below to be still

sooner or later you will have to come back

less you will suffer forever in your mind

but that feeling of sun, of floating on your back

is only a needle away

By J. Barrett

To Be Rescued

To Be Rescued

She waits and waits
for her rescuer.
For that perfect man
to come and save her.
But the men who come
and the same that go,
Aren't that perfect one
she's dreamed of though.

If only she knew
that her rescuer,
Doesn't exist in her life
or anyone else's either.
He is but an illusion
of who she needs to be.
She's her own saviour
if she could only see.

She waits and waits
for her rescuer.
For him to come to her
take her and save her.
But that day'll never come
he'll never come to help
never come to her aid.
She can only save herself.

By J. Barrett

Used Worn

Used Worn

Like a train over a coin,

squash me on your tracks.

Abuse me like a rose,

when the wild winds attack.

Use me like a needle,

put me deep under your skin.

I'll wear this mask forever,

haunting you with this grin.

By J. Barrett

Boobies

Boobies

Show me your Boobies,

And I'll show you my Cock.

I'd so love to see them,

I enjoy bird watching a lot.

By J. Barrett

Come Away

Come Away

Come away with me,
Let's run, run away.
We can go anywhere,
And there we'll stay.
As long as I've you,
With me by my side,
We can go anywhere,
And there we will hide.

By J. Barrett

So It's Over

So It's Over

What started as a fling,
Ended with a fling;
Like a monkey and his poop.
But, god damn, I'm still thinking
about you.
You flung yourself into my life,
Brightened my day and illuminated my night.
Then with nary a word,
You were gone, just like that;
Like I just rolled over and switched out the lamp.
So it's adiós amigo and thanks for the ride;
You've shown me it's time,
I should get on with my life.
But I always know you'll be a part of me still,
We delved too deep,
We went to the base of that well;
Where the algae that grows
isn't affected by light,
Where all that it seems, just doesn't seem right.
Where the dregs of our love,
Sorry, our affair, at best,
Will forever remain,
With all of the rest.
Those women I've loved,
That I once held so dear,
When under that water,
My head disappears.
Lost in this feeling
that I've, to be honest, felt too much,
That same feeling for you that I thought equalled love.
But with the love and the lust and the forgiveness for ones self,
I'm thinking that, maybe, I might need some help;
To get through these days without you in my life,
So I don't get worked up and pull out that knife;
Again.
Yes, again. I've been here before;
And, I know, sooner or later you'll mean nothing to me more
than the other ones did,
For whom you replaced;
So I'll keep wearing this fake grin,
Upon my love tortured face.

By J. Barrett

Looking To The Sky

Looking To The Sky

The days have been so dreary,

Without you being near me.

The sun is cold and lifeless,

Hanging lonesome in the sky.

When night falls, looming darkness,

And the winds're crooning, heartless;

The moon, it winks so slowly,

High in that starry studded sky.

When will you be returning?

To settle down this yearning,

Of a man who's lost and lonely,

Always staring up to the sky.

The days are spent being blinded;

At night, it is always reminded,

That, love, it comes and goes,

Like moon and sun in the sky.

By J. Barrett

The Muse

The Muse

She came to you out of nowhere it seems;
Riding on a butterfly's wings of dreams.
The inspiration that you always need,
Making the words out of you bleed.
But, will those words still belong,
Once she has up and gone?

By J. Barrett

Down and Out

Down and Out

He stares down at the people below,

Huddling from the same wind that whips at his hair.

Some rush about their hectic lives,

Oblivious to his presence watching them from above.

Cars creep along black strips of road,

Driving to destinations never for him to know.

He feels so removed from them all,

Omnipresent to their simple existence.

As the wind whips his hair across his face,

Bathed in the glow from the setting sun,

He feels like joining them down there;

But he has always been alone, never been a part of it,

Always the outsider, never a belonger.

The simplicity of society has always rested on his shoulders,

Like the immeasurable weight of God's hand;

He can feel that same hand giving him a nudge,

A push in their direction,

The direction of normality.

Oh, how he wants to join them, to be one of them,

To end the pain of being different,

Of being alone.

His feet are on the edge, hair whipping his about face;

A glance up across the rooftops to the heavens,

To the dying throes of a brilliant sun.

A grieving heart, stalled in its beating of hurt;

A sudden inhalation of breath;

A foot over the edge;

The hand of God at his back, easing him into space;

The floating sensation of falling gently down,

Like a leaf in the breeze, he is a life in the wind.

His hair billows behind him,

Making a final grasp for something solid.

And he's falling, floating, the street coming up to meet him,

He has their attention now, the hand of God has left him;

Most are just staring, and he grins at this irony.

The car didn't stand a chance.

As neither did his fragile body.

Broken and bloody, and stretched upon the glazed metal,

His pain ebbs from him in spurts and flows,

And, finally at rest, his eyes close.
All he ever wanted, he now has,
To feel that sweet feeling of peace he never had.

By J. Barrett

Peep Show

Peep Show

You're dancing for me in your underwear,

forgive me, but I can't help but stare;

Jiggling your jugs and wriggling your hips,

I can feel you affecting my manly bits.

The music is loud, from the speaker it thumps,

your hands're caressing your lady lumps.

My eyes're transfixed on your milky white skin;

Is that a pic of your face, that person missing,

on the side of the carton, gripped in your hands,

covering yourself with its milk as you dance.

You're not really missing, that much is too clear,

dancing for me in this private booth here.

You're smiling at me, but I can tell that you're faking;

I don't really care, so I could be mistaken.

You pick up a toy, one that makes me feel lacking,

and after it's lubed, you start to really get cracking.

I pay some more money, for this act I must watch,

I'm glad you decided to ramp it up just a notch.

I couldn't care less that you're faking your pleasure;

Couldn't care how much you're making, however,

I do care that you can get the whole length of it in,

And still maintain your false, pleasurable grin.

It's girls like yourself who make it easy for us men,

To save a bit of money and rush to the end.

I mean, for 1 dollar a minute, it's money well spent,

And probably only one of us, this act we'll resent.

So, I'm glad that you grew up with your daddy issues;

And I'm so glad they refilled this box of tissues.

By J. Barrett

Attack of Blue

Attack of Blue

You have to go,
I know this; restart,
You need to grow,
Find out who you are.
But I'm selfish, don't want you to leave.
Wherever you go is is too far.

You're standing there,
As life continues,
Your bags are packed;
All I see, is you.
Please don't go, leave me feeling like this,
Having a heart attack of blue.

Then it is time,
You're ready for this.
A last embrace,
With one final kiss,
You tell me you'll love me forever,
And I'm braced for all that I'll miss.

So walk away,
I know you have to.
But don't look back,
Because if you do,
I'll see the pain in those pretty eyes,
And have a heart attack of blue.

By J. Barrett

Come On Home

Come On Home

We just talked, talked on the phone,

But my heart sits heavy, heavy as stone.

I'm; I'm all alone.

So please baby, please,

Come on home.

You left, saying it was best;

Maybe for you, not for me.

You gave your reasons, and the rest;

You tried to make, make me see.

Then you were gone, gone on the wind,

And I was left standing alone.

My legs wouldn't move, my feet were pinned,

And my eyes leaked my silent bemoan.

We just talked, talked on the phone,

But my heart sits heavy, heavy as stone.

I'm; I'm all alone.

So please baby, please,

Come on home.

It has been quite a while now,

I'm not sure really how long.

And I have made this solemn vow,

I'll make it through this, I'm gonna be strong.

When you come back, back to me here,

I will never let you go, ever again.

Because the truth of the matter is simply clear,

You're my lover, my soul mate, my best friend.

We just talked, talked on the phone,

But my heart sits heavy, heavy as stone.

I'm; I'm all alone.

So please baby, please,

Come on home.

I can't believe that you've come back,

After all of this time gone away.

Now our life can get back on track,

I can't wait for that, for those words to say.

Because, still you're not here,

Still millions of miles away;

Every second I shed a tear, every minute's a year,

Every word spoken, are my feelings portrayed.

We just talked, talked on the phone,

But my heart sits heavy, heavy as stone.

I'm; I'm all alone.

So please baby, please,

Come on home.

Please baby, please, come on home,

How much more of this can I take?

I'm sick of being tired, and I'm tired of being alone,

I'm living in a nightmare, with no view of escape.

I've pleaded and begged; I've prayed.

I've done all that I can do.

It was up to you, babe, to go away,

Coming home? Now, that is only up to you.

By J. Barrett

The Damage Done

The Damage Done

I see your back ahead of me,

And I'll follow you 'til the end,

Wherever you may take me,

Whatever happens around the bend.

Take me to the depths of Hell,

To the icy plains above;

Whatever we do, I'll never tell,

I can never have enough.

I can't survive without you,

You inject life into my brain;

I remember when I could choose,

Before I needed you in my veins.

A deaths-head where my face was,

My reflection seems so dim.

It can't be caused by you, 'cause,

You make me feel so good within.

And when you're not inside me,

When my blood is running bare,

The pain, it starts to ride me,

To the tip of every hair.

I know that I should leave you,

Get away and not return.

But I need me to feel you,

To feel that loving burn.

I need to have that cold steel,

Go beneath my skin;

To forget all of what I feel,

And silence the demons within.

But, it's time now to close the door,

Make another deal of mine;

I ain't gonna do you any more,

Well – not until next time.

By J. Barrett

The Death of Love

The Death of Love

I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry that you cried,
Now you're gone forever, and what we had has died.
I never bought you flowers, you said my heart was black;
I've sent a ring of roses, but you're never coming back.

The good times, they were good times. But our fights were really bad.
I took so much for granted, never cherished what we had.
Our last fight was the worst one, I did something I thought I'd never do,
Of all the times we'd argued, I'd never raised a hand to you.

But this time it was different, you'd pushed me over that crumblin' edge;
I can still see you lying there, sprawled out on the bed.
You'd yelled you'd never loved me, that you'd faked it every time,
That you'd been with many others, you were never really mine.

I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry that you cried,
Now you're gone forever, and what we had has died.
I never bought you flowers, you said my heart was black;
I've sent a ring of roses, but you're never coming back.

I lashed out at you in anger, I grabbed the first thing that I saw;
The two blades glinted in the light, then they became real short.
I looked at you with anger, you looked up at me in pain,
I pulled the scissors out of you; and drove them in again.

Your painful screams were like the thoughts bouncing in my head,
You wailed that awful deathly song, until you lay still on our bed.
I looked down at your body, at that blooming crimson rose,
Your pretty breasts that'll never rise, glistening eyes that'll never close.

I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry that you cried,
Now you're gone forever, and what we had has died.
I never bought you flowers, you said my heart was black;
I've sent a ring of roses, but you're never ever ever coming back.

I wasn't allowed to attend to send you off, to show my grief;
My soul is dead, tormented, while yours now lays at peace.
I wish I could've stood there, staring down into your grave,
I would've let my tears for you roll rivers down my face.

We might have argued harshly, when times got rocky and rough,
But I'd give away my everything, to have you back, my love.
My life is a lonely emptiness, and I no longer here belong,
I've run away from everything, and I've been running for too long.

I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry that you died,
I want this feeling of remorse to finally subside.
I can't believe I lost you, my lover and best friend
It's time for me to join you now, this blade'll be my...

By J. Barrett

Escaping

Escaping

His teeth ache from the grinding;

His head is circling where his minds in.

He's high again and that's fine,

trying to escape his own mind.

The thoughts that confuse him,

that are almost abusing,

won't stop coming without blockade,

of this life for himself he's made.

But with the poison in his brain,

he feels calm and safe again;

The high ceases all the chatter...

...and nothing else seems to matter.

By J. Barrett

Breaking Bread

Breaking Bread

Breaking bread at midnight,
Draining blood at dawn;
Tell the beast that's inside,
What is going on.

Feeling hastily made up,
And near not the norm;
Feel like half a person,
That was here before.

Staring at reflections,
That distort and twist;
Knowing that this feeling,
Surely will persist.

When that deep hole's calling,
Beaten black and blue;
Know it's only human,
To endure 'at's true.

By J. Barrett

Words

Words

Words are my only true friends,

The only ones who stick around.

They're cheerful when I'm happy,

They're glum when I am down.

By J. Barrett

Senses

Senses

The taste of your kiss on my tongue,

The scent of you hangs in the air,

The feel of you quivering 'neath my fingers,

As I brush my cheek across your hair.

The sound of you gasping with pleasure,

The sight of your eyes filled with awe,

And the knowledge that I'll always have you,

That I will be lonesome no more.

By J. Barrett

The Storm

The Storm

The clouds are rolling in, blotting over the sun.

Blackening the blue sky, a storm's about to come.

A flash of lightning illuminates the bulbous blackened mass,

A thunderous throat is calling, as the rain begins to splash.

The ocean waves are thrashing, rising up to the smoky cloud,

That's throwing down its insides, with the thunder booming loud.

Another strike of lightning, cracks open the dying sky,

Those thunderous clouds are rolling, turning day to night.

The rains are falling heavier, the angry sky throws down it's woe,

But up there in the heavens, the sun begins to show.

The clouds are rolling onwards, less angry than before,

That growling sound of thunder, now just wind upon the shore.

The oceans dance is calming, froth floats upon the deep,

The crackling forks of light are gone, as the storm begins to sleep.

The glowing yellow sun disc, starts to melt the clouds away,

The storm has gone, passed over, leaving just memory and rain.

As the sun gets brighter, breaking through clouds hazy cover,

The rain begins to dry off the land, and the storm is finally over.

By J. Barrett

Doubt

Doubt

Smoke passing through wet lips,

Wispy clouds of cotton.

Standing all alone here,

With memories long forgotten.

Rain is falling fast around,

As people rush on home.

With drink in hand, still it stands,

Feeling the more alone.

The music plays so loud and clear,

But no one else can hear it.

A foggy mind, a moody mind,

With drink alone to clear it.

The weather washes upon the head,

A cigarette soggy and broken.

Try to repair the feel of despair,

At the words that were never spoken.

So take a drink to the little things,

Upon which the doubt was cast,

And remember that it's not so bad,

To feel alive at last.

By J. Barrett

I Wish

I Wish

There was so much I wanted to say to you,

Before you left me all alone.

Before the only thing I had of you,

Was your picture on my phone.

I wanted to tell you the way I felt and

share this love that's deep inside;

To show you the heart you melted,

That passionate twinkle in my eyes.

But now you're gone, whirlwinded away,

And all because I was a fool.

I shouldn't have said that thing that day,

I shouldn't have lost my cool.

I wish I could go back, back to the start,

And just not do that thing I did,

That's caused us both a broken heart,

Oh, I wish, I wish, I wish!

I was a damn fool to do what I did,

To jeopardise what we could have.

I didn't realise it then, but now I wish,

That I could take every bit of it back.

You're my sun, my earth, moon and stars;

You're the stuff of which my dreams are made.

We'd taken a firm grasp of our hearts,

And my words have acted the blade.

I wish you were here, laying with me,

See the sorriness flow from my eyes,

See how my feelings for you are so deep;

So you could just realise,

That man makes mistakes, it's merely a flaw,

And I'd fix it all up if I could.

I wish you'd give me a chance, one more,

To share with you the life that we should.

By J. Barrett

Waves

Waves

The sand feels so good beneath your toes,

The great vastness of the ocean, it shows,

That in the scheme of all this, you are but a grain,

Of sand being buffered around by the waves.

As the water laps up, caressing the edge,

You wish it could cleanse out your head,

But in the end you know it will save,

As your head sinks beneath those caressing waves.

By J. Barrett

Beautiful Magic

Beautiful Magic

she cast a spell you can't escape
before you know it
she's taken it away
she got you hooked on her drug
that drives you insane
but she's taken it away
though the memory remains
those feelings of euphoria
those times you made love to her
you really don't mind the pain
except the pain in your mind
she's taken it away
how will you survive
you thought your life had found it's beat
deep down you knew one day you'd meet
but she's taken it away
and now you can't sleep
poisoned by her beautiful magic

her spell worked fast
clasping you in it's grasp
and now you wonder if it'll ever let go
tugging your heart to and fro
filling your mind with visions of her
things you try to forget
but you've failed so far
and you can't help but wonder
if this spell will ever end
if you'll ever find comfort
if the breaking will mend
the two of you joined so briefly
yet forever is but a blink
her beautiful magic
casting you to the brink
she's gone and it is so tragic
a love story departed and sad
forget her
beautiful magic

By J. Barrett

Heart Beats

Heart Beats

You're playing it like a banjo
Plucking my heart strings
In time with it's beating
A-thump-a-thump-a-thump

This game you have planned though
is doing other things
I know that I can beat it
A-thump-a-thump-a-thump

I've showed all that I can show
And I wish that I had wings
So then I could beat them
A-thump-a-thump-a-thump

With no wings though, I ran from you
The soles of my feet sting
On the cement they're beating
A-thump-a-thump-a-thump

By J. Barrett

From Where We Should Be

From Where We Should Be

When I close my eyes,

I picture us waking together,

In a bed of white linen,

As the sun beams upon us.

The beach is nearby,

The waves come rolling in,

The birds sing shrilly,

Building our morning song.

The light streams in,

Bathing your beauty in gold,

With you lying there (nothing on)

My life seems fully complete.

The smell of hot coffee,

Freshly roasted and hydrated,

Wafts through our window,

Spring loading our minds alert.

Hands begin exploring,

Fingertips waking up, buzzing,

Your soft skin warmth,

Waking the rest of me.

As I close my eyes,

Imagining this picture so perfect,

The only thing missing,

Is the fact you're not in my life.

By J. Barrett

Getting Loose and Dancing

Getting Loose and Dancing

The weekend has finally arrived,

Time for those troubles to run away,

Partying hard and harder,

Until the morning of Monday.

Mustard keen to make it mad,

Getting loose and dancing,

We're G.L.A.D – glad.

Turn it up, blast those beats,

DJ, make our bodies move and sway;

Partying hard and harder,

Until the morning of Monday.

Everyone is scantily clad,

Getting loose and dancing,

We're G.L.A.D – glad.

The floor is filled with sexy,

Steaming sweat from searing skin,

We're all here for a good time,

So you'd best be letting us in.

This will be our launching pad,

Getting loose and dancing,

We're G.L.A.D – glad.

Moving up, moving on, just moving,

This isn't the only place we've been,

We're all here for a good time,

So you'd best be letting us in.

Making our mark like a scouring pad,

Getting loose and dancing,

We're G.L.A.D – glad.

By J. Barrett

A Girl

A Girl

The ink that shadows the sun-drenched skin

The girlish innocence accompanied by sin

The pale blue eyes beneath a butterfly blink

As heartbeats are matched, beating in sync

Something that's stirring from deep within

As bodies are entwined in the softness of skin

Studded metal markers of kissing places

A sweet scent that lingers in wispy traces

Floods all the senses in those embraces

An upheaval of the brains chemical stasis

Causing the mind to verbally praise this

Feeling of warmth in the hard to reach places

By J. Barrett

Sadim

Sadim

Damn my ability to keep anything good,

I fuck it all up and tear it all down.

I get given great things, as everyone should,

But in my misery I'm intent I will drown.

By J. Barrett

Hearts Fire

Hearts Fire

There's a man in my heart,

Responsible for stoking my deepest of fires.

He works alone, always alone,

But he fuels every one of my desires.

He plants seeds in his garden,

That sprout and grow deep into my brain.

All my thoughts and feelings,

From those seeds my heart contains.

You started as one such seed,

Growing from the depths of my fiery heart.

And now you grow all through me,

From the very tips to the imagining part.

And when you come into sight,

That little man flutters the fires into a frenzy.

But then when you leave again,

They go out and leave me cold and empty.

So stay with me, in my life,

Keep the little guy happy and heart warming.

Because with that love from you,

That man will keep my fiery flares burning.

By J. Barrett

Type Love

Type Love

My finger is poised above the buttons,
Testing my patience to push them.
So many things I want to say,
But I fear that once I start I won't stop.
This lifetime of feelings, pent up, unexposed,
Ready to pour down my face and onto the page,
Ready to flow from my fingers onto the screen.
I want to tell you what you mean to me,
To explain how I feel, how you give me chills,
I want to write it in CAPITALS for all to see.
I need to express these feelings, these thoughts,
I need to offload the things pressing on my chest,
Like how much I love you, have loved you and always will.
To explain the fluffy mess you've made of my mind.
To tell you how beautiful you are.
To show you how I feel.
To lay myself exposed and bare.
To finally be honest.
My finger is poised above the keys,
That could possibly unlock our future,
Ready to pour my heart and soul onto the screen,
Ready to type it all and press send...

But instead I just send you a smiley face :)

By J. Barrett

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed

I just can't get you out of my head,

Round 'n' round 'n' round you go,

In and out and into my thoughts.

I'm lost in you and losing my mind,

Because I'm overwhelmed with you.

We've been here before, I know it,

I've travelled this loop with you,

Been head over heels in love.

I've lost you before, many times,

Always, I'm overwhelmed with you.

If I have you, I will try to hold on,

Thoughts that can bounce around.

I can promise only one thing,

A lifetime, all but lost in a glimpse.

A lifetime of me, overwhelmed by you.

By J. Barrett

Future Feeling

Future Feeling

How much is fate effected by thought?

Do ones decisions destroy ones destiny?

Will flipping a coin fuck ones fortune,

Or put one on ones proposed proper path?

Is it catastrophic to complacently choose,

Or is that the only way to load ones luck?

Can one modify or formulate ones future,

Or has the path already been paved for us??

By J. Barrett

Unknown

Unknown

There's a long open road ahead,

With people passing by at the end.

The branches of roadside trees bend in the wind,

Pothole puddles reflect mortality.

There's a ball, left by some child,

A child who no longer exists.

To travel that open road, blown along by the wind,

Reflected in the rippling waters,

To join those passing people;

Or to grab that ball and play...

By J. Barrett

Self Portrait

Self Portrait

I'm not special

I don't have a gift

I'm not beautiful

nor charming

I have no talents

I have nothing to offer

I know I'm not special

in any way, shape or form

I've tried kidding myself

I tried kidding you all

but beneath my exterior

I'm tired, scared and alone

By J. Barrett

My Wrongs

My Wrongs

I thought seeing you would make me feel better,

I was wrong.

I thought about explaining and writing you a letter,

That was wrong.

I thought that maybe you would miss me like I did,

I was wrong.

I thought my wrongs, they could be righted.

They stay wrong.

By J. Barrett

America II (aka Australia)

America II (aka Australia)

Where the GM crops grow free

from natures pests or natural disease.

Where the police are heavy handed,

militarised, legal bandits.

Where our clean drinking water

ain't coming as clean as it ought to.

Poisoned by the government, by law,

pumping in fluoride and more.

Where big business is running each state,

using us as pawns to stalemate.

Where the media blankets the truth,

only letting you know what they want you to.

So, Australians,

Let us disjoin, for we are young and afraid;

From our soil, their golden wealth we toil;

Our home is girt by the betrayed;

Financed Australia Fayre.

By history's page, we should be outraged,

Financed Australia Fayre.

In shameful strains, we let them win,

Financed Australia Fayre.

By J. Barrett

What To Do

What To Do

What to do
        when the dreams you have
                are better than the life you lead.
What to do
        when you don't want to get out of bed
                and face the world.
What to do
        when everything around you
                seems useless and pointless.
What to do
        when you can no longer be bothered
                dealing with it all.
What to do
        when you're thinking that this
                is as good as it's going to get.
What to do?
        What
                   to
                         do?

By J. Barrett

unIverse

unIverse

you hear people say that we are just specks
tiny specks in a vast universe
we are insignificant in comparison to everything
yet I am not insignificant in comparison to myself
I am not a speck in my universe
I am my universe
I incorporate everything into my universe
so for me to be insignificant
has no meaning
because I am
everything

By J. Barrett

For Peace

For Peace

They put a gun in your hands and call you a man,

and tell you you're fighting for peace.

Dropped in the midst of a war without explaining it or

telling you you are the beast.

So you march in your ranks, with your missiles and tanks,

making peace with your fire and lead.

While there's death on all sides, and all mother's cry,

when they find out their children are dead.

If it's peace you fight for, how is it won with a war,

isn't love the only weapon of peace?

Isn't love the only weapon of peace.

By J. Barrett

Ex-tinguished

Ex-tinguished

You're turning out the lights of our past,
slowly flipping the switches.
The memories are fading,
like dreams after waking.
What was once illumination,
is now a lone flickering light,
surrounded by darkness.
As more light gets extinguished,
as each memory fades,
my heart darkens,
becoming a black hole in my chest,
sucking in my thoughts,
ravelling my soul into tight, wet knots.
I am where the light can no longer survive.

By J. Barrett

Memories

Memories

A lot of us smoke to forget;

drink to forget; fight to forget...

But we can't just put the noose

around only the ones we choose.

It's like burning down a village

hoping the bad ones will die,

while the good folk all survive.

Many good memories disappear,

falling like stars through the atmosphere;

withering up and burning away.

The good seem to go in a blink,

before the bad even show any chinks;

then the bad memories in retention,

seem to get all the more attention.

We remember the pain and the sorrow,

like it was yesterday, today, tomorrow;

while the laughter, smiles and joy,

seem like distant memories of a little boy.

By J. Barrett

Black Dog

Black Dog

I used to be afraid to die,

Now I'm getting bored with life.

I wonder where it is that I,

Will end up on the other side.

And I wonder what it is I'll find,

When my time is nigh.

The emptiness in me grows,

But I try not to let it show.

The only thing I want to know,

Is how on earth will I go,

Drawn out and, oh, so slow,

Or be a swift, striking blow?

Sobriety eats away, away,

At the chains and gates,

That keep that Black Dog at bay.

The old me keeps on calling,

I feel like I am falling.

No matter how I stall him,

I just cant seem to fool him.

This hole I want to crawl in,

It's all about to fall in.

Sobriety eats away, away,

At the chains and gates,

That keep that Black Dog at bay.

I used to be afraid of death,

But now, what have I left?

As I draw my final breath,

Know I have given my best.

My soul it needs to rest,

About me, please don't forget.

By J. Barrett

Because I'm Thankful

Because I'm Thankful

I spent 12 months of my life in Amsterdam,
And though I don't remember that much,
I'm thankful for all of the photos,
Because of them I remember enough.
I spent way too much of my money,
I smoked it with a twirl and a twist,
I'm thankful to each of those baggies,
Because for once marijuana ain't missed.
I've been a stoner for as long as I remember,
The gag being I don't remember a lot,
I'm thankful for my year always stoned though,
Because of that I have finally stopped.
At the time I was desperately lonely,
Mary Jane being my only true friend,
I'm thankful I learnt to forget her,
Because she wasn't really helping me mend.
Like any lady she just cost me money,
Had me hooked, couldn't leave her alone,
I'm thankful I saw the dependence,
Because it's just me now, alone here at home.

By J. Barrett

Old Mother

Old Mother

Old Mother, how much it is that you've seen in your time,

But now you are one with the earth, and one with the sky.

The wrinkles that crossed lines on your face and your hands,

Old Mother, now are the canyons that crack across lands.

Your mouth that spoke such wise and wonderful words,

Is now the mouth of every beast and the beaks of all the birds.

Your hair that would wave in the softest of breeze,

Now moves with the clouds and rustles the leaves.

Your eyes that have watched so many passing years,

Are the knots in the trees, drops of dew are your tears.

You live on in the wind, you live on in the dust,

Old Mother, you're the dawn and you are the dusk.

You're the trees and the wind, and the sun and the rain,

Old Mother, you're the moon, the night and the day.

You're the sand and the shells, the ice and the rocks,

You're the dog in the chase and also the fox.

Old Mother, your sands have flowed steadily through our time,

Even now they're scattered wide, you'll live on in our minds.

By J. Barrett

(D)Oh-Boy

(D)Oh-Boy

They may have only been doughnuts,

But they were more than doughnuts to me.

They were the first thing, in a very long time,

That I'd been able to buy my family.

They were fluffy and fresh and so sugary.

They were jammed full of sweet sticky jam.

They came in a box, half a dozen,

And when I carried them in I was The Man.

We were all, each of us, looking forward,

To biting past the glazed crust to the dough.

Each dinner plate was finished in record time,

Then I was delivered the deserting blow.

They weren't on the bench where I'd left them,

Neither were they on a shelf in the pantry.

I searched high and low for those little nubs of dough.

In the fridge? What had given you that fancy?

They'd been baked fresh today, those doughnuts,

They'd been fluffy and light and heart warming.

Now they're chilled and hard bready balls,

With glazed icing that direly needed a thawing.

The cold gluey jam was like jelly,

And it didn't ooze out as it should.

They slopped and plopped, the innards that dropped.

All in all those doughnuts were no good.

Little Billy began crying, Susie ran off,

A puddle of jam left melting behind her.

Sally, she booed, which put you in a mood;

I think buying them nothing would've been kinder.

So remember this ode, to those little nubs of dough,

And if you're buying them fresh, please don't chill them.

They should be fluffy and light, an absolute delight,

And the refrigerator will certainly kill them.

By J. Barrett

Living #42

Living #42

In a life filled with many regrets

where the past begets the future feeling

of a mind free wheeling, always debating

the love and the hating, abounded by and becoming

our living and loving, our death and our birth

realising our worth, realising the reasons

through all of our seasons, from cradle to grave

whether stupid or brave, whether smart or obscure

it's what we're here for, to meet with those few

who believe as you do and match where it matters

making hearts chatter, to fill with fluttering wings

those butterfly things deep down in your soul

driving the goal of that ages old mission

the life we've been given and the lives we create

when we find our soul mate.

By J. Barrett

Beyond The Break

Beyond The Break

Beyond the crashing blue, as the world rhythmically rises and falls,

Lonesome bubbles of foam float past, flotsam on the eddying fast.

A glimpse of land, a booming crash, salty spit sprays up into the air.

Swirling sand sweeps by beneath from the ocean bed to a sun drenched beach.

A lone figure, as insignificant as a grain of sand, floats amongst the vast expanse,

Rising and falling in the watery world, solitary and silent, alone with the sounds of the sea.

Submissive to the swirling currents, malleable limbs move in tempo to the maritime music.

Gently bobbing, buoyant in the saltiness,

Inching closer to shore; before being pulled away again.

A slow, sinister dance with the ocean currents.

The water rises up, a dark face sleek and shiny, wild foamy hair dancing upon its peaks.

The lip curls at the insignificant speck on it's surface.

With an explosion of white water, it envelops, dragging it down to the dark depths.

Rolling, tumbling, frolicking amongst the sand and coral,

The body bobs up buoyantly, wobbling in the waves.

The shore is closer, the sea is sickened by it's presence,

A vomitus wave ejects it finally, rolling it, flopping it, onto the sand.

Yet a lone arm remains floating in the shallow water,

Waving, waving, waving to the waves.

By J. Barrett

Whence This Occurrence

Whence This Occurrence

My confidence begot consequence.

Your innocence was my influence,

Yet your independence was in evidence.

Your intelligence shone forth iridescence.

Your essence was evidence of the existence of excellence.

My first sentence broke the silence,

And your pretence at my presence.

My tongues impotence was a lone incidence,

Incoherence from my impertinence.

The cadence of my conscience finally caused consistence of coherence.

And you showed patience at my persistence;

We got decadence from our indulgence.

This confluence was no coincidence.

Now your absence causes abstinence.

By J. Barrett

Drowning In The Dark

Drowning In The Dark

The darkness comes in many forms,
like rains that come from many storms,
filling the mind with blackened thoughts,
a rising tide of feelings fought.

        The clawing hands that will drag down.

The darkness closing from all sides,
thoughts that twist and tug, then hide,
thoughts that push and crowd and flood,
with feelings that it's all too much.

        Thoughts and feelings in which'll drown.

Claws that grasp, and hold on tight,
weaken the mind against it's fight,
allowing the darkness to roll on in,
a blackened husk encased in skin.

        Lost and lonely, 'twill never be found.

Suffering in silence, alone in the war,
fighting the feelings deep at the core,
the thoughts crowd in, loud in the mind,
waiting for wounds to heal in their time.

        Waiting won't work, blackness abounds.

Blackness that's there, always present,
a mind full of thoughts, causing descent,
feelings that crowd and silence the sense,
is death the only recompense?

        Death; a thought that speaks so loud.

Blast the thoughts out of the mind,
to pick the brain of bits to find,
to silence the words, silence the curse,
really, could not living be any worse?

        At least the darkness won't make a sound.

By J. Barrett

I Want I Need

I Want I Need

I want to write, but can't

I want to fly, but shan't

I need to feel alive

I need to heal, revive

I want to draw, but don't

I want to soar, but wont

I need to find my love

I need to rise above

I want to go, but stay

I want to grow, but stray

I need to speak, confess

I need to shriek, express

–

By J. Barrett

Father Knows Best

Father Knows Best

When I was a little boy, 

I was short and not too thin.

My father put me on the rack,

To stretch my stumpy limbs.

Now I'm over 10 feet tall,

And I bend in a strong breeze.

But it's not all ash & vinegar,

I get the best fruit from the trees.

By J. Barrett

Breathe

Breathe

Good things come to those who wait.

Unless, you're moments from your death.

And you're deep down under the water,

And you need another breath.

By J. Barrett

Fatty & Skinny

Fatty & Skinny

Jack Spratt was a skinny chap,
His wife was a fat old hen.
When they stood beside each other,
They resembled the number 10.
And when they had the money,
They would go out on the town.
They never needed to hire a cab,
Jack would just roll her around.
When Jack's wife wanted a baby,
Poor Jack, never before been laid,
He ordered a big bag of flour,
Which he'd need to find his way.
He dusted her with the powder,
And found her holiest of caves,
But her fat rolls swallowed him up;
And he didn't come out for days!

By J. Barrett

Sinking 'Ship

Sinking 'Ship

This 'ship is going down!
We've hit something hard.
And cold.
Is that your heart?
Or is it mine?
No longer beating in time.
This 'ship is going down!
Women and children first.
Save our souls
Our hearts
Our love?
Got to try and stay above,
But the waves are crashing over me.
Waves of guilt; of fear.
I feel so lonely.
This 'ship is going down!
Got to try to get away.
Before I'm pulled back;
Dragged down,
Drowning.
In my tears,
In your tears.
We could flood an ocean.
This 'ship is going down!
Will I rise to the surface?
Or sink down – down – down –
And drown?
Should I stay aboard?
Or jump into the safety
Of the unknown?
The blue is beckoning,
Calling. I know it well.
My life's a misery,
A living hell.
The bow is going under,
The back-end is still afloat;
I curse the day we ever met,
And boarded this sinking boat.
The cold is lapping at my feet,
Filling me with chills.
My heart, it feels no difference,
My heart is cold. And still.
But my mind won't stop chattering,
Never has. Never will.
This 'ship has gone now, my love
Our end is, oh, so near.
We.
Never should have taken this trip,
Of us. With you.
It's going – going – gone –
Our relationship.

By J. Barrett

Sorriness

Sorriness

I know you're hurting,

I feel it too.

You can't invest time,

And walk away clean.

But this pain,

This shattered heart,

It mends, goes away,

When a new life starts.

I'm so sorry.

I don't want you to hurt;

But should I be unhappy,

To keep you happy?

I care about you.

But I care about me too.

There is no hate,

What we had was good,

No, fuck!, it was great.

But things can change,

They usually do.

And I need to do this,

I know you're hurting.

I am too.

By J. Barrett

Time

Time

        Killing myself.
                Slowly,
                        with cigarettes.
        Poisoning myself.
                Harshly,
                        with wine
        Driving too fast
                down a one-way street.
        But which way is right?
                I don't want to die, but
                        I want to kill what we have.
                I don't want to hurt you, but
                        I want my heart back.
It's time to stop.
        Killing myself,
                with cigarettes.
        Poisoning myself,
                with wine.
Loving you.
        It's time to start.
                Enjoying life,
                        with cigarettes.
                Enjoying a glass,
                        of wine.
                Time for me to get on with life,
                        without you by my side.

By J. Barrett