Lost & Found

I woke up on the floor with a burn on my hand
residue on the other from my brother's new man
I got outside to steal some air and stare into the sun
brushing shit off my shoulder and feeling weeks older
than I did on the day before I saw with full clarity
the crushing severity which I'd stop to apply
to each end every thought that I'd think in a day
now I'm filling up and over with another thing to say
step back from it step out of it I'm running on high
I'm warming to the feeling that I'm never gonna die

listen to me now and hear me later
you can be your own god or live your life as a waiter
or a traitor man hack man crack man thief
be my enemy it makes no difference to me
I can be a gentle man if you see me as I am
if you bother with the truth if you try to understand
one way or the other it's a service that's rendered
because the king of the truth is the prince of pretenders

so dismiss me but don't resist yourself
is all I have to say in contribution to your wealth
see me I know myself I have a lot to learn
my favorite skirt is full of cigarette burns
my favorite pair of jeans just went down in flames
I guess Levi-Strauss ain't as tough as they claim
there's a pill that I take for the nights when I'm awake
and another that I keep for the times when I'm asleep
I hear drums beating out of every house in town
I found a warm dry spot I think I'm gonna lie down

©John Edward Smith Jr.