Santa from the Block

I do it like a boss

Shut yo' mouth 

I'm Santa Claus

When I laugh 

Gotsta hold my belly;

On the dance floor 

I moves a whole lotta jelly.

Wait!

Can ya hold it steady?

Got some heat for ya 

And it's gon' get heavy.

I do it like a boss

Shut yo' mouth 

I'm Santa Claus

Lookin' at me

Actin' all tough

Well I know all your secrets 

And I'm callin' yo' bluff.

Remember

That pack of cigarettes you stole

From the corner grocer's shop 

When you was 9 years old?

How 'bout 

All them lies you told

You poor lil hustler mama

Who had to raise you on her own?

That's right son

And I ain't half done.

You don't want none of this

'Cause this fight's already won.

I do it like a boss

Shut yo' mouth 

I'm Santa Claus

Mine's a path 

You best not cross.

You know 

I does it like a boss.

My elven army is a mighty force.

You sure ya gonna get it

When you mess with Santa Claus!

Pledge

In the darkness

And when you can't see clear,

You'll feel my love

And know that I am near.

In the silence

Or when it's too hard to hear,

I'll hold your hand;

You'll know that I am there.

I will be a shelter 
From the driving rain.

I will bring you joy 
In the midst of blinding pain.

When all others have left you, 
I'll always remain;

When you're going crazy, 
I'll stand by and keep you sane.

But if you cannot see me;

If my touch you can't seem to feel,

Think on all we've been through

And remember this is real.

When other voices tell you

I have let you go astray,

Call on me, I'll answer

I am never far away.

When you're going through a struggle

And it seems you're on your own,

I will not leave you comfortless.

You won't be carrying it alone.

When your friends don't understand you;

When your spirit's parched and dried,

Know I've counted every teardrop

Because I never left your side.

And when all else has failed you,

When you're shaken and disturbed,

Know that I am always with you,

I have given you my word.

Jam : Titanium Acoustic Version

Been a minute since I posted anything music-related, so here goes. 

Sia is currently one of my favourite artists. I fell in love with her music when I happened to hear Breathe Me in passing and even then I was, as usual aboard the late train. I really enjoyed this acoustic version of Titanium. Hope you guys love it as much as I do!

Countdown to Regeneration

Five days

Until the coming of Spring.

Let the countdown begin.

Four days 

Since I last slept.

Hell if I know where the Sandman went.

Three days

After my appetite left,

I stare blankly at all the stocked shelves.

Two days

To my next breakdown.

Get the sedatives and send in the clowns.

One day

From rebirth.

Stockpiled the clean linens

And called in the nurse.

Urban Showers (The Other Side of Rain)

Rain.

It's raining again.

People's faces are gray, 

As gray and gloomy

As the lowering clouds;

Their movements

As listless as the anaemic sunlight

Filtering down 

During what barely passes for daytime.

Another rainy day in the city.

Cars speed by,

Heedless of the filthy water

That splashes in their wake.

They're just happy to be on the move.

Eager to get where they're going- 

Quickly.

Rain used to mean a day off:

Relaxing with a bowl of soup,

A warm blanket

And the seranade 

Of drops landing on the roof.

Now, rain is a chore.

It means going out

When you'd much rather

Just stay indoors.

Rain used to be such a happy thing:

It meant puddles to explore,

And childish games played in the downpour,

And naked laughter ringing out

Amid the droplets' pitter patter percussion...

Now the rain is cold.

It feels dirty

When it should be cleansing.

It seems to kill the spirit

When it should be uplifting.

Water is, after all, life.

Or should be.

So goes another rainy day in the city.

Cringing. 

Shuddering. 

Sighing. 

Rushing.

Wishing it would stop.

Eyes Open

When did it become ok to give up?

When did mediocre suddenly become enough?

I don't remember telling you 

You could have my power,

When Grace was only saying 

I should wait for my hour?

When did it become alright for you

To set the standard I should bow to?

When did I give you the keys to my life?

When did I say,

Go ahead, it's alright?

At what point did I let free will go?

And since when did you become the leader I should follow?

When did I offer you my soul to whittle

And let you make me into someone so desperate,

So little?

I don't know when I became this person

But I'm wide awake now

And it's time for a reversal.

I may have forgotten who I was before

And lost side of what I was put here for,

But all that's over. 

God has broken the spell,

And I refuse to endure 

Another second of your hell.

Word of Mouth

Sorry.

You say you're sorry

But it doesn't change 

The way that things have been.

Sorry's just a word.

And words themselves are wind.

Your promises

And careless whispers

Made me feel like I was just your mistress,

When what you want me to believe

Is that I was the love of your life.

These are just more empty words

And words, they are a knife.

You're trying hard to reconcile

Your empty gestures 

With what you feel inside.

You're on the platform 

But you've missed the train.

Your words come too late.

They are spoken in vain.

You say you truly want to make amends.

There's sincerity in your voice

And that's just as well.

And words can now begin to repair

The bridge that takes us to a place where

You and I can florish in.

It all begins with a few simple words:

Words are a balm.

They are nourishing.

Grateful

For life and health

And joy and hope;

For parents, friends

And my kinsfolk.

For the times I've cried

And those I've suffered;

For the obstacles 

And the struggles.

For the gift of the present

And blessings past,

I lift my hands

And give You thanks.

Table Talk

Sorry I couldn't be

All the things you wanted me to be.

Sorry I couldn't be the one

To meet your every necessity .

Sorry I just couldn't manage

To jump in with both feet.

Sorry I made 

Such a mess of our journey.

Sorry I couldn't surrender myself 

Completely.

Sorry for looking like

I didn't take us seriously.

Sorry.

I tried so hard,

But I just wasn't ready.

Determination

Unshod at the burning bush I stand;

My eyes can't be averted.

My quest is the Promised Land

I will not be perverted.

Spark of Life

The old roads have faded 

Into an impass;

The way signs have rusted off

And fallen in the grass.

The light has gone out-

The one on the inside;

Eyes have grown dull

Where once they used to smile. 

The creatures of the dark 

Emerge in the twilight;

Small children cringe in fear

At the things that go bump in the night.

Where is the Kindler?

Who remembers His name?

Can you ask Him to come back to us

And reignite the old flame?

911

This is it. 

I'm out of fight.

I end up wrong 

Even when I'm right.

I tried so hard

But my best efforts have failed.

I'm at my wits' end

And stuck in jail

With no way out 

'Cause I can't make bail.

I sit tight and wait for You

Because, to be frank, 

What else can I do?

I lie beneath the weeping willows

And listen to the song of swallows.

Spring brings the promise of new life

But I feel like I've been stabbed with a knife.

You need to get here if You're anywhere about.

Time's of the essence and I'm bleeding out.

I see a white light as I lay here,

In desperate need of intensive care.

Taking Chances/Flip the Script

I prayed to God in Heaven

For someone like you.

I asked for someone gentle,

Someone kind,

Someone with the gift of laughter,

Someone wise.

I asked for love 

To come into my life.

I begged for a soulmate,

A friend and wife.

Then one day,

You finally came

When I least expected you to.

Since then, 

Things haven't been the same

And it's all because of you.

Now I go about

With my head in the clouds.

Drunk off the euphoria

I get from having you around,

I've shed my worries

Like so many extra pounds.

I'm giddy and acting silly

Though I try to stay grounded 

And keep my feet steady.

There's a hole in my stomach telling me

I wasn't ready

For something this real,

This powerful, this heavy.

My track record isn't too neat
In fact, it's dirt-streaked and spotty.
But then again, 
I might just be looking for an excuse
To bail on this journey.

So I think I should try 
For a fresh start,
Do things differently
And unlock my heart.

After the Storm

Everybody talks about

How they want a love that's strong,

Then there was you

And I knew I'd found the one.

We were so good together

Whether we were making plans,
Laughing or talking about the weather.

Yours was a love I never wanted to end

But in life you never know

What's waiting round the next bend.

Our story's over;

You sleep in clover

Beneath the smiling sun.

In some way,

I think I had to pay

For having known so much perfection.

So while you feed the flowers,

I while away the hours

In self contempt.

As I gaze up at the moon, 

I feel certain that soon

The pain will all be spent;

The light will fill the space

Where in solitude I've dwelt

And prove that thing to be true
Which I have always felt:

That in getting to know you
 I have been bountifully blessed.

Resistance Training

So much has happened in so little time,

I feel like I'm going to lose my mind.

I have no more energy; I'm down so low

If one more thing happens... then I just don't know.

But I've been through too much,

I'm in far too deep;

If I give up now, I'll be lost indeed.

I'm not sure how far I have left to go,

But I gird myself up and my fear I swallow.

I've set my sights on high and I'm paying for it.

And that's the reason why I can't afford to quit.

Need to Know

Talk to me.

I've been waiting

But you've been silent.

Just talk to me.

I have my theories- 

Educated guesses- 

About all of this.

But you and I both know

That it's just a fancy way of saying

I have no clue what's going on.

So talk to me.

Make it clear.

'Cause I feel like I'm stagnating in here.

When people ask questions,

I have nothing to respond

And I look like a fool,

Or worse- a pawn!

Tell me is there a purpose,

Or are You just having fun?

Just talk to me.

That's all I'm asking.

Talk to me.

So I know what You're thinking.

Tale of Hope/Hope in Tales

 

Beauty and the Beast.

Oh what a feat

Knowing you can beat

A curse that knocks you off your feet

And find renewed happiness after defeat.

20/20 (On the Outside)

 

So now you find yourself alone.

Now you know what it's like

To sit by the phone

Until the break of dawn

Hoping that someone, anyone, will call.

Now you find yourself out on a road

And not the faintest sign of return

While the final bridge leading back home

Crumbles to ashes as it burns.

But you did it to yourself.

You can't blame anyone else.

Turned your back on all of your friends

And everyone who cares;

You cut all ties with no goodbyes.

Yeah, you did it to yourself.

It's a lonely path, the one you chose;

A page torn from some dark and tragic prose.

You know the story didn't have to go like this.

I'm sure it's not the fate you would've wished...

But you did it to yourself.

You forced your loved ones out

So you could live inside a fence

And it could all have been so different.

When you think of how wrong everything went, 

Remember how much you once meant

To all the people that you met 

And know you did it to yourself.

Even now it's not too late 

To turn a new leaf
And start over on a clean slate.

If there was one thing I wish you knew,

It's that we want the best for you.

But if you decide to shut that door,

Then you really can be sure

We did all we could and more.

And you'll be condemned to endure

The bitter emptiness that's left;

As you sift through the cards you're dealt,

You'll have to face the fact that you...

Did it to yourself.

The happiness you lost

Was the inevitable cost

Of letting ego steer your course.

When you cut folks down without remorse,

You find the higher you climb in your ascent,

The quieter the world around you gets.

Don't expect a miracle 

When you reach the pinnacle

Of your success;

Don't think we're gone 

'Cause we're jealous.

We're happy for you

This much is true

But you've left no room for anyone else.

This isolation is the gift

That you gave to yourself.

Waiting Game

Where are you

And why haven't you called?

Been sitting out here in the cold for so long

My toes have no feeling 

And my hands have gone numb.

People eye me suspiciously

Like I'm some kinda bum.

So where are you?

I'm still lingering outside on the curb;

Beginning to wonder if I might lose my nerve.

In my mind the voices are already debating-

Should I cut my losses

Or do I keep waiting?

Wait For It/I Been Off (Talkin' to You Shonda)

Sit down. 
Scandal not around;
Grey's Anatomy nowhere to be found...

I know you all love Shonda's world
A place for drama to unfold.
That's how she do it, 
Best you knew it.
They'll be back.
Wait for it b&!@?#s. 
Wait, wait for it b&!@?#s.
It's Shonda's time b&!@?#s.
Not your own time b&!@?#s.
Gotta wait for it b&!@?#s.
Just wait for it b&!@?#s.
I said wait for it b&!@?#s.
Wait, wait for it b&!@?#s!

Sit down. 
Scandal not around;
Grey's Anatomy nowhere to be found...

*******
I been off. 

I been off.

You were lookin' for more episodes but- 

Tough!

I been off. I been off. 

Keep all you b&!@?#s waitin';

You can't get enough

'Cause I been off.

I been off.

Got y'all hooked on the suspense and drama.

Hang up the phone when you talk to yo' mama.

That's right- 

You better kiss me, I'm Shonda

And I been off.

I been off.

All ya addicted to it like a drug.

Try and play it down; say ya joined a club

But we all know different

So stop actin' dumb.

I been off.

I been off...

[white noise]

Liquid Courage

All of these tears 

Running down my face

Aren't there

Just because I want the attention...

These tears are born of pain

So deep, so intense I can't explain

The how, the why, the when of it all.

These tears that are falling from my eyes

Are ones that spring from wells so deep

They lift heavy weights and bring relief.

You haven't been there

Or else you'd know

These tears which once stemmed from boundless sorrow,

Are tears distilled from hope in tomorrow.

They are the liqueur of the fruit of joy

They lighten the head 

And the spirit they buoy.

So then these tears come not as a bane;

They come without the aftertaste of bitter guilt 

Or the sting of acrid shame.

No. These were brewed from the finest grain

Sweetened by sunshine,

Nourished by rain.

They're the proof that I survived 

Days of dispair and nights of horror.

Understand that these tears

Are my badge of honour.