it’s cold down here
where drawls echo
the sound of repression
and obedience walks
with fear.
i used to think i could escape
but it’s not just the South,
it’s the whole damn country.
it’s warm inside my cabin
in wintertime up in Maine
where the resistance still lives
yet fades.
i want to believe we’ll be safe
up in the woods
but the regime is taking hold
and a little voice inside
keeps whispering.
go North.
further.
kill the poets,
the ones who are outraged.
kill the poets,
the ones who shine a light
on injustice.
gun them down.
they’re your biggest threat.
kill the poets,
when their words promote freedom.
kill the poets,
when they stand up
for the downtrodden.
kill them in front of the world,
for the TV screens;
for the social media.
kill them to breed fear
among the masses.
kill the poets.
kill the good.
The Star of David shines from the top of the hill
I don’t know the law and I never will
It is said a messiah came to replace
But I’ve never literally gazed into the face
I walk this road uncertain of where it is I am going
A man in the mist of the clouds of unknowing
The moon pulls, the sun thrusts and burns
I studied my lessons but I never did learn
Throw away your book and pick up your pen
Draw maps and choose words that describe where you’ve been
Part ocean, part desert, a river that’s flowing
A man in the mist of the clouds of unknowing
Hallah, Yadah, Barak, Tahillah, Zamar
Yours is mysterious
There is no border czar
It’s something innate
A spirit still growing
A man in the mist of the clouds of unknowing
Now everyone is searching for some kind of rebirth
And we created Gehenna right here on Earth
Like whores we’ve waged wars all in the name of love
Ignoring our center and bent on something above
As for me I see no matter where the wind is blowing
I’m just a man in the mist of the clouds of unknowing
Hallah, Yadah, Barak, Tahillah, Zamar
Yours is mysterious
There is no border czar
It’s something innate
A spirit still growing
A man in the mist of the clouds of unknowing
All part of the clay the potter is throwing
We are all just the mist of the clouds of unknowing
Lyrics Copyright 2025 by Dan Steven Erickson
broken, naked, frozen,
daniel is my name.
i am who I am
and will return from where i came.
burn the pornography
and the self-righteous temples
for they are one in the same.
consume me with Your fire,
transform me into flame.
i am a wild one,
You are the wind no one can tame.
i, a mere reflection
a check, a baggage claim.
You gave me power over lions
and weakness in my loins
for they are one in the same.
You are all-consuming fire,
I am immortal flame.
broken, naked, frozen,
I am immortal flame.
maybe he was right,
Bukowski.
perhaps I’m just wasting
time, trying
to do the right thing.
maybe that 9-to-5 job
and a house on the hill
is just vanity.
who needs health food
and therapy?
you might be better off
smoking,
drinking,
gambling,
and living out
the lustful dreams of youth
in your golden years.
we only get one life
after all.
and all the prayer
in the world
will not provide
the answers you seek.
I’m sitting in my old truck
Thinking about my strange luck
It ain’t all good but it ain’t all bad
Now, I don’t often shop here
But sometimes I drink beer
And think about mom and dad
Life is funny in the end
You get more lonely
You have less friends
But you know you’ve always got a spot
In the Walmart parking lot
Sometimes when I’m on the road
And I need one night’s abode
I sit behind the wheel and stare into space
I watch people come and go
Listen to oldies on the radio
An occasional tear rolls down my face
All night in my car
It’s better than drinking
At a honky tonk bar
Cuz you know you’ve always got a spot
In the Walmart parking lot
It was the middle of the night
When I wrote this song
And then I stepped outside
And I took a piss
Then I looked up to the sky
And I thanked my lucky stars
I may not be in the Hall of Fame
But at least I’m not homeless
I’m sitting in my old truck
Thoughts keep lingering on
I’m chalking up the years, mom and dad are gone
Life is funny in the end
You get more lonely
You have less friends
But you know you’ve always got a spot
In the Walmart parking lot
Words & Music Copyright 2025 by Dan Steven Erickson