Scenes from the Republique: selected poems by BobbyZ

An evil wind blows through the conscience of the tormented
while forsaken angels of compromise hang aimless in their hurried flight.

Sincere voices rise above the din of adolescence
but are overtaken by the shrills of mediocrity and despair.

Harbingers of doubt pervade the houses of the holy
as smoke-filled pockets of circumstance dance around the truth.

Martyrs walk down empty streets eager to find a cross to hang themselves upon
Weary messengers of truth strap their sins upon their shoulders
and drown in the shallow waters of futility.

Coffee houses are consumed by lonely-hearted refugees
where the junkies of the caffeine and the peddlers of the nicotine join hands in the carnival of sound.

In the sacrifice of solitude,
women tempt men with perfumed whispers of promises
that disappear into the gentle night air.

As the morning rises over the energy of sleepy-eyed misfits,
purpose of inactivity compromises the ambitions of proprietary needs.

Incomes are distributed through the empty pockets of humility
and filter through the cracks of impulse purchases and bright neon dreams.

Golden-voiced merchants sing their songs of longing
until the melody pierces the clouds of Judgment.

Through a thin veil of happiness
T.V talking personalities persuade the public
to peruse their offerings of servitude and grace.

Puffs of perception linger in the air
and silence takes a drag out of the blood of simplicity.

Impure variations of mathematical equations
formulate in the minds of the scavengers of the soul.

Poets place their truth upon the pages
with words that aim to please.

Honesty is scribbled on the city walls
in a language that can’t be understood.

The eyes of a nation have been blinded by deception
with the sounds that echo the muffled strings of pain.

Babies are born behind the curtains of hope
and the light that flickers in their innocent eyes
finds an opening in the souls of tomorrow.

Oh the blue steel of the morning
Falls on me again
It hits me without warning
then sets me free again
Free to face another dismal day
Without You…
So I stumble out of bed
with the sleep still in my eyes
and I think of what you said
and I start to realize
But the answers to the questions
won’t add up… Without You…
Oh, Without You
I’m half the man I used to be
Without You
I can’t believe a thing I see
Without You
The darkness comes and fills my nights
with loneliness and fear
The lines of isolation have grown wide
and the tragedy is near
Oh, can’t you hear me calling out to you
Baby, I feel empty without you…
So I roam down empty streets
with forgiveness in my mind
I think of all the places
but I just can’t seem to find you there

I was going through some changes
and I thought you might be one
The one to help me find the strength to stay where I belong
Well I wrote this song to tell you I was wrong…
I was wrong to ever doubt the fact
that love would ever pay me back
and for the nights I fought temptation back
I was wrong to live my life like that
This world is made of broken hearts
and dreams that die before they start
Of wooden floors that creak at dawn
Of another pair of footsteps gone
But don’t feel guilty or ashamed
Of the two of us you’re not to blame
The lonely child inside my soul
was looking for a hand to hold
And I felt safe inside your warm embrace
but the truth was written on your face
You had no faith that I would stay
and because of that you turned away
Well there’s a stillness now inside my soul
Everything is calm
The storm that raged here for so long
Has slowly travelled on
And if our paths should cross again
I’ll look to you and say
“Of all the things I know for sure,
I’m sure that I was wrong to let you walk away”