Paul Adrain Hodgkin

Beneath the clouds and slipstreams,
From a garden down below.
Tribal screams and drumbeats,
A nation gone to war.
The clamor resonating
Stirs the hearts and wakes the souls,
Of a thousand sleeping angels,
as runways rail and glow.
Engines spit, and cough, and shudder,
Fuel and smoke swirl, rev, and thunder.
Take to flight and rise to heights,
Where men can only wonder.

Angel of death, brother to war, kissed by fate, embraced by horror.
High above a garden in smoke and flack filled sky's,
Descend on wings of fire,
Break up thornstruck and die.

Angel of death, brother to war.
Where are those clouds once kissed you home now that the drumbeats have all gone.
No more to rise above the asphalt,
But rather embrace it's space and ever roam.
The gas, the grease, and oil.
A V-twin wheels and chrome.
You are the wind,
You are the thunder.
You mourn your wings and trace these endless roads,
Until one day the drums beat and the sky calls you come home.

Climbing to rise one last time,
Above that obstacle between myself and what once was I.
Struggling to step and closer get,
One foot upon its parapet.
Tower of trouble obstacle of despair,
What takes it to remove this splinter from my brain?
When then does this ascending end and do I breach these walls of pain?
What have I done or failed to do?
Did I neglect to recollect,
A word a deed some stone been thrown?
I curse this world that persecutes.
And call upon my God,
To save me from its attitude.
Who is this that touts to scowl,
And fails to fully recognize?
For looking out about me now that I have but some progress made.
A crew the better vantage stance,
To view beyond and much enhance.
Though more is suffered then surely gained, I up my effort endure and strain.
Progress slows then circumvents,
That I should fall be the intent.
In reaching for the final step,
With all I am in full extent.
I turn my head to see the ground,
And am agog at what I have found.
This is no structure of mortered stone,
But rather mortal flesh and bone.
It was myself I sought to overcome,
The cause of every hurt been done.

Well hell
Ya smiled at me with roses
Soft pedals moist like dew
And my heart within your garden fell
Thornstruck and torn in two
Dead again with sorrow
I never learn a god damn thing
In this life where birds are gunshot
And the bees have lost their sting
Now a man he don't go crawlin
So I've heard and cannot do
But I'd sell my soul and gladly go
If the price it'd bring was you
For a kiss I'd fight the devil
This and more I'd do or die
But no one can say I've never lived
No not for all the times I've tried

So Darlin climb on up behind me
Take a ride and you will see
An alternate dimension
A fxxxin world beyond belief
Hear the revvin of the engines
Forgin men with their machines
The gas
The grease
And oil
We ain't been baptized till we bleed
Hell no the asphalt ain't forgivin
But the wind she knows our needs
So we throttle hard into each moment
For tomorrow's just a dream

I got one foot on this ol' shovel
And the other'n in the grave
While I'm wonderin about them ancient gods
Who the hell did they embrace
And I don't care about no pity
That shit ran down my mothers face
A bastard will remember
Back of the hand beats ya god damn straight

I've eaten crap and disgrace
Off their filthy dirty plate
And been locked inside forever
By the fxxxin human race
Now I'm back for the apocalypse
Don't need no R.S.V.P
I'm the rider on the pale horse bitch
And I could bring you misery

You smiled at me with roses
Soft pedals moist like dew
And my heart within your garden fell
Thornstruck and torn in two
Now sober it ain't easy
When heartache's found it's fool
If I can't get in
There's no gettin out
So empty's just a rule
Teeth locked around a bullet
Fightin back that fxxxin tear
Ya say ya care
I wish ya'd dare
As I put my bike in gear
Rubber tattoos asphalt
And the world screams windspeed by
But no one can say I've never lived
No not for all the times I've tried

So ya ran back home to your mother
I guess ya thought ya could escape
I got candy in my pocket girl
All I gotta do is wait
Ya know your head's all kinds of fxxxed up
And ya need some shit to get ya through
I got more shit than you can shake a stick at bitch
But ya take my shit ya take me too

It ain't that bad
Nothing's broken
Your still alive
Just your ego bruised
Long as there's a road for us to ride on
There's still a way for me and you
We'll join a pack out on the highway
Ride staggered in the wind
I know there ain't no happy ever after
But it's a way for us to mend

And in the end if your still behind me
When my brothers take these bones and tatted skin
To bury on some hillside
And holler can I get a hymn
We'll break these earthly bonds and burdens
Ride lightning bolts and chase the wind
Steal the pearls off the gates of heaven
Show the devil how we sin
And when we're settled in and ready
We'll take our place and change our ways
And ride beside almighty
On streets of gold and brighter days

Baby dady's worried
That he's seen his last of you
And no matter how I'm tryin'
Well hell it just don't do no good
It don't do no good

Just because she's never happy
Your momma's yellin' wolf
And the man he come a runnin'
And it just don't do no good
It don't do no good

This time I'm scared and half drove crazy
Seem like all I feel is pain
It's your black hearted momma oh yeah
Oh just a rattlin' machain

All these worries got me smokin'
Well hell just like an old freight train
And I'll never kick the habit
Long as she's rattlin' machain

Once I had saved some money
Just in case that it should rain
Now my lawyer got to have it
To stop her rattlin' machain

If it weren't for knowin' better
I'd put a bullet through her brain
But it ain't no grounds for killin'
Just cause she's rattlin' machain

Baby, daddy's worried
And it just don't do no good
It don't do no good

Chorus
I saw you on the internet
You're still the same old you
A little tarnished but flamboyant
Always pandering to fools
So much smoke and fire
How did we get so cruel
I saw you on the internet
Or someone just like you

Verse 1
You said that people doing nothing
Just ride the earth around the sun
Leaving guys like you to do the lifting
Making sure that change will come

So you let me ramble on for hours
Let me think that I was smart
Just to end up throwing bricks and bottles
Carrying signs and a broken heart

With every voice and all our mayhem
We ripped the silence from the night
And left these streets in heaps of rubble
To greet the days first rays of light

Chorus
I saw you on the internet
You're still the same old you
A little tarnished but flamboyant
Always pandering to fools
So much smoke and fire
How did we get so cruel
I saw you on the internet
Or someone just like you

Verse 2
I've been staying at the shelter
Nursing burns and hiding scars
From a dozen federal marshals
Riding around in unmarked cars

The papers say you got arrested
And the judge won't grant you bail
For doing all that lifting
He wants to give you life in jail

And they hope to have more warrants
It won't be long before they come
So today I'm leaving Portland
To ride the earth around the sun

Outro
Today I'm leaving Portland
To ride the earth around the sun

Chorus:
Don't call me no shitter
Though I've told my share
I swear
It was a cowboy on a Harley

Verse 1:
It was in 46 with all the heroes come home
They's a great bunch of busters
But they'd all gotten throwed
What didn't get crippled
Done got theyselves dead
Cause of a brahma named Harpoon
We'd all come to dread

Verse 2:
It was the 4th of July
At the big rodeo
They's offering cash money
For any man can't be throwed
I was thinking it over
Just when some feller said
"Lookie there down the highway
Comes something bright red"

Chorus:
Don't call me no shitter
Though I've told my share
I swear
It was a cowboy on a Harley

Verse 3:
Well he skidded right up next to the chute
A mean looker with tattoos
And grease on his boots
He jumps on old Harpoon
And rides past the bell
He didn't get off
Till he rode him to hell

Verse 4:
He pockets the winnings
And he drinks all our beer
It was then that I noticed
He had a ring in his ear
I catches him eyeing
My sweet Nancy Ray
The next thing I'm knowing
They's both riding away

Chorus:
Don't call me no shitter
Though I've told my share
I swear
It was a cowboy on a Harley

When darkness roamed forever
And the moon above was grey
This whole world was cold and lonely
That was until the star child came
With a planet for a playground
And for all it did contain
A child like any other brings
But joy and takes away the pain
It was the moon's spite turned to madness
In a fit of jealous rage
Set the shadows fast upon him
And put the wind behind the rain
Friction wrought the lightning
That the moon should have its way
So dashed and torn to pieces
On a desert floor he lay
Like tear drops down from heaven
So many stars fell from the sky
That their souls became the fire
That now burns from way up high
A child like any other brings but joy
And takes away the pain
A life that's just beginning
Is the light that warms each day

Chorus:
Beyond the stars
Dimension
Footprint and inception
The veil
The heart
The soul
Beyond all you think you know

Verse 1:
You still festered in your temper
Spoiled in your greed
Became the awful thing that made you steal and lie
You are the thief
They dragged you out in chains and beat you
A garden less one weed
Nailed you upright to their timber
Through their stones and watched you bleed
You cried out loud for God to take you
Begged and prayed for his mercy
Now the man hanging beside you speaks I can help if you believe

Chorus:
Beyond the stars
Dimension
Footprint and inception
The veil
The heart
The soul
Beyond all you think you know

Verse 2:
He wears a crown of pain and insult
Thornstruck upon his brow
And dies for having dared to walk the path of the Messiah
In truth he has been beaten
As if to bleed from every pour
You raise your head
You look upon him
Your pain is gone
You hurt no more
His fractured voice assures with kindness
Until he takes that final breath
You feel your eyes well up with sorrow
At the moment of his death

Chorus:
Beyond the stars
Dimension
Footprint and inception
The veil
The heart
The soul
Beyond all you think you know

Verse 3:
Alone now more than ever
You watch as daylight fades to black
And in the chaos of this darkness
The gardeners seed is taken back
You feel cold spread from within
Choke then suffocate
Hear a voice calling you brother
Feel a hand pull you his way
He has returned for you as promised
His will be done
His name be praised
And the way to paradise
Be known to all upon this day

Chorus:
Beyond the stars
Dimension
Footprint and inception
The veil
The heart
The soul
Beyond all you think you know

Verse 4:
What is this thing
This energy
What light exists cannot be seen
You hear the music and the voice
Lift up your hands and you rejoice
Feel the weight of so much joy
You overflow from heart to soul
And in every prayer that you have prayed
Every song that you could sing
And on your knees resides in thee
It is the beauty of his being