Days and Days

By Cliff Lake

 

Days and Days

 

Day after day what has you compelled?

Day after day what madness endures itself?

Day after day what nuisances into you melt?

Day after day what peace is from you withheld?

 

Trouble, trouble, sometimes it’s double,

Again you pick yourself up from the rubble.

From without the palace or hovel,

Reality will pierce the bubble.

 

It’s no use just getting by if that’s all you plan to do.

It’s no use living the lie if that’s all you know how to do.

It’s no use getting high if that’s all that gets you through,

It’s no use asking “Why?” when the answer is you.

 

What is the little program for today?

On which little outcome do you prey?

Which little unplanned thing causes dismay?

How can you stand such disarray?

 

What little thing has you all affray?

Every little thing has the means to go astray.

Remember what Frank would say:

There is always more trouble every day.

 

It’s no use just getting by if that’s all you plan to do.

It’s no use living the lie if that’s all you know how to do.

It’s no use getting high if that’s all that gets you through,

It’s no use asking “Why?” when the answer is you.

 

Every day is another now,

Every day can crease the brow,

Every day can have you behind the plow,

Every day is more time allowed.

 

It’s no use just getting by if that’s all you plan to do.

It’s no use living the lie if that’s all you know how to do.

It’s no use getting high if that’s all that gets you through,

It’s no use asking “Why?” when the answer is you.

 

Cliff Lake 6/5/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

One Thousand Horsemen

By Cliff Lake
  One Thousand Horsemen   The call of an ally, A friend of old: “We ask your aid! Will you be bold?”   “Ancient terrors, Assail once more! Will you honor The oaths we swore?”   One thousand horsemen answer the call,   One thousand horsemen riding tall. One thousand horsemen, they prepare. One thousand horsemen, forth they fare.   “We have no word, Are we not heard? Are we forgot? Do you come not?”   “The terror hails, Our people quail! We are beset, Will you come yet?”   One thousand horsemen upon the hill, One thousand horsemen, duty they fill. One thousand horsemen make the climb. One thousand horsemen, are they in time?   “What do we hear? Is succor near? Have you arrived? Will we survive?”   “Hail faithful friend! Fear not an end! Our hope has come, Sound the war drum!”   One thousand horsemen, banners raised! One thousand horsemen, unafraid! ...
Read more

From the Ashes

By Cliff Lake
  From the Ashes   Blindly in their towers, Corporate greeders sour, Scarring Mother Earth with deep gashes. Lied to by their shills, Handing us the bills, Still, they will deny the climate crashes. They look the other way, And shorten up our pay, Scarring us with credit debt lashes. They look upon us lowly, As we are buried slowly, And leave us half alive among the ashes.   In the ashes we are consigned, In the ashes we’re left behind, In the ashes here we grind, In the ashes we're not blind.   Trickle down lying, At fault denying, Satisfied the machine steady gnashes. They see down their nose, Saying we chose, Telling us that we thrive in their trashes. How do they slumber, Knowing our numbers Are they prepared for backlashes? Losing their power, Now is the hour – Afraid when we rise from the ashes.   In the ashes we are consigned, In the ashes we’re left behind, In the ashes here we grind, ...
Read more

Dawnbreak

By Cliff Lake
  Dawnbreak   Long we endured the starless dark. Long we kept alive the spark. Long have we kept on keeping on, Long and long, we have awaited the dawn:   When the dawn comes, After the long and troubled night. When the dawn comes, When we step back into light. When the dawn comes, We will see what we’ve been fighting for. When the dawn comes, And we share the sun once more.   Long have they thwarted people’s will. Long have we fought our way uphill. Long have we been played as pawns, Long have we looked toward the dawn:   When the dawn comes, After the long and troubled night. When the dawn comes, When we step back into light. When the dawn comes, We will see what we’ve been fighting for. When the dawn comes, And we share the sun once more.   Long have they ignored the people’s need. Long have they succumbed to soiled greed. Long have we been fooled by misery’s spawn, Long has our strength g...
Read more