CliffSongs

  Small Satisfaction   A whistle of wind, The dry rattle Of what leaves remain to sound, No requiem here. Here is nowhere, Even if it is somewhere, Perhaps it had a name once, But it is long unmapped since. Perhaps for the best: Its sole inhabitant, Past hope for salvage, Having long dismissed his own identity, Hoping for escape, To be trapped in the barren. He has no use for irony, Though he be gripped by it. He knows he will not survive here, Yet animal instinct drives him still, And finding water he drinks, And finding prey he eats, And finding shelter he sleeps, Then wanders more. It is a cleansing he thinks, A reduction to a purer form, If it is not a redemption. If he is found, Will he be known? If he is known, Will he be tried? If he is tried, Will it matter? He has already given himself to this waste, And it has given back, Though poorly. Yet it has been enough, And he will wander another day, ...

  Old Smoke   In the Lands of Lost Promise, The smokes of old fires linger. Bright glow now mostly ash, Blown and gone, Murmur of despair following. Fading light delivers indistinct shadow, Blurred vestiges of boundaries once known, All but forgotten In the encroaching cold and dark. Once tended radiant blazes, Revered for their warmth and illume, Burned hot at need, If heart grew cold, If mind went dark. The pyres were blamed of searing too torrid, Of lighting too clear, Beacons leading away from glooms and fogs, Where shadows conceal, Where deed may go unfound. In the Land of Lost Promise, Old smokes linger, Remnants of fires past, Embers cooling under ash, But yet hot, Awaiting staple and stock, And the winds of change, To roar back to blazing life, And light our course Out of the dim we stumble in, And rekindle the spirit that was, In the Land of Lost Promise, That we may find the way again.   Cliff...

  Monster   The monster sits in his cavern high, Watching the lowly ones not get by. For he has taken all that there can be, And they may have a bit for a fee.   And he is thankful for his continued health, And more grateful for his exorbitant wealth. And he wishes that there was more he could do, To remove happiness from the remaining few.   For his life is absent of anything like a friend, He owns sycophants only, here for their own ends. And they look with longing eyes at his purse, And inside he knows it couldn’t be worse.   So he climbs above all on his pile of gold, And pretends that he has not gotten old. And wonders why his long life is all trial, And crushes any with a genuine smile.   And he plots to poison the world he won’t survive, And poisons the spirit of any daring to feel alive, And poisons the air and poisons the land, And poisons any chance of good in his brand.   And he takes con...

  Swingtown   Swingtown was the place to be seen. Swingtown was the unstoppable machine. Swingtown was maybe a little unclean, Swingtown was the place to careen.   Swingtown; scandalous reputation. Swingtown; notorious temptation. Swingtown, find your flirtation. Swingtown accepts all application.   They don’t dance in Swingtown anymore, The dance hall is closed, And they burned the store. You can still go, but what a snore, They don’t dance in Swingtown anymore.   Now the story on Swingtown gets a little hazy, Things in Swingtown got a little crazy. Things in Swingtown were always a little racy, Swingtown policing was always a little lazy.   Swingtown; overnite sensation. Swingtown; snakebite your libation. Swingtown; no streetlight salvation. Swingtown; overnight cremation.   They don’t dance in Swingtown anymore, The dance hall is closed, And they burned the store. You can still go, but w...

  Blind and Blind   From out of the wasteland where tainted water flows, From out of the wasteland a blinded man rose. And the blinded man spake as if with authority, And the blinded man spake of all the things he could not see. And he recalled of him all the sights he had never seen, And spake against all, and even color he would demean. And the people listened, although his speech was hollow, And those of some discontent among them began to follow.   And they followed, though he could not see, Followed him feverishly. Followed without inquiry, They followed – and they did not see.   They followed the blinded man to lands barren and cold, They followed because he said the sun had been stole. They followed and many fell by the way, They followed and he said they were strong enough to stay.   And they followed, though he could not see, Followed him feverishly. Followed without inquiry, They followed – and they did n...

  From Somewhere   Once there was a man from somewhere, The greedy and the foolish he could snare. He could tell them literally anything, He told them he was their everything. He gathered him religious fanatics, And courted him fringe lunatics. And got them all to set him so high, And got them to let him suck them dry.   But some in even the smallest town, They don’t let the deal go down. From the people hear the sound, The march against the tyrant bound.   Now this man that came from somewhere, Did as he liked without a care. Flouting convention and law alike, Threatening all with fisted strike. And the foolish and the greedy agreed, His acknowledgement their greatest need. Stupidly accepting their suffering, Stupidly allowing him to become king.   But some in even the smallest town, They won’t let the deal go down. From the people hear the sound, The march against the tyrant bound.   Worse become...

    The Time of We   And they think we have lost the cause, And they think they can shred the laws, And they think they hold all the keys, And they think they can hold we.   And they think we won’t march on the towers, And they think we won’t march on the powers, And they think we are little more than debris, And they think they can ignore we.   And the time has come around again, And we must take down the crown again. And it’s time again that they must see, There is nothing so mighty as we.   And they think we do not count the cost, And they think that we have already lost, And they think that we do not see, And they never counted on we.   And the time has come around again, And we must take down the crown again. And it’s time again that they must see, There is nothing so mighty as we.   And they don’t think we’ll march again, And they don’t think we’ll march on them. And they don’t think ...

  Backroom Love Affair   Here is the story of you sycophant kooks: It would be funny, except for the nukes. Comic book villains, who voted for them? We want no part of your inane mayhem   Threats to the left and threats to the right, Pretense and nonsense, then back from a fight. Soft fattened mice pretending to roar, But the tigers are prowling and they’re keeping score.   Over and over and underperform, None of this stuff comes near to a norm. Stupid or blind or basically lazy, Why are you caving to and serving crazy?   Overindulged and unqualified, Lay out a million bucks and you’re inside. No matter that your resume is inflated, There is love for the uneducated.   No more fear of making any retraction, You are an integral part of a bigger distraction. You have no qualms as you watch the rapine, Deny, deny, deny, and you’ll get away clean.   Over and over and underperform, None of this stuff co...

  Living Past   The shaded past lurks because, Telling tales of never was, Slicing through me with silken claws, The shaded past lurks because.   A past only partly lived, Memory filtered through a faulted sieve. Scars sheared by a shielding shiv, Sins accomplished, who can forgive?   The shaded past lurks because, Telling tales of never was, Slicing through me with silken claws, The shaded past lurks because.   Remembrance a muddled palette, Fading faces, forgotten debt. Still ascend from the depths yet, Do we ever truly forget?   The shaded past lurks because, Telling tales of never was, Slicing through me with silken claws, The shaded past lurks because. Recollection clenching my jaw, Uncertainty in what I saw. Murky depths too like a maw, How long will memory gnaw?   The shaded past lurks because, Telling tales of never was, Slicing through me with silken claws, The shaded past lur...

  Tides and Tithe   What value has valuation? None, I think. Do you value gems? Do you value gold? Do you value numbers on a screen? Value is arbitrary. Value is momentary. Value is circumstantial. Attend: Salt has been valued equally to gold. Aluminum has been valued more than gold. Silver was valued above gold. See the man! He has been locked away more than this week. He has been given only water. He is offered a pound of gold in imprisonment, Patterned as he cherishes. He is offered a pound of steak in imprisonment, Prepared as he likes. Which will he choose? Starvation is the great motivator. At times I have been reduced to the essentials: Food, clothing, shelter. It may happen again. Maybe I will survive it. Maybe I won’t. Neither matters because Eventually I will not survive – Not at all. Of what value will my small luxuries be then? To me… Nothing. Therefore, what value have they now? None of them are...

  Technical Foul   How did the signal go awry? Point the finger at the other guy! Responsibility need not apply, If confusion you amplify.   Investigators on the prowl. Newspapers begin to howl. Don’t give in, throw in the towel, It was just a technical foul.   Never mind why the wisemen scowl, Keep shoveling shit with a bear-sized trowel, Feel the tightening grip in your bowel, While you commit to your technical foul.   Don’t worry, your job is fine, Just say it was all by design. Or that there are new guidelines, Or you were hacked by him sometime.   It’s all less than what it seems: Who knows what F-18 means? Let them bitch and moan and growl, Simply a technical foul.   Never mind why the wisemen scowl, Keep shoveling shit with a bear-sized trowel, Feel the tightening grip in your bowel, While you commit to your technical foul.   Cliff Lake 3/27/2025 Copyright © Clifford Lake 202...

  Found and Lost   There is a place, not entirely earthbound, Where the energy alive surrounds, Even in the darkness found, Where even the lowly are crowned.   There is a night, full of some earthly light, Where evil will dare not blight. Where you may escape plunder and plight, Where even the smallest wield might.   And I lived under the deepest dream, In a world of shimmering sheen, Maybe somewhere in between, Somewhere more than daydream, I saw it long ago… Return me to where I have been.   There was a day, when it was never gray, When I rolled a century away, Where one slept guarded by moonray, With a word no more cares to weigh.   I was pulled away by the human race, A lifetime I can almost embrace. Why abandon such grace? I can find my way back if I but see a trace.   And I lived under the deepest dream, In a world of shimmering sheen, Maybe somewhere in between, Somewhere more than ...

  Tuesday, In the Year of the Plague   Adrift I am in information, Canard concocted without cessation. Am I drowning in misconception, Or in the more turbulent deception.   The ship careens: I am thrown. The lies are paid, the truth on loan. And how to brave the cruel cyclone, How far away is certainty blown?   Fact buried beneath the wave, How many left that we must save? Sharks in the water, legitimacy bleeds, Know they will give no quarter, what of our needs?   How do we with the storm contend, What reality are we to suspend? Acidic lies rain without end, Beneath these waters will we descend?   Honesty’s lifeboat under duress, How do we paddle out of this mess? Can the ship be righted out of distress? Who will answer the SOS?   Abandoned we are in heavy seas, Afloat and unmoored in oily sleaze, Tossed by storm more like disease, Gods swept away we might appease.   Off course, backs...

  Confusioneers   For goodness sake, state secret mistake, How many blunders does it take? Think you’re gonna put them to the screw? They got a little shimmy-shake for you.   Think you caught them by the shorters, The idiot policies, conflicting orders. Watch them squirm out in front of their peers: The Dance of the Confusioneers.   The white lie here, Hey look over there! You know they screwed up, But now you don’t know where. Just know they’ll ramp up all your fears, The slippery Dance of the Confusioneers.   Panama, Canada, and Greenland, What’s with all of this threatening freewheelin’? I got my suspicions someone’s double-dealin’, They ain’t savin’ shit; they’re just stealin’.   Pander grander, sneak out some slander, Get everyone lost as your words meander. Create some smoke with a bunch of smears, Strike up the band for the Confusioneers.   The deflection here, Who is that there! You ...

  Mixed Signal   Open the information stream, It is as bad as what it seems. It looks like this crop’s been creamed, Signals sent on widest beam.   Drink to a pretended war, Take your shot and then one more. Signal the upcoming score, Discuss it all through an open door.   Appreciate the signal spread. Approximate within the thread. Apprehension, fear, and dread, Apply liberally to the head.   Drinks all around! Be of good cheer! The signal’s long and loud and clear! Nothing to lose! Nothing to fear, This side of the Atlantic’s clear!   Drink up men, it’s said and done. Drink up while the tale is spun. The signal went; it’s all good fun, Drink up before we’re overrun!   The signal sent so good and strong, Signal sent where it don’t belong. Signal sent and it’s so wrong, Signal got you in this song.   Signals beaming through the night, Signals beamed before the fight. Signal sent a...

  Low Thing   Clumsy betrayals, Blunt blades bludgeoning, Dull pronouncements shred, A disease chosen to salve defect: The cancer ruptures and spreads. Brutalize petty grievance, Take offence at whispers, Penalize the broken. Redemption cannot be had, But it can be pretended. Mispronounce the lie, Reapply the misstep, Unappreciate the fallen, Present all corroded truth, A charade harvesting gold sustains. So few, so few, Allowed by reason of empty belly, Made powerful through inaction, Overestimated - yet still flesh rotted, Can it consume itself? Degraded testimonies, Disturbed distributions, Defaced Declaration, Displayed debaucheries, Delighted despots. Electronic ascension manifested. Enumerated empires enacted. The controls removed from the operators: Drones in service to treasuries; The cost of calculating the cost. So few, so few, Iron fists in soiled gloves, Maintained in bewilderments. The lowest ha...

  Desserts   Robber baron, liar, fiend, Destruction path smiling careens. Adderall or ketamine, Twisty promise from these are gleaned.   Drug-addled and ego-bound, Self-proclamation gains the crown. Grab it all and run aground, Scuttle the ship and let us drown.   It’s going wrong and getting worse, Time to empty the bloated purse. Hit them where most it hurts, They are earned these just desserts.   Sycophants and worshippers, Unimmune from forfeiture. Gardener and carpenter, Shield yourself from extortioner.   Close the doors, go to ground, No more interest to compound. Barter, trade, that will confound, If it’s gone, it can’t be found.   It’s going wrong and getting worse, Time to empty the bloated purse. Hit them where most it hurts, They are earned these just desserts.   Cheater, coward, scoundrel, thief, They would have you suspend belief. Undermining without relief, Instal...

  Letter to a Red Hat   Complaining that you are the small guy. That you have been made to crawl by. That you have been made to stall dry. Congratulations, you are the fall guy.   Gathered together in sweaty throng, Making you believe that you belong. Look at you find out you’re wrong, Look at you find your way into this song.   They turn their backs and walk away. Baring the fang at the weakest prey. I want to know what’s the takeaway? Welcome to the new squeeze play.   When did it go inside out? When did you begin to doubt? When will you begin to shout? You think you’re getting a bailout?   They turn their backs and walk away. Baring the fang at the weakest prey. I want to know what’s the takeaway? Welcome to the new squeeze play. Things you’re needing that they crash, Things you believe in that they trash. You made a choice that was much too rash, You made the choice, they get the cash.   ...

  Charge   A task, a duty, A call and service, The onus hefted ponderous, And choices absent. Plodding progress, Hindered results, Finality still lies ahead. He did not petition this, Though it was required of him; No other dared stand in, Soft and pampered as they were, He was already tempered in life. Hard challenge and paltry advance meet, His resolve hardens to granite, He can no longer be swayed. Offer gold! Present silver or better, The silken thigh… He has not turned aside, Even death he has denied. What loyalty compels this stout? Only this: He has given his word: The coin he will not trade, The currency beyond his barter, He is bonded to himself. Can you ask more? He has no better to give than that. And in the asking, You will receive less. He is committed to the charge, He is consigned to this chore, He is submit to this test, He will fulfill. Stand aside, He does not stop, Until the end. ...

  Momentous   Moments get precious these days. A smile, A sound, A whisper, A frown. Any may carry the weight of your waking, Any may weigh heavier in sleep. What will you carry to your pillow?   Moments are precious these days. A word, A silence, A laugh, A sigh. Any may carry weight in your walking. Any may bear weight on others. What care do you embody?   Moments neglected these days: Civility, Kindness, Courtesy, Care. These once had weight, Now they are too weighty for some. Where are they in the balance?   Moments too precious these days: Skies, Scruples, Sacrifice, Silence. These have weight in the memory, Though not all weigh you down. How light do you step?   Do you carry your weight? Or are you weighed down? Do not let your head hit the pillow too heavy, Not all weights are yours to carry, And not all you carry need be a weight.   Moments get precious these ...