I’ve always liked the way words sound together, especially when accompanied by music. I can thank Bob Dylan for this because despite the valiant efforts of my high school English lit teachers, I never appreciated poetry until I first heard ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ on the radio. I studied Dylan’s lyrics much more earnestly than Shakespeare’s, and found myself writing verses of my own in the margins my high school workbooks. Once I got a job as an advertising copywriter I relived the angst of my professional obligations by jotting down amusing ditties for my own amusement. I wasn’t writing poetry, didn’t think of myself as a poet and never intended to show anyone what I had written.

Somewhere in the late 1990’s when I was serving as Latvia’s ambassador the United States, a musician in Latvia asked if I could write some English language lyrics for Latvian songwriters. Latvia was independent, its musicians were breaking out into the world, and they wanted to sing in the language that dominated the rock and pop world. So I began to experiment with some verses. I found myself writing songs without music. They sounded like they could be songs to me, and only lacked a melody. I can’t sing or play an instrument, but after years of studying the lyrics of Dylan, Loudon Wainwright III, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Joe Jackson and Steve Earle, I felt I had a feel for the patterns that words could follow as they try to hook up with a melody.

By 2001 I had amassed a goodly  number ‘songs’ in search of melodies, some about Latvia, others about other things, but all inspired by the sights, sounds, people and events that shaped my daily life in Riga, Latvia. In 2002 the Latvian composer Imants Kalnins approached me about an album of new songs he wanted to do, but with English lyrics. Imants traditionally wrote melodies to the lyrics of Latvian poets and asked if I had anything in English he could look at. I gave him about 25 songs and he picked 12, which ended up in the album “Think of Me”, recorded by the Latvian pop group, Autobuss Debesis (“Bus in the Sky”).

Since then I have collaborated with Marija Naumova (Marie N), Arnis Mednis, Renars Kaupers of Brainstorm (Prāta Vētra) and several other musicians, all of whom have recorded songs with my lyrics.

What follows is a sampler of lyrics I have written over the years, most of which have never been put to song. I have hundreds in all and will never get them all in here, and many don’t need to be. But if you are reading this, enjoy composing melodies to other peoples words, and find something that tickles your lyrical fancy, let me know. Half-baked songwriters like me are always looking for their better half.

We raise a glass to friendship

and drink it to the last

we make a toast and a dozens boasts

about our noble pasts

about our noble pasts

Let’s say it again before we go

Let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give it all another try

before we say our last goodbye

We celebrate our birthdays, and years of wedded bliss

we give each other flowers, and seal it with a kiss

and seal it with a kiss

Let’s say it again before we go

Let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give it all another try

before we say our sweet goodby

We make each other happy, we make each other glad

we celebrate the good things, we set aside the bad

we set aside the bad

Let’s say it again before we go

Let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give it all another try

before we make this our goodby

We always love our mothers and listen to our dads

we want them to be happy and never make them mad

No! we never make them mad!

Let’s say it again before go

Let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give our hearts another try

before we think about goodbye

We said we would remember and never would forget

the time we had together the moment that we met

oh, that moment that we met

Let’s say it again before we go

Let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give it all another try

Before we even think goodby

We do it for our children for husbands and their wives

we work and play and celebrate the good things in our lives

all the good things in our lives

Let’s say it again before we go

Let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give it all another try

Before we say our last goodbye

We sing of things that matter of love and hate and lust

we dance because we want to and live because we must

yes, we live because we must!

Let’s say it again before we go

let’s play it again before we go

Let’s give it all another try

and never ever say goodbye

and never say goodbye

no, lets never ever say goodbye

lets never say goodbye

I wanted to see whether I, as a Latvian, could write an Irish drinking song. Renars Kaupers wrote some music for this, and in 2004 he performed it together with the post-modern Latvian folk group Iļģi at the 5th anniversary of the Latvian Institute. There is a video of this somewhere, but it was never performed again. (To my knowledge.)

They talked about their yesterdays and a homeland far away,

They huddled in the barracks and had nothing good to say.

They thought about the days gone by and every snap shot made them cry;

When my father played the saxophone, they danced.

They rummaged through their memories of lives they left behind,

They tried to raise their families with work that they could find.

They cursed the darkness of the night and vowed that they would always fight;

When my father played the saxophone, they danced.

They suffered through the nightmares that followed them like ghosts,

They read the news of losses and counted up the costs.

They wondered what they had to give and gathered up a will to live:

When my father played the saxophone, they danced.

They loaded their belongings in heavy wooden crates,

They filled out forms and questionnaires and then were told to wait.

They taught their children how to hope, not always sure if they could cope;

When my father played the saxophone, they danced.

They boarded ocean liners that took them to the West,

They reassured each other that it was for the best.

They knew that they would always be their country’s homeless refugees

and everywhere they came to be,

my father played the saxophone

and they danced.

I get the globalisation blues

When I read the globalisation news

Don’t know which globalisation to choose

So many globalisation shoes

In Europe they follow the laws that they got from their ma’s and their pa’s

The Yankees left home to be free, so Marines could be all they could be

In Islam they follow the mulla’s, and other fine Mecca-nized fellows

The Russians are looking for leaders with a new set of old parking meters

I get the globalisation blues

When I read the globalisation news

Don’t know which globalisation to choose

So many globalisation shoes

In China the walls are forbidding and you can’t tell if they’re only kidding

Please don’t cry again Argentina,  if the south of the border gets meaner

In Cape Town the races are on but you can’t tell who’s lost and who’s won

In Belfast they’re tossing their pints, at churches that burn through the night

The numbers keep crunching Bombay in every conceivable way

The problems that plague Indonesia are the kind that will always displease you

In Brussels they’re building their bureaus and looking for clerical heroes

In Strasbourg, The Hague and Geneva, they don’t want your senses to leave you

I get the globalisation blues

When I read the globalisation news

Don’t know which globalisation to choose

So many globalisation shoes

Each time that you watch MTV you discover a new way to be

A digital life on the run is a mobilized way to have fun

We are faced with a web of intrigue that’s taken us to a new league

The data we get is astounding as our senses keep taking a pounding

Just ask any man on the street what he’s wearing on both of his feet

Will it take him through rain and through snow and get him where he wants to go?

From Boston to Baghdad they walk, and talk like they’ve learned how to talk

If the twain are intended to meet, it comes down to the shoes on their feet

I get the globalisation blues

When I read the globalisation news

Don’t know which globalisation to choose

So many globalisation shoes

I’ve got the globalisation blues

I’m taking globalisation views

Collecting globalisation clues

To beat these globalisation blues

I’m paying globalisation dues

For all these globalisation blues

Can’t  shake these globalisation blues

Can’ t break these globalisation blues

Exchanging globalisation shoes

The sky descends in darkness as clouds block out the sun

The end he always feared appears to have at last begun.

The hope he found is nearly lost and nothing can replace it

Think of me

I am your father,

We have been through this before

We have been through  this and more

from the cradle to the grave

We have been through this together once before

His options are exhausted and his choices next to none

The battle that he faces now may be the final one

The dreams he had are dashed against the rocks of  least resistance

Think of me

I am your mother

We have been through this before

We have been through this and more

from each cradle to each grave

We have been through this together,

many, many times before

He cannot go much further, he thinks he’s reached the end

the energy he still has left is less than he can spend

All hope he had has taken flight and cannot be recovered

Think of me.

I am your brother.

We have been through this before

We have been through this and more

from our cradles to our graves

We have been through this together in so many waysbefore

All light seems gone, and love does too no shelter from the storm;

there is no place on earth he knows that qualifies as warm

He cannot find one place to be that isn’t where he’s been.

Think of me.

I am you.

We have been through this before.

We have been through this and more

in the all the cradles and the graves.

We have been through this through all our lives together.

(Recorded by ‘Bus in the Sky’ on the album ‘Think  of Me’, music by Imants Kalnins)

I drove forever and a day and I saw no one;

I sailed the river from its source in search of life;

I climbed the hillocks up and down

but there was not a soul around,

and I saw light that stayed up through the night.

This is not my land

this is not your land

someday they’ll understand

that this is no man’s land

I rode the long deserted road erasing footprints;

I felt the forest closing in on all that was;

I strolled through fields of golden dust

and kicked the tools consumed by rust,

and I saw life in every sign of strife

This is not my land

this is not your land

someday they’ll understand

that this is no man’s land

I stepped between the standing stones in sacred wonder;

I bowed my head in holy groves of oak and birch;

I walked through mighty castle walls

that had been built so they could fall,

and I felt free in what was meant to be.

This is not my land

this is not your land

someday they’ll understand

that this is no man’s land

Of course I can be happy too, I’ll do it if it pleases you

I’ll turn the darkness into light and bring a brightness to your night

I’ll tell you it will be alright,

If that’s that pleases you

I’ll chase away the darkest clouds and pacify the angry crowds

I’ll give you all the laws allow

If that’s what pleases you

Of course I can be cheerful too I’ll do it if it pleases you

I’ll chase away the chilling rain and soothe you when you’re feeling pain

I’ll titillate your aching brain

If that’s what pleases you

I’ll pull a rabbit from a hat, I’ll put the skin back on the cat

I’ll make an angel from a brat

If that’s what pleases you

Of course I can be merry to, I’ll do it if it pleases you

I’ll step in the same river twice, I’ll liberate the frightened mice

I’ll pay the piper any price,

If that’s what pleases you

I’ll turn the booing into cheers, I’ll free you from your darkest fears

I’ll do it for a thousand years

If that’s what pleases you

Of course I can be goofy too, I’ll do it if it pleases you

I’ll stand all logic on its head, I’ll jump around on mother’s bed

I’ll bring to life the quick and dead,

If that’s what pleases you

I’ll twist my mouth and bug my eyes, I’ll bring it back when all hope dies

and find the truth in other’s lies,

If that’s what pleases you

Of course I can be happy too, I know the sky above is blue

And even if my words aren’t true

I’ll say them if it pleases you

(Recorded by ‘Bus in the Sky’ on the album ‘Think  of Me’, music by Imants Kalnins)

Give me the stuff of life, give me the morning light

give me a chance to sing, give me a diamond ring

give me all you got, I have it coming

give me all the causes I must serve

give me what I need to keep on running

give me all you think that I deserve

give me the things I need, give me a pregnant seed

give me the best you’ve got, give me another shot

give me a million bucks, give me Madonna’s looks

give me a record deal, give me a decent meal

give me a chance to fly, give me a reason why

give me another chance, give me the grapes of France

give me all you got, I have it coming

give me all the causes I must serve

give me what I need to keep on running

give me all you think that I deserve

give me the final bill, give me a spot to fill

give me the tea in China, give me a greasy diner

give me a flowing river, give me an Indian giver

give me the world’s best cooks, give me Umberto’s books

give me a hole in one, give me a job well done

give me a winning goal, give me the leading role

give me all you got, I have it coming

give me all the causes I must serve

give me what I need to keep on running

give me all you think that I deserve

give me another drink, give me some time to think

give me the morning after, give me the gift of laughter

give me the parting shot, give me the hottest spot

give me a little thrill, give me an iron will

give me the eyes to see, give me the need to be

give me a telling sign, give me a Valentine

give me a steady bass, give me a smiling face

give me that toughlove talk. give me a chance to walk

give me another try, give me the reason why

give me a needed lift, give me a lasting gift

give me a helping hand, give me a piece of land

give me the will to live, give me what I must give

give me all you got, I have it coming

give me all the causes I must serve

give me what I need to keep on running

give me all you think that I deserve

Let’s sing of the rivers that run to the sea

of the things that have been

of the things that must be

Let’s glide with the tide

and climb every tree

and survey all the things

that the hawks only see

Let us run to the ramparts and stand on the ledge

gazing up at the sky

peering down from the edge

Let’s run with the sun

and float with the clouds

and strengthen our selves

getting lost in the crowds

Let’s flow with the rivers that run to the sea

and build on what’s been

and become what must be

Let’s reel with the feeling

embrace every breast

and look upon life

as a glorious test

(Recorded by ‘Bus in the Sky’ on the album ‘Think  of Me’, music by Imants Kalnins)

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and the sun takes its time

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and that takes a long time

from summer to autumn, and winter to spring

each season has a reason for the bounty it brings

each moment has its meaning

each question, a reply

we spin on this earth and we look to the sky

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and the moon takes its time

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and that takes a long time

from morning to mid-day and into the night

we circle on a cycle, awaiting the light

we start with a beginning

we bring it to an end

we do it so it happens,  again and again

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and the earth takes its time

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and that takes a long time

from summer to autumn, and winter to spring

each passing has a reason for the sadness it brings

each passion has its purpose

each longing, a refrain

we turn to the time that we know still remains

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and the world takes its time

time takes its turn again

turn again, turn again

time takes its turn and that takes a long time

The most “Latvian” songs in all recorded history are sung around bonfires on the nights of Jāņi and Līgo during the Midsummer Solstice. They cannot be translated, for as the poet Imants Ziedonis has theorized, its often the sounds of the words and the vibrations they release in your body as you sing them, that produce the magic effects that have captivated generations. This was just an experiment to see if something of the sense of this celestial turning point in time could be captured in the Anglo-Saxon tongue.

turn again

turn again

turn it round and round the bonfire, turning

spring is gone and summer’s coming

turning

rain is pouring, thunder’s rumbling

turning

turn again

turn again

turn it round and round the bonfire, turning

lads are running after lassies

turning

rolling in the velvet grasses

turning

turn again

turn again

turn it round and round the bonfire, turning

sing a song and then another

turning

sing it with your sister’s brother

turning

pour the beer and make it lather

turning

raise a toast to all who gather

turning

turn again

turn again

turn it round and round the bonfire, turning

break your bread with every neighbor

turning

celebrate your earthly labours

turning

find the fern and kiss the flower

turning

feel the minutes flow like hours

turning

turn again

turn again

turn it round and round the bonfire, turning

thank your father and your mother

turning

throw a kiss to all the others

turning

sing and dance away the sorrow

turning

love today to see tomorrow

turning

The awesome entirety has got me

the endless all has got me in its spell

the thing of things and all their rings

and all the wonder wonder brings

just beats my heart and makes me feel just swell

Hey, I ride the rails of the awesome entirety

hitching a ride on the all in all

moving along to the place that I want to be

making the future my next port of call

The awesome entirety won’t leave me

I can’t begin to navigate its scope

the more I see amazes me

and every lock requires a key

if only I could find the proper rope

Hey, I ride the rails of the awesome entirety

hitching a ride on the all in all

moving along to the place that I want to be

making the future my next port of call

The awesome entirety is pointless

it simply sits there in and of itself

it simply circles round and round

and makes the necessary sound

to conjur up a fairy and an elf

Hey, I ride the rails of the awesome entirety

hitching a ride on the all in all

moving along to the place that I want to be

making the future my next port of call

The awesome entirety has got me

the endless all has got me in its spell

the thing of things and all their rings

and all the wonder wonder brings

just beats my heart and makes me feel just swell

I am a man of principles

I am a man of my word

Come gather round and listen to the things you’ve never heard

Come look at all my principles

I’ll defend them to the end

But if circumstances change again, I’ll gladly make them bend

You can do a lot with principles

You can wear them on your sleeve

You can raise them up the flag pole as the enemy army leaves

Come choose among my principles

They tend to come and go

Just why that tends to happen wasn’t meant for me to know

I live a life of principles

And try to take a stand

A solid one on water and a looser one on land.

You shouldn’t sell your principles

Or calculate their cost

Unless, of course, there’s no way out and you are really lost.

The world is full of principles

We use them every day

They shape the things we do and make us say the things we say.

There is no end of principles

That we can choose to try

The prospects are enormous and the limit is the sky.

I think I’ll take my principles

And use them at my whim

I’ll take them for a walk and then I’ll take them for a swim.

I’ll exercise my principles

In every way and means

And look the other way when someone says I’m full of beans

I always have my principles

To guide me through the night

When life is full of darkness there is always room for light.

I am a man of principles

That guide me through my test

And if the ones I have don’t work I’ll have to try the rest.

I’m grateful to the gods that be

for being somewhere near to me

I thank the heavens for the time

they waste

on this mere mortal

I count my lucky stars at night

for showing me a useful light

I just don’t know the reason why

they shine

so I can see them

I know the time we have is short

for all the loves that we must court

I simply take what’s offered me

and wait

to see tomorrow

(Recorded by ‘Bus in the Sky’ on the album ‘Think  of Me’, music by Imants Kalnins)

Its time to go to battle,

the trumpets have been sounded

unsheath your sword, adjust your shield

and march

march into the face of those that doubt you

march into the glare of hostile fire

march along with others who surround you

march alone armed solely with desire

march the paths that others trod before you

march thru pathways never trod before

march despite the voices that implore you

march when you can ‘t take it any more

march as if there wasn’t a tomorrow

march for all the love left in your life

march to kill the pain and drown the sorrow

march  to end the conflict and the strife

march for all that’s good and all that’s holy

march for those whose marching days are through

march for all the sad and all the lonely

march for those who still depend on you

march through sunny fields and sparkling meadows

march into the darkest depths of hell

march along with memories and shadows

march where all before you nobly fell

march because you must, because you have to

march because you have no other choice

march a lively step and snappy tatoo

march because you hear that inner voice

Its time to go to battle

the trumpets have been sounded

unsheath your sword

adjust your shield

and march

march into the face of fear and terror

march into the jaws of the unknown

march because you are another bearer

marching for the place that you call home

marching for your family and loved ones

marching for your hearth and sacred home

marching to the tune of the unsung ones

marching to your destiny alone

Dedicated to the strēlnieki  and others who have fought for Latvia’s freedom –  November 17, 1999

The bankers and the businessmen are rushing to their cars

with bodyguards and drivers they head out for the bars

The ministers and mistresses are waiting for them there;

serving up that pound of flesh for a price that’s only fair

The faces in the streets could tell us stories

they’ve seen it all a hundred times before

they look down from above in frozen glory

with stone cold glares that chill you to the core

The deputies and dandies are primping for the press;

the TV commentator is trying on her dress

The poets and the painters are checking their reviews

The bureaucrats are rushing home to catch the evening news

The faces in the streets could tell us stories

they’ve seen it all a hundred times before

they look down from above in frozen glory

with stone cold glares that chill you to the core

The scientists and scholars are trying to survive

They button up their overcoats and hold tight to their wives

The  school kids and the students are laughing as they run

No thought about the future or the lives that they’ve begun

The hookers and the homeless are looking for their marks

Its tough to make a living on the streets and in the parks

The farmers and the fishermen are harvesting regrets

The brokers and the cardsharks are hedging on their bets

The priests and politicians are preaching to the masses

They know that what’s above  will always move the underclasses

The columnists and critics indulge in their negation

If only we would listen this would be a better nation

The lovers and their loved ones are living out their dreams

In hopes their expectations won’t get lost in bitter schemes

The mothers and musicians are singing lullabuys

That elevate the spirit And cut through all the lies

The faces in the streets could tell us stories

they’ve seen it all a hundred times before

they look down from above in frozen glory

with stone cold glares that chill you to the core

On the edge of the forest, at the foot of the hill

where the river runs down to the sea

A horse and its rider have taken their post

and wait for whatever will be

They wait for whatever will be

Above on the mountain the view is commanding

it is clear what must be down below

Below in the valley the people look up

for the answers they feel they must know

The horse and the rider have been up and down

and prepare for whatever will be

They prepare for whatever will be

In the brightness of day as the night is approaching

you ready yourself for the game

In the dark of the night when the dawn is awaiting

the choices are always the same

The horse and its rider know every turn

they have been from the mountain to the sea

They live on the edge of what is and what was

and welcome whatever will be

They welcome whatever will be.

We live our lives in the now and then,

We choose the rules for the how and when.

Things are the same as they’ve always been

We do it once and begin again.

I write some words and watch them fly

I wonder where, I wonder why

I kick the earth, I swat the sky

And gaze at dolphins swimming by

Doesn’t matter what I do

I never learn what’s really true

I look things up and take things down

And move the questions all around.

But nothing ever really fits

I sometimes want to call it quits

But then it all starts up again

I live my life in the now and then

I choose the rules for how and when

Its stays the way it’s always been

I do it once

and start again

you can take it all away

you can take away my day

you can trample on my pride

you can make me run and hide

you can penetrate my heart

you can break it all apart

you can stop the summer breeze

you can bring me to my knees

but you can’t make me cry forever

there’s a diamond in each piece of coal

you can’t make me cry forever

you can’t take the light from my soul

you can smash it on the door

you can press it on the floor

you can terrorise and tease me

you can try to crush and squeeze me

you can silence all my voices

you can take away my choices

you can make me sing your tune

you can steal the sun and moon

but you can’t make me cry forever

there’s a diamond in each piece of coal

you can’t make me cry forever

you can’t take the light from my soul

This city once had walls and cannons that fired balls

and every city tower would signal by the hour

if children had to fear that enemies were near

this city once had walls           but they are gone

yet when I walk the streets I feel alone

the walls that once kept people

far apart

are standing still in every aching heart

This city once had gates at which you had to wait

the soldiers with their shields would never ever yield

to stragglers and the poor who showed up at the door

this city once had walls           but they are gone

yet when I walk the streets I feel alone

the walls that once kept people

far apart

are standing still in every aching heart

This city once was cold, all memories were sold

when voices in the hall announced a chilling pall

with boots that shook the floor and knocks upon the door

This city once was locked, all passages were blocked

the shadows cast a doubt on those who wanted out

and only next of kin had hopes of getting in

Then came another age when we built barricades

they came from far and wide to fill the rising tide

the hearts that fueled the fires were burning with desire

The squares are clear again a new life has begun

the doors are open wide and all can come inside

to satisfy themselves from overcrowded shelves

But something isn’t right, you feel it in the night

you sense it in the day, when faces look away

there’s too much to remind that some were left behind

and some can’t pay the cost of all that they have lost

this city once had walls            but they are gone

yet when I walk the streets I feel alone

the walls that once kept people

far apart

are standing still in every aching heart

The soldiers of misfortune

(Ode to the Latvian Legion)

Somewhere in the lonely night an angry trumpet sounds

the smoke that filled the meeting rooms heads for the battlegrounds

They write their manifestos and fill them full of lies

the men who give the orders are never those who die

Let us pay our respects and express our regrets

to the soldiers of misfortune

they fell and died while the nation cried

and now they must fall again

The words that burn with passion have forged an iron will

to reach a goal by telling men they have a right to kill

The cause is always just, they say defend it with your pride

and know with every step you march that god is on your side

Let us pay our respects and express our regrets

to the soldiers of misfortune

they fell and died while the nation cried

and now they must fall again

Don’t listen to the other side that questions our commands

this is the only way to save our sacred fatherland

You never chose the flags that flew as you went into battle

they dressed you up in gray and brown and slaughtered you

like cattle

Let us pay our respects and express our regrets

to the soldiers of misfortune

they fell and died while the nation cried

and now they must fall again

The trumpets have been put aside the smoke has blown away

but broken hearts are bleeding still with little left to say

New judges and historians are handing out the blame

and those who fought for liberty are forced to hide in shame

You once were called to battle and asked to a sacrifice

now once again its you, my friend that pays the highest price

Let us pay our respects and express our regrets

to the soldiers of misfortune

they fell and died while the nation cried

and now they must fall again

(June 14, 2000)

Latvia experienced many nights of terror during the Soviet occupation, when the KGB came to apartments and arrested entire families, loaded them on cattle cars and shipped them off to Siberia. But even those who were fated to escape the terror physically, never escaped its legacy.

On the night that it rained

I went out

you stayed in

I came back

you were gone

That was all.

Someone came

someone went

there was no explanation

I came back

you were gone

that was all

First a knock,

then a shout

on the night that it rained

in a moment

a lifetime

passed on.

Just the clothes

on your back

when you left in the rain

I came back

you were gone

that was all

No a word

not a reason

you wouldn’t be there

Not a sign

that our lives

would be rendered

and torn

I went out

in the rain

I came back

you were gone

that was all

that was all

that was all

I would never

have gone

had I known

what would be

on that night

when I left in the rain

I went out

for a moment

I am coming back still

you are gone

you are gone.

you are gone

October 20, 1999

We planted our seed near the great Northern Sea

sending roots deep below in a land that was free

We took strength from the oak, we stood tall with the pine

we gave birth and met death within nature’ s design

When the Sword cut us down and the Knight took our land

we returned to the soil where we made our last stand

The sands will uncover

and time will reveal

who was meant to prevail

between amber and steel

They built towers and steeples where great pines once stood

as the Barons and and Czars filled our rivers with blood

They cut down the  Oak to build gallows and altars

but as forests retreated the faith never faltered

As the century turned we were caught in the fires;

like a phoenix we rose from the ravaged empires

The sands will uncover

and time will reveal

who was meant to prevail

between amber and steel

We reached to the stars, we blossomed and flowered

until tanks and sad cattle cars wrought their dark power

The Red and the Brown joined their hands in the crime

we went down but survived cruelly frozen in time

We were closed from the world by a barbed iron curtain

but the sun was our hope and of this we were certain

In the forest and seashore we returned to our roots

deep beneath the iron heels of the enemy’s boots

The sands will uncover

and time will reveal

who was meant to prevail

between amber and steel

As the castles and commissars crumble and fall

the iron and the steel turn to rust

The oak and the pine reach to freedom again

and the amber glows gold in the dust

We rise from the seashore we emerge from the mud

from the Gulag to the Gauja we return

we were once,

we are still

we will always prevail

in the struggle of amber and steel

1991

God is this

God is that

God is that which

is under your hat

God is good

God is strong

God is never, ever wrong

God is big

God is great

God amuses himself with fate

God is funny

God is kind

God is a guest

of the open mind

God is yes

and God is no

You look high

and I’ll look low

God is female

God is male

Believe in both and

you’ll never fail

God’s an asshole

God’s a saint

God looks like any

picture you paint

God is here

and then he’s gone

God is a mushroom in your front lawn.

Eat it.

November 24, 1978