The Diagram of 2016 – How

Growing up in an extremely sheltered catholic midwestern household I was always taught some very simple “guidelines”. Whether it be good or bad this is the life I know. It was always God, Family, and Country. Whether it be right or wrong – that is yet a whole other discussion but today we realized something as a country and I did as an individual. These are the truths that we live by in 2016:

Sexism > Unity

Diversity > Sexism

Family > Diversity

Money > Family

Power > Money

God > Power

Greed > God

Trump > Greed

And here we are. This justifies all votes and support for the great devil when applied to this diagram. It is undisputable as I have debated and spoken with thousands of people over the last 9 months of my life. It makes how we got here so very simple. This is the truth as voted by our own fellow countrymen. If you study this diagram you will begin to see the problems we are faced with currently. I see this in the eyes of my own parents. The rest is just shit talk. They can say what they want, but these are the new principles by which my own family lives and a much larger population as a whole. I have devoted an entire year of my life, $30,000 in personal debts, and countless unpaid hours working to promote Unity in 2016. But the truth is I believe Unity is currently where I put it in the diagram: dead last. I understand this. I get it. People love to use their mouths instead of their wallets. They want to talk about power and money and how they can acquire it at all costs – this is the baby boomer generation. Consume, consume, consume, and shit on the rest. I challenge you to see where this diagram applies – to me it sums up 2016. For anyone overseas – may God be with us and protect us. We are in for a dark time in our countries history – I can see it in the eyes of the people.

 

 

The Borrowed Riff

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PHOTO CREDIT: EVAN PERIGO

In a nebulous state of mind

The concluding chord rung out

Wrung out

Fascinated by the quick sequel of progression

How one planned moment

Moves to the next

A grape plucked from the tree

Quickly becomes a past tense

Cattle that pine for the open fields

Excellent presentation

Not quite overstated

But rather I am fascinated

That now a moment planned now is

More present a moment unknown

A hat floating off the cliff

Taken in

The borrowed riff

 

Birds in Brooklyn

I am happy to report
There are birds
In the trees of Brooklyn
Out the windows
Chirping at 6 AM
Heard through cracks
Walls and siding
Singing songs
All morning long
Happy little fellows
Outside the window
Just east of Manhattan
In the morning sun
In Brooklyn

Hails the Sun

The skyline hails the sun
In a stretch upwards
Calling the blue from the moon
Orange flecks gold over the estuary arm
Setting for the even
The empire reaches high and mighty
As the east river ferry barrels through
The wind stricken water
The brooklyn bridge reaches Manhattan
Strong and grounded
As planes launch from the ground
One world trade as new as a baby in the sky
Brooklyn in the back
Heralding the spring night
The rocks
Tucked with miss on the Brooklyn beach
On a Friday night
In New York City

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Distortion Drawers

Distortion drawer
Tucked up high
On the fifteenth floor
Looking scraping skies
Off buildings 529 feet high
Steam belts
Ring around tops of structures
Under the sky punctured
In the city sound
When it’s your home
You’ve found

Through the Cold

heart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh we are trying to leave

Yea we’re trying to make our way

But we can’t

No we can’t no no  no

Lord we can’t

Turnpike turned all white

These semis turned upright

Lord keep me away

From these wicked roads today

Driving around

I’ve got time to burn

There is one thing I’ve learned

Holding on going on

Make my way through this song

I won’t take too long

We shut lights out late

The snow won’t go away

Burnin candles in daylight

Makin’ me feel all right

In this winter cold

Oh I know

Oh, yes I know

It will be alright

I’ll hold

I’ll hold you close

Through the cold

Oh we are trying to go

Where this ole road, goes, rolls

Oh I know Oh I know

That’s there’s oh so long to go

With you

When I turned seventeen

So long ago it seems

27 I’ll make my way

Hear what mom and dad have to say

Bout me now

We are going to find a life

On America’s east side

Good friends left behind

This was the only time

To get away

Turn-in the countryside

For those city lights

A studio with some clothes

Good lord we got to go

And make it big

Wonder

Video

This is a song about how my mind seems to wonder at all times. I have a very curious personality – and I feel this song really captures the way I feel sometimes. Enjoy!

Screw Texting

This is a song about the disconnect between someone on a phone and someone not. I was really inspired to write this song as I walked through a grocery store and almost got whacked by some guys shopping cart as he laughed and texted to someone. That shit is dangerous – and i see people texting all the time when I am driving. I would say that is just as bad as drunken driving. One time i stood on an overpass in LA and 13 out of 30 cars were distracted drivers. Just zipping by doing 80 and texting. Shit be crazy. So this song explores the texting dilemma in a the form of a confused love song.  I felt this would make the song most intimate and revealing to do it in this way. I think I achieved what I was going for – you tell me. I will be posting the video tomorrow. Enjoy!

Stop texting

When we are talking

There is nothing

Better to do

Feel like I am dying

Cause I am holding

I am holding my breathe

for you

Your friends calling

Just ignoring

All l the little words

I try

It feels vacant

In this party

Yeah this group

Of just me and you

It just kills me to hear you say

Don’t go

I wont go if there is a reason for me to stay

Don’t stay

I won’t stay if there is a reason for me to go

(Repeat)

I fight feelings

We have outgrown these

Damn phones

Lets throw them away

What could make you

So happy

Looking at that

Box in your hand

Fingers punching

Always talking

While your lips

Have nothing to say

It so quiet

In the room now

That the phone is

all tucked away

We can just talk another day