There is bad blood walking down that road, with a stride of discontent.

Something bad is in the water here, and the money’s all been spent.

The business men and lawyers have no more dividends to cash.

They’ve scraped the bottom dry and clean. Leaving bad blood and a rash.

The spirits have come calling, say there’s not much left to do.

Or in my dreams I heard a voice, “Out of bad blood beauty grew.”

I don’t know why my baby loves clowns.
Whose painted on tears never fall down.
I don’t know what she sees in their eyes
Perhaps the line between horror/surprise…

I don’t know why my baby can’t sing.
Why carnival music isn’t her thing.
It fills my head when I’m at the fair.
Searching for clues in clowns everywhere.

I don’t know why she screams at night.
I hope it’s not why she holds me so tight.
Because I’m the type I’m weak for love.
Carnival music I rise above.

Is it the pain or is it the tears?
For some carnival crime from yesteryears.
Maybe it’s you, maybe I’ll never know.
Maybe it’s me, baby let go.

(chorus)

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men.
Tried and they tried but she fell down again.

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
She went to her shrink ended up at the mall.
Humpty Dumpty wanted it all.

Dennis Mantin

The line formed past the blue coats.

Pain and failure filled the eyes .

No more love or time outs.

No more try, we’ve said goodbyes.

The train had had left the station.

We are lining up in court.

The judge has heard it all before.

All these failures to report.

There is hope on the horizon.

There are dreams we might attain.

I’ve made my bed, I’m lying low.

I’m too wise to try again.

Love was not a road to happy.

A mistake for sure, by me

The path showed what I could take.

If I could only see.

I am going to take the high road.

There’s a lesson here to learn.

I now know my own business.

Deep down those bridges burn.

I was awake when she said it. “I think you are off the hook.

I felt like I was floating, and so my time was all it took.

And some money and my pain, but I make that everyday.

Today they let me off the hook; at least that’s what they say.

I’m still a little frazzled, my nerves are raw and worn.

I’m not saying I won’t recover but I’m battered bruised and torn.

I’d like to thank the jokers and that Lady in my dreams.

I was dying there of laughter, almost bursting at the seams.

That girl offered me some happy. I said, “Got all that I can use.

When the pushing came to shoving, She was gonna blow a fuse.

I was in the bowels of the Bowery. A place I knew too well.

Where when your words are flowery. There many a wise man fell.

My baby, my Queen Jemma, she showed up just in time.

She sussed out my dilemma. Said, “Asking ain’t no crime.

There is going and there’s coming, and someone’s gotta go.

Took the offer off the table. Where she went, don’t need to know.

There are offers and refusals, there are yes’s and some no’s.

Not everything is good or bad, its just sometimes how it goes.

I could get no higher.

Then that summit that we climbed.

I swear there was a choir

Singing joys and words of kind.

There were trials, tribulations.

There was blue and fresh clean air.

Like some drug induced sensations.

No more need to stand and stare.

All over but the crying.

Now is the time to say so long.

I just got sick of trying.

It’s not the singer, it’s the song.

I tried to be a passenger, in this thing that they call love.

I couldn’t get too comfortable in what I knew so little of.

I know now, what I didn’t know, and for that there is a price.

I am just a little jaded now but I’m probably twice as nice.

There is a freedom in the knowledge that looks like you don’t care.

You look so cold and selfish, but you never learned to share.

I knew you, like few do, and there’s no prize for that.

Just older in the knowledge, that we’ve had this little chat.

It’s grey and wet on a Wednesday.

At least it isn’t snow.

I wanted change and heard a voice said,

“It’s best that you don’t know.”

I’m tired but that’s normal.

I think it comes with age.

It is wet and getting colder.

And complaining is all the rage.