When the cold winds blow
And the hostile natives are restless
It’s time to wake up, smell the coffee
And cut your losses.
What is there to push back on, after all,
But the bitter taste
Of someone else’s resentment;
The mighty wind of their off-gassing.
The world is wild and cruel
Even within the treacherous smile of neighbors
When dog eats dog possesses their mind
You find yourself one of the dispossessed.
In this open, exposed and lonely place
Circle the wagons of your resolve
Recognize those you hold dear
And take solace in their love.
(4/13/25)
I will uncover
That which you did
Mute yourself
And go off the grid
Here’s where you keep
Your memento hid
To boost its value
Get off the grid
So you think
You can beat your taxes
Hunt the landscape
Sharpen your axes
The true survivor
Never relaxes
Nobody ever much did
You backpedalled
Slipped and slid
Turned tail and ran
Clear off the grid
To your sense of reason
I make a bid
Cut your losses
Go off the grid
Ain’t nuthin’ finer
Than that fatal skid
The truck is comin’
Move off the grid
So you thought
You could leave the picture
Conquer flaws
Consider the future
Then nighttime came
You dreamed of vultures
Screamin’ like a little kid
Melt down the ego
Raise up the id
It’s all rough lumber
Off the grid
For every pot,
There’s a lonesome lid
Live out your romance
Off the grid
You ask if I'm okay, there's a long pause
I try to find the words to let you know I'm a lost cause
I know you tried to help, had so much hope
But your efforts were no match for the self hatred and dope
I'd like to lie and pretend it's all okay
But I can't keep pretending so just walk away
I'm sick of both of us clinging to delusions
I'm sick of the problems that stack up on top of solutions
I'm never going to be who you think I should be
My pretty face distracts you from what's plain to see
I'm not worth the effort time or the prayers
So go find a new project fix someone who cares
I've given up and you should too
Why are you here after all I put you through
They all told you I was a loser what did you expect
Just cut your losses have some self respect
If love cured addiction we'd all be okay
But I'm too far gone to pretend today
she was about thirty,Thai, with long shiny black hair
and a body to die for: and I built her mother a house
and we walked together in the rice fields but it wasn't
enough for her and she asked me to buy a four wheel
Toyota to "take the family around"
and I thought a while about my shrinking balance
and growing libido,and a friend said, "cut your losses",
so I finished it, and I was free and solvent and the Toyota
four wheel became her dream again
(but I must have been crazy)
Life is a game of wins and losses,
You must know when to cut yourself off.
Cause I’ve tried to push through, I’ve tried to hold on,
Relentless yet insecure, I was nothing but a pawn.
Now the tide folds over, the season turns from brown to green
I face towards the sun, you’re still all that I see.
But something has changed, your skin is fading,
I smile as I foresee a happy ending.
And so it goes, the saying holds true,
The more time that passes, the more I forget about you.