Poetry

You and Me and Her or Him

May 18, 2013
By

This song was one of three songs written for the 3rd Annual Capital Region / Berkshires 24-Hour Theatre Project. For more information on that event and the process of writing the songs for it, see Songwriting for a 24-Hour Theatre Project.

Music and lyrics: By Mark S. Meritt

Lyrics

Intro

He: There’s something I’ve been hopin’
And I hope your mind is open
In the past the subject’s left you less than gleesome
She: I know that our relation-
ship could use some lubrication
But I don’t think I’m ready for…
He: A threesome?

Verse 1

He: It would be exciting
She: But I would be so scared
He: That’s the way adventure goes
She: But I’m just not prepared
He: It would add such color
She: I like us as we are
He: So much possibility
She: It just might be one step too far

He: It would be so novel
She: But we are both so green
He: It could forge a stronger bond
She: Or drive a wedge between
He: I believe the benefits would outweigh the occasional spat
Turning two to three
With you and me
And her –
She: — or him –
He: Like that

Verse 2

She: We are both so busy
He: But we could make the time
She: Working fewer hours a day?
He: It wouldn’t be a crime
She: It would be exhausting
He: Good exercise, my dear
She: Do we have the stamina?
He: Not getting any younger here

She: Keep us up at nighttime
He: There’s so much we would learn
She: Two more lips upon my breast?
He: I’ll gladly wait my turn
She: This whole thing has got me antsy — I’m afraid I’d live to regret
Turning two to three
With you and me
And her –
He: — or him –
She: Not yet

Bridge

He: I know that three’s are funny
She: Sometimes rainy
He: Sometimes sunny
She: They’re a blustery thunderstorming of emotion
He: If we’ve got fears, we’ll face ‘em
She: Both together?
He: We’ll embrace ‘em
She (spoken): Promise?
He (spoken): Yes
She: Then I just might be warming to the notion

Verse 3

She: What if we get jealous?
He: No-one can take our place
She: Someone in the bed with us
He: It’s king size — lots of space
She: Would he –
He: — or she –
She: — love us both?
He: You’re jealous
She: Just a touch
He: We would each love everyone
She: But maybe someone not as much

She: I can’t be a mother
He: I know you’d be just great
She: I would be no good at it
He: You’d be the best — just wait
We’d be in it, both together, finding love in every day
Turning two to three
With you and me
And her –
She: — or him –
Both: Okay

Still Life

October 2, 2009
By

His child will soon come
He fills vase with mum
Brightly drawn
Still life

The child is dead born
It won’t see the morn
It is gone
Still life

He lets the child leave
He lets himself grieve
He moves on
Still life

Fear the Monoculture

July 28, 2007
By

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I fear the monoculture
because I know in the time of choosing
which culture will win out:
The Dominant One
the one that eats forests for breakfast
and oceans for supper
skips lunch because it’s too busy
and can’t afford the calories
The One that never sleeps because
it’s too busy planning
its next acquisition

I fear that loss of cultural diversity
because if we all start acting the same way
we’ll be a world of bullies
in search of new victims
and only the planet itself
will be left to suffer
That would be our undoing

Our Whole Lives

April 16, 2007
By
By Mark S. Meritt and Howard Ditkoff

This song was written as a submission for American Idol’s first songwriter contest. Howard and Mark used Appreciative Inquiry to tailor the song for the program — the first time either of them had created a song fully through the use of AI. Learn more about Potluck’s custom songwriting service which uses Appreciative Inquiry to draw out your needs and desires as the basis for an original song.

Music and lyrics: By Mark S. Meritt and Howard Ditkoff

Listen to Our Whole Lives.

Sung by Lisa Glick.

You can listen to the whole song via this YouTube video by just pressing the Play button immediately below. Or, you can visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.

Circle P - Phonorecord Copyright 2007 Mark S. Meritt

Lyrics

I was afraid I was forgotten in the shadows
Too weak to hope the sun would shine on me again
But you lit me up and helped me to remember
How alive I used to be, deep in every part of me back then

You were the faith that moved me forward when I faltered
You were the trust that made it safe to risk it all
To bet my life and all that I’ve believed in
To stand alone and vow to reveal the joy I now recall

We feared our dreams would fade away
But now we know they’re here to stay

I’m strong, I’m free
I’m where I’m meant to be
No longer trapped so deep inside
Afraid of all that I’d denied
You saw in me
What I would come to see
And freed it so there’s nothing left to hide
I’ll lift you up, we’ll fly as one for our whole lives

When I look back on every step along the journey
I see how you unlocked each door through which I’ve grown
Though you may feel your sense of wonder is divided
You showed me how to give, now I know we’ll never live alone

My sun will shine to see us through
I’ll light the way that lives in you

I’m strong, I’m free
I’m where I’m meant to be
No longer trapped so deep inside
Afraid of all that I’d denied
You saw in me
What I would come to see
And freed it so there’s nothing left to hide
I’ll lift you up, we’ll fly as one for our whole lives

We are the rock each other stands on
The reflections that set each other free
Our whole lives, we’re always more together
For you, for me, for we can be

Free and strong
We’re right where we belong
No longer trapped so deep inside
There’s nothing left for us to hide
We finally see
What we were meant to be
We’re free and now we’ve crossed the Great Divide
I’ll lift you up, you’ll carry me, we’ll fly as one for our whole lives

© 2007 Mark S. Meritt and Howard Ditkoff

Come Out

November 28, 2006
By
Music and Lyrics by Mark S. Meritt

This song was written for a compilation album of songs inspired by the work of Daniel Quinn. Mark wanted to throw things for a loop with this song about being true to who you are. The appreciative approach he took led him to create an homage to some of the great disco anthems, both lyrically and especially musically, using that style and the notion of coming out of the closet in a similar way to how the gay movement has at times used disco songs for its own anthems. Learn more about Potluck’s custom songwriting service which uses Appreciative Inquiry to draw out your needs and desires as the basis for an original song.

Listen to Come Out.

Sung by Steph Campbell.

You can listen to the whole song via this YouTube video by just pressing the Play button immediately below. Or, you can visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.

Lyrics

Empty
That’s how I’d always feel
My life
Didn’t even seem real
I just couldn’t get all the things I needed
I thought I was defeated

Prison
That’s what I felt inside
Afraid
Part of me might have died
But then someone brought me a brand new story
Here’s what that someone told me

Come out!
Come out of your shell
Or all you get and all you give, you’ll be living in hell
Come out!
Come out of your hole
Or any tale you might be telling, you’ll be selling your soul
If you want a lot, just forget what you’re not
If you’re gonna go far, you’ve gotta be who you are
Shout it, flout it, spout it, tout it
‘Til there’s not a drop of doubt
About
Come out!

So I
Took my mind off the bad
And looked
At what I really had
Though it wasn’t much, still, it was beginning
I slowly started winning

Take two
Now, I am what I am
My life
Not someone else’s sham
For better or worse, I do what works for me
And you’ll, too, if you’ll only

Come out!
Come out of your shell
Or all you get and all you give, you’ll be living in hell
Come out!
Come out of your hole
Or any tale you might be telling, you’ll be selling your soul
If you want a lot, just forget what you’re not
If you’re gonna go far, you’ve gotta be who you are
Shout it, flout it, spout it, tout it
‘Til there’s not a drop of doubt
About
Come out!

You wanna live your life?
Well, you just can’t do it
If it’s not you doing the livin’
You wanna love someone
But you just can’t do it
If it’s not you doing the lovin’
You wanna change the world?
Well, there’s nothin’ to it
Long as it’s you doin’ the changin’
You wanna speak your mind
But if you can’t say, "My mind is mine"
Then what’s the use of talkin’ at all?

Come out, come out, whoever you are
Come out, come out, whoever you are
Come out, come out, whoever you are
Come out, come out, whoever you are

Stand up
Be yourself, feel alive
You’ll do
So much more than survive
Just like love and shelter and food and air
It’s something that we all share

Homo
sapiens all the world ’round
Were lost
Now we all can be found
It all can come out in the end, you’ll see
If everyone will only

Come out!
Come out of your closet
If you don’t, you won’t earn a return on your deposit
Come out!
Come out of your cage
Or all you loathe and all you love, you’ll feel nothing but rage

Come out!
Come out of your shell
Or all you get and all you give, you’ll be living in hell
Come out!
Come out of your hole
Or any tale you might be telling, you’ll be selling your soul
If you want a lot, just forget what you’re not
To get what you need, be yourself in deed
Shout it, flout it, spout it, tout it
‘Til there’s not a drop of doubt
About
Come out!

You wanna get things done
You wanna have some fun
You wanna feel so free
You wanna let it be

You wanna find your path
You wanna have a laugh
You wanna see the sights
You wanna reach new heights

You wanna do your best
You wanna get some rest
You wanna leave your mark
You wanna bite and bark

You wanna be so kind
You wanna ease your mind
You wanna make a friend
You wanna reach the end

You wanna have a thrill
You wanna make a kill
You wanna feel some pride
You wanna get inside

You wanna satisfy
You wanna live and die
You wanna raise the youth
You wanna know the truth

Circle P - Phonorecord Copyright & © 2007, 2006 Mark S. Meritt

Isolation — the human condition II

February 12, 2005
By

Went into the Cit-y
Escaped from the trees
away from the lions
chasing me

Bought me a robot
to fix me drinks
so I could sit on my porch
and do nothing but think

Planes overhead
through clouds of smog
shut the factory down
No more jobs

Homeless for miles
but the coal still burns
Bums on the freeway
amphetamine turns

Get me out of here
Can’t take it no more

Get me out of here
Garbage on the rat-race floor

Went back to the farmland
put the tractor in gear
Tilled my fields
until they were clear

Cut down the trees
for my fireplace
Looked in the mirror
at a stranger’s face

Worked the good earth
fought the pests to death

Grew me some veggies
but the flowers sold best

Lonely worked the land for years
Lonely now there’s nothin’ left

Get me out of here
Can’t take it no more
Get me out of here
Life is a series of chores

Went into the forest
back to the trees
Prayed for redemption
on fragile knees

Walked through woods
lived on berries and leaves
Wandered forever
alone with me

Went stark raving mad
Fought with myself
for seven years
Living in hell

Surrounded by beauty
Nothing to do
No one to share
What would you do?

Get me out of here
Can’t take it no more
Get me out of here
I’m just too bored

Went into the city
Escaped from the trees

Morality v. Tolerance, Round II

August 19, 2004
By

In his ancient marble tower
an Archbishop’s Divine Power
is impenetrable, unquestionable, his right
He makes promises for an hour
as the people below him cower
then shed money from fists once tight

For to reach the Immaterial State
with too much food on your plate
is harder than pulling camels through needle eyes
Poverty is but the first rule
and there are more of them than fools
for those seeking bliss when they die

You’ll ne’er find it here on Earth
It’s too dire; too much dearth
so you’d better get on your knees
These are the Words of holy men
from tongues and from pens
this is what they’d have us believe

So there’s a pious fool
for everyone of their rules
and there’s as many play a new game
Though their gods have different looks
and they read different books
their righteousness is much the same

They’ve increased in quantity
Their enforcers have gained enmity
but we don’t know which rules to follow
Thank Sony for TV
and Fox for apathy
and Civilization for the ruts where we wallow

Leave morality to the experts
only they know its worth
We just want to be entertained
Let the Saints fight the Baddies
as they dictate so madly
in victory something must be gained

But the risks aren’t ours to take
these are battles we forsake
it’s work enough to pay the bills
With men so certain on both sides
even if you think you know who’s right
war ain’t exactly a thrill

When it’s Evil v. Good
(the very extremes that would
fight eternally given the chance)
we’re begging for moderation
hoping on toleration
as an end to the Carnal Dance

But what if two fighting extremes
are really the same thing?
just two kinds of fundamentalism?
What if all these rules
made by and for fools
for dictatorships or environmentalism

are all on the moral high ground?
So their followers can look down
on those of us watching TV?
And what if we’re the other extreme?
Living our American dream
laughing our canned laughter so freely

While evil and good duke it out
and spread collateral damage about
our contribution is sitting by
polluting the planet with our breath
denying others what we possess
and watching humanity die

A Vision for Johnny Cash

December 25, 2003
By

Cash sang a lot about jail
the long term kind without bail
Those paying for sins part theirs part ours
men and women at extremes
under the American dream
fermented and left out to go sour

But is not America
in itself a chimera?
What fools thought they could tame what God made
on the backs of Africans
and by theft of Indians
pretending men are equally made

Blood’s slippery foundation
built many a strong nation
only to see it fall after rise
America is not new
nor sins its powerful do
It won’t be the last corpse to breed flies

Power is a psychosis
All the world ought to know this
Pinochet Amin Seko and Bush
The most powerful men
are doing all that they can
Pushing all the buttons they can push

and on a much smaller scale
killing sprees by men on bail
while bystanders get an injection
Vengeance spreads like a disease
the pesticides in the trees
root in our hearts as an infection

but it’s time and time again
powerless women and men
receive discipline and punishment
It’s delivered as jail time
a career ladder to climb
either form equates shoes of cement

Seems Cash was a lucky man
Besides his millions of fans
he believed — was able — to speak truth
His religion did decree
That the truth shall set you free
and he took likelihood over proof

Not that religion is key
though wise is humility
salvation need not come after death
There are human qualities
That could save us — set us free
Humbly we learn secrets of the depths

Imagine how freedom feels
dancing out in sunlight squeals
using our true gifts working with friends
In this ancient place I walk
on a geologic clock
that’s just the means folks used to meet ends

You can think it in your head
or else use your gut instead
these things combined will tell you what’s right
and if we use all our skill
and if we use all our will
we can make societies work right

The jails will crumble and fall
and so we’ll end office stalls
No longer will we cower in fear
Dictators will be reduced
to harmless psychos cut loose
but we’ll welcome their antics with cheer

and a peace flame will be fired
commemorating desire
for ever flattened hierarchy
The poor will climb up higher
C E O s will be rehired
to build homes for guys in factories

Farmers will earn vacation
for having fed all nations
since the fertile crescent got big press
We’ll all dance in hopes of rain
as God takes control again
we’ll remember that gods do it best

With human diversity
and biodiversity
cooperation over control
Cash’s truth will prevail then
No more slaves human or hen
Smoke will clear — life will spring from this hole

A Systemic Policeman’s Poem

July 5, 2003
By

I hate the man who appreciates the hatred
Can’t stand the one who tolerates them all
Least of all can I abide the ones
who set them up just to watch them fall

I love the woman who deals with my anger
I envy those she talks to in the hall
I ponder on those who think they own her
wonder why they bother at all

I oppose all who think they can plunder
control freaks who think they own it all
I’ll fight them till I’m six feet under
I’ll stand up until they force my fall

The seasons’ cycle is never-ending
She dances at our annual ball
She’s naked inside the meandering river
she’s seen a lot but she hasn’t seen it all

Her Jesus accepts things as they are
That doesn’t mean she never feels appalled
at the world’s complex web of lies
and the prisons of cubicle stalls

The world tends toward the complex
but if I had a crystal ball
I’d hide it away where it can’t be found
I’d surrender my illusions of control

I’d dispossess anything that you can name
and I’d skip randomly through my patrol

Phoenix

March 20, 2003
By

This piece appeared in the first and only issue of Mosaic: A Magazine of Arts, Sciences & Everything in Between, which evolved into this website.

I have conceded.
I am defeated.
I have been burned to the ground.
Every last pound
of putrid flesh
has been turned to ashes.
Nothing is left
but fragmented flashes
of a life of discontent.
But I am not done,
I am not spent.
I will rise like a phoenix
from the charred remains,
a fire of new intensity
burning in my veins.
I will increase my extensity
and push for new gains.
I will grow strong,
and engulf the world in my flames.

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