The Guilt of Success in an Unjust World

The world is always unjust,
No matter which one you're in,
If you are not satisfied with where you are,
And have no time for a revolution,

And, yet, are better off than most,
Which makes revolution difficult.
That's the challenge in the world we're in:
Most people are better off than most.

So, you're left with the guilt of success,
Or the hesitation to be all you can be,
And you would join those who are fighting these conditions,
But you don't have the energy.

Here's the truth, alright?
You can only ever do what you do best,
And, if you do, you can be guaranteed,
That you will be a good example for the rest.

Your Fame Barometer

If you want to know anything,
You don't have far to look,
Because how you affect the world,
Is your reference book.

You will never be more kind,
Than you are to those closest to you,
And so will the world,
Treat you, too,

And if you want to know how you'd look,
To the world at large,
If it turned its eyes on you,
You don't have to look hard,

To know, alright?
Just put yourself in,
The shoes of those closest to you,
And assess the situation.

Complicated or Simple

You are either someone,
Who thinks with her heart,
And must keep in mind every factor,
And every part,

That may have a feeling about what she does,
Or thinks with her mind,
And doesn't have to keep,
Track of every fact she finds,

And remember facts so that,
You can know who to trust,
Rather than assume the best of all,
And react off the cuff,

To those, not alright,
Who are actually assholes.
Which one are you?
Just so I know.

It Doesn't Matter What Others Want

You have to follow your heart,
This is sad, but true,
Unless your world's general happiness,
Has nothing to do with you.

But, if you're living life for other people,
Fulfilling their every need,
With no compensation coming to you,
Except money,

You're slogging it out washing,
Up someone else's mess,
Made up of shit you'd never touch,
In its greatest pristineness,

Then, it's alright,
To say fuck it all,
Just make sure you have enough in the bank,
To be functional.

How Selfish Can You Be?

I suppose any day,
Could be your last,
Whether because you leave this world for good,
Or the current world just becomes past,

Because you've changed, or those around you have,
Or because you've done something,
To change the way your world looks at you,
Whether increasing or mitigating,

Their respect. Ultimately what matters,
Is what is your perspective on life?
Do you believe in the hurt of others,
Or is it just about getting you right?

Because, the latter's alright,
But it makes a very big leap of faith,
That these worlds are just chances to,
Get a glimpse of your own face.

No Connection

For every person that loves you,
Assume five more don't,
And that one-half actively hates you,
As well as the others that simply won't,

Get to know you, 'cause they don't have time,
What with all the demands on their lives,
Which you are so well aware of, yourself,
Which is why you don't have the time,

To have an opinion of most of those,
That you meet day after day,
Except in so far as you can use them,
Or stay out of their way,

Because we're all alright,
As far as our worlds go,
It's when they collide with others,
That our nastiness shows.

How To Be Free

If you're not doing what you want,
But you have little choice,
Because of the responsibilities handed to you,
With a heave and foist,

In the baggage that was purchased,
Before you were even born,
Like Clooney in that movie Up In The Air,
You don't need to have it no more,

Because it only requires that you cut,
The ties that bind to everyone you know,
From parents, to friends, to employers,
And those you meet as you go.

Then you'll be alright,
And free to do what you'd like,
And if you think about close connections with others,
Don't believe the hype.

To Do List

How can it possibly be,
With all the time you have,
That you could ever not have enough of it,
To get completed, your tasks?

Could it be because other people,
Are working in their own time,
And require things, regardless of,
How I schedule mine?

And suddenly this thing that shouldn't exist,
Becomes the most powerful word you can say,
Demanding you put off until tomorrow,
What you'd rather do today.

And it's alright,
You make demands on others, I guess.
That's the price of collaboration,
Coupled with selfishness.

The People You Meet

Don't bother listening to anyone,
No one tells you what they want to hear,
And no one will ever admit that they aren't,
Absolutely clear,

And people will definitely pretend,
Rather than show themselves in the light of truth,
Which means that everyone you meet,
Has something to prove,

And if you can figure out,
Exactly what's at stake,
In the mind of everyone that you meet,
Well, then, the world is yours to take.

And it's alright,
You don't want to destroy the mystery of life.
You may as well live on a desert island,
If you're going to reach that height.

You're Growing Up

Once in a while,
You will feel like you're the only one,
Who does or has or ever will understand,
Your situation,

Because in all the world, in all time,
There's never been anyone like you,
And that no one's ever done quite the same things,
Which is probably true,

And you may also feel like the only one,
Who really understands,
How the world really should behave,
To truly unite humans.

And it's alright,
Don't feel like you're too self-involved,
The thing is all of this might just be true,
It's just a step as you evolve.

When All's Against You

It all can change so quickly,
Whether from tragedy or fortune,
Whether because something snapped in your brain,
Or because you peaked too soon,

Or because of someone else's actions,
Or lack thereof,
Or maybe an enemy finally got his way,
Or that enemy is yourself,

Or the world around you has become something else,
Than what you grew up with,
And left you behind as it journeyed on,
Leaving you wondering if,

It will be alright,
And whether you will get by,
Because no one can give you guarantees in this life,
And if they do, then they've lied.

For Other Reasons

If you can't believe it,
Just stop to consider that,
No thing you can consider in this world,
Is no more a believable fact,

And if you really stop and think about it,
Like that caveman played by Jack Black,
How weird is it that the sounds coming from your mouth,
Cause others to act?

And how weird is it that when no one knows,
Where we actually came from,
That something as banal as money (which is not real),
Demands such consideration?

Oh, it's alright,
I know money makes the world go round.
How silly would it be if we all just did things,
Because, utilitarianly, they are just sound?

Most Are Doomed

Hard work doesn't necessarily get you somewhere,
But has anyone ever got anywhere without it?
Some people will never know,
Because they simply won't commit,

To researching this question because they lack,
The nurturing that would have given them,
The tools needed to live in this world,
And simply not exist in,

A guided tour that includes nothing that,
They would choose to ever see,
Or in a vehicle they like to drive,
Or, rather, be in the passenger's seat.

But it's alright,
To be successful demands that,
The vast majority are unsuccessful.
It's a definitive component of the act.

Unthink Yourself

Here's how to get out of your world,
And start thinking of others,
In case you're feeling that it's hard to detach,
Your interests from what you consider,

Even possible to think about,
Because, really, there may be no one else,
Outside of the thoughts that make up everything you see,
And yourself.

First clear your mind of any thoughts at all,
And strip yourself of any senses,
Including, and most importantly, the sixth one,
Which provides the total of your defences.

Then it will be alright,
To start thinking again,
And if your thoughts ever stray back to you,
Start anew from the beginning.

Where To Go

There is so much more,
To do in this life,
Than you have ever done,
Or even considered at the height,

Of your considerations on what you do.
Have you thought about the different kinds,
Of activities that help other people,
Or the places you might find,

Where there are needs for someone like you?
Maybe not, the road most traveled.
Remember that your paths are not prescribed,
Or sentenced by a judges gavel.

And it's alright,
No matter where you are,
The possibilities are just as infinite,
So do what makes you feel you've gone far.

Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm,
Of any kind,
When coupled with the enthusiasm of another,
Quickly becomes sublime,

And speeds up time, for you are now having fun,
For you cannot have vun alone,
Unless you imagine that the world would be having fun with you,
If it was home.

And enthusiasm shared with many people,
Is a very powerful thing,
Though more out of control of your influence,
And so less satisfying,

Which is alright,
But not ideal,
For anything that requires many people,
Also lacks something intrinsically real.

Keep To What You Don't Know

There are things that are not easy,
And some people say that's when you know,
That you are doing something worthwhile,
For, why do something easy for,

Like something you like that you're good at,
That is harder for other people to do?
It seems a waste when other, less natural things,
Teach you,

How to overcome your deficiencies, and isn't it those things,
We should really be focusing on?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained,
So why venture for something already in your possession?

Oh, it's alright,
Maybe others can benefit,
From your talents, and I guess that's good for them,
Isn't it?

Don't Affect

It can get too close to home,
Which is why you must keep the door closed,
In case the eyes that watch somehow affect,
How your thinking goes,

And how your actions affect the world,
Because there is a big difference,
To doing things for people, as such,
And doing them for someone specific,

For the more you try to alter things as they are,
The less you must think of details,
Unless you can coordinate infinite parts,
Of an unpredictable tale.

And it's alright,
If you just want to stay indoors,
And not be bothered by anyone.
That's what being is for.

Meet Me Halfway

Is there anything one can teach you,
Who knows nothing about you?
Truly, you've just described everyone,
That you ever knew.

The depth you feel that no one could ever touch,
Is twice as far as you imagined,
Because that depth is matched in everyone else,
Unless you don't think they're human.

But knowing's not the point of knowing someone,
It's to give the benefit of the doubt,
That the deepness you feel so strongly in your own heart,
Can also exist without.

And it's alright,
If you choose only to believe in yourself,
That's worked to create many successful people,
In the realm of material wealth.

Gotta Be Somebody

How can you ever pass on,
What it is you've learned yourself,
Onto the next generation,
Other than how to build a shelf,

Or how to treat a wound or strategy?
Everything thing else depends on your mind,
For what leads to destruction in yours,
May have nourished curiosity in mine.

For every moment spent by one person,
Is completely foreign to others,
So that for two people to have the same experience,
They would be different from one another.

But it's alright,
If two people know each other well,
The fact that something is important to one,
Will make the other think it's worthwhile.