I wrote this piece in August 2013. My close friend had hurt me deeply and I started to hold a grudge. I wanted to pay her back by staying angry at her after she had apologized. This piece was an attempt to process and realize that my attitude was hurting her, just as she had hurt me. And that was no more fair to her than what she had done to me. 


Failures Together

I did it wrong, I’m sorry

I do that quite a lot

I can’t be perfect

Cuz I’m just not

I said something stupid

It hurt you, I’m sure

Because I’m born human

I’m also born failure

 

Please forgive me

I’m not what I’m supposed to be

I tried to do it right

But I failed as you see

Please understand now

I need your grace and love

Because however hard I try

I can never be enough

 

You tell me that you’re sorry

That you made a mistake

Inside my heart is breaking

Cuz I realize you aren’t so great

You made me hurt

And it’s hard to forgive you

Now you are stuck with nothing

To say or do

But

Chorus

Why do I think you must forgive me

Then expect you to hurt me never?

I must understand my expectations are too high

That we’re all stupid together

That we’re all failures together

So I want to be a friend who never

Expects you to be perfect and understands

We’re all failures together

Chorus

I wrote this song about a year ago. It is a personal account of an encounter I had with a homeless man. I include many of the things he said to me in our conversation as well as what I learned and got out of the experience. 
The Greatest in the Kingdom

He told me he’s sorry for who he was

He told me the waters were over his head

He told me there’s diamonds in my eyes

Look kool, keep smiling, he said

He played his guitar and he asked me to sign it

His voice was raw, his words were real

He said I couldn’t shake his hand if I wasn’t wearing gloves

Cuz his hands were too dirty but I feel

 

I never saw a more beautiful face

I never heard such a beautiful song

I never felt anything more meaningful

Than hearing his story, didn’t matter how long

Oh and when he goes to heaven

I know he’ll be free

And the greatest in the kingdom

Will be on this street

Doesn’t matter what color you are

He said, his eyes filled with pain

You are my sister

And we all bleed the same

Says the man with the beautiful name

 

Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire

I am in deep water I can’t find a foothold

My throat is parched from crying, I am all alone

That’s the song from his soul

He said to read Psalm 69, for it is my life

So I wept over pages unknown

Never had I read words so meaningful

And in them I now know

Chorus

And I prayed with him

Didn’t know if it even helped

But when I was done

I can’t describe how I felt

It was joy it was sorrow

It was praise, it was tears

It was everything beautiful

And I knew you were near

Closer than ever

On that dark street

And I was a princess of royalty

Is this what it means to be your hands and feet?

To try to help someone else and then they turn around

And help me

Chorus

Is this what it means to be your hands and feet?

To try to help someone else and then they turn around

And help me