through the gates

Ten foot white walls of winter’s giving
On the crown of western time
Where there is no stop of progression
And if he should enter through the gates
Is where he must stay
At the request of a season
He stopped to take a photograph of the lakes
Reflection of craggy peaks
One side blue, sunny side white and
Prominence in between gray
Others stand along with him though they are only temporary

© 2010 by Matt Bonham

uncanny valley

I could say
I feel terrible
You could say
That I’m skeptical
I’m not calling you a liar
Just a wordsmith for the truth
Next up in line are
Pseudonyms to choose

You’re not
Much for love
For a robot
The rise before the fall
Symbol of what’s to come
Symbol of us all

I am lost in your love
It feels so real it can’t be
So I leave it up
For you to judge
The words you choose
What you’ve done
Is almost human
Is almost human

No matter the way
The way you look at me
I wonder if you know what’s out there
A look so simple
It’s all subjective
From your perspective
Uncanny valley
Is there something
You’re not telling me

No matter the way
The way you look at me
What you say
All I want
I wonder if you even know what’s inside
You look so simple
To be so in between
Is there something
I might be missing

I am lost in your love
It feels so real it can’t be
So I leave it up
For you to judge
The words you choose
What you’ve done
Is almost human
Is almost human


© 2010 by Matt Bonham

chemical politicians

Driving across the edge of two

Getting to

Where we start anew

Tracing steps

Retrace your steps

Replace your bets

The masochist

The masochist in you

You tied my hands

To your brand new plan

An imbalance

Chemical politicians

And those who listen

To them

Take me up high

To see the stars

Don’t ask me why

We’ll never get that far

Master of the arts

Of deception

Now smile for the cameras

Chemical politicians

And those who listen

To them

The words you speak

Tongue-twisting

Why am I even listening?

You’re overreacting

You’re overreacting

You’re overreacting

You’re overreacting

© 2010 by Matt Bonham

home so early

Just this morning

The sky went black

Without warning

The slipping slack

Practice makes perfect

For something that I lack

Not worth the worry

I’m not going back

Home so early

Bags already packed

I’m not ready

To turn my back

I can read your lips

Caught in the trap

You can see my tricks

Fall through the cracks

Home so early

Bags already packed

I’m not ready

To turn my back

You thought you had me

When you trailed the tracks

Though I’m not ready

To turn my back

© 2010 by Matt Bonham

at the end of the

Start stop

So hard to hold on

When I’m falling off

Why am I even talking?

When you’ve seen it all

Self-control

Is it self-control?

Haven’t you had enough?

First to the front of the line

Forgiven

Last to the back of the line

You jump

Stop start

Sticky fingers

Every word that lingers

Heavy on which you speak

Hangs like the plague on me

On the other hand

When have you gone wrong

On a band

That led to our song

All along

When you’re alone

Let me know

Where you want to go

And this world spins
And this world spins
And this world spins

At the end of the end

At the end of the end

At the end of the end

At the end of the

© 2010 by Matt Bonham

whitecaps

At last

You speak to me in silence

An hour past

Punctuated in darkness

Holding fast

Holding fast

The breakers

They take us both apart

Repeat the process

Back to the start

Back to the start

All I hear is a whisper

All I feel is a crash

Rock me to sleep

Rock me to sleep

All I hear is a whisper

All I feel is a crash

Rock me to sleep

Rock me to sleep

The whitecaps break on top of everything

Then collapse

Wrap me in wavelength

Sent up from the deep

Roll the dice with the devil

Forever I’m trying

To send a message to Heaven

The breakers

They take us apart

Underneath the surface

Back to the dark

Back to the dark

All I hear is a whisper

All I feel is a crash

Rock me to sleep

Rock me to sleep

All I hear is a whisper

All I feel is a crash

Rock me to sleep

Rock me to sleep

The whitecaps break over everything

And collapse

 (c) 2009 by Matt Bonham

coffee and apples

Do we really even know
What we want anymore
Give me peace
Give me war
Take a century to ask yourself

Stand and speak
Spread your seeds
Make me money
Make me poor
Hanging safely from the ceiling
You can see the floor
You can only fall so far
Before you can’t fall anymore

You go through all the motions
That she sent for you
Choose one and run with it
She says you
Loved her once
Send her a white dove
Through the skies of the capitals
If it were only that simple
Tape it to the wall
Like a penny for your thoughts
And accusations based
On what you think will happen
On the grounds of
Coffee and apples
Rotting down to the rind

Leave it to the other side of the pillow talk
When we both fall asleep
Yet still pretend to listen

© 2009 by Matt Bonham