Why do you protect me from myself,

When you won’t stop these empty dreams?

I’m tired of me losing my mind

Of these spirals holding me

And I’m fighting to get it all back, but

I’m scared to unpack what I’m left with

And I know I should try,

So why is my courage still fading?

Is there something behind this unwinding?

And I can’t get you out of my head

All I’ve tried has left me wandering,

All I’ve done has left me dead.

And I’m fighting to just get back up now,

But I keep getting knocked falling face down

And I know I can climb,

So why are my hands still shaking?

Is the peace worth the pain that I’ve taken?

And I’m fighting to get it all back, but

I’m scared to unpack what I’m left with

And I know I should try,

So why is my courage still fading?

Layered Vocals for Bridge –

When Will I Feel Safe Inside of My Own Skin?

Spiraling into pools of pure oxygen

(And I can’t get you out of my head, 

All I’ve done has left me wandering, 

all I’ve done has left me dead.)

(And I’m fighting to get it all back, but

I’m scared to unpack what I’m left with

And I know I should try,

So why is my courage still fading?)

And I can’t get you out of my head –

These pieces of my mind,

These pieces of my mind…

Is there something behind this unwinding?

DescI am trying to reach you,

Cause I don’t know,

I don’t know where you’ve been.

Hiding between the laugh lines,

Each memory’s a landmine,

And every echo is your legacy.

And I’m the only one who’s remembering 

That you’re the only one worth remembering.

But with every note I play,

You slip farther away.

So I’ll capture you in my keys,

And I’ll sing back your sweet nothings.

I’ll etch your tune in my melody,

And you’ll sing.

You’ll sing through me,

My shooting star.

And I’m the only one who’s remembering 

That you’re the only one worth remembering.

But with every note I play,

You slip farther away.

So I’ll capture you in my keys,

And I’ll sing back your sweet nothings.

I’ll etch your tune in my melody,

And you’ll sing.

You’ll sing through me,

My shooting star.

Strip me down to my bare bones,

See the marrow underneath

I’ll give you every ounce of me,

Without you ever asking.

And when you figure out my puzzle,

Keep in mind,

You will find there are pieces

Clearly missing

So sift through all the empty boxes

I’ve given every piece away.

I’ve lost myself in other people,

And I can see that you have done the same.

But if you let me be your lighthouse,

I promise even though I’m broken

I’ll guide you home again.

Cause I can see you in the mirror, 

Your brokenness it fits mine

And there is beauty in every crack and seam

That you can’t seem to find.

So I’ll break myself into the pieces and parts

So your heart

Can be brand new

With my pieces fitting right inside of you.

So take me farther than before,

I’ll climb the highest of your walls,

To show you are worth love

And someone who’s not afraid of the fall.

And when you see me start to struggle,

Please know that your love is worth

Every mountain that I’ll climb.

Cause I can see you in the mirror, 

Your brokenness it fits mine

And there is beauty in every crack and seam

That you can’t seem to find.

So I’ll break myself into the pieces and parts

So your heart

Can be brand new

With my pieces fitting right inside of you.

And this is my broken melody

And in it’s cadence you can find

Your healing.

Because this is me,

Whispering

I love you

Again, and again, and again, and again.

I’ll break myself into the pieces and parts 

So your heart can be brand new,

With my pieces fitting right inside of you

Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth

What I’m going through to throw it all away

Then I remember your kind hands

And the warmth and strength of your embrace

I’m not used to making 

Beauty from my own ashes

But I’m yours to find

Under the surface,

A phoenix at my start

Rising through whats left of my flooded world

As the rain comes down.

Comes down again.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth,

All the long nights of walking in the rain

Then I remember the sound of your voice

And the promises of wonder you made

Tried to keep my chin up,

Soaked through to my bones.

I’m so tired,

But nowhere near home

Catch me,

Carry my weary legs

Signals, Sirens,

I’m so close to the unknown.

Room for breath,

Thickening skin,

A story unfolding

Beginning again

Written in ink

No going back

A past in the distance 

My futures here fast.

Peaceful presently

Presenting paths paved with

Percussive patterns,

Painting but with raindrops

As I reach out

Stepping one, stepping two,

Falling freely, freely as I’m running straight to you.

When did we stop playing in the rain?

Why don’t we let it fall and wash away

All our troubles and our pain?

Let it fall.

Let the thunder roll and shake.

Cause when the morning comes,

When the morning comes 

I’ll be new again.

Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth

What I’m going through to throw it all away.

There was a time I dreamt I could fly

Higher than the clouds above

Really truly glide

I’d change your views a time or two

Say I love you

Revolutionize the truth

Till my shoes glued to the pavement beneath my feet

You know ambitions a funny thing

You get stuck on that dream,

Forget the ebb and flow and what good change can bring

But look how you used to love adventuring!

Look how you used to love adventuring through the times!

And for once, I’ve got it in me to climb

So who are you to knock me down?

Somewhere in the balance of listening to you

I forgot the wonder of dreaming and my truths

But their voice cuts the static, 

Reminds me of my song

Always encouraging I’ve had it in me all along

So starting strong,

They’ll help me find my way to climb

So who are you to knock me down?

Look at these ropes,

Some call them chains,

But they lift me higher

Through winds and the rain

Now, I’m not a lead climber

But still cared for the same

Proving they’ll catch my fall time and again,

Time and again. 

Look at these ropes,

Some call them chains,

But they lift me higher

Through winds and the rain

Now, I’m not a lead climber

But still cared for the same

Proving they’ll catch my fall time and again,

Time and again. 

You are loved and have purpose, 

Don’t forget your worth is inherent

It’s okay to take up some space and breath.

Make it till morning.

So who are you to knock me down?

And for once I’ve got the courage to climb,

Past your expectations, your traumas, and your ties.

So who are you to knock me down?

How did I come so far

To get knocked back so fast

All of my trouble standing up

I had lost my way

Even with a map

I’m running,

I’m running, 

I’m running right into your arms again

Hoping beyond all horizons the water will wash me 

And I will be able to breathe again

I’m running,

I’m running, 

I’m running right into your arms again

Hoping beyond all horizons the water will wash me 

And I will be able to breathe again

How did I come so far

To get knocked back so fast

Now when I lose my way

You show up so fast

Never questions asked

As we go home

I’m running,

I’m running, 

I’m running right into your arms again

Hoping beyond all horizons the water will wash me 

And I will be able to breathe again

I’m running,

I’m running, 

I’m running right into your arms again

Hoping beyond all horizons the water will wash me 

And I will be able to breathe again

I’m running,

I’m running

I’m

How did I run so far?

Can you hear it?

The waves as the tide’s rolling in,

The waters rising

Can you feel it?

Finally flooding in

The peace inside you’ve been finding?

I’ve finally found my place,

Place of rest.

Sound and steadiness.

Can you hear it?

The waves as the tide’s rolling in,

The waters rising

Can you feel it?

Finally flooding in

The peace inside you’ve been finding?

I’ve finally found my place,

Place of rest.

Sound and steadiness.

Strawberry sunrise,

Standing in sunshine,

Sorting through somehows

And stacked certainties

In berry bushes

Here by the wayside

Beckoning breaktides

Between the leaves

With your hand in mine

We’ll sail through the wide open expanses

Head through the trees

Dancing and diving

Freedom and flying

Through the mountains

And rivers

And oceans

And seas.

Thankful you love me.

Strawberry sunrise,

Standing in sunshine,

Sorting through somehows

And stacked certainties

In berry bushes

Here by the wayside

Beckoning breaktides

Between the leaves

Strawberry sunrise,

Seeing you just right

Sillouhette sunlight

Shadows and Beams

Stay till the sunset

Gaze up at midnight

Shooting stars so bright

Our hopes and our dreams.

With your hand in mine

We’ll sail through the wide open expanses

Head through the trees

Dancing and diving

Freedom and flying

Through the mountains

And rivers

And oceans

And seas.

Thankful you love me.

Somewhere in the silence

You found me

Stuck inside the thoughts

Wrapped up in my head

Somewhere in the silence

You found me

Shook me up

Set me back on my feet,

On my feet again.

Again.

Somewhere in the darkness

You found me

Trapped inside the nightmares 

in my dreams

Somewhere in the darkness

You found me

Woke me up

Set me back on my feet,

On my feet again.

Again.

I don’t know where I’m going

Can’t find my focus

You’re all that I know 

and I struggle to hold onto

All that you taught me

I know that I know this

I know

Can’t hear through the spiraling

See through the chaos

Of futures

And dreams

And the loss of those things

But then you give me hope 

And a reason to dream

Through the truth of the past 

And the nightmares it brings

Every light in the darkness

Every moment of rest

Your the breath deep in my lungs

And my reason to keep holding strong.

Running out of time

Seems like an infinite amount of space

Could make or break my peace of mind

And really it’s fine

An hour of chasing chaos in my mind

Is really five seconds for passersby

Just a moment of breathing in

And here I am losing it

And honestly,

You won’t understand

Cause neither do I

Keeping the peace of everyone in your life

Besides you 

Besides me

Growing up like bamboo

When everyone else was evergreen

Now I am

Trying to untangle

Unlearn the core of me

Keeping bits that are sacred but loving the parts that need

Gentle and kind and caring

When everythings tangled up in waves of grief

Is it worth the journey?

The honesty of a spiraled mind

Trauma coming through chaos

Treading water all of the time

Treading water all of the time

Sustained release.

Sustained release.

Sustain, release.

Sustained.  Release.

Open in wonder, 

Let go of the reins

Dance in reverberations

To echos of big mistakes

Find peace in the cadence

With new rhythm and beats

Ebbing and flowing like water

Breathing

Sustained and Released.

So is it really

Running out of time?

Or is it just a trick the world has played

To make us rush into mistakes

And keep us tied

But if we just slow down to wait and breathe

We’ll find out answers in the sustain and release

Sustain Release