Welcome to Manuel

Listen to my latest Latin Song "AMOR AMOR" sang by out on Goldstar label.

Welcome to Manuel's Poetry Pages
This is just a small sampling of my poetry I have thousands more written just not on the web. I have been writing poetry since I was 8 years old.
My father writes poetry and my father's father also wrote poetry. I have written thousands of poems and song lyrics.
I have written in English, Portuguese, Spanish and a tiny bit in French.
If you are in a band looking for new original song LYRICS e-mail me

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SONNET TO UNCERTAINTY
Happy as I am to feast my eyes upon thee,
I ought not for surely thy beauty enslaves.
If I was to surrender my heart that is now free,
whom could I count on that blind fools saves?
And good as I feel to hold you ever so dear,
I ought not for all you simply need is holding.
And I, by holding you so often, do so often fear
the hour upon which your freedom begins unfolding.
Thus, tormented as I am by all of your scope,
I can only pretend to feel myself the smarter.
For my love is true and it gives me true hope
which makes not seeing you that much harder
And so, for that reason alone, I choose to stay
and love and feast upon you as if my last day!

September 1993

HONESTY

The worst enemies, all have two faces
the gentle and courteous, they show to all.
It is said that flattery has godly graces
to turn an enemy into a friend you'd call.

I, for speaking the truth without blame,
you call resentful, and call true and plain
he who disguises lies as truth without shame
and I, you call rude, who can not lie nor feign.

I, in refusing to do you so great a wrong,
as some pretend you are with friendship adorned,
for not going, as wolves do go with lambs along,
am, in being truthful, exiled and scorned.

Nor can I act and speak as a holy saint
abuse your trust and make deceit my pleasure,
be crafty in my counsel, nor a pretty picture paint
just to add your services to my treasure

My simple blind faith is but a naive hostess,
innocent, that can not see both sides of the blade.
I dare say there can be no greater injustice,
then to have been by my own honesty betrayed,

... other then you by flattery swayed!

The following poem of mine was published by the National Library of Poetry in the book "Windows of the Soul" 1995.

B E A U T Y

In the prime,
of her time
beauty feels fairer than the days
but beauty is not made of stone
Time invades,
beauty fades
into wrinkles and into grays
for beauty too is flesh and bone

High and mighty,
beauty is flighty
and feels no need to understand
why many strive to bask in her glory
Beauty ruses,
beauty chooses
fate holds her with a kind hand
but it is not an everlasting story

Although today love falls from the sky
and you can afford to let it die
one day love will pass you by
and judge your deeds and your skin
as if there, beauty had never been

...and who will love you then?

The following poem was published by The National Library of Poetry in the book "A Delicate Balance". It was inspired by the stalking and gutless killing of Nicole Brown; a child, a mother and a human being.
O.J. Go AWAY - Go AWAY!

LOVE AWRY

They stalk you with their perpetual gaze,
foul, evil things with hearts full of ill riches.
Jealousy well hidden behind so much praise,
words are cheap coming from bastards and bitches.

Actions speak volumes that are never written
and actions give voice to so much contradiction.
They try to call it love, when by hate are bitten,
for many loves carry hate as a main addiction.

And through the hell of all their dirty deeds,
rooted in insecurity and so much self-doubt,
rage is a strength, that only evil grows and breeds,
eating from within with fear of being without.

I can but think that cupid's arrow went astray
for no one should live to see love that way.

Shadow Angel
If you build your dreams around somebody
Make sure that they stand on solid ground
cause if it's a little shaky a little shoddy
sooner or later it will all fall down

and when you plan your fantasy
make sure it's got plenty of truth
and start from a solid reality
if you want it to be any good

when you start working on forever
make sure that you take your time
cause there's always someone clever
ready to commit the perfect crime

when you think the truth's all known
be sure to question it all over again
because even the truth is prone
to change from hand to hand

when you gamble with your fate
it's not a time to take a chance
cause on the floors you now create
later on you have to dance

and when you hand your heart to him
make sure he is just who you think
cause things can sure turn grim
when it all starts to stink

and I can not protect you
it is not my place to do so
I am no angel that is true
but I watch over those I know

so you can sue me for sharing
or you can thank me for trying
but don't condemn me for caring
enough to keep you from crying

Manuel Rosa, August 1999

HUNGER

The HUNGER is to be drank, to be eaten
to be fed till you hunger no more
the THIRST is to be stroked to be beaten
to crack the dam and watch it all pour

the HUNGER is the desire to be desired
to be wanted in the same wanting ways
to be loved, to be touched and be admired
to be teased into submission so your body obeys

the THIRST is a quenching wild river flowing
a waterfall crashing deep by your thighs
the THIRST is a taste the sets your face glowing
as you look up and your eyes meet my eyes

to be fed to be filled and quenched
to open up and allow it all to go
till you are covered washed and drenched
and happily basking in the afterglow
-Manuel 4-21-2000

HOPE
1	I see life slowly slipping by All those things I wanted to try Are fast falling by the wayside The days are growing shorter All the hours are still in order They’re just not as long and wide
2	I see the dreams unrealized And reality being ostracized till I just can’t believe anymore I see Destiny as unkind And Faith as being blind I can see all as never before
3	I am not grounded in Hope You’d need a big telescope To even see her silhouette At the Mercy of the wind I drifted so far from land Like you could never get
4	Never bothered with the cost Now I can find myself lost Just as pretenders often do When they refuse to yield Insisting on chasing so far afield After things that never come true
5	I’m not quick on reaction And it’s hard changing direction In the middle of the course When you’re exactly half-way It’s impossible to go all the way But turning back would be worse
6	So you just sit and ponder What’s behind, what’s yonder What is lost, what's to find And your will is getting weary All the paths look dark and scary Afraid to move ahead or fall behind
7	Once, I held all the answers When there weren’t so many cancers Reeking havoc with my dreams When all the paths were clear Time was wasted not held dear Life’s not always what it seems
8	You think it’s all under control That now you’re on a roll So you overlook the mistakes Either you’re on the wrong road Or carrying the wrong load Heading for a cliff with no brakes
9	There’s so many twists and turns So many a memory that burns A picture slide in the mind How it was, how it could’ve been If only you could do it over again How it’d be different this time
10	Do you stay hung up on regret? Or do you forgive and forget, And thank the Lord for another sun? For another boat to sail the streams Another chance to chase your dreams Another wild field in which to run
11	Another heart in which to find The true love and peace of mind Your soul so desperately needs Another lifeline another row Another spot for dreams to grow If you would just sow the seeds
12	It’s been so long this way Hopeless at night, Hope in the day The world’s an oyster for you to take All these dreams are yours to keep But just don’t drift off to sleep Some dreams are better while awake
13	Love is not a point of contention Many things vie for your attention That make you just want to scream And when all things are infernal It’s Hope that springs eternal So don’t lose sight of that dream
	Manuel Rosa, July 1999

ALL SHE DOES
Manuel Rosa - December 22, 2000

All she does is give me a smile,
something you never could give me
when her eyes look into my eyes
it's there for the world to see

it's not like I was keeping a file
but it was all there very clearly
she would never tell me lies
she holds my love too dearly

SHE GIVES WHAT YOU NEVER COULD GIVE
SHE TAKES WHAT YOU NEVER COULD TAKE
SHE LIVES JUST TO SEE ME LIVE
AND SHE LOVES TO NEVER SEE ME ACHE

When she reaches for my touch
it's all right there for me to feel
when we kiss goes right to my heart
like it was a spinning wheel

I could never love her too much
believe me her love is real
like we were one ship from the start
I'm her helm and she's my keel

SHE GIVES WHAT YOU NEVER COULD GIVE
SHE TAKES WHAT YOU NEVER COULD TAKE
SHE LIVES TO SEE ME LIVE
SHE LOVES TO NEVER SEE ME ACHE

Dec 2000

I AM NOT ME poet.gif (21292 bytes)

I’m not in touch with the past
I’ve been running so fast
To get away from it all
I am miles behind me
It’ll take years to find me
If I find myself at all

They say there’s an inner child
Mine must be running wild
In the shadows of the soul
I can not feel its essence
I’m sure in its absence
Must be a crumbling hole

There are moments that come
When there is a bit of sun
That seems to hit just right
And then I can almost see
Someone that looks like me
Standing there in the light

But in the footsteps of dawn
I become again far-gone
Into the same old disguise
Into the silence and anger
Into a lost, lone stranger
Into someone I don’t recognize

They tell me it takes time
That the changes are sublime
And one day I shall be me
That the scars run so deep
But they’re not mine to keep
And I should set them free

That I need to be in touch
And that I don’t know much
Beyond whatever I can see
But still I fail to see why
I need to ask, "Who am I?"
And "Who do you think is me?"

They say I was born whole
That the thieves, they stole
The innocence and the joy
And replaced it with shame
I was still a child in name
But became a different boy

Not just a soul in a body
That I am a kid with a story
One that needs to be told
I am a man in my teens
I am a lost child of dreams
Long left out in the cold

I am a steel soldier of pride
Living on the dark side
Because it’s all that I know
I am an ego in transition
I am a self in omission
With a cold body in tow

I’m not the things you see
Man, I am nothing like me
This is the thin outer wall
For far beyond the skin
I’m hiding deep within
My private little stall

When everything goes amiss
There are demons for this
And there are demons for that
And the demons of desire
Never let die the fire
That keeps me where I’m at

Sometimes the longing to fly
Gets me wondering why
I never spread my wings
But I am a child of the night
Kept grounded from flight
By a body and other things

And now, here at this age
I struggle to feel the rage
Buried so deep in the past
I am not sure that I care
But they tell me it’s in there
And I should put it to rest

So I thrash and I throw
Trying to make myself grow
It seems like a losing battle
Oh, how I push and I pull
Trying to make myself whole
But when does the dust settle?

It seems I am the same yet
What you see is what you get
This is who I have become
And I am not moving still
I just don’t have the will
And my power is overcome

I wasn’t suppose to be me
But I am who you see
And I have become who I am
I have pieces of the past
But I am myself best
When I don’t give a damn

Oh! They tell me it gets better
That it's mind over matter
The cravings can be ignored
They believe my body is weak
That if my mind will speak
It can discipline the core

But I've tried and I've tried
I just get brushed aside
And the body always wins
Cause the mind after all
Gets pleasure from the fall
And loves when the body sins!

Manuel Rosa - March 23, 2000 -Hong Kong

BIGGER GUNS
These demons I’ve been fighting with
Using a magic feather, an ancient myth
I sure had more faith when I was a kid
It was all more believable then

Now I’m finding as I get older
The monkey grows bigger on my shoulder
The demons get bolder, bolder and bolder
And I’m all out of strength to fight them

SEND IN THE CAVALRY
GET THEM AWAY FROM ME
SEND IN THE BIGGER GUNS
CAN’T FIGHT WITH THESE ONES
SEND IN THE C.I.A.
THE F.B.I. THE T.F.A.
PATTON, IF HE’S STILL ON DUTY
OR AT LEAST SEND ME JUDGE JUDY

Who’s putting your kids to bed?
Rocking the cradle keeping them fed
Do you even know why you wed?
Will it’s not for the ring on your hand

What happened to the code of morality?
Where’s growing old in fidelity
Why do mere mortals test mortality?
What about "Love thy neighbor" don’t you understand?

BEYOND FANTASY

Of all the flowers and butterflies,
starry nights and rainbow skies
there was still much to be desired.
All the wonders in this world,
had never left me whirled
as the fantasies that you inspired.

Heard of miracles from priests,
love between beauties and beasts
there are a million and one stories.
They can keep their magic wand,
because you and I go far beyond
mortal tales and fleeting glories.

I have heard told of regrets,
hell-bent Romeos and Juliets
bad loves lost and tragedies.
Rusty knights cloaked in chivalry,
maidens under lock and key
but we far outweigh all of these

Where love lives, there love reigns.
When love is love there are no pains
and two as one should forever be.
Love that is true is unconditional,
creates things as untraditional,
as joining people, as unlike, as you and me!

TO BE ALL INSIDE - (dedicated...)

I wanna cry a little tear
of joy that is hard to hide
I want to reach out with no fear
and pull you deep inside

wrap my soul around you
and keep your dreams fed
I want my love to break through
and raise you from the dead

I wanna have our lips kiss
our bodies love till we are raw
I wanna wrap your heart in bliss
and leave you standing in awe

TO BE ALL INSIDE
TO BE ALL AROUND
TO BE THE OTHER SIDE
BE THE LOVE YOU'VE NEVER FOUND

as my spirit desparately crawls
over yours begging and spread
I want lust echoing in your halls
and our moans dying in your bed

to open my eyes at dawn
and do it all, all over again
as we hungrily feast upon
all the pleasure, all the pain

I've become full of emotion
full of passion on you to be fed
I am craving your devotion
like no man you've ever had

TO BE ALL INSIDE
TO BE ALL AROUND
TO BE THE OTHER SIDE
BE THE LOVE YOU'VE NEVER FOUND

You've got to know it's the true
chance we have been waiting for
cause I know you feel it too
like we've never felt it before

Manuel Rosa 4-23-2000

"DREAM WITHIN A DREAM"

I promised a long, long time ago
Never to fall in love with any one
I watched lovers come and lovers go
They could not stay, yet I could not run

Promise after promise has been broken
of "Never again!" and "Never this way!"
Words that only to myself were spoken
but my heart paid no heed, I had no say

Every time that Cupid miss-aimed his bow
and the arrows landed from every side
my heart laid bare, bleeding in the glow
love struck, mesmerized by the "Princess Bride"

But it's the Queen of hearts who remains elusive
Behind so many obstacles and towers to climb
So many impostors selfish and intrusive
succeeded in dragging me through the slime

But it remains my undying dream, alas!
and I find the strength to rise high after all
for deep within I know there is a place for us
my Princess, I still believe in your crystal ball

The many faces that I show today to you
I have no quarrels with these things I share
I show the world all of my many faces that's true
only to you shall my soul remain secret and bare

So, fear not these narcissistic deviations
they stand to hide a heart scarred by missteps
and bad attempts at self reconciliations
that the ego somehow never forgets

But the "Heart" is a heart of goodness
The "Soul" a peaceful spirit of goodwill
The "Hand" offered is kindness and truthfulness
"Loneliness" would be the only thing I could kill

I don't wish to be alone within any dream
I wish to have "The One" to hold and to care
That "LOVE" that I have from forever seen.
whenever my thoughts fly, it surrounds me in the air

YES! A "Hopeless Romantic", a "Passionate Fool"
a "Sucker" for things wonderful and magic
a heart full of riches just for your love to rule
Still undiscovered, "Hopeful" but still tragic

There are those who smile and look tempting
There are some even closer to feeling real
It's an unequal "LIFE" and "LOVE" I am attempting
Don't ask me to compromise them, I no longer deal

A "Love" deserving of my heart and nothing less
A "Soul" deserving of my trust and so supreme
A "Union" far beyond the ones Cupid could bless
A "Dream" that'll be beyond a dream within a dream

Manuel Rosa, Feb-14-2000

DREAM
I have a dream that one day
I shall come face to face with my destiny
I don't know when but I feel
she knows just where to find me

I have a place saved inside
where only she can enter
for only she has the key
and knows the way to my center

I have a secret that
only she shall discover
for so many have tried
yet never got beyond the cover

I have a passion that stirs
and keeps me on the move
keeps me searching and yearning
for a love I don't have to prove

for a lifetime of laughter
for a lusty and sweaty game
for a day of reckoning
where both our souls are the same

Do you have a crazy dream?
a desire to be the only one?
to be taken and accepted and trusted?
to be a lover's only sun?
Manuel Feb 14, 2000

IMAGINE
I imagine your skin soft as a the petals of a flower
my fingers caress it top to bottom all in between
I smell your sweetness, your passion and your power
I want to dive into your river and wash myself clean

beads of sweat that quiver as your breasts gently sway
your hot breath begging in my ear to be quenched
there are mountains that move whenever you and I lay
making waterfalls rise up leaving us both drenched

our lips touch like butterfly wings beat the air
our hearts beat in a rhythm that leaves no doubt
and our dreams connect into a reality so rare
I feel so deep into you, that I could never get out
-----------------------------------------------

LAST TO BE FREE
I tried to be your shield, but I was run through
and I nearly buried myself, trying to unearth you
Got to the poor house, trying to make you rich
Invested all of my time, you didn't return a stitch

and I got inside your walls, trying to find a weak point
You climbed out over me, now I'm stuck in this joint
When I think of everything I did to protect and save you
How I enslaved and lost myself in all the things I gave you

There're two different roads ahead one on which I don't belong
I take one, you take the other, don't know which of them is wrong
and just a few more days now, they come and set us both free
oh! if only it was that easy to get me out of you and you out of me
Manuel Rosa

WAITING

What I want does not matter,
what you want does
if what you wanted was love
that would be good enough for us

I would take you to heaven nightly
and keep you there for days
I would take your soul and hold it tightly
our souls would be one in many ways

all the gifts that I bring so sweet
of love, kisses and a gentle caress
from the tips of your hair to the soles of your feet
you would be adored as no other princess

and the love that we both make as one
stronger, better, hotter than any other
our passions that burn like the sun
our souls would burn for each other

our dreams would emerge as a bigger dream
that could surpass any yet known to man
and our love would flow as a burning stream
like only love in these dreams can

and when we take, we give ourselves completely
with love we make the skin of our bodies sweat
and our souls touch each other so deeply
every time would be like the first time we met

emotions of love, passion and all those things
that we both say our souls need
they come and go as if they had wings
rarely allowing our souls to feed

and our souls that hunger for action
can only find it in a lost fantasy
the love, lust and complete satisfaction
is a dream so far from our reality

sometimes it all seems lost
and hope seems to have gone away
if I had the chance, whatever the cost
to have TRUE LOVE I would gladly pay

to have that one that fills your soul
with all the joy of love and happiness
to find that heart to have and to hold
and to live a life of passion and gladness

and no mortal could come between us
and no angel could keep heaven away
what I want does not matter, what you want does
the heavens would sing wherever you and I lay

Manuel Rosa 12-15-98

Running

I have no sense of purpose nor direction
I live my life with no human connection
I would take the reigns if only I knew
Where I want to go,
who I want to be,
what I want to do

I've got this selfish streak in my soul
I want not to be controlled and control
I got many anti-social skills I need to hone
to be left behind,
be left in peace,
be left alone

SO DON'T LET ME BE ME, DON'T LET ME BE ME

I can't find my place in this society
It should be easy with all this variety
No matter what I try I can't seem to fit in
Tell me where to go,
what to seek,
where to begin

Am I doomed to wonder aimlessly
to flaunt my solitude so shamelessly
I don't want to live my life as a hermit
Show me how to feel,
how to face it,
how to fit

SO DON'T LET ME BE ME, DON'T LET ME BE ME

It's so easy to pull away and so easy to hide
It's so easy to keep a front and all the feelings inside
It's not hard to be hard and be mean to you
as long as I play tough you will never get through
I still sleep with my pride in a bed made for two
and I sleep all alone cause I keep running from you

SO DON'T LET ME BE ME, DON'T LET ME BE ME

12-22-99
Shanghai,
People's Republic of China

FAITH in YOU

It was my faith in you
that carried me so far away
it was my faith in us
that kept all others at bay

it was my faith in change
that kept me at the altar
But I must say lately
my faith is beginning to falter

cause the things that you say
and the things that you do
make me doubt and ask
why I had any faith in you

I've read all the books
found no answers in the text
I feel like hitting you one second
and then kiss you the next

But I am sure there are reasons
Why God has held me here
for every time I tried moving on
HE never showed the way clear

So it comes back to faith
cause faith is all that I have got
usually faith is all you need
sometimes you don't even need a lot

Durham 12-30-99

FOUR DAZE
All alone in the streets of danger
a girl should beware any stranger
there are those you can never trust
cause they only know greed and lust

You’ve heard over and over again
if going out at night, always bring a friend
you need eyes in the back of your head
before you realize you could end up dead

FOUR DAYS GONE BY
WHERE WERE YOU?
and WHY? WHY? WHY?

You find yourself just barely alive
but there are those who never survive
Glamour isn’t what it’s made up to be
A good time doesn’t always end in glee

You think we all should know better
world’s sick, who knows what’s the matter?
gotta learn to stick with family and friends
they’re the ones to be by you in the end

FOUR DAYS GONE BY
WHERE WERE YOU?
and WHY? WHY? WHY?

Typical Man

I should know this story so very well
I have lived it inside my personal hell
Dreams don't come from coins in a wishing well

Every time that things start to look right
I have to remember to turn on the light
for everything is different in black and white

Every time I see that faint flicker of hope
I must remember love is a slippery slope
you can slide in without any way to cope

I need to just keep standing my ground
there must be a spot where my heart is bound
and sooner or later it's sure to come around

The dreams are so strong, so driven by the past
sometimes you fall too easy, you fall too fast
that falling seems to be the only thing to last

A voice, a look, a connection and a friend
nothing more and nothing less in the end
friends are ok too, but for you I can't pretend

you think I'd sell my dreams to just anyone?
you think I'd fall just because they were fun?
don't you think you make my heart and soul run?

Maybe as you say I am just your typical man
falling for a pretty face like anyone can
but there's nothing typical to the things we had then!

Good To You

I know the loneliness that you feel
when the whole world seems unreal
and there's no one in which you believe
only now I know the pain inside of you
all the things you're going through
those were things I failed to perceive

I KNOW! YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO I AM
YOU THINK YOU KNOW MY WHOLE SCAM
YOU THINK I AM ONLY OUT TO HURT YOU
BUT I ONLY WANT TO HELP YOU

I know how tough things can get
how your life gets haunted by regret
How love never ends the way it starts
How the past never leaves you alone
How the lessons not etched in stone
can still be etched deep in our hearts

I KNOW! YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO I AM
YOU THINK YOU KNOW MY WHOLE SCAM
YOU THINK I AM ONLY OUT TO HURT YOU
BUT I ONLY WANT TO HELP YOU

I have tried so hard not to see
the good angels in front of me
cause I have already been through hell
I know mistakes can be made
I know I've rained on your parade
just allow me, I can make it well.

I KNOW! YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO I AM
YOU THINK YOU KNOW MY WHOLE SCAM
YOU THINK I AM ONLY OUT TO HURT YOU
BUT I ONLY WANT TO HELP YOU

A DIFFERENT LIGHT
A different light
shines down on you
right in my sight
I see someone new
The way you are
the way you used to be
they're not so far
and that I can see

A LITTLE FLICKER -- A LITTLE FLAME
A LITTLE QUICKER -- ON THE AIM
A LITTLE BLUE -- A LITTLE BRIGHT
A LITTLE OF YOU -- IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT

A new perception
of things being clearer
a new reflection
on an old mirror
a dose of voodoo
and then suddenly
I'm new to you
you're new to me

A LITTLE FLICKER -- A LITTLE FLAME
A LITTLE QUICKER -- ON THE AIM
A LITTLE BLUE -- A LITTLE BRIGHT
A LITTLE OF YOU -- IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT

The Devil's on Detail

No I don't blame you, I don't hate you for hating me
I have hated myself for time and time again
But you are not so right and I don't have to agree
That I must hate my life so that I try to do others in

And it wasn't always this way if you must know
I used to have a heart and I even used to have a soul
But I sat and watched the evil around me grow
I felt dark and powerful as I gave over my control

I swore no one else would ever break my heart
I promised no one would ever get the better of me
and I felt so sure that I was really that smart
That the next time I would have a "Written Guarantee"

It certainly wasn't you that deserved the wrath
of the evil thoughts that I had grown accustomed to
It just happened that you came across my path
As the buttons were pushed and the hellfire flew

You think I don't deserve forgiveness or kindness
That I deserve exactly what the Gods are giving me today
I know only too well how the anger leads to blindness
I've done what was done to me in exactly the same way

Maybe it was the only way I knew to get the pain out
or maybe just a way to feel like I had control again
You say I deserve my dry lonely bed, no doubt
and you deserve so much more than loneliness and pain

Yet I see you in Our Room lonely night after night
in an endless search just like the walking dead
walk in your sunshine, your angel in white light
you won't believe a thing I say, yet you believed all that I Said

I don't wonder why I feel this need to make you understand
to make you see the goodness behind the bad disguise
It is exactly because I am not the way that you contend
That I must prove it to you or lose myself otherwise

Oh, I am not proud of the way that I made you feel
I wish there was a way to make it up to you somehow
for I know what part was made up and what is real
and this here is as "real" as it gets right now

So you name your price and name your cost
you can feel free to decide the time and the place
for it's very clear to me that evil has lost
goodness has won and I need to bask in that grace

Dead End Avenue
You Said
You loved him to death
Now we all believe it

Your choice
To silence your voice
But now we all grieve it
JUST ONE MORE BREATH -- AND YOU WOULD SEE
JUST HOW YOUR DEATH -- IS KILLING ME

Silent tears
So young in years
What do you leave behind

A mom a dad
Good friends you had
That you will never find
JUST ONE MORE BREATH -- AND YOU WOULD SEE
JUST HOW YOUR DEATH -- IS KILLING ME

I was here
To help with the fear
I would have stood by you

Till you hit ground
You can always turn around
Suicide is a dead end avenue
JUST ONE MORE BREATH -- AND YOU WOULD SEE
JUST HOW YOUR DEATH -- IS KILLING ME

For Brandi (Slick Chick) of the band "Hell's Angels" Seattle, WA.

SENT YOU MY LOVE

We've been miles and miles apart
as the months and months go by
But you're always in my heart
my love for you will never die

we have tried to get together
for time and time again
It seems even the weather
is against us in the end

_________________________________CHORUS
AND I SENT YOU ALL MY LOVE, ON VALENTINE'S DAY
IF IT'S MEANT TO BE, IT'LL ALWAYS FIND A WAY

I look up in the skies
and I see the sun shine
oh I can almost see your eyes
clear across the stateline

we have been on our own
far away and way too long
I'm alone and you're alone
but we know where we belong

_________________________________CHORUS
AND I SENT YOU ALL MY LOVE ON VALENTINE'S DAY
IF IT'S MEANT TO BE, IT'LL ALWAYS FIND A WAY

Villains and Heroes

Things can't always be judged
by what you think you can see
for the truth can't be budged
and so neither can reality

I came thinking I knew you
Just to find out I was mistaken
cause I did not have a clue
of the wrong you had undertaken

while you justified your actions
by things I did not understand
I can not condone your reactions
towards a person and a friend

I have lived inside your shoes
and my heart is in such turmoil
for I know you did not choose
to be threading down this soil

you brought me step by step
just like a hero brings a villain
into a well planned trap
ready for the final killing

How I feel ever so sad
and my heart hurts for you
for I was the one who was bad
and there's nothing we can undo

maybe you have already gone mad
by all the wrongs that you see
that you can hurt and feel glad
and play such a villain with glee

but me? an innocent bystander
who found an angel at the gates of hell
and tried to pull her out of danger
from the grip of Satan's spell

why was that hard for you to believe
had you given up on souls like me existing?
that you were able to your own self deceive
and not feel the knife in my heart twisting

maybe you had just given up hope
of anyone like me ever being real
or maybe I've become such a dope
not to recognize what you crave and feel

or maybe it's just as you say
and I am a big fool in denial
for I have acted in such a way
that I may be going senile

then you were the villain, I was sure
or so I could not see otherwise
and I was the hero with the cure
safely hiding behind my disguise

you would rape, kill and plunder
because you only had one goal
to do your best to drag me under
and leave nothing of my soul

But I was not one of them
and you were too blind to tell
in a mountain of coal I was a gem
in the halls where you wish to dwell

so I have to pull off my masks
and never try to play hero again
I've learned there are some tasks
that no one should have to begin

so let the chips fall where they fall
cause now my fighting is all done
this has never been one for all
nor has it been all for one

Has the world become so terror struck
to believe everyone has a sinister plan
world's got too many heroes amuck
and I just want to be free to be a man

don't judge a book by it's cover
nor a hero by the mask he wears
judge only after you look things over
if you wish to be honest and fair

It is way too late for redemption
We are villains in each other's eyes
But I was the one true exemption
that you could not recognize

we all know about hindsight
we all have bridges we've burned
but thanks for setting me right
and for these things I have learned

and this is the lesson for today
hopefully the one God had for me
cause I can only hope and pray
that I am what he wants me to be

cause the excuses I find are zero
what you did was not justified at all
I was trying so hard to be a hero
that I couldn't see the villain fall

but God with his heart of gold
has managed to pull me through
and helped me see the truth unfold
I was the villain, the hero was you!

Manuel Rosa 9-1-99

TAKE CARE

You can change your location
you can't change your destination
that's why it's called destiny
You can change your perception
and accept less perfection
in what you refuse to see

You can change your work hours
rearrange your pretty flowers
but it all turns out the same
And, as a matter of fact
you can send it all back
it follows you just the same

TAKE CARE OF THE SOUL
THE BODY WILL FOLLOW

You can change your number
change the name you go under
but you're the same in the mirror
You can't hide from you
though sometimes you try to
no one understands you clearer

You can change your hair
change the clothes you wear
and make yourself look smart
You've got lots of love to share
but you better take care
cause you can't change your heart

TAKE CARE OF THE SOUL
THE BODY WILL FOLLOW

One Life To Live

The world is full of addictions
things for the body and mind
it's so full of contradictions
and so many stones to grind

World's full of want and need
of stubborn wills and whims
full of jealousy and greed
spilling over the brims

It's full of hunger and hate
and full of people alone
full of walls with no gate
full of hearts made of stone

Full of love in the moment
that has no chance to last
full of pain and torment
full of lessons of the past

But it's the only one I've got
so I won't bite the hands that give
I am not thankful for a lot
so thanks for a life to live

And thanks for the time to see
these errors of my way
and thanks for staying with me
even when I sent you away

Manuel Rosa, August 1999

Baby Blue Butterfly

Baby Blue
Butterfly
I keep you
In the sky

I’m the flower
For your hunger
The power
You fly under

I keep your wings
Safe and sound
I am all things
On the ground

The meadows
Where you feast
The shadows
That give you peace

The sunshine
To warm your wings
The lifeline
For your swings

The moon glow
To your eyes
The rainbow
In your skies

All the space
You transcend
A secure place
For you to land

The destination
You need to find
The equation
For peace of mind

The balance
For your feet
The true chance
You had to meet

I am the dreams
That stay
The seams
That don’t fray

The rope
That won’t untie
The hope
That won’t die

The bouquet
Of sweetness
The right way
To completeness

I am a tower
That you scale
The sunflower
You inhale

All the flights
Of fancy
The heights
Of exorbitancy

The compassion
You embrace
The passion
That you chase

The stillness
Of the lake
The fulfillness
For which you ache

The strength
To keep you up
The length
That won’t stop

The voice
Of the songbird
The choice
That’s preferred

As illusive
As we both are
As reclusive
As a star

I am every thing
You’ve never seen
The being
You’ve never been

The romantic kiss
To make you soar
I am all this
And so much more

So far
From where we live
We are
What we give

Manuel Rosa, July 1999

Fools' Gold

She thinks that happiness
Comes in a bank account
That it's written in checks
Out to the right amount

The right ring on her finger
Or a certain car to drive
Will make happiness linger
For as long as she's alive

I've seen what money can do
To ruin friend and foe alike
The only interest that's due
The gold they wish to strike

So I look for much deeper
Much richer things than that
A heart of gold that's a keeper
And a soul that's a class act

A head to rest on my chest
A simple smile with the sunrise
A peace that makes my heart rest
A soul mate in each other's eyes

A princess not from gold
Though gold and fair she may be
A princess that I can hold
From now through eternity

A heart that brings riches
Unlike gold could ever be
A fortune that's made of wishes
Made of kisses, wine and honey

Made of laughs, made of smiles
Made of passions and pleasure
Made of roses, made of miles
Hearts are the riches I treasure

For when all is said and done
When the sun sets at last
Money won't comfort you none
Only Love brings warmth and rest

So Love like you'll never get hurt
And happiness is sure to follow
For Gold, just what is it worth
If your heart is empty and hollow

I treasure the little things I find
Not a great body or a pretty face
Nor a great personality, a great mind
But a heart full of Love, a soul full of Grace

Manuel Rosa, July 1999

INSPIRATION

When ancient poets wrote, and they wrote many,
I am certain that they were inspired by you
for the similarities that I see are so uncanny
I almost can't believe them to be true.

So now I write because you still inspire
and since my words come out the same
as the words of poets from centuries prior
I can only imagine how lengthy is your fame.

How many artists poured your likeness on a page?
How many battles of honor lost or won?
Who'd fight for your honor in this day and age?
You can be certain that I still would, for one!

For it to last through so many a century in rhyme
shows how true beauty stands the test of time.

Leaves

Leave this branch bare as you somersault downward into the bright autumn sky
your greens, now brilliant reds and yellows, soon to lifeless brown will turn and die

This last journey does not phase you, soaring butterfly-like on the wings of the wind
much as I feel happy you go playfully not knowing the pain so close at hand

Fall that is never endless refuses to stay and leaves into a winter unlike fall ever was
Oh, leaf of life with no life left in you learning old how to fly unlike the rest of us

And flying you go helpless, God knows where,on the rising cold gale breezes
caring not if there'll be shelter for your body when the falling snow freezes

Leaves leaving from every twig leaving the trunk surrounded by a leafy crown
Tree stood as royalty by green jewels crowned still stands defying all not blown down

Cold, cold air, ignored on the outside but easily felt inside down to the roots
tree now cold and bare did you dream of this when giving life to spring green shoots?

I too cling hard and fast to a glimmer of hope that is like roots anchored into the earth
much like the tree I stand defiant of the snow waiting on the sun to spring forth with new birth

In these times as cold as winter, with my being as a tree is,
you can be certain that leaves would fall from all your chilliness.

Greed

There was a time to laugh, a time for sorrow,
and a time for everything I've heard say,
sometimes you lend, sometimes you borrow
but, in these times, you just steal it away.

There's a selfishness rising across this land
leaving all good and innocence in its dust.
Greed breeds evil underfoot and underhand
sacred, almighty dollar is the only God we trust!

PRINCES AND FOOLS

From man to man the difference is minor when you compare bodies and faces
although it may seem big in shapes, colors and other worthless traces

the flesh is flesh, blood is blood and only looking into the heart can you tell
what good is a man with the body of a steel statue if the soul is dark as hell

To be born, to be a man, without a woman, it's a miracle you'll never find
woman gives life balance, has the same worth side by side, not in front nor behind

Man who must be strong destroys, breaks doesn't give a damn, be it big or small
strength by being strong won't give in, beat or bust whatever he confronts has to fall

And right beside all that strength there exist men that are plainly not the same
men who listen, understand and even in the wild moments remember to be tame.
Men who give you the value and reach for the warmth without fear of the flame
In some women's lives their weakness is only for the strength of the usual game.

SCORNED

Restless as a gazelle under a lion's gaze
Lost as a dinosaur entombed in the sands
Forgotten as footprints washed by the waves
Unnoticed as the sun that falls upon your hands

Unwanted as the wind blowing sand in your eyes
Unwelcomed as the clouds of a winter monsoon
Uninvited as the pain of a memory that never dies
Avoided as the heat of a mid-summer's high noon

woman

woman, that provides great pleasure,
gives great pain
yet knows not how either one to control
woman, shines like the sun,
knows not how much rain
you cause to pour upon her man's soul

Poet

Wild spirit of a screamer
with so much to discover
and a mind full of ceaseless wonder
Careless soul of a dreamer
and the stormy heart of a lover
that never fails to feel the thunder

underdog

He was born a pawn to a pauper
no master could he control
it was his kindness that hurt him
but he suffered with a clean soul
his eyes show the sorrow
of many years under foot
and his hands show the kindness
that the hard times never took

MONSTER WITHIN
There are monsters in the deep
I have yet to conquer
Sometimes in my sleep
I hear them yawn and stir

They try to keep quiet
As they move around
But always cause a riot
Without making a sound

Silent and festering
Feeding on the lost soul
Teasing and pestering
To make me lose control

Crawling out of my skin
As the cage rattles
Fighting the monster within
Must be the hardest battles