The brushes of the winter wind
Whisk across the cottage windows.
Only in the darkness do they paint
For they are shy
And work best in the night.
When the world is fast asleep
They come
They come across the freezing moor
Peering in the windows of all the houses.
Riding the tendrils of clouds
Carried along by the gusts of chilly wind.
They come to each window
And dip their brushes in the frosty air.
Then they create 
They paint small spirals and designs all over the glass.
They dance through the winter air and dab at their canvas.
When each window is a masterpiece
They retreat back to the sky.
In the morning,
The children walk up and gasp in surprise at the painters work.
They use their fingers to add their own touches to the frosty art.
Soon the sun
Melts away their work 
Clearing the canvas
So the winter painters can cover them once more.
 

I'm Sorry, But...

I’m sorry, but...
What are we teaching the kids these days?
Are we teaching them to go along with whatever the most dominant person says?
Don’t have opinions, just move on, avoid distress.

I’m sorry, but…
That’s not going to work for me.
Why is it considered bad when someone states they have a side?
When they want to do or be one thing over another?
Saying “I don’t care,” “whatever,” “it doesn’t matter to me...”
Makes you a better person, the desired person, more so than the one who actually knows what they want?

I’m sorry, but …
That just doesn’t seem right to me.
Why is it good not to have a preference?
I’m always told that I care too much.
I always try not to care.

I’m sorry, but...
Remind me again why I don’t want to care?
Why is that wrong, and bad, and strange, and different?

Background:
I wrote this song awhile ago, for the Martin Luther King Day of 2018.
As I was looking through files on my computer, I found it again and listened.
I thought about how we need more people like MLK in our world today, and how we need to realize this more often
instead of on just one day of the year. 
This is why I'm sharing this song now. 

The lyrics are below, and there's also a recording above (the recording at the bottom is the same; please disregard it). I'm the singer, and my former English teacher played the guitar.
The song is titled "The Dream Lives On".


One night I woke up                      
Wishing I’d stayed asleep,                   
Walking into a world                        
Different in my dream.                 

Such terrible suffering around me,              
When will humans solve the inequality?        


Chorus:

A woman hurries down the street, her pale hands pulling a coat tighter against the cold. Her long auburn hair tumbles down her back in loose waves. The brisk air bites at her nose and cheeks, turning them a rosy pink. The red scarf she wears around her neck pops against her paling skin and dark coat. Her tan, freckled skin and blond hair from Summer is gone, along with the glowing, golden brown hair from Spring. The tips of her hair are already fading into a muddy brown color, for winter is coming. Her breath puffs out through crimson lips, wafting like a cloud of smoke in the cold air. Her shoes click-clack loudly on the cracked pavement, drawing the attention of others. She walks with purpose, shoulders squared and head high. She pops in a sea of people, all in different stages of transformation. Red, orange, yellow and brown hues surround her on all sides. A rush of warm bodies, pumping hearts, and hurried strides.

(A/N: my younger brother is doing the spoken word part.) 

"Now here's a little question for you all to try on for size... who put you in charge, huh?" 
The world is turning
And you can't stop it
Your act doesn't fool us anymore
So why don't you drop it?

And if the bridge breaks 
Then you will fall
So down falls the piggy
Money and all

"So listen, all of you! Yes, you! 
Things are gonna change around here!
Instead of war, you're gonna get
ART! 
And instead of money, you're gonna get
REVOLUTION! 
Yes, you heart it right!"

The world is burning
And we can stop it
Your act doesn't fool us anymore
So who don't you drop it? 
 

I'm a beginner guitarist having a try at songwriting... I'm not sure how it sounds, hopefully it's decent...

Lyrics:
Well you're so great and I can't get over the modest things you've said
You're so very amazed with yourself, you're a star in your own head
Who did you think would be lining up to be your backup crew?
Open your eyes, to your surprise there's no one there but you
When will it be enough?
What would it all be for?
You had everything
But you wanted more
Here you come, the one and only
Not at the top but you're still lonely
Who will you turn to for help
Now that you've lost all to yourself?
When will it be enough?
What would it all be for?
You had everything
But you wanted more

I still don't have a name for this one yet, and I don't think my voice is loud enough...