Triple failure at FAWM in 2015, 2017 and 2018 led me to abandon any attempt to participate in the years that followed. I focused instead on revising my novels, and in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to do live online reading of my first two novels. But in 2022, I came up with a new concept and added new songs to my "40 Days" rock opera. I even threw in a few additional sets of lyrics for other projects. I completed FAWM that year and completed most of the songs with music as well.
What do we do now, since our Lord has died? What do we do now, after we have cried? What do we do now, when our tears have dried? What do we do now, who will be our guide? We are purchasing the spices Purchasing the spices To preserve the body of our Lord We are purchasing the spices Purchasing the spices To hon-or the life of our Lord What do we do now, since we’ve bought the spice? What do we do now, will it still suffice? What do we do now, since he paid the price? What do we do now, is he in Paradise? We are preparing the spices Preparing the spices To preserve the body of our Lord We are preparing the spices Preparing the spices To honor the life of our Lord What will we do now that the day has dawned? What will we do now, how can we respond? What will we do now, in the days beyond? What will we do now, for him we have a bond? We are carrying the spices Carrying the spices To preserve the body of our lord We are carrying the spices Carrying the spices To honor the life of our lord
We are just but women three, with the spices and perfume But the path which we must take is blocked by stone to the entombed No one dares to come with us for fear that they will be arrested All we’re guilty of is words our Lord himself attested. Will they be at our behest To open up this dreadful chest? May we treat him with our best? Who will roll away the stone? Our sorrow raw, our feet are sore No Earthly power can open that door Our hopes are dimmed, outlook is poor Who will roll away the stone? We have arrived, the stone aside We dare not even look inside A body’s theft, cannot abide Who has rolled away the stone?
Guards: The earth is quaking, we’re all so shaken Our lives are flashing, we’re so forsaken The end is near, our lives are lost We must stay here, but what a cost We can’t stay here longer or we’ll die We must flee now, time to say goodbye. The sky is dark now, the lightning’s flashing The wind is blowing, the trees are thrashing A man appears right here before us He’s white as snow, he won’t ignore us We can’t stay here longer or we’ll die We can’t see now, this is our goodbye. Angel: I am here to move the stone You’re not alone, don’t lie there prone As he told you, he lives once more Forevermore, a life restored Guards: We still are shaken, that he awakened Too much to witness, too much to take in Our lives are forfeit if we speak of it And to the truth we must not admit We can’t stay here longer or we’ll die We must find a tale we can stand by
Guards: It’s a tale, too strange to tell With lightning, to the ground we fell An angel of God, he moved the stone We feared so much, our lives were done Priests: A tale for sure, it has no fact You cannot share, we’ll make a pact A sum of riches, yours to spend Keep quiet or it will be your end Guards: A mighty feat like this to view A fearful sight, we’re telling you A story that cannot be shared A truth that must be undeclared Priests: But a mere fable, it is true No one will know, what you once knew Forevermore you must relate That this was false, that is your fate The followers came through the dark They took the body, left no mark This is the tale that you will tell Now go away, you’ve been paid well.
Fear Drives me crazy, can’t control it, going out of my own head Fear All the people, every moment, always full of deepest dread Fear It’s a problem, can’t abide it, gonna hide myself away Fear But the nighttime, it is worse than other portions of the day Fear Who's that knocking? What’s that noise there? Never find a moment’s peace Fear It’s too shocking that I hear it, where can I find sweet release? Fear Not a minute of each hour is my heart not in my throat Fear Not a second of each minute are my hopes to stay afloat Why can’t I learn to live with it Why can't I learn to live through it Who can help me find my way from it When will I have my life without it Fear Frantic panic, nervous feeling, there is never a good time Fear Baseless danger, always looking o’er my shoulder for a crime Fear To befall me, I am victim, life is always fleeting by Fear Death release me, can’t go living, life is better should I die
Sitting on a bed of nails, being an imposter Hurting like you think it should, eating too much pasta Waiting in the ticket queue, ready with my dollars Now and then I take a few, spend it on some collars This is such a nonsense song, shouldn’t waste my ink on But it counts as one more try, even though it’s stinking Now I write into the night, cannot get to bed now Dog and cat are crying out, time for getting fed chow Dog is biting on my leg, wants me to stop singing Cat is scratching at his ears, ready to be springing Elephant is in the room, cannot just ignore it Major piece of garbage here, beginning to abhor it
Who has taken him away, who of us will get the blame? Who would think to steal the dead? Heaven knows we’re not the same. Fear has fallen on our lives, trembling now under the weight Lives are forfeit, end of times, and here we know we cannot wait Let us go to Galilee, as the women said we must Let us go away from here, we stay here we will be crushed Let us hide ourselves away Never see the light of day Let us find what we have lost Forget we ever saw the cross But we promised we would serve Tell the truth and spread the word We cannot just flee the scene We can’t leave, it was foreseen He told us all to meet him there He told us all to brave the tide He told us he would come again He told us that before he died But we could not believe him then We could not even understand He told us but we did not hear And now we live our lives in fear.
Let us go up to the mountain, by the town of Galilee There we’ll meet him, as he told us, at the mountain by the Sea His disciples, his commandment, not just for us but all of them A great return, with the five hundred, women, children and the men. Some believers, many doubters, they will see with their own eyes None will doubt us, sight delivers, no one left to call it lies There in the distance, see him standing, see him shining like the sun! Fall down and worship, he is risen, he is yet the Holy One! What words of wisdom shall be spoken, here upon this holy mount? Open all your ears and listen, write it down, the full account!
Jesus: Here’s a fire ignited Here’s a basket of bread Bring me some of those fishes Sit down for a big spread. Eat your fill and Tell me your all your tales They’re incredible! Peter: We were out on the water Having nary a bite Almost ready to give up When you came into sight We believed and Rolled up our sleeves And the net filled! And now we’re once more Eating with the Lord! The fire is warming us Our faith once more restored! We just couldn’t be silent When we saw it was you None of us needed To ask “Who are you?” You are the Lord and Life is our reward No longer skeptical
Betty When I see you I’m sweaty It’s just the nerves in me Betty I’m a living wreck Betty I may never be ready To face a future with Betty I’ll never be there In time I’ll find that I’m left behind Such indecision is My crime I cannot commit Meantime Forever seems like a long time When it all comes down to Showtime I cannot declare My love for you Love for all my life Yes, it’s true The love I have for Betty It’s the thought of us steady It makes me feel all Fretty And I can’t back down Betty I know I come off as petty And a life without Betty Is the one I choose. My love for you May not fade away But we two Never meant to be.
Every tune and every chorus Somehow you’ve found new ways to bore us Hear our pleas, please don’t ignore us Do not write another song It’s just an abomination That you think this combination Sour notes an aberration Do not write another song It’s this melody we’re thinking It’s so terribly stinking With it all our hopes are sinking That you’ll write another song If you do, we tried to warn ya Your stupid rhymes from California Are causing ears the greatest harm, yeah Stop it with your blasted songs You’d be better off composing Something else that’s less imposing Something we won’t thumb our nose on Just don’t write another song But the tide seems to be turning And for music we are yearning Once again our hearts are burning Will you write another song?
We are burying our sorrow Waiting ‘til tomorrow To avoid the breaking of the law Laws that are unjust, he was quick to break Laws that he discussed, measures he would take Nothing would be lost, to his quickened mind All but for what cost, now that he has died? We are hiding here in sorrow Focusing on our woe When we should be thinking of our Lord Where do we begin, how do we react? While we look within, his death is a fact Questioning our faith, he would scold us so Is he but a wraith, urging us to go? We are pondering our exit Sabbath day prevents it We cannot not go out to mourn our Lord
Everyone is here, they think, to see the master play. But the master is the music, and the music makes the day. Wind and rain and dirt and mud, the ground is almost split. But unifying all the world, the music comes from it. To the North, I feel the cold, to the South as well. To the West and from the East, the Sun’s own heat does swell. Look inside your own true heart, and realize the day Is only half of what there is, and darkness does take sway. But darkness is not to be feared, as music conquers all. Daylight’s not to be revered, as music makes its call. Old or young, ill or well, the melodies do speak. They come together, unison, and chase away the bleak. Music’s master, (or its servant?) never will it rest Tunes are turning, heads exploring, puts us to the test Lyrics flowing, rhymes and meter, universal speech From a deep place, within one’s soul, that is its mystique Where’s the future? When is past and what becomes of now? In reflection, nothing matters, but this solemn vow Music is our revolution, music has us rapt Music heals us, helps us, finds us, when we’re feeling trapped
Peter: What about him? Jesus: Why should you care? What is that to you? If I want him to stay alive, what else can you do? You must follow me, my commandments You must must feed my sheep You will find that, should you falter You won't fall asleep Peter: So he won’t die? Jesus: Did not say that, just you nevermind He will tell our tales to the world, he’s the one assigned. Were they written down in volumes All the pages filled There would not be room enough for Prophecies fulfilled Peter: Will you guide us? Jesus: I won’t need to. You will guide yourselves. But the spirit I will send you, will be something else! Just a nudging, that you’re feeling, You may hear a call Answer swiftly, hesitate none Don’t let the movement stall!
Now that we all have fed, let’s take a moment’s rest And talk about the things you all must do You are my chosen, and we are not through It’s a pretty simple task, I don’t think too much to ask Just stay in town, await the gift to come As my Father promised to Jerusalem. You know of John the Baptist, the methods he practiced He used water to immerse Now in just a few days, we’re practicing new ways A Spirit, a new vital force. It’s everything you’ve hoped, this Spirit sent by God. It’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It will provide you new ways to explore. It is not for you to know, time and date for it to show But you will get the pow’r to spread the word My witnesses you’ll be, and you’ll be heard! In Judea, Samaria, and all ‘round the area You’ll testify with many tongues It won’t matter your language, your status, your village The word will be spoken as one.
Peace beyond all understanding Heav’nly bliss awaits for you No more fear, no more demanding The life you know will soon be through When the Father greets his children When he welcomes one and all A new age will start rebuilding Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall Point no fingers Share no blame Find your joy in He who came Care for others That’s your call Treat them equal Big and small Live a life that’s worth reliving Live a life you’d care to share Be the person that’s forgiving Fill your life with daily prayer Peace beyond all understanding It’s a lesson we can share Live in happiness expanding Live a life that’s full of care
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