the trick is to find purpose in the mundane 

like hopscotch bottle rockets 

off a sunset balcony 

and if dishes were horses 

i would be singing cowboy songs 

like tyson or lund 

and if…

big sho(e)w tonight in edmonton 

last night i fell asleep to fireworks in the streets of the big smoke  

i mean, i did not fall asleep in the streets 

i fell asleep to the sound of fireworks…

i put pants on  

and a new pair of socks  

walk down stairs  

sit and read brautigan 

drink coffee 

madeline meets me to write 

i have written with other people before 

but mostly…

driving west down 107th ave

towards technicare to deliver a lens

that abby was supposed to use to shoot

a recording session that never happened

i used to drive this way with jordan

on our way to a meeting on…

i live above a coffee shop

across from canada place

north of the river

the walls are glass

and the floor is concrete

janice says, 'mind if i sit here?'

i say, 'no'

she pulls out…

a couple weeks ago i made a bit of money on tour with jake morley 

in four days we played in 

airdrie 

vermillion 

grande prairie 

and athabasca 

now i feel rich and i eat sushi a lot 

my favourite is…

stealing flowers

budlight balladeer

kitchen days

perogy eating contest

driving the sound guy home

where did i park my car

i have huge news to tell you (but not just yet)

i'm just here for the wifi

i skipped leg…

i could never release a single

how would the rest of my songs feel?

i could never do that to my songs

i remember walking towards whyte

i was on your right side and slightly behind when you said

'gates, i think you drink too much'

i cannot recall my response in words

but i remember feeling as if you were both…

'i love you' rolls off the tip my tongue

this time back down the esophagus

into my stomach

joining the mango tango

and the seaweed salad

i wish our lives could be a dance floor

and that the music would…

she can almost play twinkle twinkle 

her tone is good for a beginner

she holds the fiddle like she is afraid to drop it

and that is how i hold her

do you remember when we sat at the tim horton’s 

across 21 from from the high school 

well the high school is now a middle school 

and canada’s java makes me shit my pants 

every time i come back i…