Hard Times And Rotten Apples

[The Wizard Joseph]

Finally comes the turning point
A twisting time within us
Cold and hard and bitter
But hot while everything runs
Into the fallout

As the good old golden
Falls to the ironic iron
And eyes once met kindly
Find nothing but dim darkness
And a smirk

Could you believe the timing
And unwinding of our era
Was about a bitter little
Requital for jot and tittle
Long since forgot

What is history but mystery
Written in the bloody earth
And copied in dark ink
While scholars sit and link
Aftermath to aftermath

No surprise if gods betray
For as they always say
That's just how it is
Grow up or get buried
You're naive kid

Easy street always comes to an end
So let us not then foolishly pretend
That this was anything but an inevitability
Shall we


Take heart while bleeding out
Clear your mind of doubt
About what you could do
Would maybe have liked to
See done differently

That's all been handled now
We have left us only
This moment as these terribly
Hard times twist and shout
Silently inside us

So it was rotten apples
And cups of bitter tea
A final lunch with reality
And then one last screw
All over you

What of it wise spag
Did you think it true
This cup would pass you
Or the promised hard times
Miss their mark

Must be a nice dream
That bright lively pastel scene
Behind your eyes made real
Just before you weakly kneel
Atlas finally tiring

And you can never have it back
All that time you spent on slack
Let's not pretend we believe in guarantees
Shall we


Don't cry so very loudly
Others have their turns coming
Wouldn't want to spoil that
Moment when their rotten apples
Come around again

Just bitterly sob to God
Or "Bob" or Whoever Really
There's dignity in a plea
But don't expect a mercy
Just more silence

That's all they'll give you
All they have to give
All they ever were really
But the hard turn inside
That is reality

So too are those shitty
Rotten apples and bitter tea
Positively churning in your guts
And coming up rather suddenly
With bloody bile

And all the while you
Seem to have expected differently
Nobody ever gets it really
Not when She inevitably gives
You hard times

But could you would you take two
With all these hard times pushing through
Let's admit the warnings were written explicitly
Shall we



Now be a good spag
Hit you the cold floor
She'll show Herself the door
And leave you to your
Final thoughts alone

The pool of rotten apples
Bloody bile and bitter tea
Certainly will hold you close
And listen to you moan
And shudder alone

But you few chosen spags
So delicately betrayed to agony
Will find yourself not slayed
By hard times She gave
So very suddenly

You will rise from prone
To take a scabby knee
Hands in foul pool push
And rended flesh rise slowly
Heartless and cold

There will be no victory
Death grips you only loosely
And darkness finds no purchase
Upon those enduring hard times
And rotten apples

And though first steps be quite cold
Though bloody bile stains upon you hold
Let's not forget we chose this reality
Shall we