To Give Up

To give up and sleep is the question
there's just too much
There's no end in sight
Go to bed, I think I might.

'Cause this pile is just way to high
And I can't see over the top
So I'll just let it be
Go to bed, and get some sleep.

I set my hopes up quite high
Planned to conquer this task
But time ran away
I'll go to bed, cause today wont stay.

And hopefully when I start up again
The pile will have shrunk
Or at least I'll have big glasses
So I'll wake up and see over the masses.

But right now I've given up
I'll retreat into sleep
Oh the end is in sight
Go to bed, get some sleep tonight.

-Ben Ankenmann
Date: December 14,2008
Location: Hamilton

Love Is White

Love is a smile, always
Its lips are red and point to the sky
Its heart is huge and always beating
It lives for life, it looks for healing
It's rather outgoing and rarely shy
It looks for tears and says please don't cry
But if required will weep not asking why
It talks on phones for hours and hours
And buys expensive useless things like flowers
And gives them to pretty girls with kisses
It writes long letters to all it misses
It goes on lovely walks to nowhere
And it goes with no one but the open air
It sings and it dances around in circles
Looks at the sky and at the clouds it stares
In wonder at life and awe in prayer
It looks to heaven its creator there
And fills my lungs with such fresh air
It gives the urge to keep on going
And presses onward ever knowing
That what comes next will help with growing
And now I know that what God is showing
That love is white and it's ever snowing
A gift from heaven it wont stop flowing
It just keeps snowing, and snowing, and snowing
And I smile, always

-Ben Ankenmann
Date: December 11, 2008
Location: Hamilton

Oh Beautiful Day

The light was shining
It was a beautiful day
The cardinal's singing
Would the silence invade
How incredible it was

It was a magnificent day
The clouds were floating
the crisp air would stay
Sunlight still dancing
In memories tonight

The snow that had melted
Lay shimmering all 'round
The paths asphalted
So bright on the ground
Oh, beautiful light

The outside was gorgeous
And the occasion was right
The sky was cyaneous
I could talk til moonlight
To that missed voice

The voice of one I love
Spoke to me in that air
The sun shone up above
And I just sat there
And I smiled

Off to bed I'll now disappear
And there to talk some more
The words I say you will not hear
Though they will endure
Goodnight tonight

Oh it's a beautiful night
the stars are ever shining
And everything is right
And life is most divine
As I turn out the light.

-Ben Ankenmann
Date: December 10, 2008
Location: Hamilton

Flyleaf

A blank page is all I have
Just one small page to plead my case
But nothing I say will ever change
The whole book that follows

I start lightly with my pencil
Ever so lightly still able to erase
I whisper I cannot make a defense
For the hundred pages below

The words are slurred together
My hand is shaking as tears fall
The blank page is definitely shrinking
There's too much to say

I continue to plead with anything
Explaining, excusing, ignoring the book
Cause there's no way it will be changed
And it's growing always

And I tremble as I place the final dot
Reading it over I know I have not at chance
One page could never explain away
The thousands of pages below

I shake as I walk to the doors
Drop to my knees and hand over the book
He opens it to the very first page
In red writes two words

The rest of the book he does not even touch
I stand in confusion unsure of what's next
And he stands with his arms outstretched
Hugs me and lets me in

As I open my book to present to the king
I gasp in wonder at the lack of writing
Not one word is left the pencil is gone
Just two words in red

I quickly flip through every page of the book
Not one has a story every one blank
Each clean as new perfectly unused
Except for the first

The king smiles as he reads the words
All my crimes all deserved death
But they've all been forgotten
BY GRACE

-Ben Ankenmann
Date: December 9, 2008
Location: Hamilton

Speak To Me

Speak to me in this lovely silence
Speak to me in the dark
Please speak to me your love for me
I need to hear your voice
It's you and only you I need
In your words I'll rejoice

Speak, please speak
I need to hear

And I will do all for you
Ill do everything for you
Open my ears to hear your command
And speak your words to me
I sit here waiting only to stand
To live tonight to see.

Listen, please listen
I need to hear

I want to touch your face
I want to drown in grace
Please lift me up, speak love to me
I need to learn to dance
I want to dance for all eternity
In your holy presence.

Watch, please watch
For eternity

I swear that I love you
I swear I really do
Just point to where you'd have me go
And what you'd have me do
I'll live my life only to show
All praise must go to you.

Listen to me
I'll sing forever
to you
Speak to me
I'll listen forever
to you
Watch me
I'll dance for you
Forever
And smile for me
I'd love to see a smile
From you.

-Ben Ankenmann
Date: December 9, 2008
Location: Hamilton