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Touchstones

01. Feeding Utopia

Music by Menses, Steffen
Lyrics by Bertok

we arrived at present nowhere
and combined our reason
feeding futures – feeding future hopes
we aspired and admired and we called them great advances of ours
our advancing world

we condemn the mystery and refrain to feel
we embrace the progress breaking any seal
we create euphoria feeding our lies
unraveling all the sideways to the source

feeding our utopia
creating deadly ties to bring us down
and closing all the doors, we are
we´ll be the last ones to have walked this gracious round
breathing keeps us wondering
but we are scattered on our social grounds
all the forces draw me in
inside I hear an insensating, liberating sound

in a desert world abandoned
through a hostile core infected
our drive perfected
try to fill the void inside us
try to compensate the lack of concept
lack of knowledge

feeding our utopia
creating deadly ties to bring us down
and closing all the doors, we are
we´ll be the last ones to have walked this gracious round
breathing keeps us wondering
but we are scattered on our social grounds
all the forces draw me in
inside I hear an insensating, liberating sound

feed utopia….

02. My Sanctuary

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

you were my bed floating on the sea
under the sun and the driftwood clouds
so far away
you were my rest, were my highs and lows
back in the days of the windfall light
where are you now
those were the days of longing, grand summers of my life
undying and fabulous
you were my light on a sacred ground
nourishing me and consuming me

my totem pole, a verse engraved
in timeless stone and listless grey
my joyless blood, my bloodless joy
my life

forgotten voices from so far away forever carrying me
through all these years have they slept in the shade
of my sanctuary

just like a face looking from a crowd, from long ago or yesterday
where are you now
just like a ghost still haunting, commemorating me to

return one day, relive one day, awake one day
my energy, my origin, my poetry

forgotten voices from so far away forever carrying me
through all these years have they slept in a room of my memory
forgotten pictures from days long ago in a book made of stone
through all these years have they slept in my heart
in my sanctuary

so many times I was frozen inside
from the cold that beats in the heart of everyone
but there are moments of grace I find my peace
in the words buried in the heart made of stone

03. Echoes In Eternity

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Bertok

in the waking of the world
the spirit rose to claim itself
they were thrown into this life and falling down…
and falling down, they came to know
driven out of garden´s grace
condemned to walk forsaken lands
caught a glimpse of all there is
aware of all their rightful doing

we are the echoes, sounding on
we are the chosen ones
forging our courses once
we´re raging with fortune´s ways of fate
footprints of mortal lanes
nothing but dust remains
but inside our shadows flashes burn
blessing emergence, eternal recurrence of life

build an empire for the throne
and kings they crown to rule themselves
shallow resonate their words, their cries and prayers
“we are the ones to be once, and we live on”
then the turn of drifting sand
unbalancing the hourglass
awoke the sound of cosmic waves returning…
just listen:

we are the echoes, sounding on
we are the chosen ones
forging our courses once
we´re raging with fortune´s ways of fate
footprints of mortal lanes
nothing but dust remains
but inside our shadows flashes burn
blessing emergence, eternal recurrence of life

04. The Size Of Light On Earth

Music by Bertok, Menses
Lyrics by Bertok

lay down your silence, of all defenses let go
slow down your swift presence, recall what beauty can show
our world´s reflection creates affection inside
touched by the frail view around, moved by its vast deepening sound

glancing at beauty’s brightness, dancing until you´re whole
breaking light waves on the surface, reaching your deeper soul
in reflected beauty see the size of light on earth, tonight
dancing to beauty’s brightness, glancing at what is whole, your soul

the entity earns us knowing
the emptiness teaches pain
a perfect shape you´ll discover
the dignity of our stain

until our being subsides the sweet passing of strain

glancing at beauty’s brightness, dancing until you´re whole
breaking light waves on the surface, reaching your deeper soul
win the fading beauty, see the size of light on earth, tonight
dancing to beauty’s brightness, glancing at what is whole, your soul

merging inside, waking our sight
we coincide, with our insight
look beyond the mind, sizing it all right, still coincide

waking from gentle tears until we will see much clearer
then we drain the fears and join the show
immaculate flow, just carry on…

glancing at beauty’s brightness, dancing until you´re whole
breaking light waves on the surface. reaching your deeper soul
help embrace the beauty, set the size of light on earth, tonight
dancing to beauty’s brightness, glancing at what is whole, your soul

05. As Dreams Are Made On

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

we are like wishful stars bathing in sunlight
dwelling in palaces, floating on thin air
inspired by faith and will we weave the fabric
our small lives and our big plans are made of
a baseless vision of revels unending
is driving us down the unlighted pathway

don’t let it end here, don’t let it all slip away
we are floating in the air
don’t leave us right now, we are such stuff,
the fragile stuff that dreams are made on

and I remember now we were immortal
lovers and heroes if only for a while
grew up with confidence that there’s a big plan
behind the universe and the wheel of chance
the gilded monuments, the cloud-capped towers
all we hold dear will dissolve and disappear

don’t let it end here, don’t let it all slip away
we are floating in the air
don’t leave us right now, we are such stuff,
the fragile stuff that dreams are made on

06. Wingless

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

one day the stars came falling down
out of a sky of blue light
that day you lost the will to fly
no light anymore
tell me where this wild road leads you to
oh, in which hand do you hold,
hold the key to open up the door?

for all the lives you’ve left behind
for all the things you have not seen
for all the days you have not lived
I grieve for you
for all the beauty that has died
for all the suns you have not seen
and all the warmth you have not felt…
you’re wingless

now this Junoon has taken hold
of every breath you faintly breathe
this flame consumes the worlds around you
wake for one day, walk with me
towards the knowing river
let the waters wash,
wash away this slow disease inside of you…

for all the lives you’ve left behind
for all the things you have not seen
for all the days you have not lived
I grieve for you
for all the beauty that has died
for all the suns you have not seen
and all the warmth you have not felt
you’re wingless

for all the things you have not
for all the suns you have not…
for all the warmth you have not felt…

07. Finisterre

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

what if it was a delusive dream
dreamed by two lucid dreamers afraid of waking up
what if I lay here alone, would you heal me, would you lie here too?

where do we go now,
what do we see from here?
these endless winters in a room of make-believe

what else can we say now
when all is said and done?
naked and stripped of all we were

waves crash in
watch us come undone
stars falling down at the turning of the tide
drown, break all the promises
touch, hold me now at the end of the world

and every time I close the wooden door
the room is filled with empty words
I’m choking on
the years pass us by
estranged and stunned we stand
as whirlwinds carry love away

waves – erase us – crash – divide us – in – degrade us
watch us come undone
stars falling – down – from heaven
worlds apart at the turning of the tide
i’m breaking – drown – you’re aching
i would promise, would you promise too?
touch me now, hold you now
back to back at the end of the world

08. The Essence Called Mind

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Bertok

walking the wire, pacing the storm
i´ve come so close to where i belong
building the pillars, enclosing a realm to myself

fuel to the fire, setting my dawn
flashes and concepts are growing too strong
bursting and bouncing, i rest – an inner reliance

sounds inside my head, a brick to the wall
spinning through my head, a wider horizon waits
hanging by a thread, a string to a web framing, forming on and on

one spark creating entire worlds
eons are waiting in the silence
a new dimension , self-architect
beyond invention, my own presence, my own essence – mind

neurons and networks, possible paths
crystalline pieces like shattering glass
built on the verge of desire, the will turns to being

sounds inside my head, a brick to the wall
spinning through my head, a wider horizon waits
hanging by a thread, a string to a web
framing, forming one by one

a dream that is growing, a view yet unseen
in between a picture, the hook for a scene
the gathering of all, a rise from a fall
the empathy of sadness, the shelter of all we call home

one spark creating entire worlds
eons are waiting in the silence
a new dimension, self-architect, beyond invention
my own presence, my own substance
my own essence – mind

09. The Lifespan Of A Glimpse

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

we are, we pray, we stand naked in the morning rain
we breath, we hope that there’s more to life than this, my friend
the shadow of a phoenix across the green water’s surface glides
moved by the beating of hearts
the gentle hands of the wind
we drown our pasts in half-light as we up open ourselves
what was it that drew you near to me
aching for the emptiness of a last embrace

time never saves what time once stole
and all our moments must die in a glimpse
no sign or stains, we disappear
and all the memories will fade with us
where I’m going I’m going alone the unicorns have all gone

we are, we see our initials carved in emerald
we breath, we hope that the stranded starfish finally finds his way

time never saves what time once stole
and all the moments will die in a glimpse
no sign or stains, all disappears
and all the pictures will fade away
where you’re going you’re going alone
not one single spark remains

it’s so easy to believe that you can go back anytime
it’s so easy to think it will all come back
you can touch it, you can sense it, you can’t hold it your hands
it’s so easy to think that you will return
i’m looking at you, you’re looking at me as the magic clears away
it’s like walking with your eyes closed, dreaming of what could have been

ashes of a king upon the wind, the mourning of a dragon echoing
a prayer held for wars of long ago
to leave the past behind, to let it go
an oath of deathless love engraved in rain – the trembling of a glimpse – the perfect luck
but nothing of this will outlive the day
cause time led you astray…

10. Embers Part 1: Your Secret Is Safe With Me

Music by Steffen, Menses, Bertok
Lyrics by Steffen

in a house
in a room
behind a door
so long ago
nothing grows here anymore
… but walls have memory

long ago, yesterday
fear entered the room
there are cuts that no one sees
that are hidden well (buried deep)
so deep in a stained heart (broken heart)
there is no going back
(to the one I used to be)

there’s no peace tonight (there’s no peace at all)
there is no charm to make it right (love to make it right)
and what was murdered must live on (oh it must live on)
and my own secret’s safe with me, safe with me…

long ago, every day
someone’s longing for
someone to heal all the wounds
all the endless pain
someone to bring back (bring her back)
to embrace the child (child I used to be)

say a silent prayer (silent prayer)
a lullaby that no one hears (that no one hears)
a song of mourning for the lost (mourning for the lost)
and my own secret, safe with me

there’s no peace tonight (there’s no peace at all)
there is no charm to make it right (love to make it right)
and what was murdered must live on (oh it must live on)
and my own secret’s safe with me, safe with me…

11. Touchstones

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

“The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.”
(Albert Camus, 1913-1960)

another mile on this old road another hour, another breath
the thousand deaths we die in life, rolling the boulder up the hill
the shifting sands of destiny, covering what we’d hoped to be

out there must be something, out there must be someone
we’ll attain the summit of our longing someday
something must be out there, someone must be out there
but we don’t believe in fairytales anymore

we find ourselves inside a room, at either end an unseen door
between both doors a surging space
inside this space we shiver with the void

out there must be something, out there must be someone
we will reach the summit with our boulder someday
something must be out there, someone must be out there
but we don’t believe in ourselves anymore

we found nothing out there, no we found nothing out there
and we watched our boulder rolling back down again
we left nothing out there, we left nothing out there
just a yellowed blueprint of what we longed to be
out there must be something, out there must be someone
we’ll attain the summit of our longing someday
something must be out there, someone must be out there
but we don’t believe in ourselves anymore

old heart of mine, cold heart of mine
how long has it been since we have seen the sun?
we climbed a hill with toilsome steps, on our weary shoulders a weight
as the world got colder we found ourselves paralyzed and freezing from our fears
in every waking hour we hoped to find, in any kind of golden light
a sense of change
and so many words, so many faces, swept away in hurricanes from our sight
our hands are writing unknowable signs into immortal sands it’s only us, only us
one must imagine, imagine this man, one must imagine this man
happy…

12. Con Todas Las Palabras

Music by Steffen, Menses
Lyrics by Steffen

we are all voyagers away from home
searching for something lost
waiting for something to be born
we are the dreamers of a futile dream
aiming at measuring
the boundless size of light on earth

every lonely day we still cling to something to last
something we can’t see
and with all our idle words we try building empires
and behind the door we still cling to something to last
that no one can feel
and with all the words we have we keep holding on

there’s something sad in my heart
hoping for an errant wave to carry my words away
on the current of time watch them swimming homeward
ride the lonely sea spray
the words come back to me and speak to me
as fragile as a whisper on the wind

every lonely day we still cling to something to last
something we can’t see
and with all our idle words we will build an empire
and behind the door we still cling to something to last
that no one can feel
and with all the words we have we keep holding on
every lonely day we still cling to something to last
something we can’t see
and with all our idle words we will build an empire
and behind the door we still cling to something to last
that no one can feel
and with all the words we have
we will build a new dream…