You can't hold on to summer

the last day of summer

is the saddest day of the year

time rises and flies

and learns to hide

only to disappear

you think it'll stay forever

but you're just telling lies

you can't hold on to summer

no matter how you try

The last day of summer

Hey, man, I'm just checkin' in, touching base, all those fuckin' cliches. I'm trying to be calm because tomorrow is my first day back at work, and I can't be thinking much.

Everything will be fine, farmboy.

Oh, I know.

Anyway, if it's okay with you, I'm just gonna take it easy and be online for a while and mindlessly entertain myself.

That's fine. It's good, in fact.

Before you go, I have to ask: Any new creative work?

A title. "The Last Day of Summer." (laughs) I think it's got potential.

Too beautiful to live

Oh, man. Right now I'm having anxiety, you know, I'm just in fuckin' panic...

Breathe, farmboy. Take a deep breath and hold it for a little while, then exhale slowly.

(farmboy breathes, holds, and exhales twice, then decides to do it again, five times.)

How was that?

It was good. Thanks.

What brought this on, farmboy?

Oh, you know, school's starting the day after tomorrow, and there's gonna be big changes. And the thing is, I know everything's gonna be fine. I know this. But I'm still having this fuckin' anxiety. And then I really have to watch it, because I'm in such a negative space and I can do terrible things, mentally speaking, to myself.

Such as?

I'll start thinking about things that are destructive to think about. You know, like death and meaninglessness,,,wait, that can't be a word...Anyway, it, like, totally sucks. And, more than that, it's worthless.

Can I make a suggestion?

Yeah, please.

Maybe try this: Acknowledge that the anxiety's there, take medication if you feel you need to, and then move on to relaxing things, entertaining things.

Like listening to something interesting and entertaining, maybe that TBTL with Luke Burbank show.

TBTL?

Too beautiful to live. It's this great show with Luke, the host. And sometimes there's Jen and Sean. The podcast is done at his house. It used to be on the radio. but the station it was on fucked up and fired Luke and his producer Jen (They kept engineer Sean). So now it's a podcast and it's getting a better audience and it's a much better show, because they're free from the constraints of commercial radio.

Sounds good. Sounds like you're into it.

I guess I'll listen to it.

Good times!

Thanks, pal.

Writing these here songs

Man, it's like fuckin' pulling teeth, this songwriting stuff. Sometimes it's just so fuckin' hard. It's such a fuckin' drag, you know? I mean, writing these here songs...

Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah.

What the fuck's up with you, Mr. Interviewer guy?

Look, farmboy, let's just get down to what will happen, which is that you're going to do some timed writing. Okay, let's start...3...2...

Wait!

What?

Um...sorry, go ahead.

All right now. Begin.

All the worrying that I do

Thinking nightmares are the only dreams

That ever come true

Looking back on my history

You have always taken care of me

These are my lonesome eyes

Hunting for some kind of truth

Hoping to realize

Wanting some kind of proof

I look into this human heart

and always find you there

This is my

Imperfect prayer

This is my

Imperfect prayer

Amen

Wow. That was pretty fast. I really like it, farmboy.

Thanks. But this is just the raw material, you know? Now I need to look at this and the other stuff I've written for this song this week and see what I think about it. 'Cause right now I'm just following my instincts and not to think about it too much. And we'll see...If I decide to pursue writing this song. then the work had just begun.

You know, I'm proud of you, farmboy.

Why?

What do you think?

Because I stopped complaining and wrote something?

You go back to writing, always, at one point or another. This time you did it sooner than later, though.

Yeah. Thanks.

Are you proud of yourself?

If not, I should be, huh?

Imperfect prayer, take two

Now what do we talk about?

Anything you want, farmboy.

Um...

Do you want to do the writing practice again?

You don't mind?

Of course not. Here we go. (looks at watch) Okay, start.

This is my foggy mind

Awake from dreams and sleep

These are my simple words

I ask the Lord my soul to keep

These are my plans I've made

Fallen to disrepair

This is my

Imperfect prayer

I continued from yesterday. Imperfect Prayer, take two. Hope you don't mind.

I think that's a good thing to do. Do you think this one's a keeper?

I have no fuckin' idea. Of course I hope that it is, but right now I think the important thing is just that I write, to get in that habit. And also to see if I can get some stuff that interests me enough to work on it.

So far I think you're doing well.

I'm writing. That's all that matters.

Raw material

Okay, go ahead. Start me off.

Not so fast. Start you off with what?

Like we did yesterday, you know, with the writing.,,

You liked that, did you?

I did. And I know I can do this on my own, but it's more fun this way.

All right, then. Ready?

Ready.

3...2...1...Start!

This is the cracking in my voice

These are the wrinkles on my skin

This is the sound of one heart breaking

Like a thrown out piece of porcelain

These are the tears of one soul trying

This is the mouth that too often swears

This is my

Imperfect prayer

Very nice, farmboy, Really nice, in fact. That's very good.

Thanks. I really think this is good for me...and maybe I should do this on my own, too. It's sure interesting. I think part of the purpose I'm looking at is to see what raw material I can get to work with. The main other thing is the craft thing, the practice thing, y'know? Malcolm Gladwell wrote that book Outliers about that kind of thing, spending hours and hours and hours. I heard this great interview with him on that podcast Radiolab and he talked about the ingredient of love of what you're doing. (laughs) I'm not explaining this fuckin' thing very well, am I?

You're doing fine, farmboy.

Thanks.

Anyway, thanks for doing this with me. It's good not to be lonely all the time. I 'preciate it, man.

Any time. I like this.

Me too.

You just keep writing, you know?

Oh, man, I need to write a fuckin' song.

Okay. Go ahead. One verse. (checks watch) Start now!

I want you to be my bad influence

I need you to show me

The wrong side of the tracks

I want you to be my bad influence

I want to run away with you

And never look back

Wow! That was fast...

Yeah, You just keep writing, you know?

You make it sound so easy -- and so hard.

That might be what it is, But what I'm doing right there -- well, I'm not going to make and excuses or judgements. That really is a good thing to do -- writing on the spot like that.

But thanks! Maybe I'll write some more of that tomorrow, We'll see.

That might be a good idea, farmboy.

Like I say: We'll see.