the truth of liberation

we know of nothing that comes after dark
the sleep that lasts forever is the prize
no other world will come beneath our eyes
there's no eternal dancing in the park
breaking the silence distant dogs will bark
their presence with us here justly denies
that our existence is a pack of lies
they serve indeed to keep us to the mark
in the short hours of sunlight let us choose
the harder path the one that has its cost
that causes us to go against the grain
the other way is just to play and lose
and then to claim that we have never lost
deny the pleasure and refuse the pain
the world we've got is simple clear and plain
we can't just opt out we can't just refuse
to leave the creeks and rivers all uncrossed
we can't just wait on the promise of rain
beneath the skin we still can see the bruise
though in the summer there's no fear of frost
we wonder at the play of time and chance
but know that we have no choice but to dance