1. BEFORE THE STORM

Life was so good,
Fear was gone,
Nights were all calm,
Days were so long.
Care-free & bliss,
Live, work & play,
Enjoy the sun,
No price to pay.

[Chorus]
Then a storm arose.
From within it came.
Caused by doubt & fear.
None would be the same.

I want to stay,
Where life was good,
Won't leave this place,
This is my home.
How can I fight ?
How can I win ?
Never needed before,
Mighty strength within.


2. WINDS OF CHANGE

Living life,
Day & night,
Moving forward,
To my plight.
Unprepared,
Weak & scared,
For my fate,
For the fight.

[Chorus]
Winds of change,
Blow round my door,
Calling my name,
Soon they will roar.

Lost calm,
Losing sleep,
Mental change,
Pain to reap.
Thoughtful crime,
Self to beat,
No more time,
My fate complete.


3. WHEN THE WATERS RISE

Calm days of peace,
Now are gone from me,
Good times no more,
Warm feelings all flee.

[Chorus]
Within my mind,
A grim battle begins,
Exiled from my life,
The waters start to rise.

When I was young,
I knew the way,
Remained stable & calm,
Now I know not how !

I wrestle in vain,
To remove this pain,
There must be a way,
How can I change ?


4. AMIDST THE TEMPEST

Raging seas, roaring winds,
Taking me within their grip.
Tossed and blown, shaken within,
Crashing waves, rising again,
Mental descent, fallen demise.
Lost in chaos, lost in time.
Mind so filled, thoughts so black,
Guts so rancid, racked with pain.
Day and night, awake & in dreams,
Constant state, will not cease.
Inner mind, watching me,
Deeper still, never released !

[Chorus]
Amidst the tempest,
I dwell in torment,
Amidst the tempest,
No way but down.

Minute progress, never far,
Held in place, no more joy.
Trained my mind to keep me here,
“I want pain, I want fear.”
Faithful servant, faithful friend,
Abused its power, now no end.
Muscles tense, body sore,
Need to change, please no more !
Seeking answers to my state,
A new way out of my cage.
Mental habits, slow to change,
Made to act, it must obey !

I call out, to You my Lord !
Save me from this wretched state.
Lead me forth, light my way,
Let me see your Hand guiding me.
Show me how to leave this place,
Lift me up, upon a rock,
Where I can see the way.
Don't leave me here alone,
Be near to me, in You I hope.
Don't let despair take me away,
Show me the light, show me the way.


5. WITHIN THE THROES

Round and round,
Another solution fails.
Flailing in these throes,
Confused & deranged.
Where do I go ?
Searching in vain ?
Must be an answer,
To never ending pain.

[Chorus]
Within the Throes,
Of my cursed mind,
Wretched, rancid, state.
Burning, torment,
Ever higher,
Let me be away.

Do I start again ?
Is despair my lot?
To languish in this state,
To try or pass away.
Sometimes it would seem,
Better to leave this world,
Released from this pain,
Finally to find peace.

I re-tread my steps,
Hoping this time to find,
The strength to succeed,
To rule my own mind.
Until that time,
I'm a prisoner within,
Held against my will,
By my own strength.

If there is a way,
Oh Lord help me to find,
A way out of this hell,
Peace for my mind.
I know I put myself here,
I know I trained my mind,
But now I want to change,
Bring me peace within !


6. DISTANT SHORES

(Passage from the Book of Common Prayer)


7. PERILS OF THE DEEP

Down, down they go,
To the depths below.
Where no-one's been,
What no-one's seen.
They go who suffer,
Pain within,
Anguish, despair,
They go there.

Only see the outer,
And think alright,
No thought for inside,
The torment, the strife.
Their Judgement final,
Let this one go,
They don't care,
They don't know.

Despairing and raging,
Time stands ill,
In this place,
Beneath the pills.
The dead wait here,
The deep their home,
Hoping for sunlight,
End of the dark.

When I'll arise,
There'll be blue skies,
I'll know no more,
The pain I deplore.
The dreams of new life,
I saw in the deep,
They all will be mine,
My victory complete.


8. DIVINE ANCHOR

I love you, Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
And I have been saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
The snares of death confronted me.

In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
My cry came before him, into his ears.


9. HIDDEN BENEATH

On this journey,
I have known,
Another presence,
Not been alone.
A guiding Hand,
Planning my way,
A perfect Counsellor,
Every day.

Beneath Your wings,
I find my refuge,
From these storms,
That batter me.
In my distress,
I cry out to You,
You show me the way,
To know what to do.

In the darkness,
I call to You,
To help me find,
The way through.
When I lay,
In torment & pain,
You led me forth,
To end this reign.