I am not a machine.

As a writing tutor, an English Education major, and a person with ears, I often here the sentiment "I just can't find the words," or "That is exactly what I was going to say." Yeah, I feel that way too. Every day.

For the past week or so, I have rediscovered my "second" voice in Patrick Flynn of Have Heart. Their two albums, "The Things We Carry" and "Songs to Scream at the Sun," are powerful collections of songs that scream, shout, and growl the feelings that my heart exudes, but my mouth cannot seem to speak on its own.

Like when I want to simply tell my dad, a simple man, how wonderful he is:
"There just aren't enough men like you." - Bostons

Or, when my frustrations towards addiction overwhelms me:
"Thats just an anchor that'll drown you man
we know, we know you got the strength inside
to defeat the problems of our lives
without, the "crutch" ...cause we all know
life is hard enough as it is." - Life is Hard Enough

Sometimes, I get in this me vs. the world mindset:
"Please take me out
of a world without any heart
take me out
when they see my hope and rip it apart
take me out
of a world we built to serve our selfish-fucking-selves,
can you tell me
where does love fit in?"- Watch Me Sink

When relationships just fall apart:
"But the loneliness
of our togetherness
creates an empty nest
for the emptiness
freezing in this chest" - The Taste of the Floor

When I feel the "Man" getting me down:
"I see the free which you enslave,
the walking you keep chained
I see the growth which keep caged
and I've seen the minds that go unraged

I see the body robbed of soul
to be the fuel for your control
I see the standing knocked to their knees,
and I've seen the human beings you treat
like machines" - The Machinist

When I see myself and others grow pitiful:
"As alone and forsaken as you'd like to be
there are shoreless miseries of oceans, not seas
while you wallow and wait in your tower of ivory

Your sisters are starving, your brothers are begging
your mothers are mourning, your fathers are folding" - The Same Sun

And even when I just need a word or two of advice:
Have Heart