History of the birds:
Love, Not Hate: The Reconciliation
Love, Not Hate: Tragedy At Mandalay Bay
Love, Not Hate: Continue To Love
All the little birds wanted to trick or treat
But tonight, their nests they would not leave
It was Halloween night all through the land
But you see, trick or treating had been banned
The parents said the world had grown too dark
And they placed walls around their cold hearts
The land had been taken over by evil and hate
The parents told the little ones they would have to wait
You never know if that bird behind that hockey mask
Is looking for candy or up to some sinister act
Or that bird dressed in that scary disguise
Is carrying a gun or even a knife
The little ones had tears in their eyes
Please let us trick or treat tonight
The little ones begged and said you can protect us
And talk to the neighbors you haven’t spoken to since Christmas
You stay inside and don’t do what the Eagle has said
It was out of love his blood was shed
The eagle said do not live in fear
But it’s what you do keeping us locked in here
How can we spread love and dispel hate
If you keep us locked here in this cage
Then the parents were quite surprised
Those words hit home they realized
And they soon came to understand
They have let fear and hate rule their land
In fear they had locked themselves in their nests
Letting hate take over while love took a rest
They didn’t even talk to their neighbors or their friends
They didn’t spread love to strangers and love they did not defend
The light they carry they had let grow dark
But their children’s words had ignited a spark
They realized they had made their homes a coffin
Because of their children, the parents’ hearts softened
Then they said we will go out on this Halloween night
Instead of letting hate rule we will let our love be the light
Tonight we must start to let love grow and hate decline
Yes, tonight in the darkness our light will shine
Hey Papa by Natasha Bedingfield-
Fire Away by Disciple-
Dreaming by P.O.D. –
In Our Blood by Tyrone Wells-
Community by Kira Willey –
“Step right up, come on in, only a dollar” shouted the carny. He looked right at me and my friends. “Come on in boys, this will change your life” and he winked at me. I don’t know why but my gut was telling me something was wrong. My friends wanted to go in and since I didn’t want to be left out, I went in with them.
It wasn’t much at first. A conveyor belt going the opposite direction. Oooh scary right? We made a tight turn to the right and the floor started shaking. Everyone started to laugh but the feeling inside me was getting worse. It was then the lights went out. We started reaching out, touching each other to make sure we were all still there. We slowly inched forward and hit a wall, promptly piling into each other. Then the lights came on and that was when the fun began.
We were looking at ourselves, all four versions of each of us. We looked at each other like what the crap, a couple of my friends used some other choice words. In one mirror there was me, looking as normal as I am now, if you can call that normal. In the second mirror I was a hideous monster. What the heck? The third mirror I was a baseball player, uniform, glove and all. How could this be? I only was wearing the clothes I came in with. The fourth mirror showed me as an old, decrepit old man, all by myself. It was then we realized there was no exit. We did the only thing we could and started to push on the mirrors. The only one that moved was the second one. We all looked at each other and kind of shrugged and took a step through. But we weren’t all together on the other side.
There I was, the hideous monster. I pulled on my skin and clothes to get them to come off but they were me and I was them. It was then I noticed a small light in the distance. I walked toward it and saw it was a cell phone. It had a note on it. PRESS PLAY. What I saw disgusted me and I wish I didn’t have to tell you about it, but I do. It was 15 second clips of my life. There was me eight years old pushing the other kids down on the playground. There was me twelve years old stealing a cassette from the local music store. There was me sixteen years old with my girlfriend. We were in the backseat and she said she wasn’t ready but I said we had already gone too far so let’s keep going. There was me at nineteen at a college party when a bunch of guys took a passed out girl upstairs and I didn’t stop them. There was me at twenty two when I didn’t take the keys from my friend and he drove home drunk, but he didn’t make it. There was me at home instead of visiting my dad before he passed away. There was me watching a movie instead of calling a friend who was home alone, waiting for me to call. There was me ignoring my wife because of past mistakes. Was I really this monster? Is this how others see me?
Then we were all back in the same room of mirrors. We all looked at each other like what was that? No one was laughing now. We pushed on the mirrors again but only the third one opened this time.
There I was, at Wrigley Field, pitching for the Cubs. The crowd was chanting my name. Oh yeah, this is what I was made for. They all love me. I was on the mound, World Series, game seven, bottom of the ninth, two outs, two on, two strikes. One more strike and I bring a championship to Chicago. The wind up, the pitch…and I heard it. My shoulder popped. Then I heard the crack of the bat as it connected to the ball. Then I heard the silence. Just like that it was all over. The game, my career, my life. I was so angry. I was mad at God. How could He bring me to this moment and then let it all go? One pitch. It was all over. What kind of God would do that to me? I shut everyone out. I drank myself to sleep every night. I didn’t know the women’s names I would wake up to. I didn’t care. I went from 60,000 people screaming my name to the deafening silence of my own thoughts.
There we were again. All six of us in the same room of mirrors. Mark said that wasn’t so bad. “Let’s get this over with,” said Scott. We looked at each other and hesitantly stepped into the fourth mirror.
There I was. A decrepit old man. No one there but me. A lifetime of choices led me to here. A lifetime of bad choices. How did I get here? I was a good guy once. I believed in God, once upon a time. I looked in the mirror and the mirror looked back. Was this really me? Then I was gone. There in my casket, all by myself. Honestly, all by myself. No one came to say goodbye. Not one single person! Was I that unloveable and selfish? Was I really that bad of a person? I guess the truth hurts because I must’ve been for not one single person to show up.
We were all back in the room of mirrors. A couple of my friends said how cool their mirrors were. They hope their lives turn out like that. I didn’t have anything to say. This time the first mirror, the normal mirror, opened and we walked through. A couple turns and a few distorted mirrors later we were at the exit.
“Hey boys, how’d you like it? Did you like what you saw?” said the carny. “The mirrors don’t lie boys. If you didn’t like what you saw, you still have time to do something about it.” That was when he looked at me again and winked and gave me something. I was too terrified to look at it so I stuck it in my pocket and left. He turned around and started shouting , “step right up boys and girls, come on in, only a dollar and it will change your life.”
I forgot about what he gave me until I got home and undressed. It fell out of my pocket. A small bible with a note inside. Read this if you want to change your life. Read this if you didn’t like what you saw in the mirrors. It is your choice.
Monster by Skillet –
All Of Me by Meatloaf –
Ain’t Much Left Of Me by Blackberry Smoke –
These Things I Hate (Revolves Around Me) by Bullet For My Valentine –
Hate Me by Blue October –
Faces by One Less Reason –
Objects In The Rearview Mirror by Meatloaf –
I’ll Find Me by Steve Azar –
Sing by Waiting Hill –
I Remember Me by Jennifer Hudson –
I Hope They Get To Me In Time by Darius Rucker –
Mirrors by Justin Timberlake –
Funhouse Mirror by Jill K –
I Choose You by Point of Grace –
At the corner of Unicorn Lane
Right before you get to Leprechaun Street
There lives a…. I don’t want to tell you it’s name
It’s not something most would want to meet
Some say it’s small, like an elf, fairy or pixie
Some say it’s big, like a Sasquatch, an ogre, or a Nephilim
I have seen it and to talk about it is quite risky
What I will say is that it doesn’t look like any of them
Some say it’s a hybrid, like a griffin, a Minotaur or a mermaid
Others say it’s a shapeshifter, a werewolf, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
I have seen it and trust me, don’t get in its way
The last person that did has disappeared, perhaps has died
I’ve heard some says it’s a Kirin or a dragon
I’ve heard some say it’s a Chupacabra or a vampire
I have seen it and it’s worse than you can imagine
I can understand that you might think I’m a liar
Let me continue please
I’m not an expert but it’s important what I have to say
Trust me, it’s for your safety
For it doesn’t matter if it’s night or day
Some say it is a hideous creature
Others say it looks just like you and me
Some say it has the scariest features
It’s always different for those unfortunate enough to see
So when you go down Leprechaun Street
And you get to the corner of Unicorn Lane
Please keep walking, I beg you to move your feet
Especially on a cold dark night when it starts to rain
Enough already! You exclaim. Just tell me does it really exist?
I hesitate, not sure if you can handle the truth
Please stop asking ! I can’t say! Oh, why do you insist?
Are you ready? Are you sure? It… it’s…. aahhhh it’s YOU!
Monster by Skillet –
The Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace –
Dark Side Of Me by Coheed and Cambria –
Darker Side Of Me by Veer Union –
Jekyll and Hyde by Jonathan Thulin –
Monster by Stitched Up Heart –
The Monster Is Loose by Meat Loaf –
Monster You Made by Pop Evil –
I have a story to tell you
It is hard to believe, but I swear it’s true
I hardly believe it myself
But it is a story I must tell
You see just last night I saw shadows in the dark
I swear it’s true, cross my heart
I know you are thinking, “How can there be shadows with no light?”
I say you are correct, but this world isn’t always black and white
So sit down and listen, let me tell you my story
It won’t take long, in case you are in a hurry
You see I was walking home, it was the darkest of nights
No where could be found a single light
(Except of course from the windows of a few brave souls up that late)
But their light didn’t cast a shadow for this was my fate
The wind ripped through the trees
I was scared, (but keep that between you and me)
I knew deep down in my bones
I just knew I wasn’t alone
I could feel the enemy all around
They made such a terrible sound
The gnashing and gnawing gave me a fright
I could hear them, but they were out of sight
I had chills up and down my spine
I felt as if I was running out of time
It was right then and there I said a little prayer
God, if you have just a little time to spare
Even though a lot of bad I have done
Do you think you could help me out some?
It was then I saw the first shadow
He took the lead so I decided to follow
Soon I saw ten or fifteen more
I felt a peace that wasn’t there before
They told me their names
No two were the same
There was Integrity, Honesty, Compassion and Loyalty
There was Kindness, Forgiveness, Responsibility and Humility
There was Hope, Love, Faith, Joy, Courage and Trust
They told me each one of them also lives in us
They told me we are so distracted by the darkness of this place
That we often do not see them, even when we are face to face
They walked me to where I needed to go
They left before I could thank them though
I am thanking them now by writing this to you
My friend when you are lost and don’t know what to do
When you are in despair
And think there’s no one who cares
Think of something good, something you can not see
No matter the darkness, there is a light in you and me
There is a light that can penetrate the darkest of dark
You just have to believe with all your heart
That in your darkest of darkest nights
There are shadows that can only be caused by the light
Save My Life by Sidewalk Prophets –
I Wanna Go Back by David Dunn –
No One Can Steal Our Joy by Tenth Avenue North –
Rise by Danny Gokey –
The Cure by Unspoken –
History of the birds:
Love, Not Hate: The Reconciliation
Love, Not Hate: Tragedy At Mandalay Bay
Love, Not Hate: Continue To Love
All the little birds wanted to trick or treat
But tonight, their nests they would not leave
It was Halloween night all through the land
But you see, trick or treating had been banned
The parents said the world had grown too dark
And they placed walls around their cold hearts
The land had been taken over by evil and hate
The parents told the little ones they would have to wait
You never know if that bird behind that hockey mask
Is looking for candy or up to some sinister act
Or that bird dressed in that scary disguise
Is carrying a gun or even a knife
The little ones had tears in their eyes
Please let us trick or treat tonight
The little ones begged and said you can protect us
And talk to the neighbors you haven’t spoken to since Christmas
You stay inside and don’t do what the Eagle has said
It was out of love his blood was shed
The eagle said do not live in fear
But it’s what you do keeping us locked in here
How can we spread love and dispel hate
If you keep us locked here in this cage
Then the parents were quite surprised
Those words hit home they realized
And they soon came to understand
They have let fear and hate rule their land
In fear they had locked themselves in their nests
Letting hate take over while love took a rest
They didn’t even talk to their neighbors or their friends
They didn’t spread love to strangers and love they did not defend
The light they carry they had let grow dark
But their children’s words had ignited a spark
They realized they had made their homes a coffin
Because of their children, the parents’ hearts softened
Then they said we will go out on this Halloween night
Instead of letting hate rule we will let our love be the light
Tonight we must start to let love grow and hate decline
Yes, tonight in the darkness our light will shine
Hey Papa by Natasha Bedingfield-
Fire Away by Disciple-
Dreaming by P.O.D. –
In Our Blood by Tyrone Wells-
Community by Kira Willey –
“Step right up, come on in, only a dollar” shouted the carny. He looked right at me and my friends. “Come on in boys, this will change your life” and he winked at me. I don’t know why but my gut was telling me something was wrong. My friends wanted to go in and since I didn’t want to be left out, I went in with them.
It wasn’t much at first. A conveyor belt going the opposite direction. Oooh scary right? We made a tight turn to the right and the floor started shaking. Everyone started to laugh but the feeling inside me was getting worse. It was then the lights went out. We started reaching out, touching each other to make sure we were all still there. We slowly inched forward and hit a wall, promptly piling into each other. Then the lights came on and that was when the fun began.
We were looking at ourselves, all four versions of each of us. We looked at each other like what the crap, a couple of my friends used some other choice words. In one mirror there was me, looking as normal as I am now, if you can call that normal. In the second mirror I was a hideous monster. What the heck? The third mirror I was a baseball player, uniform, glove and all. How could this be? I only was wearing the clothes I came in with. The fourth mirror showed me as an old, decrepit old man, all by myself. It was then we realized there was no exit. We did the only thing we could and started to push on the mirrors. The only one that moved was the second one. We all looked at each other and kind of shrugged and took a step through. But we weren’t all together on the other side.
There I was, the hideous monster. I pulled on my skin and clothes to get them to come off but they were me and I was them. It was then I noticed a small light in the distance. I walked toward it and saw it was a cell phone. It had a note on it. PRESS PLAY. What I saw disgusted me and I wish I didn’t have to tell you about it, but I do. It was 15 second clips of my life. There was me eight years old pushing the other kids down on the playground. There was me twelve years old stealing a cassette from the local music store. There was me sixteen years old with my girlfriend. We were in the backseat and she said she wasn’t ready but I said we had already gone too far so let’s keep going. There was me at nineteen at a college party when a bunch of guys took a passed out girl upstairs and I didn’t stop them. There was me at twenty two when I didn’t take the keys from my friend and he drove home drunk, but he didn’t make it. There was me at home instead of visiting my dad before he passed away. There was me watching a movie instead of calling a friend who was home alone, waiting for me to call. There was me ignoring my wife because of past mistakes. Was I really this monster? Is this how others see me?
Then we were all back in the same room of mirrors. We all looked at each other like what was that? No one was laughing now. We pushed on the mirrors again but only the third one opened this time.
There I was, at Wrigley Field, pitching for the Cubs. The crowd was chanting my name. Oh yeah, this is what I was made for. They all love me. I was on the mound, World Series, game seven, bottom of the ninth, two outs, two on, two strikes. One more strike and I bring a championship to Chicago. The wind up, the pitch…and I heard it. My shoulder popped. Then I heard the crack of the bat as it connected to the ball. Then I heard the silence. Just like that it was all over. The game, my career, my life. I was so angry. I was mad at God. How could He bring me to this moment and then let it all go? One pitch. It was all over. What kind of God would do that to me? I shut everyone out. I drank myself to sleep every night. I didn’t know the women’s names I would wake up to. I didn’t care. I went from 60,000 people screaming my name to the deafening silence of my own thoughts.
There we were again. All six of us in the same room of mirrors. Mark said that wasn’t so bad. “Let’s get this over with,” said Scott. We looked at each other and hesitantly stepped into the fourth mirror.
There I was. A decrepit old man. No one there but me. A lifetime of choices led me to here. A lifetime of bad choices. How did I get here? I was a good guy once. I believed in God, once upon a time. I looked in the mirror and the mirror looked back. Was this really me? Then I was gone. There in my casket, all by myself. Honestly, all by myself. No one came to say goodbye. Not one single person! Was I that unloveable and selfish? Was I really that bad of a person? I guess the truth hurts because I must’ve been for not one single person to show up.
We were all back in the room of mirrors. A couple of my friends said how cool their mirrors were. They hope their lives turn out like that. I didn’t have anything to say. This time the first mirror, the normal mirror, opened and we walked through. A couple turns and a few distorted mirrors later we were at the exit.
“Hey boys, how’d you like it? Did you like what you saw?” said the carny. “The mirrors don’t lie boys. If you didn’t like what you saw, you still have time to do something about it.” That was when he looked at me again and winked and gave me something. I was too terrified to look at it so I stuck it in my pocket and left. He turned around and started shouting , “step right up boys and girls, come on in, only a dollar and it will change your life.”
I forgot about what he gave me until I got home and undressed. It fell out of my pocket. A small bible with a note inside. Read this if you want to change your life. Read this if you didn’t like what you saw in the mirrors. It is your choice.
Monster by Skillet –
All Of Me by Meatloaf –
Ain’t Much Left Of Me by Blackberry Smoke –
These Things I Hate (Revolves Around Me) by Bullet For My Valentine –
Hate Me by Blue October –
Faces by One Less Reason –
Objects In The Rearview Mirror by Meatloaf –
I’ll Find Me by Steve Azar –
Sing by Waiting Hill –
I Remember Me by Jennifer Hudson –
I Hope They Get To Me In Time by Darius Rucker –
Mirrors by Justin Timberlake –
Funhouse Mirror by Jill K –
I Choose You by Point of Grace –
My God, My Music, My Life 