Road to Freedom

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

I gaze upon the stars, and then,
Nighttime shadows pressing in,
Memories creep of where I've been
And where I long to be again.

I see the paths I've walked upon,
Often rough and all alone.
I wonder where my life has gone
As I yearn to feel the warmth of dawn.

I could have gone the easy way,
But in my heart I could not stay.
I'm reaching for freedom, come what may.
I will start my life anew this day.

The Sea and Me

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

Oh, to be the sea, my great desire;
With each wave, I would grow higher.
Wild and restless, always free,
With keys to joy and tragedy.
In the distance, I'd touch the sky,
I'd be deep and shallow, but I'd never die.
I'd caress the beach as a lover,
With loving hands, I'd wetly cover;
To leave again with the ebbing tide
My gifts of love, but not my pride.
And in anger I could storm the shore,
Sink your ships, tear at your door.
I couldn't be tamed, conquered, sold;
Never my spirit could one man hold.
I could be myself and never afraid,
And never would my beauty fade.
Oh, but if I could only be
That vast and wonderful open sea.

A Racer's Prayer

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


Lord, as I sit here and look at the track,
Silent and empty, in the pale light of dawn;
I hear the far distant roar of the fans,
I feel the ghost's of the racers long gone.

As I prepare myself to live out my dream,
I can see my friends who are no longer here;
And know they understand as very few can,
Why, to me, this way of life is so dear.

There's something inside me, deep in my blood,
That drives me to put my life on the line;
To try to control something so out of control,
Is sweeter to me than the worlds finest wine.

The thrill of the speed sings in my veins,
As I push to the limit what my engines' got;
The grit and the gasoline burn in my eyes,
Straight to my soul, it pulses red hot.

And I find myself, and know who I am,
You know me, Lord, it's my ultimite high;
To dodge chance and fate, lap after lap,
Faster and faster, each one that goes by.

It's grueling, it's taxing, it saps my strength,
Yet, at no other time am I so fully alive;
At 200 miles an hour, with the best of the best,
Going straight to the edge as this circle I drive.

So Lord, I ask, that You look down here today,
And unless You say it's my time to go;
Let me drive my car, let me set the pace,
Let me give my fans one hell of a show.

Let me not cause undue harm or offend,
But make those boys get out of my way;
Let me not cause the loss of a friend,
Just let me win this race today.



For my main man, Rusty...and in memory of Tim, Davey, Alan and Neil

Statue

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


Her heart drowns in the tears she hides;
Swallowing hard, damn foolish pride.

An ocean of tears leave a bitter taste;
She had the best in life, let it go to waste.


And when she's full, they've nowhere else to go,
So they seep from her eyes, track her face slow.


Still she holds her head high, ignores the pain;
Tis not tears, I've been standing in the rain.


She looks straight ahead, neither left or right;
You wouldn't believe she gave up with no fight.


And the whispers seep; she's hard, she's cold;
For who'd believe she's not strong or bold?


Just a lonely woman too afraid, now, to care;
Just a face in the crowd who can no longer share.


And the tears flow round the walls inside,
Not seen by the world, but where they can't hide.