Lesson from a Nomad
Zack Hemsey Lyrics

I am icon
I am a symbol of something greater than myself

I am that pictured in those tales to song
I am the hero or villain of the stories we tell

I am that which from the brink responds
I am what rises up in the face of adversity

I bring unrest when the seas have calmed
I disrupt the peace when everything seems too settled

I am legend, I am fool
I am both great and flawed

I am one of many, I am under no rule
I am an individual, not bound by anyone else's authority

I am peasant, I am loon
I am both insignificant and ridiculous

I'm disparaged, I'm consumed
I am criticized and consumed by others' desires

I'm most certainly confused
I am unsure of my place in the world

Am I seeing something real or is it smoke?
Am I perceiving the truth, or is it an illusion?

Am I on the ground or am I hung without a rope?
Am I standing firm, or am I vulnerable to being dropped?

And is this fantasy or from the dream have I awoke?
Is this real, or are my perceptions distorted?

Am I stead on the path or am I clinging onto hope?
Am I confident in my direction in life, or am I holding on to hope?

Am I?
Who am I really?

If you gather all the teachings that the wise have told
If you amass all the wisdom of the ages

Compile every scripture from the books of old
Read and study all the ancient texts

And muse upon the meaning of the truths you've sewn
Reflect on the lessons you've learned and their significance

You will germinate the mind but the fields won't grow
You may gain knowledge, but it won't necessarily translate into fruitful action

This is the high of low
This is the paradox of learning and growth

This is the friend turned foe
This is the warning that knowledge can harm as well as help

This is what the light can't show
This is the part of life that is beyond reason and understanding

If you stand still don't expect the Earth will slow
If you don't take action, the world won't wait for you

See that every wind up plateaus
Understand that every effort has a limit

If you want a seed to rise up, let go
In order to succeed, you must release control

The greatest tragedy as every breath takes toll
The biggest sorrow in life is that it eventually ends

Is to live a life and never witness depth of soul
To die having never experienced true emotional richness

Snake inside the rocks, your tale you will consume
Your own negative tendencies can lead to your downfall

Liberate the mind but lock the body in a groove
Free your mind, but maintain discipline in your actions

Know that sedentary can be tantamount to tomb
Being too stagnant can be like a living death

This is why a coma patient must be regularly moved
Even the most infirm person needs movement to avoid stagnation

In the quest for plenty, know the paths are many
There are many ways to achieve material success

But few will lead you past the regions where the past is buried
However, few of those paths will help you overcome the traumas and scars of the past

Giving is the levee that will bound a man's greed
Generosity is the key to mitigating one's avarice

Prison is the dwelling when you take no leave
Refusing to take breaks or vacations can be like self-imprisonment

Faster than a sparrow flies, trap the cupid by surprise
Take chances and catch love when it comes unexpectedly

Grab his bow and arrow and shoot straight into the empty sky
Be intentional in pursuing what you want, even if it seems impossible

You can spend eternity immersed in what's inside
You can spend your whole life immersed in self-reflection and introspection

But if you're searching for a purpose then no purpose will you find
However, if you're only searching for a purpose, you may never find it

I am icon
I am a symbol of something greater than myself

I am that vision, I am fate transformed
I can either be seen as a vision of hope, or a portent of doom

I am that allegiance to the sword you've sworn
I am the commitment to a cause, no matter what the cost

I am false idol, I am fraud
However, I can also be deceiving and misleading

Ratchet down disaster like a phoenix in decline
Even in the face of destruction, there is the potential for rebirth

Imagined up in rapture, but no miracle am I
While I may inspire great emotion or passion, I cannot perform miracles

If you sing inside a cavern like canaries in a mine
If you express yourself freely in a confined space

Know indulgence is a hazard so be wary with your time
Be cautious not to lose yourself in your own creativity or passions

To mean something, we live and we strive for it
We give our lives meaning by working towards something greater than ourselves

To feel something, we fight and survive for it
We must endure hardship to truly experience life's joys and sorrows

To love something, we scream out and cry for it
Love requires emotional vulnerability and expression

But tell me now are you willing to die for it?
However, love can also require ultimate sacrifice

Take of what may come as you lay on the line for it?
Accept whatever may come as a result of that sacrifice

Armored at the core, at the ready and primed for it?
Be prepared and committed to your convictions

Breach the battleground with the courage to drive for it?
Have the bravery to confront obstacles head-on

And to know the fundamentals of being alive?
And, ultimately, to understand what it means to truly live?