we come caroling
they turn off jimmy stewart
a wonderful life
sit politely hearing us
or feebly clutch their doorknobs
we come caroling
for elderly and orphans
a wonderful life
they: moaning, rocking, drooling
we: harmonizing, shifting well
we come caroling
handicapped more ways than they
a wonderful life
un-canning our three tin songs
then rushing home for cocoa
sleeping in later,
seeing familiar faces,
and eating good food:
moments of resting,
moments of running around:
vacation is fun.
not too consumed, you
know the dust, you can be touched
you must have been by
kumi's grandma in her pain
benji's daddy in the grain
you drank this cup who
filled it up and will we trust
still keep us drinking
ancient tunes, harmonicas
playing rustless in the rain
The ears retain your silent prayers
Parade them to the soul.
And all along the way they scatter
Diamonds in the coal.
A wider shot of windy days
That breach our memories
Of shapeless friends that turn to red
By sun between the trees.
My powdered hand, of earthen clay
An effort to supress
The sun, who blocks my view of you
And sparks my loneliness
But when my colored eyes return
You've disappeared again,
Abandoning your choral laugh
That whispers to a friend.
The chorus merges seamlessly
As sun begins to sail
As lawns and sidewalks cool themselves
And afternoon looks pale
I stood upon the sand in June
the smoothness of my youth
And toyed against my father's will,
to loose a loosing tooth.
A call from Dad, not English now
Distortion from the span
of years that seemed to dance away
And leave me here, a man.
moon shadows scatter
revealing silver traces
of the spider's ink
spider author sits,
broken script-strands swirl above
her dejected head
like the three scaffolds
that brought the scarlet ruin
i've dined here three times
first -- to hear the plans
second -- to bear the progress
third -- to relinquish
decembers and june
and three sweet stacks of ruin
crimson surrenders
total assent but
cutting edge exegesis
amputation kills
temporary wound
let it be a surgery
heal it up again
shot through with holes
gaping open dangling draining
wretched handicaps
yet
we are the Church
Your radiant Bride
O GOD!
help us persevere
A mind weighted down
A physical weight
Run, coward. Backwards, blindfold.
into the dark, past the trees
Through pages and pages of life
As they burn and crinkle, fly away behind
run, scramble over rocks
Set your face in stone, shave your head
In ashes run, before it catches you and casts you
down again.
Up again, run
The wounds are healing, running
Sun is up and Sand is blowing.
Metal bearing clanging in the pit
weighting down again the head.
Gripping, squeezing tears, welling, no more crying.
Clanging...run...run until It breaks.
Force yourself to run alone, this residue
You're shaking off is poison, oh I see the end
No another turn another cheek, and no one speaks
Admit that you could dance on water, without your unbelief.
Down again, staying down...
You've thrown yourself into your own refinery
and been delivered charred and broken
Let Me, no, let Me put it back together
Don't touch it, yes, I'm angry. But we'll talk about it later.