The breeze is on my back, through the window,
From the sky.
Writing this to while away the time,
Better than nothing.
Being used to pen without intoxication
Has not come about,
My words are clumsy.
My life is nicer, the trade-off.
My career may be over but at least I'm happy.
Talk of nickel backs and I-formation
Comes at me from my right side, funny voices
Meant for little boys and hero worship.
The running back almost broke free.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Fly In My Soup (10/22/95)
Only moments crop up, bad seconds.
This is an improvement, reversal.
Only stopped shooting my feet, no big deal.
Now, I'll tell you a dream.
I was a spy, running through the
Rain-soaked streets of my
hometown, late at night.
My heels, my black sophisticated spy shoes,
make a movie sound, bouncing off brick.
The roads are mild cobblestones.
Whatever I am running for, I am too late.
Prevention, intervention, I am not sure.
I had that dream five years ago.
Last night I dreamed that my best friend
beaned me in a charity baseball game.
Hit me right on the ass.
Point being, salvage the broth
and eat some bread.
This is an improvement, reversal.
Only stopped shooting my feet, no big deal.
Now, I'll tell you a dream.
I was a spy, running through the
Rain-soaked streets of my
hometown, late at night.
My heels, my black sophisticated spy shoes,
make a movie sound, bouncing off brick.
The roads are mild cobblestones.
Whatever I am running for, I am too late.
Prevention, intervention, I am not sure.
I had that dream five years ago.
Last night I dreamed that my best friend
beaned me in a charity baseball game.
Hit me right on the ass.
Point being, salvage the broth
and eat some bread.
River My Secrets (1995)
To the delta over sand I come
Over rock and under fault
To throw my freshness to your salt
To mix with fish to hear them hum
River my secrets to your ocean
Roll my riddles in your foam
Over rock and under fault
To throw my freshness to your salt
To mix with fish to hear them hum
River my secrets to your ocean
Roll my riddles in your foam
Flute Made Of Bone (1994)
Bloodied once still singing
Heart is thumping ears are ringing
And the air is passing through
Me
It's not stopping at my chest
It sears my feet it shakes my throne
I'm made of bone
Don't help me I have fallen
I can do it I'm not calling
I'll just listen to you chime
I can't bear to watch you climb
Play that little tune
Chills me to the bone
The flute was walking once
It sings through living lips
Heart is thumping ears are ringing
And the air is passing through
Me
It's not stopping at my chest
It sears my feet it shakes my throne
I'm made of bone
Don't help me I have fallen
I can do it I'm not calling
I'll just listen to you chime
I can't bear to watch you climb
Play that little tune
Chills me to the bone
The flute was walking once
It sings through living lips
Blind Boner (???)
Won't you be a mother to my son
The son in me you know the one
That annoying one they talk of
That inner one that smaller me
That bullshit crap of craps
And yet it's true he wants
A mother just like you
He'll drink all the milk he will
A toothless suckle, mother, he will
Pucker up and suck you dry
But not for long he'll feed again
You'll offer up -
Coffee? What? What did you say?
You need a father for your daughter?
Yeah, but see, I asked you first
You think I can? You think I could?
But I'm not sure (as if you are, I know...)
I'm just a guy it's hard for me to say
It's hard for me to see
It's hard for me
It's hard, for you
It's hard
The son in me you know the one
That annoying one they talk of
That inner one that smaller me
That bullshit crap of craps
And yet it's true he wants
A mother just like you
He'll drink all the milk he will
A toothless suckle, mother, he will
Pucker up and suck you dry
But not for long he'll feed again
You'll offer up -
Coffee? What? What did you say?
You need a father for your daughter?
Yeah, but see, I asked you first
You think I can? You think I could?
But I'm not sure (as if you are, I know...)
I'm just a guy it's hard for me to say
It's hard for me to see
It's hard for me
It's hard, for you
It's hard
Midwest and Spartan (early 1990's)
Midwest and spartan
brazen and shy
soul trailing smoke
and the pungent droppings of
a childhood equestrian dream
brazen and shy
soul trailing smoke
and the pungent droppings of
a childhood equestrian dream
I've Strapped My Anger To The Innermost Molecule (???)
I've strapped my anger to the
innermost molecule, it is larger
and smaller than I but
certainly stronger, it will not be
denied.
But, for now, I pretend it doesn't exist.
Yes, my days are long, what with every
imagined battle fought with pillows
and baggage, my mind is bruised from
all those violent shadows,
so my nights must be filled by my intellect.
For we smile at each other all day long, believe it or not,
such a crime against the both of us,
the innermost molecule, man.
There is no denial without knowledge.
innermost molecule, it is larger
and smaller than I but
certainly stronger, it will not be
denied.
But, for now, I pretend it doesn't exist.
Yes, my days are long, what with every
imagined battle fought with pillows
and baggage, my mind is bruised from
all those violent shadows,
so my nights must be filled by my intellect.
For we smile at each other all day long, believe it or not,
such a crime against the both of us,
the innermost molecule, man.
There is no denial without knowledge.
With My Tongue (???)
(A minor to F)
I'm gonna throw a rock through
That window back there
That window back there
I'm gonna come back with a
Rock right in my hand
Hole right in my hand
I'll stomp a hole in the ground
That I've walked so long
That I'll walk so long
I'll stomp down to China yes
I'll chomp right down through
I'll chomp right down top
I'll bite off the mountaintop
I'll chew it right down
I'll chew it right down
I'll swallow the ocean yes
Lick my lips of it
Lick my lips of it
I'll eat through to the fire
I'll eat through to the fire
Digest volcano
I'll vomit a new ozone
Puke it right over
Puke it right over
I'll take the flag down from the
moon with my tongue with
my tongue with my tongue with my tongue
I'm gonna throw a rock through
That window back there
That window back there
I'm gonna come back with a
Rock right in my hand
Hole right in my hand
I'll stomp a hole in the ground
That I've walked so long
That I'll walk so long
I'll stomp down to China yes
I'll chomp right down through
I'll chomp right down top
I'll bite off the mountaintop
I'll chew it right down
I'll chew it right down
I'll swallow the ocean yes
Lick my lips of it
Lick my lips of it
I'll eat through to the fire
I'll eat through to the fire
Digest volcano
I'll vomit a new ozone
Puke it right over
Puke it right over
I'll take the flag down from the
moon with my tongue with
my tongue with my tongue with my tongue
Nobody (10/8/08)
Nobody cares
Nobody's listenin'
Nobody's there
At Blackberry Way
I don't care
If they ain't listenin'
'Coz I ain't talkin' to them
Anyway
Pretty soon you won't be famous
And everything will stay the same
Hit the showers 'coz it's too late to play the game
Too early for collapse
Fall down later at Blackberry Way
Call me later at Blackberry Way
Your dream got killed on Blackberry Hill
Nobody's listenin'
Nobody's there
At Blackberry Way
I don't care
If they ain't listenin'
'Coz I ain't talkin' to them
Anyway
Pretty soon you won't be famous
And everything will stay the same
Hit the showers 'coz it's too late to play the game
Too early for collapse
Fall down later at Blackberry Way
Call me later at Blackberry Way
Your dream got killed on Blackberry Hill
Our Love Is Better Than We (???)
Our love is better than we
had it legs it would run faster
had it lungs it would breathe deeper
Our love is sweeter than we
were it man made it would cause cancer
were it hard it would be candy
Our love is softer than we
were we softer we'd be air
were it harder would be sweet
sloppy guitar solo, diving bass, thunder drum roll
Our love is louder than we
had it amps it would blow doors
had it bells it would ring ears
Our love is higher than we
were it a drug we would be dead
were it a ladder oh the rungs
we don't live up to it
it doesn't mind
had it legs it would run faster
had it lungs it would breathe deeper
Our love is sweeter than we
were it man made it would cause cancer
were it hard it would be candy
Our love is softer than we
were we softer we'd be air
were it harder would be sweet
sloppy guitar solo, diving bass, thunder drum roll
Our love is louder than we
had it amps it would blow doors
had it bells it would ring ears
Our love is higher than we
were it a drug we would be dead
were it a ladder oh the rungs
we don't live up to it
it doesn't mind
The Guilty King (???)
He'd send for servants.
Testing, he'd ask them to please.
Breathless and willing,
heaving and shy,
removing their garments,
they pressed against him.
He'd recoil and send them away.
His feet, delicate and remorseful,
were outlined against marble by moonlight.
A thought, temporary and laughable,
discarded at once but true,
passed through his brain -
"I'll kill them for their lust."
"Send for them again, I'll try again!"
he would proclaim, and as always
it would end in solitude
and imaginary murder.
He would have been less guilty had he
actually killed.
Testing, he'd ask them to please.
Breathless and willing,
heaving and shy,
removing their garments,
they pressed against him.
He'd recoil and send them away.
His feet, delicate and remorseful,
were outlined against marble by moonlight.
A thought, temporary and laughable,
discarded at once but true,
passed through his brain -
"I'll kill them for their lust."
"Send for them again, I'll try again!"
he would proclaim, and as always
it would end in solitude
and imaginary murder.
He would have been less guilty had he
actually killed.
The Ballad of Samuel Clemens (1991)
Put the oar in put the oar down
Put the oar in move it all around
We're in some corrugated tin
We're in some corrugated tin
We're looking to find our sin
Take me to the place where the water meets the low mark
Then take me to the place where the water hits the twain
Take me to that place where the water hits the high mark
Take me to the place where the water meets the plain
Oh pioneers
Oh pioneers
Take me to the bridge take me to the hollow
Take me to where the bridge hangs over
Take me to the hollow take me to the dell
Take me down baby down that wishing well
Take me to the shallow water take me to the deep
Take me to the bridge let me take the leap
Take the husk from Jim who's eating crow
Take it from someone who ought to know
Take me to the bridge where my brother cried
And I'll stick with you til the last dog dies
That boat is gliding through the dark
We'll keep that boat a riding baby
Until we hit that mark
Put the oar in move it all around
We're in some corrugated tin
We're in some corrugated tin
We're looking to find our sin
Take me to the place where the water meets the low mark
Then take me to the place where the water hits the twain
Take me to that place where the water hits the high mark
Take me to the place where the water meets the plain
Oh pioneers
Oh pioneers
Take me to the bridge take me to the hollow
Take me to where the bridge hangs over
Take me to the hollow take me to the dell
Take me down baby down that wishing well
Take me to the shallow water take me to the deep
Take me to the bridge let me take the leap
Take the husk from Jim who's eating crow
Take it from someone who ought to know
Take me to the bridge where my brother cried
And I'll stick with you til the last dog dies
That boat is gliding through the dark
We'll keep that boat a riding baby
Until we hit that mark
Salizar (1994)
Salizar runs
all day
his breath is endless
his sweat is spray
this sun is all his own
it's all he's from
this Salizar
this running stride
this climbing ride
Salizar sleeps
all night
his dream is calm
from dusk to light
Salizar is running every day
all day
his breath is endless
his sweat is spray
this sun is all his own
it's all he's from
this Salizar
this running stride
this climbing ride
Salizar sleeps
all night
his dream is calm
from dusk to light
Salizar is running every day
Passed Lamenting's Past (1993)
I've led my life through windows
Now I'm staring down them doors
I'm trying to get up the nerve
To stop staring past my shoes at the floor
If I've led you on I'm sorry
This is all I have to give
I've tried everything I can
I've tried so hard to forgive
But am I worthy of forgiveness
If my limits are so tight and low
I've got my fears all neatly pressed
I've lined my thoughts in tiny rows
And I'm never where I seem to want to be
And I'm always who I think you think is me
I'm returning if I can I want to refuse to live in fear
So I'll put the grindstone to my nose
I'll file neuroses off like skin
I'll drop my faults just like little bricks
I won't even flinch
If I've taken from you I'm sorry
That is all I had to give
I've done everything I was supposed to
I've done everything but live
But am I worthy of my life
If I cannot sense its touch
Are my emotions all artificial
Or just some kind of truthful crutch
Then my passing lamentations pass
Before me like a peering juried eye
I'm returning if I can I want to refuse to live in fear
Eat and breathe
Now I'm staring down them doors
I'm trying to get up the nerve
To stop staring past my shoes at the floor
If I've led you on I'm sorry
This is all I have to give
I've tried everything I can
I've tried so hard to forgive
But am I worthy of forgiveness
If my limits are so tight and low
I've got my fears all neatly pressed
I've lined my thoughts in tiny rows
And I'm never where I seem to want to be
And I'm always who I think you think is me
I'm returning if I can I want to refuse to live in fear
So I'll put the grindstone to my nose
I'll file neuroses off like skin
I'll drop my faults just like little bricks
I won't even flinch
If I've taken from you I'm sorry
That is all I had to give
I've done everything I was supposed to
I've done everything but live
But am I worthy of my life
If I cannot sense its touch
Are my emotions all artificial
Or just some kind of truthful crutch
Then my passing lamentations pass
Before me like a peering juried eye
I'm returning if I can I want to refuse to live in fear
Eat and breathe
Quick As A Whip (2007)
It was so fun and tragic
I could never really join his team
We were both so far from home
We were so young so on the gleam
Foreign tongue swirled around us
Under table hand on knee
What the heck I love The Smiths
Maybe I don't know the real me
I had to let him down so easy
The stubble turned me off
Still, a relief to not feel sleazy
As I lit his Davidoff
I'd started with Gauloises
With the beer they made me cough
He railed about the laws in Britain
Which pissed him and his friend David off
He was tall and he was handsome
He was quick, quick as a whip
But I had to slow him down
Just as he bit my lip
I had a girl back home Stateside
He had a guy in London town
I was not all the way gay
And he was dying to go down
I could never really join his team
We were both so far from home
We were so young so on the gleam
Foreign tongue swirled around us
Under table hand on knee
What the heck I love The Smiths
Maybe I don't know the real me
I had to let him down so easy
The stubble turned me off
Still, a relief to not feel sleazy
As I lit his Davidoff
I'd started with Gauloises
With the beer they made me cough
He railed about the laws in Britain
Which pissed him and his friend David off
He was tall and he was handsome
He was quick, quick as a whip
But I had to slow him down
Just as he bit my lip
I had a girl back home Stateside
He had a guy in London town
I was not all the way gay
And he was dying to go down
The Pearl (05/12/04)
The Pearl of Rufton County
Started with a little grain of sand
The mountain and the valley were
The oyster and the shell
The well brings water from the land
I send this wish into the canyon
Hoping for a swift reply
If the rock deigns me an echo
I will crown you with this cry
The girl grew into bounty
Ushered by her family's hand
The pointed toes and the ribbons bore
The whisper and the yell
The bell's ring brought her to the stand
I send this wish into the canyon
I hold my heart I watch it fly
Each dawn I see a new Melody
Sung from your eyes
Started with a little grain of sand
The mountain and the valley were
The oyster and the shell
The well brings water from the land
I send this wish into the canyon
Hoping for a swift reply
If the rock deigns me an echo
I will crown you with this cry
The girl grew into bounty
Ushered by her family's hand
The pointed toes and the ribbons bore
The whisper and the yell
The bell's ring brought her to the stand
I send this wish into the canyon
I hold my heart I watch it fly
Each dawn I see a new Melody
Sung from your eyes
The Liberator II (fall '04)
I'm gonna get out of this one
Thought I as I rotated on the rack
The fire on my balls didn't give me pause
I knew that I had to make it back
I'm getting out of this one
Thought I as the hot rod probed my ass
The water dripping on my hand made me see red
I knew my sin had brought all this to pass
I said a mass inside my head
I thought the Devil couldn't find me
Thought I as I rotated on the rack
The fire on my balls didn't give me pause
I knew that I had to make it back
I'm getting out of this one
Thought I as the hot rod probed my ass
The water dripping on my hand made me see red
I knew my sin had brought all this to pass
I said a mass inside my head
I thought the Devil couldn't find me
Just Another Old Man On A Mountain Top (2004)
Just another old man on a mountain top
Made me so mad I just about blew my top
My sidecar motorbike was vanished by the valet
He came back and ushered me into Hitler's chalet
Made me so mad I just about blew my top
My sidecar motorbike was vanished by the valet
He came back and ushered me into Hitler's chalet
Koreatown (The Science Of Faith) (2005)
The sun's set somewhere
I don't think of it much
I've got a touch of such and such
And this and that all of above
You've gotta love gotta love gotta love
Somebody...
Meet me down in Koreatown
By that time I'll have come back down...
The moon is a flame
I've always been a fly
You were tried and true, g'bye, g'bye
If you don't the goons soon up will show
I gotta go gotta go gotta go
So high...
Dress out of the drawer
Walk stairs out your door
Hurry the driveway into car
Ignition - fireball
Dove down down down down
To Koreatown
Oh, it's not that I can't stop
It's that you won't...
Let me drop this pop
And you won't ever forget me
Don't say I'm too far gone
Just give me one last ride
Up to Sunset and L. Ron
I don't think of it much
I've got a touch of such and such
And this and that all of above
You've gotta love gotta love gotta love
Somebody...
Meet me down in Koreatown
By that time I'll have come back down...
The moon is a flame
I've always been a fly
You were tried and true, g'bye, g'bye
If you don't the goons soon up will show
I gotta go gotta go gotta go
So high...
Dress out of the drawer
Walk stairs out your door
Hurry the driveway into car
Ignition - fireball
Dove down down down down
To Koreatown
Oh, it's not that I can't stop
It's that you won't...
Let me drop this pop
And you won't ever forget me
Don't say I'm too far gone
Just give me one last ride
Up to Sunset and L. Ron
I'm Like Tennis, Baby (late 2005)
I'm like tennis, baby
Zero is love
I went from fifteen to thirty
Without blinkin' one eye
Don't give a fuck
I'm gonna raise a racket
Can't hack it?
Get off the court
Born short learn to limbo quick
That stick never gets no higher
A liar'll tell you it does
This is my shout at it cuz
Yo Pimp - I be limping
Thru the p-leg funk
Drunk uncle monk or monkey
It don't matter - the splatter
From my mike'll push you off any ledge
I don't hedge my best I put it all on red
Or black - don't give a fuck jus'
Like the Crack-A-Lack
Buckin' the system
Fuckin' your cyst...mmmm
That pus is jus delish
Love the fingerlickin' lemon chicken
Rose petal fish
The Bomer-B can get raunchy too
Launch me goo on you
'Coz I'm a leper con
Climbin' up your rainbow
Let you know I'm divin' into
Your golden honey pot
It ain't coins that I'm finding in your loins
Our groins -
Dress me up in green keep me under your toadstool
Zero is love
I went from fifteen to thirty
Without blinkin' one eye
Don't give a fuck
I'm gonna raise a racket
Can't hack it?
Get off the court
Born short learn to limbo quick
That stick never gets no higher
A liar'll tell you it does
This is my shout at it cuz
Yo Pimp - I be limping
Thru the p-leg funk
Drunk uncle monk or monkey
It don't matter - the splatter
From my mike'll push you off any ledge
I don't hedge my best I put it all on red
Or black - don't give a fuck jus'
Like the Crack-A-Lack
Buckin' the system
Fuckin' your cyst...mmmm
That pus is jus delish
Love the fingerlickin' lemon chicken
Rose petal fish
The Bomer-B can get raunchy too
Launch me goo on you
'Coz I'm a leper con
Climbin' up your rainbow
Let you know I'm divin' into
Your golden honey pot
It ain't coins that I'm finding in your loins
Our groins -
Dress me up in green keep me under your toadstool
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sometimes The Sun (11/?/94)
Sometimes the sun doesn't warm you
Sometimes rain does not feel wet
Sometimes your hair starts moving
And you haven't felt the wind yet
Sometimes it's cold when it's warm out
Sometimes it's hot when it's not
Sometimes the seasons will fool you
And sometimes they don't
Often times it's just as you expected
The snow comes down in flakes of white
Other times it's too strange to mention
Sometimes it's too clear for sight
Sometimes the clouds don't shield you
From the glare of the sun
Sometimes it feels like it's burning only you
You're the only one
But then the sky will fall just right
And settle onto your eye like silk
Sometimes the snow isn't cold at all
Sometimes the snow tastes like milk
Sometimes time's all around you
Sometimes it drops right through the glass
Sometimes the air weighs less than you do
Sometimes you're nothing but mass
Sometimes rain does not feel wet
Sometimes your hair starts moving
And you haven't felt the wind yet
Sometimes it's cold when it's warm out
Sometimes it's hot when it's not
Sometimes the seasons will fool you
And sometimes they don't
Often times it's just as you expected
The snow comes down in flakes of white
Other times it's too strange to mention
Sometimes it's too clear for sight
Sometimes the clouds don't shield you
From the glare of the sun
Sometimes it feels like it's burning only you
You're the only one
But then the sky will fall just right
And settle onto your eye like silk
Sometimes the snow isn't cold at all
Sometimes the snow tastes like milk
Sometimes time's all around you
Sometimes it drops right through the glass
Sometimes the air weighs less than you do
Sometimes you're nothing but mass
The Fire Eater (1995)
Gotta quit. Just stop.
Know it's bad for me
Swallowing death this way
Tempting fate, or so they say
Maybe fate's just tempting me
But, then, see...
It's more the torch that disturbs
Than the flame
The length of it, 'coz, see
The torch only goes in
The fire itself goes out
Know it's bad for me
Swallowing death this way
Tempting fate, or so they say
Maybe fate's just tempting me
But, then, see...
It's more the torch that disturbs
Than the flame
The length of it, 'coz, see
The torch only goes in
The fire itself goes out
Handsome Devil (1995)
this time I fell nearer
so the aftertaste is clearer
it's either how it's supposed to go
or I'm at the devil's door
thought I didn't fear her
already am but can't get near
it's either now or never you know
and I'm praying on the floor
if I fall nearer this time
I'll tell you what it's like
it'll either make you sick or make you cry
if I fall nearer next time
I'll tell you how it feels
by knocking on the door or kneeling down
oh let me in
please let me in
let me back in
I know I've fallen far I know I've strayed
Saddest game I play the door is barred
or did I fall because I don't know how I feel
so the aftertaste is clearer
it's either how it's supposed to go
or I'm at the devil's door
thought I didn't fear her
already am but can't get near
it's either now or never you know
and I'm praying on the floor
if I fall nearer this time
I'll tell you what it's like
it'll either make you sick or make you cry
if I fall nearer next time
I'll tell you how it feels
by knocking on the door or kneeling down
oh let me in
please let me in
let me back in
I know I've fallen far I know I've strayed
Saddest game I play the door is barred
or did I fall because I don't know how I feel
William Carlos Williams (1995)
it's like a scab i just can't let it be
i should just cover it
i should just cover it
i should just let it be
i wanna cover it
i wanna cover it up
find a big band aid
slap it right on and cover it up
if i cut myself again i'll cover it up
if i let myself be cut i'll cover it up
if i cut myself i'll bleed
if i cut myself i'll bleed bleed
cut myself i'll bleed
i'm gonna blind blind blind
i'm fucking blind
i'm almost blind
i can't see without help
see without help help
without help help help
help help help help
i'm goin' to Patterson goin' to Patterson
i should just cover it
i should just cover it
i should just let it be
i wanna cover it
i wanna cover it up
find a big band aid
slap it right on and cover it up
if i cut myself again i'll cover it up
if i let myself be cut i'll cover it up
if i cut myself i'll bleed
if i cut myself i'll bleed bleed
cut myself i'll bleed
i'm gonna blind blind blind
i'm fucking blind
i'm almost blind
i can't see without help
see without help help
without help help help
help help help help
i'm goin' to Patterson goin' to Patterson
Breathing Facsimile (1995)
Writing in the diary of a woman
Who reminds me of you
Surreptitiously I struggle on
Her underthings lie, concealed
In the chest, in the corner
Upon which photos of her sit
Windswept and glowing
I have looked in the chest,
Disturbing nothing, eyes only,
Fear and propriety preventing
Touch and love
What a trade, tragic
Nothing but a dime on a track
In front of a train, halted
I do not really know this woman
Perched on this chest on colored paper,
An acquaintance really
But her diary will miss these pages
Pages full of my life, with you
Who reminds me of you
Surreptitiously I struggle on
Her underthings lie, concealed
In the chest, in the corner
Upon which photos of her sit
Windswept and glowing
I have looked in the chest,
Disturbing nothing, eyes only,
Fear and propriety preventing
Touch and love
What a trade, tragic
Nothing but a dime on a track
In front of a train, halted
I do not really know this woman
Perched on this chest on colored paper,
An acquaintance really
But her diary will miss these pages
Pages full of my life, with you
Yours Is Not A Simple Name To Say (1995)
Yours is not a simple name to say
It shudders on my tongue
And hangs there til I feel its weight
It flutters, I've begun
You've placed some heavy lace upon my face
Upturned and streaked with wet
You've traced your fingers to my hand
I've learned I've peaked and yet
Can I come full circle babe
Or will I trap my dreams
Trap my dreams inside of me?
Can I round the curve?
I've spent two much time apart from myself
I've touched the cold in fear of night
I've held some people down just to kiss them all good bye
I've never done it right
So yours is not an easy name to say
It holds me to my word
It keeps me close to who I am
It flutters like a bird
It shudders on my tongue
And hangs there til I feel its weight
It flutters, I've begun
You've placed some heavy lace upon my face
Upturned and streaked with wet
You've traced your fingers to my hand
I've learned I've peaked and yet
Can I come full circle babe
Or will I trap my dreams
Trap my dreams inside of me?
Can I round the curve?
I've spent two much time apart from myself
I've touched the cold in fear of night
I've held some people down just to kiss them all good bye
I've never done it right
So yours is not an easy name to say
It holds me to my word
It keeps me close to who I am
It flutters like a bird
On Leaving Denny VI (1995)
There's all this flesh and it wants touching
She wants me and she who just walked by,
She looked at me too, two girls at once,
A leather chick, a strait laced marm, an older babe -
I've got this body once, it wants to share
And yet, with all of this desire comes a
Feeling in my gut, of drinking down a cup of
Warmest dirty water, which is filled right up
Again, don't want no more, push it away, there's
Ashes in there, ashes and tiny little bones
But the curve of all those unimagined breasts and
the length of all those lengthy leggy legs, without
love, without disgust, it's so much easier that way
It's so much easier that way
It's noon and it's warm
And the breasts they plaster onto buses selling lingerie
Just make me mad
But they also make me think of you
And her, and her, and her, and her
And her, and her, and her, and then
I'm mad again
And, then again, it's just a bus with breasts
She wants me and she who just walked by,
She looked at me too, two girls at once,
A leather chick, a strait laced marm, an older babe -
I've got this body once, it wants to share
And yet, with all of this desire comes a
Feeling in my gut, of drinking down a cup of
Warmest dirty water, which is filled right up
Again, don't want no more, push it away, there's
Ashes in there, ashes and tiny little bones
But the curve of all those unimagined breasts and
the length of all those lengthy leggy legs, without
love, without disgust, it's so much easier that way
It's so much easier that way
It's noon and it's warm
And the breasts they plaster onto buses selling lingerie
Just make me mad
But they also make me think of you
And her, and her, and her, and her
And her, and her, and her, and then
I'm mad again
And, then again, it's just a bus with breasts
On Leaving Denny V (1995)
hate the one who holds you where you are?
no
love the one who will not hold you down,
even when you want them to?
love the one who leaves you for another?
love the one who leaves you for nothing?
the roads were a grid, and I drove
by your house just once, and why
when I knew you weren't home
I had to force the wheel away
the rest of the time
while photos of mostly everything but you
slowly formed themselves
and dried themselves
on lines
no
love the one who will not hold you down,
even when you want them to?
love the one who leaves you for another?
love the one who leaves you for nothing?
the roads were a grid, and I drove
by your house just once, and why
when I knew you weren't home
I had to force the wheel away
the rest of the time
while photos of mostly everything but you
slowly formed themselves
and dried themselves
on lines
On Leaving Denny IV (02/14/95)
new skies, new roads
same roads, same skies
same shit, different toilet
his cat fell to its death
a thief left behind his blood on broken glass
and vinyl and on the dashboard
where his stereo used to be
and then i took his wife
by sitting back and answering her call
this smugness is not self-congratulatory
and now i leave a denny of my own
it's too safe here, i could stay here
so i go
she came to me on the back of love
and i left her in the hand of fear
and he takes his photos in a room
that they once shared
he must have a corner of his heart
reserved for me
same roads, same skies
same shit, different toilet
his cat fell to its death
a thief left behind his blood on broken glass
and vinyl and on the dashboard
where his stereo used to be
and then i took his wife
by sitting back and answering her call
this smugness is not self-congratulatory
and now i leave a denny of my own
it's too safe here, i could stay here
so i go
she came to me on the back of love
and i left her in the hand of fear
and he takes his photos in a room
that they once shared
he must have a corner of his heart
reserved for me
On Leaving Denny III (02/14/95)
i'm holding my heart in my hands
whether i hand it over directly or
simply drop it, it will end up
in your hands
don't writhe on the ground for me
don't write those words of love
just wait
why it has to be tomorrow not today
i cannot say
or can i?
driveby love, just like murder
whether i hand it over directly or
simply drop it, it will end up
in your hands
don't writhe on the ground for me
don't write those words of love
just wait
why it has to be tomorrow not today
i cannot say
or can i?
driveby love, just like murder
On Leaving Denny I (1995)
too much desire
can't go towards it
can't back away
simple as that
the bark of a tree
could make a noise
and it would make me
think of your bite
and your smell in a car
in the parking lot of
a school on vacation
a circular track with me
single runner, what
if someone sees?
can't go towards it
can't back away
simple as that
the bark of a tree
could make a noise
and it would make me
think of your bite
and your smell in a car
in the parking lot of
a school on vacation
a circular track with me
single runner, what
if someone sees?
The Ode Of The Rind (10/09/95)
It's rotting, on top,
On top of rot, it's rotting.
Rind, you smelly husk,
Grind back to the dirt,
Give off your stinky musk,
Oh, you stink so bad -
It hurts my nose.
Putrescent rot, oh!
Former fruit, no
more peeling.
Because you stink now.
I mean it.
On top of rot, it's rotting.
Rind, you smelly husk,
Grind back to the dirt,
Give off your stinky musk,
Oh, you stink so bad -
It hurts my nose.
Putrescent rot, oh!
Former fruit, no
more peeling.
Because you stink now.
I mean it.
Plucking The Head From A Bird (10/09/95)
I'm where the walls and ceiling meet,
that corner, that pointed spot
the window under and to the left of
me pulls light across a couch and
rug. The light is stopped by smaller
things, a broken doll, a marble foot,
and as I'm swept along within this
wave of light, I leave the corner, cross
the room, and bounce off tiny bars and
grab to keep myself from passing by
a cluck, it's fucked and so am I.
that corner, that pointed spot
the window under and to the left of
me pulls light across a couch and
rug. The light is stopped by smaller
things, a broken doll, a marble foot,
and as I'm swept along within this
wave of light, I leave the corner, cross
the room, and bounce off tiny bars and
grab to keep myself from passing by
a cluck, it's fucked and so am I.
This Morning My Pocket Stretched (10/09/95)
This morning my pocket stretched
way out away from me. It brushed
the back of some guys head and
I was embarrassed.
Then I thought of that word, I
tore it apart.
Basically, pulled your pants off.
And I laughed.
The guy thought I was a nut job
and dropped some change into my
pocket (which was trying to get
him to box, but the guy looked it
straight in the pocket and said, "Stop
bothering me, you ain't nothin' but a
pocket, I ain't gonna fight ya."
And I started to walk away when
I heard him mutter "Besides I'd
kick your ass."
Well, my pocket went crazy, so
I bought a coffee and watched them
go at it and I wasn't worried
anymore. Or embarrassed.
way out away from me. It brushed
the back of some guys head and
I was embarrassed.
Then I thought of that word, I
tore it apart.
Basically, pulled your pants off.
And I laughed.
The guy thought I was a nut job
and dropped some change into my
pocket (which was trying to get
him to box, but the guy looked it
straight in the pocket and said, "Stop
bothering me, you ain't nothin' but a
pocket, I ain't gonna fight ya."
And I started to walk away when
I heard him mutter "Besides I'd
kick your ass."
Well, my pocket went crazy, so
I bought a coffee and watched them
go at it and I wasn't worried
anymore. Or embarrassed.
The Church Creeps Upward (1995)
the church creeps upward, filling the shaft
is it a trick? it's a trick!
that's not belief, that's skin, that's all.
but still it rises, and who knew? who's to say?
is it a trick? it's a trick!
that's not belief, that's skin, that's all.
but still it rises, and who knew? who's to say?
Coming To Montana (1995)
I couldn't bring myself
to drive out to Montana
with you in your big
white dirty car
I couldn't drag myself out
of my childhood bed
so I ate my parents food
and mowed that big green yard
and dreamt of room service
and suns out west setting burning red
Montana room service bring her up some coffee
wake me up before she starts that big ol' thing
banana slices are sitting on her shiny spoon
her exhaust makes the cuts on my neck sting
the dust is swirling and those
fat black wheels are turning
quicker than my feet could ever fall
my heart is sinking while her
mile meter's clicking
to somewhere I can't afford to call
so I'll say it to myself
just like a tree falling far I fear
too far away from any ears
I smoked myself to sleep
I try to burn myself down
I've been scorching all the same
old spots for so many
stupid same ol' years
I talk to myself
I dress myself for driving
I've got tapes and I've got snacks
and I've got gas
I tie off my bandanna
and it's loose around my head
I'm coming to Montana
I've left all my matches by the bed
to drive out to Montana
with you in your big
white dirty car
I couldn't drag myself out
of my childhood bed
so I ate my parents food
and mowed that big green yard
and dreamt of room service
and suns out west setting burning red
Montana room service bring her up some coffee
wake me up before she starts that big ol' thing
banana slices are sitting on her shiny spoon
her exhaust makes the cuts on my neck sting
the dust is swirling and those
fat black wheels are turning
quicker than my feet could ever fall
my heart is sinking while her
mile meter's clicking
to somewhere I can't afford to call
so I'll say it to myself
just like a tree falling far I fear
too far away from any ears
I smoked myself to sleep
I try to burn myself down
I've been scorching all the same
old spots for so many
stupid same ol' years
I talk to myself
I dress myself for driving
I've got tapes and I've got snacks
and I've got gas
I tie off my bandanna
and it's loose around my head
I'm coming to Montana
I've left all my matches by the bed
You're Wrong (1995)
You think that I'm gone
You think I've got
One foot out the door
You think I'm gone
You think I can't take no more
Well you're wrong
You're wrong
You think that I've left
You think what you said was right
You think that I've left
You think that was our final night
Well you're wrong
You're wrong
You think that it's done
You think that I'm leaving you behind
You think it's done
You think that I am angry
But I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
You think I've got
One foot out the door
You think I'm gone
You think I can't take no more
Well you're wrong
You're wrong
You think that I've left
You think what you said was right
You think that I've left
You think that was our final night
Well you're wrong
You're wrong
You think that it's done
You think that I'm leaving you behind
You think it's done
You think that I am angry
But I don't mind
I don't mind
I don't mind
We're The Ones Who Changed The World (1995)
we're the ones who changed the world
the ones who fabricate their air
the ones who change their rivers path
who changed the world and shut it up
it's all true, everything you've heard is here
it's all true, everything we've feared is real
we're the ones who split the atom
the ones who watched it fall
the ones who ruin all they see
we're the ones who changed the world
true it's true, say that it isn't so
but it is true it's so it's so it's true
we're the ones who reached the moon
the ones who spent their money well
the ones who shoot their bombs through
field goal posts a thousand miles away
and it is true they're not so bad
it's true they never lie
we're the ones who spilt our milk
the ones who ate their neighbors children
the ones who keep their demons down
and recoil when they bite them from below
and it is true they tried to love
and it is true they failed
all too frequently
and it is true they sang each other songs
and it is true they choked on words
much too easily
we're the ones who take whatever we are given
we're the ones who take for granted
we're the ones it's true
the ones who fabricate their air
the ones who change their rivers path
who changed the world and shut it up
it's all true, everything you've heard is here
it's all true, everything we've feared is real
we're the ones who split the atom
the ones who watched it fall
the ones who ruin all they see
we're the ones who changed the world
true it's true, say that it isn't so
but it is true it's so it's so it's true
we're the ones who reached the moon
the ones who spent their money well
the ones who shoot their bombs through
field goal posts a thousand miles away
and it is true they're not so bad
it's true they never lie
we're the ones who spilt our milk
the ones who ate their neighbors children
the ones who keep their demons down
and recoil when they bite them from below
and it is true they tried to love
and it is true they failed
all too frequently
and it is true they sang each other songs
and it is true they choked on words
much too easily
we're the ones who take whatever we are given
we're the ones who take for granted
we're the ones it's true
Putting In A New Door (03/11/95)
"You'd almost have to take the whole
house down, huh?"
grouting and baseboards, a foundation
rather leave it locked, that's how it is,
a one door house.
Keeps no one in.
Then to stand with beer in hand
without a shred no clothing on at
2 am in Guinea, well -
what's a one door house?
The stairway's been repaired, but
even that, that hole I dragged
you over, 'coz I knew that
it was there.
And when I left you there and
snuck back down, your muddy
jacket wrapped around your torso
with a bucket for a pillow,
with your anger tucked away in sleep,
I found the door,
the old one, the back one,
the only one.
house down, huh?"
grouting and baseboards, a foundation
rather leave it locked, that's how it is,
a one door house.
Keeps no one in.
Then to stand with beer in hand
without a shred no clothing on at
2 am in Guinea, well -
what's a one door house?
The stairway's been repaired, but
even that, that hole I dragged
you over, 'coz I knew that
it was there.
And when I left you there and
snuck back down, your muddy
jacket wrapped around your torso
with a bucket for a pillow,
with your anger tucked away in sleep,
I found the door,
the old one, the back one,
the only one.
Her Beauty Was Like A Child With A Loaded Gun (1994)
Her beauty was like a child with a loaded gun
It sparkled all shiny and sharp
It kicked and it cried just like a baby in the sun
It covered me just like a tarp
I wrestled it down by by all ends end I was held
Table turned with a flick of lash
My cheek pressed to carpet my heart's heart pressed down to rug
Beauty says, "Jump so I can dash
To those conclusions that make you so dull keep you so smug."
I recoil at your touch while I dig up to your dug
I'm all tied up in that bright sash
It wrestled me down by all ends end I was held
Something just whispered so tell me why I up and yelled
Her beauty was something that quelled
But still held a story to tell
Her beauty got down in the dell
It sparkled all shiny and sharp
It kicked and it cried just like a baby in the sun
It covered me just like a tarp
I wrestled it down by by all ends end I was held
Table turned with a flick of lash
My cheek pressed to carpet my heart's heart pressed down to rug
Beauty says, "Jump so I can dash
To those conclusions that make you so dull keep you so smug."
I recoil at your touch while I dig up to your dug
I'm all tied up in that bright sash
It wrestled me down by all ends end I was held
Something just whispered so tell me why I up and yelled
Her beauty was something that quelled
But still held a story to tell
Her beauty got down in the dell
Just Like Me (1995)
I'm too young to change
I'm too young for that
I'm too young to change
I'm too young for that
Aren't I too young to change?
Aren't I too young for that?
Tell me I'm too young to change
Tell me I'm too young for that
I like the image of
Myself more than myself
I like the image of
Myself more than myself
If something as big as a train
Can be stopped by a dime
Stopped by a dime, baby
Stopped by a dime
If something as big as a train
Can be stopped by a dime
Why are my pockets full of
paper all the time?
I heard if you put a dime on the tracks
In front of a train
It'll be stuck there for days
Stuck there for days
I'm not where I am
I'm not at that place yet
I'm not where I am
I'm not at that place yet
In between where I was
And where I'm supposed to be
In between where I was
And where I'm supposed to be
or be going
or be going
That train's just like me
Just like me
Mirror anathema
Slowly past car windows
Slowly past car windows
Mirror anathema
Maybe I can still walk
Off into the sunset
Off into the sunset
Maybe I can still walk
Maybe I can touch the
Sky and come back down for
More I never ask the
Why to know because for
I'm too young for that
I'm too young to change
I'm too young for that
Aren't I too young to change?
Aren't I too young for that?
Tell me I'm too young to change
Tell me I'm too young for that
I like the image of
Myself more than myself
I like the image of
Myself more than myself
If something as big as a train
Can be stopped by a dime
Stopped by a dime, baby
Stopped by a dime
If something as big as a train
Can be stopped by a dime
Why are my pockets full of
paper all the time?
I heard if you put a dime on the tracks
In front of a train
It'll be stuck there for days
Stuck there for days
I'm not where I am
I'm not at that place yet
I'm not where I am
I'm not at that place yet
In between where I was
And where I'm supposed to be
In between where I was
And where I'm supposed to be
or be going
or be going
That train's just like me
Just like me
Mirror anathema
Slowly past car windows
Slowly past car windows
Mirror anathema
Maybe I can still walk
Off into the sunset
Off into the sunset
Maybe I can still walk
Maybe I can touch the
Sky and come back down for
More I never ask the
Why to know because for
In Your Hands (01/02/03)
She's a flying flower
In the latest ribbons
Call me old fashioned
But she's tying my hours
In loose comfortable patterns
Call the doctor she fainted
While I try to revive her
The fans that she waves at me
Fade past and before me
In kaleidoscope whirling
Her twirling has power
Don't shower your gifts
Down just yet keep them right
In your hands...
In the latest ribbons
Call me old fashioned
But she's tying my hours
In loose comfortable patterns
Call the doctor she fainted
While I try to revive her
The fans that she waves at me
Fade past and before me
In kaleidoscope whirling
Her twirling has power
Don't shower your gifts
Down just yet keep them right
In your hands...
They Might Be Studebakers (09/29/88)
She was a Studebaker she drove me crazy
It amazed me that a Studebaker could
Grow so big
A pig with charms that alarmed
The gas station attendant
A dependent chile could not grow so wild
As she - the Studebaker
She was a Studebaker her high beams
The extremes that always seemed to
Grow so big
S-t-u-d-e-b-a-k-e-r
S-t-u-d-e-b-a-k-e-r
No car from the mar (that's the sea to you and me)
Could grow so large as the Studebaker
She was a Studebaker
Studebaker
She could eat all the stu the baker made for me and you
But so many bakers
Spoil the broth
Time to change the oil
My blood began to boil
At the thought of the coil of her tail fins
Tho her name was Marge by en large she was a barge
We called the Studebaker
It amazed me that a Studebaker could
Grow so big
A pig with charms that alarmed
The gas station attendant
A dependent chile could not grow so wild
As she - the Studebaker
She was a Studebaker her high beams
The extremes that always seemed to
Grow so big
S-t-u-d-e-b-a-k-e-r
S-t-u-d-e-b-a-k-e-r
No car from the mar (that's the sea to you and me)
Could grow so large as the Studebaker
She was a Studebaker
Studebaker
She could eat all the stu the baker made for me and you
But so many bakers
Spoil the broth
Time to change the oil
My blood began to boil
At the thought of the coil of her tail fins
Tho her name was Marge by en large she was a barge
We called the Studebaker
Nothing Subversive In The Imagery (2001)
Nothing subversive in the imagery
Hold fast to all of your own energy
Fortify response
Ratify intensity
Satisfy the curiosity
Action is morality is action
Beauty is as beauty does
Ordinary's extraordinary
No extra motion
Hold fast to all of your own energy
Fortify response
Ratify intensity
Satisfy the curiosity
Action is morality is action
Beauty is as beauty does
Ordinary's extraordinary
No extra motion
Van Deusen (07/14/01)
If you hadn't have been a douche
you'da never been my homie
you'da never Cumby's loitered
youda never been a douche
So dont'cha give me that moonshine
I know you love me true
You might say Van Deusen
but the doozy's fucking blue
you'da never been my homie
you'da never Cumby's loitered
youda never been a douche
So dont'cha give me that moonshine
I know you love me true
You might say Van Deusen
but the doozy's fucking blue
Almost Off The Grid (07/14/01)
Don't look now
it's Aristotle
but his bottle's getting dry
He's never finished
All completion
Always right next to the cry
He's a tyrant
Got my title
I'm almighty mister why
And I'm not saying that I've got
them all
But I say it when I don't
I admit I'm just a kid
And he sees so much more than me
He's almost off the grid
it's Aristotle
but his bottle's getting dry
He's never finished
All completion
Always right next to the cry
He's a tyrant
Got my title
I'm almighty mister why
And I'm not saying that I've got
them all
But I say it when I don't
I admit I'm just a kid
And he sees so much more than me
He's almost off the grid
Sometimes She Wobbles When She Walks (07/14/01)
It's the salad not the gin
But the thing is
the doctor said the
cancer was in my throat
and if I stop now...
But the thing is, Jeff
The thing is I'm 52, Jeff.
But the thing is
the doctor said the
cancer was in my throat
and if I stop now...
But the thing is, Jeff
The thing is I'm 52, Jeff.
Clarity (07/14/01)
Take it from me
Make it your own
Yer tellin' me?
Yer tellin' me?
If I could stand in your shoes
I wouldn't see what you see
So don't worry if I stutter
Just wait for clarity
Take it from me
Just wait, clarity
Make it your own
Yer tellin' me?
Yer tellin' me?
If I could stand in your shoes
I wouldn't see what you see
So don't worry if I stutter
Just wait for clarity
Take it from me
Just wait, clarity
Forgiveness (07/14/01)
Isn't there a place that we've all been
So many times before?
Isn't that a face you know?
Don't think your complicity can
fall away to something without guile?
I guess I never could see
things from such a darkened room
I tried and can't be
bothered with the bile
So there's no limit to the limit
I don't care about those things
Take off the blinders don't be shy
that really is the sky
So many times before?
Isn't that a face you know?
Don't think your complicity can
fall away to something without guile?
I guess I never could see
things from such a darkened room
I tried and can't be
bothered with the bile
So there's no limit to the limit
I don't care about those things
Take off the blinders don't be shy
that really is the sky
Is This Heavy Enough For You? (02/25/94)
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
I've got this rock in the other room
Would you like me to hang it around your neck?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Do you think if I hold onto you for long enough you would drown?
Do you think I am heavy enough to pull you down?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Would you like me to plop it on the scale?
How far do you think that little red needle would rise?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Ar you afraid if I took a little weight off of you you'd start to fly?
Are you afraid if I untied your arms you'd raise up wings?
I have to admit I'm getting a little tired
Why don't you carry this thing for awhile?
Let it turn your fingers black for a change
Let it twist your back until you think that it might break
Let your mind struggle while it pins you flat
Let it seem to grow in weight as time drags on
Let you dream of letting go while tightening your grip
Let you fear the sky and hate the earth
That you're held to?
Isn't this just a way to make you stare?
Have you been gazing at my swinging watch too long?
Maybe it isn't really my place to ask
But it's been itchin' at me itchin' at me
Itchin' at me
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
I've got this rock in the other room
Would you like me to hang it around your neck?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Do you think if I hold onto you for long enough you would drown?
Do you think I am heavy enough to pull you down?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Would you like me to plop it on the scale?
How far do you think that little red needle would rise?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Ar you afraid if I took a little weight off of you you'd start to fly?
Are you afraid if I untied your arms you'd raise up wings?
I have to admit I'm getting a little tired
Why don't you carry this thing for awhile?
Let it turn your fingers black for a change
Let it twist your back until you think that it might break
Let your mind struggle while it pins you flat
Let it seem to grow in weight as time drags on
Let you dream of letting go while tightening your grip
Let you fear the sky and hate the earth
That you're held to?
Isn't this just a way to make you stare?
Have you been gazing at my swinging watch too long?
Maybe it isn't really my place to ask
But it's been itchin' at me itchin' at me
Itchin' at me
Is this heavy enough for you?
Is this heavy enough for you?
Cyrano (1994)
Cyrano doesn't
Like his name
Cyrano wishes he had
Something more the same
Cyrano's nose
Isn't even big
Cyrano only uses
His hands to dig
Cyrano wants to
Stop you on the sidewalk
Cyrano just wants to talk
Cyrano's delightful
When he's not feeling like himself
When he's nervous he talks
Loud that's how you tell
Cyrano knows that
He doesn't know a thing
Roxanne
Rock Sand
for kurt cobain
Like his name
Cyrano wishes he had
Something more the same
Cyrano's nose
Isn't even big
Cyrano only uses
His hands to dig
Cyrano wants to
Stop you on the sidewalk
Cyrano just wants to talk
Cyrano's delightful
When he's not feeling like himself
When he's nervous he talks
Loud that's how you tell
Cyrano knows that
He doesn't know a thing
Roxanne
Rock Sand
for kurt cobain
Without Exception (07/03/94)
it stays in like a stain
and goes out like constipation
not healthy at all
no sir
an altogether filthy and unworthy race,
don't you agree? mnm?
and goes out like constipation
not healthy at all
no sir
an altogether filthy and unworthy race,
don't you agree? mnm?
Tom (07/03/94)
If I would only put my
Hands together before
And after eating a
Peanut butter and jelly
Sandwich
Is it manna would that it were
Hands together before
And after eating a
Peanut butter and jelly
Sandwich
Is it manna would that it were
All Right! (1995)
All right!
Here we go again ladees and genetlemen!
Hop on!
Don't you want to come with?
Here I am,
Circling above your head,
A bulimic vulture, baby
See a lot I want to eat,
But I wouldn't want to puke all over
All over someone as I float
Ten feet above your damn party.
Speak up,
I'm buried in here.
Here we go again ladees and genetlemen!
Hop on!
Don't you want to come with?
Here I am,
Circling above your head,
A bulimic vulture, baby
See a lot I want to eat,
But I wouldn't want to puke all over
All over someone as I float
Ten feet above your damn party.
Speak up,
I'm buried in here.
SMACK DAB (1995)
FLAPJACKS AND SPACKLED WALLS
SHACKLED RACK OF HACKED UP BACKS
PACKS OF RATS SLAPPING JACKS
AND TRAPPING MICE WITH CHEESE
YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT FROM SHINOLA
AND YOU COULDN'T TELL YOUR ASS
FROM YOUR ELBOW.
YOU SACK OF BLACK SHIT.
SHACKLED RACK OF HACKED UP BACKS
PACKS OF RATS SLAPPING JACKS
AND TRAPPING MICE WITH CHEESE
YOU DON'T KNOW SHIT FROM SHINOLA
AND YOU COULDN'T TELL YOUR ASS
FROM YOUR ELBOW.
YOU SACK OF BLACK SHIT.
That Winter's Come (1994)
If I feel the wind
Brush my base again
I'll know
If I hear the whistle
Of the summer silken breeze
I'll know
If my load grows lighter
At the kiss of fall's exhale
I'll know
If the grass is in my eye
As petals
cradle my fallen face
I'll know
That winter's come
Brush my base again
I'll know
If I hear the whistle
Of the summer silken breeze
I'll know
If my load grows lighter
At the kiss of fall's exhale
I'll know
If the grass is in my eye
As petals
cradle my fallen face
I'll know
That winter's come
Not Really, yeah. Yeah. (1994)
Caught between denial and a brag
Forefront words emotion in the lag
Puff up the chest
Pump those arms up right
Am I not the best
But no, nothing happened
Not at all
Last night
Yes sir I did it right
I did it good
(But here he goes again)
No, no, not last night
Caught between denial and a brag
He ain't a stud but he ain't no fag
Caught between denial and a brag
Forefront words emotion in the lag
Puff up the chest
Pump those arms up right
Am I not the best
But no, nothing happened
Not at all
Last night
Yes sir I did it right
I did it good
(But here he goes again)
No, no, not last night
Caught between denial and a brag
He ain't a stud but he ain't no fag
Caught between denial and a brag
Your Tongue Still Tips My Balance (1994)
Your tongue still tips my balance
But I've no balance as of now
Your hair still blocks my view
Of all I wish to know
I said that I would be there
After crying you a sea
I've just begun my crying
But I've no balance as of now
Your hair still blocks my view
Of all I wish to know
I said that I would be there
After crying you a sea
I've just begun my crying
Every Time I Write The Date (1995)
Every time I write the date
I know there is no separation
Between church and state
Do I have to celebrate the
Birth of Jesus when I vote
Or when I sign my tax form
1995?
I know there is no separation
Between church and state
Do I have to celebrate the
Birth of Jesus when I vote
Or when I sign my tax form
1995?
You Saw A Watermelon In The Sky (1993)
You saw a watermelon in the sky
You saw Jesus beckon you home
You saw the Death Star hurtle towards us
All I saw was clouds and glass
And more clouds
Vision separates us, for you
A muted form of expression, for me
A fuzzy lock, a rattled cage
Not a bad cage, and one I
Can come out of with a little
Saline, but a cage
New doors, free passage
You saw Jesus beckon you home
You saw the Death Star hurtle towards us
All I saw was clouds and glass
And more clouds
Vision separates us, for you
A muted form of expression, for me
A fuzzy lock, a rattled cage
Not a bad cage, and one I
Can come out of with a little
Saline, but a cage
New doors, free passage
Painful Pastime (1995)
I'm trying to get by all the people inside me
Who smile and say yes when they should
Who speak lightly when spoken to loudly
I'm trying to listen at the same time I talk
But this walk isn't easy and it's a painful of
Pastimes with a soul that's been crippled by Lyme's
I'm trying not to break into a million pieces
I'm trying to bring gifts when I should
I'm somewhere between brave and the
Cowardly lion whimpering at the dark
Coz this walk isn't easy and it's a painful pastime at
Times with a soul that's been crippled by Lyme's
Who smile and say yes when they should
Who speak lightly when spoken to loudly
I'm trying to listen at the same time I talk
But this walk isn't easy and it's a painful of
Pastimes with a soul that's been crippled by Lyme's
I'm trying not to break into a million pieces
I'm trying to bring gifts when I should
I'm somewhere between brave and the
Cowardly lion whimpering at the dark
Coz this walk isn't easy and it's a painful pastime at
Times with a soul that's been crippled by Lyme's
Horrific Excitement (1995)
a moment of release,
more like a vomit than a pee,
it's self-induced which
makes it worse.
a vault like Al Capone's,
public shame on pay t.v.,
what you thought was there
is somewhere else.
a god bless you said too soon
can stop a sneeze.
and what's a sneeze?
a stopping heart
so what's the harm
in stopping that,
well, you stop it up
and see what's next
more like a vomit than a pee,
it's self-induced which
makes it worse.
a vault like Al Capone's,
public shame on pay t.v.,
what you thought was there
is somewhere else.
a god bless you said too soon
can stop a sneeze.
and what's a sneeze?
a stopping heart
so what's the harm
in stopping that,
well, you stop it up
and see what's next
Mortality On My Mind (1994)
Other people die young but I know that I ain't like them at all
I know I will never die because I feel so goddamned tall
People say that I should learn but I think that I've got time
And even thought that isn't so I'll live it like it's true
"I will never die" I think as I drive a drunken path
My seatbelt hanging by my side - I'll never feel my wrath
Give my eulogy now because there'll never be a wake
And if you see my name in stone you'll know that it's a fake
Go look in my open coffin and you'll see me smile wide
Because I don't want to see you cry with that emptiness inside
Then I'll sit up to laugh and I'll shake your praying hands
And you'll gasp at my playful speech and beer and wine demans
I'll climb out and dance a jig with you looking on afraid
And deep inside your heart you will wish I stayed
I'll press my manicured fingernails against your heaving breast
And you'll wonder how they patched that gaping hole across my chest
But they fixed it! And here I am, alive as I'll always be
And I'll be alive forever as you will or will not see
You ask me if it hurts I'll say that you don't know the half
When you want to live so bad that you're afraid to laugh
('cause I might choke and then I wouldn't live forever and I couldn't
live forever and I couldn't have kids and a picket fence or
grass to cut or report cards to be proud of or little league games that
are boring as Hell but I love them because my son or daughter plays
shortstop and their grandchildren who I'll take to get candy
and to the dump on Saturdays)
I know I will never die because I feel so goddamned tall
People say that I should learn but I think that I've got time
And even thought that isn't so I'll live it like it's true
"I will never die" I think as I drive a drunken path
My seatbelt hanging by my side - I'll never feel my wrath
Give my eulogy now because there'll never be a wake
And if you see my name in stone you'll know that it's a fake
Go look in my open coffin and you'll see me smile wide
Because I don't want to see you cry with that emptiness inside
Then I'll sit up to laugh and I'll shake your praying hands
And you'll gasp at my playful speech and beer and wine demans
I'll climb out and dance a jig with you looking on afraid
And deep inside your heart you will wish I stayed
I'll press my manicured fingernails against your heaving breast
And you'll wonder how they patched that gaping hole across my chest
But they fixed it! And here I am, alive as I'll always be
And I'll be alive forever as you will or will not see
You ask me if it hurts I'll say that you don't know the half
When you want to live so bad that you're afraid to laugh
('cause I might choke and then I wouldn't live forever and I couldn't
live forever and I couldn't have kids and a picket fence or
grass to cut or report cards to be proud of or little league games that
are boring as Hell but I love them because my son or daughter plays
shortstop and their grandchildren who I'll take to get candy
and to the dump on Saturdays)
I Was Laughing At The Movement (1995)
I was laughing at the movement
of the people on the train
struggling for balance in a box,
they look funny.
I am jolted myself and
grin at my own dance.
Tuesday call Tanya
of the people on the train
struggling for balance in a box,
they look funny.
I am jolted myself and
grin at my own dance.
Tuesday call Tanya
Now Each Tear That I Brought To Your Eye (1995)
Now each tear that I brought to your eye
I'll cry back down your skin
Now for each time I yelled let me out
I'll whisper let me back in
Now if I'm scaling walls I can fall
And know just where I'll land
Now when I break my windows with rocks
I know it's air I crave not the sand
I'll cry back down your skin
Now for each time I yelled let me out
I'll whisper let me back in
Now if I'm scaling walls I can fall
And know just where I'll land
Now when I break my windows with rocks
I know it's air I crave not the sand
I'm Folding My Wings At The Dust In The Air (1995)
i'm folding my wings at the dust in the air
all the filings of scars drift away
scrap up the car parts roll out the red hearts
flatten your back to the bed
i left all my bags in the basement on the floor
but i knew i would need them someday
flag down a tow truck wait for a good fuck
but don't let it mess up your head
i don't want to shed skin i'll just crawl into yours
and put on your nicest red dress
all the filings of scars drift away
scrap up the car parts roll out the red hearts
flatten your back to the bed
i left all my bags in the basement on the floor
but i knew i would need them someday
flag down a tow truck wait for a good fuck
but don't let it mess up your head
i don't want to shed skin i'll just crawl into yours
and put on your nicest red dress
I Hate You I Hate You I Hate You (1995)
I'm not gonna hit her so I guess I'm gonna fuck her
I hate you I hate you I hate you
Always wearing them funky clothes
And somehow got me wearin' 'em too
I'm not a Beastie Boy I'm from Kingston you bitch
Now come on let me make hate with you
'Coz I hate you I hate you I hate you
But oh don't you ever turn me on
Don't you ever turn me on
Don't ever don't ever ever ever turn me on
Turn me on
Again
I can see all your city shit don't mean much to me
I hate you I hate you I hate you
Isn't that dope isn't that dope isn't that you
And you're saying what everyone says
I'm not a veejay I'm hick man from stickville
And you're playing what everyone plays
And I hate you I hate you I hate you
But I see we don't mind that at all
Not at all not at all not at all
I hate you I hate you I hate you
Always wearing them funky clothes
And somehow got me wearin' 'em too
I'm not a Beastie Boy I'm from Kingston you bitch
Now come on let me make hate with you
'Coz I hate you I hate you I hate you
But oh don't you ever turn me on
Don't you ever turn me on
Don't ever don't ever ever ever turn me on
Turn me on
Again
I can see all your city shit don't mean much to me
I hate you I hate you I hate you
Isn't that dope isn't that dope isn't that you
And you're saying what everyone says
I'm not a veejay I'm hick man from stickville
And you're playing what everyone plays
And I hate you I hate you I hate you
But I see we don't mind that at all
Not at all not at all not at all
Nooky Hooky (1995)
Baby I'm resting
Your head's on my chest and
I don't want to make it go away
Steeped in sleep to keep
Our blues away
I don't want to go to work today
Baby I'm tired
Baby I'm tired
I don't want to go to work today
I just want to stay at home
And play with you
I don't want to go to work today
Baby I'm breathing
My chest is heaving
I can barely find the breath to say
I just want to stay at home
And play with you
I don't want to go to work today
Nooky! Nooky hooky!
Your head's on my chest and
I don't want to make it go away
Steeped in sleep to keep
Our blues away
I don't want to go to work today
Baby I'm tired
Baby I'm tired
I don't want to go to work today
I just want to stay at home
And play with you
I don't want to go to work today
Baby I'm breathing
My chest is heaving
I can barely find the breath to say
I just want to stay at home
And play with you
I don't want to go to work today
Nooky! Nooky hooky!
In A Sense (1995)
Falling down and back
a dog becomes a spider in a dream
and a mother's milk no longer made
for me is, indirectly, by me
we threw ourselves at
piles of dead leaves, leafy corpses,
screamed with laughter, inhaling
a musty future in a pile of the past
i am nothing but romantic,
a romantic nothing, but
who do we forget to live?
a dog becomes a spider in a dream
and a mother's milk no longer made
for me is, indirectly, by me
we threw ourselves at
piles of dead leaves, leafy corpses,
screamed with laughter, inhaling
a musty future in a pile of the past
i am nothing but romantic,
a romantic nothing, but
who do we forget to live?
Ye Olde John Browne (John Brown Played The Bass) (03/13/95)
John Brown played the bass
played it like the devil
he mumbled as he rocked
he sang is if he talked in tongues
he never came to school
came when he was high
he stumbled as he walked
his skin was made of chalk and sponge
John Brown hit the road
hit and kept on hitting
he grumbled as he strolled
he banged a bouncy rolling note
he was brilliant as a fool
was not about to cry
he fumbled as he stole
his bass was in a hole wrapped in a coat
John Brown played the bass
he tuned it as he played
John Brown could really play
he's gone away where you go when you go away
played it like the devil
he mumbled as he rocked
he sang is if he talked in tongues
he never came to school
came when he was high
he stumbled as he walked
his skin was made of chalk and sponge
John Brown hit the road
hit and kept on hitting
he grumbled as he strolled
he banged a bouncy rolling note
he was brilliant as a fool
was not about to cry
he fumbled as he stole
his bass was in a hole wrapped in a coat
John Brown played the bass
he tuned it as he played
John Brown could really play
he's gone away where you go when you go away
Genie (03/13/95)
ejaculate, noun, thing, stuff, it's stuff
a goo, a billion men, that stuff,
or women, in goo, a billion? I don't know,
it's maybe more it's maybe less
more than I can shake my stick at
sunk to cliches of the vulgar disposition
but I don't care
it's been in there for so long, all live
and rested, a well-oiled carcass,
a dying machine -
but it's all life, that stuff, how'd it get dead
o who cares?
I'll keep rubbing my lamp and making wishes
that come...
a goo, a billion men, that stuff,
or women, in goo, a billion? I don't know,
it's maybe more it's maybe less
more than I can shake my stick at
sunk to cliches of the vulgar disposition
but I don't care
it's been in there for so long, all live
and rested, a well-oiled carcass,
a dying machine -
but it's all life, that stuff, how'd it get dead
o who cares?
I'll keep rubbing my lamp and making wishes
that come...
Maybe The World Is Dying Not Just Us (01/06/95)
Maybe the world is dying not just us
Maybe the world is dying not just us
No wonder we're so lonely
No wonder we're so sad
No wonder we're so angry
No wonder we're so bad
No wonder we're so perfect
No wonder we're so dead
No wonder we're so hairless
No wonder we're so red
No wonder we're so beautiful
No wonder we're so sick
No wonder we're so thin, y'know?
The earth is not that thick
Maybe the world is dying not just us
No wonder we're so lonely
No wonder we're so sad
No wonder we're so angry
No wonder we're so bad
No wonder we're so perfect
No wonder we're so dead
No wonder we're so hairless
No wonder we're so red
No wonder we're so beautiful
No wonder we're so sick
No wonder we're so thin, y'know?
The earth is not that thick
Even Your Fake Diamonds Scratch My Glass (12/14/94)
even your fake diamonds scratch my glass
the powder drifts away from the painful groove
despite their gaudy glitter, they got class, them stones got class
they might melt down and get all sticky
but their luster wouldn't dull a tiny bit
and the burning glue just don't smell icky, i ain't picky, i don't mind
my sequin sweetie
my fake jewel julie
my pink panther pussy
my nine karat hussy little queen
if i could only tell you what i mean
isn't that a fancy little bauble
i'd ignore it but it's sitting just so there
it's a pity i don't dabble with my black gloves anymore
it's temptation, yes, but i know i'll stay strong
or i'd melt and bubble just like plastic gems
and despite my gaudy glitter i still know right from wrong
these stones got class, these stones got class, these stones got class
but i would duck right under lasers
wearing black and make no sound
and shoot a noiseless arrow to the pedestal i've found
leave each alarm in silence as i pull from hand to hand
every little detail just exactly as i planned
is it real, it shines so bright, i don't know, i've come so far
the light year doubled back and has ambushed its mother star
the laws already broken, my getaway awaits
and in an act of hopefulness it's replaced with equal weight
the powder drifts away from the painful groove
despite their gaudy glitter, they got class, them stones got class
they might melt down and get all sticky
but their luster wouldn't dull a tiny bit
and the burning glue just don't smell icky, i ain't picky, i don't mind
my sequin sweetie
my fake jewel julie
my pink panther pussy
my nine karat hussy little queen
if i could only tell you what i mean
isn't that a fancy little bauble
i'd ignore it but it's sitting just so there
it's a pity i don't dabble with my black gloves anymore
it's temptation, yes, but i know i'll stay strong
or i'd melt and bubble just like plastic gems
and despite my gaudy glitter i still know right from wrong
these stones got class, these stones got class, these stones got class
but i would duck right under lasers
wearing black and make no sound
and shoot a noiseless arrow to the pedestal i've found
leave each alarm in silence as i pull from hand to hand
every little detail just exactly as i planned
is it real, it shines so bright, i don't know, i've come so far
the light year doubled back and has ambushed its mother star
the laws already broken, my getaway awaits
and in an act of hopefulness it's replaced with equal weight
per per per perseverate! (12/13/94)
per per per perseverate! (per per per perseverate!)
per per per perseverate! (per per per perseverate!)
the word, the word, the word
same the same the same
i'm looking at my fingernail for a long time
it needs cutting it needs cleaning
it needs cutting catch my meaning it's the
same the same the same
the word, the word, the word
i cut Adam's apple for his curse
("...the throat was hacked and slashed with astonishing brutality...")
and now, for the first time on the stage -
per per per perseverate! (pompoms brushing bouncing breasts in letter sweaters)
per per per perseverate! (pompoms brushing bouncing breasts in letter sweaters)
the noise, the noise, the noise
name the name the name
i will fall sometime tomorrow
i needs cleaning i needs cutting
i needs cleaning i've been slutting that's my
name my name my name
i clean Eve's cunt with summer's eve
("...freshness in all sorts of sticky situations..."
and then, for god's sake turn the page -
i clean Eve's cunt with dirty leaves
("...sappy and pretentious, retentive and contentious..."
and then for god's sake turn the page -
per per per per
per per per per
per
per per per perseverate! (per per per perseverate!)
the word, the word, the word
same the same the same
i'm looking at my fingernail for a long time
it needs cutting it needs cleaning
it needs cutting catch my meaning it's the
same the same the same
the word, the word, the word
i cut Adam's apple for his curse
("...the throat was hacked and slashed with astonishing brutality...")
and now, for the first time on the stage -
per per per perseverate! (pompoms brushing bouncing breasts in letter sweaters)
per per per perseverate! (pompoms brushing bouncing breasts in letter sweaters)
the noise, the noise, the noise
name the name the name
i will fall sometime tomorrow
i needs cleaning i needs cutting
i needs cleaning i've been slutting that's my
name my name my name
i clean Eve's cunt with summer's eve
("...freshness in all sorts of sticky situations..."
and then, for god's sake turn the page -
i clean Eve's cunt with dirty leaves
("...sappy and pretentious, retentive and contentious..."
and then for god's sake turn the page -
per per per per
per per per per
per
isolate, resigned (11/30/94)
in sight alone my brain and body join
my vision links them til a touch
and then my groin will ache and clutch
in sight alone my brain and body join
and then my groin will ache and clutch
and isolate, resigned
there's nothing like a ball that's blue
to make you want to take its hue
and shake it til it stains a lovely rug
in vision does my cerebellum touch
my eyes do masturbate my brain
and then as such will cause me strain
in vision does my cerebellum touch
and that as such can cause me strain
and eyes so late, resign
there's nothing like a ball that's blue
to make me want to come with you
and shake us til I stain your lovely rug
but I am isolate, resigned
my vision links them til a touch
and then my groin will ache and clutch
in sight alone my brain and body join
and then my groin will ache and clutch
and isolate, resigned
there's nothing like a ball that's blue
to make you want to take its hue
and shake it til it stains a lovely rug
in vision does my cerebellum touch
my eyes do masturbate my brain
and then as such will cause me strain
in vision does my cerebellum touch
and that as such can cause me strain
and eyes so late, resign
there's nothing like a ball that's blue
to make me want to come with you
and shake us til I stain your lovely rug
but I am isolate, resigned
Sometimes I Feel Like A Girl On The Train (11/30/94)
Sometimes I feel like a girl on the train
attractive and temporary
framed by rushing steel and
hurtling landscape
glinting sea turned to blurring wood
and her jeans walk her back to her seat
if only I were more the metaphor
I'd turn myself into a door and
walk right through it
my brain only comes to me when I'm naked
I squint and strain but can't quite make it
and put my clothes back on and just feel stupid
now I'm on a train and riding in it
I see a girl who walks right by me
going for a snack or drink no doubt
I watch her body sway, in balance gripped
in sight alone my brain and body join
attractive and temporary
framed by rushing steel and
hurtling landscape
glinting sea turned to blurring wood
and her jeans walk her back to her seat
if only I were more the metaphor
I'd turn myself into a door and
walk right through it
my brain only comes to me when I'm naked
I squint and strain but can't quite make it
and put my clothes back on and just feel stupid
now I'm on a train and riding in it
I see a girl who walks right by me
going for a snack or drink no doubt
I watch her body sway, in balance gripped
in sight alone my brain and body join
Goldteeth (12/29/95)
He isn't listening to me.
His toothpick moves.
So do his eyes.
Nothing else on him seems to.
He doesn't say much.
But he doesn't seem quiet.
He isn't angry.
But he isn't here either.
He doesn't discern a difference
Between flesh and matter.
He can't be swayed.
He put gold on his enamel
And that's all there is.
His toothpick moves.
So do his eyes.
Nothing else on him seems to.
He doesn't say much.
But he doesn't seem quiet.
He isn't angry.
But he isn't here either.
He doesn't discern a difference
Between flesh and matter.
He can't be swayed.
He put gold on his enamel
And that's all there is.
Chevrolet (12/29/95)
Some sort
of natural born
sex symbol
Deus ex
machine and purring
perpetual motion
Gears in a
collusion and clash
she is so fast
she's not a car
she is my ride
of natural born
sex symbol
Deus ex
machine and purring
perpetual motion
Gears in a
collusion and clash
she is so fast
she's not a car
she is my ride
Margaritas (12/29/95)
HA HA HA!
Come on, oh, come on.
Wait, you dropped your -
HA HAA!
That reminds me of this
guy I worked with!
He had cancer when he was
a kid and lost an eye
and then twenty one
years later he got stabbed,
he drove a cab and this
fare slit his throat and
he drove himself to the
hospital and died for two
minutes but he came back!
It is so true.
It really is, life. It's so strange.
Two more, over here.
Come on, oh, come on.
Wait, you dropped your -
HA HAA!
That reminds me of this
guy I worked with!
He had cancer when he was
a kid and lost an eye
and then twenty one
years later he got stabbed,
he drove a cab and this
fare slit his throat and
he drove himself to the
hospital and died for two
minutes but he came back!
It is so true.
It really is, life. It's so strange.
Two more, over here.
Hangman (12/29/95)
"We're all just guessing letters,"
said Randall to his charge.
Some breath showed through the hood.
"What's that?" It came.
"Those words had shape," said Randall.
"I saw them. I can see."
He held an arm that'd never
come back.
"You got to learn to guess correctly
next time son. You really should
You keep thinkin' hard next time
you'll get it. You better."
He stepped back and sent him down.
said Randall to his charge.
Some breath showed through the hood.
"What's that?" It came.
"Those words had shape," said Randall.
"I saw them. I can see."
He held an arm that'd never
come back.
"You got to learn to guess correctly
next time son. You really should
You keep thinkin' hard next time
you'll get it. You better."
He stepped back and sent him down.
Les Riens (04/17/96)
Les riens, les riens
J'en ai assez, j'en a marre
Des riens
Je me trouve dans une brume
Interminable, puis
Je me perds sous les etoiles parme
Des dunes du sable
Bon, je me dis, je ne suis plus moi-meme
Je me serai jamais la meme
J'en ai assez, j'en a marre
Des riens
Je me trouve dans une brume
Interminable, puis
Je me perds sous les etoiles parme
Des dunes du sable
Bon, je me dis, je ne suis plus moi-meme
Je me serai jamais la meme
And Even In That Peaceful Coma (1995)
And even in that peaceful coma, temporary or not,
Lust was to him as meteors are;
intermittent and foreign.
Plunged downward from outside and hot.
His body hollowed out from the impact,
a crater, steaming and new,
static. In dirt.
Comes around faster than comets do, but
not fast enough.
Lust was to him as meteors are;
intermittent and foreign.
Plunged downward from outside and hot.
His body hollowed out from the impact,
a crater, steaming and new,
static. In dirt.
Comes around faster than comets do, but
not fast enough.
The Landmarks (1995)
The landmarks
Fall as far as you like
Drop from the mountain to the valley of death
Custer can't stand anymore
They smelled shame and smoke on his very last breath
My very own Alamo
My Pearl Harbor snug
My call from the governor
I'd spy for a hug from you
Fall as far as you like
Drop from the mountain to the valley of death
Custer can't stand anymore
They smelled shame and smoke on his very last breath
My very own Alamo
My Pearl Harbor snug
My call from the governor
I'd spy for a hug from you
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
I Feel My Body And Shadow Reverse (10/17/98)
I feel my body and shadow reverse
What walks is made of air
What lies on the ground
Is made up of skin, bone and hair
My soul is an ascetic
My body just a whore
The two of them have waged on me
A holy little war
In which I am a neutral party
Neither left nor right
A dim witted civilian
Caught up in the fight
"Who started it?" I ask
Seeking out the source
But no solution rises
From the ashes of this course
What walks is made of air
What lies on the ground
Is made up of skin, bone and hair
My soul is an ascetic
My body just a whore
The two of them have waged on me
A holy little war
In which I am a neutral party
Neither left nor right
A dim witted civilian
Caught up in the fight
"Who started it?" I ask
Seeking out the source
But no solution rises
From the ashes of this course
110* (10/17/98)
The barometer always reads change
which gives it a dubious distinction -
honesty, redundancy, irrelevancy.
'coz the weather might be different
but it's always gonna change
which gives it a dubious distinction -
honesty, redundancy, irrelevancy.
'coz the weather might be different
but it's always gonna change
Still Life (10/17/98)
Standing on top of a pillar
Trying not to take a step
You've never stood in any other place
You didn't even climb to get here
The breath it takes to speak will knock you off
All you ever think of is the drop
There are many places you could land
If you blink or twitch you know you'll fall
It hits you - you're nothing but a slave
No more than a Tussaud waxen figure
The view alone could send you reeling
You've learned the balance of the blind
You don't ask God to help you down
You don't know how far he will send you
Trying not to take a step
You've never stood in any other place
You didn't even climb to get here
The breath it takes to speak will knock you off
All you ever think of is the drop
There are many places you could land
If you blink or twitch you know you'll fall
It hits you - you're nothing but a slave
No more than a Tussaud waxen figure
The view alone could send you reeling
You've learned the balance of the blind
You don't ask God to help you down
You don't know how far he will send you
An Alien Angel (01/03/?)
I don't know what you're talking about,
on your shiny little chariot -
What a preener, with the latest
Technology, theology jet set
Don't give me that learning curve
Grown up with gadgets
Toddlers in chatrooms
Chronology bullshit
If you're trying to make me think like a machine
I won't do it.
But could you fly me up to Orion's Belt
And let me punch a new hole through it?
Because the universe is still expanding,
dontcha know.
Sorry for calling that moped a chariot.
on your shiny little chariot -
What a preener, with the latest
Technology, theology jet set
Don't give me that learning curve
Grown up with gadgets
Toddlers in chatrooms
Chronology bullshit
If you're trying to make me think like a machine
I won't do it.
But could you fly me up to Orion's Belt
And let me punch a new hole through it?
Because the universe is still expanding,
dontcha know.
Sorry for calling that moped a chariot.
Pale Three 01/03/?
Why are you so pale?
Thought this moon as it glimpsed
Itself caught in the sea
And it wished it could
Dive right down through
All that green
And I hope for your safety
And I long for your touch
And I try not to worry
But it doesn't do much
For when it all comes to you
I am so like that moon
I forget that this view
Is what causes my swoon
This is my third pale poem
I finally see color red
Flushing my cheeks as
You beckon to bed
Thought this moon as it glimpsed
Itself caught in the sea
And it wished it could
Dive right down through
All that green
And I hope for your safety
And I long for your touch
And I try not to worry
But it doesn't do much
For when it all comes to you
I am so like that moon
I forget that this view
Is what causes my swoon
This is my third pale poem
I finally see color red
Flushing my cheeks as
You beckon to bed
This Is A Land Where The Victors Say They're Sorry
This is a land where the victors say they're sorry
This is a land where the vanquished say that's ok
This is a land where slaves have risen up to power
This is a land where immigrants lead the way
Sure we've got our fascist sickos
And we've got our racist fools
We've got our religious zealots
We've got our failing schools
But like the TV we created
We know there's drama in these flaws
And like the trash talk shows losing ratings
We don't live with stupid laws
And I don't care about those buildings
I don't care about that steel
I don't care about the money
I've got better cops to feel
I'm an American for real
Let's give that freedom bell a peal
Let's start a new new new new deal
Let's reinvent the wheel
This is a land where the vanquished say that's ok
This is a land where slaves have risen up to power
This is a land where immigrants lead the way
Sure we've got our fascist sickos
And we've got our racist fools
We've got our religious zealots
We've got our failing schools
But like the TV we created
We know there's drama in these flaws
And like the trash talk shows losing ratings
We don't live with stupid laws
And I don't care about those buildings
I don't care about that steel
I don't care about the money
I've got better cops to feel
I'm an American for real
Let's give that freedom bell a peal
Let's start a new new new new deal
Let's reinvent the wheel
I Saw A Planet Through A Star
I saw a planet through a star
Dead light trapped behind these blue eyes
Glass house occupant knows the score
Rocks we throw stick to every wall
Pressing in, tearing out
C-section inside-out
Heartbeat thunders down
Dead light trapped behind these blue eyes
Glass house occupant knows the score
Rocks we throw stick to every wall
Pressing in, tearing out
C-section inside-out
Heartbeat thunders down
Red Devil White Devil (early '06)
The get along
It's strange
Like a big and little boy
Playing tennis in the rain
They join
They can do that
They can meld their will
They're all shades and sizes
All red devil! All white devil!
All red white black yellow brown devils!
Join with me don't make no sound
Everybody hit the ground
Join with me come and be found
Everybody hit the ground
It's strange
Like a big and little boy
Playing tennis in the rain
They join
They can do that
They can meld their will
They're all shades and sizes
All red devil! All white devil!
All red white black yellow brown devils!
Join with me don't make no sound
Everybody hit the ground
Join with me come and be found
Everybody hit the ground
The Inuit Meets (early '06)
the inuit meets
the mexican
can't they make sweet love?
the african meets
the cave asian
don't they make nice time?
i know i can't speak for you
my friends
but i will give you my rhyme
my line my spine my brine
my mind my kind my chime
isn't the heat
a lexicon
scant hey breaks peat above
the mexican
can't they make sweet love?
the african meets
the cave asian
don't they make nice time?
i know i can't speak for you
my friends
but i will give you my rhyme
my line my spine my brine
my mind my kind my chime
isn't the heat
a lexicon
scant hey breaks peat above
I Swear (early '06)
I swear
But I'm sorry when I do it
I smoke
But I wish nobody knew it
I drink
But I feel bad after I'm up threw it
I yell
But sometimes I overdo it
I cry
But I pooh pooh it
Don't take me at my word no more
Just know me by my deed no less
Do make me do my hair it's a mess
Let's even up that score
Let's even up that score
But I'm sorry when I do it
I smoke
But I wish nobody knew it
I drink
But I feel bad after I'm up threw it
I yell
But sometimes I overdo it
I cry
But I pooh pooh it
Don't take me at my word no more
Just know me by my deed no less
Do make me do my hair it's a mess
Let's even up that score
Let's even up that score
The Red's The Blood (late '05)
The red's the blood
The blue's a bruise
The white is the color of the news
The red's the ruse
The blue the suede shoes
The white is the hue
At the center of the fuse
There is a man who all knows
But something in the mud
Hides his mind to our woes
At the center of the glow
Is the man who all sees
But I'm not in the know
When his eyes turn to me
The blue's a bruise
The white is the color of the news
The red's the ruse
The blue the suede shoes
The white is the hue
At the center of the fuse
There is a man who all knows
But something in the mud
Hides his mind to our woes
At the center of the glow
Is the man who all sees
But I'm not in the know
When his eyes turn to me
Holy Sheet - Holly Sheet ('04)
Necro Wafers Found Noise
Ignoreamapotamus snuffle up to
Laser beams and light brigades
Buffalo stunts and goofs and gags
Go big or go hom MOFOS
My only foes are inside me
I got no time to say hoes is all up in my face
I'm a one woman man get
Your stuff all out my grill
Shoot blanks and I know when to drill
Don't shoot to kill only one girl to thrill
Yeah I been thru my shit
Come to one big conclusion
Don't give a shit to get thru
I can live in seclusion
You're cruisin' but I'm bruisin'
Her heels are lined up on the rack
The shoes are open to the ceiling by the bed
Her feet are up by my head
Yeah, you heard what I said
He says I ain't married but I sure ain't dead
Making it hard for straight shooters
Hard for good eggs you hurt my reputation
I'm a hafta break u off a leg
You can't small me I ain't here
I'm over with my honey, whisper in my ear
I pull a Columbine on evil MASS
I pull a Columbine on evil ME
I pull a Columbine on evil RI
I pull a Columbine on evil LA
I pull a Columbine on evil NY
Ignoramapotamous - do the LA shuffle
Do the NY shuffle
Do the KC shuffle
Do the Chitown shuffle
Ignoreamapotamus snuffle up to
Laser beams and light brigades
Buffalo stunts and goofs and gags
Go big or go hom MOFOS
My only foes are inside me
I got no time to say hoes is all up in my face
I'm a one woman man get
Your stuff all out my grill
Shoot blanks and I know when to drill
Don't shoot to kill only one girl to thrill
Yeah I been thru my shit
Come to one big conclusion
Don't give a shit to get thru
I can live in seclusion
You're cruisin' but I'm bruisin'
Her heels are lined up on the rack
The shoes are open to the ceiling by the bed
Her feet are up by my head
Yeah, you heard what I said
He says I ain't married but I sure ain't dead
Making it hard for straight shooters
Hard for good eggs you hurt my reputation
I'm a hafta break u off a leg
You can't small me I ain't here
I'm over with my honey, whisper in my ear
I pull a Columbine on evil MASS
I pull a Columbine on evil ME
I pull a Columbine on evil RI
I pull a Columbine on evil LA
I pull a Columbine on evil NY
Ignoramapotamous - do the LA shuffle
Do the NY shuffle
Do the KC shuffle
Do the Chitown shuffle
Let Me Hide You Away Sweet Valerie (mid '03)
Let me hide you away sweet Valerie
You can have them put the blame on me
Your bosses hunt down the wrong kind of game
Isn't it a shame that they don't
C, I, A is for zealotry
Fee, fi, fucked you is fo sho
Valerie Valerie bo ballery
Banana fanna fo falerie
Fee fi fucked you is for sho
If yo' name is Valerie Plame
She should have known better
She was asking for it
Did you see the way she dressed that night?
Did she not know that might was right?
You show your gams too much and you're fair game
She shouldn't have been walking in that part of town
She had to have known something bad'd go down
Or maybe she just thought 'No one can hurt me, I'm Valerie Plame!"
You hear that, world? You can't hurt me
Go ahead, lock me out of the Embassy
All I ever wanted was fortune and fame
Look at me you know my name
I'm the whore that everyone calls Valerie Plame
You can have them put the blame on me
Your bosses hunt down the wrong kind of game
Isn't it a shame that they don't
C, I, A is for zealotry
Fee, fi, fucked you is fo sho
Valerie Valerie bo ballery
Banana fanna fo falerie
Fee fi fucked you is for sho
If yo' name is Valerie Plame
She should have known better
She was asking for it
Did you see the way she dressed that night?
Did she not know that might was right?
You show your gams too much and you're fair game
She shouldn't have been walking in that part of town
She had to have known something bad'd go down
Or maybe she just thought 'No one can hurt me, I'm Valerie Plame!"
You hear that, world? You can't hurt me
Go ahead, lock me out of the Embassy
All I ever wanted was fortune and fame
Look at me you know my name
I'm the whore that everyone calls Valerie Plame
Bustin' A Sag (early '00)
Bustin' a sag, sportin' a stash
Old school mod squad
Freestyle M*A*S*H
I'm Rockford not Magnum (?)
Starsky not Hutch
Steve McQueen not the Duke
or I, Dutch
Douche, no.
Spellbinding
Old school mod squad
Freestyle M*A*S*H
I'm Rockford not Magnum (?)
Starsky not Hutch
Steve McQueen not the Duke
or I, Dutch
Douche, no.
Spellbinding
Drunkle (early '00)
I kick it like I'm yer drunk uncle
The funk'll drive ya
It's alive
Ya can't hide
Take the ride
Free fall in free style
Old school all the while
Bunch yer panties up sweetie
Like I'm giving ya lip
Don't tell your friends
We're on the mute tip
Flip the record right now
I'll show you how
Oh wow, it's right now
Don't stop 'coz I'm zoomin'
I can see the whole room in
3-D you're all me
I'm all you
It's all new
Give me your shoe, I'll drink from it
The funk'll drive ya
It's alive
Ya can't hide
Take the ride
Free fall in free style
Old school all the while
Bunch yer panties up sweetie
Like I'm giving ya lip
Don't tell your friends
We're on the mute tip
Flip the record right now
I'll show you how
Oh wow, it's right now
Don't stop 'coz I'm zoomin'
I can see the whole room in
3-D you're all me
I'm all you
It's all new
Give me your shoe, I'll drink from it
Getting Religion (late '99)
Sit on my lap, stranger, and tell
me a story. Make it about yourself
and make it short, something I can
sink my teeth into.
No, nothing about your god-damned
mother, or school, or work, or any of
that claptrap.
Surprise me, for god's sake. And
remember, you're only as good as
the worst thing you've ever done.
And I ain't telling you squat.
me a story. Make it about yourself
and make it short, something I can
sink my teeth into.
No, nothing about your god-damned
mother, or school, or work, or any of
that claptrap.
Surprise me, for god's sake. And
remember, you're only as good as
the worst thing you've ever done.
And I ain't telling you squat.
The Invisible World Beneath Our Eyes (late '99)
And you know it when you feel it
the eyes in the back of your head confirm it
the wall's breaking down
the scream's falling off
the sentence running on and on and on and on
the invisible world beneath our eyes
it's all we see all we feel
it's all that we can do to deny it
it's all that we can do to rely on it
and if on your life you had to you'd defend it
the process from which all is done goes on
i'm falling off the wall
my scream is breaking down
the inner monologue just won't go off off off
the invisible world beneath our eyes
it's all we see all we feel
it's all that we can do to deny it
it's all that we can do to rely on it
the eyes in the back of your head confirm it
the wall's breaking down
the scream's falling off
the sentence running on and on and on and on
the invisible world beneath our eyes
it's all we see all we feel
it's all that we can do to deny it
it's all that we can do to rely on it
and if on your life you had to you'd defend it
the process from which all is done goes on
i'm falling off the wall
my scream is breaking down
the inner monologue just won't go off off off
the invisible world beneath our eyes
it's all we see all we feel
it's all that we can do to deny it
it's all that we can do to rely on it
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Fallen Genie (Orleans LXXXIV '91)
The eyelash was on his cheek and
clung there, through breakfast, fell to
the collar of his shirt on his commute, resting
on the 100% cotton fiber during two
staff meetings until it lost its grip, drifting
into the void, taking its wonderful wish with it
clung there, through breakfast, fell to
the collar of his shirt on his commute, resting
on the 100% cotton fiber during two
staff meetings until it lost its grip, drifting
into the void, taking its wonderful wish with it
Luxury (the lap of...) (Orleans LXXXIII '91)
A bearclaw leg of a table gripped
the hardwood floor a silver spoon
sat on a napkin a crystal bowl sat on
a lace doily and doled out punch
to drunk Judy who sat on a wicker
chair which creaked and spat and
left its imprint on her intoxicated
ass
the hardwood floor a silver spoon
sat on a napkin a crystal bowl sat on
a lace doily and doled out punch
to drunk Judy who sat on a wicker
chair which creaked and spat and
left its imprint on her intoxicated
ass
He Kissed The Inner Side (Orleans LXXXII '91)
He kissed the inner side of his own arm
and remembered her lips
and remembered her lips
Under (Orleans LXXXI '91)
Under the lacquer, the grain of the wood
swept along, useful, handy
Under the tarp, the body stiffened
Under his gaze, she reached across the table
and brushed the spider from his collarbone
Under police protection, he whored
and gambled with drug money
Under his blankets, the sheets became
wet as his brain finished its self-seduction
Under the foot deep sheet of snow, the squirrel's hoard
of acorns nestled, warming with the dirt
Under her dress, things began to happen if
she thought of that certain something he did with his eyes
Under the likeness of his love, he walked
along la Rue de Tours
Under the smooth tone of the man's voice, a hint
of vulgarity lurked like a mugger
Under her watch, a patch of peau
remained pour la plupart pigment free
Under the tree, the apple unfortunately hit
his other head.
Under the window, the weather beaten hands
gathered up the tickets
Under pressure, she was likely to tear chunks
from her fingers with her teeth
Under a false name, the teenagers dryly battered
away at each other in a dimly lit hotel room
Under the weather, he didn't feel like
going out that night
Under my thumb, the girl, who once
had me down
Understudying the lead, he sat in the green room
and smoked to pass the time
Under the impression that she still loved him, he flew a
great distance to be kicked in the balls
Under several feet of soil in a yard behind a fireplace,
lies the summer of my content, undiscovered
Under her tongue, the pill that averted the heart attack
slowly dissolved, leaving a wonderfully bitter aftertaste
Under the past, we beat on
boats against the current
Under the napkin, the fatty piece of ham lay,
glistening after having tumbled from a mouth
"Under my dead body," said the casket
to the missile silo
Under his foot, the pedal sank
and the speedometer rose with the lump in his throat
and the tears in his eyes
Understanding the heart of another is like pulling the pin
on a grenade and wrapping it in thin, colored paper
Underwriting the cost of the trip, he noticed many
discrepancies in the books
Under 4 minutes and 45 seconds was his goal and his
lungs filled impossibly, triumphantly, after a time of 4:43
Under the tack on the map, the city of Austin
sat, pinned, tapped
Underground, rock is bubbling
Under their parents watchful eyes, the two young lovers
only held hands, knowing that more was expected of them
Underwater he opened his eyes and saw her
striped bikini twisting sensually through bubbles from his mouth
Under a local anaesthetic, he told the doctor that
he often rode his bicycle in the rain and he didn't care
WHO knew it
Under the door, a book of matches slid silently
Under the car, the oil dropped onto the forehead
and slowly drooled down into the close cropped crew cut
Under the covers, the fart hung like a cloud formation and
as he was not awake to wave it away it stank for quite awhile
Under his left eye, the blood trickled toward
his lip and the broken capillaries were already forming a bruise
Under the influence of alcohol, his thoughts were flat
and full of water and dirty words
Sous-terre, la fleuve coulait
Under where?
Under there.
Underwear!
Under the table, the Black Lab
lapped at the scrap
Under the Declaration of Independence, the table scratched
under the ink and the quill of history
Under the Constitution, we are presumed innocent
until proven guilty
Under his hairpiece, his wrinkled talcum powdered
scalp itched and twitched
Under the lid of the mahogany colored box, the undiscovered
summer consisted of objects diverse, objects of friendship
Under her fingernails, the garden dirt gathered
and then dissolved with the water from the hose
Under his copy of Ulysses, the dust gathered and formed
until he plunged his head into the cleanness of the words
"Under the porch of the general post office, the shoe blacks called and polished"
Under his bushy grey eyebrows, his green eye, the good one,
twinkled like a slowly dying star
Under the curl of the salty wave, he extended his arms
to ride the mystery of the tide
Under duress, he was unable to keep the military secret
from squeezing through his clenched teeth
Undermining his ability to make love, was a grain,
a morsel of a religion he had otherwise left behind
Underlined in black felt pen ink throughout the newspaper,
a ransom note unfurled like a flag
Under an open strong cold sky, the sides of his fingers bled
as he ferociously strummed the black acoustic guitar
Under the eyes of our forefathers, men were packed
onto boats like clowns into a car
Under attack, the soldiers lashed back, watching
bullet bursts disappear into the lovely jungle
Under the reign of Henry V, men embraced
shining enemy swords on St. Cripsin's Day
Under a certain height, she was allowed to bounce
inside the gigantic grasshopper
Under the pop up, he felt flashbulbs capturing him
and his impending moment of triumph
Under Ben Bulben, an Irishman wrote
his own epitaph
Under ever future, Helen's rhapsodic
forever dangled with turquoise tassels
Under the small of her back, his fingers lightly
lifted her from the mattress, closer, deep
Under the arc of soft light thrown from the lamp, the top of
her turquoise lace lingerie was visible over the unbuttoned
end of the edge of her cotton shirt
Under Saturn's gravity pull, one might find oneself turning
somersaults into hotel walls, repeatedly
Underage drinking has become quite a problem, along with
the fact that marijuana isn't legal
Under elven enchantment, O'Herlihy braced himself to
catch the falling pot as he was bathed in the ultraviolet range
Under an ancient curse, yet unaware of it, Mr. Wallace was perplexed by the
books that kept popping out of bookcases onto his head, which
was, lucky for him, the extent of the curse
Under amber floral, coral crystal cable traced
basilisk religious flow
Under spastic seizure, her tongue lolled and
sank back into her throat
Under hypnosis, her left hand strayed to the
patch of white under the yellow pleats
Under the stream of hot shower water, he lathered and
lathered and lathered, until he came, a hot stream in a hot stream
Underweight, his bones made corners, edges,
traceable and jagged
Under the painting entitled "Beastie With A Piece Of Tomorrow," the
dark piece of furniture was strewn with keys, stamps, and mail
Under her fingers, the ivory jangled and mewed and
sat just outside his ears
Under these circumstances, it was best for him not to
see her anymore
Under every plate, a delicate lace doily lay, snowflaked
fragile and slightly flattened by the weight of the food
Under frantic bouillon, gastric bastards built
brick battalions and blew up balloons with rancid breath
Under my jurisdiction, everybody works damn hard and
the next meal don't come quite fast enough
Under the new rules, it was now quite legal to shoot
someone in the back as long as you had the right bullets
Under the greasepaint and the clown costume, he threw himself
not only into the role, but through it and onto the other
side of Sganarelle "The Flying Doctor"
Under plastic wrapping, hot dogs sat in the lukewarm air
and held their weak juice inside until the expiration date
Under the tutelage of a man with very little hair, she began
to spit fire and threw blue chairs at appropriate moments
Under the shadow of the skyscraper, he remembered the
words of Hellsbeagle - "Building's don't pee" and then
saw the trickle of water tracing the sidewalk crack
Under mountains lie caves with contents of great import
Under a bridge he bounced over the water face down and
waited to be brought back up to life
Under the hood the radiator hissed and spewed like
hell hath no fury
Under the yellow roar, colors of trumpets bathed
in the baptismal pile of leaves, fall
Under his nose, the small piece of mucous hung,
indecisive
Under his bed, a sleepy monster told him
to quit the whining and get some sleep, they had
all had a long week
Under the yacht, a sand crab was crushed and the
spiraling seaweed was snipped neatly in two
Under orders from the higher ups, he called the unsuspecting
man into his office
"Under a Blood Red Sky"
"Under a Cherry Moon"
Understatement of the century he thought when she
tried to explain something away
Under Ronald Wilson Reagan, status quo, status quo,
status quo, flair, Insane Anglo Warlord, anagram
Under Abbey's harlequin, the honest lizard fought
with the dog who dressed like a cat
Under the sea green porcelain toilet seat, a droplet of urine
lay, almost gelatinous, contact lens-like in the fluorescent glow,
and her eyes misted over at the memory of a man in the house
Under that makeup he thought, lies the face of a
drunkard, crazier than a shithouse rat
Under the mantelpiece, just above the fireplace, a homemade heart
of tiny rocks hung against the reddened wood and beat
in time to the flickering flames that forced it to keep pumping
and kept it on the verge of death, radiant
Under the statue of Jeanne D'Arc, a petit penis let fly, pissing at
the feet of a legend, avoiding his mother's glare
Under George Bush, status quo, status quo,
status quo, and a stupid, vain, dangerous bird
Under her pillow, two baby teeth sat in an envelope hoping to be
worth enough to buy the next dream, and delay the denial of youth
Under the crisp baguette, the porcelain purple flowers were
emblazoned on a background of white and a small rivulet of
butter inched toward the center of the plate, where the bread
crossed over the stalk of the foliage - all this in slight relief
Under ceilings, floors are sometimes green with envy
Under Paul Westerberg's ragged sigh, drums beat
clearer than gunshots and guitars zigged and zagged, the
bass was damn good too
Under his chin, the padded black glove of leather threw
stars into his head as the spectators flipped themselves
upside down
Under rotating histories, clocks of violet gravel
dribbled slowly into diamond gutters
Under his new religion, Oct. 27 was a very
important day
Under the quicksand, in a silence complete, the
skeletal frame gestured for help although it had been
dead for some time; the sand had shifted, forcing a
movement, and stirring a terrible hope
Under her low sensual murmur, a pulse of blue
spread warmly, quickly, and slowly through the
tendons in the back of her legs and shot up into
her mouth and eyes as she spoke his name aloud
Under the "blue, red, and grey", they sipped cocktails
and grumbled about how early they had to get up the next day
Under "The Persistence of Memory", the cover of
Ulysses hung, hovering over french centimes in
a clear glass ashtray
Under pot-soaked linoleum, a couple
floated, flyingsauceresque and noble
Under his eyelids, an image popped and danced
like a marionette on a bed of coals
Under it, nothing had been disturbed,
nothing at all
Under the existing laws, it is fine for
fifteen year old black urban youths to shoot
each other over cocaine yet we won't
pass laws for white businessmen
to kill themselves with it legally
Under his left sleeve, the dogshit squirted in either
direction, the perfect capper to his day
Under the place where her panties had been, he spoke
several languages, all of which she heard in
the brightest of blues
Under 263, he needed 13 more lines to reach it and
as 13 was his lucky #...
Under a twirling flaming lamp-post, the army
soldier inhaled her flaxen
hair, thinking of dragons, jesters, lances,
and feasts and he threw purple
bottles of magic elixir high into the air
and drank from the clouds they made
And she and his best friend drank along with him
Under all lay his love of life, his fear of death
and somehow a sense that he was not alone
Under the lines of under, he wrote a word that
never would be.
Over.
swept along, useful, handy
Under the tarp, the body stiffened
Under his gaze, she reached across the table
and brushed the spider from his collarbone
Under police protection, he whored
and gambled with drug money
Under his blankets, the sheets became
wet as his brain finished its self-seduction
Under the foot deep sheet of snow, the squirrel's hoard
of acorns nestled, warming with the dirt
Under her dress, things began to happen if
she thought of that certain something he did with his eyes
Under the likeness of his love, he walked
along la Rue de Tours
Under the smooth tone of the man's voice, a hint
of vulgarity lurked like a mugger
Under her watch, a patch of peau
remained pour la plupart pigment free
Under the tree, the apple unfortunately hit
his other head.
Under the window, the weather beaten hands
gathered up the tickets
Under pressure, she was likely to tear chunks
from her fingers with her teeth
Under a false name, the teenagers dryly battered
away at each other in a dimly lit hotel room
Under the weather, he didn't feel like
going out that night
Under my thumb, the girl, who once
had me down
Understudying the lead, he sat in the green room
and smoked to pass the time
Under the impression that she still loved him, he flew a
great distance to be kicked in the balls
Under several feet of soil in a yard behind a fireplace,
lies the summer of my content, undiscovered
Under her tongue, the pill that averted the heart attack
slowly dissolved, leaving a wonderfully bitter aftertaste
Under the past, we beat on
boats against the current
Under the napkin, the fatty piece of ham lay,
glistening after having tumbled from a mouth
"Under my dead body," said the casket
to the missile silo
Under his foot, the pedal sank
and the speedometer rose with the lump in his throat
and the tears in his eyes
Understanding the heart of another is like pulling the pin
on a grenade and wrapping it in thin, colored paper
Underwriting the cost of the trip, he noticed many
discrepancies in the books
Under 4 minutes and 45 seconds was his goal and his
lungs filled impossibly, triumphantly, after a time of 4:43
Under the tack on the map, the city of Austin
sat, pinned, tapped
Underground, rock is bubbling
Under their parents watchful eyes, the two young lovers
only held hands, knowing that more was expected of them
Underwater he opened his eyes and saw her
striped bikini twisting sensually through bubbles from his mouth
Under a local anaesthetic, he told the doctor that
he often rode his bicycle in the rain and he didn't care
WHO knew it
Under the door, a book of matches slid silently
Under the car, the oil dropped onto the forehead
and slowly drooled down into the close cropped crew cut
Under the covers, the fart hung like a cloud formation and
as he was not awake to wave it away it stank for quite awhile
Under his left eye, the blood trickled toward
his lip and the broken capillaries were already forming a bruise
Under the influence of alcohol, his thoughts were flat
and full of water and dirty words
Sous-terre, la fleuve coulait
Under where?
Under there.
Underwear!
Under the table, the Black Lab
lapped at the scrap
Under the Declaration of Independence, the table scratched
under the ink and the quill of history
Under the Constitution, we are presumed innocent
until proven guilty
Under his hairpiece, his wrinkled talcum powdered
scalp itched and twitched
Under the lid of the mahogany colored box, the undiscovered
summer consisted of objects diverse, objects of friendship
Under her fingernails, the garden dirt gathered
and then dissolved with the water from the hose
Under his copy of Ulysses, the dust gathered and formed
until he plunged his head into the cleanness of the words
"Under the porch of the general post office, the shoe blacks called and polished"
Under his bushy grey eyebrows, his green eye, the good one,
twinkled like a slowly dying star
Under the curl of the salty wave, he extended his arms
to ride the mystery of the tide
Under duress, he was unable to keep the military secret
from squeezing through his clenched teeth
Undermining his ability to make love, was a grain,
a morsel of a religion he had otherwise left behind
Underlined in black felt pen ink throughout the newspaper,
a ransom note unfurled like a flag
Under an open strong cold sky, the sides of his fingers bled
as he ferociously strummed the black acoustic guitar
Under the eyes of our forefathers, men were packed
onto boats like clowns into a car
Under attack, the soldiers lashed back, watching
bullet bursts disappear into the lovely jungle
Under the reign of Henry V, men embraced
shining enemy swords on St. Cripsin's Day
Under a certain height, she was allowed to bounce
inside the gigantic grasshopper
Under the pop up, he felt flashbulbs capturing him
and his impending moment of triumph
Under Ben Bulben, an Irishman wrote
his own epitaph
Under ever future, Helen's rhapsodic
forever dangled with turquoise tassels
Under the small of her back, his fingers lightly
lifted her from the mattress, closer, deep
Under the arc of soft light thrown from the lamp, the top of
her turquoise lace lingerie was visible over the unbuttoned
end of the edge of her cotton shirt
Under Saturn's gravity pull, one might find oneself turning
somersaults into hotel walls, repeatedly
Underage drinking has become quite a problem, along with
the fact that marijuana isn't legal
Under elven enchantment, O'Herlihy braced himself to
catch the falling pot as he was bathed in the ultraviolet range
Under an ancient curse, yet unaware of it, Mr. Wallace was perplexed by the
books that kept popping out of bookcases onto his head, which
was, lucky for him, the extent of the curse
Under amber floral, coral crystal cable traced
basilisk religious flow
Under spastic seizure, her tongue lolled and
sank back into her throat
Under hypnosis, her left hand strayed to the
patch of white under the yellow pleats
Under the stream of hot shower water, he lathered and
lathered and lathered, until he came, a hot stream in a hot stream
Underweight, his bones made corners, edges,
traceable and jagged
Under the painting entitled "Beastie With A Piece Of Tomorrow," the
dark piece of furniture was strewn with keys, stamps, and mail
Under her fingers, the ivory jangled and mewed and
sat just outside his ears
Under these circumstances, it was best for him not to
see her anymore
Under every plate, a delicate lace doily lay, snowflaked
fragile and slightly flattened by the weight of the food
Under frantic bouillon, gastric bastards built
brick battalions and blew up balloons with rancid breath
Under my jurisdiction, everybody works damn hard and
the next meal don't come quite fast enough
Under the new rules, it was now quite legal to shoot
someone in the back as long as you had the right bullets
Under the greasepaint and the clown costume, he threw himself
not only into the role, but through it and onto the other
side of Sganarelle "The Flying Doctor"
Under plastic wrapping, hot dogs sat in the lukewarm air
and held their weak juice inside until the expiration date
Under the tutelage of a man with very little hair, she began
to spit fire and threw blue chairs at appropriate moments
Under the shadow of the skyscraper, he remembered the
words of Hellsbeagle - "Building's don't pee" and then
saw the trickle of water tracing the sidewalk crack
Under mountains lie caves with contents of great import
Under a bridge he bounced over the water face down and
waited to be brought back up to life
Under the hood the radiator hissed and spewed like
hell hath no fury
Under the yellow roar, colors of trumpets bathed
in the baptismal pile of leaves, fall
Under his nose, the small piece of mucous hung,
indecisive
Under his bed, a sleepy monster told him
to quit the whining and get some sleep, they had
all had a long week
Under the yacht, a sand crab was crushed and the
spiraling seaweed was snipped neatly in two
Under orders from the higher ups, he called the unsuspecting
man into his office
"Under a Blood Red Sky"
"Under a Cherry Moon"
Understatement of the century he thought when she
tried to explain something away
Under Ronald Wilson Reagan, status quo, status quo,
status quo, flair, Insane Anglo Warlord, anagram
Under Abbey's harlequin, the honest lizard fought
with the dog who dressed like a cat
Under the sea green porcelain toilet seat, a droplet of urine
lay, almost gelatinous, contact lens-like in the fluorescent glow,
and her eyes misted over at the memory of a man in the house
Under that makeup he thought, lies the face of a
drunkard, crazier than a shithouse rat
Under the mantelpiece, just above the fireplace, a homemade heart
of tiny rocks hung against the reddened wood and beat
in time to the flickering flames that forced it to keep pumping
and kept it on the verge of death, radiant
Under the statue of Jeanne D'Arc, a petit penis let fly, pissing at
the feet of a legend, avoiding his mother's glare
Under George Bush, status quo, status quo,
status quo, and a stupid, vain, dangerous bird
Under her pillow, two baby teeth sat in an envelope hoping to be
worth enough to buy the next dream, and delay the denial of youth
Under the crisp baguette, the porcelain purple flowers were
emblazoned on a background of white and a small rivulet of
butter inched toward the center of the plate, where the bread
crossed over the stalk of the foliage - all this in slight relief
Under ceilings, floors are sometimes green with envy
Under Paul Westerberg's ragged sigh, drums beat
clearer than gunshots and guitars zigged and zagged, the
bass was damn good too
Under his chin, the padded black glove of leather threw
stars into his head as the spectators flipped themselves
upside down
Under rotating histories, clocks of violet gravel
dribbled slowly into diamond gutters
Under his new religion, Oct. 27 was a very
important day
Under the quicksand, in a silence complete, the
skeletal frame gestured for help although it had been
dead for some time; the sand had shifted, forcing a
movement, and stirring a terrible hope
Under her low sensual murmur, a pulse of blue
spread warmly, quickly, and slowly through the
tendons in the back of her legs and shot up into
her mouth and eyes as she spoke his name aloud
Under the "blue, red, and grey", they sipped cocktails
and grumbled about how early they had to get up the next day
Under "The Persistence of Memory", the cover of
Ulysses hung, hovering over french centimes in
a clear glass ashtray
Under pot-soaked linoleum, a couple
floated, flyingsauceresque and noble
Under his eyelids, an image popped and danced
like a marionette on a bed of coals
Under it, nothing had been disturbed,
nothing at all
Under the existing laws, it is fine for
fifteen year old black urban youths to shoot
each other over cocaine yet we won't
pass laws for white businessmen
to kill themselves with it legally
Under his left sleeve, the dogshit squirted in either
direction, the perfect capper to his day
Under the place where her panties had been, he spoke
several languages, all of which she heard in
the brightest of blues
Under 263, he needed 13 more lines to reach it and
as 13 was his lucky #...
Under a twirling flaming lamp-post, the army
soldier inhaled her flaxen
hair, thinking of dragons, jesters, lances,
and feasts and he threw purple
bottles of magic elixir high into the air
and drank from the clouds they made
And she and his best friend drank along with him
Under all lay his love of life, his fear of death
and somehow a sense that he was not alone
Under the lines of under, he wrote a word that
never would be.
Over.
The Third Poem Of The Night Was For Her (Orleans LXXIX '91)
The third poem of the night was for her
Blast
I found my thrill on...
(Is it possible for a poet to have a blue period?)
Guitar solo
Leather Phoenix
Indian Summer
Leaves in the mail, this is my surroundings
Blast
I found my thrill on...
(Is it possible for a poet to have a blue period?)
Guitar solo
Leather Phoenix
Indian Summer
Leaves in the mail, this is my surroundings
Slide The Tongue Around (Orleans LXXVIII '91)
Slide the tongue around
And around
And a
Round
Spartan wings of alabaster statues
Beat a rhythm all around
And around
And a
Round
Spartan wings of alabaster statues
Beat a rhythm all around
A Span Of Space (Orleans LXXVII '91)
A span of space
This echo was silent, blue
A trace of man
This line is busy, conversing
With the ocean, blue
A basin of sand
An oasis
A tangible mirage
This echo was silent, blue
A trace of man
This line is busy, conversing
With the ocean, blue
A basin of sand
An oasis
A tangible mirage
I'll Fuck You Up (Orleans LXXVI '91)
I'll fuck you up
I'll fuck you up
I'll FUCK YOU UP
I'll fuck you up
Damn straight, damn quick
Straighter
Quicker
I'll add to my collection of scars if need be
I'll fuck you up
I'll FUCK YOU UP
I'll fuck you up
Damn straight, damn quick
Straighter
Quicker
I'll add to my collection of scars if need be
Your Head Was Down Your Eyes Were Up (Orleans LXXV '91)
Your head was down your eyes were up
Your hands were on my hips
And all the shadows of the past
Were dancing on your lips
The screens were circling all around
In angles forty-five
The flowerpot hid its eyes as
It saw us come alive
The memories of the future held
As I held your blue hand
Now what can rhyme with that I thought
I'm sure you'll understand
We were larger than any road,
But we squeezed through a single hole
In the screen
All the same
And floated through the yard
Your hands were on my hips
And all the shadows of the past
Were dancing on your lips
The screens were circling all around
In angles forty-five
The flowerpot hid its eyes as
It saw us come alive
The memories of the future held
As I held your blue hand
Now what can rhyme with that I thought
I'm sure you'll understand
We were larger than any road,
But we squeezed through a single hole
In the screen
All the same
And floated through the yard
Slightly Doublejointed (Orleans LXXIII '91)
Slightly doublejointed
She bent back at the knees
And when they wrapped around me
All I could say was, "Oh,
Susan."
Oh Susan
A specific reference in a poem
To this girl
Whose name is Susan who is
Slightly doublejointed and used
To be a gymnast.
She sees blue
And I see light
The two are mixed
Between our legs
As we love all through the night
She bent back at the knees
And when they wrapped around me
All I could say was, "Oh,
Susan."
Oh Susan
A specific reference in a poem
To this girl
Whose name is Susan who is
Slightly doublejointed and used
To be a gymnast.
She sees blue
And I see light
The two are mixed
Between our legs
As we love all through the night
A Blatantly Sexual Poem (Orleans LXXII '91)
A tongue upon a nipple
And a hand upon a crotch
A suction cup sound between two chests
Sweat
A tongue upon a tongue
A tongue inside an ear
I love you a bushel and a peck
A bush and a pecker
And a hickey on your neck
A hickey on your neck
And a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap
And I'm dreaming in my sleep
About you
And a hand upon a crotch
A suction cup sound between two chests
Sweat
A tongue upon a tongue
A tongue inside an ear
I love you a bushel and a peck
A bush and a pecker
And a hickey on your neck
A hickey on your neck
And a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap
And I'm dreaming in my sleep
About you
Often I Would Say (Orleans LXXI '91)
Often I would say,
"Here, listen to this. This is an incredible song."
And they would agree to listen, they loved music
The song would begin itself, learning to walk
In its first notes, knowing it would run later
It was rare (almost never in fact) that the song
Would run without intervention
They would say,
"That's great. (music playing in back) Did I
tell you about my..."
"Cool. (music) What do you want to do tonigh...?"
"That's pretty good. (music) My favorite song is..."
I would push my lips upward and keep my teeth
From their neck as they rendered the musical climax
Impotent
A masterpiece half-listened to
The back of my neck would face them as I
Turned the song off in stride, in crescendo
And made a face that water would have
Trickled out of onto peasants upturned faces
Centuries ago when music was all that
We had to call our own
"Here, listen to this. This is an incredible song."
And they would agree to listen, they loved music
The song would begin itself, learning to walk
In its first notes, knowing it would run later
It was rare (almost never in fact) that the song
Would run without intervention
They would say,
"That's great. (music playing in back) Did I
tell you about my..."
"Cool. (music) What do you want to do tonigh...?"
"That's pretty good. (music) My favorite song is..."
I would push my lips upward and keep my teeth
From their neck as they rendered the musical climax
Impotent
A masterpiece half-listened to
The back of my neck would face them as I
Turned the song off in stride, in crescendo
And made a face that water would have
Trickled out of onto peasants upturned faces
Centuries ago when music was all that
We had to call our own
T.S. Eliot Is Walking Slowly (Orleans LXX '91)
T.S. Eliot is walking slowly, quietly through
the corridors of my brain while
W.B. Yeats is banging his fist against
the walls of my heart
James Joyce is telling them to look around
there, on my tongue, looking at them
and you are rubbing your hips against mine
and they all respectfully
shut up.
It's my house after all.
the corridors of my brain while
W.B. Yeats is banging his fist against
the walls of my heart
James Joyce is telling them to look around
there, on my tongue, looking at them
and you are rubbing your hips against mine
and they all respectfully
shut up.
It's my house after all.
No, We're Not Even Now (Orleans LXIX '91)
No, we're not even now
that's not the way it works.
Even if that was the case,
we'd have been at odds long before.
I lied to myself, and said I lied
so you could see the turnaround,
the turnaround
But it was the other way around
the other way around
was the truth that brought me down
This is why I'm free and clear
and free to love again
your lie has turned you inside out
left you torn and strange
So when you come knocking
to get this straightened out
realize it's you who's crooked
and we'll get along just fine
I realized I was crooked
I went and walked the line
You haven't walked that line,
want me to walk in your place
It don't work that way either
Coz in that mirror it's still your face
So no we are not even
Now that you have hurt me too
You can't trade a good eye for a blind one
Not even in the bible
that's not the way it works.
Even if that was the case,
we'd have been at odds long before.
I lied to myself, and said I lied
so you could see the turnaround,
the turnaround
But it was the other way around
the other way around
was the truth that brought me down
This is why I'm free and clear
and free to love again
your lie has turned you inside out
left you torn and strange
So when you come knocking
to get this straightened out
realize it's you who's crooked
and we'll get along just fine
I realized I was crooked
I went and walked the line
You haven't walked that line,
want me to walk in your place
It don't work that way either
Coz in that mirror it's still your face
So no we are not even
Now that you have hurt me too
You can't trade a good eye for a blind one
Not even in the bible
She Squeezed The Orange (Orleans LXVIII '91)
She squeezed the orange
over the glass, but most
of the liquid slid down over her palms,
and spiraled around her wrist, cold
He drank it anyway
over the glass, but most
of the liquid slid down over her palms,
and spiraled around her wrist, cold
He drank it anyway
The Muscles Inside Of Her (Orleans LXVII '91)
The muscles inside of her
had tightened over the time without use
and she closed around him
firmly
and felt at home
had tightened over the time without use
and she closed around him
firmly
and felt at home
Pull The Jeans (Orleans LXVI '91)
Pull the jeans up over your hips
Wriggle til they fit
Covering my vacuum
My summer home
Wriggle til they fit
Covering my vacuum
My summer home
His Finger Rested On The Cover (Orleans LXV '91)
His finger rested on the cover of the photo album
And as he opened it
He smelled beer, the remnants of stage makeup,
cigarette smoke,
and the crisp winter air
His lines came back to him suddenly
and he saw his breath
And as he opened it
He smelled beer, the remnants of stage makeup,
cigarette smoke,
and the crisp winter air
His lines came back to him suddenly
and he saw his breath
There Was A New Address (Orleans LXIV '91)
There was a new address to be memorized
simply by use
An address where he was welcome
simply by use
An address where he was welcome
Anton's Proud (Orleans LXIII '91)
Anton's proud of his recipe
for a pasta dish
made with chicken cutlets, broccoli,
melted cheese, little garlic powder
and ziti
Anton's proud that he appreciates
the beauty of a fog rolling in,
across a turf farm as the sun
burns orange incandescent
Anton's proud that he's read
Ulysses by James Joyce
Anton's proud of his little sister
who just got elected to student council
Anton's proud to laugh, and
says we should all kiss the ground
every time we wake up.
He says it's the greatest miracle ever.
for a pasta dish
made with chicken cutlets, broccoli,
melted cheese, little garlic powder
and ziti
Anton's proud that he appreciates
the beauty of a fog rolling in,
across a turf farm as the sun
burns orange incandescent
Anton's proud that he's read
Ulysses by James Joyce
Anton's proud of his little sister
who just got elected to student council
Anton's proud to laugh, and
says we should all kiss the ground
every time we wake up.
He says it's the greatest miracle ever.
Sleep (Orleans LXII '91)
His eyelids half-closed
His body heavy and his mind light
His arms were folded
As he hung there dreaming all the night
His knees were curled up
Sleep
His body heavy and his mind light
His arms were folded
As he hung there dreaming all the night
His knees were curled up
Sleep
This Was No Ordinary Pair Of Eyelashes (Orleans LXII '91)
This was no ordinary pair of eyeglasses
that fluttered through the glass at her
These eyelashes were, for lack of a better word,
luscious
Each eyelash, as if a flake of snow,
traced a different pattern on her skin,
But, unlike snow,
left her as warm as a bowl of gumbo
on an early fall day
that fluttered through the glass at her
These eyelashes were, for lack of a better word,
luscious
Each eyelash, as if a flake of snow,
traced a different pattern on her skin,
But, unlike snow,
left her as warm as a bowl of gumbo
on an early fall day
Someone Had Tied A Piece Of String (Orleans LXI '91)
Someone had tied a piece of string
around each of the fingers on his left hand
In the beginning, the knot was loose and the
bows were beautiful and they blew in the wind
They were comfortable
Soon after, the itching started and a bit of
flesh on the middle finger became inflamed
But it was barely noticeable
Summer came and his skin began (naturally)
to expand a bit with the warmth and
very quickly
each finger was swollen beyond belief
The purple flesh almost completely enclosed around the string
The tips of his fingers were ashen while around the rest
of his hand throbbed
Someone else came along
and slowly, seductively, and with great care,
unlaced each finger
allowing the blood to go
to flow
to continue the things he'd started
around each of the fingers on his left hand
In the beginning, the knot was loose and the
bows were beautiful and they blew in the wind
They were comfortable
Soon after, the itching started and a bit of
flesh on the middle finger became inflamed
But it was barely noticeable
Summer came and his skin began (naturally)
to expand a bit with the warmth and
very quickly
each finger was swollen beyond belief
The purple flesh almost completely enclosed around the string
The tips of his fingers were ashen while around the rest
of his hand throbbed
Someone else came along
and slowly, seductively, and with great care,
unlaced each finger
allowing the blood to go
to flow
to continue the things he'd started
Poem # 7 (Regarded) (Orleans LX '91)
He wanted her to take a good look at
Poem # 7 and take the next photo
that came to her lips
Poem # 7 and take the next photo
that came to her lips
A Cobblestone Drunkard (Orleans LIX '91)
A cobblestone drunkard
Hopping on a bus
With a throbbing in my groin
The architecture makes it respectable
But the state is the same
A drunken mess
A throbbing in my groin
Oh, life is funny that way
Take me for example
Oh, just take me for chrissakes
One building
Outdates my country
I drank in it
And forgot one hour
There are memories here
That I don't have
That I can't forget
So I have to forget my own
But the throbbing in my groin
Reminds me of at least one thing
An important thing
The important thing
This cobblestone drunkard
Remembers what he needs to
Hopping on a bus
With a throbbing in my groin
The architecture makes it respectable
But the state is the same
A drunken mess
A throbbing in my groin
Oh, life is funny that way
Take me for example
Oh, just take me for chrissakes
One building
Outdates my country
I drank in it
And forgot one hour
There are memories here
That I don't have
That I can't forget
So I have to forget my own
But the throbbing in my groin
Reminds me of at least one thing
An important thing
The important thing
This cobblestone drunkard
Remembers what he needs to
Running (Orleans LVIII '91)
Running
I can't stop running
You sure looked stunning
In that black dress
Falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop calling
You even now
Patch it
I tried to patch it
Somebody snatched it
Right from my hands
Ending
This just ain't ending
And I can't stop bending
My back for you
Frantic
I am not frantic
I will not panic
Maybe you'll see
I can't stop the running down of all those pretty things
I can't stop your dress from looking stunning to my eyes
I can't stop this frantic thought from putting me in rings
I can't keep my head out of the panic in your skies
I can't stop running
You sure looked stunning
In that black dress
Falling
I can't stop falling
I can't stop calling
You even now
Patch it
I tried to patch it
Somebody snatched it
Right from my hands
Ending
This just ain't ending
And I can't stop bending
My back for you
Frantic
I am not frantic
I will not panic
Maybe you'll see
I can't stop the running down of all those pretty things
I can't stop your dress from looking stunning to my eyes
I can't stop this frantic thought from putting me in rings
I can't keep my head out of the panic in your skies
Phoebe's Phase (Orleans LVII '91)
She puts her finger in her belly button and sucks her thumb
She watches Sesame Street and drinks Gatorade
She likes to wear her hair in a fountain on top of her head
She chases the cat and hugs it til it scratches her
She gallops on a stick horse through neighbor's yards
She plays house
She watches Bonanza and reads "Bert Dow"
She plays piano in the early evening
There are vivid memories
Much later, Phoebe (all three of her)
Would struggle
struggle
to help ease my pain
on a tear stained kitchen floor
this is the phase that never ends
for I shall return the favor if need be
She watches Sesame Street and drinks Gatorade
She likes to wear her hair in a fountain on top of her head
She chases the cat and hugs it til it scratches her
She gallops on a stick horse through neighbor's yards
She plays house
She watches Bonanza and reads "Bert Dow"
She plays piano in the early evening
There are vivid memories
Much later, Phoebe (all three of her)
Would struggle
struggle
to help ease my pain
on a tear stained kitchen floor
this is the phase that never ends
for I shall return the favor if need be
Listen Closely (Orleans LVI '91)
Listen closely
Hear the watches ticking
Put yourself where you wish upon the timeline
Bend it with your toes, watch what happens
You are standing between two lenses,
you see nothing as it is
Submerge your face into those liquid lenses
Wear your leather gloves and swing upon those ropes
Dodging falling eight-track cassette tapes
And trying to find the princess
Before she crashes that needle into her veins
What unholy grail am I after now?
What music would I like to hear?
Will I be the center of a spinning wheel
or smacked against the spinning wall,
a centrifugal castrati singing so high
that only dogs tumbling surround me,
fumbling humans unable to hear or understand?
Don that armor of skin and
Realize that nothing
is as
it was
before
Hear the watches ticking
Put yourself where you wish upon the timeline
Bend it with your toes, watch what happens
You are standing between two lenses,
you see nothing as it is
Submerge your face into those liquid lenses
Wear your leather gloves and swing upon those ropes
Dodging falling eight-track cassette tapes
And trying to find the princess
Before she crashes that needle into her veins
What unholy grail am I after now?
What music would I like to hear?
Will I be the center of a spinning wheel
or smacked against the spinning wall,
a centrifugal castrati singing so high
that only dogs tumbling surround me,
fumbling humans unable to hear or understand?
Don that armor of skin and
Realize that nothing
is as
it was
before
A City Sprang Up (Orleans LV '91)
A city sprang up within the wrinkles of my hand
The noises of the tires on wet night pavements
Reminds me of the hisses of an album not a disc
And as the headlights come upon your face
Within another passing car,
they always reflect the tears.
It is all imaginary, it is just the sound I guess
I always wonder what it was
that made them so sad
even though I never really saw them,
as they sadly drove their cars
through the slickened streets within the city in the wrinkles of my hand
The noises of the tires on wet night pavements
Reminds me of the hisses of an album not a disc
And as the headlights come upon your face
Within another passing car,
they always reflect the tears.
It is all imaginary, it is just the sound I guess
I always wonder what it was
that made them so sad
even though I never really saw them,
as they sadly drove their cars
through the slickened streets within the city in the wrinkles of my hand
Over The Counter (Orleans LIV '91)
Over the counter
culture lay the
cloud of mushroom
haired future
senators
culture lay the
cloud of mushroom
haired future
senators
I Let You Watch The Gears (Orleans LIII '91)
I let you watch the gears
They interlock, turn and churn
to produce a word
I let you watch the gears
I do not know what kind
of poet does this,
who employs a device, a trick
and then tells you all about it
This may detract from my
poetic worth, I cannot tell
I cannot stop showing you the gears
classic passive aggressive
the magician poem
magician loses it on stage, describes
how to do all of his tricks, audience is
mesmerized, but doesn't really want to hear
because it ruins the mystery and he is some-
what pathetic
interspersed with lines describing what
I'm doing as a poet
They interlock, turn and churn
to produce a word
I let you watch the gears
I do not know what kind
of poet does this,
who employs a device, a trick
and then tells you all about it
This may detract from my
poetic worth, I cannot tell
I cannot stop showing you the gears
classic passive aggressive
the magician poem
magician loses it on stage, describes
how to do all of his tricks, audience is
mesmerized, but doesn't really want to hear
because it ruins the mystery and he is some-
what pathetic
interspersed with lines describing what
I'm doing as a poet
A Lipstick Trace On A Female Face (Orleans LII '91)
A lipstick trace on a female face
A mouth outlined upon a cheek
Please don't go at a slower pace
While I'm dressing you can peek
An open plain
A rounded corner
A steering wheel
A line
A verb on an open plain
Give me all you got
A mouth outlined upon a cheek
Please don't go at a slower pace
While I'm dressing you can peek
An open plain
A rounded corner
A steering wheel
A line
A verb on an open plain
Give me all you got
Put That Sun Down And Come With Me (Orleans LI '91)
Put that sun down and come with me
Come with me after the moon
Put down the thoughts and tracings
Of all you've left behind
Come with me after the moon
Put down here that I love you
In the old high way of love
Come with me after the moon
Put that tornado down and come with me
There'll be wind enough for you
There'll be wind enough
Come with me after the moon
Put that fire down and come with me
That light is not in need, but to
Light the way for others
Come with me after the moon
Put down all the figures
That are cooling in your past
Let them petrify
Come with me after the moon
Put down that big volcano
It won't serve you anymore
I've got this one here, anyway
Come with me after the moon
It's closer to the stars
Come with me after the moon
Put down the thoughts and tracings
Of all you've left behind
Come with me after the moon
Put down here that I love you
In the old high way of love
Come with me after the moon
Put that tornado down and come with me
There'll be wind enough for you
There'll be wind enough
Come with me after the moon
Put that fire down and come with me
That light is not in need, but to
Light the way for others
Come with me after the moon
Put down all the figures
That are cooling in your past
Let them petrify
Come with me after the moon
Put down that big volcano
It won't serve you anymore
I've got this one here, anyway
Come with me after the moon
It's closer to the stars
The Lids Are Falling Heavy (Orleans L '91)
The lids are falling heavy down over my eyes
As the ring on your knuckle presses into my cheek
The torn dress corset girl she starts to cry
My mouth tries hard to not spring any leaks
The cameras rolling faster, faster than the scene
So when you cock the gun I am surprised
Her breasts are straining heavy at the seam
Heaving at the thought of my demise
I scream to the director that it's all going too fast
As he wines and dines a girl I used to know
He says to cut directly to the sequence of my past
As the corset girl tells my daughter of our woe
"Your daddy was killed by a man without a face
As they watched and held my hands right at my sides
You were born 7 months later in disgrace
You were small but still far too big to hide"
The cutback to the present jolts me back
And I see I must forget about the script
I see the gun you hold behind your back
And your fingers moving slowly as they grip
I steal the gun of the man who holds me down
And fire burning steel into your head
I see now that I have played the clown
For I see a face upon you now that you're dead
"Your daddy child was killed by a man without a face"
As I stare into the mirror on the wall
Brains and skin and features sometimes do not fill the space
For now I see nothing there at all
I see the corset girl is staring as the credits roll
Her hands are on her stomach which is bare
She's thinkin' 'bout the daddy that I stole
And staring into eyes that are not there
As the ring on your knuckle presses into my cheek
The torn dress corset girl she starts to cry
My mouth tries hard to not spring any leaks
The cameras rolling faster, faster than the scene
So when you cock the gun I am surprised
Her breasts are straining heavy at the seam
Heaving at the thought of my demise
I scream to the director that it's all going too fast
As he wines and dines a girl I used to know
He says to cut directly to the sequence of my past
As the corset girl tells my daughter of our woe
"Your daddy was killed by a man without a face
As they watched and held my hands right at my sides
You were born 7 months later in disgrace
You were small but still far too big to hide"
The cutback to the present jolts me back
And I see I must forget about the script
I see the gun you hold behind your back
And your fingers moving slowly as they grip
I steal the gun of the man who holds me down
And fire burning steel into your head
I see now that I have played the clown
For I see a face upon you now that you're dead
"Your daddy child was killed by a man without a face"
As I stare into the mirror on the wall
Brains and skin and features sometimes do not fill the space
For now I see nothing there at all
I see the corset girl is staring as the credits roll
Her hands are on her stomach which is bare
She's thinkin' 'bout the daddy that I stole
And staring into eyes that are not there
Ideas (Orleans XIL '91)
Things had been turning sour
for quite some time
Randall the Great, however, had
not missed a single show
Seeing phantoms in his sleep
for quite some time
Randall the Great, however, had
not missed a single show
Seeing phantoms in his sleep
The Candle Dance (Orleans XLVIII '91)
Take the candle dance for instance.
It could show you anything on your very
own ceiling. But will it touch
the floor my friend, will it touch the
floor? You stare into that candle and
you'll find that you can't describe what
it looks like. You'll be capable of
minute detail for those things which
surround it, but as for the actual
light of the candle, you shall be rendered
helpless. Why? Because it is not fixed,
it is an entity which is subject to
immediate and obvious change. Therefore
we cannot pin it down, like the photo on
the wall which it illuminates. The candle's
essence is indescribable; it is only its dance
which we have access to. Thus the
essential question is, where have you
put your candle my friend, and what
is within its reach? Where does the
dance of your candle take you? What
do you let it show you? For some,
the shadows are a deterrent, the dance
draws them into a lurching, un-
wieldy and uncomfortable moment.
Others can stream along with the
shadows themselves, alighting in
unseen corners and staying long
enough to illuminate yet dancing
off to yet another corner before the
darkness can make them stumble.
And sometimes, when the wind is
still, a large part of your surroundings
will be illuminated by a serene and
loving light. This is usually the time when
most would make a vacuum of their world
so that the light would remain as lucid
and calm. This is also the time when most
forget that a vacuum leaves no room
for fire, only room for extinguished hopes
and smoking wicks. When this calm and
loving light is upon you my friend, the
only thing to do is open up the window
and hope that all the life doesn't stop
the candle from dancing through those shadows.
It could show you anything on your very
own ceiling. But will it touch
the floor my friend, will it touch the
floor? You stare into that candle and
you'll find that you can't describe what
it looks like. You'll be capable of
minute detail for those things which
surround it, but as for the actual
light of the candle, you shall be rendered
helpless. Why? Because it is not fixed,
it is an entity which is subject to
immediate and obvious change. Therefore
we cannot pin it down, like the photo on
the wall which it illuminates. The candle's
essence is indescribable; it is only its dance
which we have access to. Thus the
essential question is, where have you
put your candle my friend, and what
is within its reach? Where does the
dance of your candle take you? What
do you let it show you? For some,
the shadows are a deterrent, the dance
draws them into a lurching, un-
wieldy and uncomfortable moment.
Others can stream along with the
shadows themselves, alighting in
unseen corners and staying long
enough to illuminate yet dancing
off to yet another corner before the
darkness can make them stumble.
And sometimes, when the wind is
still, a large part of your surroundings
will be illuminated by a serene and
loving light. This is usually the time when
most would make a vacuum of their world
so that the light would remain as lucid
and calm. This is also the time when most
forget that a vacuum leaves no room
for fire, only room for extinguished hopes
and smoking wicks. When this calm and
loving light is upon you my friend, the
only thing to do is open up the window
and hope that all the life doesn't stop
the candle from dancing through those shadows.
Honey Dripping From Your Lips? (Orleans XLVII '91)
Is that honey dripping from your lips?
Is that a scar upon your chin?
Tell me about the people you know who have died.
Is that wax coming out your ear?
Is that your bag of tricks?
Spill your guts.
Is that a fart I just heard?
Is that purple lacy lingerie?
That is a shame about your parents.
Is that snot sliding out your nose?
Is that a tear sliding down your cheek?
I ain't worth cryin' over baby.
Can't quite put my finger,
Can't quite put my finger,
Can't quite put my finger on it.
Is that a scar upon your chin?
Tell me about the people you know who have died.
Is that wax coming out your ear?
Is that your bag of tricks?
Spill your guts.
Is that a fart I just heard?
Is that purple lacy lingerie?
That is a shame about your parents.
Is that snot sliding out your nose?
Is that a tear sliding down your cheek?
I ain't worth cryin' over baby.
Can't quite put my finger,
Can't quite put my finger,
Can't quite put my finger on it.
It Was The Wedding Of An Uncle (Orleans LXVI '91)
It was the wedding of an uncle when I first met Sarah Klein
We started with a shot of whiskey then we drank some wine
And she told me 'bout her brother who had died the year before
She talked about him for just so long 'til she couldn't anymore
And everybody wondered where we were
We wandered to our table and ate a chicken's breast
She spilled a little mustard on the lapel of my vest
I told her it was all right, it wasn't really mine
And we went back to the whiskey and the wine
And everybody danced around the floor
Well we danced to an old song as the bride and groom went by
She held herself against me as the bride's mother starts to cry
The father's looking stoic and the groom's a little drunk
He's tired from the planning, his eyes are a bit sunk
And we all watched them walk right out the door
By the end of the night I'd forgotten her brother's name
But I remembered the whole story, it was sad just the same
And still she clung to me, all my cousins winked their eyes
And I thought about her brother in the dirt collecting flies
And they all asked if I thought I'd get some more
"I'm going to the bathroom," I left her drinking wine
I sat inside my car and the engine starts to grind
I had heard the sob story, can't stand to hear no more
So I left her looking at the bathroom door
I can't help it if I'm still a little sore
We started with a shot of whiskey then we drank some wine
And she told me 'bout her brother who had died the year before
She talked about him for just so long 'til she couldn't anymore
And everybody wondered where we were
We wandered to our table and ate a chicken's breast
She spilled a little mustard on the lapel of my vest
I told her it was all right, it wasn't really mine
And we went back to the whiskey and the wine
And everybody danced around the floor
Well we danced to an old song as the bride and groom went by
She held herself against me as the bride's mother starts to cry
The father's looking stoic and the groom's a little drunk
He's tired from the planning, his eyes are a bit sunk
And we all watched them walk right out the door
By the end of the night I'd forgotten her brother's name
But I remembered the whole story, it was sad just the same
And still she clung to me, all my cousins winked their eyes
And I thought about her brother in the dirt collecting flies
And they all asked if I thought I'd get some more
"I'm going to the bathroom," I left her drinking wine
I sat inside my car and the engine starts to grind
I had heard the sob story, can't stand to hear no more
So I left her looking at the bathroom door
I can't help it if I'm still a little sore
Let Me Take Your (Orleans XLV '91)
Would you like a cigarette?
I think I shall have one.
Let me take your coat.
Would you like a drink?
I think I shall have one.
Let me take your bag.
Would you like to hear some music?
"Yes, but not in this room. Let me take your..."
Put your glasses on the table
Put your earrings in the drawer
Put your shoes under the bed
Let me take your shirt.
I think I shall have one.
Let me take your coat.
Would you like a drink?
I think I shall have one.
Let me take your bag.
Would you like to hear some music?
"Yes, but not in this room. Let me take your..."
Put your glasses on the table
Put your earrings in the drawer
Put your shoes under the bed
Let me take your shirt.
Put Another Log On The Fire (Orleans XLIII '91)
Put another log on the fire
Put another log inside
This is the second time we've tried
I've got nothing left to hide
Make that fire burn
Make those flames lick the sky
See the burning butter churn
Go ahead baby, you can cry
Fire, tried, hide, inside
Burn, churn, cry, sky
Put another log inside
This is the second time we've tried
I've got nothing left to hide
Make that fire burn
Make those flames lick the sky
See the burning butter churn
Go ahead baby, you can cry
Fire, tried, hide, inside
Burn, churn, cry, sky
The Glass Tipped Upwards (Orleans XLII '91)
The glass tipped upwards, between your fingers,
Towards your lips.
The water slowly slid downwards, over your tongue,
Towards the back of your throat.
The drip that escaped your mouth dribbled, down your neck,
And between.
I watched it the whole way.
Towards your lips.
The water slowly slid downwards, over your tongue,
Towards the back of your throat.
The drip that escaped your mouth dribbled, down your neck,
And between.
I watched it the whole way.
Your Hair Fell Away (Orleans XLI '91)
Your hair fell away, covered the city
The sun shone through strands,
Shadows were everywhere
You laughed, and the meteorologists
Spoke of thunder
Your hand slid down my stomach
And soon they spoke of rain
The sun shone through strands,
Shadows were everywhere
You laughed, and the meteorologists
Spoke of thunder
Your hand slid down my stomach
And soon they spoke of rain
Take The Stream (Orleans XXXX '91)
Take the stream, run it out my mouth
Run it up the flagpole
Roll it back down roll it on the ground
Stuff it back down the hole
Write some words in the dirt
Write some words in the dirt
Write some words in the dirt
Force the stream, shove it in your ear
Rape you with the overflow
Drape it in the blood, hang it from the tree
Swing from it at dusk glow
Let the stream take its course
Let the stream take its course
Let the stream take its course
Run it up the flagpole
Roll it back down roll it on the ground
Stuff it back down the hole
Write some words in the dirt
Write some words in the dirt
Write some words in the dirt
Force the stream, shove it in your ear
Rape you with the overflow
Drape it in the blood, hang it from the tree
Swing from it at dusk glow
Let the stream take its course
Let the stream take its course
Let the stream take its course
The Cucumber (Orleans XXXIX '91)
I think it is rather funny that,
because of its unusual shape,
the cucumber, a fine vegetable,
has always elicited rather sexual emotions.
The staidest of the staid, the prissiest of the priss,
Regard a large, bumpy cucumber
With a touch of irreverence in their hearts
as they imagine what it could do!
(this goes for bananas, zucchini, and carrots as well)
because of its unusual shape,
the cucumber, a fine vegetable,
has always elicited rather sexual emotions.
The staidest of the staid, the prissiest of the priss,
Regard a large, bumpy cucumber
With a touch of irreverence in their hearts
as they imagine what it could do!
(this goes for bananas, zucchini, and carrots as well)
I Will Take My Breakfast Early (Orleans XXXVIII '91)
I will take my breakfast early,
Or maybe take it late,
I just can't quite decide...
The morning fog is creeping in,
Or is it crawling out?
The tray is on my bed...
The fog had long been burned off
The sun was creeping towards the blue
You'd eaten your breakfast, now I was eating too
Sometimes I take it early, and sometimes
take it late
But I know I like it warm
And I know you like it blue
Or maybe take it late,
I just can't quite decide...
The morning fog is creeping in,
Or is it crawling out?
The tray is on my bed...
The fog had long been burned off
The sun was creeping towards the blue
You'd eaten your breakfast, now I was eating too
Sometimes I take it early, and sometimes
take it late
But I know I like it warm
And I know you like it blue
Blue Ink (Orleans XXXVII '91)
Blue ink was not meant
For poems like that
It is now reserved for
fruit, juice and warmth
For poems like that
It is now reserved for
fruit, juice and warmth
The Big Hand (Orleans XXXVI '91)
The big hand hoisted itself up onto the 12
And, as usual, felt an exhiliration (fleeting!)
That was tempered, dampened
By the second hand
Racing past
Beginning the fall of the Next Hour Empire
And wiping out, erasing away,
Civilisation with each tiny tick
If we set our watches too far ahead
it will always be dark
And, as usual, felt an exhiliration (fleeting!)
That was tempered, dampened
By the second hand
Racing past
Beginning the fall of the Next Hour Empire
And wiping out, erasing away,
Civilisation with each tiny tick
If we set our watches too far ahead
it will always be dark
The Window (Orleans XXXIV '91)
The cheese hung from the nail outside my window
The magpie tried to take it without
beating his wings against the window
He didn't want me to know he was there
But it was me who put the cheese outside my window
I had wanted him to eat it
I expected him to be at my window
I was awoken by the size of his wings
Which were unable to flop without frapping the window
The magpie tried to take it without
beating his wings against the window
He didn't want me to know he was there
But it was me who put the cheese outside my window
I had wanted him to eat it
I expected him to be at my window
I was awoken by the size of his wings
Which were unable to flop without frapping the window
The Buttered Toast Always Hits The Floor (Orleans XXXIII '91)
The buttered toast always hits the floor
Face down
The dirt sticks to the butter
Excuse the pretentiousness that follows but
My heart
is like a piece of buttered toast
Please keep the butter clean
What?
Is that what we thinks it is?
Vulnerability?
I'll wrap it in a metaphor so it isn't very clear
But yes
That is exactly it
Face down
The dirt sticks to the butter
Excuse the pretentiousness that follows but
My heart
is like a piece of buttered toast
Please keep the butter clean
What?
Is that what we thinks it is?
Vulnerability?
I'll wrap it in a metaphor so it isn't very clear
But yes
That is exactly it
Jumpin' On A Railroad (Orleans XXXII '91)
Jumpin' on a railroad
Track y'all get back
Suckin' on a big thumb
Lips all jet black
Wanderin' all around
Wanderin' all around
That little dog's waggin'
Her tail she be draggin'
My car she be flaggin'
With a bunch of backseat naggin'
Wanderin' all around
Wanderin' all around
I'm climbin' up that mound
There y'all take care
Puttin' up to that shell
My lips you're bare
I hear the ocean there
I hear the ocean there
Track y'all get back
Suckin' on a big thumb
Lips all jet black
Wanderin' all around
Wanderin' all around
That little dog's waggin'
Her tail she be draggin'
My car she be flaggin'
With a bunch of backseat naggin'
Wanderin' all around
Wanderin' all around
I'm climbin' up that mound
There y'all take care
Puttin' up to that shell
My lips you're bare
I hear the ocean there
I hear the ocean there
Thus We Whirled Along (Orleans XXXI) ('91)
The stairway opened down onto the
living room full of people,
of disparate ages and similar features
The men were loud, the women sly
in a funny shy way,
and the children enjoyed
each others company at a level
that seemed impossible-its energy
had to be self-destructing eventually, didn't it?
But no.
It grew, it fed upon the platters of
chips and vegetables which circled
bowls of dip.
It tinged off of glasses sitting on
dark tables, and the ice cubes that sat
in the tonic and gin
stayed cold.
This thus played with all the elements,
the men compensating by becoming
louder and funnier, and the women's
sly shyness was accentuated and therefore
broken more clearly when they
offered up a cutting comment about
the behavior of their men.
The men, the women, and the children,
thus whirled along, their features blurring
the same but immediately individually
identifiable.
Thus whirled along the gears,
turning the clock perfectly,
no second even a bit behind
and the roots of the tree
dug deeper into the winter ground,
covered with snow,
so that the leaves could force themselves
upon the world again in the spring
The fire roared
The plates clinged and clanged
The glasses emptied and filled
The children ate in one room
The adults in the next
The gears locked and unlocked
and locked again
Thus we whirled along
living room full of people,
of disparate ages and similar features
The men were loud, the women sly
in a funny shy way,
and the children enjoyed
each others company at a level
that seemed impossible-its energy
had to be self-destructing eventually, didn't it?
But no.
It grew, it fed upon the platters of
chips and vegetables which circled
bowls of dip.
It tinged off of glasses sitting on
dark tables, and the ice cubes that sat
in the tonic and gin
stayed cold.
This thus played with all the elements,
the men compensating by becoming
louder and funnier, and the women's
sly shyness was accentuated and therefore
broken more clearly when they
offered up a cutting comment about
the behavior of their men.
The men, the women, and the children,
thus whirled along, their features blurring
the same but immediately individually
identifiable.
Thus whirled along the gears,
turning the clock perfectly,
no second even a bit behind
and the roots of the tree
dug deeper into the winter ground,
covered with snow,
so that the leaves could force themselves
upon the world again in the spring
The fire roared
The plates clinged and clanged
The glasses emptied and filled
The children ate in one room
The adults in the next
The gears locked and unlocked
and locked again
Thus we whirled along
Music (Orleans XXX) ('91)
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held in the man's hands
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held between his ribs
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held within his skull
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held within her mouth
This is the sound of music
Coming from the thing
Held in the man's hands
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held between his ribs
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held within his skull
There is a sound
Coming from the thing
Held within her mouth
This is the sound of music
Orleans XXIX ('91)
Take the shirt from off my back
And lay it on the bed
Push the front door open
Push the thoughts out of my head
Catch the sun before it sets
"You'll catch your death standin' out there!"
You don't seem to catch my meaning
If you don't catch me I don't care
You can beg me all you want
You can beg me on your knees
Standing on this porch I'm just as
Happy as you please, please, please
Please take your finger off my shoulder
Take your hand off of my spine
Put the shirt back on the bed
I'll put it back on in my own time
Coz I've come up to this precipice
Before and I'll come down
Whether you are waiting for me or
Are nowhere to be found
Don't you see that I don't need you?
Except for when things are well
And it's the fact that you don't need me
That leads me to this hell
And lay it on the bed
Push the front door open
Push the thoughts out of my head
Catch the sun before it sets
"You'll catch your death standin' out there!"
You don't seem to catch my meaning
If you don't catch me I don't care
You can beg me all you want
You can beg me on your knees
Standing on this porch I'm just as
Happy as you please, please, please
Please take your finger off my shoulder
Take your hand off of my spine
Put the shirt back on the bed
I'll put it back on in my own time
Coz I've come up to this precipice
Before and I'll come down
Whether you are waiting for me or
Are nowhere to be found
Don't you see that I don't need you?
Except for when things are well
And it's the fact that you don't need me
That leads me to this hell
Orleans XXVIII ('91)
Was it reckless of him to kiss her
After waiting for so long?
Was it ruthless of him to love her
When he knew he'd soon be gone?
Was it heartless of him to tell her
That his heart would be true?
When he could in no way promise
That he could follow through?
And when she sleeps at night thinking
Of him so far away,
And when her thoughts are on him
every minute, every day,
could his love for her be cruel?
Could it do more harm than good?
Should he have said, "I want to"
When he didn't know if he could?
A scared man might answer yes
And one foolish answer no
We've got all the answers
The right ones? Never know
But by the nature of these questions
You know just what occurred
He kissed her long and softly
Til their tongues began to purr
You only have your one life
You'll have time and you'll have tears
I know it's hard not to feel a bit reckless
But you cannot live by fears
So I say it's not cruel
That it does more good than harm
You're always on the edge y'know
One of life's little charms
He'd have been reckless not to
He'd have let a love slip by
And no matter how many loves we're given
They are always worth a try
After waiting for so long?
Was it ruthless of him to love her
When he knew he'd soon be gone?
Was it heartless of him to tell her
That his heart would be true?
When he could in no way promise
That he could follow through?
And when she sleeps at night thinking
Of him so far away,
And when her thoughts are on him
every minute, every day,
could his love for her be cruel?
Could it do more harm than good?
Should he have said, "I want to"
When he didn't know if he could?
A scared man might answer yes
And one foolish answer no
We've got all the answers
The right ones? Never know
But by the nature of these questions
You know just what occurred
He kissed her long and softly
Til their tongues began to purr
You only have your one life
You'll have time and you'll have tears
I know it's hard not to feel a bit reckless
But you cannot live by fears
So I say it's not cruel
That it does more good than harm
You're always on the edge y'know
One of life's little charms
He'd have been reckless not to
He'd have let a love slip by
And no matter how many loves we're given
They are always worth a try
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