While She Sings

While she sings
A quiet man dismembers a doll and sands down its parts
Finding again its always easier to take someone apart
Than put them back together
El Greco's Christ stops on the sidewalk and sees her
So much beauty behind the glass
He comes inside but still can't get any closer, than ever
You took Bedlam for his Golgotha but he says it was Rikers
The place is clean and well lit
But you don't have insomnia anymore
You're just tired of sleeping, alone
It hurts me, too, she sings, and you believe her

Sainthood

          All the mirrors go dark
           There is nothing there
                 Worth knowing

When in Love's Illusion Blessed

When in love's illusion blessed
I thought my loneliness dispelled
I all my happiness confessed
And my hopes and dreams did tell


To the one who acted as keeper of my heart
To the very guardian of my soul
The one to whom I gave my second-best part
Her who made all my broken places whole


In mystery I found my separateness increased
At the cost of all that is best kept within
So I made solitude my masterpiece
And intimacy my most grievous sin


Let her only so close as my body would allow
Exulting in the running of her fingertips on my flesh
Yet reluctant still to surrender my past for now
Permitted us solely the bond of that transient caress


What I believed was love, she believed withholding
What I would keep as mine, she would rather claim
And time all the while its changes was unfolding
It was this gave our love such fleeting fame


Perhaps this is a common story, perhaps a twice-familiar tale
Perhaps love dying must always come to this
That in the pain of its rendering, its brightness is leached pale
And sealed for life with a vampire's kiss 

Confession

I can never remember the words of the poets
My head is full of all kinds of junk and baseball statistics
I'll take my chances anyway
I can't remember the words of the prophets either
But I get the gist
The law I never paid any attention to
Believing it is mercy and not sacrifice that is wanted
I just hope they'll see it that way

Better

Doctor Ferguson stretches
      Her long lovely legs
                  I'm fine

One Love

Hope Road is where you find it

And where else could it be

Some occurrences are beyond irony

That he should be found there is one of these

Jah lives, and the soul of man never dies

And his prophets wear the raiment of lions

And cool themselves in the dust

Unfettered and scarred

There is no wire fence in his creation

Not one among you recollects

That a guitar may be fashioned

Of a sardine box, castaway bamboo

And some chicken wire

Or by stretching an inner tube 

Across the barn door

Blessed are the poor in spirit

For they shall know the kingdom of God

It is possible they already dwell there

Who can talk, talk

Who can make anything, make

And who can sing, sing

And me sing

Jah lives, and the soul of man never dies

I and I know that God would have as many manifestations as children

Do you think that when Jesus comes he would look like you?

 

 

Nixon Comes to the Monuments

O, if only I could make them see
If only they would listen
But there's so many of them, together
And I am just one
And there is so much that separates us
They know nothing of football
And I've never been blown
Still there is this that joins us
None of us ever knew the country we loved
Here's the secret, here's what you still don't know
That no thought was ever given
The argument was just for show
Let loose the birds, set the valley on fire
Watch the smoke rise from the valley below

Trust

     


                                                Because your eyes
                                  Are more constant than the skies
                                          I would dare any weather

The Act of Love

Such an immortal act of kindness

To shed your clothes with such offhand grace

While letting me look upon you

And then slide in beside me

And say with a smile

So where do we begin tonight?

Crossroads

When you walk all over me

Think a kind word
For you were always kind
To me
Or didn't you know I thought that of you?
Be generous, when you think your kind words
For you were always generous
To me
Or didn't you know I thought that of you?

Didn't you know it was you made it so bearable for a while?

When you stop here

Be sure to take the right path when you go on

You were right about this place

I get to see so many people here without having to face them

The cross I could not bear in my lifetime I get to hold up now

Folk Music

How can any melody be new?

There's but so many notes, and

The world has had so much time to play them

All real songs are old

Born in the same place and time