EXIT
ONLY
exuent. this
is three minute axcess, so pop the question. will we leave
the last place burning? or do we just get leaving? red-light,
red-light my mind moves to refuse that filter, are you
still surprised? keep my back above the tire tracks. sympatric.
i'll meet you, i will meet you, i'll meet you at the exit.
RECLAMATION
these are our demands: we want control
of our bodies. decisions will now be ours. you can carry
out your noble actions, we will carry our noble scars.
reclamation. no one here is asking, no one here is asking,
but there is a question of trust. you will do what looks
good to you on paper, we will do what we must. return,
return, return. carry my body.
NICE NEW OUTFIT
you like the cut, you like the fit, wide
in the shoulders, trim at the hips. what a nice new outfit,
all straight clean lines. there's blood in your mouth,
but not in mine. you think that i'm a sucker for it, that
we're all fodder for this. quick purchase once brought
to market, dress it up and it's sold. the place i'm offered
is a bedsitter's tour, a worthless sightsee of your adventure.
in your nice new outfit, all straight clean lines. there's
blood in your mouth, dressed to the nines. you're number
one with a bullet, that's money well spent, your mouth
plastered like poster, address yourself success. you can
pinpoint your chimney and drop one down its length. in
your nice new outfit, sorry about the mess.
STACKS
this time is real, i feel it passing through
the telephone, no one is home now, no one is home. these
stacks, they keep me down, so i build some more. america
is just a word but i use it. language keeps me locked
and repeating. this time is real, i see it passing by
the avenue, nothing to do now, there's nothing to do.
i see them spinning on, so i spin out. america is just
a word but i use it. language keeps me locked and repeating.
LATIN ROOTS
lying on our backs, this is your parents'
bed, a good place to be laid 'cos it's so neatly made.
staring at the ceiling, vein to vein the lines look the
same as the ones that you're seeing, and then you start
speaking: tracing your father's footsteps in your mother's
shoes, going up and over and across your latin roots.
point points back to its origin, across the world cogs
are clogged with the sand, here the air breathes freely
and our tongues work loosely, border approaches border,
you're using your hands and smearing your r's. i'm looking
over my shoulder, strained resistance to scour the door
for you father's footsteps or your mother's shoes, coming
up and over, cut across your latin roots. it's time to
meet you makers.
STEADY DIET
(instrumental)
LONG DIVISION
it's a long time coming, it's a long way
down, it's long division, crack and divide. this is a
parting, some separation, we lay in pieces, cracked to
survive. i'm not your villain, not your adversary, i'm
not your reason to crack and divide. it's long division,
crack and divide.
RUNAWAY RETURN
out of the ashtray, into the ashtray.
out of the ashtray. there's nothing living, there's nothing
given, weekender's vision turns to working shoes. there's
nothing living, there's nothing given, weekender gives
in, puts on his working suit. there's nothing waiting,
there's nothing imminent, nothing forgiven for the young
idea. there's nothing waiting, there's nothing imminent,
and nobody seems surprised, the runaway returns. welcome
home son, guess what we we're doing while you were gone?
cocktail party's in gear and we were so glad that you're
here, why don't you sit down? out of the ashtray, into
the ashtray, out of the ashtray, into the family car,
out of the ashtray, into the ashtray, out of the ashtray,
into the family's arms. there's nothing waiting, there's
nothing imminent, nothing forgiven for the young idea.
there's nothing waiting, there's nothing imminent, and
nobody seems surprised, the runaway returns. welcome back.
POLISH
got with the program, swallowed it whole,
sugar made it easy, ice made it cold. reached out and
touched them on a tv screen, broke out the polish, scrubbed
it clean, that dirty machine. this is your portion, please
don't share, the only answer, your only prayer, your reflection,
please don't stare, nothing is going on in... there is
your manner, what you wear, your diseases and your repairs,
all your belongings, please don't share, nothing is going
on in there. update the cleanser, never mind the stain,
we'll take the package, let the contents remain, contents
remain as yet unnamed. this is your portion, please don't
share, the only answer, your only prayer, your reflection,
please don't stare, nothing is going on in... there is
your manner, what you wear, your diseases and your repairs,
all your belongings, please don't share, nothing is going
on in there. came home flat busted only to be saved; everything
comes down to you in a world concave, world concave, so
well behaved, we still turn on, thirty minutes long, we
still turn on.
DEAR JUSTICE LETTER
justice brennan, take out some insurance
on me, baby baby. it's just the i'm busted and dripping,
my sorry lungs are all leaking, it's all over, it's all
over i said, the last fair deal going down. you let your
gown to the ground, but i'm not waiting around until the
kiss-off. wasn't it you who said yeah you can shoot me
lightly, but ask me to be excused, i won't go die politely
anytime that you want you can shoot me lightly, but ask
me to be excused, i won't go die politely. justice brennan,
i know it's not your fault, no baby no baby. it's just
that you're busted and dripping, your sorry lungs are
all leaking, it's not over, it's not over, i said. here
comes the kiss-off.
KYEO
the troops are quiet tonight, but it's
not alright, because we know they're planning something.
don't you know things have settled down, down, down but
silence is a dangerous sound, we must, we must, we must
keep our eyes open, see what we see, what once was promised
now will be. still uncertain? get off that hang, don't
wait for the bang, the tools, they will be swinging, but
we will not be beaten down.
