summer wind
same kind of blue
the slivered moon
margaret
love is patient
leave
pastures fit for thoroughbreds
song of sunrise birds
the feast of saint valentine
moses in the reeds
say the right words
the sunken city rises
peace out
where fallen angels dwell
land of doubt

summer wind

breathing hard like summer wind
waiting for the rains to come
waiting for these dreams to subside
i hear you are still the merchant
the dealer in spoken things
the one who dresses truth in colored lies

remember when you were a girl
in pastures fit for thoroughbreds
waking to the songs of sunrise birds
and took as fate your girlhood
drenched in cotton
picked by hand
as quiet and as still as painted skies

the dogs are running hard tonight
black and silver in the wheat
they howl beneath a bent and slivered moon
i lie awake and wish for rest
think of you still wasting time
dressing up the truth in colored lies

but honey nothing tells the truth
like the lie

same kind of blue

he was a quiet young man
too shy to get a date
enlisted in the infantry
spring of ’68
the army taught him how to march
stuck him on a jet
had him crawling in a tunnel
right after tet
with a flashlight
and a 45
It was a long way to go
for a boy named charlie
there were snakes there was jungle
there was all kinds of gnarly
there was fighting somebody
everybody called charlie
a mean kind of joke
charlie fighting charlie

way down in a tunnel
where the fallen angels dwell
there is a quiet young man
crawling into hell
with a flashlight and a 45
charlie fighting charlie
trying to survive
charlie fighting charlie
just to stay alive

he came back home
drove real fast
a hopped up super sport
six speeds of bad ass
stop light dragging
fastest thing around
all jacked up and screaming through town
whistling past the grave yard coming unwound

then he married a good woman
got a black land farm
they had a little girl
daddy’s lucky little charm
got a neighbor who served in wwII
he never said much
always kind of blue
always kind of blue
they'd have a drink or two
charlie and old man
same kind of blue

way down in a tunnel
where the fallen angels dwell
there is a quiet young man
crawling into hell
with a flashlight and a 45
charlie fighting charlie
trying to survive
charlie fighting charlie
just to stay alive

he said the only time he ever felt alive
was crawling through a tunnel
with a loaded 45
charlie fighting charlie
trying to survive
it was the only time he ever felt alive

​

the slivered moon

an interlude

​

margaret

 

when margaret smiles

and leans in close

her long black hair 

covers us both

when margaret smiles

and leans in close

 

when margaret laughs

i laugh with her her

she sounds like music

a harp or a zither

when margaret laughs

i laugh with her

 

when margaret sings

the angels whisper

sing sing sing it sister

when margaret sings

the angels whisper

 

when margaret’s in love

her face turns red

when margaret’s in love

a beautiful smile

she turns her head

when margaret’s in love

her face turns red

 

but when margaret is blue

the sky turns gray 

the sun is so sad

slips away

when margaret is blue

the sky turns grey

 

when margaret’s in love

when margaret’s in love

when margaret’s in love

when margaret’s in love

a beautiful smile

she turns her head

when margaret’s in love

her face turns red

 

love is patient

 

she said

please come home

its so late

i worry 

i wait

 

love is patient

love is kind

love is hard

love is blind

 

push me away

hold me tight

back and forth

we drink

we  fight 

love is patient

love is kind

love is hard

love is blind

 

i wish that you

would sing to me

like you used to

 

leave

 

leave and you must

you have squandered my trust

you may not stay

you may not stay

please go

 

no more chances

no more tries

too much guilt

but no more lies

you may not stay you may not stay

please go

 

in time we may be friends

if we forgive

each others sins

but for now 

you may not stay

please go

 

leave and you must

you have squandered my trust

you may not stay

you may not stay

please go

​

pastures fit for thoroughbreds

an interlude

 

song of sunrise birds

an interlude

 

the feast of st. valentine

 

it snowed early this morning

now the rain is coming down

wash the snow out of the tree tops

wash the white out of this town

there’s the princess and the pea

the farmer in the dell

on this day of hearts and flowers

there's a card says wish you well

there's a card says wish you well

things get better as they say

there's a card says wish you well

happy valentines day

 

the dove is standing in the melting snow

geez its cold out there

the rain is really falling now on the summer chairs

they lean against the limestone wall

in blue and green pastel

they are right there where you left them

there's a card says wish you well

things get better as they say

there's a card says wish you well

happy valentines day

 

what is not to like

this kind of day

first it snows 

then it rains like hell

 

it snowed early this morning

now the rain is coming down

wash the snow out of the treetops 

wash the white out of this town

there is the princess and the pea

the farmer hiding in the dell

on this day of hearts and flowers

there’s a card says wish you well

there’s a card says wish you well

things get better as they say

there’s a card says wish you well

happy valentines day

 

moses in the reeds

 

her daddy was a small man

his given name was buck

he used to call her baby and the name just stuck

he said he came from nothing but bad luck

he left her for forever in a long haul truck

 

she’s got too tight pants she's got too tall curls

too tiny tank top two little girls

her mommas got the check

but baby’s got the need

so its back to the trailer

got a monkey to feed

 

monkey to feed

leeches to bleed

lie on the sofa like moses in the reeds

hello dark good bye light

baby closes her eyes she says goodnight

 

boonville  boontown boondock smack

she rides  the oxy train on the oxy train track

toys stuff kid stuff down on the floor

car in the yard

broken front door

door leans right door never close

door got broke when he popped her in the nose

lonnie popped her in the nose 

the cops knocked it with a ram

bam

broke the door jam

 

a monkey to feed

leeches to bleed

she lies on the sofa like moses in the reeds

hello dark good bye light

baby closes her eyes she says goodnight

 

truck stop porn shop script doc honey

she’d buy all the pills if she had all the money

she’d fly with the angels 

when they swing low

baby’s always leaving got no place to go

 

a monkey to feed

leeches to bleed

she lies on the sofa like moses in the reeds

hello dark good bye light

baby closes her eyes she says goodnight

hello dark good bye light

baby closes her eyes she says goodnight

 

say the right words

 

they'll light their candles

they’ll feed their birds

they’ll read their bible

say the right words

they’ll wear their good conduct medals

by the hearts on their sleeves

a toast to their daughter

before she leaves

they'll say the right words

say the right words

say the right words

they'll say the right words

 

they'll be charming at her wedding

even though they don't approve

he has never been good to her 

she will move

cleveland is so far

away and so cold

they're worried they're worried

they have gotten so old

 

they'll say the right words

say the right words

say the right words

they'll say the right words

 

they'll light their candles

they'll feed their birds

 

the sunken city rises

an interlude

 

peace out

 

she sends a picture from the beach

says she's living life slow

living life slow

living life slow

learning how to surf

going with the flow

peace out from san diego

she is letting me go

 

she's a very nice girl

so she does it very slow

so she does it very slow

does it very slow

it doesn't hurt so bad

cause she does it so slow

peace out

she is letting me go

 

she's a very nice girl

going with the flow

she’s a very nice girl

she is letting me go  

 

peace out

going with the flow

peace out

letting me go

peace out

going with the flow

peace out

letting me go

​

where fallen angels dwell

an interlude

 

land of doubt

 

stars and crosses

crosses and stars

we meet at the border 

with its beauty and its scars

the sunken city rises in this land of drought

the border is restless in this land of doubt

 

stars and crosses

crosses and stars

we meet at the border 

with its beauty and its scars

in the shadow of the cradle

by the altar we say

our father who art

our father we pray

 

stars and crosses

crosses and stars

we meet at the border 

with its beauty and its scars

the white sun turns

iron to rust

gold to ash

falcon to dust

 

 stars and crosses

crosses and stars

crosses and stars

glitter and bars

we meet at the border

with its beauty and its scars

beauty and scars

glitter and bars

we meet at the border 

with its crosses and stars

 

the sunken city rises in this land of drought

the border is restless in this land of doubt