Steppe to the Prairie (Bring Your Body Back To Me)

I started chewin' on my tongue after yours left mine
I started chewin' on my tongue, unknowing, in the night

And each dry lip's an ancient plain
Waitin' and a-waitin' and a-waitin' for rain
An ocean and two bone reefs in between

Bring your body back to me
Bring your bison back to feed
Bring your yurt back to this old dirt

Bring your body back to me
Bring each lip and let each leak
Rain ocean into sea

I started chewin' on my heart after I left my mind
I started chewin' on my heart mornin', noon, and night

And each blood beat's an ancient drum
Wantin' and a-wantin' you to back come, come
A dead skin and a live skin in between

Bring your body back to me
Bring your hot stones back to heat
Bring your hand back to this old land

Bring your body back to me
Bring your tongue and let it reach mine broken
Come mend each breach

I started chewin' on my time after I lost my place
I started chewin' on my time once I slowed down the race

And each earth crack's an empty sore
Thirsty for the sky to open up and pour
Fill the long, long spaces in between

Bring your body back to me
Bring the steppe to the prairie
Bring the branches back to seed

Grow a tree o' many limbs
Light a shade o' many dims

Let the dark fall for our bodies
Let the night fall for our bodies
Let the dark night fall for our bodies

Summer 2006, Ottawa

Honeydew

Was she honeydew or banana?

Did she taste like a voiceless dream?

And did she fulfill your fantasy of a moon-faced girl?

All innocence in the dark, surrounding sea

Was he animal or pirate?

Did he touch like you were the first he’d ever seen?

And did he stare, then smile like a kid?

Was he bearded or fresh as fifteen?

I love to make the bed

I’d rather make love

What are you?

What are you afraid of?

Did she save her kisses like stamps for letters she would never send?

And did she open like an envelope?

Naked in her burden

Did he hold her like a handcuff or like a railing?

Did he hold her underwater like breath?

Or did he hold off, unsure of her wanting?

He says we’re on a boat

She says she lost her watch in the sea

I’m a-holdin’ onto control

Just drop it, you don’t need it

There’s freedom shouting in me

It’s hard to melt, when you’re afraid of fire

And it’s hard to yell, when you’ve had to be quiet

For so long

Dharamsala, India 2008

Spiders on the Wall

Spiders on the wall

And my grandmother afraid

Candles on the ledge

And water boiling

I’m cold and I’ve got a hot bottle on my belly

She’s old and she’s got death coming to her one of these days

And I’ll go one of these days

This is the day she was born

How many suns has she been round?

First came John, he’s my father

Water sign, came of her water, born of her wine

And he gave it to me through my ma

This water in my eyes

Like spiders (when you’re not watching) crawling

Bones my of roots snappin’ and dreams like bean shoots falling

I’m makin’ a mulch pile, I’m makin’ tea

I’m makin’ a birthday party for you and my life for me

I’m running to water this tree

This is the branch that I am

It is dancing though it’s beat

But not beaten

By the whippin’ wind or by the night and its darkened lens

I bought candles, seven in your name

He-le-le-le-le-le-le-le-len

He-le-le-le-le-le-le-le-len

You are and I are silent

And slowly going into another world, each alone

Where we may find the unknown

Don’t be scared, I’m singin’ for you

I wrote this song on my Granny's birthday.

July 7th, 2008, Dharamsala, India.

Castle

I’m a castle

I built my walls up so you cannot see me

But there’s a little window and if you look through

You will see me

Cryin’ after you leave

Fillin’ the moat and wettin’ my sleeve

With my heart all broke

And the old fire’s smoke in my eyes

I cannot see

The way to go

And there’s a rock in my soul

There’s a stone caught in my shoe

It’s the one I threw

And I threw it to you

I thought you wanted to

Build a castle with me

An igloo of snow or a house in a tree

But this leaf’s gonna leave

And its wettin’ my sleeve

With the rain of a sky inside

I’ve a halted stride from a heavy soul

It’s not getting lighter on its own

I can’t go

I’m stuck in stone

And the moat’s just growing wider

Round this castle I built

To cover my eyes and cover the wilting flower I keep in my heart

That’s seeping through this too-thin sleeve

So go, leave me alone

I got water to let out o’ this stone

Hurry it up, the bridge is comin’ down and I am comin’ out of

This castle

Don’t look now or you will see me

I do not want you to see me

Cryin’ after you leave

Fillin’ the moat and wettin’ my sleeve

With my heart all broke

And the old fire’s smoke in my eyes

Dharamsala, India 2008

Hold Me

My lips were purple and the stars lay on the carpet with meteors of dust

My thoughts were tricklin’ so fast

I’d just embarked on a barge with a bottom of glass

Can you see?

Can you see what’s moving me?

Or are my words just the bones of fish that will not feed?

Head to head’s not meat to meat

Mother, hold me

Hold me, baby

Earthen arms will bury

The light that bounces ‘tween the fans that blow it

Like a ball we can’t see but feel coming

This comet will split the ground and reach the pit, the seed

If we’re so lucky

Could we be?

Could we be?

Or is this prospect too frightening?

Hang a string, it’ll serve as a line

For this dripping, sopping thing

What will holding bring?

I will go home before the moon grows a crust

I will go home before these clams close up

What was moving is dead in a net

And my eyes are on the carpet

I don’t need real stars when I’ve a universe of discards

And a heart that’s far enough

From this mouth of wine

The barge is falling behind

This moon has an itchy rind

The well is wet, but each crater is blind

Dry’s my skin and drowned’s my mind

Grab an oar, catch a meteor

Then hold me

Hold me, sleep

Dharamsala, India 2008

Pumpkin Hands

Pumpkin hands are the only hands I’m holding each

Farewell spices, full belly is the only belly

Dead days are shot

Live days are the only ones to resurrect but have no need of that

When the storm came, pink in the night

With the clicking of a door and the trees goin’ wild

I felt hot skin

You held me scooped in an arm like a pumpkin hands are the hands I’m tryin’

Fall 2007, Toronto