of what’s left or would become of my America

like I could show you

“I’m not the one who hates being alone”

(That’s)
Been known since before you
were but I cant help adding to
that line in my head, but with-
out you it’s true a little less

Much less a recitation than
open words for the closed
impositions you used to know
are all scattered like a tired
board and flail at harvest
time to combine the divided
acceptance of what it was to
be beyond a second reach for
all (these) rapacious years we
didn’t seem to speak with a free
tongue but after them we can

We can, let it be broad an
open ended edict has cast
every avenue in the old neigh-
borhood and lane in the place
we are moving to(ward) past a
blind spot we are not concerned
with décor and walking distance
to the library and from the bus
stops always just where it was
as are we, finally, seeing (it)

Because when I jumped off
I had no thought of how it‘d
end just as now I‘ve no second
thoughts that somewhere buried
we share the same hates, but
that is not what brought us
in the main electricity city
center centered together

I’m so far away from you
I’m pacing up and down my room
Does Jesus only love a man who loses?
I turn on the radio
There’s some cat on the saxophone
Laying down a litany of excuses

There’s madhouse longing in my baby’s eyes
She rubs a lamp between her thighs
And hopes the genie comes out singing
And she lives in some forgotten song
And moves like she is zombie-strong
Breathes steady as the pendulum keeps swinging

You better hold on to yourself

Well, cities rust and fall to ruin
Factories close and cars go cruising
In and around the borders of her vision
She says oh woah woah woah
As Jesus makes the flowers grow
All around the scene of her collision

Oh you know, yes, I would
I would hold on to yourself

In the middle of the night
I try my best to chase outside
The phantoms and the ghosts and the fairy-girls
On 1001 nights like this
She mutters open sesame and Ali Baba and his forty thieves
Launch her off the face of the world

Well, you know
Oh baby, I’ll come back
And I’ll hold on to yourself

Babe, I’m 1000 miles away
And I just don’t know what to say
‘Cause Jesus only loves a man who bruises
But darling we can clearly see
It’s all life and fire and lunacy
And excuses and excuses and excuses

Well, you know if I could I would
Yeah, I would lie right down
And I’d hold on to yourself

Yeah, I would lie right down
And I would hold on to yourself

One day I’ll come back to you
And I’ll hold on to yourself

Yeah, I’m gonna come back
Gonna lie down
And I’ll hold on to yourself