blood in the spaces between what we say and what we mean

crows in an empty field



not the idea
but the fact of it



the sky with a
beginning and an end



the earth moving
beneath your feet and thick with
the bones of indians and
slaves



anywhere


whatever day it is in
whatever year
and all of the unpaid bills that
keep you tied to this life



all of the people you've hurt
who'd like to see you dead



the names you've forgotten and
the lovers you've betrayed
and the trees all bare



the sound of the freeway



the smell of cold engines
going to rust



of the rivers filled
with oil and sludge



america at this exact moment



a woman beaten unconscious
and left in the closet of a burning house
and the simple fact that I've
outlived cobain



have outlived christ and
that I refuse to die like pilate

and what about this
eighteen year old girl naked
except for a string of pearls?



how many wars are you
willing to wage just to own her?



not action
but the act of demanding it
from others



all of these young men shot dead
for reasons that have more
to do with money than freedom



all of these songs with
words but no meaning



it was never enough
just knowing how to hate