I’m hesitant about Harrison
That two-legged rainy-coiffed fiend
Love his superior vegetables from the garden
And walking with the rhythm of the rain
With the death of cold turned deadly
See I stood in his house and noted the niece
And hear about a family trait nest
Save one who for a month
Crippled farther than most
Yet is in truth the shortest in boast
Oh Harrison. Oh Harrison

Chase the ball
Get the ball
Good girl
Good boy

Behind the veil
Get it get it
Good boy
Good girl

Go get the money
Go get the prestige
Good girl
Good boy

Make babies cry
But get that honey
Good boy
Good girl

You don’t even
See the cycle
Good girl
Good boy

I was born on a bridge of sadness
My life putting the period on her sentence
With no way to claw out of the name

With no way to claw out of the name

I was ugly from the start she admitted
My final contribution to her mother’s dream
With no way to fulfill her fantasy

With no way to fulfill her fantasy

I wasn’t enough and was resented
My frailty with no promise for sickness or death
With no way of knowing the weight of it

With no way of knowing the weight of it
With no way of knowing the weight of it

Even when your bones don’t make a sound
There can be pain with every movement
Like a dream-scream in the night
So you owe it to yourself to cry

Even when the surface is still
There can be hell below many fathoms
As killers and prey moan and sigh
So you owe it to others to cry

Just don’t make the world
Run along tag along run along
Asking why why why why why
Surrender to the pain and cry

Even when the bulb is out in the darkest room
There can be power raging at full flow
Like a promise to always stay nearby
So you owe it to the faithful to cry

Even when the serpent is coughing up whispers
There can be a deep knowing and steady nod
Like currents of resoluteness never deny
So you owe it to your calling to cry

Just don’t make the world
Run along tag along run along
Asking why why why why why
Surrender to the pain and cry

Involve people
With shared experience
On
On
On
On
On
Start with the highest
And greatest need first
On
On
On
On
On
Rehouse and revamp
Focus on permanence
On
On
On
On
On
Do now in days and months
What we once did in months and years
On
On
On
On
On
As we all hold up the sky
We stand taller
On
On
On
On
On
Society becomes
How we behave

We’re a long long way
From Crawdad Creek
And we’re hardly recognizable
As southerners go
But a blistering hand
On a machete
Cutting cane as tall
As the corn grows
Proves the sun
Stays out of your eyes
‘Til you see the cool sugar

Thump thump thump thump
“You’ve been here too long”

Thump thump thump thump
“You’re rent has not been paid”

Thump thump thump thump
“We’ve turned off your utilities”

Thump thump thump thump
“It is time for you to leave”

Thump thump thump thump
“I know you can hear me”

Thump thump thump thump
“It’s time to move on”

Thump thump thump thump
“You can’t stay here forever”

Thump thump thump thump

Thump thump thump thump

Thump thump thump thump

Your determination
To be overlooked
Is lethal

A cutting
For sure

And I don’t think you’re stuck
I think you’re pregnant
With your own woe

A cutting
For sure

On the edge of lonely
You teeter and teeth
Settled as rain

A cutting
For sure

And I think I’ll faint
If you choose to end it
Anytime soon

A cutting
For sure

I’m starting to resent
Having to re-parent adults
Adults who think it is ok
To scowl and whine and dodge
To act less than they should

I want to say, “People have eyes
They can see you
Have some self-respect”

I’m starting to resent
Telling her to get along with her
Telling him to hit his deadlines
Telling her to step up or step out
Telling him to do his job

I want to say, “People have eyes
They can see you
Have some self-respect”

I’m starting to resent
My team taking advantage of my kindness
My team not holding each other accountable
My team being petty petty petty petty
My team dimming their bright bright light

I want to say, “People have eyes
They can see you
Have some self-respect”

I’m starting to resent
Leadership development
It’s so great when leaders delight in it
But hell when they drag their feet
I’d rather not force growth

If you don’t want to drink deep
Get out of the line to the water fountain

I won’t make room for the sea today
It’s dark there
And I have this little trickle of light
That I am happy about
I’m happy about what might be
And this, you all well know, is a breath