Through The Parking Lot Of Silver Spangled Darkness Yeah, so you want to see heaven and hell? Do you think you can tell : which one is which? Or lickety-split black and white darting fish one eye open blinking nod water flash ripple breast-beat tap dance rat-a-tat machine gun blasting cap powder snowfall silver arc flash tweet cold glass clink.

The Ticking Of The Earth They say we’ve arrived But we don’t know where It’s like déjà vu and hey What are you worth? They say have a look You seem a bit shook Well I can hear the ticking of the earth There’s something ticking in the ground There’s something ticking in the ground There's something tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock ticking in the ground Well the polar caps are melting And the glaciers moving back. In my daydream crystal sunbeam In my nightmare, nature’s cracked. And the desert is blooming gunpowder The seas are choked with oil. In my daydream crystal sunbeam In my nightmare, blood and soil. There’s something ticking in the ground There’s something ticking in the ground There's something tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock ticking in the ground They say we’ve arrived But we don’t know when It’s a horse apiece And pit bulls from birth. They say have a seat You seem a bit beat Well I can hear the ticking of the earth There’s something ticking in the ground There’s something ticking in the ground There's something tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock ticking in the ground

Sugar Kane My Suga’ Kane, She tastes so sweet. She’s got that flavor boys, It can’t be beat. My Suga’ Kane, She tastes so sticky sweet. I’d like to kiss her all the way, From her head on down to her feet. Can’t find that candy, In any corner candy store. That type candy, Makes you beg, And plead for more. Can’t find that candy, In any corner candy store. Yeah she's an all-American girl, She's a ‘69 Hemi got four on the floor. Blackstrap molasses and honey and sweet cream. Hot fudge sundae, she looked about 18. And when I saw her that first time. All I could was lay back my head and scream: “Hey slow down sister this ain’t no race, C’mon and sprinkle that sugar all over the place.” So I asked my baby, “Does it feel all right?” She said yeah Sugar, “It’s feelin’ so nice.” I asked my baby, “Does it feel all right?” We did it once, did it twice. Yeah, we did it all night!

Layin' Low A Rastafarian viper, He told me where to go I was shootin’ dice down Kingston way Layin’ low in Mon-ti-go Drinkin’ rum out of co-co-nuts Tryin’ to dance that voodoo out If you wanna go to Mama’s Place Take the path up to the right If you wanna go to Mama’s Place Take the path up to the right See the Big Man on the hill You know he’s gonna treat you nice See the Big Man on the hill You know he’s gonna treat you nice A Rastafarian viper, He’s told me who to know I was playin’ cards down Freetown way Layin’ low in Mon-ti-go Drinkin’ rum out of coco-nuts Tryin’ to dance that voodoo out When I get on up to Mama’s Place Gonna stir that big stew pot When I get on up to Mama’s Place Gonna stir that big stew pot Tell the Big Man on the hill A little voodoo makes the night feel hot Tell the Big Man on the hill A little voodoo makes the night feel hot A little voodoo makes the night feel hot

I warn you boys When you get to Horseshoe Bend You’d be wise to heed my advice: Work hard each day, sleep light every night Store your sugar and coffee in jars that are tight Stock up that medicine chest with bandages white Make sure your room has walls filled with sand. But don’t you never take your six-shooters off And always keep your rifle within easy reach. Hear the click of the hail and the Mail Train rushing by Know the only man on the plains is your reflection Feel the blood in your veins and ease all your pains I’ll sing you disappearing out into the gloaming I warn you boys When you get to Horseshoe Bend You’d be wise to heed my advice: Work in a section gang and never be late Get a brace of four mules and haul some freight Take your buck fifty every day, just tuck it away Leave Silky and her sisters all alone. Still don’t you never take your six-shooters off And always keep your rifle within easy reach. Hear the rails start to sing and the freight rolling by See the caboose gently drop off the horizon Set a candle in the night say your prayers it’ll be alright I’ll sing you disappearing out into the gloaming

Japanese House for A. and V. I. I dreamed I lived in a Japanese house, For a time of my life with a Chinese wife. There were sliding doors of Fuji forest pine. We would drink our tea as the crickets chimed. I dreamed I sat in an old cane chair; The morning sunlight seeping through slatted filigree. It would wash over my feet warm summer rain, And pool blue cloth covered rattan table. At night, in my dream, I could hear the wind in the eaves And the mountain breeze whisper under the floor, Lightly, lightly coming up through the boards: Scent of jasmine from the garden. I cut a pipe from hardened bamboo joint. Later, watched smoke curl up to royal blue ceiling. II. I dreamed I carried rugs from Pakistan And laid them in my Japanese house. My wife would walk barefoot without a sound To the tokonoma and read without blinking. I dreamed I hung white linen on the walls; It would ripple and wave in the breeze Like the clean sheets on the line hung in the sun-filled yard. And I would awaken to the sound of my wife whispering. I stood naked in the middle of that house in my dream, Arms outstretched and head laid back, As the summer rain began to fall earth green and dank. My wife wrapped herself around me from behind. Her hands were warm and when I looked: In her eyes, I saw my son. III. I dreamed that rattan table laden with food, And bottles of wine ruby red and purple glow. An open wooden gate, dogs scramble to bark; Sounds of motorcycles coming up the dark street. I dreamed I saw my friends dance in my Japanese house, Snap thier fingers and shake their hair and beards. The whole house trampoline bounce Shimmy about like to take off. And when guitar played in my dream, I would bang on the percussion pots, The eaves hum pulse beat. Reverb like a tuning fork in each plank of pine. We would stand under the street lamp. Oh, we would laugh and dream. STREETLAMPS We would stand under the streetlamps, And we would laugh and dream.

Nevergone Oh what do I have to do now sister, Another time around the wheel. Oh where can I fly now mother, Another time around the wheel. The links in this chain still bind me tight The night moves slow the night moves fast. First watch has ended, the second just begun, The night moves slow the night moves fast. Weep silently with me child, For I can find no peace. The race is only half run now, I can find no peace. Step slowly with me sister, For there is no place we can rest. This hill climbs on for miles now, There is no place we can rest. I’ll carry you on my back brother, My legs still remain strong. On our fathers’ land we will lay us down, My legs still remain strong. We’ll bathe in the rivers we waded in when young, And clover honey will we sip. We’ll annoint our children with scented oil, And clover honey will we sip. Look into my eyes child: What you see is nevergone. The footprints we now leave behind: What you see is nevergone. The poetry we together create: What you see is nevergone. The light that shines at midnight’s break: What you see is nevergone.

The Court Jester Insane: Look like you? Insane: Do like they do? Insane: Say what they say? Insane: Play the games that they play? Well, if we were just like them who exactly would we be? I’ll sit here and drink my tea, don’t have to be anyone but me, I don’t have to be anywhere but here, you don’t have to be but who you are, Going to go far or near or not at all, up to the stall and have a ball. Check it all out and twirl it around matching up heavy, Pound for pound of muscle and might and do it all right, With flowers of power and smoke that is waving, Scenting and wafting, ranting and raving From here until there, all points in between, The black and the white, the king and the queen. The court jester who danced by himself in a waltz at the Ball, Who tore through the wall and into the hall, To look at them all and fall down laughing, Shaking and baking, ranting and raging “It’s all a big game!” he said with a shout, Play-acting and re-acting, can’t you figure it out? And into the sky he rode with a smile, To figure it out is going to take a long while. Or maybe like a snap like a flash of light, awake in the dark with the end in sight, Or down in a hole or up on a cloud, Or yelling it out, Louder than loud.

Withinindra Within Indra’s net a thousand jewels reside of this we are sure within the fold of silence a thousand jewels burst forth of this we are sure within the lap of the lake a million fish frolic fancifully of this we are sure within the cradle of music thousands dance out their sorrows and pray for peace of this we are sure within the next wave a flow will flow just as it flows now flow within the apocalyptic resonance of this shout ten thousand sparkling daises will bloom at the end of a gun and force their roots down through the barrel in order to make love to the trigger of this we are sure within the blink of an eye 50,000 died were imprisoned and never returned of this we are sure within the climb it takes a roller coaster to crest the second to the largest rise at the amusement park a thousand damselflies will take wing and spread light into the sun, foolish yes but of this we are sure within the time a word is spoken or within the space it takes to pour a pot of tea a roundness

Sometimes we hide If you ask us where We go It is likely we will tell you In the summer it is garden of hope It is a garden of blossoms It is a garden of light It is a garden of colors Too many to see It is a garden of mulberries It is a garden of bare feet It is a garden of opening It is a garden of sunlight It is a garden of concealing It is a garden There is no better word for it This garden runs through the alleyways It scatters the meadows It grows in the gravel And perfumes the air that we breathe In the winter it is garden of frozen leaves It is a garden of icy steps It is a garden of slumber It is a garden of snowfall Too soft to believe It is a garden of vines It is a garden of leather shoes It is a garden of increase It is a garden of cold wind It is a garden of decrease It is a garden There is no better word for it See, I have fashioned a ball out of Words And hung it from a trestle bridge Over a valley. It is true we are hungry, It is true we are waiting, Three stones wrapped in cotton. Three seeds wrapped in burlap.