TWO STARS

Two stars blink in an open sky
They hum across that great divide
Is it just for us, that distant glow?
Just for now, let’s say it’s so
Two stars

Two stars blink in an open sky
They hum across that great divide
Across the void to this roof
On which we sit, downtown Duluth
Two stars

Two stars blink in an open sky
They hum across that great divide
Are there another two who sit and track
Our distant star, its distant path?
Two stars

Tributary

Blown into a barroom 
Blown into the back room
Blown in the bathroom 
And then blown out like a tire 

Burned out like a tired old drunk 
Then settled calm like a bald old monk 
The silence of the mountains 
The violence of the mind games no longer a pain 
Just the winds and the rains 
And the rocks and the birds 
And no more words no more words no more words no more words 
Except for this one and this one is me
But me is not me, me is you too 
Within you and without you 
We are porous, Delores  
It’s not a solo, it’s a chorus 

Into the sea
The sea of you and me
You and me
Into the Sea

Now p-o-o-r  u-s would be the sad pun 
But in my new wisdom I like p-o-u-r u-s 
As in: pour us out of ourselves 
Into this trickly little mountain stream 
Here just for the moment from the spring rains 
And then it’s gone

Pour us into this stream 
And we follow this stream 
To the slippery little river 
Then to the bigger tributary 
Then to the raging Hudson or whatever 
Mississippi Nile Rhein Thames Amazon Ganges Yellow Styx whatever
Mississippi Nile Rhein Thames Amazon Ganges Yellow Styx whatever
Then to the sea

Into the sea
The sea of you and me
You and me
Into the Sea

MERCY ON MY ANXIOUS SOUL

Have mercy on my mother
She can’t remember her name
Have mercy on my brother
He’s blowing up his world with the cocaine
Have mercy on my father
Happy only in his drink
Gentle mercy please on my sweet sister
Trying to keep us from the brink

Mercy mercy hey
Mercy mercy ho
Mercy on my anxious soul

Every night when I lay me down
I pray to God even though
I’m not sure he exists in that way
But something hears me, I know
O ears of the universe
Manifest in those flowers by the road
O owl that hoots in the dark August night
O owl that answers below

Mercy mercy yeah
Mercy mercy no
Mercy on my anxious soul

The wild verbena
The Queen Anne’s Lace
Delicate flowers
Delicate grace

Mercy mercy burning forest
Mercy mercy plastic sea
Mercy mercy melting mountain
Mercy mercy poison breeze
Have mercy on my woman
Coated in fear but pushing towards the best
Mercy most on my precious child
Who inherits what?
This mess this mess this mess

Mercy mercy high
Mercy mercy low
Mercy on my anxious soul

BANDITS

If I’ve ever done anything good
That’s the good thing that I’ve done
If I ever done anything right in my life
That’s the thing I’ve done right

Everything else might turn to ash
Might burn up just like trash
Everything else goes by too fast
Then there’s you

If I’ve ever done anything of worth
That’s the thing I’d point to first
If I’ve ever done anything worthwhile in my life
That’s the thing that might give me some pride

Every road to a dark end
Bandits at every bend
They attack, I will  defend
Because it’s you

I take up my sword and fight
Lay down my stupid life
Because if I ever done anything right
It was you

And if a wreck in the road should appear
I should be here with you
And if the dark from the hills should descend
Menacing men
Allow me to defend
Oh please
It’s all I’ve got to give

If I’ve ever done anything good
That’s the good thing that I’ve done
If I ever done anything right in my life
That’s the thing I’ve done right