Remember when you were young
and light enough to walk on snow.
The box by her bedside was where she kept her poems.
Well father's throat was filled with dust.
He could not say the baby's name.
Leave him there under kerosene light
beside the fireplace
and sing, sing in the middle of the night.
Darkness, you came in a disguise.
And burn, burn. Grief was pouring out my eyes.
Darkness, I thought we'd reconciled.
Older now, you see yourself
with your sister across the sea.
(Blue shadows frozen across the sea.)
She's baking sweet, sweet apple bread
and pouring cups of tea.
(The shape of your mouth frozen on cups of tea.)
Together at that enchanted dance.
Light glints off the chandelier.
(Baby brother lost the chanticleer.)
Then an empty room and an empty bed
not looked upon in years.
(Light blackens the blue for years.)
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Darkness, you came in a disguise.
And burn, burn. Grief was pouring out my eyes.
Darkness, I thought we'd reconciled.
credits
from Safe Passage,
released April 1, 2011
Eric Schwan - voice, acoustic guitar
Douglas W. Milliken - voice, everything else
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