Simon Joyner

Born of Longing

Simon Joyner


A baby begins chewing on letters on wood blocks 
To get to the root of the problem at hand 
All your language is splinters it can't stick together 
When you open your mouth you start loosing your head 
And you still can't explain why the sky is blue 

There is nothing so sweet as the milk of your mother 
That's how you bounce back when the bough breaks 
Now you've got these two eyes that go from wandering to wise 
Depending on the wind and how it's feeling today 
And you've been thinking about swimming upstreams 

Are you embarressed by legends of cowboys and maidens 
Do you remember how David caught a giant on his tongue? 
The light through the window holds the dust of past heroes 
And they're never destroyed only scattered around 
By the drunk wind spilling his guts 

So a child lights a fire just to look in the mirror 
For soon he'll be wearing his Papa's grey beard 
All his days in the country full of flame and born of longing 
Into the haze of the cityscape they all but disappear 
Like horses running out of prairie 

But if the stars can't quit dreaming 
And if the sun is still sleeping 
Then beholden they'll swallow the sad empty space 
While the moon casts her shadows and spells on new lovers 
Who must blush as they brush the hair from their faces 
And the crickets know nobody is immune 

You assume that I'm wounded because I'm hunchbacked and hooded 
But I've got a dream just like any honest man 
I might keep it hidden so sweet is my burden 
But if someone tried to steal it they'd have to cut off my hands 
For it's as heavy and as precious as gold.