1. SAINTS

at seventeen I heard my calling
to suffocate with my embrace
murder ten to save a hundred
drown the whole world in my faith
from a long line I descended
immaculate, an empty womb
and the spur is desperation
maybe God is desperate too
in watermarks and lonely places
a private measurement of time
in made-up names and blacked-out faces
I will trace my blood line


2. SHE DANCES

then she dances
skirt swaying in the half-light
she dances
white blossom in the black sky
'I need new clothes', she thinks,
'new skin; a mind I can bear to live in'


3. HOLLOW MEN

locked in a room with the book and a rope
the hollow men close in
justice begins at home
her name is known
her name is known
cut her up
cut her out
crush her will before she finds it


4. SONG AMONG THE PINE

Song Among the Pine
cones and needles lie
atop the dark soil
they will come for me
with searchlights streaming through the cedar trees
cold ash smother the fire
cold ash smother the fire
the ripple of the stream
is just one way the forest speaks to me
the anger in the streets
is just the way a broken city breathes


5. TRUST

I had no idea
I was your latest big mistake
I had no idea
we were dancing on someone's remains
given he is marked like me
would I see him in a crowd?
given his lines
resembled mine
would I catch his eye?
we could hammer it out in a neutral space
and he would say
trust is a hard thing to come by these days
and you have no idea just how it will feel until it happens for real
you have no idea how bad it will feel until it happens for real
we could hammer it out in a neutral space
and he would say
she will suck you in
she will fuck you up
she will throw you away
and trust is a hard thing to come by these days
trust is a hard thing to come by these days


7. FAREWELL, FAREWELL (Words by Richard Thompson)

Farewell, farewell to you who'd hear
You lonely travelers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call

And will you never return to see
Your bruised and beaten sons
Oh I would, I would if welcome I were
For they loathe me every one

And will you never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be
And can you never swear a year
To anyone but we

No I will never cut the cloth
Or drink the light to be
But I'll swear a year to one who lies
Asleep along side of me

Farewell, farewell to you who would hear
You lonely travelers all
The cold north wind will blow again
The winding road does call


8. HOURGLASS

when i think of you
i stop and turn the hourglass again
the past is a strange place
but i want it back
and i just won't wait
city girl, what have we done to ourselves?
black spine northern line
feeds on money and time
you cut your soul to fit
battle scars from all night bars
never thought that i would be so drawn to it
city girl, what have we done to ourselves?


9. GRAND UNION CANAL

i've walked every street in this city
i can't find a way out
beyond these walls
a clarion call
'find a way out'
i have burned every bridge in this city
trying to get to you
while you are waiting for me
by a copper-blue sea
i am fading away in this room


10. THE COLLECTOR

so here is justice
another someone
disappears last week
you say you saw someone hanging around
did he look like me?
twenty-five missing now
no-one looks to me
the land of the free can longer deal
with the truly free
events conspire to make you famous for a while
two weeks ago you were unknown
now all know your smile
from photographs on file