1. PENDULUMS

We are like pendulums
Our arms swinging at our sides
And I am a good little clock
Walking along power lines

I'm thinking like a swinging door
Hinging on these changing thoughts
Between the pull up to the shore
And the push off

In the lines of footprints in the snow
All along the edges of the road
I haven't even walked my block
Since I moved out here years ago

The secret lives of twist ties
The hidden story in one line

In the lines of footprints in the snow
All along the edges of the road
I haven't even walked my block
Since I moved out here years ago

We are like pendulums
Our arms swinging at our sides
And I am a good little clock
I'm ticking off the time

The distant lights are twinkling
It means there is a wind
That blows the trees against themselves
And hard into this house I'm sleeping in
I'm sleeping in


2. ALMOST

I almost dialed your number
When I thought the coast was clear
'Cause it's looked up at for so long at me
And said "Call me please."

But the place was closing
And the counter girl turned the sign
The cooks were getting their coats and I got mine
And said "Goodnight" to the sea of empty seats.

And if I am a sailor
You are the warm gulf wind
And you've blow into this little port
And roused my dreams again.

I see my mouth moving when I talk to you
I do
I see my lips and I feel like a kid
Who can't keep something hid.

Ive been under the paper that you were writing on
You left your impression long after you’d gone
On me
Marks only I can see

And if I am a sailor
You are the warm gulf wind
And you've blow into this little port
And roused my dreams again.
When we say sometime later
You know that we don't say when
You have blown into this little port
And roused my dreams again.

I almost dialed your number
When I thought the coast was clear
'Cause it's looked up at me for so long at me
And said "Call me please."

And if I am a sailor
You are the warm gulf wind
And you've blow into this little port
And roused my dreams again.
When we say sometime later
You know that we can't say when
You have blown into this little port
And roused my dreams again.

Sailor to wind


3. GREETING CARD AISLE

Icy twinkling in the window,
It's a sparkle on the snow,
Hovering to see if I can see you come and go.
I came down the dark road,
Arms under my coat,
And my breath is nearly freezing my eyes closed.

The car that dropped me off,
Did it turn around,
And watch me walk the long way down?
Past the glow of town,
Like a setting sun,
Horizon's alive with electric light
And hum.

Were you standing in the greeting card aisle
When you called me up, and
Held me to the end of your long line?
Have you got me in your bleeding heart file
Next to Lady Luck?
Well this Light of your Life has drawn the blind.

There was something about the handwriting that
Made me keep every scrap,
Something about the way the eyes
Looked away at the last.
I kept something burning on the sill real low,
But now I don't know.

Were you standing in the greeting card aisle
When you called me up, and
Held me to the end of your long line?
Have you got me in your bleeding heart file
Next to Lady Luck?
Well this Light of your Life has drawn the blind.

The wind from the river will swirl like a scream
And wrap itself around you.
There may be a friend somewhere down the road,
But from here you have to walk it out alone.

'Cause you were standing in the greeting card aisle
When you called me up, and held me
To the end of your long line.
And you've got me in your bleeding heart file
Next to Lady Luck.
And this Light of your Life will not shine twice,
This Light has drawn the blind


4. NEW ENEMY

"When you find yourself a new enemy
Can you take me down off the hook
That you've been hangin' me on?" he said
With almost all the love gone

Will the time soon come when you see fit?
The light will change
Will you just look at it and stare
And wonder, as the traffic moves,
Why you're still sitting there

All eyes are waiting for it
The wind is at your back and it'll blow
Without even having to know what you know
We're waving our white flags
We're hanging our heads out the high windows
Just to see you make your way
To the starting gate and go

"Maybe you could find a way to be nice
See me coming up in a line
And let a smile seep out"
He swears that would be all it would be about
He said, "Just a peace to settle over us
No more words, no more making it up
No victory
No up and leave"

All eyes are waiting for it
The wind is at your back and it'll blow
Without even having to know what you know
We're waving our white flags
We're hanging our heads out the high window
Just to see you make your way
To the starting gate and go

You're seven numbers away
From never having to say
Anything more

"When you find yourself a new enemy
Can you take me down off the hook
That you've been hangin' me on?" he said
With almost all the love gone


5. SILVER ROAD

I'll be way down a silver road,
I'll go where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

Have you been thinking that you were all alone
While I still thought of you?
A word every once in a while
Forgetting that some of it could be true

Held in the beam of a light
A thought we shared
Shone between two shores
Wants to be traveled like the gravel
That runs from my door to yours

I'll be way down the silver road,
I'll go where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

As to how far it goes
And to when we set out
I’ll say goodnight on the street
And I’ll see you around

Way down a silver road,
I'll go where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up.

I'll be way down a silver road,
I'll go where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slow
I don't want it to let up.

Way down a silver road,
I'll go where the moon has it lit up
Turn off your headlights and go slowly
I don't want it to let up


6. DANDELIONS IN BULLET HOLES

Kaleidoscope,
Wheel of hope.
Place to start out from,
Although it started long ago,
The world's work has begun.

A hula hoop,
A human chain.
To warm our hands,
And find our way,
When all the lights go out.
A raincoat and a French beret.
The rolling hills of past mistakes,
Lie quiet under cloud.
And I will long look to the chruning sea,
This call to arms means wrap them around
The first person you see.

Dandelions in bullet holes,
We stand in our civilian clothes,
On blankets laid out on a lawn,
Clouds of rain will all move on.
And when the mist clears we will see,
Both of our names on a marquee,
Across the ocean the same day,
And then washed ashore a block away.

The windwill is waiting for the same thing,
As the slackened sail,
As the core within something like the wind,
Is blowing at the veil.
And I will long go on this inner sight,
This call to arms means hold to it,
And hold tight.

Dandelions in bullet holes,
We stand in our civilian clothes,
On blankets laid out on a lawn,
Clouds of rain will all move on.
And when the mist clears we will see,
Both of our names on a marquee,
Across the ocean the same day,
And then washed ashore a block away.

Ah come on, these streams of light are not so subtle,
All along the ditch signs of life in sinking puddles.

Dandelions in bullet holes,
We stand in our civilian clothes,
On blankets laid out on a lawn,
Clouds of rain will all move on.
And when the mist clears we will see,
All of our names on a marquee,
Across the ocean the same day,
And then washed ashore a block away


7. THINGS TO FORGET

I got to put some things in the ground
Even with this season coming around
It's green's last gasp
And leaves brown
And autumn days are winding down

I got to get it out of my head
And make good on some things I've said
In case you overheard my plans
And find me out as the talker that I am

But holidays are made for reading
And remembering things that are worth repeating
In the clatter of the afternoon
In the sunlight that is left
We can make a list of things to forget

Maybe the drive was a little too long
Can we pull over to the shoulder
So I can write this song?
The carpet they laid out is a grey shade of red
Road work ahead
That's what we said

But holidays are made for reading
And remembering things that are worth repeating
In the clatter of the afternoon
In the sunlight that is left
We can make a list of things
To forget the false starts
And the loose strings
The feelings of regret that ring
On a day when you haven't done much of anything


8. CAME ON LION

Closer than a girl can get to trouble
If she hasn't yet got in it

It started out like any show
Up from the dark to the light's warm glow
Did you hear the dedication
When I came up and out on stage
And you came on lion
All courageous
And I stepped up to your cage
Just to see if we would go
I crossed the bridge
I thought you'd know

Now my sun is up
Already hot
With two rays on
Two straying thoughts
But each one warm to make me glow
Or burn me if I'm not careful
It's not hard
It's too easy
I get it and I get to be
Closer than a girl can get to trouble
If she hasn't yet got in it

So now can I step lightly back between
Where you are and where I've been
Back into that thing we do
Where it's me and it's just you
And it's not hard
It's too easy
I get it and I get to be
Close than a girl can get to trouble
Without getting in it


9. TOOK IT ALL

You said I could have it all
You said it to me
With your eyes so wide, excited
I stop to see what you mean

In the drone of afternoon traffic
On a slope that's slippery
In the relative fear, invited
That keeps us company

We took it all
Without taking it away
We shook it
It didn't blow up in our face
This life's abundancy came clear to me

These hands are holding a kite of worry
That floats high and circles a pivot of fear
In the wind are the words that say
"There's no time! Hurry!"
So we grab what we can
We think The End is near

We took it all
Without taking it away
We shook it
It didn't blow up in our face
This life's abundancy came clear

We can get back up
We can move from this ground
To where there is enough of everything
What has opened up this crevice at our feet
Has created a new sense of urgency

Without taking it away
We shook it
It didn't blow up in our face
This life's abundancy came clear


10. TETHER

Living this close to the road
You'll question your vulnerability
Got the curtains closed and there's nothing
For those bold coyotes to see
Just an airplane in the sky
That I hear high up the chimney
And the lonely cold coming up
To find a warmer place to be

After that Christmas I think that I might sleep
The whole new year
Maybe see if in the spring
I come in for an afternoon glass of beer
You know I always thought
That there'd be lots to talk about
But I never see you and I still look when I go out

Always so much that feels undone and waiting
A pocket that's gaping threads to weave
On the top of a pile another melody is aching
For a few pretty words to let it be
Simple tether hold this together
At least to one place
So the feelings can't escape into the air
'Cause if they do we won't remember that they
Were even there
And filled a moment that we had to spare


11. GO TO SLEEP

Go to sleep
At least lie here awhile
Best to look straight through your eyelids
Count or listen to the voices
But don't go out and down to the landing

Give it time enough
I'll check the clock
And you'll be still until I leave
The living room is on
And lights are blaring
With the T.V.

And you say
"Clap once for me and I'll know
I'll be watching on my pillow
Clap twice I'll see what you mean
It was one for the other team"

Go to sleep or at least keep the light off
I'll see it shining through the cracks
You may be missing some things
But if you leave it open
Some of them might come back