Solar, Solar System

Don't Tell me your name

I'm okay

Just seeing you from where I'm standing

Don't tell me your name

I'm okay

Seeing you from where I'm

Standing

But do you ever feel like there's

A solar system under your skin?

..All your organs suspended

and doing strange things?

Is there a piano where you live?

(I don't have a piano but I wish that I did)

Now, you don't have to answer me

No, you don't have to entertain me

No you don't have to answer me

You don't have to entertain me

But the person asleep in your bed

Oh, they want you

Even when you're angry,

Oh, they want you

Even when you're quiet

Oh, they want you

But the only thing that matters

Is whether you want them too

Does your bed get big and boring sometimes?

Do you stay up all night?

Are you exhausted in the morning?

You don't have to answer me

You don't have to enterain me.

You don't have to

Answer me

You don't have to

Entertain me

But I'm afraid

From where I'm standing

And I'll still be afraid

To take a step

In your direction

cause there's this solar,

Solar system

and it is doing

The strangest things to me

And do you cry

At the movies?

Do you write

in the margins of your books?

You don't have to look

Look my way

You don’t have to stay

But I want you

Even when you’re angry

Oh, I want you

Even when you’re quiet

I

Want

You

Sunday Shoes

You scuffed your Sunday shoes

When you leapt the fence

To chase the wolves from

Your baby sister

Who was eating dirt

In the flower bed

Near the house where

Your mother hung her head

And wept for the lord

To fill her up

Like buttermilk pancakes

At Sunday brunch

The town was swept away

In oceans of praise

With talk about how

We’re headed home

And how we’ll all be held in the arms of

The most selfless love

And the good that we have done

Is already written down

And we shall all become a phenomenon

You scuffed your Sunday shoes

When you leapt the fence

To save your sister from those hungry wolves

But you fell the wrong way,

Yeah, you broke your leg

And now

The animals are turning their heads

They’re turning-NO NOW THEY’RE TURNING BACK

THEY’RE TURNING BACK

To take you to their den and lick your bones

To take you to their home and kiss all on your bones

But don’t be afraid

To go with them

Don’t be afraid to be carried home

The sky will open up;

It will swallow you whole

But don’t worry my love

It will feel so nice

On your SOUL

So nice on your soul

And you will be laid to rest

By gentle hands

And you will be sorely missed by

Your absent father

And you, you will become

Your most favorite color

You, you will become your most favorite color
Imagine that

And you will become like the dinosaurs:

Discovered, and laid to rest

Like the dinosaurs

Puzzled over, then laid to rest

Like the dinosaurs

Pieced back together

Then laid to rest

So don’t, don’t you fret for your baby sister now.

An Hour Past My Birthday

I can still feel your tongue hard on my throat

‘Gainst the dark kitchen wall when I begged you

Not to stop

Just before my glass of water dropped

And SHATTERED LIKE A BROKEN,

SHATTERED LIKE A BROKEN BONE

Oh no no no

No no no no no

Three years I’ve been made so lonely

Just waiting for you only

It’s an hour past my birthday and you are

Crying on me in your driveway

So what are you crying for?

What are you crying for?

Three years I’ve been made so lonely

Waiting for you only

It’s an hour past my birthday

And I am silent on you in your driveway

So what am I doing this for?

What am I doing here for?

And when you pass it around the circle

When you pass it around the circle—

I WANT TO LICK THAT ..RED.. FROM ‘ROUND YOUR,

SAID I WANT TO LICK THAT ..RED.. FROM ROUND YOUR PUPILS

What am I smiling for?

What am I smiling for?

I can still feel your tongue hard on my throat

Against the dark kitchen wall when I begged you,

“Oh no, oh, God, Oh please don’t you stop.”

Untitled

I am an old song that you once knew

You can’t remember me for the life of you

And now he’s singing you verses that are new

And you are longing for just to hear his chorus

WE FELL ASLEEP on a box of milk duds

THEY MELTED INTO the Clubhouse cushions

I’VE NEVER LOVED another person

MORE ..THAN.. I LOVED YOU when I awoke that morning

You can plan your attack or try to relax when you

Get back to ..Brooklyn..,  Get back to ..Brooklyn..

You can close your eyes for a moment at a time

But in the dark they’ll stay open, they’ll always stay open

My spine gets the most sun when I’m lying on my back

With my brains dripping down into the palms of my hands

I’m always misplacing my wandering mind

It takes the metro; it’s never on time

Now I’m trying to remember how to climb the stairs

And how to tie my shoes and how to braid my hair

I can’t remember my own name or why I care

All I know is my eyes are the bee and your body is the bear

Now

WE FELL ASLEEP on a box of milk duds

THEY MELTED INTO the Clubhouse cushions

I’VE NEVER LOVED another person

MORE ..THAN.. I LOVED YOU when I awoke that morning

I am an old song that you once knew

You can’t remember me for the life of you

But I hope you find joy in the things you do

And in the songs he sings that are sung solely for you

Lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

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A Purple Plum Crumb Cake Color

And if I knew a love like you how happy I would be
That my saints would go marching three by three
Eleven pairs of bears with snares serenading the color back into my cheeks
If you would only have me, if you would only have me
My very teeth would tell the story of the salt of your throat
Let me love you til my limbs turn, let me love you til my limbs turn, let me love you til my limbs turn
A Purple Plum Crumb Cake Color Deep Down In The Dirt
We could build a nest made of mustard yellow yarn
Oh, I like you I like you I most certainly do.
If only we could take to The Bay and count the sails on our way
bleach our blues in the waves to say, A Purple Plum Crumb Cake Color In The Base Of Our Blood
Let's explore the horned hillsides, string a necklace of dead insects in the harbor in our heads crafted entirely of
who we are and who we've been. Where we are and where we've traveled. How we swim and how we sink like A Slew Of Stones Stacked In A Baby Bone And Thrown Into The Ocean.
Let's draw dreary caves and leave them be, let's draw dreary caves and leave them be. Let's draw dreary caves and put them in their place in the fingers of the fire.
I saw the way you stood to stand for something few feel with their hands oh please won't you keep out that wedding gown; you'll catch a cold or you will drown!
For I've been searching days and days for apricot groves, my shoulder blades were left to bake in the blunders of the Yoke-Hued Sun but
I will build a boat to seek you out and I will man a moat to meet you down and I will find a way to un-paint the deserts brown.
Just to hear you, just to hear you sing a song. Just to hear you sing a song.



The Nothing

Hands hold ankles taut soft while lips and tongue take breath into lungs held to hold fork firm to eat from purple street. Rain falls and snow melts and every day a baby doesn't make it. King of Owls perches in my chest, I am a child I did not ask for this. But every day a baby opens eyes away from purple street and the struck match burns at the point of strike-sharp cut to blue and then the light. Lip of a window, lip of a can, lip of a lover, sea lipped on the sand. I'm a pale attempt at a full-limbed lion; were we a travesty? To love in the jungle of our hearts tangled and pulsing won't you tell me? We could be like Adam and Eve again. We could take our clothes off right here right now and eat fruit into the night. We did not frolick like rabbits, we ran like hares chased by hounds until we tripped and all was lost and our hides. And our hides. And from the distance erupts a sound loud as trumpets hearts rise up in song to the surface. I dare say, Build Your Love Big As Skyscrapers. I bowed in her essence and when I rose I found my face in my hands. Don't hold your dead dog in a carpet bag, you will need your hands to clap. And your arms to hug people when they're crying. Sobs can be heard from the highest but don't look up don't run around it's unimportant but what grief it is to love someone as your own blood and watch them turn and walk away too unhappy to cry. This pain that decorates my chest, it is heavy as a piece of furniture that I must carry. It challenges and weakens me but when I think my spine might split, the weight is lifted and I rest upon it. and the beebuzz will not fail to seduce the flowers thus reversing their existence, making mothers out of them. I stand motherless and vertical amongst the others and there is something like a needle in our ears but we are not, we are not, we are not fearful.


Almond Colored Sheets

I was running through a bad dream, but now I am waking up.She says almond colored sheets are the best for dreaming, but it means nothing here. She says almond colored sheets are best for dreaming in, but she has appeared to tell me in my dream.

I'd like to be alive long enough to sail, I'd like to be alive long enough to sail The Dead Sea.

I saw my grandfather today; he was lying like precious bones in a bed.This time the year before last, I was smoking cigarettes in a sleeping bag.
It was my friend's room but I, I lived there too and one night, I stepped out of the shower to discover that his mother had taken my towel, so I had to resort to using your old kindergarten, your old kindergarten t-shirt.

whoa oh oh, when are you coming home? When are you coming home? I'd like to stay alive long enough to sail, I'd like to be alive long enough to sail The Dead Sea. I'd like to stay alive long enough to sail The Dead Sea.

When are you coming home? When are you coming home?

A Dinosaur Song

I'd like to tie today up in my hair, like to collect the hours we still could dance for a jam jar on my nightstand. I'd like to fly my spine like a kite, want to see you walk through that doorway and into this room where I am waiting for you. You like the sea. And how the sea began with a drop of sweat soaked into a cloth swiped across the brow of God and how he wrung it out into sharp teeth to scales and how the carnivore was born. And how he flung us forward into day and night and how we floated down as if hot air balloons with consciences like faulty landings. Our bodies skin thin and desirable, how I desire you. Our bodies, thin-skinned and desirable how I, how I desire you.


Antique Shop

I walked into the local antique shop. They had a violin so I picked it up. I played a note.I walked into the local antique shop they had a purple dress with polka dots. I tried it on. I walked into the local antique shop. They had a statue of a mother. I walked into the local antique shop. On the wall was a map with many mountains. I thought about leaving the place I was living.

I grabbed my violin and I packed my dress. I hung the map in the van and I headed west. With a cat-induced sickness; a jar of nectarine jam.

Been thinking about leaving the place that I'm living, been thinking about leaving the place that I'm in. Been thinking about leaving the place that I'm living, been thinking about leaving the place that I'm in. Been thinking about leaving.

MaryJude

Do you find it strange when you wake up in the month of your name? Do you find it strange when you wake up in the month of your name? I know it's rather strange that you and I are only strangers. I know it's rather strange that you and I are only strangers. But I will share my candy bar and I will walk as far as it takes. I will share my candy bar and I will walk as far as it takes. Oh, oh,
Will I see you Sunday? I know I mispronounced your first name. But will I see you Sunday? heyheyhey
Do you find it strange when you wake up in the month of your name? I know it's rather strange that you and I are only strangers. But I'll stamp out this cigarette and I will trim my dead ends. I'll stamp out my cigarette and then I'll trim my dead ends oh oh
Will I see you Sunday? I know I mispronounced your first name. But will I see you Sunday? heyheyhey
Now, I don't mean to be too bold, but I was thinking if you're free we could go--we could meet up for say, a cup of coffee!

Walrus

I took a walk outside today. I took a walk outside today. I took a walk outside today, it made me late! You took a walk into the sea. You took a walk into the sea. I watched your cheeks go underneath; I walked away.
The trees look like my grandmother's fingers. The trees look like my grandmother's hands, you know. The trees look like my grandmother's fingers when she takes off her wedding bands, oh oh oh.
I saw so many pretty people. I saw so many pretty people I saw so many people staring at their feet. Look up! Look up! Look up!
The sky looks like my grandfather's eyes. The sky looks like my grandfather's eyes. The sky looks like my grandfather's eyes when he's singing. Ladida-da-da-da!
I took a walk outside today. You took a walk into the sea. I watched your teeth go underneath; I was too late!
But you look like you could be my friend. You look like you could be my greatest friend. You look like you could be my friend--Don't go away. Oh, no no no. Don't go away.
We could play our favorite records. We could walk out on the icy river. We could watch 'It's A Wonderful Life' on Christmas Eve!

He Comes Galloping

I'll keep to your ribcage if you'll keep to the nape of my neck because the bitter Winter, he comes galloping reckless, with his guns poised and ready and the cold wrapped around his wrists.
I'll keep my lips to your cheeks when the leaves fall 'round where we stand for it's August while it can, til the greens go purple and the sun lurks in corners like it's gone too soon and knows it can't return for a little while longer, oh, won't you stay a while longer? Won't you stay a while longer?

Comet Flies Over The Underbelly

Hello. I would like a cheeseburger with extra pickles, please. And a french fry. Oh, make it a large. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I'd like a Dr. Pepper. A Dr. Pepper, Doctor, please. That's my favorite carbonated beverage. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you.
One, two, three, four. Who's that knocking at the door? Don't get up or I'll slit your throat! Haha, I'm only kidding, no. Oh, I would never hurt you. I could never hurt you. And if we want we can find the spot where the skycrapers don't touch. We can blot out the moon with our thumbs when we get bored.  You're my greatest friend, that's why my pillowcase is your favorite shirt. That's why my pillowcase is your favorite shirt. That's why my pillowcase is your favorite shirt. And it's my favorite when I wash it and you where it home. It's my favorite shirt when I wash it and you wear it home ONE TWO THREE FOUR:
HEY STRANGER on the street! May I please have a piggyback ride? A piggy-back-back, piggyback, piggyback ride, Sir? Why thank you kindly! You're my new very nice friend; I like you alot! Let's get some lunch, let's have a talk!
She was standing up on the stage in her cowboy boots with a beat-up guitar! And I just wanted to WALTZ on up to her. And hand her my heart. But we had to leave. You see, we really needed to eat.
And so it goes...
Hello. I would like a cheeseburger with extra pickles please. And a french fry, make it a large. I'll take a Dr. Pepper. A Dr. Pepper, Doctor. Mmmm, and a cookie dough pie!
(Don't forget my napkins!!)




 

Penny Licks

Maybe when we're gone, long gone. You can have our bedroom as your own. And we can't seem to find a stable table, so we'll just take our eggs and we'll be on our way. And when we pay our tolls, you should pay us a compliment like: 'You have lovely eyes' or 'Your bone structure is quite exquisite.'
WE WILL CRANE OUR NECKS. WE DO NOT WISH TO MAKE A BABY. WE WILL CRANE OUR NECKS. WE WERE NOT BUILT TO RAISE THIS CITY UP. WE WILL CRANE OUR NECKS. WE DO NOT WISH TO START A FAMILY. WE WILL CRANE OUR NECKS. WE WERE NOT MADE TO BUILD THIS CITY UP.

Until I Am Bones

Whether I have cucumbers over my eyes, or whether I have coins I love, I love you until I am bones. Until I am bones.  I have been waiting for you all my life. Wherever you are, go on and show yourself to me. Whether I'm on my way to the city, or whether I'm headed home I love you, I love you in my bones!  I'm going to put you in this song. I'm going to sing you loudly, sing you loudly. I'm going to put you in this song. I'm goin to sing you loudly, going to sing you loudly. Gonna put you in this song I'm gonna sing you loudly. GONNA SING YOU LOUDLY gonna put you in my song.
And whether I have cucumbers over my eyes, or whether I'm on my way to the city.  If there are coins over my eyes, or if I'm headed, headed home. You know I love you, oh, how I love you til I am bones.
I have been waiting for you all my life. Wherever you are, go on and show yourself to me.

Sunday Shoes

You scuffed your sunday shoes when you lept the fence to chase the wolves from your baby sister. Who was eating dirt in the flower bed near the house where your mother hung her head and wept for The Lord to fill her up like buttermilk pancakes at sunday brunch.
The town was swept away in oceans of praise with talk about how we're headed home. And how we'll all be held in the arms of the most Selfless Love and the good that we have done is already written down and we shall all become a phenomenon.
You scuffed your sunday shoes when you lept the fence to save your sister from those hungry wolves. But you fell the wrong way, and you broke your leg and now the animals are turning their heads! They're turning-NO, NOW THEY'RE TURNING BACK!!
THEY'RE TURNING BACK!!
To take you to their den, and lick your bones. To take you to their home and own your bones, but don't be afraid! To go. Don't be afraid, to be carried home now. DON'T BE AFRAID the sky will open and swallow you whole. But don't worry my love, for it will feel so nice on YOUR SOUL!!
YOUR SOUL! on yOUR SOUL!!
and you will become like the dinosaurs: discovered and laid to rest. Like the dinosaurs: puzzled over and laid to rest. Like the dinosaurs: pieced back together and laid to rest, so don't, don't you fret for your baby sister.

Green Grapes

Snow-soaked cigarette, reunion in the parking lot. Your perfume swimming in my head. So many things I thought to say, I opened my mouth and none escaped except, 'Don't let go yet.' Don't let go yet. Don't let go yet, Don't let go yet, Don't let go.      The taste of green grapes on the inside of my cheeks, the taste of green grapes still lingers from last New Year's Eve. Last New Year's Eve.       Smoke from my cigarette. Your perfume swimming in my head. Smoke from your cigarette. Your perfume is swimming in my head.

Great Orr Bailey

It was a long day today so I decided to go for a drive towards the ocean. So I hopped in my car and I left. And when I got to the yellow sign warning me the road ended in 500 ft., I turned around and I went back down towards Mackerel Cove.  And as I turned off the radio I thought of my mother and how she wants her ashes scattered here. I took a long look at the sea. And as I stood on the tire swing, I lost my breath and all feeling in my fingertips. I missed you. I missed your big, blue eyes. And I wanted to plunge right in. To the center of your chest where your soul maybe is, mhmm.  WOULDN'T IT BE ROMANTIC? WOULDN'T IT BE ROMANTIC TO JUST GO DOWN, TO JUST GO DOWN INTO THE SEA THE SEA THE SEA THE SEA, GO RIGHT INTO THE SEA? OH WOULDN'T IT BE NICE, WOULDN'T IT BE LOVELY TO JUST GO DOWN, TO JUST GO DOWN INTO THE SEA!!! OH, OH OH!!!  Hey sweetpea, who are you when you are alone? Who are you when you are alone?

Beluga

I knelt before The Sky awaiting Her reply, but she refused to pour herself all over me. So I bowed my head in shame The Sea was hugging my waist and mumbling words of encouragement that I would only forget. And I wished for to unlearn the, unlearn the alphabet. So as to make the words slide off my tongue in the shape, in the form of the Ancient Sun!  .....My song would make the earth a little warmer and I'd hope that it would make it a little brighter. And my song would go, it'd go: ladida da da. Ladida oh oh oh oh oh. Lada da da da da da da dum    And I laid myself on down and floated it out towards the center, towards The Lighthouse. And I thought in only pictures in my head, reversed every image to make it majestic. And I began to sink into the deep, the deep Caress. The heavy depth. The Honey Swell, The Honey Swell and I, I wished for to become a beluga whale to be that song that someone sings to the one they love to send them off to sleep. To send them off to sleep. That one song that someone sings to the one they love the most. Oh oh oh sea. Drifting out to sea. Drifting off to sleep. Drifting out to sea. Oh oh oh oh sea. Drifting out to sea, drifting off to sleep drifting out to see, do you still want me. See? Oh baby, don't you see? Oh, how I long to be singing you to sleep. La la la la, see? Oh sugar, don't you see? Oh how I long to be singing you to sleep. oh oh oh, oh. ohhh.

The Today Parade

Now is the time I'll make my escape from the past. And I will emerge raising my arms, waving my hands. And I wonder, will you be waiting beloved friend, to welcome me back?Now is all we have. The future is merely a concept.

Have you been waiting here long? I promise I tried to keep in touch. But I got so caught up; it took all my strength just to stand back up. I got lost in my thoughts. I got so lost in my thoughts. But I finally found my way out of the maze. I thought I was doomed, but then I realized it was the thought that led me astray, and now I stand here in the center of The Today Parade. Looking around at all the wonder. My eyes aflame, the fire in my heart burning brighter with each breath I take. I am here now, and now is all we have. Let's make it last. Let's make it last. Let's make it last.




 

Beginning Wednesday, December 4th, TJ and I set out on a micro edition tour consisting of four shows in five days. This tour would be known to us as the "Fuck Tours and Moms" Tour 2008. We got home at around 3am this morning with time enough to sleep and get up for work today. All in all, the "Fuck Tours and Moms" Tour 2008 was phenomenal.

These are the main running themes:

1. Chicken Nuggets 2. Feliz Navidad 3. Radio Harmonizing

We started off driving to Bennington College in Bennington VT on Wednesday at about 2pm...we were to play a show on campus in the common room of a student house with our friend Roby Moulton (Dark Roby)..with my mom's van packed complete with a borrowed drumset and stuffed elephant (Gretchen) and stuffed dinosaur (Mandarin), we made our way into New Hampshire. We stopped at the liquor store on the highway to observe how a wasp had been caught between two thick pieces of glass separating two blue pay phones from one another. As far as we could tell, there were no cracks or openings. We wondered how he had found his way between the two sheets of glass in the first place.

I digress.

We. drove through the twisty-twiny roads up into the mountain regions of Vermont in a light snow, surrounded by semi-trucks and guard rails.

We arrived at Bennington with plenty of time to set up. The room in which we were playing was crazy...the first thing I noticed was a tree in the corner of the room which I heard people calling "The Porn Tree." It was pretty self-explanatory: a tree with magazine cutouts of porn stuck onto the branches. Behind where we set up were two framed posters of Louis Armstrong with a taped-on mustache stuck above his lip on each frame.

Roby's set was wonderful, and made me so happy. TJ and I have been walking around all week singing his version of "Merry Fuckin' Christmas." It was cool to finally play the place where we drew inspiration for 'Comet Flies Over The Underbelly' back in May when we visited for the annual Sunfest and saw The Fiery Furnaces play...The one person we met at Sunfest and kept in contact with gave us a lovely 'hair pin' after our set; an orange button with hair inside it--part of a school project she had made. It is now the permanent decor of my winter coat.

We stayed in Bennington that night, in the same room of the motel we stayed in when we had visited back in May. TJ was pretty positive he remembered the name of the motel owner's cat. He thought it was Jazzy. It turns out the cat is called Jasper and is sometimes called Jazzy. A+ for TJ's memory box.

Before going back to The Harwood Hill Motel, we stopped at the 24 hr. Price Chopper for microwaveable fried rice and mozzarella sticks. We laid in bed watching re-runs of The Hills on MTV. It's true: we do love us some Hills.