intentional love song 13: Never get over

[[ a brooding song, with memories called up like pages from self-help articles, museum dioramas, films, plays  ]]

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Never get over.

I go through things

like the agony aunts

in magazines

a thousand times

in waiting rooms

I go through things

like a bad museum

with manikins

still holding poses

as if they were real

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Do you dwell on things?

Do you live on that street?

Do you eat and breathe, 

Do you dream it?
Do you?

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Never get over.

I go through things

prime vintage porn flick

with funk slap bass

here comes the pizza

but the plumber's here

I go through things

like art house drama

with painted tears

and painted laughter

to an angular dance

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Do you dwell on things?

Do you live on that street?

Do you eat and breathe, 

Do you dream it?

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Never get over.

Jesus was a cracker

Jesus was a cracker 

we washed down 

with wine

was Jesus

Mary was a mumble

a bracelet

a sign

was Mary 

God was nothing 

in particular

a smoke bomb, 

a brass cup,

stained glass,

a widow working the organ 

working the organ

From all of which 

I assembled a cosmology

in a basement crèche

while God turned away from me

Jesus was a cracker 

we washed down 

with wine

was Jesus

Mary was a mumble

a bracelet

a sign
was Mary

I want a music in me

[[ Well. Music and night. ]]

because I close my eyes

I want a music in me

I want an art in here 

when I go into sleep

when I die I will close

my eyes and hear a bell

when I am dying I will hear 

the voices falling, rising 

across the last threshold

in wave, in wave, in waterswell

because I close my eyes

I want a music in me

Thou art in me,

Mistress Night,

in comely dress

of soft Moon-light

intentional love song 12: the breathing

when you call 

I feel the phone

in your hand

I hear the shape 

of the room

where you stand

I hear you breathe

and I know

you are there

how real you are 

even though 

so far so far so far

how real you are 

faith is a hovercraft

floating on its own breath

I think of how 

you are breathing 

other air

I think of how 

you are your own

atmosphere

I hear you breathe

and I know

you are there

how real you are 

even though

so far so far so far

how real you are 

faith is a hovercraft

floating on its own breath

how real you are
even though
faith is a hovercraft
adrift on its own breath

intentional love song 11: astronomical passenger

[[ a song about going no place fast but together ]]

astronomical passenger you

astronomical passenger me

tilted and whirling

one thousand

miles an hour

round this planet

round the equator

every day

astronomical passenger you

astronomical passenger me

tilted and whirling

sixty-seven thousand

miles an hour

round this sun

tilted and whirling

every year

tilted and whirling

tilted and whirling

springsummerautumnwinter

springsummerautumnwinter

springsummerautumnwinter

spring

astronomical passenger you

astronomical passenger me

tilted and whirling

four hundred ninety thousand

miles an hour

round this galaxy

until we are gone

until miles and hours are gone

half-moon morning

I could hang my hat

on the corner 

of this sharp half-moon morning

I could sail away

in the belly

of this smooth half-moon boat

If 

you haven't 

looked at this 

morning as 

something you 

choose

don't follow your shoes

there's a sky up there

I could lay my head

on the pillow 

of this soft cloud floating

I could leave forever

on the mountain 

of this island cloud rolling

rolling away

If 

you haven't 

looked at this 

morning as 

something you 

choose

don't follow your shoes

there's a sky up there

intentional love song 10: make yourself known

[[ love somewhere ]]

I still look for you, 

whoever you are

we could meet

where two rivers meet

under ancient trees

we could meet

at the grocery store

buying carrots and peas

but when we meet

and I believe we will meet

be anything 

only bring 

yourself to me and me alone

make yourself known

I still look for you, 

whoever you are

we could meet

at a crossroads

lost in the hills

we could meet

at a chain cafe

getting refills

but when we meet

and I believe we will meet

be anything 

only bring 

yourself to me and me alone

make yourself known

intentional love song 9: I've seen this movie

I've seen this movie

I know how it ends

the leading man leaves her

for one of her friends

some actor pretends

to be a regular guy

pretending he's faithful

and thinking he's sly

think I'll leave before the rain

I've seen this movie

and nobody dies

it's not that kind of movie

she just cries

she just cries

yeah, this is the part where she cries

he tries to convince her

it's all in her brain

I think I'll leave before

she thinks she's insane

I've seen this movie

I know how it goes

if I leave before the end

watch your toes

maybe I can beat the rain

I've seen this movie

and nobody dies

it's not that kind of movie

she just cries

she just cries

yeah, this is the part where she cries

lapis lazuli

Do you remember

the twenty-first century?

When everyone splendid

would bathe in the nude

in a pool in the wood?

When everyone splendid

was splendidly good?

Do you remember

the twenty-first century?

When everyone's friend

siphoned gasoline nights

just to set it alight?

When everyone's friend

was so right?

Where are we now?

All of our years 

whirled away?

We have washed our hands clean

with a little gasoline 

and some noise

We have made our big play

only traded away

a few boys

We have sung the Afghanistan blues now in every saloon 

this side of the moon

in the nineteenth century

in the twentieth century

in the twenty-first century

in every saloon 

this side of the moon

we have sung the Afghanistan blues

Do you remember

the twenty-first century?

When everyone struggled

to nurture a bruise

to be shown on the news?

When everyone struggled

to cover the ruse?

Do you remember

the twenty-first century?

When the world was run

by a troop of baboons

under two rising moons?

When the world ended

one afternoon?

Where are we now?

All of our years 

whirled away?

We have washed our hands clean

with a little gasoline 

and some noise

We have made our big play

only traded away

a few boys

We have sung the Afghanistan blues now in every saloon 

this side of the moon

in the nineteenth century

in the twentieth century

in the twenty-first century

in every saloon 

this side of the moon

we have sung the Afghanistan blues

Magnetic Mountain

I saw a picture of 

Magnetic Mountain

hidden in smoke

a mountain of iron

city built under 

a mountain of iron

spin the clock backward

roll back the calendar

fix every compass on

Magnetic Mountain

mama blew the roof off

and everyone died

but the miracle child
but the miracle child
they found in the frost

hello world

we'll climb 

Dynamite Mountain

and light the fuse

we'll get our faces 

floating

on world news

we'll be the first eyes 

to see

the invisible half

we'll burn our way 

home or die

and still laugh

ancient Apollo 

computer just big enough 

to write hello world

show us the secrets of dust

intentional love song 8: he loves you if (indistinguishable from love)

[[ as in life, change he to she if needed ]] 

he loves you if 

you tell yourself 

you tell yourself

he loves you and 

you believe you

you believe you

talk to love

talk to

talk back at love

talk love

if it sounds like love

it is love

suspend your disbelief 

it is not unnecessarily naive

it is necessarily naive

suspension  

is no solution

but it will do

talk to love

talk to

talk back at love

talk love

if it sounds like love

it is love

if it is indistinguishable from love

it is love

cold medicine

in forever, 

you won't be

able to read 

this is gibberish

to those 

in forever

some kind of

signs maybe

lip signals

if they can even

make out 

the single from

the noids in

those days

so hello forever 

I can tell 

you everything

I like those 

shoes? (are those

shoes? if you 

have shoes, 

and feet, 

I'm sure I like 

them or would)

and I would like

your eyes 

all of them.

Can you seem

me through

time? Even

from forever

forever?

it's so far away

here forever

come back and 

hold me

intentional love song 7: the secret of secret love

the secret of secret love?

look askance at love

and hope love isn't there

All I want 

is the falling 

to fall 

every day in love with you

the secret of secret love?

destroy all evidence of love

and find love everywhere

All I want 

is the falling 

to fall 

every day in love with you

tigers in the garden

Tigers are golden and glow in the dark.

Tigers are hungry and feed on the heart.

Look at our garden, row upon row,

each living thing bred to feed us.

Look at our garden, freak after freak,

everything engineered by us.

I was dreaming animals 

returning to the garden

dreaming peacocks 

parading on the lawn

dreaming butterflies

hovering over long grass 

dreaming herds of animals

moving through the garden

When tigers arrived 

this was our history

When tigers arrived

tiger wrapped tiger 

tiger round me

This was our garden

tigers - run round the tree

tigers - turn into ghee

tigers - chase tigers chase

tigers - all melt away

look at our garden now

Tigers are golden and glow in the dark.
Tigers are hungry and feed on the heart.

Thousand-pound tigers

walk in the woods,

each claw as big as a knife.

Thousand-pound tigers

drop from the trees,

waiting to swallow your life.

Tigers the size of 

tigers the size of 

tigers the size of 

tigers the size of life.

Uh-oh, who invited God?

Big voice walking in the cool of day

saying get out of here, get out of here

Big voice telling us be on your way

saying get out of here, get out of here

slinky / sex technology

am I slinky?
slinky's what I want to be
I can never be
slinky enough for me
everyone wants
a slinky me

coil me up
let me go
watch me slink
down the steps
watch me slink
down the steps
watch me slink

everyone wants
a slinky me

sex toy
sex tech-
nol-ogy

reboot
my sex technology
warm up
my sex technology
recharge
my sex technology

throw more coal on the fire
get the steam pouring

pull start the generator
get this diesel roaring

I am industrial,
industrial strength
sex technology

The Circling Song

Forget the crawling aliens

That's all you under the skin

You will get out of this on your own

without magic medicine

The vultures are circling, Joni,

immobile in your chair;

the vultures take souvenir snaps 

to say "I was there".

Don't look to gods or astrology

The stars don't know you exist

Everything you are is you 

and everyone you've ever kissed

The vultures are circling, Joni,

hold close but have no doubt,

the vultures will pose with red mouths

and pull your insides out.

Remember the first confinements

Remember every long day 

You can get out of this on your own

get up and walk away 

Pull up your stockings 

get up and walk away 

resolve

this new year's day
I start by crying
listening to stories of people in love
listening to stories of people engulfed in love

I have lost my resolve
swore I would not involve myself
but here I am

this new year's day
I start by crying
listening to stories of people who love
listening to stories of people ruled by their love

I have lost my resolve
swore I would not involve myself
but here I am

this new year's day
I start by crying
listening to stories I always tell myself
listening to what I tell myself... and throwing it all away

I have lost my resolve
Re: mixed-up possessive love
I have lost all my resolution
I fear I will pixelate and crumble
I fear I will pixelate and crumble away
this new year's day