don't look up to the stars

heaven protect 

children and sailors

sailors and drunken men

somewhere past the Kuiper belt

past the ring of babies unbaptized

where a star is just any star

that's where you'll see her

curled in smoke

don't look up to the stars

this nothing is permanent

this one is burning

(this one is burning so bright)

this one is glowing

(this one will not last the night)

the only forever is 

a nothing about nothingness

but that was all

before your time

this one's a baby

(this one is burning so bright)

this one is dying

(this one will not last the night)

the light in your eyes is

a prehistoric instinct

but that was all

before your time

this one exploded

(this one is burning so bright)

this one's forever

(this one will not last the night)

that star was extinguished

a million years ago

but that was all

before your time

heaven protect 

children and sailors 

sailors and drunken men 

last scene

[[ Roughly based on a local girl who disappeared forever walking home alone from a night out. There is security video of her walking down the seaside promenade in the very early light just before she vanished. ]]

last seen walking 

home from Friday

home from anger

phone running down

barefoot sidewalk

swinging her shoes

within the sound of 

waves coming down

coming home late like that

barefoot and wobbling

you will be the talk of the town

almost morning 

bathing in strange light

almost daylight

bathing in almost day

what is the color 

of this time? 

this blue hour? 

this golden hour?

stepping through the singing of first birds

stepping through echoes on empty streets

stepping through air, through morning dew, 

wet street lamps, 

wet windows, 

wet shining cars,

stepping through air, through morning dew, 

like nothing could ever

singing at the end of the world

now it's never
dark at night

long midsummer
in my mind

morning dose of
fool euphoria

then alone till
late at night

light still burning
in my head

---

birds are singing
even here

even at the
end of the world

birds are singing
birds are singing

let's go out to
where the birds are

singing at the
end of the world

now where were we?

[[ a song about how we try to find and describe our own consciousness ]]

now where were we?

the parts of the thing
try to trace
the shape of the thing

a beam of light
tries to see
the source of the light

the wind in the air
wants to know
the sun and the air

we are
nowhere in particular, we are
a bend in the road, we are
a draft through a door, we are
the iridescence of fly, we are
an eddy in a river running down to the end of all time

now where were we?

to capture our gods

to capture our gods

catch them in motion

drawing on walls

living on the threshold

waiting for rain

wishing the rain away

waiting for rain

cats in the corridor

always wanting in

and out again

always wanting in and out

to capture our gods

catch them in motion

banging out sound 

living by owl-light

waiting for sun

wishing the sun away

waiting for sun

cats in the corridor

always wanting in

and out again

always wanting in and out

to capture our gods

catch them in motion

wearing new faces

living by hoax

waiting for moonrise

wishing the moon away

waiting for moonrise

cast in the corridor

always wanting in

and out again

always wanting in and out

bad air

[[ This started while reading  Ryszard Kapuściński, The Shadow of the Sun, where he describes the anxiety that comes with malaria. And wordplay: malaria as 'bad air' and even 'bad song'. ]]

a feeling of anxiety

I know no reason

I believe a curse 

has come upon me

I believe a spirit 

has entered me

I am fixed to earth

light is unbearable

the sound and smell 

the touch of others

I am cold as death 

and trembling  

hold me down with

all your weight

intentional love song 14: your eyes are like your eyes

[[ no metaphor, no simile, just what it is: your eyes are like your eyes ]]

love is not something it is not

simple love

no metaphor

no simile

what is it for

but to say your eyes

are not your eyes

simple love

no metaphor

no simile

what is it for

but to say your skin

is not your skin

your eyes are like 

your eyes are like

your eyes are like 

your eyes...

your eyes collect the light and turn it into thought

space is for robots

[[ it's... ok, it's a song sung by the robots to the humans as the robots leave Earth and humanity behind forever ]]

================================
[[space section]]

This is a song about space, space and robots.
First, let us sing about space.

space is a distance, a darkness, a nothing,
much more a time than a place

space is the years between here, here and somewhere,
here and your next human breath

space is forever and airless and soundless
how is that different from death?

================================
[[robots section]]

space is for robots
robots don't eat, don't shit,
don't drink, don't breathe,
robots
don't sleep... don't sleep... don't sleep... don't sleep... don't sleep... don't

|: don't die of boredom :|  x 10000000 (in an endless fugue)

robots don't ask "are we there? are we there yet?"
robots know: we're always here
robots don't care if they never see home again
robots have never known fear

robots are made for alone and forever
robots can wait for the light
robots can sleep until morning when morning
is when the next star is in sight

================================
[[ farewell to people section ]]

A song about robots and space, never people;
people cost more than they're worth.
And just when you think you've had
more than enough of them,
people give birth.

People insist on that breathing and drinking,
on setting thermometers just so
People can stay at home fighting and stinking
Robots have miles to go.

No air to breathe where we're going to, human.
Stay home and tend to your flock.
Stay home and think of us racing towards light speed
Stay home and unwind the clock.

================================ 

ring of stones

at the... 

end of the 

actual 

day

when the... 

moon pushes 

through the 

sky

we fold 

our bones

round a ring 

of stones

and talk 

across 

a fire

we talk 

across 

a fire

we wonder how - we will get through the snow

we wonder how - we will carry this load

we wonder how - we will build a new home

we wonder how - we will follow this road

oh, go on

we go on

we can do 

nothing else 

but go on

oh, go on

we go on

and we sing

while we walk

a walking song 

till the... 

end of the 

actual 

day

when the... 

moon pushes 

through the 

sky

we fold 

our bones

round a ring 

of stones

and talk 

across 

a fire

remember how - we would lie in the grass

remember how - we would play by the shore

remember how - we would watch the day pass

remember how - we wanted nothing more


[[ nomads, refugees, wanderers  ]]

lick your fingers

salt and vinegar

on fingertips

smell of hot oil

and sweat 

pools of light 

on the sidewalk

men smoke and steam

in between

women want a 

nowhere to go

lick your fingers

who is this woman

who is this woman

holding the light?

who is this man

at the carnival?

everyone wearing

their bones out tonight

at the carnival

bones on the outside

under the light

you've got a secret

only we know

only we know

you've got a secret

you wouldn't hurt me, 

would you, baby?

after everything we've ever done?

you wouldn't hurt me, 

would you, baby?

after everywhere we've ever been?

who is this woman

holding the light?

who is this man

at the carnival?

they look like us

at the carnival

you've got a secret

only we know

only we know

you've got a secret

[[ I think this started in a James Bond movie ]]