Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore

Ring them bells, Peter ring them bells

Wonder where’s my mother been?

Floatin’ above that world of sin?

Wearing that cardboard sign again?

Ring them bells, Peter ring them bells

Wonder who’ll my children be?

Strangers like their mom and me?

Cork spots on the apple tree?

PETER: (not ringing bells)

Some go chasing motorcars

Some rush inward as they are--

--cat tracks on the reservoir

Orange in the grass, roll away!

Mother McKenzie in the nightshade!

Joshua resurrected Hemingway!

Penny, leaded glass---get away!

Heron of the past with a baked clay!

Truth swans! kaleidoscopic highway!

Michael, won’t you row that boat ashore?

Your little brother can’t paddle anymore!

Another dark star bottled in a bell jar

They say the river runs deep but it’s not wide--

You wanna guess who’s sleeping on the other side?

[Peter, ring them bells]

Harry’s still alive, just fine!

No cancer, now just a little throat line!

[wonder where’ve my friendships gone?]

Craft mines! Our needle of the white pine!

[Peter, ring them bells]

St. James sabbath of the 8th day

Still part Rabbit like his uncle A.?

[Lies that I was depending on?]

Andavanay! Andavanay!

[Sister, trim them sails]

Sammy with his daddy in the foxhole

Voice of a jaguar & a heart of gold

[Boastin’ talk gonna sink my soul]

Michael, row that boat ashore!

[Brother, lend a helping hand]

And if either of our wives need a little time

[But you, poor children, how you gonna land?]

You and I can take the kids to the county line

I bet you Sarah knows the place I don’t have in mind

[what voices you been hearin’

As waters rise and darkness comin’ in?]

Andavanay!!!

Have you heard from heaven today?

Tell me then, what’d Gabriel say?

Am I still on that narrow way?