Sticks & Stones

Gather wood against the weather Pile up stones against the sky String of lights like pearls between us And the heavens' blackest eye Tell the hour go take another Go down Moses without a fuss Taken to the lawless water And send that later boat for us Sticks and stones, blood, ash and bone I shake the tree, swim out alone Turnin' over the dark Missouri Now that every new leaf I had is gone Moon's near empty, a swinging saber Keeping every prayer at bay At the throat of love for ransom From the dull approaching day There's no law that rides this border No fences stretch this far to show How times will side against another As one arrives and others go Sticks and stones, blood, ash and bone I shake the tree, swim out alone Turnin' over the dark Missouri Now that every new leaf I had is gone Whores are dressed in fire and feathers On a beach, sit in a row Climb the bank through scrub and tinder Disappear where rabbits go They had nothing that I needed But I gave them all I had Just to share some dirt between them As we waited, smoked and laughed Sticks and stones, blood, ash and bone I shake the tree, swim out alone Turnin' over the dark Missouri Now that every new leaf I had is gone Now that every new leaf I had is gone Now that every new leaf I had is gone Now that every new leaf I had is gone