A Word for Blue

The Earth, old throat of honey Her hair fanning out in a pool of sunlit gold Now we only fight about money And stare at the light in fear of growing old Watching the milk of the flame Roll towards us from the crashing moon The sea will boil, the ground will shake And one of us will be all alone soon Until I invented a word for blue You could see right through the sky Wine-dark and deathless and absent of hue Until I put a name to the lie Sorrow, only sorrow I am no longer weak, but I am poor With the ashes of tomorrow I'll paint my face and prepare for war But winter, endless winter will find you in the end But if you leave the way you entered You won't have to suffer again Until I invented a word for blue You could see right through the sky Wine-dark and deathless and absent of hue Until I put a name to the lie