Life After Life

Get that paper off my stairs,

voices all out of the air,

calling as they do for kingdom come

cheer the curtain rolling down

if our crawling on the ground

isn’t sacred work, under the sun

My hat is standing upside down

for all the pennies heaven found

raining all around your feet and mine

my cape was made of someone’s rags

trails behind me like a flag

surrender becomes victory in time…

as life after life after life comes to show,

and life after life follows where we go

As miners forge for keeps,

iron deep between our teeth,

digging ourselves further in the hole

navigating by the sound

dear ones lost under the ground,

fighting for their lives and for our souls

I never thought we’d come to this;

but how not?, when every fist

is striking from there just outside the door

where we’ve hid our beating hearts

safe and sound by fits and starts,

that give out, as a way of having more…

as life after life after life gives away,

and life after life follows no other way

The color drains out of the face

of every clock giving chase

to its own tail, ringing ‘round this room

words that once refused to rhyme,

lend themselves to any sign

calling for our better angels soon

Like a riot in the street,

where we pray, with our feet:

a roar rising by our very shoes

one fine morning, drawing near,

we’ll give to each others’ ear

news that will remain as news…

where life after lifer after life follows too,

and life after life chases after you