God of Ocean Tides

Close the door on a short night

Lift the lid on the daylight

6:09, West Tennessee time

And I buy all my days

At the same place where

The girl sells her nights

To a god of ocean tides

All night long

Writing poems to California

Melodies of failure

And the people I have thrown

Away

Meanwhile, somewhere west of Carolina

In a congregation of strangers

We are digging holes to China

Then we pray to our reflections

In the water when it rises

I said headlights pin the highway down

Jesus spins the world around

And I'll spend all my tomorrows comin' down

Goodbye all my days

I know I said I never loved you

But I might just try again tonight

Truck stops and river gods

Gas stations of the cross

Following a ghost

Following a ghost

I pray the water wash away

The memories and the cost

Carry me south

To the sea

Along with your memories of me

We were born in the water

Now we'll return to Thee

Colored lights

And birthday cakes

Candle wax

On paper plates

Breathe the water

Oh

Hush-a-bye

Hush-a-bye

You can see through water, oh

All the way up to the sky

Gods of water

Gods of rain

Cover up the sun again

We are crossing it

The Mississippi line

And I tried all my days

Just to love you just the way

You hoped I might

But I'm leaving here tonight

I can't remember yesterday

I tried

If I said I could, I lied