Brother's Blood

My brother's blood boils in my arms It balls my fingers into fists It bubbles blisters burns my palms It floods with fury, fights and fits It's got the good guy in me hiding It kicks my humble heart around It's got me fiending for the fire that could finish off this town Oh, it's got me good It's my brother's blood on a cherry tree It stains the bark from branch to root It puddles thick with pits and leaves It strains the sweetness from the fruit It's got me looking for communion A hiding spot off underground An open plot I could climb into A lightning promise in my mouth A blackout oath I swore and meant But couldn't conjure up again I don't know one thing about my brother's blood No, I don't know one thing about my brother's blood It's my brother's blood In my dirty lungs On my crooked mouth On my swollen tongue On my father's gun On each strangers face Across the bluebird sky On every hand I shake Night after night On each chuckled prayer Such sweet relief A fistful of hair And each desperate try for elusive peace And every endless night And each wasted week All that dialogue doubling back on me All that tangled talk All my growing needs It's my brother's back It's my father's arms It's every twisted fact in my sorry heart My sorry heart, my sorry heart Spit and scream, what's done is done Go make your peace with everyone They don't need to know about my brother's blood No, they don't need to know about my brother's blood