Malcolm Gladwin

Oh Crooked Song

Oh thou crook soul,

that follow the hook,

slow fall of a hat stand,

morals that fly the second oath,

not the first.

Winding, winding winds that fall,

whirlpools of social speech,

modern-day morals burn 

they drift like smoke.

 

Where did thou truth disappear?

Once life as clear as reflect,

in the mirror self distort.

Now the mirror warped,

the soul reflect bitter, unwhole,

crumbs of bread fallen in dust.

 

We chest because we chest,

we take because we taken.

Lips move while teeth shine,

eyes glisten with words unspoken 

dishonest truths flood the world.

 

Lights shine dim upon us 

in a sky of full stars.

We call to the abyss:

“Tell me what thou think,

tell me what thou see.”

But the abyss sendeth back null

crooked sentiments,

words of meaning less,

oh world of empty actions,

all we know.

 

Truth what now, what is it?

Desire of a fool 

In skies grown dark with shade.

Hollow words with double edge,

obscurity the wine we drink.

Sound that moves the leaf 

frail, ambiguous.

 

Where did it turn and change?

Where did we need to decide,

decode what is, what isn’t,

what was, what wasn’t,

what will be, what might be?

 

Crooked sun, crooked moon,

we follow to thy crooked tune.

Where did goodness seep?

Where does truth now sleep?

 

O woes, the world become 

crooked and dishonest 

beneath morning sun.

Nightfall doth fall on waning moon,

and words once sung now sing askew,

a broken tune.