Brothers Undone (In Memory of Neil K)

1.

We are the lonely ones,

battered into diamonds

shattered into fragments

Stuck with love and crying out

To be reunited, forged anew,

Given a chance to try again,

Hoping to open the door that

Will allow the mercy to break

On through.

2.

One of us is missing.  A rough

in the diamond, the safe that

Has been left uncracked,

The cold, cruel emptiness

Of a glow once so real

But now left unrevealed.

3.

Every piece of what burns

Is the lyrical fire of

why and what if.  

Beautiful moments so

Hard to define mixed

With comedy, tragedy

Chaos, lighting and 

Gentle moments before

the thunder.  

4.

We are left here

With the untold rumours

Of promise, the loss of brilliance and pain;

Of belonging, silent on this angry planet

With the clocks that won't turn back,

Wanting to believe in the miracle

Of forgiveness, of the softness that

was and could have been.

5.

What of a brother who sees such beauty

And feels such pain?  That loves and lies

And tries and prays for our embrace

Then dances away?

6.

I'll tell me Ma when I get home

Let's tell it on the mountain

Let us be on the mountain

We'll look for him there

We will look for ourselves,

And every grain of sand

Will be etched with his name

And ours 

And yours.

7.

I have two brothers.

They are both perfect in my world.

They've sung to the stars

Prayed with the creators

Battled with stony beasts

Battled each other,

Looked the other way

And then looked each other's way.

8.

I am a goddam witness to all this

and you best stay out of my way

Cuz I couldn't slay a blade of grass

But I tell you, I'll wield a mighty sword

To defend the one that is here

And the one that is gone.

9.

The locusts gave me a chill.

I fell on my knees

And I let go of all the answers

I'd ever asked.

There was a moon in the sky 

called the moon

The eastern world was exploding

North America had stolen his name

There was no time to think

His famous blue raincoat was torn

At the shoulder

Lightning was striking again

He received the temptations of Eve

And let it all hang out.

He played the game of love

Until his mother took it away.

6th Street? He loved it.

He saw the fork at Ragland Road

And took it.

10.

But then the days dwindled down

To a precious few until

Three brothers became two

Two brothers become one

And the cry of love

Became the song of forever.

Forever and ever, eh?