Sticks & Stones

Sticks and stones
Blood, ash, and bone
I shake the tree, swim out alone
Turning over the dark Missouri
Now that every new leaf I had is gone

Gather wood against the weather
Pile up stones against the sky
String up bulbs like pearls between us
And the heavens blackest eye

Tell the hour: "go take another"
Go down Moses, without a fuss
Give in to the lawless water
And send that little boat for us

Sticks and stones
Blood, ash, and bone
I shake the tree, swim out alone
Turning over the dark Missouri
Now that every new leaf I had is gone

The moon's near empty, a swinging saber
Keeping every prayer at bay
At the throat of love for ransom
From the dull approaching day

There is no lord that rides this boarder
No fences stretch this far to show
How times will side against another
As one arrives and others go

Sticks and stones
Blood, ash, and bone
I shake the tree, swim out alone
Turning over the dark Missouri
Now that every new leaf I had is gone

Whores are dressed in fire and feathers
On the beach, sit in a row
Climb the banks through scrub and tender
Disappear where rabbits go

They had nothing that I needed
But I gave them all I had
Just to share the dirt between them
As they waited, smoked and laughed

Sticks and stones
Blood, ash, and bone
I shake the tree, swim out alone
Turning over the dark Missouri
Now that every new leaf I had is gone

Now that every new leaf I had is gone
Now that every new leaf I had is gone