forgot to mention, after significant rewrite read this again on 25 may at elkins park library:

GETTING IN THE WAY

1
fog rolls & swirls
round us all
who look for light
& sometimes think we see
so boldly claim to own truth
but never know for sure

yet in us rests a bit of
stuff
that
touched by warmth
stirs
struck by light
wakes
licked by fire
ignites

2
shadows come,shadows go
night follows night
days mix more shade with a little light

sleep comes,sleep goes
death follows death
mind mixes death with a little life

moondark creeps,eats daysun
earthshade creeps,eats moonface
moonnight hides sunlight sight
earthnight hides bright moonlight

within dark grows point of light
within death grows point of life

babyhand grips fistful of life
fights off body of death

3
drag on o ship o state drag on
dragn breth tears yr sails
roks y' on a stormy sea
y'sol yr sol t'men w'gol
naild honor on a cross o dough
crowned honst wrk w'horns
yr skiprs all lie ded on dek
yr semen swallo brine
no seed cn sprout 'n soil fould
nor sweet fruit gro on poiznd vine
yr bow iz broke
yr cradle falls
no lite cn reach yr shadowd con
nor rite yr hidden wrongs

4
break not this bough of hope
that hangs o'er raging flood
that sweeps away firm shore
neath feet of throngs who cling
& washes them downstream
thru rock & ice blue water
frothing white & streaked with red

you divided & conquered us
scourged us,crucified us
drew us & quartered us
beheaded & burned us
turned our hearts to ashes
bled us tinder-dry
like a prairie in july
when it just takes a spark
to start a fire

another war lost
worn down,ground up
time to throw in the towel
& get ready to rebel tomorrow

5
lost my way again
took a wrong turn again
tried t'get back
in the race

can't help feeling bad
or just getting mad
too many folk
on my case

want to make'em sad
want to treat'em bad
put my fist
in their face

it's fall again
& i fall again
not in love
but from grace

6
river flows
always changing
never same

now fast
now slow
sometimes high
sometimes low
over rock
round driftwood
rippling or calm
under tree or open sky
in sun or dark
it curves
goes straight
curves again

big fish eat little fish
little fish better be many
little fish better swim fast

9/91