When you ate
I saw your eyelashes
Saw them shake like wind on rushes
In the cornfield when she called me
Moths surround me
Thought they’d drown me
And I miss your precious heart
And I miss your precious heart
Dried rose petals —
redbrown circles —
framed your eyes and
stained your knuckles
Dried rose petals —
redbrown circles —
framed your eyes and
stained your knuckles
And all those lonely nights down by the river
brought you bread and water (Water, in)
But though I tried so hard
my little darlin
I couldn’t keep the night from coming in
And all those lonely nights down by the river
brought me bread and water by the kith and the kin
Now in the quiet hour
when I am sleeping
I cannot keep the night from coming in
Why’ve you gone away?
Gone away again?
I’ll sleep through the rest of my days
if you’ve gone away again
I'll sleep through the rest of my days
I'll sleep through the rest of my days
And I will sleep through the rest of my days
Why’ve you gone away, away
Seven suns, seven suns away, away
Away, away
Can you hear me?
Will you listen?
Don’t come near me
Don’t go missing
And in the lissome light of evening:
Help me, Cosmia; I’m grieving
And all those lonely nights down by the river
brought you bread and water (Water, in)
But though I tried so hard
my little darlin
I couldn’t keep the night from coming in
And all those lonely nights down by the river
brought me bread and water by the kith and the kin
Now in the quiet hour
when I am sleeping
I cannot keep the night from coming in
Beneath the porch-light
we’ve all been circling
Beat our dust hearts
singe our flour wings
But in the corner
something is happening!
Wild Cosmia, what have you seen?
Water were your limbs
and the fire was your hair
and then the moonlight caught your eye
And you rose through the air
well, if you’ve seen true light
then this is my prayer:
will you call me when you get there?
And I miss your precious heart
And I miss your precious heart
and miss, and miss, and miss
and miss, and miss, and miss
and miss, and miss your heart
But release your precious heart
to its feast, for precious hearts