annals of the poor

 

there was a madman on the country road
and a madwoman raped one moonless night
now i am gone and left them to their plight

no word was spoken open or in code
and not a person said just what was right
there was a madman on the country road

the trees and bushes form no safe abode
and honest people scorn them upon sight
what they were given was no decent light
there was a madman on the country road

waking from the night rain

 in the beginning was the silver lie
we wait and wait to hear just what we need
after the rain so much blue in the sky

into each heart a little worm must pry
to measure the true worth of each soft deed
in the beginning was the silver lie

we don't regret the things we did not try
nor blame the ones who planted the good seed
after the rain so much blue in the sky

each honest question marks you as a spy
and decent service is the sign of greed
in the beginning was the silver lie

if you are silent others will not cry
but will expect you swiftly to concede
after the rain so much blue in the sky

not much is evident to honest eye
the palest flower does not grow on a weed
in the beginning was the silver lie
after the rain so much blue in the sky

in what we do not see

we have no true society without grief
our tales lack substance absent honest woe
lacking true decency we claim belief

we bring our sorrows into one great sheaf
and wonder that they are not better so
we have no true society without grief

a century or two of no relief
after we've taken the hard painful blow
lacking true decency we claim belief

each angry tree has grown into full leaf
asking applause for the great summer show
we have no true society without grief

our greatest need is to be swift and brief
accepting that we never truly know
lacking true decency we claim belief

in finest sort of error choose the thief
to lead us to the place we have to go
we have no true society without grief
lacking true decency we claim belief