Long Day (For Robert Latimer)

Tempers cooling on the window sill,

my kingdom for a hill,

there’ll be no harvest here unless and until.

And the world weighs me down.

The sun is setting like an orange wrecking ball.

These shadows sure are tall.

It takes a night like this to make the big ones fall,

and they don’t make a sound.

Sleep’s a fantasy I’m sharing with the moon,

but I’ll get out of here soon.

The sun’s a sober executioner at noon.

His shadow’s hiding on the ground.

There’s a pain that kills my love.

There’s a dryness in the rain.

There’s a pain that kills my love.

There’s a love kills my pain.

Mornings ‘round here come like stealing in the night.

I have called out the light.

It always ends up in some sleepy-eyed fight.

I think I’ll go another round.

Dusk is here again. Its scaffolding is grey.

The stairs moan and sway.

Starlight, footlight, headlight to put on the play.

I think I’ll head on into town.

Nothing longer than a night that never ends.

The stars’ll make amends.

I heard of a guy can give any light the bends.

But that’s over my head now.