we heard the fireworks rushed out to watch the sky happy go lucky the fourth of july how can you live in the northeast how can you live in the south how can you build on the banks of a river when the floodwater pours from the mouth how can you be a christian how can you be a jew how can you be a muslim a buddhist a hindu how can you weak as the winter sun we enter life on earth names and religion come just after date of birth everybody gets a tongue to speak everyone hears an inner voice a day at the end of the week to wonder and rejoice if the answer is infinite light why do we sleep in the dark how can you live in northeast how can you live the south how can you build on the banks of a river when the floodwater pours from the mouth how can you tattoo your body why do you cover your head how can you eat from a rice bowl when the holy man only breaks bread we watched the fireworks until they were fireflies followed a path of stars over the endless skies how can you live in the northeast how can you live in the south how can you build on the banks of a river when the floodwater pours from the mouth from the mouth  ive been given all i wanted only three generations off the boat i have harvested and i have planted i am wearing my fathers old coat