imagine all those burning ships put out by raging water my family s men made fast and crept through burning seas together oh can t you see it wasn t me i m too slow oh i couldn t begin to understand i m not a man you always ask me why my voice can t drink away the sorrow it creeps back in when no one sees and lives to beg and borrow oh can t you see it s killing me to no end sons of the hounds come hither here gather my flesh i wish i could live without sleep and walk the woods to touch each leaf and then go on to burning towns in rusted cars to fields gone brown and i will not bleed to birth a breath so cold or breed the day away away of things i see of open fires uncovered earth you can t tell me there isn t hope the snow s too thick we must go home before it sticks the sun s too hot it boils our skin it makes us look like reddened kin all the same to the naked eye blistered and unwelcome in cities gone and dustbowls dry the future ocean s dark home gone washed away we couldn t say why we don t care why cant it all be for free if not unfair unfair without a torch or a phone to call to say we re fine and that we ve got it all cans of beer and fishing hooks filthy hands and dirty looks