Mercy me, the night is long.
Take my pen, to write you this song.
Lord: is it harder to carry on,
or to know when you are done?
All my life, I've felt as though
I'm inside a beautiful memory,
replaying
with the sound turned down low.
Long-life, show your face.
Slow-heart, curb your taste.
Smoke me out of my hiding place.
Long-life, state your case.
What in the world are we waiting for --
building glowing cities along the shore,
where the wind batters in,
baiting my kin like a matador?
So much value, placed upon
what lies just beyond our plans:
waving my handkerchief,
running along, to the edge of the sand.
Long-life, speak your name.
I'm so tired of the guessing game.
But, something is moving,
just out of frame:
Slow-heart,
brace and aim.
Breaching slowly, across the sea,
one mast --
a flash like the stinger of a bee --
to take you away,
a swarming fleet is gonna take you from me
The universe is getting loose:
sodden spread,
from some leaden disuse,
rushing, unhinged
towards diminishing lights,
like a headless caboose.
I'll wait for you,
alongside the ocean
and make do
with my no-skin
But then, Long-life,
will you let me in?
And then, Slow-heart,
are you gonna know him?
Long-life, speak your name.
I wait, while I decry the wait.
And when I die, may I relate:
Slow-heart, congregate.
To leave your home, and your family
for some distortion of property?
Well, darling, I can't go
But you may stay
here, with me.
Take my pen, to write you this song.
Lord: is it harder to carry on,
or to know when you are done?
All my life, I've felt as though
I'm inside a beautiful memory,
replaying
with the sound turned down low.
Long-life, show your face.
Slow-heart, curb your taste.
Smoke me out of my hiding place.
Long-life, state your case.
What in the world are we waiting for --
building glowing cities along the shore,
where the wind batters in,
baiting my kin like a matador?
So much value, placed upon
what lies just beyond our plans:
waving my handkerchief,
running along, to the edge of the sand.
Long-life, speak your name.
I'm so tired of the guessing game.
But, something is moving,
just out of frame:
Slow-heart,
brace and aim.
Breaching slowly, across the sea,
one mast --
a flash like the stinger of a bee --
to take you away,
a swarming fleet is gonna take you from me
The universe is getting loose:
sodden spread,
from some leaden disuse,
rushing, unhinged
towards diminishing lights,
like a headless caboose.
I'll wait for you,
alongside the ocean
and make do
with my no-skin
But then, Long-life,
will you let me in?
And then, Slow-heart,
are you gonna know him?
Long-life, speak your name.
I wait, while I decry the wait.
And when I die, may I relate:
Slow-heart, congregate.
To leave your home, and your family
for some distortion of property?
Well, darling, I can't go
But you may stay
here, with me.
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so tired of the guessing game...
Mercy me, the night is long.
Take my pen, to write you this song.
Lord: is it harder to carry on,
Or to know when you are done?
All my life, I've felt as though
I'm inside a beautiful memory,
replaying
with the sound turned down low.
Long-life, show your face.
Slow-heart, curb your taste.
Smoke me out of my hiding place.
Long-life, state your case.
What in the world are we waiting for-
building glowing cities along the shore,
where the wind batters,
baiting my kin like a matador?
So much value, placed upon
what lies just beyond our plans:
waving my handkerchief,
running along, till the end of the sand.
Long-life, speak your name.
I'm so tired of the guessing game.
But, something is moving,
just out of frame:
lSlow-heart,
brace and aim.
Breaching slowly, across the sea,
one mast-
flash, like the stinger of a bee-
to take you away,
a swarming fleet is gonna take you
from me.
The universe is getting loose:
sodden spread,
from some leaden disuse,
rushing, unhinged,
towards diminishing lights,
like a headless caboose.
I'll wait for you,
alongside the ocean,
and make do
with my no-skin.
But then, Long-life,
will you let me in?
And then, Slow-heart,
are you gonna know him?
Long-life, speak your name,
I wait, while I decry the wait.
And when I die, may I relate:
Slow heart, congregate.
To leave your home, and your family
for some distortion of property?
Well, darling, I can't go.
But you may stay
here, with me.
"occident" takes the form of a song (or letter) written to the narrator's lover. she knows that the relationship is basically over, but wonders whether it would be easier not knowing, and simply carrying on as if everything were fine. an argument could be made for either side.
the lines: "something is moving, just out of frame [...] breaching slowly across the sea, one mast-- flash, like the stinger of a bee-- to take you away, a swarming fleet is gonna take you from me" signify that she knows what's left of the relationship is facing an imminent end. she waits for that end, while she decries the wait. this is in keeping with her previous question: it's harder for her knowing when she is done, because then it's just time spent waiting.
Anyway, I love the syncopation in this song. Great vocals, too.
Building glowing cities along the shore
A swarming fleet is going to take you from me
To leave your home and your family
For some distortion of property
I believe she's talking about how property is supposed to be the land you live on and tend to and are tied to. The land you care for, and the person she's talking to just moves around not knowing any land, maybe buying it or squatting on it, but truly has no property because he has no roots.
And she offers him a home with her.
Slow heart, curb your taste
Smoke me out of my hiding place
Long life, state your case
This song, and particularly this stanza, seems to be a meditation on (and conversation about) long-term relationships: finding reasons to stick it out through tough or negative times, taking a long-view of the relationship in the context of a whole life, fighting against the impulse towards change, movement and newness.