Flash Cards - Kelly Joe Phelps

Bouncin' across the lake of ten years

Like a stone tossed from the burglar’s hand

Holdin' my breath, then I’m sinkin'

Waves in circle like a memory slowly fade away, slowly fade

Remember me, when you look across the lake

When a fish caught hard on the line

Fights for his own life

When a boat breaks free of the tether and floats away in the wind

The throw was aimed at a distant pine

Winnin' the war by landin' down on the other side

So, another playin' boy might find it there

Skip it back not knowin' his part

In this messed up game, in this messed up game

Juggled in the hands of ten long years

Like colorful wands of fire in the arms of a red-eyed wino

Life held tight in purple lips and tongue

That mumble and spit out curses

And the young boy’s line was 'I'll show you'

And the twenties was 'Watch me burn this fire'

And the thirties was 'Jesus, God, where did I go wrong?'

The forties was 'Good Lord, how much more?'

I’m halfway into the end of the chapter

And no ink left in the well

And no happy ending to tell, though

Bandages cover my body

Have no desire to swing the bell

No, I got no desire now to swing the bell

No, I got no desire now to swing the bell

No, I got no, no, no desire to swing the bell

To swing the bell

To swing the bell

To swing the bell, bell, bell

Desire, no desire

No desire to swing