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The Darkness of Birds

by Amy Petty

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1.
We are made of light and strings We are made from the empty We are made of words and things that we cannot see We are made of the tide and the sea We are made of a heartbeat We are made of time and things that we cannot see In the sky there’s a lullaby And you cannot hear it till you close your eyes These are the dreams that are waiting for us When you sleep there’s a melody It will play in you the way it plays in me These are the dreams that are waiting for us We are made of plans and grief We are made of what could be We are made of frequencies and things we cannot see The truth is what we have learned Is the truth is a little bit turned There is truth in light and in death And in the darkness of birds
2.
I never thought I’d have to have this talk with you I never thought that this is what it would come to In the middle of the desert in the midday sun You with a shovel and me with a gun Remember you asked me if I trusted you? You said “Babe, if you trust me, I’ll make your dreams come true” “All you gotta do” you said “is watch the door” Then you walked in the diner and yelled “everybody hit the floor” You broke my innocence and you stole my pride You took my emotions on a daredevil ride You told me you loved me, that was a boldfaced lie But you got what you wanted, you made the innocent cry This thing it went as well as these things go “Gimme all your money” you say and they do as they’re told But the girl behind the counter, she was calm and cool See, I was looking at her when she smiled at you and then I knew But baby this is not my first rodeo Before you came to town I was a one-man show Did you really think that I would take the fall You two lovebirds, you don’t know me at all I didn’t want to have to have this talk with you And it’s funny that this is what it would come to No I didn’t want to have to hear you plead for your life I just wanted you to listen as I told you why Why I broke her innocence and why I stole her pride Why I took her emotions on a daredevil ride And she told me she loved you and boy that is why Well is this what you wanted? No no no no Well I got what I wanted, I made the innocent cry
3.
Undertow 05:46
Bring yourself to the lakes, to the streams, to the rivers Cleanse yourself in the Name, be set free, be delivered Have you seen the magic in the water? Making jewels of broken glass and jagged stones So bring your trouble to the water She’s making jewels of your broken heart and your jagged bones But underneath the waves, the current keeps a shipwreck down Ghosts and souls are swept by the undertow Underneath the waves the hurricane and raindrop drown Don’t you know the water has trouble of her own The water has trouble Baptize them in the lakes, in the streams, in the rivers Cleanse their souls in the Name, be set free, be delivered Have you seen the magic in the water? Making jewels of broken glass and jagged stones So leave your trouble in the water She’s making jewels of your wicked heart and your devil soul But underneath the waves, the current keeps a shipwreck down Ghosts and souls are swept by the undertow Underneath the waves the hurricane and raindrop drown Don’t you know the water has trouble of her own The water has trouble But isn’t she beautiful? So peaceful and so beautiful So precious and beautiful Isn’t she beautiful? Underneath the waves, the current keeps a shipwreck down Ghosts and souls are swept by the undertow Underneath the waves you change from lost to found Oh but don’t you know the water has trouble of her own The water has trouble of her own
4.
The simple progressions and cliché confessions The wisdom of teenage obsession I’m sick of the radio Depression in major keys, impressions of minor pleas Skimming the surface of simplicity I’m sick of the radio Cuz it sucks me in It swoops me up high and slams me down low It sucks me in The words are so sly and I am so slow I guess I should know better Because I am the trendsetter I change one little letter and the whole thing is new Clever is my greatest invention I strive and thrive on the tension I hang onto that suspension and it all comes true If you want it to Do you want it too? Am I still talking about you? Cuz every song is about you Every word is about you Every thought is about you It’s like they know how we used to go How we came to close I’m sick of the radio Cuz it sucks me in It swoops me up high and slams me down low It sucks me in The words are so sly and I am so slow I am so slow I’ll buy what they’re selling me Do what they’re telling me Give when they’re pushing me I’m sick of the radio
5.
Pull 04:56
Get down, disappear into the scenery And wait for it You’ve got your eyes fixed on what you need And so you wait for it It’s your chance to advance and find some clarity You said you wanted to Man up, this is your opportunity It’s right in front of you The target’s getting bigger, your finger’s on the trigger But you are too afraid to pull You know you got it coming but boy you just keep running Cuz you’re too afraid to pull You’re waiting for a sign but this time you gotta find Oh, the force to pull The target’s getting bigger, go on and pull the trigger And baby, feel the pull Lined up in your sights, you can see it clear Just how it should be The hammer sees the pin and you lock it in And it will set you free There’s a stranger and she’s waiting in the chamber And you’ve got the key Times up, line it up and then you breathe it in And freeze You are all talk and your words won’t bring it down I knew just exactly what you would do And I bet that you’re glad I did nothing too
6.
Plant me in the ground To grow where I am found I suppose I’ll stick around Or I would sail away Nowhere would I stay Another ship, another day One will go, another will stay How will they know if they should have chosen the other way? I will go or will I stay? And how would I know I’d always wonder the other way? Two ways you can go One will guide you home And the other to the unknown Providence wants to hear your voice She is making you think you’ve got a choice But do you really? Here we are somehow The burden on your brow But will you stay here with me now? Find the strength to see it through I guess that’s all we can do
7.
I make a wish and I grant it That wish is second-handed What is yours I will make mine Just give it time I am a liar and a thief I’ll tell you anything I need you to believe Are you afraid of what I need You’ll never know because it’s easier to think I’m just a liar and a thief Is it the truth or are they just words If you don’t know, you can’t hurt The truth, I will make it mine Just give it time And I hate myself for it You don’t deserve this But I gotta get what I gotta get The truth I will make it mine What is yours I will make mine Just give me time I’ll tell you anything I need you to believe Are you afraid of what I need I’ll take your heart in my hands and take it with me I’m just a liar and a thief
8.
Moses 04:05
I can carry but I am not strong I may be right but I might be wrong I am here but I don’t belong There’s got to be someone else I am smart but I am not wise Oh the horrors I’ve seen with these eyes These lips have spoken many lies There’s got to be someone else Oh Lord I cannot see what you see Oh Lord why would you pick me I would start but I am too slow I think I aged out long ago Besides I don’t know where to go There’s got to be someone else I am brave but I got no nerve I’d make the grade if I got the curve I know that you want me to serve But there’s got to be someone else Oh Lord I cannot see what you see Oh Lord why would you pick me But the flame of the word Burns within that tree Oh Lord what do you see in me I can speak but I am not loud I would beg but I am too proud You see, a follower cannot lead this crowd There’s got to be someone else Oh Lord I cannot see what you see Oh Lord what do you see in me Oh Lord I cannot see what you see Oh Lord why would you pick me
9.
Another year gone, another second passed We’re driving headlong to the end Another minute more, another decade fast And it won’t come around again Tick tock, the minutes turn to hours Tick tock, into weeks Fall asleep and dream Another day over, another day closer to gone Wide awake, you can’t sleep The night is half over, another day closer to gone Another dream gone, a good intention passed And you’ll remember now and then And what you meant to you never got to do And it won’t come around again Tick tock, the hours turn to seasons Tick tock, then it stops Fall asleep and dream Another day over, another day closer to gone Wide awake, you can’t sleep The night is half over, another day closer to gone Tick tock, the atomic clock it goes Tick tock, everyday a little closer to gone I’m stuck on the number I make the calendar wonder I’m stuck on the number But inside I feel so much younger Time is ticking away And I am late Time is slipping through my hands And I cannot wait
10.
A lingering memory, writing stories in my dreams I was waiting You were the enemy, you were bent on ending me I was waiting I stayed up all night Waiting for you but you never came Clutching weapons tight Waiting for you but you never came In the dark of night You could have come and put me out of my misery But you never came You were watching me through the windows, through the trees Watching and waiting Is this the end of me? Is this how it has to be? I was just waiting I was hiding in plain sight You had the cover of a dark night You know me, I won’t put up a fight Still, you never came Morning light would rescue me I am still waiting
11.
The day the devil died Was a long and sad affair A shadow of himself The mighty beast now weak and frail A stranger by his side And the pretty stranger cried For his lost and lonely soul For his lost and lonely soul The day the devil died In the air a wicked chill As leaves depart from trees And the days grow shorter still A stranger by his side She was someone else’s bride But he saw what could have been If she had belonged to him The day the devil died A little town in the midwest As the pure salt of the earth Pilgrimaged in their Sunday best A stranger by his side In her he could confide That regret cannot make good But he would change things if he could The day the devil died Heavy clouds were hanging low Shutters closed and blinds were drawn And the clocks began to slow A stranger by his side Through tears, she smiled at him and lied “When you cross the great unknown Oh, the glory you’ll behold You will walk the streets of gold”

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released January 24, 2020

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Amy Petty Saginaw, Michigan

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