Cosmia

When you ate

I saw your eyelashes

Saw them shake like wind on rushes

In the cornfield when she called me

Moths surround me

Thought they’d drown me

And I miss your precious heart

And I miss your precious heart

Dried rose petals —

redbrown circles —

framed your eyes and

stained your knuckles

Dried rose petals —

redbrown circles —

framed your eyes and

stained your knuckles

And all those lonely nights down by the river

brought you bread and water (Water, in)

But though I tried so hard

my little darlin

I couldn’t keep the night from coming in

And all those lonely nights down by the river

brought me bread and water by the kith and the kin

Now in the quiet hour

when I am sleeping

I cannot keep the night from coming in

Why’ve you gone away?

Gone away again?

I’ll sleep through the rest of my days

if you’ve gone away again

I'll sleep through the rest of my days

I'll sleep through the rest of my days

And I will sleep through the rest of my days

Why’ve you gone away, away

Seven suns, seven suns away, away

Away, away

Can you hear me?

Will you listen?

Don’t come near me

Don’t go missing

And in the lissome light of evening:

Help me, Cosmia; I’m grieving

And all those lonely nights down by the river

brought you bread and water (Water, in)

But though I tried so hard

my little darlin

I couldn’t keep the night from coming in

And all those lonely nights down by the river

brought me bread and water by the kith and the kin

Now in the quiet hour

when I am sleeping

I cannot keep the night from coming in

Beneath the porch-light

we’ve all been circling

Beat our dust hearts

singe our flour wings

But in the corner

something is happening!

Wild Cosmia, what have you seen?

Water were your limbs

and the fire was your hair

and then the moonlight caught your eye

And you rose through the air

well, if you’ve seen true light

then this is my prayer:

will you call me when you get there?

And I miss your precious heart

And I miss your precious heart

and miss, and miss, and miss

and miss, and miss, and miss

and miss, and miss your heart

But release your precious heart

to its feast, for precious hearts