THE TREES, THEY NOW SURROUND US WITH THEIR
GIRTH AND WITH THEIR MIGHT.
RHIZOMATIC SAPLINGS TAKE PARTICULAR DELIGHT IN CREEPING EVER CLOSER,
IN HEMMING US ALL IN WITH INHERENT KNOWLEDGE THAT THE BURNING WILL BEGIN.
GASPING FOR BLACK AIR, FOR BLACK ANYTHING WE REACH; BLACK PUNISHMENT,
BLACK RAGE, BLACK REPLY FOR ALL AND EACH.
MY EYES THEY LOOK FOR GREEN IN AMONG THE TREES OF HELL
. . .THERE’S ONLY BLACK AND RED AND GRAY AS FAR AS I CAN TELL.
SATAN DID A DANCE WITH ME AND
MAYBE SOMEWHAT PURGED I’LL BE BY
THE TREES HAVE COME TO TAKE BACK
WHAT WE TOOK AWAY FROM THEM.
WE YANKED THEIR ROOTS, CLAIMED THEIR BRANCHES,
PULLED THEM LIMB FROM LIMB.
WE STOLE AND VIOLATED ALL THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN SHARED SWIFT.
ONE TREE RIPPED MY STOMACH OUT,
ONE SPROUT TORE MY EYES OUT.
BLOWING BRANCHES WHIPPED AND TORE
THE SKIN FROM OFF MY BACK.
THEY HELD AT BAY THE MOURNERS, KEPT AWAY THE WORMS,
MADE PROVISIONS FOR A SENSE OF EVERLASTING LACK.
SATAN DID A DANCE WITH ME
AND I DANCED RIGHT ALONG.
I’LL BE BY MAKING UP THIS SONG.