Pastoral Insomnia (previously titled: Broken Lullaby)

Where on Earth is
my little sheep-counter now?
I haven’t slept
in countless hours.
She said, “Now, one, two
baby, for you, and
three, four,
here come a couple more.”

“It’s alright, baby,
you can close your eyes.
I’ll keep a watch for
the wolves in disguise.”
She said, “Five, six,
we could live in the sticks,
but, you’ll always be
the sevens and eights to me.”

Well, I love the word “loquacious,”
you’re so young and vivacious
come on ‘round my place, baby,
it’s got three bedrooms, it’s spacious.
You know, as I lay dyin’
mercy sakes alive,
but, you want me.

Well, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t
I even told my cousin
All those bees flyin’ around,
linin’ up and buzzin’
around your hive
mercy sakes alive
but, you want me.

“It’s alright, baby,
you can shut out the light.
I’ll sing you a
broken lullaby.”

She said, “Now, nine and ten
met by coincidence,
there goes eleven and twelve
slippin’ up under the fence.
They get their sleep
at no one’s expense.

–First appeared on 1998 demo “Southern Amusement” under the title “Broken Lullaby.” Posted on Instagram July 11, 2019