postcards from catalonia

i've been told to be a seer

one must be ruthless

so

i've eaten the yellow text of paul and brutus

the soothsayers came and went

now i believe

to be reborn

we first must cultivate a seed

oh

spit it out

release that precious piece

of pebbled ash from your mouth

that's a working-class jewel

spinning round your hopeless head

it ain't for chewing on

it's for looking through instead

you prefer the common stone to the pearls

under the plexiglass with the factory girl

who told her sister all about you

hanging bedsheets on the clothesline in the sun

she keep you warm

she keep you fed

now you've gone and lost your bed

on the doorstep of the sick and indignant society

and as christmas comes

send word to all the ones

who watched night disown day

35 days after defection

i am sat in the cheapest of rooms

there's an oil lamp defiantly snapping at the shadows

i've had notions to start playing chess

but the mice

they have stolen the pieces

i have told them to start paying rent or they must leave

i am writing my letters

i am anchored in an arm chair

i intend on shooting the postman

when he passes at dawn

i haven't eaten for 13 days

i've taken the form of a bosnian beggar

and i'm reason the preachers are screaming and shouting

tell their mother i'm home

tell their mother i'm home

and as christmas comes

send word to all the ones

who would love to be remembered

by the ghosts of november

on st. stephens's day

in some minuscule way

across the city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across my city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across the city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across my city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across the city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across my city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across the city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

across the city

they're sending postcards to catalonia

i can't get out now

so here's a postcard from catalonia