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The Square Root of 2

by Ari Rosenfield

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1.
little one, are you all that's left of those days before they put you to work, before all men were the slaves of death? it's empty promises now: the yoke and the harness. we all work for our bread, but not in infinite regress; and as the sparrow is my prey, so i'll be your witness. little one, are you all that's left of those giants who fed on the fruits of the dust, the first who were pulled from the salt of the depths? it's a smaller world now, for man and his infinite axe. we all work for our bread, and the wheat is the sweat of my back. i'm only a well-spoken ape, it's more than your wingspan i lack. where skin meets the sky and the ground still frosts over, you cannot touch it, cannot hold it, cannot know it, it will elude you forever.
2.
once constructed a simple plan, and once with yours it was overlapping i have no longer the heels to find you, no longer the desert sky to cry and bind you oh, you go where you will, oh, little darlin, you go where you will due to some arbitrary motion, i'll be here still but oh, little darlin, you go where you will the great synthesizers of our lifetime must lie pale and fallow perhaps they mourn for some unborn whose time will come tomorrow and the further you go, the faster they come we'll watch you speed across the distance like some lonesome arrow your breath comes like a constellation, like flipping pages i have no practical idea what will become of me hope i'll fall into the sunset like a thousand starlings leave you to quiet contemplation of these empty ages
3.
well i fall on my knees, and beggin you please won't you come and stand awhile by me you told me more lies than stars in the sky and you'll never get to heaven when you die i wish to the lord i'd never been born or died when i was young i never would have kissed those rosy red cheeks or heard your lying tongue well it's look up and look down that lonesome old road and it's hang down your little head and cry you told me more lies than stars in the sky and you'll never get to heaven when you die
4.
diamonds in your mouth and pearls in your hair the binding rope dwells not upon the false, nor the fair this was to be our story, it's got no end and where the road may take us: i beg, the arms of my steadfast friend for all your children and all your cells, for all my hope and all my will when we meet again, i'll be more broken still and it's then i'll need you most to nurse me back to health the bow's in my hand, the flail's in my fist these travelers care not that they'll be sorely missed but golden fruit from that little tree still hangs and for it to last forever so delicious it'd be worth the pain so i wish it now like i wished it then for that is half the battle, to be unbound again wait long enough, perhaps you'll take me off the shelf it's then i'll need you most to nurse me back to health it's hot and it's forenoon, the curtains drawn my twin stands shirtless in the fluorescent dawn so pay heed my sisters, for it won't be long and to look into those eyes all your reason might be scattered and gone
5.
oh, those were the nights: i had to sing to escape/defeat them, still louder, in fever i crossed upon your hearth, i lean upon your shoulder a liar, and never the bolder well you are the fool now. you have always been the fool. lay aside your rice-paddy dreams oh, liar, you will swallow your tongue, your eyes will cease to open you will live in my shadow all your days, all your days, i will haunt you oh, youth, they will offer you their backs they will offer you their money they would offer their pride, they would offer their very eyes if only they could have your youth
6.
Big Sciota 08:30
lived by the river all my life never knew nothin but sorrow and strife can't go home again, love well the river is deep, the river is wide satan stands on every side can't go home again, love east and west the highway roam, lord have mercy on my poor soul wish my blue-eyed baby home pretty little blue-eyed baby-o pretty little gal i loved so well she go to heaven, i go to hell can't go home again, love well the river is deep, the river is wide satan stands on every side can't go home again, love

credits

released January 1, 2013

Thank you to pat, who recorded several of these. I have no idea how to get in touch with you, nor do I even remember your last name. Also, thanks to Indiana at Secret Pennies Records for releasing the cassettes!

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Ari Rosenfield Santa Ana, California

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