Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Poem for Roger Waters

I wrote this poem (or maybe better to call it a song) after reading the poem by Du Mu that was said to have inspired the Pink Floyd song Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun.  Is it mere coincidence, I wonder, that today is Pearl Harbor Day? 

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Little by little
The night fills with sounds
The waters run deep
In darkness purple
If not overly profound
Please don’t set the controls
Unless you’re sure where
You’re bound

But if you’re one of those
Still inclined to search
For meaning in the lyrics
Of a song on the B side
That was said to be inspired
By a 9th century poem

Then please
Please don’t be
Surprised to
Discover that
It’s otherwise
Based on a simple
Misunderstanding
Because if pigs had wings
Then surely bacon wouldn’t
Be quite so tasty
And if novices had leaves
Then most likely they
Would never utter a sound

It’s high time
It’s high time you
Turned your back
On the west wind
My friend
Whatever else it is
Please realize
It’s time to turn
Yourself around

It's time
It's time
It's time to 
Turn yourself 
Around

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