Belly of the Beast

In the belly of the beast and out the blow-hole,

To the salty sea, she's a seagull boat,

Floating like a dead man all the dead tend to float

And her ghost came in like a silent thief,

Heard the drop of a pin, stole my beard of bees,

And there's no ugly buzzing for the keeper to keep,

Oh lo in the distance the stallion comes,

And they call him Lightning for his hind-legged run,

Boxing his hooves at the dampening dawn

Come, let Lightning strike me down,

I'm ready as I'll ever be right now,

But we can't understand her with her teeth out her mouth

She said "Come, let Lightning strike me down,

I'm ready as I'll ever be right now,"

At the sound of applause, she took a swooping bow

We put heavy coins on her eyelids,

And we clothed her fast softening breast,

And her children were five flaming arrows,

And her ashes were solemnly left

To the wind, down to Puerto Rico,

Where her father stood silent, she laughed,

Looking down at her firm, able body,

And he pulled her now close to his chest

He said "I know each love is a lifetime,

My darling, I loved you my best,

Please don't cry child, it's been such a long time,

You look like the day that I left,

I left, I left, I left, I left"

So come, let Lightning strike me down,

I'm ready as I'll ever be right now,

In the belly of the beast and out the blow-hole, Lord