I see the shadows of the prophets in the parapets
Truly they have their reward
Trade you a map of the castle grounds
For some proof that you got past the guards

There’s dried blood on the wrought iron gates
Spies in the tower
I crawled up from the dungeon last night
Under my own power

Spit blood at the sidewalk
Try to stay out of the headlines
Scan the guts of fresh roadkill
Looking for bad signs

Stay safe in the shadows
I know the real truth
Better a mouth full of bloody gums
Than a skeleton’s tooth

I hear the howling of the helpless in the surface noise
Scratch out their names in the dirt
Trade you some tales from a vanished cave
For an invisibility shirt

Recall the proverb of the prodigal son
Not sure who it applies to
Threats of my enemies run loose in my head
The way that lullabies do
Take the road where it leads me
I should probably know better
Just up ahead see the shining sign
Of the debt collector

Sleep and peace attending
All through the night
Skeleton’s tooth gleaming down in the darkness
All fine and bright

Once I walked in splendor
Back in the world of my youth
Better to bury all the better days
Than a skeleton’s tooth