Close the door on a short night Lift the lid on the daylight 6:09 West Tennessee time And I buy all my days At the same place where the girl sells her nights To a God of ocean tides. All night long, Writing poems to California Melodies of failure And the people I have thrown away Meanwhile, somewhere west of Carolina In a congregation of strangers We are digging holes to China Then we pray to our reflections In the water when it rises. I said headlights pin the highway down Jesus spins the world around And I'll spend all my tomorrows coming down Goodbye all my days. I know I said I never loved you But I might just try again tonight. Truck stops and river Gods Gas stations of the Cross Following a ghost, Following a ghost, I pray the water wash away The memories and the cost. Cary me south, to the sea Along with your memories of me We are born in the water Now we return to Thee. Colored lights And birthday cakes Candle wax On paper plates. Breathe the water Hush-a-bye, hush-a-bye. You can see through water All the way up to the sky. Gods of water, Gods of rain Cover up the sun again We are crossing it at the Mississippi line And I tried all my days To love you just the way you hoped I might, But I'm leaving here tonight. I can't remember yesterday I tried, if I said I could I lied.