In the walls of mad country
The stature of men
Cut short and forcefully tamed
As they shrug off their troubles into the wind
Hoping for a merciful kind of shame
In the walls of mad country
The bridges smell of drink
And the mayor- she flails her mace
As she begs a child to fill her sink
With coals to soften her frightened face
Mad country birthed by lions
Made in the shape of Orion
Armed with a sword and a stallion
To dominate the sky
It’s the ba*tard’s fall
Before they can crawl
Up the border wall
Just to hear the call
Of mad country’s sky
Heard in autumn
And dead by early July
In the house of mad country
The children look to the stars
They rearrange their names
Try to spell out their faces and their scars
To make sense of all this useless pain
In the house of mad country
The brightest night can lie
Sprawled over tomorrow’s heat
As sleep creates a sweet alibi
To deny the choice of victory or defeat
Mad country birthed by lions
Made in the shape of Orion
Armed with a sword, a stallion
And rags for prying eyes
It’s the poor man’s chore
As he shuts the door
To the ivory shore
And the valley who*e
Mad country sighs
Heard in autumn
And dead by early July
In the church of mad country
No one prays for peace
For faith has its own end
So they beg to be put down on their knees
Screaming “love will reign” to the nearest distant friend
In the church of mad country
The jewels of winners, the books of sinners erode
All united ‘neath the shade
As the sun awakes to burn the code
Meant to open up salvation’s barricade
Mad country mauled by lions
Stealing the shape of Orion
Armed with a sword and a stallion
All within its sight
Those beneath the ground
Those who make no sound
Those who seek a crown
Those who wish to drown
Mad country cries
Heard in autumn
And dead by early July