Nothing's
as Tough as Go Slow!

On a boiling summer's night
when a silent breeze blew,
i woke from the strangest dream-
i found it hard to believe
though it kept on recurring
that nothing was what it did seem.

The big windfall is coming
forget your diamond flush babe,
you can still gamble with three queens;
i can feel you tug at my shoulder
i want to stay this way forever
but nothing's as powerful as it seems.


When children spill the blood 
of other children in the streets,
then man it's about time to go clean:
i've heard a dying man's bellow
in the buzz of a mosquito
singing "Life's not what it's supposed to be."

We thought our kisses eternal,
our love was as mad as the stars
stretching longer and outlasting moonbeams:
now we're 'just friends',
and just like true love
friendship isn't as attractive as it seems.


And someday darling
when you think of me
you'll know nothing is what it does seem,
unclench your palms
you'll see the dust of fine gold
to fuel all your fondest dreams.

With your perfect lover
you lie breathless in bed
while everything inside wants to scream
because you're still so alone
and i hope you now know
even darkness is the land of the free.

You're running someplace
you don't know whereto
time's slowed to a silver stream:
remember Maya mouthing
"Have you served your time boy?"
and i said, "Why? it's an illusion, a scheme."

"It sims" and "Isms",
mysticisms and visions,
popular talk and blinding sheens,
rules and conventions and
useless inventions
society's the biggest joke i've ever seen.

You stare at the smiling man
you want to trust the most
and you're puzzled by his wicked gleams,
you can fight forever girl
for what's rightfully yours
but quitting is easy, it's a breeze.

You say you'd rather i lived
and didn't love you no more
than have me die in my sleep in a dream:
if our love grew old,
i'd rather you were dead
for even death's not as bad as it seems.

- Dominic Franks