Beyond tar and feathers

I know I can do it

If I hold my breath

And move around frantically enough

I can make light come through lead

Idiot

Its too muddy

You can never get back to nothing

There’s too much something already

I’m sure I can do it but

I’m sure I can bring light through lead

And they look

And they look

They go for everything as light as white

Even white

But even white is in the way

They need

Or thought they needed

Joy or peace or something uplifting like that

And lightness is all that for sure

Even consoling

But it’s all on the skin

Light colours don’t understand

They don’t get behind the thing

They’re a bandaid

But if they really dig

And maybe digging is the key word

So deep it comes out the other side

So deep that all weight shifts in the process

And night is dislocated

From the days they’re trying to get through

I know I can still do it

Bring light through lead

Bring light through lead

So digging means depth

And tipping those days on their head

Has to mean the opposite of what went on

Which must have been intolerance

So it has to be compassion

And as tall as I am

That’s the deepest thing I know

So it has to be a deep colour

And it has to be the special kind of darkness that leads on

So it must be blue

And it has to be a darkness that’s transparent

Or it will be in the way too

So it has to be Phthalo

And somehow

Straight from them to it

Like a thermic lance but cold and welcome

As a starry night with hell behind it

So it has to be Phthalo Blue straight from the tube

And just like that

I was let out