The Numbers, Pt.1

I.

Chorus:

Oh God, you who hear the cry of the just, the good, the rich, and the powerful,

Hear the cry of the unjust

Hear our cry before the darkness covers our face, turned to you

Who will we have to protect us from ourselves in times of drought but you?

*

Oh God, you who abandoned us in times of drought and famine

Why would you let us steal from those you still shelter?

Why would you give us forces to do evil against those you have given the power to chastise us?

God of the good and the just, why wouldn’t you let us rather die nor swipe us?

*

Now they see our faces as the banner for the Unforgiven

Now they’re chasing us to holes we thought forbidden

*

We’re rats,

We’re sorry.

II.

Number:

My name, mother Mother gave me,

they took it away

Now I’m not myself

*

My name, My name is―

My name! Did you get it?

*

My name! How is it that I forget

The symbol born in the bosom of love?

*

My name! How is it that I forget

My cross and pride, and the breast of Mom?

*

My name! How is it that you forget

How is it that you reject

Please let it remain, my name

Please remember from where I came

And from my sister and mother let me hear

For when I think of them, nothing I fear

Strip me from clothes, props, and silk

But not from my name! That’s where my heart lives

*

My name! My name! My name!

How is it that you forget? Forget? Forget?

Oh, wrecked me, On my knees I beg!

III.

Chorus:

So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But he did not name us, banished people from the Garden of Eden

Called errant, Called insane, Called all things but men

We established our Home, sweet Home! Inside our Hearts

We buried it in the Flute of our little Boys

We watered it with Charms

And our mundane Chores spark light

But you named them Troy, walking house of rash

And our Water was named sulfur, and our living, death

And our Clearness was stained. For you, our names were “slaves”

And what has a heart stained of pain to give,

Other than more pain, and guilt?

―(24601, 9430)