Year of the Rat

You stood high out of reach
There at the top of the tower
You blew out the clouds, blocked out the sun
No end to the pull and power
A rope tied over the land
Suddenly frayed and unwinding
Eyes, sharp as a warrior’s blade
But in your own smoke you were blinded
So come all you liars
Saints and lost souls
One day’s black is another day’s gold
It’s a strange place to see you tonight
But it’s all or nothing
And it’s gone
What’s that racket down on the street
Is it the year of the rat or the sheep
Smoke and sting, this chaos and reek
The hum and the haze of the hollows
It’s a ruse, a line, between yours and mine
We’re dumping the body of evidence
Spread that paper, cover your eyes
And flee to the walls and the shadows