Aargh! I'm trying to figure out how to post a PDF file of my first poetry collection, "Anapest Destiny," on a dedicated site. It's not happening today, I know that much!

I keep playing the songs "A Thousand Kisses Deep" by Leonard Cohen and "Listerine" by Kristin Hersh over and over, and I'm not sure exactly why. I'm posting the lyrics here to share at least that much with you, but just reading the lyrics doesn't do the songs proper justice, naturally. The music in both songs is hypnotic and there are repetitive verses that carry a lot of impact. So, if you have the songs, I hope this might cause you to play them, and if you don't have them, might I suggest that you buy them or (if you are so inclined) download them (Disclaimer: This last remark is not meant as advice, nor does it condone such a heinous act as downloading MP3 files for free from sites such as Kazaa).

"A Thousand Kisses Deep" --- Leonard Cohen

The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it's done,
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it's real,
A thousand kisses deep.

I'm turning tricks, I'm getting fixed,
I'm back on Boogie Street.
You lose your grip, and then you slip
Into the masterpiece.
And maybe I had miles to drive,
And promises to keep:
You ditch it all to stay alive,
A thousand kisses deep.

And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A thousand kisses deep.

Confined to sex, we pressed against
The limits of the sea:
I saw there were no oceans left
For scavengers like me.
I made it to the forward deck.
I blessed our remnant fleet
And then consented to be wrecked,
A thousand kisses deep.

I'm turning tricks, I'm getting fixed,
I'm back on Boogie Street.
I guess they won't exchange the gifts
That you were meant to keep.
And quiet is the thought of you,
The file on you complete,
Except what we forgot to do,
A thousand kisses deep.

And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A thousand kisses deep.

The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat . . .


"Listerine" --- Kristin Hersh

Listerine covers your tracks
Doesn't do shit for the facts

I'm lying on the couch
Scary memories fill my mouth
How did I love a breaking thing?
How did I sleep through a kidnapping?
How'd I trust a band who'd leave me one by one?
I only wanted the spark
I only wanted your hearts
It's hard
It's hard and stupid
I'm the one who let you do it
I only wanted the high
Wasn't much more to my life

I couldn't wait to come down
There's nothing here but the ground