You Will Not Take My Heart Alive

    C             Bb      C
And what do you remember most?
    Gm          F      Dm         Eb
The line of the sea, seceding the coast?
Fm       Eb        Bb          Ab
Fine capillaries, glowing with cars?
F                 Eb           Bb          F
The comfort you drew from the light of the stars?

         C            Bb         C
And how long did you climb that night,
         Gm          F             Dm           Eb
with the ice in your lungs, on the rungs of the light?
Fm       Eb        Bb          Ab
Beyond recall, you severed all strings
   F      Eb     Bb      F
to everyone, and everything.

     Cm              Fm        Cm
Oh, silent, constant driver of mine:
Bb         C                Eb         Bb
wordlessly calling from the end of the line,
       Eb               Gm          Ab                   F
where, even though each hour I ever loved must queue and dive, still,
Cm           Bb      Ab     Cm
you will not take my heart alive.

    C                   Bb      C
In martial wind, and in clarion rain,
    Gm         F       Dm         Eb
we minced into battle, wincing in pain;
Fm             Eb      Bb             Ab
not meant for walking, backs bound in twine:
     F       Eb         Bb        F
not angel or devil, but level, in time.

       C               Bb       C
And I rose, to take my shape at last,
         Gm              F          Dm            Eb
from the dreams that had dogged me, through every past,
Fm          Eb        Bb         Ab
when, to my soul, the body would say
        F           Eb       Bb           F
You may do what you like, as long as you stay.

        Cm                 Fm           Cm
Now the towns and forests, highways and plains,
Bb           C               Eb       Bb
fall back in circles like an emptying drain.
      Eb                     Gm                  Ab            F
And I won't come round this way again, where the lonely wind abides,
    Cm           Bb      Ab     Cm
and you will not take my heart, alive.