Little Hand

Take her down, Tom, the time has come
At last, I can hear her song
Water contracts, our hold holds fast
Like the last of the iron lungs

My child and me through the miles and leagues
Fall as hard and sessile as hail
Echoing laughter fore and aft
O’er the raft of the violet snail

Now doesn't that sight put the fear of God in you
Green light sweeps like a nightstick swinging
Sonar softly pinging-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing
I am appeased by what I have seen

Now turn around, Ma, you already saw
What you may and you'll look no further
Haunting the post where the Holy Ghost poses
Down through the rayless water

Holding a child, oh, ain't it nice
Ain't it wild and sweet to the verge of anguish?
Ain't it absurd, I do not have words
It is not for a lack of language

Tethered to our floating home
We scout for your crown and its Paley graph
Your periscope a parapet
Towering-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing-ing

Our God and King, thy Father watches the sheep

And I swear on my soul, if it is all folderol
Let us ring 'round the roses, honey
Garbling all our sounds of woe
Into hey nonny, nonny, nonny

Last and the least, when the fire has ceased
In a failsafe, essential breakaway
Shot is released, we rise automatically
Folderol, not-to-die, to-die-today

Music sets us spinning and spinning
Inscribe the memory of a honey bee
With the silence of a ballerina

We took a little walk across the lawn
It was 2 o'clock, with my soft shoes on
I met you at the dawn: May I cross the calm?
I called: May I tag along?

Hear you bawl a little sad song, it's a sad song
Keep singing it honey, it ain't long
Sing and I'll keep you safe and warm until the dawn
DSRV-2 Avalon
Wherever you are, wherever you've gone
Leaning your cheek into the apple yellow dawn, Highway 1
We've been itching to meet you
Recommission to meet you
If you listen, I'll teach you a sad song

Sing your machinery to sleep and shut the door
Even Janthina once was as you are
Sworn anathema to the guns, and the megatons, and all
Only Janthina can defeat the men o' war

If you could only hear my joy, just to know her
Tie her little shoe, take her little hand
Say hello to her, hello
And there really ain't a lot I can show her

Up on the deck, are we safe from harm?
Are we ready to surface?
In every respect, sound the alarm

It goes so fast, it will feel slow
We will arrive before you know
We are free to go if we don't get stuck
We'll be there by morning with a little luck

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Lay her down, Tom, we are overrun
But there is time for another story
Smoke at the door as siphonophore
Coiling blue as a morning glory

It is the hour, see the little hand
See the lambs we have kept and guarded
Tower of steel cartwheeling in the sand
With the force of the waters parted

It is the hour, we are far from home
We, the lambs who will not be slaughtered
I am not afraid, I am not alone
I'm not alone, I have brought my daughter
I'm not alone