The Mercy Seat

And they came, took me from my home
Put me in Dead Row
Of which I am nearly wholly innocent
I'll say again, I am afraid to die

I began to warm and chill
To objects and their fields
A ragged cup, a twisted mop
The face of Jesus in my soup

Those sinister dinner deals
A meal trolley's wicked wheels
A hooked bone rising from my food
All things either good or ungood

And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth

Of an eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

Interpret signs and catalogue
A blackened tooth
A scarlet fog
The walls are bad, black, bottom kind

They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath at my hind
They are the sick breath gathering at my hind

I hear stories from the chamber
Christ was born into a manger
And like some ragged stranger
Died upon the cross

And might I say
It seems so fitting in its way
He was a carpenter by trade
Or at least that's what I'm told

Like my good hand
Tattooed evil all across his brothers fist
That filthy five
They did nothing to challenge or resist

In Heaven His throne is made of gold
The ark of His Testament is stowed
A throne from which I'm told
All history does unfold

Down here
It's made of a wood and wire
And my body is on fire
And God is never far away

Into the mercy seat I climb
My head is shaved, my head is wired
Like a moth that tries
To enter the bright eye

Till I go shuffling out of life
Just to hide in death awhile
And anyway
I never lied

Kill hand is called evil
Wears a wedding band that's good
To the long suffering shackle
Collaring all that rebel blood

And the mercy seat is a burning
And I think my head is glowing
In a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this weighing up of truth

An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is glowing
And I think my head is a melting
In a way I'm helping
To be done with all this twisting of the truth

An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I saw no proof
And nor a motive why

The mercy seat is a melting
And I think my blood is a boiling
In a way I'm spoiling
All the fun that I always consequence the truth

An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And I've got nothing left to lose
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth

An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway there was no proof
And nor a motive why

And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of truth

An eye for an eye
And a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I've told the truth
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is burning
In a way I'm yearning
To be done with all this measuring of proof

A lie for a lie
And a truth for a truth
And anyway there was no proof
And I'm not afraid to die

And the mercy seat is awaiting
And I think my head is smoking
And in a way I'm hoping
To be done with all this looks of disbelief

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
And anyway I've told the truth and I'm not afraid to die
And the mercy seat is awaiting and I think my head is burning
And in a way I'm yearning to be done with all this measuring of proof
...