Text: Kelly Joe Phelps. Flash Cards.

Bouncin' across the lake of ten years
Like a stone tossed from the burglar's hand
Holdin' my breath, then I'm sinkin'
Waves in circle like a memory slowly fade away, slowly fade

Remember me, when you look across the lake
When a fish caught hard on the line
Fights for his own life
When a boat breaks free of the tether and floats away in the wind

The throw was aimed at a distant pine
Winnin' the war by landin' down on the other side
So, another playin' boy might find it there
Skip it back not knowin' his part
In this messed up game, in this messed up game

Juggled in the hands of ten long years
Like colorful wands of fire in the arms of a red-eyed wino
Life held tight in purple lips and tongue
That mumble and spit out curses

And the young boy's line was 'I'll show you'
And the twenties was 'Watch me burn this fire'
And the thirties was 'Jesus, God, where did I go wrong?'
The forties was 'Good Lord, how much more?'

I'm halfway into the end of the chapter
And no ink left in the well
And no happy ending to tell, though
Bandages cover my body

Have no desire to swing the bell
No, I got no desire now to swing the bell
No, I got no desire now to swing the bell
No, I got no, no, no desire to swing the bell

To swing the bell
To swing the bell
To swing the bell, bell, bell
Desire, no desire
No desire to swing