My brother's blood boils in my arms It balls my fingers into fists It bubbles, blisters, burns my palms It floods with fury, fights and fits It's got the good guy in me hiding It kicks my humble heart around It's got me fiending for the fire That could finish off this town. My brother's blood on a cherry tree It stains the bark from branch to root It puddles thick with pits and leaves It strains the sweetness from the fruit It kept me looking for communion A meeting point off underground An empty plot I could climb into An (iron) (lightening) cartoon promise in my mouth A blackout oath I swore and meant But couldn't conjure up again I don't know one thing about my brother's blood My brother's blood In my dirty lungs In my crooked mouth On my swollen tongue On my father's gun In each stranger's face Across the bluebird sky On each hand I shake Night after night Each chuckled prayer Such sweet relief Fists full of hair My brother's back My father's arms Each twisted fact In my sorry heart All that dialogue Doubling back at me All that tangled talk All that growling need And each desperate drive For elusive peace And each endless night And each wasted week I spit and scream "what's done is done Go make your peace with everyone" They don't need to know about my brother's blood.