Great Ghosts

I have my hopes of how I would be after living in exile

after closing your eyes to me

I even wrote scenes where I re-emerged boldly, bearded alive

with eskimo eyes

new baby on my back

but I didn't count the fact that I have ghosts in my mind, stored away

great ghosts of my life

great ghosts of old wives

and their howling

so I spend my wilderness time, rolling on the ground

pulling my hair and wrestling them of

yelling at none, punching snow

I gathered ghosts and gave them my lecture, bid them away, I pleaded and cried

there's no room in my life for you or your howling

let my undo these ropes and go on living without you

not just change where I live

go on get, I said

I had my hopes of how I would be after sending them of

after getting set free

but there's no such thing as living without their prowling

as you can see, having descended the hill

I still look like me, I still wallow as Phil

and forever will

I'm teaming with ghosts and I still whining for wives, unkniting my brow

but now I've surrendered

In fact I've joined in

You can hear us howling