1
Peter's been in the job
nine months
He's got the hang of it
He's really good;
Customers ask for him
Colleagues rely on him
The boss assigns him tough jobs

Peter's wife says at home:
"My, you've become irreplaceable
Time for a promotion;
and time for my makeover"


2
And so Peter speaks to his Boss
about a promotion
and runs through what he's done
in nine months:
"I've got the hang of it
I'm really good;
Customers ask for me
Colleagues rely on me
You trust me with the tough jobs
I'm irreplaceable"

"Agreed, " says the Boss
"But you are irreplaceable"
…pause…pause…pause…
*"So no one can take your
current position; so
you'll have to stay there,
I'm afraid"

feats of angels
try hard not to stare
lonely wild men
only partially aware
struggle down the alleys
of our new neighborhood

found your hiding place
when i came home today
try not to think too much
about what has become
of these darkest dreams
which we have undone

someone is going
to call the cops
maybe this time
they will show

the evening news comes on
we hardly seem aware
you nurse bitterness
like a lost child
searching everywhere

always misunderstood
try not to think too much
about what we have done
of these dark dreamers
and what we have become

try not to think too much
about what has become
of these empty lives
and these dreams unwon

*the city burns tonight
a horizon red glow
nobody cares
just another blow

different rivers
different seas
reaching into unknown lands
from the green hill
unbidden
sounds, evoke
some other place
some other reason
another time
different season