Previously unreleased

George

He’s lying on the floor, at home in the kitchen
In a puddle of vomit and blood
He is awakening
His stomach is turning, his head is aching
Half a bottle of whiskey
Is lying beside him
   Like ghosts out of the fog
   The memories slowly arise,
   And he’s sickening at himself
   The more, he can remind
In spite of all intentions and promises he made
In spite of all vows
Again, he was boozing

Last night in that bar, he and some friends
They were talking about the old days
And he had fun without drinking
Then Henry was comping a drink on his promotion
And instantly every levee
Was broken
   Shortly he got drunk
   And this fathomless hate rose up
   And there was this anger
   And he came to blows with everyone
He rampaged and he was smashing half the bar
And when he heard the police sirens
He was fleeing

When he came home, in the deep of the night
There were Mary and their son Jim
They were waiting
They didn’t say anything, but there were their frowns
A silent accusation, that again
He has been failing
   Again, this irrepressible anger
   Arose from deep inside
   And without warning
   He slashed at his son and his wife
He bad-mouthed and struck them, threw dishes against them
And he rampaged
‘Till they were fleeing

He should have known better; he got it first-hand
Almost every day his father
Was drunken
And when the level of whiskey was scored
He started a quarrel with everyone
He was meeting
   There was this fathomless hate
   Against no matter who
   And he pummeled him and his mother
   ‘Till he fell asleep in his booze
George was just a child, he couldn’t protect his mother
But he swore that one day
He would kill him

Now he’s lying on the floor, at home in the kitchen
In a puddle of vomit and blood
Again, he was boozing
Again and again, he had promised to improve
Again and again, he had promised
To stop drinking
   In spite of all vows
   It had happened again
   And he’s sickening at himself
   He had failed
He picks himself up and cries for Mary
The house is empty
Mary and Jim had left him

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