There’s gaps in the floorboards and dull in their gleam,
There’s warp in the windowpanes, in the plaster sag-wear,
No, I can’t see the speck in their eyes for my beam,
But I part my parched lips now to mumble a prayer:
God in his heaven, to whom am I heir?
Have I been passed down the serpentine dream?
O God in his heaven, did thy son pay my fare?
There’s gaps in the floorboards and dull in their gleam.
We’re born into slavery and sound-silent scream.
We’re broke on the millstone, grade-down to despair,
And our eyes run blood-tears like an iron-tainted stream.
There’s warp in the windowpanes, in the plaster sag-wear.
Did the skull-place’s bloodbath ablute and repair?
Did thy firstborn’s oblation restore and redeem?
Or does hope yet death-thrash in a heart-hardened snare?
No, I can’t see the speck in their eyes for my beam.
And I strive and I soul-gasp to champion thy theme,
And I strain ’gainst the tempting thine hope to forswear,
Immovable world-weary weight, thine enemy’s scheme;
So, I part my parched lips now to mumble a prayer:
O heaven most high, in my pain will thou spare
Me and lift me high up on thy winged seraphim,
And steel-fast my soul ’gainst the enemy’s dare,
For I’m weak and I’m wounded and prone to his teem.