Let me speak.
Let me spit out my bitterness,
Born of grief
And nights without sleep
And festering flesh.
Do you have eyes?
Can you see like mankind sees?
Why have you soured and curdled me?
Oh you tireless watcher!
What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread
And everything I fear come true?
Once I was blessed.
I was awaited like the rain,
Like eyes for the blind,
Like feet for the lame.
Kings heard my words
And they sought out my company.
But now the janitors of Shadowland
Flick their brooms at me.
Oh you tireless watcher!
What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread
And everything I fear come true?
Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow.
I’ve lost all taste for life.
I’m all complaints.
Tell me why do you starve the faithful?
Why do you crucify the saints?
And you let the wicked prosper,
You let their children frisk like deer
And my loves are dead or dying
Or they don’t come near.
Antagonists: We don’t despise your chastening.
God is correcting you.
Oh and look who comes
To counsel my deep distress.
These pompous physicians–
What carelessness!
Antagonists: Oh all this ranting, all this wind!
Filling our ears with trash.
Breathtaking ignorance, adding insult to injury!
They come blaming and shaming–
Antagonists: Evil doer!
And shattering me
Antagonists: This vain man wishes to seem wise.
A man born of asses!
Oh you tireless watcher!
What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread
And everything I fear come true?
Antagonists: We don’t despise your chastening.
Already on a bed of sighs and screams,
And still you torture me with visions;
You give me terrifying dreams!
Better I was carried from the womb
Straight to the grave.
I see the diggers waiting,
They’re leaning on their spades.
Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow
Sure as the sparks ascend.
Where is hope?
While you’re wondering what went wrong?
Why give me light
And then this dark without a dawn?
Antagonists: Evil is sweet in your mouth.
Hiding under your tongue.
Show your face!
Antagonists: What a long fall from grace!
Help me to understand!
What is the reason
For your heavy hand?
Antagonists: You’re stumbling in shadows.
You have no name now.
Was it the sins of my youth?
What have I done to you?
That you make everything I dread
And everything I fear come true?
Antagonists: Oh your guilt must weigh so greatly.
Everything I dread
And everything I fear come true.
Antagonists: Man is the sire of sorrow.
Oh you make everything I dread
And everything I fear come true.
Joni Mitchell