luminous animal
the question is: how do you
break free from your demons
the question is: how do you
howl alone the question is:
how do you live your own life
as you please the question
is: how do you free yourself
from the prison of your own
mind the question is: how do
you break down the walls of
this machine of your own
making the question is:
how do you break free and
there is only one answer:
to go deeper into the heart
of the wound to go deeper
into the heart of the blues
to go deeper into the pulse
of the shadows deeper into
the darkness deeper into
the blackness deeper into
the night
like a luminous animal you
shine like a luminous animal
you open the infinite doors
like a luminous animal you
dance alone like a luminous
animal the night fills all
your pores like a luminous
animal you glow from the
fire of the pulse in your
veins till there’s nothing
left in your blood but the
blaze like a luminous animal
you howl like a wolf down
by the tracks like a luminous
animal the only battle you
wage is the one with yourself
like a luminous animal all
you know is what you feel
inside like a luminous animal
you know the secret of
unlearning like a luminous
animal you shine
i want the day to cloud up
i want the leaves to blow
i crave the storm it is the
only calm i know the night
of gray day the darkness on
the edge of the nerves the
wildness of a dance of
letting go like a child
caught somewhere between
play and dream and reality
juggling stars or walking
the tightrope of the horizon
i want the leaves to blow i
want to laugh with them i
want to laugh as i surrender
to the wind i want to be
the calm in the center of
the storm i want to be the
first drops of rain licking
the roofs a warning that
thunder and lightning are
coming to play
you ask me my name my name
is haiti you ask me my name
my name is voodoo you ask me
my name my name is mojo you
ask me my name my name is
drumcloud you ask me my name
my name is raindance you ask
me my name my name is wolfhowl
you ask me my name my name is
snakeskin you ask me my name
my name is bluesmoan you ask
me my name my name is dream
juggler you ask me my name
my name is tightrope walker
you ask me my name my name is
mystery train you ask me my
name my name is jazzflame
you ask me my name my name
is ace of spades you ask me
my name my name is snake eyes
you ask me my name my name is
luminous animal
“night shots” taken at a bar in St. Augustine, Florida, after hours by R. J. Howe.