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Atlas Collapsing

by Four Quartets

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1.
N O R O A D S L E A D T O R O M E I ONCE SUBSCRIBED TO A DAYDREAM: THE FREEDOM OF MAN MANY LIES OF ENLIGHTENMENT THINKING SOLD THE WORLD DOWN THE RIVER FOR MEANING A PIOUS DREAM IS AN EYEGLASS FOR MAKING SENSE OF THE WORLD YOU CAST YOURSELF IN A ROLE YOU APPROVE OF THEN SHUT YOUR MIND TO THE CONTRARY MOVEMENT BONES BREAK 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T EXTRICATE WE'LL ALWAYS BE MYSTERIOUSLY WRONG AH THE FLAG THAT I FLY! THE ALBATROSS AROUND MY FRACTURED NECK SO I SCRATCH MY NAME ON THE EPITAPH OF WHO I THINK THAT I AM BREAK THE WINGS OF MY PEGASIAN HERO SCRUB THE GOLD FROM MY COUNTERFEIT HALO AND FOLLOW ME DOWN INTO HADES (I'VE A ROOM WITH A VIEW) AND I'LL SING YOU ALL SONGS WITH OUT MELODY AS WE SQUEEZE THROUGH THE BLACK AFTERNOON BECAUSE REALLY, IS IT YOU AT THE WHEEL? A SYNTHESIS IS ALL THAT YOUR ALLOWED YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO LAUGH LEST YOU MEET THAT THREE-HEADED HOUND BECAUSE ALL THESE SLAVISH DESIRES ARE JUST CARROTS ON STICKS I'LL TAKE MY PLACE AS A FOOTNOTE TO A TEXT THAT'S BEEN TOTALLY BLACKED OUT WHO SAID A PRAYER FOR THE LIVING AND THREW THEMSELVES IN THE THAMES? WHO DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO GIVING INSOFAR AS IT SUITED THEIR OWN ENDS? AND DON'T YOU DARE PATRONISE YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE BLIND IS YOUR DARKNESS AND LIGHT OBSCURITY AND LUCID INSIGHT HELD TO RANSOM FOR ALL THAT YOU OWN TO CLEAR THE PATH FOR THIS VEHICLE OF EGO THERE'S A CHIMERA DOWN IN THE WATER NOW HARK! THATS THE GROAN OF THE MARE'S NEST BREAK THE WALLS OF THIS TEMPLE OF MINE! TORCH THE IDOLS AND EFFIGIES BEFORE MY EYES! I WANT TO TASTE ALL THE ASH AND THE WASTE TO REMIND ME HAIL THE INSECTS FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH
2.
Skeptic Tank 02:56
S K E P T I C T A N K MY PAST IS A FICTION MY FUTURE IS A FOREIGN LAND AND IN BETWEEN SOME ACTOR IS MOVED BY CHANCE MY LIFE'S A SHADOW ON THE WALL OF A CAVE I CANT EXIST AMID THE LIGHT OF DAY BUT WHAT DOES IT MATTER? TO LIVE IS TO SLEEP, TO DOUBT IS TO THINK WHEN SELF-DECEPTION COMES SO NATURALLY A HALL OF MIRRORS - MY FAMILIAR HAUNTS IT'S THE SAME WHICHEVER WAY I WALK I MAY BE AN ACTOR BUT YOUR A BLOODY GUEST IN A DRESS REHEARSAL CAUGHT ON STAGE IN AN UNFINISHED PLAY HOW CAN YOU BE SO SELF ASSURED WHEN CHAOS RULES THE WORLD?
3.
S L E E P P A R A L Y S I S I DONT RECALL HOW I CAME TO BE HERE A SKINNY OLD DOG IN A JUNK YARD HOISTED ON HIS OWN PETARD SCOURING THE SKY FOR A CHOIR OF ANGELS A CASUALTY OF AMBITION PRINCE OF A NON-KINGDOM I TALK AND TOW THE LINE WHILE TRYING TO HIDE MY DISAPPOINTMENT IF ONLY I DIDN'T HAVE TO THINK PANIC ATTACKS AND SLEEP PARALYSIS I SHOOK THE HAND OF A PARAMEDIC CRAWLING OUT OF ANOTHER FIT THE SIMPLEST THINGS ARE NOW PROBLEMATIC I CHOKE ON BOTH WORDS AND SILENCE REPENTING MY PENITENCE A SEIZURE IN THE DAY AND A NIGHT FULL OF NIGHTMARES YOU JUST GET SO SICK OF THE NOISE OF YOUR HEAD MY WINGS OF ICARUS WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN AND THOUGH I'M DONE, I'LL KEEP ON DRAGGING MYSELF AROUND FALLING FROM THE SKY, I SHUT MY EYES HALLUCINATING ITS ALL JUST ANOTHER ONE OF MY DREAMS
4.
A T L A S C O L L A P S I N G THEY FOUND ME DEAD IN THE STARTING BLOCKS I'D ACCEPTED DEFEAT, I COULDN'T COMPETE SO PICK MY BONES, HELP ME UNDERSTAND HELP ME HALLUCINATE ONE CONSOLATION TO COPE WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD IN THE COLD IT IS JUST ENOUGH SCHOPENHAUER, I KNEW WHAT YOU MEANT WHEN YOU SAID ITS A PRISON CAMP HERE YOU CANNOT BE FREE. WE'LL ALL SHARE THE FATE OF PROMETHEUS WHILE WE'RE AWAKE BREAK THE LADDER AND GAG ZARATHUSTRA WE'RE NOTHING AT ALL, NOT A TIDEMARK AGAINST THE WALL OH MY BROTHERS THE SKY IS COLLAPSING AND YOU HOLD IT UP LIKE ATLAS OR END UP CRUSHED SO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD I'LL BE YOUR DISCIPLE, THE GEEK IN THE CORNER OF CLASS BUT TURN YOUR BACK, HELP ME UNDERSTAND MY MISERABLE FAILURE I'LL SUFFER YOUR WISDOM TO BRING A FORM TO THE VOID I'LL EAT THE CRUMBS FROM BENEATH YOUR SEAT THEN ITS OFF TO BED, TO MY MATTRESS OF FLIES, ASH AND LICE TO THE NIGHTMARE OF LIFE UNKNOWABLE LIFE. NO MORE THAN A GLIMPSE OF A SHADOW PERCEIVED THROUGH THE MIST
5.
6.
Ratcatcher 03:41
R A T C A T C H E R A SLUMBER DEEP AND MEANINGLESS. AN IMAGINARY LIFE A DEMIURGE CAN BE DENIED BUT VEIL STAYS UNCOMPROMISED A WOLF THAT STALKS THE EMPTINESS CRAWLING BACK INTO HIS BED TO DREAM THE CLOCKS OF LORD CUT-GLASS AND DISCONNECT. KING AMONG THE DEAD I'LL WEAR MYSELF LIKE DIRTY CLOTHES THAT NEVER BELONGED TO ME A FAIRY-TALE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN ALL THIS CONTINGENCY I FEEL INDEBTED TO YOUR TOLERANCE LIKE I COULD EVER GET THINGS RIGHT I'M FLYING BLIND. FULL OF SHITE I'LL PAY THE PRICE FOR CRIMES THAT WERE NOT MINE A DEBTOR AT THE ALTAR THINKING HARD OF WHAT HE OWNS MY CONTRABAND, MY WEIGHTED DICE KEPT IN THE BAGS THAT HANG BENEATH MY EYES SING A SONG OF SHIPWRECK. COME IN AND CHEW THE FAT I DON'T EXPECT THE ANSWERS BUT MAYBE WE'LL CATCH A FEW RATS I'M GATHERING THE STAGE PROPS FOR MY DISAPPEARING ACT THERES A WALL AGAINST MY BACK AS I FUMBLE FOR THE ESCAPE HATCH THE TIRELESS TRAGICOMEDY THAT FILLS UP ALL OF THESE HOURS THE AUSPICES OF CHAOS SING A MELODY LIKE UNFURLING FLOWERS
7.
Orthodoxies 03:23
O R T H O D O X I E S flattery in composite. bohemian identikits. choose a skin, it don't matter which. I'm a scarecrow. the horrors of reduction. emoticon affection. the dreariest perfection of a makeshift lie. My moments of clarity are brief interludes of insanity The nearest you get to 'truth' is spending a day at the zoo Scientists like clergy, the worship of technology leads us not to reality but to blindness. all we have are categories, the blackest of alleyways, some idiotic alchemy we mistake for sight Our legacy will just be dust and this indifferent world will not recall us Yet some undiminished faith will follow us all to the grave a vagabond on a windswept road I sleep on the doorstep of an illusory home And others walk by, slaves to their eyes We are error and fault. We're a compromise Everything that I have been is a latent form of lunacy But once again, I'm drowsy. I'll go back to sleep.
8.
Auto Da Fe 02:53
A U T O D A F E MY MASTERCLASS IN FAILURE WILL WIN NO AWARDS BUT AT LEAST I CAN LAUGH AT SUCH A LOWLY FARCE SO WHY AM I THE ENEMY? THE WRETCH IN THE DOCK? REPENTING THE BELIEFS OF SOMEONE ELSE'S CREED? FATE WRITES THE SCRIPT BUT I DO MY BEST TO SING ALONG BEAUTY OF THE WORLD! THE PARAGON OF ANIMALS! I FILL THE MARGIN WITH THE SCRIBBLES OF MY FANTASIES ADMINISTER THE DOSE! TAKE ME TO ARCADIA THE TERRITORY OF TRAGEDY IS WHERE I EXCEL DEVOTION TO HOPE BRINGS A HUMANISED HELL I DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO RESIGN OR BE ENRAGED DANCING A JIG WITH SAINT AUGUSTINE HAND ME DOWN MY SANBENITO
9.
I N T H E M A R G I N S I LIVE IN A TWO-PENCE HOVEL ON A MUDDY BANK OF THE THAMES ALL OF MY EPIPHANIES ARE ECLIPSES AND MY WORDS ARE FALLACIES IN THE DAY I'M TETHERED DOWN IN MY ARMCHAIR WITH DISEASE BUT IN THE GLOAMING I HAUNT THE EMPTY STREETS WITH THE VOICE OF A BROKEN WHISPER. THE HANDS OF A CAUSTIC TOUCH A SKIN OF ASH, A SKELETON CRACKED LIKE EGGSHELL AND A RIBCAGE FALLING IN INVISIBLE. A MAN COMPOSED OF SILENCE IN THE DIN I BEG FOR ALMS AND RANSACK THE BINS MY GREAT AMBITION IS TO BE A HOLLOW MANNEQUIN SO YOU CAN DRESS ME UP AND CLOTHE ME IN YOUR LIES I'LL FIT RIGHT IN. I'LL DO MY BEST TO BEHAVE I'LL WEAR ANY OBSERVATION YOU MAKE I'LL BE THE MOST CONVINCING FAKE I CAN. THAT'S THE PLAN YOU SEE, I FLUNKED OUT THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS BECAUSE I DIDN'T POSSESS GUTS AND VIOLENCE THAT PEOPLE ARE SO DAMNED FOND OF, THAT AMOUNT TO CONFIDENCE ALL I HAD WAS A VEIL MADE OF CHAOS AMID STRESS AND AN IMPOTENT WISH TO INTERJECT. I DID MY BEST. THE EARS WERE DEAF
10.
T H E W O L V E S ! T H E W O L V E S ! THE FRACTURED SLEEP OF THE FRAIL AND WEAK THE SENTENCE THAT I SERVE KNEELING AT THE HEELS OF THE MADNESS OF MAN IN WAKING DREAMS AND SHIFTING SANDS REARED ON LIES BY BLINDED MINDS PROCLAIMING THAT YOUR FREE AND DRESSING UP THE MYTHS SO THEY DONT LOOK OLD THE PLATITUDES OF ANIMALS I LOOK THE WORLD IN THE EYE AND JUST SEE ANIMALS THERE IS NO PROVIDENCE AND NO REDEMPTION WE LIVE IN GRIEF PURSUING PEACE BUT NEVER REACH THE GOAL SO I LEARNT TO ASK NEARLY NOTHING OF LIFE BUT STILL THESE CRUSTS I'VE BEEN DENIED IT FEELS AS IF I NEVER LIVED JUST BADLY READ A SCRIPT MY INNERMOST THOUGHTS WERE THE FALLACIES OF A PHANTOM SELF, AN ABSENTEE I LOOKED THE WORLD IN THE EYE AND JUST SAW ANIMALS WHY SHOULD THERE BE AN ESCAPE? THERE'S NO SALVATION FOR WOLVES
11.
A R C A D I A N R H A P S O D Y NO HOME, THE WILDERNESS CRAWLING THOUGH THE UNDERGROWTH AGAIN GREEN WAS MY VALLEY ONE DAY I'LL COME TO REST IN THIS GLEN BLESSED ARE THE CONFUSED, THE MADMEN THIS DELERIUM IMAGINATION AN EDEN MADE OF BRIC-A-BRAC AND LIES A FICTIONAL HAVEN A SHELTER OF THE MOST FOOLISH KIND I TAKE SOLACE IN A WALK THROUGH A HAPLESS MIND BECAUSE I CANT TAKE SOLACE IN LIFE THE LAST THING THAT I NEED NOW IS MEANING AND THANKFULLY, THERE'S NO SUCH THING I'VE GROWN USED TO WHAT THIS IS A CORNER WHERE I DON'T RESIDE IN DREAMS I PAINT A DOOR ON THE WALL AND WALK OUT INTO THE SUNLIGHT

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released October 6, 2012

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