Say the Thing

Say the thing I said the thing Say it cleaner I washed my mouth Mean it harder I mean it now Good Again Look at you, mouth all polished Spine checked at the door Your feed coughs up a slogan You crawl round asking for more You don’t believe it You like the heat Good little weather vane Begging for a whip Say the thing I said the thing Say it cleaner I washed my mouth Say it smiling I showed my teeth Say it louder I sound like you One wrong blink and you’re meat now One wrong word and you’re named So you dress up like courage In approved little shame You don’t take a position You sniff for the room Then spit back the temperature And call yourself true Say the thing Wear the thing Bleed the thing dry Say the thing Swear the thing Learn the good lie Say the thing I said the thing Make it useful I made it sharp Point at someone I found a face Make it holy I made it stick You’ve got one thought, borrowed One face for the feed One moral erection For whatever they need You call that conviction I call it a leash You found a warm kennel And called it belief Say the thing I said the thing Name the bad one I named the bad one Make it simple I made it thick Hurt them better I learned their name Best bit is the glow now After you’ve spat on command Little priest of the obvious With a phone in your hand You think you passed the test, mate You didn’t pass shit They opened your mouth And climbed out of it Say the thing Wear the thing Bleed the thing dry Say the thing Swear the thing Learn the good lie No, don’t look proud A parrot can pass a purity test You didn’t stand up You stood where they put you You didn’t find your voice You found the room’s hand up your throat Say the thing I said the thing Say it cleaner I washed my mouth Say it harder I hurt someone Say it again I am someone Say the thing Wear the thing Bleed the thing dry Say the thing Swear the thing Learn the good lie For the polite infection, see "Attainted Postures"... Try not to call it courage.