Letter to Lady J

My dear old friend, it’s you we need There’s blood in the gutters, and fear in the street How long can we fight for a change that never comes In some ways it’s the same, but tonight the crowd they came Fists in the air, candles and vigils, cracked dreams held together with curses and wishes But how long’s it been since you been outside How long’s it been since you open your eyes ‘Cause I've been to the line, and it’s all right there And I cannot wait to get on from here Arms bent back and black jack welt Involuntary tears and the tears we felt Does it always have to get worse before it gets better In some ways it’s the same, but tonight the crowd they came Fists in the air, candles and vigils, cracked dreams held together with curses and wishes But how long’s it been since you been outside How long’s it been since you open your eyes ‘Cause I've been to the line, and it’s all right there And I cannot wait to get on from here Virgil Caine where are you now Did they bury the hate when they buried the south You got to tell the spirits mystics of tomorrow That in some ways it’s the same, but tonight the crowd they came Fists in the air, candles and vigils, cracked dreams held together with curses and wishes But how long’s it been since you been outside How long’s it been since you open your eyes ‘Cause I've been to the line, and it’s all right there And I cannot wait to get on from here --- Letter to Lady J - Dispatch