Shrewd Haberdashery

I can feel your babylon breath on the back of my neck
And the smell as your caped centurion shoulders shake
Your hand reaching out for your sword,
Marked with a royal ring to place with all your worth
And the crown on your head quivers as the golden leaves wither
Falling for the rusty rake to take

It’s like i’ve spent my whole life waiting for somethin’ that doesn’t come
And though they say I should stay, all I know is how to run
All these cliches are poisons that we’ve drunk down easy
Call it what you want, but it’s a history of blood on our hands

Leave out the option of education
His books lost in lockers as he stays back in detention
Wants a better future but the money is the culprit
And the recruiter has a promise that your aid can’t give
So while he trains and hopes and hurts
And politicians work it out
The balance lost, who counts the cost
His new bride is now a widow

Who’s to blame? We’ve lost the shame
Just pick a name and take your aim
Nothing unites like a common enemy
Nothing ignites like a circle of silence
Who’s to know? It’s all for show
The bread and circus and undertow
Nothing persuades like an easy scape goat
Answer evade like the hope in your violence

And the ones who pay are always future generations
Are we the ones to say who will benefit from the nations
Lines kept drawn, erasers still heavier than pencils
But no ones writes in ink, no matter what they make you think