Bike Messenger Leading the People

Mercury Rising #6, April 1992

by Dominique Lowell, Westem Messenger #645

I burn my own house down cause it ain’t, my house

it’s your house your shit your shit your shit

incitement to riot

burn it down burn it down burn it down burn it down burn it down

there's so much paper

burn it down burn it down burn it down

the kindling’s there the fuel for the fire

it would glow burn beautiful orange licking flames

paper paper paper paper

it’s all just fuel for the fire

the big bonfire

violence against buildings

violence against property

the ultimate act of rebellion

and I'm gonna build me a guillotine

at One Sansome

right by The Wall

right where it says "The Sharper Image"

grab these fuckers by the hair

drag em by their power nooses and chop their lousy heads off

it’s French Revolution time

burn it down

and there’ll be a huge famous painting of me

bike messenger leading the people yeah

43 years she said

43 years I was chained to a desk

43 years I pushed around rubber bands and paper clips and xerox memos

43 years and I hated every goddamn minute of it

now I drink in cheap bars

now I wait for my landlord to sell my building so he can toss me onthe street

43 years of all that paper paper

pushin pushin paper

of being an appliance part of the hardware the interior decorating

43 years of being no one for a paycheck

well you know what I say

all these buildings the skyscrapers

all that chrome and glass filled with all that paper

well we could have ourselves one hella Molotov cocktail

all we need is a little gasoline a just one match

light the fucking match what are we waiting for?

all these people in their starched white shirts

who act like they own the street and the sidewalk

and the fucking world

because they do

burn it down burn it down burn it down

burn it down burn it down

goddamn peds

goddamn clogs

goddamn termites

goddamn ants

goddamn drones

in my way

I am lost in the forgotten guts of dead office equipment souls

Jesus came to the marketplace

Jesus came to Market street and

He said burn it down

all you buyers and sellers

He said burn it down you profane my world

I am riding my bicycle through the den of lepers

and I am trying to remain unscathed

and me well I'm a white slime maggot

I was fed television and twinkies

and the scroungy ethics of depression children parents

one who can't throw away a piece of wilted lettuce

one who buys crates of the finest

just to watch it rot

we are the refuse of a decaying system

we are products of decay

but oh! the fragrant twisted beauty of death

the rollicking waltz to be danced

come on come on come on light the match

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at messvilleto@yahoo.com