Ripped

Ripped

When you build her give her steel-plated ribs
Make her heart beat like an engine and not miss
Sandbag her against the flood or she may drown
Termite-proof the parts of her that touch the ground

And god knows she’s seen some sad things in her time
They leave her ripped
They leave her dumb
They make it all look like a lie
It pulls her in
It pulls her down
And its source cannot be found
It laid its weight across your heart
And it makes you what you are

Carve her name into the trunk of a tree
Jewels of sap run down and land at her feet

When you make her give her cast-iron teeth
Check her carefully for holes in case of leaks
Sink her footings deep into the earth
Build her proof a hurricane or worse

Plant her tree outside your house and let it grow
Tend it carefully I’m sure that she will know