Building A Ship To Sink In

April 10, 1912

Titanic set to sea

four days later down it went

history to be

they said it was the greatest ship

to ever leave the shore

until it hit the iceberg

then it wasn’t anymore

first class on the upper deck

lifeboats for the crisis

lower classes underneath

left to their own devices

they said it was the pride

of the White Star Line

but after when it sank like that

people changed their mind

and all you great believers

who never learned to swim

good luck with those lifeboats

the water’s coming in

they were building a ship to sink in

I live in a gilded age

of palaces and greed

where arrogance is champion

and fake is all you need

with nothing much to show for it

but glossy magazines

still we say that we’re the greatest

thing the world has ever seen

first class in the penthouse

so high above it all

the rest of us to scramble

for whatever crumbs may fall

no comfort zone nor safety net

now I think I understand

why it always is the ocean

that gets the upper hand

and all you great believers

who never learned to swim

good luck with those lifeboats

the water’s coming in

they were building a ship to sink in

oh it’s written in the histories

and sung about in song

how the shepherd calls the trumpet

and the sheep will tag along

but there’s always someone somewhere

who knows what’s going on

and does something about it

as we sail away into our

great and future dreams

hallucinating icebergs

that are never what they seem

so insignificant

beneath a silver moon

bailing out the water

with imaginary spoons

I will not be a sheep upon

such a sinking ship

I’d rather strike out through the wilderness

with a compass on my hip

with blueprints for the future

and a telescope to see

I’ll meet you when we get there

if that’s where you want to be

and all you great believers

who never learned to swim

good luck with those lifeboats

the water’s coming in

it’s up to your chin

we are building a ship to sink in