Grumbling Hive

The confusion of the human waves
In their nest
Of perfect happiness
Living their lives, they must not flinch
As decent
Ordinary citizens

In a complex world
Still crowded with life
The stake we play for is life and death
In the barely audible
Sound of the grumbling hive
Following the road generally taken

His place is established
He's down, he's beat
Irrevocably doomed
He's just harmless vermin
Feasting upon misery
Look on his delusions

Homeless among
The carrion and vultures
His future is not bright
Poverty
In the midst of plenty
It is not clear what his live serves

As stupid as all that preceded
And as all subsequent
He is a ghost haunting the streets
Phantasm sticking into the skin
Of the city with no return
For he can't be
Patched up to serve again
No one asked
Anyone's consent
Since everyone was
Interchangeable

Beggars and cripples, lousy and neglected
Forgot what it's like being anything else
Twin after twin their self-satisfied faces
Will always be there to be stamped upon

The alms for the souls
In purgatory
You don't want to be caught and tamed
But tugging at your leash, you kick the bucket
Beg for your passport to the grave
The alms for the souls
In purgatory

All is empty
All is alike
And all has been

And no one can change
This general trend
From the cradle to the trench
Scum born and raised, you were there to peg out anyway
You don't want to be caught and tamed
But tugging at your leash, you kick the bucket
The alms for the souls
In purgatory

All is empty
All is alike
And all has been
And no one can change
This general trend