The Well - Bill Callahan

I could not work

So I threw a bottle into the woods

And then I felt bad

For the doe paw

And the rabbit paw

So I went looking for the pieces

Of the bottle that I threw

Because I couldn’t work

I went deep

Further than i could throw

And i came upon an old abandoned well

All boarded over

With a drip hanging from the bucket still

Well I watched that drip but it would not drop

I watched that drip but it would not drop

I knew what I had to do

Had to pull those boards off the well

When I got the boards off

I stared into the black black black

And you know I had to yell

Just to get my voice back

I guess everybody has their own thing

That they yell into a well

I gave it a coupla hoots

A hello

And a fuck all y’all

I guess everybody has their own thing

That they yell into a well

And as I stood like that

Staring into the black black black

I felt a cool wet kiss

On the back of my neck

Dang

I knew if I stood up

The drip would roll down my back

Into no man’s land

So I stayed like that

Staring into the black black black

Well they say black is all colours at once

So I gave it my red rage my yellow streak

The greenest parts of me

And my blues I knew just what I had to do

I had to turn around and go back

And let that drip roll down my back

And I felt so bad about that

But wouldn’t you know

When I turned to go

Another drip was forming

On the bottom of the bucket

And I felt so good about that