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Mismenagerie

by Sean Michael Robinson

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1.
Composer/Nemesis not for the benefit of anyone it was an accident some slow-assembled gift his fingers fumble but the notes all fit but now it's five to three and from down the street comes that demonic tinkling... the composer and his nemesis the ice cream truck he supposes that his song persists but he's out of luck cause that screaming metal music box just won't shut up and he knows the thought is wrong but he'd kill him for that song it'd be justice for that auditory crime so fine and delicate a little song direct and intimate comes the development and the fleeting feeling of accomplishment cue that familiar doubt old fear of selling out ready the guitar artillery... the composer and his nemesis his punk rock past cause he thinks he makes it better if he makes it fast you know loud and heavy wasn't really meant to last and the folkies got there first electricity's a curse separating what you meant from what you said the composer and his nemesis his instrumental skill he's heard there's no art in arsenal but he's loaded still and if you can't communicate you must communikill and he carries it inside some soft semblance of pride he'll mow over any nuance that he finds
2.
Sunday Morning Afternoon Sunday morning afternoon heaps of nothing coming soon and the gravity of what we'd do won't burst our buoyant beautiful balloon these Sunday mornings that we share no problems or a single care with more rides than the county fair and the slow-descending dust motes in the air here on your wide windy plain pilgrims shrink from the sky heaven only opens once a day so be sure to leave the light on when you die Sunday morning day and night Sunday morning all our lives the first time that I got it right the first time that we shared our little light here on your wide windy plain pilgrims shrink from the sky heaven only opens once a day so be sure to leave the light on when you die be sure to leave the light on when you die
3.
Boys My Age (Vaseline Dreams) Abigail, ginger ale, there's nothing of a woman about her quiet and pale, built like a rail Tarzan could put his hands right around her I'm young but I've seen what perfection means silver sights that'd truly astound her shimmering on the matinee screen see the lights all flicker around her... she'll never be the kind of girl for me the star of all my glamour magazines some boys my age are into birds or bugs or bikes or taxonomy but gentlemen prefer their vaseline dreams (vaseline dreams) French postcards and leotards the images of beauty surround you the soft sateen, what does it mean when all the glowing bosoms confound you? there'll never be a girl that's just for me laying in the dark under the sheets all covered by the stars all pinned up, staring down at me but gentlemen prefer their vaseline dreams (vaseline dreams) just let me photograph my vaseline dreams (vaseline dreams) (vaseline dreams)
4.
Island Instrument gave you an island instrument for what you'd make with it just wanted to hear your whispering song with every gift I'd always get the best of it especially if I could sing along gave you my heart to see just what you'd make of it a relay to pass that love baton and every race suffused with the sweat that flavored it turning that sprint into a marathon while my soul was freezing in empty space the cratered dust, the barren waste until that signal sent with haste receive it now, I'm staring into your face we shared a bed to see just what we'd make of it some soft scientific phenomenon the overwhelming beauty, and I tried to savor it some peering into the great beyond where my soul was freezing in empty space the cratered dust, the barren waste until that signal sent with haste receive it now, I'm staring into your face
5.
Exit (Pursued by a Bear) my teacher says that Shakespeare didn't write his plays at all “well who did?” I asked of him “it must have been some other man. Some better-educated man. A more sophisticated man.” “Who bore the name? What can you tell me of this mystery?” “some scribbled signatures are all that there is left to see an actor with some property no playwright of divinity”. your certainty will surely be your downfall, so prepare to make your exit pursued by a bear exit pursued by a bear it's a big wide world of wonders and the skeptics best beware lest they come to contemplate a bear a bear my teacher says the Lord God didn't make the world at all well who did? I ask of her “some hydrogen and random chance. explosions and a backward glance. a chiliad of happenstance” reality is what you see not sophistry and scrambling towards your exit pursued by a bear exit pursued by a bear it's a big wide world of danger and the delicate despair as they come to contemplate a bear a bear exit...
6.
Thrift Store Angel Some seraphim have platinum eyes charge-card hair and golden thighs friendly features Costco-sized and tongues that only strategize It would take all you have not to break all that beauty you can't hold so let me tell you bout my thrift store angel who I adore ever-ready for "what for" her tastes are simple and sleek like her mind and physique the clinging cotton mystique with nothing else underneath when I'm in her bare boutique every word that I speak just turns to Byzantine Greek Some lovers make their stage debut and some submit to peer review still others meet up in the queue and part before they say adieu and it takes all you have to not break perfect silence with your noise please let me tell you 'bout my thrift store angel dirty clean not a halo to be seen my miracle from next door my paramour washed ashore my carnal candy store that perfect film underscore nothing is never a bore when I am her stevedore it leaves us both saddle-sore
7.
Only a fool would leave a boy in charge of guarding all the hearts but they labored and they rested thinking that the flock was tended until that deceiver split the silence of the night, that boy he cried, he cried love love love love love love love the boy he cried love love love love love love love he was the boy who cried love but soon they came to find his anxious cry was a lie and nothing more he just needed satisfaction he just wanted a reaction but with time they came to trust again and the signs they could ignore but the fault was theirs for leaving precious items in his keeping cause people tend to show you who they are when they go pretending that they know love love love love love love love the boy he cried love love love love love love love he was the boy who cried love what will he do when the feeling's real and it leaves him reeling, no one believing his cries of love love love love love the boy he cried love love love love love love love who needs that boy who cried love
8.
Patient Patient you only want me when you think I'm dying you only want me when you're in control are you just a little wetter when I'm crying? Or begging for you please just let me go you're my naughty nurse and I'm your patient patient strapped to your gurney begging for release are we feeling fond or something just adjacent? can I trade your satisfaction for some peace? You gotta hang up your fantasies it's time to let them go your love's not a pleasantry a handshake or hello it's time to let them go it's time to let me go there's been many rockers careless with their conquest and many poets pissed away their seed the ledger looks like it could use a little redress one less creative man in constant need still see you sometimes, wouldn't call it often you blush a bit, goodbyes, and then you run and your round retreat reminds me of our roman times when we put the F in front of all our fun... we had to hang up our fantasies it's time to let them go your love's not a pleasantry a handshake or hello it's time to let it go it's time to let it go...
9.
A Poor Tool 03:47
A Poor Tool well some people form opinions from the doctors on teevee some trust in education, some trust the bbc still others trust the big guy who made the blind men see well that don't seem like a fair fight to me cause it's a poor tool who blames his carpenter course there's no time to complain when you're circling the drain and it's a poor blade who blames his sharpener so you best cut just for rightness, not for wrong ooh let me be the hammer lord, oh let me be the tongs work my bellows, stoke my forge, I'll punish all the wrongs make me sharp and shiny Lord, please make me true and strong in your mighty hands I do belong and it's a poor tool who blames his carpenter Lord guide me to the light and I'll be hammering tonight and it's a poor fool of a noose who blames the pardoner so you best hang just for rightness, not for wrong well freedom means just being free to put shit on your face or not put shit if you prefer. I won't judge-- it's not my place but if you don't protect yourself and get sick like some disgrace don't dare you blame the Lord for goodness' sakes cause it's a poor tool who blames his carpenter for every cut that must be made some others can be saved and it's a poor crop of wheat who blames the harvester so best sow just the rightness not the wrong be sure you're sowing rightness not the wrong make sure you sow the rightness not the wrong
10.
Honestly Anna, how could you go? that stranger from the store is clearly keen to let you know his expertise with the claw machine his tender touch, his grip release... Honestly Anna, where could you be? so much for meeting down the street now it's just your mom and me I watch the clock, we sip the tea I'm feeling dumb or a bit naive... Honestly Anna, what did you see? Your father says you barely speak and haven't left your room in weeks By the window staring. “Please repeat.” Don't want. Ignore. Don't Want. Retreat. This Family nestled with the news it's not a circle, it's a noose it's not a circle, it's a noose well Ida knows, but what's the use? it's not a circle it's a noose it's not a circle it's a noose...
11.
Expiration Date this morning over breakfast, it was much too late the milk had finally reach its expiration date four figures in black ink pressed from a printing plate to tell me to beware, be cautious, hesitate that day I was alone nowhere to go just calling for some temporary home memorized the dial tone hung by the phone cause everyone was busy with their boy/girlfriends, their live dead-ends the long weekends, forgive me if this list offends, I probably should get over it okay. I'm over it the calendar repeats May 1st that stupid square I hate the dreary day we reached our expiration date instead of crying I should really celebrate the miracle of our beloved emancipation state that day I was alone nowhere to go, just calling from some temporary home your voice the dial tone a distant drone 'cause you were just so busy if you call me now we'll make amends and do it just like two bookends what's a little love between old friends? I'm over it didn't I say...
12.
I Am Curious (Monkey) well that curious monkey's escaped again from that yellow bastard we call his friend couldn't be too long before he meets his end well that curious monkey who we both know they made him a jungle, they wrote him a show while inside his resentment grows... performing for you gentlemen he tumbles and you laugh again he can learn to spell, he can learn to swim but he can't help being simian well he grabbed the kite and he flew so high to obliterate the pain inside just a speck of monkey and an ocean of sky... the world's greatest doctors, surgeons supreme will give speech to this monkey, his life-long dream with his first words he calls for his press team “please let me thank these humans of status these men of great virtue for all working gratis to replace my vocal apparatus” he said to the assembled, “I've tasted your fame I've heard your applause and I've seen your acclaim but all I desired was to be treated the same but I'm starting to realize it's not me who's been tamed” well they laughed till they cried and they called him a sage and the publicists accompanied him off of the stage as grew their applause, so grew his rage well it's time that you learned we're all monkeys at heart one man has his Nascar, another his art and at peace not a one, till death do us part

credits

released September 19, 2021

Written, performed, and recorded by Sean Michael Robinson between June 2020 and August 2021, except 7, lyrical assistance by Rachel Erin Robinson and Alma Garcia.

Sean Michael Robinson — vocals, guitar, drums, piano (2-3, 6-7, 9, 11), bass (5-6, 8-12), flute, accordion, percussion, organ (1)
and
Rachel Erin Robinson — harmony vocals (1-4, 6-10), piano (1, 4-5, 8, 10, 11 outro), violin (2-4, 7-8)

with

Mara Sedlins — harmony vocals (3-5, 11-12), viola (4-6, 12), percussion (4)
Jonathan Spruance — harmony vocals (2-3), organ (2-3), percussion (3), bass (2)
Alma Garcia — lead vocals (7)
Tim Franklin — dueling lead (11, left side lead)
Rich Gilbert — pedal steel (3, 11)
Birch Pereira — bass (1, 3-4)
Ken Dow — bass (7)

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Sean Michael Robinson San Diego, California

Singer/songwriter Sean Michael Robinson of The Summer Januaries.

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