Millions of us standing atop Millions of snow-covered mountains Planting our flags Thrusting them in Waving our arms to be counted But who is the woman alone in the kitchen? Frozen in front of an easel She looks like a portrait of somebody's grandmother Still frame image retrieval Standing there still, house on a hill After so many transmissions Telephone wires tangle the roof The origin story is missing The origin story is missing She hasn't gone out in twenty-five years Caged under plaster and ivy Her eyes fix on something out on the horizon A mountain of leaves gathered drying To burn, to burn, to burn Look at this view, look all around Tied to the deck that our dad made There's no room to move And we're so proud Yes, they made 'em like that in the old days They made 'em like that in the old days Retracing patterns with new coats of paint Fenced in by albums and journals And they're pulling her back They keep drawing her in Into the house of eternal return Return, return House of eternal return House of eternal return House of eternal return House of eternal return, return, return Retracing patterns, the path to the door She thinks of the hands of her father Laying down floor joists Framing up walls One board after the other One board after the other There's nowhere to rest In this cumbersome cavity Crushed under mortalness, sadness and gravity Peeling off layers of skin Cracked and blistering Scattering seeds Making scratches on history Head, shoulders, knees and toes Only the prophet knows Why we were planned obsolescent with vertigo? Ridden like animals, flailing our tentacles Searching for shelter in derelict ventricles She crosses the threshold, runs up the stairs Races through bedrooms and hallways She stops at the canvas, a faithful depiction The house she's been entering always The house she's been entering always Circling round, heavenward bound A-hundred-and-forty-four-thousand This flesh isn't right, the fit is too tight This can't be our permanent housing This can't be our permanent housing This can't be our permanent housing House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return (house of eternal return) House of eternal return House of eternal return Return, return, return, return Return, return, return