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The Ghost of Heaven Lyrics by Carolyn Forché

2011

Sleep to sleep through thirty years of night,
a child herself with child,
for whom we searched
through here, or there, amidst
bones still sleeved and trousered,
a spine picked clean, a paint can,
a skull with hair
Sewn into the hem of memory:
Fire.
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob,
God not
of philosophers or scholars. God not of poets.
Night to night:
child walking toward me through burning maize
over the clean bones of those whose flesh
was lifted by zopilotes into heaven.
So that is how we ascend!
In the clawed feet of fallen angels.
To be assembled again
in the work rooms of clouds.
She rose from where they found her lying
not far from a water urn, leaving
herself behind on the ground
where they found her, holding her arms
before her as if she were asleep.
That is how she appears to me: a ghost in heaven.
Carrying her arms in her arms.
Blue smoke from corn cribs, flap of wings.
On the walls of the city streets a plague of initials.
Walking through a fire-lit river
to a burning house: dead Singer
sewing machine and piece of dress.
Outside a cashew tree wept
blackened cashews over lamina.
Outside paper fireflies rose to the stars.
Bring penicillin if you can, surgical tape, a whetstone,
mosquito repellent but not the aerosol kind.
Especially bring a syringe for sucking phlegm,
a knife, wooden sticks, a surgical clamp, and plastic bags.
You will need a bottle of cloud
for anesthesia.
Like the flight of a crane
through colorless dreams.
When a leech opens your flesh it leaves a small volcano.
Always pour turpentine over your hair before going to sleep.
Such experiences as these are forgotten
before memory intrudes.
The girl was found (don’t say this)
with a man’s severed head stuffed
into her where a child would have been.
No one knew who the man was.
Another of the dead.
So they had not, after all,
killed a pregnant girl.
This was a relief to them.
That sound in the brush?
A settling of wind in sorghum.
If they capture you, talk.
Talk. Please yes. You heard me
right the first time.
You will be asked who you are.
Eventually, we are all asked who we are.
All who come
All who come into the world
All who come into the world are sent.
Open your curtain of spirit.
Credits
Carolyn Forché

Carolyn Forché

About “The Ghost of Heaven” by Carolyn Forché

Read the complete lyrics to "The Ghost of Heaven" by Carolyn Forché in 2011. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Poetry, Non-Music, Halloween.

"The Ghost of Heaven" is performed by Carolyn Forché. in 2011 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Ghost of Heaven", explore more songs by Carolyn Forché using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"The Ghost of Heaven" is credited to Carolyn Forché. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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