About this time most every year
my skin begins to peel
I’m a crawling king snake
It started up in Eden, babe
Now I’m hissing at your heel

I’ve come a long, long, long way down
just to shed this skin

I saw you in the garden, mama,
walkin’ with your man
I said, “Lord, have mercy on me,” baby
You told your little fib before
the apple hit your hand

You’ve come a long, long, long way
down to the ground
This is where we begin
to shed this skin

A star fell out of heaven
to be born in Bethlehem
Shake that stardust from your feet
You dropped to knock ‘em down
and knock ‘em dead, but not condemn

You’ve come a long, long, long way down

See how far the son has fallen
Majesty to something common
Underground to long-forgotten souls

See the brazen serpent rising
Wheat that springeth green reprising
All creation in laboring pain

And the moan and the groan and the goal
is to shed this skin

Won’t you come back to me, mama?
Come and play around my den
I’m a crawling king snake
“Everything is changing,”
say the lion and the lamb

We’ve come a long, long, long way
down to the ground
this is where we begin
to shed this skin

We’ve come a long, long, long way
down to the ground
where we begin once again
to shed this skin

(September-October 2017)