Speaking In Tongues
Guided by Voices

Raphael Levchin



Translated by Daniel Levchin





*



hell is suffering for that
which cannot be loved more
end quote
hell is suffering for that
which cannot be loved
hell is suffering for that
cannot be loved
hell is suffering for
be loved
hell is suffering
loved
hell is
loved
hell




*



if life refused to flower
don't blame the higher powers -
a dad a son a spirit
or the speaker of the house




*



the first circle of hell is scary and then you get used to it




*



what, you thought it ll stay this way
yes that is what I thought
thought it will stay this way forever
hey man
you re dreaming


that s not
the point




*



he moves through the labyrinth mirrors mirrors mirrors walking walking
searching searching for an exit
pointless
who do we blame he left Her on that island
abandoned Her
and if already, you know,
don t go wandering right back into the labyrinth
hm


and some say
in all actuality
he never once stepped outside
it is the same labyrinth there


i like that




*



why did you leave me
end quote
no one I think is in my tree
end quote
there gnashing
teeth
and head to toe graffito




*



scared
not really
not really scared
and that s the scariest




*



hurts
no almost
that puts you with the worst
who don t hurt anymore
was among those who fear
among those of vanity
ended up with the ones
who are almost no more
altogether




*



the angels want to set him afire
but then with a royal salute
they put him back
end quote
know well where your sector in hell
is




*



spent all of his days at twilight
leaned on a thin sword with a broken blade
end quote
as if didn t love
love even still
who said that
who
how dare
you




*



the year of happy half-life
invisible
there are many dialects
and in some the name of my people
coincides
with the name of hell




*



say
what will save you


i don t think i want to be saved


you want to be damned


don't know
all in all everything is wrong


what everything


every thing




*



had a lover
rain falls and moves e-6
I remained defector in antiutopia




*



these words
you d like to get off easy


no not at all


then why


hurts maybe a little


the amphitheater invited and incited me
and sucked me in
for ever




*



do you understand forever
end quote
not really




*



who are you
take off the masks
no no
that won't pass here laddy no pasaran




*



eros this one from paris




*



draped in sex crowned with flames
with eyes torn out




*



greek letters


how good it is
the return of pain
of a heartbeat
who would have thought




*



ok it happens
we got some just like that
they dig it


the worm who gnaws at their eye
is also a phallic symbol they say




*



fate


is the tree
of good and evil life and death
and the world revolves around a waterfall
oranta
was renamed apple-tree, so it will dry faster
they gave touch a brand new name too
like sandwich
or
something


i hell




*



hell is infinite
with forgotten districts
where it's just gorgeous
with baroque like you wouldn t believe




*



and in the later years
the board would reprimand me
for insufficient surrealism




*



would you like
to start over
shh wait not
so fast
not
so
fast


now i see
it won't be any better
even worse probably


you really shouldn't know that


well that s part of my sin


no
not a part




*



time racing master of aeons
end quote
time will pillage and plunder
end quote
there will be no more time
end quote
no bosch




*



death where is your blade
end quote
incubus where is your incubator
wait no
where is your benefactor




*



who here spoke of mythopoeisis
verbalized about archetypes
lectured on dionysus
ah
that was you
why did you leave Her on that island
brilliant
unfortunate pragmatic
tread the halls of this labyrinth
for ever




*



do you understand forever




*



repeating yourself
ah
you still don t get it
that is hell s cornerstone
mirrors
mirrors mirrors
dusty cracked melted bent out of shape
half-witted infinity




*



goya yanked the demons tails and teeth
the former architect shrieked i am goya
and you




*



bad


of course could be worse
remember asking what can be worse than death
sometimes life


sometimes words




*



where is the moisture
where is that moisture
that will touch my inflamed lips


to each his own
hey there
are you alive


it s phantom pain




*



even if you beg for forgiveness
what was done will remain
you know




*



almighty pray you exist
pray you ll create a hell for me
end quote


you are hell


i am hell
in my image
after my likeness