Bless the man with the torturer’s mouth,
bless the woman with the fossil soul,

bless the man with the storm in his groin,
bless the woman whom no one loves,

bless the man with a skull made of iron,
bless the woman who dreams of great kingdoms,

bless the man who’s strange and swift to anger,
bless the woman whose habit is silence,

bless the man who surrenders nothing,
bless the woman who’s a martyr to pigeons,

bless the man who lurks in the tower,
bless the woman of no conscience, no armor,

bless the man who nightly cries “Wolf,”
bless the woman who blushes and stutters,

bless the man who subdues the trees,
bless the woman who curses the rainbow,

bless the man who is a slave to pity,
bless the woman who delights in nakedness,

bless the man who is broken by love,
bless the woman who heals herself in greed,

bless the man whose grip is slipping,
bless the woman who is dangerous with pride,

bless the man on the threshold of jumping,
bless the woman newly born into pain,

bless the man be he murderer or thief,
bless the woman drooling in her cup,

bless the man with a worm for a tongue,
bless the woman with a shadow for a heart,

bless the man who forgives only himself,
bless the woman who shoulders the world,

bless them all who are nameless and mad,
oh bless the man, yes, bless the woman.