I posted this piece in its original format several months back. Since then, I have significantly revised it and also given it its musical setting. Critiques welcome.


Wicked Good Woman Child

Wicked Good Woman Child with her Bold Shy Night Day,
Comes Goes my Sleep Wake as I Come Go Work Play--
Come Goes my Sleep Wake and Hurt Soothes my heart.
Wicked Good Woman Child plays her Pleasure Pain part.

Wicked Good Daughter Wife Dark Lights my Heart Mind,
She Scratch Kisses Me You till I Weep Laugh Hurt Kind--
She Scratch Kisses Me You till I Weep Laugh High Low.
Wicked Good Daughter Wife with her Bold Shy Stop Go.

Wholly good, wholly good.
I wish she were wholly good.
I might love her as I should--
If only, if only, she were wholly good.

Wicked Good Woman Child Freeze Burns Body Brain,
Hot Cold Kiss Slap Stop Goes her Woman Child's pain--
Hot Cold Kiss Slap Stop Goes each Night and each Day.
Wicked Good Woman Child Loves Hates to Hurt Play.

Wicked Good Whisper Shout Kiss Stomps my Heart Face,
She Love Hates my Pleasure Pain, Gives Takes Hunger's Taste--
She Love Hates my Pleasure Pain, Mock Praises Me You.
Wicked Good Whisper Shout makes me Wise Man Fool.

Wholly good, wholly good.
I wish I were wholly good.
I might leave her as I should--
If only, if only, I were wholly good.

Wicked Good Woman Child with her Bold Shy Night Day,
Come Goes my Sleep Wake as I Come Go Work Play--
Come Goes my Sleep Wake and Hurt Soothes my heart.
Wicked Good Woman Child plays her Pleasure Pain part.

Wholly good, wholly good.
I wish we were wholly good.
We might love, then, as we should--
If only, if only, we were wholly good.

Wicked Good Woman Child, I Love Hate her so.
Wicked Good Woman Child, I Love Hate.
Wicked Good Woman Child.
Wicked Good.
Wicked.
Wicked.
Wicked.

c2007 Skip Johnson
All rights reserved


Author's Note: This lyric is not confessional in nature. It is based on an observed troubled and troubling relationship which violated a number of religious and societal taboos. While I cannot verify what happened by ordinary processes of observation, what did/may have occurred still stands to injure a great many innocent people.

The musical setting is as experimental and unsettling as the subject matter in the lyric. Its many unresolved chords are woven together to create a unified whole...


Last edited by Skip Johnson; 04/09/07 12:52 PM.