I left the island under cover of the night
Like a breeze through the barbs in the wire
When I reached the shore of a place far away
I set my boat on fire
Soon I found out that I could love the island
From a distance of seven thousand dreams
Like a camera pulling back on a planet
Revealing its borders and seams
I used to be an islander
Surrounded on all sides
No longer isolated
I throw tin cans at the tides
I've seen the undertow return some fugitives
Like truants being led by the ear
But when God outsources all the prayers to patron saints
It's no wonder so many flee from here
But I've sailed through the Narrows
And thrown rocks at the harbor lights
I've watched them dripping down like orange ice cream cones
This place is as pretty as a picture
This place is as barren as a stone
I used to be an islander
A satellite at sea
Now I mark my days with distances
And the time I've spent between
I used to be an islander
Surrounded on all sides
No longer isolated
I throw tin cans at the tides
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