Feast of Ashes

They set the table on the rubble Plates on broken stone They poured the wine from clay-fired jugs Into cups that were not their own The rabbit turned above the coals The bread was black and sweet And everyone sat down together With dust upon their feet And they said eat Eat with us You who walk the empty roads You are one of us Feast of ashes Feast of ashes We set our table on the ruins And call it holy ground Feast of ashes Feast of ashes We eat the world that burned us And we pass the sorrow round A woman told of Marseille Before the water came A man described his olive grove And spoke each tree by name A child sang a song In a language no one knew And everyone fell silent Because the melody was true And they said stay Stay with us You who walk the empty roads You have walked enough Feast of ashes Feast of ashes We set our table on the ruins And call it holy ground Feast of ashes Feast of ashes We eat the world that burned us And we pass the sorrow round We remember (we remember) We remain (we remain) We set fire to our grieving And we dance around the flame We remember (we remember) We remain (we remain) Every mouth that opens singing Is a wound that speaks its name Feast of ashes Feast of ashes