My Brother's Keeper

by Clive James and Pete Atkin

My brother lives in fear
Of the hidden cries he seems to hear
Somewhere ahead the King of Hell
Somewhere below a kitten in a well

Am I my brother's keeper?
Am I my brother's keeper?

My brother lives a lie
When his laughter splits the summer sky
Somewhere inside he skips a breath
Somewhere in there he dies the little death

Am I my brother's keeper?
Am I my brother's keeper?

Every second morning now for years
My brother has put on my brawn and brain
To wander through a Universe in pain
And all my happiness of yesterday
Is walked and scorned away
Before he returns to me in tears

My brother lives a life
In the narrow shadow of the knife
Somewhere behind a hill of skulls
Somewhere below a beach of dying gulls

Am I my brother's keeper?
Am I my brother's keeper?
Am I my brother's keeper?
Am I my brother's keeper?