The Preacher's Ledger

The preacher kept a ledger,

every sin in red ink

said confession was private,

but I don't think

private's the word

for a book he never burned

Bone wouldn't go near the church without her hand shaking first

Lord have mercy on the man

who wrote down what they did

Lord have mercy on the names

he never let get hid

I found the ledger buried

under the floor of the church

Bone sat outside the whole time,

said there were too many to carry at once

She translated it for me after,

one shaking page at a time

said some nights the job asks more of her than she's got

to give (hummm)

Lord have mercy on the man

who wrote down what they did

Lord have mercy on the names

he never let get hid