Lay of the Land
Concrete slabs, arterial plaque. Holding back the flow, choke points, strangling the wild in order to power our roulette wheels. Fountains ejaculate from desert sands, sparkling in neon’s fuse. Water, invisible gold of nations and kings. Our thirst quenched in a devil’s bargain. Our dreams have tilted the world on its axis. Spinning through space, we presume too much. The Earth is not ours to consume. It belongs to forces beyond our whimsy. The waters can be tamed, but not conquered. They have a mind of their own.
“First Light” is from Ned’s new album “Lay of the Land,” released August 21, 2025.
Stream more music and buy the full album here:
Ned Mudd resides in Alabama where he engages in interspecies communication, rock collecting, and frequent cloud watching. He is the author of The Adventures of Dink and DVD (a space age comedy). Some of Ned’s best friends are raccoons.
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Some desert towns should've remained small.