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Membrane

from Skin: Deep by Penelope Swales

/

lyrics

Membrane
© Penelope Swales 2007

You split me open
Like a durian
Like a fruit to gorge yourself upon
And I allow you
To pound, to prise, at my
Most delicate openings

Where external becomes internal
Skin becomes bloodstream
And only a membrane
Separates the two

And you’re magnificent
But brutal
Tender and rough
Frightening, desirable
Sensitive and gruff
Spiritual, ha!
And so carnal
Passionate, yet so detached
Yeah only a membrane
Separates the two.

And you peel me out
With your mind, with your words
You strip me down
Til I am unbearably bare
A snail without a shell
A shellfish with no protection
I’ve never felt so naked
In all the years I’ve been out here
You dissect me and expose
My lame desires, my shameful flaws
Demand a level of acknowledgement
I’ve not submitted to before
Demand I give it up,
Demand I give it all
Til only a membrane separates us two


And then you say you just want friendship
And I’m bruised
Because I believed you wanted love
And confused
Because friends don’t go to these lengths
They don’t plumb these depths
They’re not so greedy
Nor so generous
Friendship doesn’t require
This level of acquiescence
The truth is, in essence
Friendship doesn’t cost this much

And I could weep with relief
To be here lying in another man’s arms
Making myself receptive
To another man’s charms
To be entered without being broached
Penetrated without being pierced
Without being asked to say
That this is friendship, not love
When only a membrane separates the two

And all the women that have loved you so sincerely
I feel the echo of their disappointment so clearly
So why should I be favoured where they were not
I don’t believe I shall be
I believe I share the same lot
So tell me, where’s the line?
Love and sex, sex and and friendship
Friendship and love, sex and friendship
You get it all,
Though only a membrane of your definition
Separates the two
And you thought you would be me
And I would be you
Thought I would be the hit-and-run one
Take my fill and then just leave you
Well, it’s not like I’ve never done that,
But damn, I couldn’t do it for you

A shame, because that’s what you wanted
To be devoured and cast aside
How romantic!
Like fruit, like a durian
I could gorge myself upon
A moment’s shared gluttony
With no surprises
And only a latex membrane
Separatin’ the two.

credits

from Skin: Deep, released July 1, 2007
Vocals, Guitar - Penelope Swales

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Penelope Swales Boolarra, Australia

Penelope Swales has been articulating the human condition with passion and humour for 30+ years. She sings about politics, love, friendship, the unbreakable bond between us and dogs and the impact of the Internet on society. She won the 2019 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice Award with “Cambridge Analytica”. “The Ides of March in Christchurch" was short-listed for the same award in 2020. ... more

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