Oh, my dear,
I’ve swallowed the moon,
And left it dark like a ring
Burned on a spoon.
But now all the stars
They fall around you,
And land at your feet
To light up the room
The sign of the times,
The rules of the road,
And our coat of arms all scream
That mercy gets old.
But your secret heart,
As still as bloom,
Waits at the door
To light up the room
Your bed is a drift,
It’s come loose from the floor,
The dead float up like dreams
I push them back with my arm like an oar.
But your face is alive
Like a nickel cartoon,
Shown on the wall
To light up the room
The siren on top
Of the library wall,
The stairs that give way
At the end of the hall;
The pawnshop pavilion,
The newspaper saloon,
All burn in your wake
And light up the room.