i have flown
to star-stained heights
on bend and battered wings
in search of
mythical kings
mythical kings
sure that everything of worth,
is in the sky and not the earth
and i never learned
to make my way
down
down
down
where the iguanas play
i have ridden
comet tails
in search of magic rings
to conjure
mythical kings
mythical kings
singing scraps of angel-song
high is right and low is wrong
and i never taught
myself to give
down
down
down
where the iguanas live
astral walks i try to take
i sit and throw i ching
aesthetic bards
and tarot cards
are the cords
to which i cling
don't break my strings
(i wish you would)
or i will fall
(i wish i could
i wish i could
i wish i could)
curse the mind
that mounts the clouds
in search of mythical kings
and only
mystical things
mystical things
cry for the soul
that will not face
the body as an equal place
and i never learned
to touch for real
or feel the things
iguanas feel
down
down
down
where they play
teach me
teach me
teach me
reach me.
yada yada yada yada yada
let's top talking talking talking
wasting precious time
just a lot of empty noise
that isn't worth a dime
words of wonder
words of whether
should we shouldn't we
be together
yada yada yada yada yada yada
let's top talking talking talking
taking up out lives
saying things that don't make sense
hoping help arrives
curse my questions
damn your qualms
tomorrow they could be
dropping bombs
and we go yada yada yada yada yada
so we sit
at a restaurant table
discussing reasons
we're unable to commit
that's not it
all i want
is to please and enjoy you
what makes you think
i'll be out to destroy you
if you commit
that's not it
is it something you sense
underneath my defenses
that makes me a threat
that's not it
and yet
suppose that's it
ow wow wow i don't want to
think about that now
let's top talking talking talking
every lame excuse
justifying alibying
listen what's the use
the sparrow chirps
the chipmunk chatters
and we go on as mad as a hatter
and nothing at all gets said
talk to me please
in bed
where it matters
yada yada yada yada yada...
would you care to stay till sunrise
it's completely your decision
it's just that going home is such a ride
going home is such a ride
going home is such a ride
going home is such a low and lonely ride
would you hang your denim jacket
near the poster by picasso
do you sleep on the left side or the right
would you mind if i leave on the light
would you mind if it isn't too bright
now i need the window open
so if you happen to get chilly
there's this coverlet my cousin hand crocheted
do you mind if the edges are frayed
would you like to unfasten my braid
shall i make you in the morning
as cup of instant coffee
i will sweeten it with honey and with cream
when you sleep
do you have dreams?
you can read the early paper
and i can watch you while you shave
oh god the mirror's cracked
when you leave
will you come back?
you don't have to answer that at all
the bathroom door is just across the hall
you'll find an extra towel on the rack
on the paisley patterned papered wall
there's a comb on the shelf
i papered that wall myself
that wall
myself
would you care to stay till sunrise
it's completely your decision
it's just the night cuts through me like a knife
would you care to stay awhile and save my life?
would you care to stay awhile and save my life?
i don't know what made me say that
i've got this funny sense of humor
you know i could not be downhearted it i tried
it's just that going home is such a ride
ging home is such a ride
going home is such a ride
isn't going home is such a low and lonely ride?
see the sweet and genteel lady
so finely boned and frail
see her every morning
at the window with her knitting
where she spends the hours sitting
while she waits
for advertisements in the mail
see the genteel lady
sipping lemonade with lime
once she wanted princes
out of tales that happily ended
now the grocery clerk befriended
her cat and she was
grateful for his time
you'll grow into a beauty
her mother always said
so take your time in choosing
the boy whom you will wed
is this the right one mother?
oh no, my daughter dear
there will be someone better,
wait another year
is this the right one mother?
the husband that i seek
no, he's hardly good enough my child,
wait another week
her father died one winter
and was swiftly laid away
oh mother may i marry now?
no, i need you, stay,
i beg you darling daughter
i cannot be alone
if you love me you will stay
if you love me, stay with me at home
damn you, mother how i hate you
you will never know how deep
i must cling till you release me
i could kill you in your sleep
i would smile to watch your life blood
creep across your wretched hair
yes, of course i love you mother
i'll never leave you dear
i swear
see the sweet and genteel lady
she buys beribboned toys
and visits dull relations
to applaud piano pieces
played by nephews and by nieces
she listens in on other people's joys
and look longingly
at all the passing you boys
yes, of course i love you mother
i'll never leave you dear
i swear.
loved i two men
equally well
though they were diff'rent
as heaven and hell
one was an artist
one drove a truck
one would make love
the other would fuck
each treated me
the way he knew best
one help me lightly
one bruised my breast
and i responded
on two diff'rent levels
like children reacting
to angels and devils
one was a poet
who sang and read verse
one was a peasant
who drank and who cursed
before you decide
who's cruel and who's kind
let me explain
what i felt
in my heart and my mind....
the artist was tender
but suffered from guilt
making him sorry
the following day
and he made me feel guilty
the very same way
in his bed on the following day
the other would take me
and feel no remorse
he'd wake with a smile
in the bed where we lay
and he made me smile
in the very same way
in his bed on the following day
the blow to my soul
by fear and taboos
cut deeper far
than a bodily bruise
and the one who was gentle
hurt me much more
than the one who was rough
and made love on the floor.
you know
the hollywood sign
that stands
in the hollywood hills
i don't think
the christ of the andes
ever blessed
so many ills
the hollywood sign
seems to smile
like it's
constantly saying cheese
i doubt if
the statue of liberty
ever welcomed
more refugees
give me your poor
your tired your pimps
you carhops
your cowboys
your midgets
your chimps
give me your freaks
give me your flunkies
your starlets
your whores
give me your junkies
mary cecilia brown
rode to town
on a malibu bus
she climbed to the top
of the hollywood sign
and with the
smallest possible fuss
she jumped off the letter "h"
'cause she did not
become a star
she died in less
than a minute and a half
she looked a bit like
hedy lamarr
sometimes
i have this dream
when the time comes
for me to go
i will hang myself
from the hollywood sign
from the second
or third letter "o"
when mary cecilia jumped
she finally made
the grade
her name was in
the obituary column
of both the
daily trades
i hope
the hollywood sign
cries for the town
it touches
the lady of lourdes
in her grotto
saw fewer cripples
and crutches
give me your poor
your maladjusted
your sick and your beat
your sad
and your busted
give me your has-beens
give me your twisted
your loners
your losers
give me your black-listed
you know
the hollywood sign
witness
to our confusion
a symbol of dreams
turns out to be
a sign
of disillusion.
whatever you give me
i'll take as it comes
discarding self-pity
i'll manage with crumbs
i'll settle for moments
i won't ask for life
i'll not expect labels
like lover or wife
if showing affection
embarrasses you
i will not depend
and i will not pursue
for you are
younger than i
younger than i
younger than i
and i am
wiser than you
the one a.m. phone calls
you're here then you're gone
come when you need me
i won't carry on
i'll simply accept you
the way that you are
unsure and unstructured
my door is ajar
those lemon haired ladies
of twenty or so
of course you must see them
just don't let me know
don't let me know
whatever you do
for you are
younger than i
younger than i
younger than i
and i am
weaker than you
i'll give you a year
maybe two
maybe three
then what will happen?
where will i be?
you'll still be a boy
but what about me?
what about me?
what about me?
why must you treat me
with so little care
i've so much inside me
i'm aching to share
why am i constant
to someone like you?
children don't know
the meaning of "true"
those lemon haired ladies
why must you seem them?
all that i want in your eyes
is to be them
time is on their side
that's all i lack
i wish you would just
go away
no
come back
come back
go away
come back
go away
what in hell can i do?
i'm supposed to be wise
for i am
older than you
older than you
you so self-centered
the games that you play
do as you please
you will anyway
of course you will see them
no use to pretend
for they are
younger than i
younger than i
those lemon haired ladies
and they will
win in the end.
isn't it amazing
shakes you to the bone
she bought a stone
for bessie smith
she bought bessie smith
a stone
she got it for
her grave-site
on a temporary loan
but she forgot
she had not paid
for her own
she forgot she had not paid
she forgot she had not paid
after all the contracts
and arrangements had been made
she went to bessie's grave
and marked it with a stone
but she still
had to pay for her own
she went home
to her class reunion
where a class-mate
he confessed
she wouldn't want this
getting out
but she used to be the best
in school she was a nice girl
as descent as the rest
though she never was
conservatively dressed
isn't it amazing
you think she could've known
she bought a stone
for bessie smith
she bought bessie smith
a stone
she got it for
her grave-site
on a temporary loan
but she forgot
she had not paid
for her own
she forgot she had not paid
she forgot she had not paid
no sooner had the letters
on the deed begun to fade
when her ashes had been scattered
been battered and been blown
she still had to pay
for her own
she knew
miss gloria swanson
on a tv show they met
they talked across
a hundred years
miss gloria's with us yet
but janis was a gambler
who'd already lost a bet
and the time had come
to settle up
her debt
isn't it amazing
shakes you to the bone
she bought a stone
for bessie smith
she bought bessie smith
a stone
she got it up
for bessie
on a temporary loan
but she forgot
she had not paid
for her own.
i watch the game
aware of tricks
i do not want to see
i do not want to see
a card is palmed
the bets are placed
the loaded dice make three
and no one sees but me
does no one see but me?
the roulette wheel
goes round and round
and stops a bit too short
it's made to stop too short
it's built to stop too short
the chips are down
the croupier laughs
and calls a cheated player sport
he laughs and calls him sport
and the sport laughs with him
the sport laughs with him
there are no clocks
upon the gilded walls
the drapes are drawn
in everlasting night
"we never close"
the neon light
blinks at the sky
"we run an honest house"
the advertisements lie
for i have chanced to glimpse
behind the imitation
antique mirror
and i have seen the pupil
of the boss's
spying eye
pontius pilate's soldiers
gambled at the bottom of the cross
even his ragged robe was lost
so would you kinda care
to tell me boss
what chance have we?
what chance have we?
would you kinda care
to tell me boss?
i watch the game
and if i play
i know i'll go for broke
it must be go for broke
the game is fixed
it's just a
funny
foolish
never ending joke
a never ending joke
the dealer winks
and beckons
with a toothless
taunting grin
i know i cannot win
the game is fixed
okay all right
okay all right
okay all right
god damn it
deal
me
in.