Call me on the carpet, call me
On the phone; call me to
The cockpit of your private radio.
Take my hand and place it, touch me,
Turn me on and then turn me away.
Nighttime comes and watchmen call,
The dirty oxblood sky can't fall
Soon enough for you to take me home.
You control the moon, you know you do.
I can't take the morning without you.
If only all the world weren't standing guard
I'd touch your hair, you'd walk the stars--
All you had to do was give the word:
Painted picture, polka-dot balloons.
After dinner I was scared,
You were calm and brushed your hair.
Nothing meant as much to me as blue--
In the air and off the end of June.
Pocket blast, the sacred coin
Slipped off my finger and into the void.
I knew then the mount had blown the view:
Too much of you...
A fissure cone of earth swept left of true.
Breaking, broken, broke I'm bored
of you turning me down.
That God damned moon.
Turning tricks and paying out to you.
Accept the truth.
I am itching, worn, and almost bloomed.
Crescent Walk
Teal
I missed you by a moment.
A silent shout of gold left river-side.
Dead-pan life left under foot.
When summer session coffin smoke
went undetected
other folk were laughing.
And you and me were holding hands.
One week only.
One week only, babe,
and you would be
my Spanish teacher.
You were wearing ultra-smooth
flats and black silk.
I was burning matches with a style
that made you wince.
Turn the clock back a notch
and kiss me please without a thought.
Kiss me please tonight.
I need your kiss tonight.
They were scaring spiders
tight lipped when I was talking.
You were stealing eyes.
I knew that dress was there for me
and I was fit for you.
Your name was nothing new
but still I was talking shit.
Six days only.
Seven days maybe,
and you would cut
the world out, fire.
He's the man I want to be
but not because he smokes.
He tells you dirty jokes
and then he moves inside of you.
Move the hand of fate a bit
and let me make the most of it...
Hold me close tonight.
I need your breathing tight
against me.
Please don't let me go.
I'll never let you go.
The Good Guy Game
Why is it when I try to say yes
I end up doing the right thing instead?
You gave me the green light,
my hand slid higher,
but when the night closed
I took the train.
Your kiss lingered longer, lighter
the more I lived it out,
and yet I'm sitting here and you're on the 18th floor
or wherever it is you live.
Your legs were trembling,
I felt the shade from your lips,
and all I could think was
don't make promises you can't keep.
I suppose that's why you like me,
and why I will continue to disappoint you.
Or are you happy I dropped you off
and let you down again?
Is that what we do, you and I?
Wherever we went, we turned heads
snapping to the girl in the short skirt
with the handsome man at her arm.
They all assume we're entwined now,
breathing hard and twisting bedsheets
into origami folds.
I'm even disappointing strangers.
I can keep this up indefinitely,
this good-guy routine.
It isn't me,
but I'm playing that game
for now.
If only you didn't have friends
and couldn't find out
how I'm treating the other
women in your life.
Maybe then I might not say no.
Rope-a-Dope
One I know the answer,
Two won't let me in,
Three just sends me letters and the
Four would be a sin.
You were thinking something
when you told me not to meet you
and I'm sure I'd press the riddle, doxy
if I saw the notes.
White dress
Black skirt
Hair's a mess
Let's flirt.
One can't wait to meet her,
Two just closed the door,
Three pulled up the sash and told me
What was hoping for.
I was never good at pushing
petals on the evening
tressed double tucked and tailored
with a clever parting shot.
You didn't want the world
all tied up nice and gleaming,
but wouldn't that be something
if I gave it to you.
Denim blues
Buttons flared
Buckled boots
Touch me there.
The atom bomb torpedo
that we made it through alive
was the nicest single moment
that I never meant to miss.
You said the canon's flare
were sparks I couldn't wear.
I let you win the game,
until I got you home.
Now, You I'll see this evening,
Her I send my best,
She I'll hold a candle for
You all shut out the rest.
I hope the Four will bring
a season burnt of sting.
If One ends Three begins
or maybe Two will call. Me. Back.