Sunken Waltz

washed my face in the rivers of empire

made my bed from a cardboard crate

down in the city of quartz

no news, no new regrets

tossed a Susan B. over my shoulder

and prayed it would rain and rain

submerge the whole western states

call it a last fair deal

With an American seal

and corporate hand shake

take the story of carpenter Mike

dropped his tools and his keys and left

and headed out as far as he could

past the cities and gated neighborhoods

he slept 'neath the stars

wrote down what he dreamt

and he built a machine

for no one to see

then took flight, first light

of new morning