The Trapeze Swinger

Ooh, ooh, ooh

Please remember me

Happily

By the rose bush laughing

With bruises on my chin

A time when

We counted every black car

Passing your house

Beneath the hill

And up until

Someone caught us in the kitchen

With maps, a mountain range

A piggy bank

A vision to removed to mention

But please remember me

Fondly

I heard from someone you're still pretty

And then they went on to say

That the Pearly Gate

Has some eloquent graffiti

Like: We'll meet again

And: Fuck the man

Tell my mother not to worry

And angels with their great handshakes

But always done in such a hurry

And please remember me

At Halloween

Making fools of all the neighbors

Our faces painted white

By midnight we'd forgotten one another

And when the morning came

I was ashamed

Only now it seems so silly

That season left the world

And then returned

But now you're lit up by the city

So please remember me

Mistakenly

In the window of the tallest tower

Call and passes by

But much too high

To see the empty road at happy hour

Gleam and resonate

Just like the gates

Around the holy kingdom

With words like: Lost and found

And: Don't look down

And: Someone save temptation

And please remember me

As in the dream

We had as rug burn babies

Upon the fallen trees

And fast asleep

Beside the lions and the ladies

That called you what you like

And even might

Give a gift for your behavior

Of lead and chance to see

A trapeze swinger high as any savior

But please remember me

My misery

And how it lost me all I wanted

Those dogs that love the rain

And chasing trains

The colored birds above

They're running in circles

Round the well

And where it spells

On the wall behind Saint Peter

So bright on cinder-gray

In spray paint

Who the hell can see forever?

And please remember me

Seldomly

In the car behind the carnival

My hand between your knees

You turn from me

Said the trapeze act was wonderful

But never meant to last

The clowns that pass

Saw me just come up with anger

When it filled the circus domes

The parking lot

Had an element of danger

So please remember me

Finally

And all my uphill clawing

My dear

But if I make

The Pearly Gates

Do my best to make a drawing

Of God and Lucifer

A boy and girl

An angel kissing on a sinner

A monkey and man

A marching band

All around the frightened trapeze swinger