Ribbon Bows

There is a spring

Not far from here

The water runs

Both sweet and clear

Both sweet and clear

And cold

Could crack your bones

With veins of gold

I stood a-wagging

At the tap

Just a-waiting

On the lagging, rising sap

I held the cold

Tin ladle to my lip

At the shrine of the thousand arms

I lowered my eyes to sip

What a beautiful day

To catch my drift

Or be caught up

In it

You want your love, love?

Come and get your love

I only took it back

Because I thought you didn't

How my ears did ring

At the municipal pound

From that old hangdog

To which I was bound

Curled 'round the bottom rung

Doesn't anybody want you?

Well, come on, darlin'

I could use someone like you around

I am not like you

I ain't from this place

And I do reserve the right

To repeat all my same mistakes

And, in the night, like you

I certainly bite and chew

What I can find

And never seem to lose the taste

What a horrible face

I feel me make

For

Pete's sake!

What you have told me

I cannot erase

Though I keep on saying

And I do believe it is not too late

All day you're hassling me with trifles

Black nose of the dog

As cold as a rifle

Indicating, with a nudge

God, no god, god, no god

Sweet, appraising eye of the dog

Blink once if god

Twice if no god

My mama may be

Ashamed of me

With all of my

Finery

Carrying on, whooping it up

'Til the early morn

Lost and lorn

Among the madding revelry

Sure, I can pass

Honey, I can pass

Particularly when I start

To tip my glass

I'll be a sport and have a go

At that old song, singing unabashed

About "them city girls with their ribbon bows

and their fancy sash"

But though I get so sad

I could swear the night makes a motion to claim me

Around that second verse, I reckon I've felt worse

And still held fast

But later on when I am alone

Alone at last

Well, I take my god to task

I take my doggone god to task