John Allyn Smith Sails

By the second verse, dear friends

My head will burst, my life will end

So, I'd like to start this one off by saying

"Live and love"

I was young and at home in bed

And I was hanging on the words some poem said

And thirty-one

I was impressionable

I was upsettable

I tried to make my breathing stop, my heart beat slow

So, when my mom and John came in, I would be cold

From a bridge on Washington Avenue, the year of 1972

Broke my bones and skull and it was memorable

It was half a second and I was halfway down

Do you think I wanted to turn back around and teach a class

Where you kiss the ass that I've exposed to you

And at the funeral, the University

Cried at three poems they'd present in place of a broken me

I was breaking in a case of suds

At the brass rail, a fall-down drunk with his tongue torn out and his balls removed

And I knew that my last lines were gone while stupidly I lingered on, other wise men know when it's time to go

And so I should, too

And so I fly into the brightest winter sun

Of this frozen town, I'm stripped down to move on

My friends, I'm gone

Well, I hear my father fall

And I hear my mother call

And I hear the others all whisper, "Come home"

I'm sorry to go

I loved you all so

But this is the worst trip I've ever been on

So, hoist up the John B. sail

(Hoist up the John B. sail)

See how the main sail sets

(See how the main sail sets)

I've folded my heart in my head and I wanna go home

With a book in my hand

In the way I had planned

Well, this is the worst trip I've ever been on

Hoist up the John B. sail

(Hoist up the John B. sail)

See how the main sail sets

(See how the main sail sets)

I've folded my heart in my head and I wanna go home

With a book in each hand

(With a book in each hand)

In the way I had planned

(In the way I had planned)

I feel so broke up

I wanna go home