long long song
please remember me, happily
by the rose bush laughing
with bruises on my chin,
the 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 too 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 gates
have some elequent graffiti
like 'we'll meet again'
and 'fuck the man'
and 'tell my mother not to worry'
and angels with their grey handshakes
but always done in such a hurry
and please remember me at halloween
making fools of all the neighbours
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 pass us 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-burned babies
among the fallen trees
and fast asleep
beside the lions and the ladies
that call you what you like
and even might give a gift for your behaviour
of lead and chance to see
a trapeze swinger high as any saviour
but please remember me, my misery
and how it lost me all I wanted
those dogs that love the rain
and chasing trains
the coloured birds above there
running in circles 'round the well
and where it spells
on the wall behind st. peter's
so bright on cinder-grey, 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 passed
saw me just come up with anger
when it filled the circus dome
the parking lot had an element of danger
so please remember me, finally
and all my uphill crawling
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 a man
a marching band
all around the frightened trapeze singer
-Iron & Wine - the trapeze swinger