it started, like countless others, with just a glass
white wine and the hope for some herbal probability
the directions were simple enough, the locals quite friendly
her blackness was the most beautiful thing and the white wine was cheap
it wasn't anything like that, though i confess plenty of
contradictions abound and the story hasn't even begun
the music is incidental, convergence a welcomed side
effect, a peculiar way of agreeing with no one
but nothing says it better than a Cosmic alignment
as a matter of fact the story ended nineteen years ago
today in the backseat of a yellow Chimera, i mean
a Camaro with black interiors and room for everybody
the hospital was not far, she was farther in the city
and then the sun was out and i passed out
in the backseat with leftover shadows
too many out and about blaring their horns
and zigzagging through suburban backroads
but the kids were still sleeping, thank fucking god
a false sense of security like a blanket over
the sleepy main street not too far from here
some words to go with the coffee, the champorrado
back on 18th street when detective hammer calls
the first of so many calls crisscrossing the lines
between our chosen places to wait it out
with nothing but a vague notion of how to press on
for you and me, for the others milling about
but the thing is i really can't say what went down
hers was a charming smile, they usually are
three of them got to school late, the fourth
was early against all odds, the same odds
that had me questioning my current direction
the bag was still in my bag, the phone under
the passenger's seat along with my little
journal containing the failings of many stories
and the numbers of countless mistakes
but we knew what would happen and we let it
happen to know a guy who knows a guy who-
you get the picture. it could all go away
the guilt, the second guessing, the sleepless
silence of a better idea you can't remember
there are nineteen ways we could leave right now
but i'm afraid there's no way to get it into reverse
so we push on and out onto the street, easing as best
we can into the morning traffic and back home
but i always leave something dear behind
