Fireside

she put her feet beside me and the sun was going down
she told me all those secrets, all those candles back in town
seven minutes elsewhere and it rained with all its might
the sun had long since gone and yet it stayed up all that night
she held her eyes both in her hand and gave them both to me
the avalanche exploded and a slave somewhere broke free

yes all these songs taste like lilac wine
I must taste them all some time

I went out for a walk among the rain, among the snow
the wind blew like a cistern and I had no place to go
I saw a man was lying with his face into the wet
his coat was torn, he wimpered, broken glass, a cigarette
my eyes were filled with alleys as I helped him to his feet
he thanked me with a smile and I walked off down the street

yes all these songs taste like Arabian wine
I must taste them all some time

the wheel was in motion, the seasons all were over
there were mystics in the distance, there were cannon in the clover
some of us were born to be remembered by the mast
and some to be forgotten among the names that never last
some were living in the margin and I lived around the bend
we said “goodbye” and meant it, but I never saw them again

yes all these songs taste like deep and ambered wine
I must taste them all some time

Sister spoke with innocence, she drew her bolt aside
“stay here if you must, I know exactly what you need”
she smiled like a fireside, one hand upon the bell
I asked her if she knew and if she knew how could she tell
she laughed and pointed with her Jesus to the sky
saying “this is what you need and what you need is when you die”

she offered me some wine, I saw her hand white as bone
I told her I was lost, and could she show me my way home
she laughed again and twinkled, and her hood fell to the side
and I heard her say “right here with me, among the fireside”
I excused myself and left her, and I left her all alone
she with no relations and I with no way home

yes all these songs taste like sacred wine
I must taste them all some time