Margaret Downe

Margaret in the morning Sleeping on her side Tossing men like nickels into The ever rising tide I heard she was a dentist Before she fell in love Freezing leaden smiles Just to give them up Margaret at the office Margaret at eighteen She said "Sit right down a minute" She said "Let me clean your teeth" So we settled down in Bozeman In the corner of the world We raised a couple children But we lost a little girl Heartbreak in Montana We slowly grew apart A grocery clerk in Moncton As she was dancing in the bar You rushed him to the courtroom Before the bed was cold And defrosted out my windshield When you smiled and let me know The many cavities pulling At our marriages tender mouth And at the root of all the problems Was a man across the canal Margaret left the practice Late in '86 I left behind the midwest And forgot we ever kissed I knew she changed her number But couldn't shake the cough The doctor gave her six weeks Which only made her shrug it off Resting in her fifth week I brought her buttercups There was too much to say between us And I'd only fuck it up So, I stared up at the ceiling And I held her little hands And you knew that I forgave you For making other plans Margaret in the morning Sleeping on her side Strolls into the waves Of an ever rising tide