Oh, my dear,

I’ve swallowed the moon,

And left it dark like a ring

Burned on a spoon.

But now all the stars

They fall around you,

And land at your feet

To light up the room

The sign of the times,

The rules of the road,

And our coat of arms all scream

That mercy gets old.

But your secret heart,

As still as bloom,

Waits at the door

To light up the room

Your bed is a drift,

It’s come loose from the floor,

The dead float up like dreams

I push them back with my arm like an oar.

But your face is alive

Like a nickel cartoon,

Shown on the wall

To light up the room

The siren on top

Of the library wall,

The stairs that give way

At the end of the hall;

The pawnshop pavilion,

The newspaper saloon,

All burn in your wake

And light up the room.