She was upside down
like a misused postage stamp
stuck to a life she couldn’t believe
I was breathing inside out
by a firehouse
trapped by an page too hard to read
With moonlight eyes
she said hello
and walked, unhurried, across the sky
The night was young
The sun’s asleep
I could not say goodbye
Happy was a smoky place
where men lost their shirts
Women dance all night long
just to lose their skirts
I said, “Baby, let’s take a walk on the wild side
. . . I can walk under ladders
. . . don’t need no bracelet
. . . no four-leaf clover
. . . just as long as you are here with me.”
That was then
This is now
Somehow we found our peace
The joker laughed
. . . played his cards
and waited on the thief
We showed our hand
The dealer panned
and swallowed in disbelief
I felt the wind from his grin
His teeth flashed paper-thin
As the band played on
. . . a simple song
Lucky headed for the door
She took my hand without a plan
and finished her last pour
She said, “Baby, let’s take a walk on the wild side . . .
I can walk under ladders
. . . don’t need no bracelet
. . . no four-leaf clover
. . . just as long as you are here with me.