the night is handsome
in my black world tonight
black holes itemize the sorrow
of my black birth
a cloud in sight would be enough
had i had my own raft to climb uptown
the sky has lost it's war with the traffic
and i have lost my war with words
it never suited you to know me
where we sit and carve our own names
into tables
into our own illusions of war
it's a night to settle down with strangers
take the right medieval stance
and never dial for luck anymore
if i had brought you places with me
the whole town would have seen
and they loved you better
and when i said i'd take you downtown
where all the carnivals stand
i meant it as a favor
you don't need to know about it
as i remember it
i held my head high
thought i'd escape
and wondered about the coast
the night had stories
i heard many things
and dreamt many dreams
and i learned
i learned
the rhymes it takes to get there