Semaphore
I saw it turn from green to red
The little light inside my head
When I looked into your eyes
And mistook your heart for your lies
Deep inside, you see, I knew
What you were saying was not true
But deep inside, I find, I’d choose
To believe you loved me too
You let go and set yourself free
And back it went from red to green
And I found I couldn’t breathe
And I found I couldn’t see
And I found I did not feel
Anything but what was real
So nothing really changes at all
When that light flickers on and off
Then again from green to red
Back and forth and back it went
Until no longer I could stand
The confusion and the sound
The siren wail that signals fear
And the gentle melody of love
And the little light that controls
When to stop and when to go
I always crossed with green man walking
Followed lights, patters, and colored symbols
Subtle rules that yank the strings
My invisible puppeteers
So, this time instead, I took my breath
and crossed the street with red man standing
and was almost killed…
almost…
I grabbed your hand and pulled you to me
Won’t you please open your eyes, I said
And you stared long and hard at me
And started laughing then:
‘Oh darling you sure are slow
That’s just what I was waiting for,’
You smiled at me and squeezed my hand
But I stared back, confused, “what?”
‘You cut the strings and took control
Now, of your show you are the host
And no longer the main lead;
Yes now you know the difference.’
Did I say, “almost killed”? I did
Oh, the grandest of the lies
Perhaps that was the first time ever
That I felt alive.
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