Over the Lake, along the River, to the Sea

1.

Here’s the lake, there’s the river,
I don’t have a boat, I can’t drive a car,
In public I drink,
By myself I think.

It was before the flood,
We were in the mood.
When the pillar of salt was gone
I was alone.

You’d have thought the town was on fire
How I drank myself into the mire
Sleeping by the bayou
Where I woke without you.

If I could cross the bridge,
I'd be at large
Yet safe in Algiers
Under the rule of Leander Perez.

I drank and danced and found a love
I didn’t deserve, was lucky to have,
And I took her out of town
In the car she drives she owns.

2.

Here we are in the white city
Shimmering under the blue sky.

St. Francis feeds the birds,
Virgin and child here from Lourdes.

When we played by the shore
I can’t remember what you wore.

The war was over, I was free,
But who knew why?

I don’t recall which war,
I can’t remember saints, only sinners.

(28 November 2011)

copyright 2011 by Floyce Alexander