Carla

 

Well, you always wanted to be among the bright lights

Incandescent up upon the stage

But they had you sewing costumes, and I was out of work,

And neither one of us could turn the page

You always wanted people to come over

But you weren't on the sexy side of town

Now there's a jumping little jazz-joint just beneath where you used to live

There are people coming in from miles around.

There's fog upon the windows, bright eyes and rosy cheeks

Something sizzling on the stove that smells like home

There are pints of porter being poured, and witty repartee

And nobody seems to be alone

 

I remember all your first days in the city

Days and nights spent getting lost and found

I remember when you cut off all your long blonde Alice hair

You thought that it was only tying you down

Your kitchen table in your first apartment

The smell of black tobacco and red wine

The sight of you resplendent in your granny's fake fur coat

In the Bar St-Laurent at closing time

I remember all the street-life and the parties

Ours were like Fellini and Cocteau

I remember taping pennies to the needle when we danced

To records on your plastic stereo

 

Ah, but this happy scene it couldn't last for ever

We both wounded each other good and sore

But later, when the shouting was all over

We both wound up much stronger than before

Since then I got my news all from a distance

I was glad to hear the sound of opening doors

I know it's shallow to think it makes a difference

But me too, I'm kind of partial to applause

 

It's been twenty years since you were taken from us

Waked and wept and laid down in your grave

I kept a job and raised a son to manhood

Stayed hitched and mostly managed to behave

Like everybody else I feel the autumn

It seems a long, long time since spring has sprung

You were frozen in the moment of your blooming

But you always liked that song Forever Young.

 

(Patrick Hutchinson ©2010 SOCAN)