My Reuben & Cherise

The Ballad of Ulysses and Joan
(In 2 Parts)

Ulysses waltzed, walked the cobblestone way paved,
slightly worn and slightly aged; loosely loosely humbled
graveled ground. his words they grazed and tumbled down;
they tumbled down. The alleyway to which he waltzed,
he walking waltzed. To Joan who turned back, back to him.
He hoped she would now(not) reappear.
The dawning-down of sunset slightly slipped.
a pirouetting slipping stare, of darkness into blackest night;
a passing action they used to fight, they used to fight.
Tell me tell me, when would now be then,
the time to which your absence ends, your absence ends.
Wild eyed Ulysses slipped, fateful Joan had passed his lips,
had passed his lips, forging forth a new concern;
one that in his aching yearned, his aching yearned.
Waltzing walk Ulysses staggered through
the streets of evening's bitter hue
the blinding haze of dusk night's gaze;
of dusk night's gaze. Still he waltzed a walk of nighttime tread
in he sped at last he said; "Joan you cannot comfort here,
the lines a blur that's disappeared, that's disappeared.
When you double back and twist your hair,
for surely there's no other fare, no other fare!
But I will not, for sympathies sake,
blind an eye to past's mistakes, to past mistakes.
Forsaken which I know not who,
the pirouetting passing through,
a passing through. Of footsteps down an alley way;
where you left me and you should stay;
to pirouette in shadows thickening air;
to double back and twist your hair;
for surely there's no other fare, no other fare!

Ruby's Painted Mandolin
PT. 2
Frazzled hair has thrust air up
tangled mess and tumbled up
tightly tightly tangled mess of knotted hair
Joan she cast a gaze of eyeward stare
a worthwhile end to evening's air
as Ulysses played the painted mandolin
that Ruby had once bequeathed to him
bequeathed to him; Slowly slowly he strummed the strings
the strings of that painted mandolin,
the one he once bequeathed to him.
No words to speak while asleep now in the air
when choice is gone no longer there.
Where once was love and a lover fare; a lover fare
Truly Truly steal now fast my thought;
Purge erase and trample them; why not?
I said why not! For memories of her they only claw;
till rule followed now becomes law, now becomes law.
One like gravity I cling to tight;
the evening's passage they once fought, no longer fight!
Now tell me tell me truly true
is the one for me could it be you, could it be you,
or should I go on strumming, softly, strings
of my passed down and painted mandolin
till notes connected spread reason thin
and my memories of you again,
paint the face of this subtle mandolin.