Ambulances

I loved you when you still had a child's face
I loved you when you had a child
Sliced the apple when I shut the suitcase
And moved into the seven year hotel

Where I watched you build a fire escape
And parachute into the lawn below
But you walked back up the iron staircase
To carve another notch into the bench of the piano

Then an artist came calling to capture your likeness
And he placed you on a sun-soaked pedestal
But your hair was so black it drained his palette
Leaving his brushes nothing for your frozen smile

Tell me why you're so bitter woman
Didn't it turn out like you planned?
For every hole in your neighbor's garden
There's a pretty flower in your hand

There's an atomizer of lavender water
Between the bowl of seashells and your diary
A historical record of dreams remembered
Or lies you told yourself to stay asleep

Now you've flown far away on your father's carpet
And the tea leaves you read have stained your white hands
The future came, neither you or he could stop it
By lying down in all of those ambulances

I loved you when you said, "Let's run away
And never look back over our shoulders,"
But the very last thing that I'd want to say
With every sunset you're going to get older

So tell me why you're so bitter woman
Didn't it turn out like you planned?
For every hole in your neighbor's garden
There's a pretty flower in your hand