Eugene

Light struck from the lemon tree
What if I’d never seen hysterical light from Eugene?
Lemon yogurt
Remember I pulled at your shirt
I dropped the ashtray on the floor
I just wanted to be near you

Emerald Park, wonders never cease
The man who taught me to swim
He couldn't quite say my first name
Like a Father, he led community water on my head
And he called me “Subaru”
And now, I want to be near you

Since I was old enough to speak
I've said it with alarm
Some part of me was lost in your sleeve
Where you hid your cigarettes
No, I’ll never forget
I just want to be near you

Still, I pray to what I cannot see
In the sprinkler, I mark
The evidence known from the start
From the bed near your death
And all the machines that made a mess
Far away, the falcon flew
Now I want to be near you

What’s left is only bittersweet
For the rest of my life
Admitting the best is behind me
Now I’m drunk and afraid
Wishing the world would go away
What’s the point of singing songs
If they’ll never even hear you?