Miss Ghost

On a misbegotten, moonless night
I stumbled in my door
Disgusted with my circumstance
Soaked to every pore
When floating from my bedroom
Came a moaning and a sigh
"Oh, I've had one too many
It's just the wind," says I

I lit up a cigarette
And I poured a good, stiff drink
You see, I needed to compose myself
I needed time to think
No sooner had I settled down
The moaning came again
Drifting through the silence
Like some otherworldly violin

I bounded up the staircase
I went slippin' and slidin' down the hall
You know, I've been around the whole, wide world
But I was not prepared at all
Uninvited visitor, unsuspecting host
"Well, I see you've made yourself at home
Good evening, Miss Ghost."

You're more beautiful than ever
I feel just like a kid
And I commence to trembling
When I think of all the things we did
Skin as pale as marble; lips as red as blood
Imagine my surprise, my dear
I thought that you were gone for good

You look so lovely lying there
All stretched out on your back
But I'm the one who's strung up here
On old temptation's rusty rack
And in the wee small hours
Is when I miss you the most
And I confess it, I have missed you
Miss Ghost

I threw open the window
And I howled at the rain
And I cursed the weakness of the flesh
This breath and bone—and this brute, reptilian brain

What dirty tricks the mind can play
In the lonely dead of night
When you bump into the shadow
Of a faded love that wasn't right

Way down beneath the surface
Far beyond the light of day
So many things lie buried deep
And baby, they should stay that way

Oh, my wicked, little habit
We've really made a mess
Everything's been trivialized
In our vain pursuit of happiness

And even though you've come for me
I won't go back with you
To some temporary heaven
Down some empty, dead-end avenue
But it's been so good to have you here
And I propose a toast
"Here's to seeing through you—
Miss Ghost."