Mardi Gras

[good4somethingbum]

Mardi GrasI followed the night parade of marching bands and dragon floatsand she slipped from the darkness wearing mist for a cloakI offered her bootleg whiskey from my pocket flaskthere on Bourbon Street, I drank outlaw heatfrom the eyes behind her maskwe rented a steetside room and set our souls aflamethen when I awoke, she was gone like smoke without a trace or nameonly the scratches on my chest told me it was trueI'd sowed and I'd reaped, they were red and deepfrom thorns on her rose tattooand Mardi Gras when jugglers dance to Dixie jazzand torches are like candles in a sinner's massthe streets below were crawlin' with voodoo and Creolesmoke from the bellhop's Menthol peekin' through our keyholecos not breakin' the rules is against lawand we broke 'em with the love we made on Mardi Grasmonths later I was drinkin' in a private Memphis clubshe got in with tight jeans and stilettos for ticket stubsI recognized her eyes as we danced raw and closethe whiskey and the mood, must've watered the roots of her tattooed rosewe roamed the river streets until we found a vacant roomwhere sin isn't seen, but nightmares and dreams all have a view of the moonI awoke expecting to find her vanished on the windbut the rose in our bed, still bloomed and it said she'd looked for me ever sinceMardi Gras when jugglers danced to Dixie jazzand torches were like candles in a sinner's massthe streets below were crawlin' with voodoo and Creolesmoke from the bellhop's Menthol peekin' through our keyholecos not breakin' the rules is against lawand we broke 'em with the love we made on Mardi Gras(c)2007 Robert George