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Paper Trails Tab

by Emmy The Great


                        
I've gone as far as I can go
                     
The rest you must do alone
                             
With your pants around your knees 
                           
You said "don't leave me please"
                           
But this is as far as I can go


                    
And so I swivel on my heel
                              
And soon the green becomes the grey
                               
Now that my sister's cleaned my car
                            
I can depart from where you are
            
I never liked the country anyway

                                     
The birds, they steal things from my sleep
                                          
They sing the promises I couldn't keep


                            
Last night I dreamed my alphabet
                                    
Out of my voice, all pretty plastic shapes
             
Muted microphones 
                                 
Turned in my hands to ice cream cones
          
And the silence was all syrupy, all candy, tarts and cake
                               
The sad curl and shine of baby spit                                
                                      
And a secret trail that leaves beyond a tick
                                  
Oh, the sad curl and smear of baby spit
                                   
I said "yes" but I did not agree to this



                              
Last night I dreamed of paper trails
                                           
Dolls without faces joined infinitely with fingerless armS
                                                           
Blank as the air was dead and sound is chasing the stillness all around
  
Is choking the vibrations
                                                  
Beady little tales of sewing needles and a ball of string
                                  
Tear them apa- aart and make them sing
                                
Of sewing needles and ball of string
                            
My useless heart, a wedding ring


                                	
Apologies are boring and they're trite
                                     
But if desired, I will see what I can find
                         
As soon as the concrete comes into view
                      
Pencil to paper we'll move for you

Squeeze our time together to lines and lines and lines of fifty words

Across the page
                                	
Big decision all contained in a phrase
                          
I know I promised you all along
                          
Forgive me please, for I cannot