anna vogelzang - lyrics.

brooklyn

welcome to brooklyn. stopped on the sidewalk, ducked in a pizza shop to wait for your call,
I watch the woman through the wall with sunken eyes & flattened cheekbones
from pressing forward her whole life
[ the way she whispers to him, you know she'd make a pretty good wife]
her kids are toddling over sidewalks in costumes that would melt in the rain [their parents argue, lay blame]
I know nothing of her life, except she took off work tonight so she could take her kids out, subway stairs, green lights

baby kiss your boyfriend again
let me rattle on home
I woke up red this morning
rolled out, bruised bone
I am not proud I am still asleep
I had a lovely time, really
watching your face in the morning light
but I think I'm ready to leave

you took me to the east village [we had the same pregnant tendencies
on saint mark's] I squeezed your palm back
we sipped our gin, me like a lady, in the courtyard park
you kissed me soft in the lamplight that squinted all wrong in the dark
introductions on a fold out couch's spine
back to safety in cardboard walls - 'honey they were all out of red wine tonight'
so I hide near the coffee pot, try to rub my hips clean
it didn't work, I'm still homesick for everything

I stepped into penn station and the weight of the trip
slammed my upper back into the departure screen [I scream]
I crawled to my platform, dragged my body to my seat
so I could finally sleep off the subway map you drew for me
'not many people could pull this off but you're carrying it quite well today' he says
'i don't carry anything myself,' i say
as we roll over train tracks your beauty still lives at the back of my spine - I think it's keeping this trip in line