Sweetwater Slim

sweetwater slim
never made it to the jukebox
never raised the roof
of a smoke filled joint
or rattled the windows
of an arborite diner
when a long haul trucker
whacked on speed
coughed up a quarter
and punched B6

sweetwater slim
played in coffee houses
low rent bistros
in the basements
of five and dimes
to lost anorexics in black t-shirts
army fatigues
boots and berets
to embittered poets
fighting off the glaze
of too much caffeine
and idealistic innocents on a break
from saving the world

sweetwater slim
came from rubber biscuit
from the rhythm of the rails
and the brickyard blues
didn't much care who listened
just took it where he found it
sweetwater slim paid his dues

Night Vision

I seen wet concrete moulded over with yellow leaves, puddles of steel
and ice in pale street light

I seen kids that couldn't remember a smile without something behind
it clustered on a corner sharin a cigarette
that had one eye open for the cops

I seen guys runnin on empty movin to tha bastard tune of tin cans
blown down mud water alleys a past date dance hall shut down by the
shadow of the bent back of the city

I seen em reachin for the steps for the bumps and grinds of the strychnine
cut of that last hit of acid collectin in their joints

I seen somebody's darlin daughter openin her mouth in the back of a
chevy for the price of one more flap of coke

I seen the baby seat in the back of that car as he pulled away an left
her on the street outside the Mount Royal Hotel

I seen her shakin in a doorway ridin the dragon to forget what she done
to get on board

I seen animated corpses walkin into donut shops ordering crullers and
talking about the game

I seen the sun risin over a manhole cover on osborne street

I seen the city creepin back into a red brick apartment in the village
drawin the shades sleepin face down on a goodwill mattress till
the bars open again