PENN STATION

pulling out penn station sitting backwards on the train
watching the shining dream manhattan grow tiny and decay
into a dawn of steely industry and ruined real estate
a city fallen like a woman heart hollow edges stained
as if she never saw the drop as if she never thought to look
as if she never heard it calling with every step she took

how many times penn station seen this same story of flight
it could be nineteen twenty seven forty four seventy five
she having left her lover sleeping off his drunk and their last fight
she having walked here broke from chelsea in the middle of the night
this time some angel in the station gave her twenty bucks for free
i guess the air of desperation is stinking strong on me

i’m in a steep nose dive and it’s almost too late
got an engine on fire i gotta drop this weight
go on boy you just keep on flying
stay high mistaking altitude for strength
you won’t be the one clenching and crying
when they take what’s left of love away

pulling out penn station like it’s the last card up my sleeve
the one that says make haste and you may live if you can leave
send a wish for muscle to all the girls who come this way
hey the hardest hustle is the run away
and he will still be sleeping and he will sleep for years
and in a week he’ll have a new girl to act out all his fears

and soon she’ll be in a steep nose dive and soon it’ll be almost too late
and soon she’ll have an engine on fire she’ll have to drop this weight
and him well he’ll just keep on flying
stay high mistaking altitude for strength
he won’t be the one clenching and crying
when they take what’s left of love away
‘cause poor boy never knew it anyway

winter 95 New Orleans
©myshkin 1999