OUTSIDE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS

--for Elliot Smith

Austin heat blazed and blew

When I knew who I wanted to be

Breezed in and bought you

Quarters for change

Sound of you and April

coursed through me

when sweetness and sweat gave me pause-

 

You tasted like San Antonio.

After three hours of sunset and desert

I could feel you on my lips

On my tongue

I knew me and you knew me.

In Texas heat

I fell into you

Virgin on Main Street

where you kept calling me sister Mary.

 

Then winter came too soon

Into cool snowy weather,

You followed me through.

You were

Sound on winter glass

Muffled and muted

Dense, caught in the white.

 

and though it was so cold

snowflakes in evening

you bled white-

You were stereo soul and flowers

and warmth through spring light

 

But-

When the earth stirred once again

and autumn eyes cried,

Leaves fell in deference at your feet

and your ax tumbled

taut strings snapped and stung

and that incredible voice crumbled

cracked for crying-

your bleeding heart broke you

and spilled onto the floor.

Left me weak

Grey too early

Cold again.

 

So left dumb under my Ohio skies

I keep to remembering

Quarters for change

and finding you on some street corner

Windswept Texas

playing you in the air.