Beginners

Mid-summer, 1969
Freckles drawn on your face, beneath watercolour eyes
You looked like you were dreaming, but darlin' so did I
Can't you hear the bluebirds singing, as we stroll through the park?
I lead you down the stairs and there's a hint of a spark
We are only beginners, and that was the very start

So we head toward tomorrow, with open arms
The world is so filled with the sorrow of our tortured hearts
Still, we're convinced that hope ain't no dying art
Love, you're worth the risk of getting caught

A few years down the road, you're still inside my head
And like poems that I wrote for you, but let her read instead
We are all but prisoners of the war inside
With his hands balled in fists, and two strong arms
He struck me across the mouth- you know, he swung so hard
We all lay victim to the human condition

I'll look forward to tomorrow, with a hopeful smile
I daydream of being right there by your side
The politics of our passion are hardly infantile
Babe, I just can't hide it anymore

When our paths crossed at the diner, I couldn't look you in the eye
I'm overwhelmed by guilt these days, asking myself why
Even in the winter's chill, boy- you still set my heart on fire

Still we look toward tomorrow, with widened eyes
Our tiny lives are so fragile, but we roll the dice
Much like a flower loses it's petals, eventually we will all die
But I wanted you to know that I tried to stay alive
I wanted you to know that I tried