Tonight in Bilbao

I walked the old eroded streets,
A million miles now have gone behind me.
Walked in the room, soaked up its fumes,
Surveyed the faces I am lying to.
Gave what I had, I gave my heart,
Though I was broken and falling apart.
Gave for the memory of a friend,
Not for myself and not for them.

When I was done, I met someone,
She came in from the storm so bright and welcome.
Her friends came and swept her away,
Disappeared like coyotes off on dark high plains.
I looked across the river so still,
Trying to remember
Where it was last night i laid my head to sleep,
Where the empty night hung heavily over.

I left Bilbao,
Went to Madrid,
To Barcelona, to Pamplona
Where every ghost unto me known
Haunted me.

I flew in over the red clay roofs
And floated through the clouds as they swelled and shook
The bronze tinted land and sea
And houses sunk in hills like yellowing teeth
When we touched down, opened my eyes to the sun
The dizzying air filled my lungs
And just as soon, she'd woken me,
My eyes blurred, my mind heavy.

I left Milan,
And went to Rome
Carried her aroma on to Verona.
And all the kindness she had shown
Was only a dream.

The flurries danced on cold grey tombs
The frozen lots as store front loomed
As last rays of daylight died,
I'm blowing into my hands, clearning my eyes

And as the train pulled away from Cologne
The noise dimmed once so loudly it had grown
And as the engines burned through the night
I stared off at far-away lights.

I left Berlin,
And I came home
To sleepy potions of blue oceans,
Where my love so selflessly
Awaited me.

I long to feel her light so warm
My thoughts racing to the places
Where her room invitingly
Awaited me.

As the ocean brings in its high tide
As the darkness sets upon the beach
As we drive, we look out at black cows
glowing store windows in old gold rush towns

Over the bridge, the city sparkles so bright
our hungry stomachs smell bread rise
dim light of the television, bedding soft down
and taste the perfect night as foghorns sound