California 1986

Woman--she's a mystery

    call me on the phone

       hey babe miss you gone so long

 wanna see you

     come on over here now too soon?

Outta the blue--love on a rope

    hope I don't choke

Woman--she's a snake

  coiled up lookin' to strike--

     borrow the soap?! the hell

 she says and sure you've been thoughtful

   sweet all day but what're you

Doin' for me now? I don't have no memory for

       accounts come too close to my five

   foot personal space and watch your eyes

        strikes! get out of my way

     don't touch--don't come near

Maybe the bed was warm last night

  but just now the warning lights

   are red! stay clear!

nobody owns me...

        I hate that snake but there it is

And I can't help but stare in its unblinking

    eye and admire the soft flicker of

       the tongue snake charmers and

     cobras--they got a meeting of the

            minds don'cha know

                then turn around and

Woman--she's a dreamgirl

     hand on the arm laughin' down

   the boardwalk like lovers always did

          and do

Touchin' hips and skin and lips and maybe

    somethin' more but maybe not the dream

      can change roll over sigh enjoy another frame

Hey babe don't you recall and yes

            those were good times and yeah

    I still love kissing you can't you see

  my eyes tell me you love me once more

          OK that's enough

     and oh! that's a shiver for how good

 it is to be with you again to touch you

        I've missed you so...

And woman--she's a gambler

    liar's dice and damn good too

   and I wonder five or six and hell if

      she don't show another wild card every

Time I make up my mind

       drink up--drain it to the end

you out there--you think The Lady or

the Tiger end that way 'cause

        the author's too perverse?

    guess again he couldn't decide which

he wanted either the lady or the tiger

The dreamgirl or the snake

            I love you baby--flower

and fury

            shape changer

                   mistress of vinegar

    and the comet.

Christopher J. Cramer

January 1986