It is bright out tonight.
The moon sheds her romantic shawls silver
Across the open road.
Behold this sliver of American freedom,
The rolling asphalt that blends together the sweat
Of the working man, and the faded glory of the
Aristocratic pioneers;
Their ghosts in shiny leather shoes
Beckon me to join them.

If I leave now, I would crash through the streets,
Like a moth or a meteor, smothered in shine,
Hungry for lights and action, and guidance.
I would chase down the spirit of San Francisco,
I would dress up my pathos in slippers of silk,
And dragon milk, and oriental gowns,
And colorful herbs, and vintage costumes,
And sing reggae till the break of dawn.
I’d hitchhike to the Deep South,
And wait at the crossroads
To tell stories with the Devil,
And he would tell me of the sinners,
And of how they feel about the war today,
“(Marilyn Monroe, she’s had enough of politics,
He says)
And you? When will you stay with me?
It’s better down here—your Golden Age is dead.”
I shake my head in sympathy,
And catch the soonest Greyhound bus.
I find myself in cold New York, listening hard
For the twang, the residue of my favorite faded melody,
And when its absence inhales me,
I hit the road again.
Through every state I listen for the footsteps,
That melody, the magic of the American gypsies,
Who hide with their secrets in the backstreets of
The American Dream.
I jump trains and passing Cadillacs,
Penetrating towns like jazz;
Breaking all boundaries and frontiers,
Staying up till dawn with
Romantic dope fiends, who pine for their lost lovers
On Fenders and boardwalks,
And poets who know the meaning of life,
But are too horrified to write about it
And carnivals that masquerade as cities—
With beautiful women with violet eyes and
Sequin dresses and painted thighs,
And neon lights and candy cotton skies,
Where everything is spinning spinning,
Faster and faster, in a deranged yet majestic
Cabaret theme, and my heart’s on fire and my
Heart’s on—

It is bright out tonight.
The moon sheds her romantic shawls silver
Across the open road.
If I leave now—
(I don’t leave now.)