Suzanne

Suzanne takes you down

You can hear the boats go by,

And you know that she’s half crazy,

And she feeds you tea and oranges

That come all the way from China;

And just when you mean to tell her

That you have no love to give her,

Then she gets you on her wave-length

And she lets the river answer

That you’ve always been her lover.

And you want to travel with her,

And you want to travel blind,

And you know that she will trust you,

For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor

And he spent a long time watching

And when he knew for certain

He said, “All men will be sailors, then

Until the sea shall free them,”

But he himself was broken

Long before the sky would open,

Forsaken, almost human,

He sank beneath your wisdom Like a stone.

And you want to travel with him,

And you want to travel blind,

And you think maybe you’ll trust him

For he’s touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand

She is wearing rags and feathers

And the sun pours down like honey

And she shows you where to look

Among the garbage and the flowers

There are heroes in the seaweed

There are children in the morning

They are leaning out for love

And they will lean that way forever

While Suzanne holds the mirror

And you want to travel with her

And you want to travel blind

And you know that you can trust her

For she’s touched your perfect body with her mind.