The precious invention of time
Is close as a raincloud


The face of laughter
The movement of the people
From the pub to the disco
Our car was made of rusty metal
And all your words were truthful
Ten minutes at home

And the slowest of us was then left
To pull shut the door on the warmth of the house
And then that old best pursuit
Was to brotherly woo each other to town
And then sit in the stew

And I dreamed that we were at the crossroads
In Letterfrack

And I can't get desire out of my mind
So pleased you knew what I needed
That I couldn't get desire out of my mind

I saddled my horse at the bar
No description so rich as could go half that far
And the burn in my eyes
As we left for the war
A black photograph in the darkness

A candle that no one could see
An ounce of your body on my turning hand
Turning like wood in the lathe
Like clay on the wheel
Cutting straight shaves, wasting nothing, so certain
An old photograph, an old painting
Of a hooker or maybe a dancer
Of Irish or Turkish descent

Over the bank in the half-lit half-forest
Only car light to guide me to marriage
Only car light to guide me past Cleggan
And to my home

And I can't get desire out of my mind
So pleased you knew what I wanted
That I wouldn't let desire out of my mind

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