Long ago and far away
A dream came near, and came to stay.
"Forever yours," she said to me,
And I -- the fool -- in ecstacy.
A giddy smile played on my face
In this and every other place.
For Spring was here and Spring had sprung,
And look just what that damn Spring brung!
It brung to me -- or "brought," I mean,
A thing unlike I'd ever seen:
A vision of such beauty that
I was ensnared in no time flat.
A prisoner, a man in chains
Who thought it worth whatever pains
Might come along his way because
A man just does what man just does.
But now I see, in reverie,
That what man does is eerily
Along the lines of foolishness.
And now's too late to fix this mess.
So be it told both far and wide,
To this and every other side:
Beware my friends, take care good fellows!
Hear my message; hear me bellow:
Whatever beauty comes your way,
Run, for heaven's sake, and stay
Outside her reach, outside her grasp,
Or else you'll feel that steely clasp.
It locks down good, it locks down tight,
And sometimes feels so awfully right.
But can it be, when we explore,
A thing we want forevermore?
Not quite, I say. It cannot be,
For always does mine ask of me
To do one thing and after that
Do one more. Jehoshaphat!
And over time you learn to see
That life isn't all just "Me me me."
And who, my brothers, tell me now:
Who wants that lesson anyhow?
To do for others all because
Your brain wasn't there when you thought it was,
But instead your heart was all abuzz ...
Now you see what beauty does?
So run before your legs give in
Or else you'll take it on the chin,
Guided toward what's good and right.
It's really not a pretty sight.
Now if you fail to heed my call
(And really, have you got the gall?),
I can't be held responsible
If you want to go and play the fool.
Besides, I have some things to do
A task, a chore -- just one or two.
Or three or four -- they're on the list.
I'm far too gone, and can't resist.
For that, my friend, is what it takes
For me to get -- for goodness sake! --
A kiss or two, or three or four.
(And if I'm lucky ... plenty more.)
So best to you now; choose your fate:
Run free, run free, or choose your mate.
(And if the latter, then I admit,
I think it best to just submit.)
