The Night of Santiago

She said she was a maiden That wasn't what I heard For the sake of conversation I took her at her word The lights went out behind us The fireflies undressed The broken sidewalk ended I touched her sleeping breasts They opened to me urgently Like lilies from the dead Behind a fine embroidery Her nipples rose like bread Then I took off my necktie And she took off her dress My belt and pistol set aside We tore away the rest The night of Santiago And I was passing through So I took her to the river As any man would do Her thighs they slipped away from me Like schools of startled fish Though I've forgotten half my life I still remember this Now, as a man I won't repeat The things she said aloud Except for this, my lips are sealed forever And for now And soon there's sand in every kiss And soon the dawn is ready And soon the night surrenders To a daffodil machete I gave her something pretty And I waited till she laughed I wasn't born a gypsy To make a woman sad The night of Santiago And I was passing through I took her to the river As any man would do The night of Santiago And I was passing through I took her to the river As any man would do I didn't fall in love of course It's never up to you But she was walking back and forth And I was passing through When I took her to the river In her virginal apparel When I took her to the river On that night of Santiago And yes she lied about it all Her children and her husband You were born to judge the world Forgive me but I wasn't The night of Santiago And I was passing through I took her to the river As any man would do The night of Santiago And I was passing through I took her to the river As any man would do The night of Santiago And I was passing through So I took her to the river As any man would do The night of Santiago And I was passing through So I took her to the river As any man would do