An Ice Age

Somewhere in the ladies’ room of my mind We lay it out on the counter Right next to the payphone Your lipstick is perfect, sha la la So we get straight to it, sha la la You finally tell me what I’ve known all along That I’m not natural or was that you? But I’m not disturbed by at random, I’m disturbed by tides They come in no matter who, no matter who A tide so high you don’t notice that you’re drinking sea water Until you see your mother in the brine Oily slick communion waves Screaming something she can’t say From her, I learned to be cruel I learned the look that goes right past the ones who love you As if there’s no-one standing there Now I feel as lonely as you must have been then You said it’s nothing to be a pretty girl! This world eats pretty girls like peanuts You must be singularly one thing An unbreakable storm of words and feelings Sha la la, actually, that was me You turn to leave and leave and leave This was your idea I still don’t know what you wanted from me I still don’t know my place here You leave and leave and leave Back into the fractal, mirrored world of us I hide in the bathroom stall Till I’m tired enough to just give up You don’t know how it feels Until you see your mother in the frosty green A plug-in, blow-mold virgin married to an extension cord A feeble ransom note placed out for our lord “Please don’t forget me!” Do you realize You’ve been screaming at an ice age in the ladies’ room?