Summer Days

When I play you high compliments
On the strings of a Spanish guitar
That’s me wrapping music ‘round you
For I cannot wrap my arms.

I watched you sleep in Nevada
I wasn’t cold
I only wanted to be close.
And through the bus ride back
You slept on my shoulder
Though I’m not sure you took note.

And through summer days
We played these strings and wrote songs
I could treasure still.
As I treasured our time
Though I never held you,
Now I know I never will.

How I love these

Summer days
I cannot say goodbye
Let’s get on our way
To play these strings again.

And I knew
You kept little giraffes
By your bedside at night.
So I collected a few
To give to you
But not ‘til the timing’s right.

I’d deliver you to your doorstep
Only to say goodbye again.
And you had
Better things to do
Than play the show we planned.

In the fall
I fell away quickly
Maybe faster than you’d expect.
Recall
Summer and strings return
But we can’t go back to those

Summer days
We’ll have to say goodbye
On our way
To play these strings again.

I got your letter
Sayin’ you saw a film
And thought of
Playing strings with me.
In those summer days
In parks and pageants
And classrooms at Berkeley.

How’ve you been?
I manage in Managua
I hope
All’s well in Anchorage, too.
Give less to your job
Keep playing those strings
You know they’ll stand by you.

I moved on
With my own things
Preparations in a pack.  
Son cosas mías
I play these strings
And rarely look back.

I do not think of

Those summer days
I’ve long since said goodbye
And I’m on my way
To play these strings again.

To play these strings again.
To play these strings again.
These summer days
These summer days
These summer days.