the iron bouquet i said the IRON bouquet no woman a CITY woman till impaled at the shadowed talons of a dozen rented roses the inebriated stoops poured along Ascension Street cradle and rock tobacco spattered men who bare skyscrapers atop both shoulders not a shoulder to spare shoulders did you say? shoulders bought on layaway no woman a CITY woman peanut butter and graffiti cut your own kids' hair lights heat dinner diapers car repair cut where? night my darlings ( Robert Zimmerman stuck in Florida went searchin' for Alicia's keys he called on Whitney in Houston Town the news brought ol' boy to his brittle ing knees look it's Queen Franklin hangin' with Benji flyin' kites attached to Alicia's lost key Josephine gleams PURE ELECTRICITY she on extended Holiday with Billie strange the beauty we all set to see ) morning alarm blasts again it's six fifteen no woman a CITY woman pay day evening traffic signal swings three shades of discount bruise you slip around a deserted corner in your late on plates Mercury onto the last street that turned on you and window shop? and window shop? and window shop? and window shop? and window shop? and did i mention window shop? take an iron stroll no no woman a CITY woman no woman a CITY woman no woman a CITY woman no WOMAN a city woman no WOMAN a city woman NO WOMAN IS A CITY WOMAN! no no no not buyin' it you best not buy it either don't buy it don't try it never sanctify it and were will they find you, Jesus ? promise the missing brothers be they splayed on catfish row or displayed in penthouses from Clayton Moe clear to Tokyo that you will knock three times before ya blow uh ah no woman a CITY WOMAN NO WOMAN A CITY WOMAN A woman IS a city and your roses? on parole. a woman IS a city a woman IS a city and THIS city set to GLOW May thirty twenty twenty five at five forty nine a m
