There was a light beside the road Where midnight leaned against the rain A little shrine of chrome and gold Calling every wanderer by name And from the hills a dragon came With smoke still sleeping in his throat He saw the colors through the glass And heard the ancient motors groan He pressed his face against the glow Red spirals turning green and blue Salted moons in silver skins A hundred dreams he could not chew He laid one shining coin below And chose the treasure marked thirteen The number flashed The engine sighed Then nothing moved inside the machine He waited The stars waited The whole night held its breath Cold little temple by the highway Why do you keep what I desire? I have crossed the burning mountains I have carried ancient fire I have slept beneath dead planets I have swallowed storm and sky But you hold one bag behind your glass And will not tell me why He tried again with gentler claws As though politeness might persuade The little buttons blinked like saints Who knew the joke that fate had made He whispered softly to the glass “I ask for almost nothing here One humble ring of spice and salt One mortal pleasure, bright and dear” The machine replied with humming The dragon stared into the light And somewhere very far away The moon became too large that night Smoke curled upward from his mouth The pavement loosened from the ground The vending machine began to breathe Without producing any sound The highway bent into a river The river climbed into the stars His hunger opened like a doorway Through a thousand violet scars He saw himself beyond the glass A shadow shaped by appetite A beast who could devour the world Still begging one small thing tonight Was hunger only hunger? Was wanting all we ever were? Was every shining thing behind the glass More beautiful because it would not stir? COLD LITTLE TEMPLE BY THE HIGHWAY YOU HAVE MADE A FOOL OF FIRE I HAVE ROARED INTO THE HEAVENS I HAVE CURSED THE GREAT DIVIDE LET THE GALAXIES COLLAPSE NOW LET THE CONSTELLATIONS RING I WANT NOTHING FROM ETERNITY JUST GIVE ME THE FUCKING THING Clunk. Something moved behind the glass One little bag came falling down The dragon froze The night grew still The stars returned above the town He reached beneath the silver door And lifted up his modest prize One bag of spicy golden rings Reflected in his enormous eyes Warm little temple by the highway I forgive your cruel design You have tested flame and patience You have wasted half my night But the world is soft around me And the morning has begun I have crossed the burning mountains And I finally got one One bag One beautiful bag He sat beneath the paling stars With crumbs of gold upon his claws And for a little while The dragon wanted nothing more.
