[faint wind chimes panned far right. distant sound of the melody played on open tuned acoustic, Just before the first line, a soft exhaled sigh, as if the singer has held this for decades and is finally letting it become song] moonlight on her smile she turned away river of hair down the pillow curve of her shoulder slope of a dune in shadow know thyself in ink the color of a plum you said it didn’t mean some hot-yoga mantra it was more like delphic wisdom you laugh into a riot of hair covering the back of her neck fresh-shower scent she whispered “i hate you” like it meant i love you in a dead language [interlude, the music shifts and slowly builds, like sunrise climbing the rim of the desert] you stood next to her the desert at night made you feel like an afterthought of a forgotten god she was next to you she promised to watch the story unfold the sun rose and spilled color into the bowl of sky there’s no dream that can hold all of this but you tried and her eyes caught yours and the light found her and crowned her in gold [small harmonic turn, the frame clicks into place] i am that girl no longer memory i promised to watch it all unfold i try to see the entire world and find your shadow your fire your eyes but i don’t recall how to find your dream across the years that feel like centuries melted and frozen in time [coda, wistful and slow as the song leaves the room] one day you will awaken and we’ll be back in that small room in Santa Fe that captured two souls who found a way to be together and be as one to dream a life and call it home
