and I’m most certain that she’s about six hundred feet tall,
at least as tall as sky-scrapers,
she’s got that old-brick magnificence,
and her foundation has only just begun to creak in the wind,
and I stop on the road and flip out my travel chair,
and tell her windows stories and stories until twilight fades,
and I’d keep ‘til twilight grows,
but even she’s got to, got to sleep.
couple of days ago we’re doin’ a x/o,
which is short hand for change-over,
which is what it’s called when one set is traded for another in professional theatre,
see, ’cause professional theatre ain’t like educational theatre,
any time the space ain’t used, it ain’t makin’ money,
so while you’re watchin’ one show,
howlin’, laughin’, cryin’, just out ‘n out enjoyin’,
that’s when the next is rehearsin’,
when the next set is built.
x/o is when one set is torn down, ‘n the next put up.
couple of days ago we’re doin’ a x/o,
‘n I’m up on a ladder,
‘n I don’t much care for ladders anyhow,
but she don’t wanna do it,
‘n he don’t wanna do it,
‘n it’s gotta get done or it’ll just fall on someone,
so I’m up gently pryin’ off some trim,
‘course he’s got all the screws off this great head-piece on the wall,
‘n he don’t have a hand on it,
he’s just sayin’,
i think it’s gonna fall,
so I turn,
‘n yeah,
it’s goin’,
‘n I look down,
‘n yeah,
she’s clear,
so I throw up an arm,
try to throw it past me,
miss ‘n hit the trim,
clocks me on the top of my head.
hurts like hell.
Knocked the worst of my cold out of my throat,
‘n into tomorrow.
don’t know why I check if she was clear,
but the ladder held,
‘n my head too.
it ain’t a secret that I’d love her bricks well enough,
she’s certainly got that wonder to her,
but it ain’t like she’s stayin’,
‘n it ain’t like it ain’t nice enough,
‘n that ain’t the most important thing anyhow,
just know I’m happy in my travel chair,
yakkin’ ’bout the ol’ days,
listenin’ ’bout hers.
ain’t more complicated than that.
