i take my orders from the street lights, wind at my shoulder    the afternoon is grey and the air is getting colder    i'm old fashioned and on foot, passionate and fascinated    wide eyed awake and ready for anything    navigating side walks, dry docks and back alleys always    in and out of elevators and hallways    i'm out for a walk and following the human currents    i'm in no hurry i need no reassurance    curfews and purfumes; excuses and costumes    customs, corrections, fuss or directions    even the leaves have taken on lives    deprived of their privacy, purpose and property    probably runaways, they play catch    with stray cats that stay at the girl's school,    the city's a whirlpool,    there's too much going on, there's too much garbage,    too much to choose from, too much carnage    there's not enough quiet to think straight, it's not a stunt    maybe i will make my way back to the waterfront    this is where the people are slightly unsavoury    with no time, possessions, labor or slavery    neighbors without names neglected and hip-checked,    stripped down to nothing, fallen and ship wrecked    completely uncalled for, way out of line    stranded, branded, weathered and abandoned    these are the counter clock wise, the despised    with swollen noses and tears in their eyes    and tears in their clothes and time on their hands    they sleep walk    full of that cheap wine and cheap talk    everything gets washed away here at the pier    the best you can do is to play it by ear    wishes sink to the bottom and doubts float    i'm afraid of the water and i live in this houseboat