IT HAPPENED WITH AN ARGUMENT,
A SUDDEN SCORE AT ANY SPORT,
THEN THE WEATHER'S TURNING NASTY,
NOT GOOD IF YOU'RE THE WORRYING SORT,
MY SKIN WAS CLEAR - NOT A SPOT IN SIGHT,
THEN A SUDDEN RASH GAVE ME A FRIGHT,
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO STOP
A FIGHT, THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD
DO TO STOP THE BALL GOING OVER THE LINE,
SUDDENLY YOU'RE NO LONGER A FRIEND OF MINE,
NOW IT'S STORMY WHEN ONCE IT WAS FINE,
THERE WAS NO WARNING, NOT EVEN A SIGN;
I REMEMBER THE RUSH, DUST ON THE HORIZON,
I KNEW THAT GOD WAS ALL I COULD RELY ON.

MY TIGER, THEY SAY LIKE A LIGHTHOUSE,
I'M LOUD, THEN QUIET LIKE A MOUSE,
I DON'T DESERVE SUCH POWER, SUCH RESOLVE,
BUT TO SURVIVE, KEEP UP - I MUST BE BOLD;
I AM, IF WE'D HAD A CHILD - WE WOULD
HAVE CALLED HER SAM, DARK CURLY HAIR
AND LEARNING FROM THE TEACHER,
YOUR HEART WOULD MELT IF EVER YOU
WERE TO MEET HER; BOTH, NOT JUST ME,
I'LL WRITE A FORWARD IN MY BOOK
BUT FOR ANNE, I'D NEVER KNOW HOW LONG
IT TOOK, NOT KNOW WHEN TO STOP,
NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH SHE LOVED ME,
HOW FAR, HOW GREAT SHE IS ABOVE DESTINY.

IT WILL HAPPEN ANYWAY, SO THEY SAY
THAT SOME THINGS ARE UNSTOPPABLE,
BUT MORE LIKELY A COMPROMISE PROBABLE;
THE EVENTS THAT WILL BE A FIRST:
GRADUATION, PASSING YOUR DRIVING TEST,
A LOVE AFFAIR, MAYBE SKYDIVING IS BEST,
TRAVELLING HAS A RING TO IT, BIT BY BIT
YOU'LL DEVOUR THE GLOBE, AS YOU PROBE
INFORMATION - NOW YOUR PAST EDUCATION;
BUT FIRST BECOMES SECOND AND THIRD,
SOMETIMES THE WHOLE LOT SEEMS ABSURD,
WHAT DO YOU WANT? YOU CAN'T REMAIN DORMANT,
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY TIME IS BRIEF,
IT COME QUICKLY AND DISAPPEARS LIKE A THIEF.

I WROTE AN ESSAY - THEY GAVE ME A NINE,
YOU COULD USUALLY TELL WHEN IT WAS ONE OF MINE,
YOU HAD TO KEEP IT SHORT, KEEP IT SWEET,
A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END MADE IT NEAT,
THEN THERE WAS THE MAGIC, MAYBE SOMETHING
TRAGIC AND FINALLY A REALIZATION - THAT'S IT,
IMAGINATION IS BORN FROM MADNESS AND
MAYBE A LITTLE SADNESS - UNDERSTAND
PATHOS, THE POWER OF EXCITING TENDER EMOTIONS;
WHAT WAS SOFT BECOMES HARD, SUDDENLY
YOU HAVE THE RICHNESS, EXPERTISE OF A BARD,
NOW WHEN YOU COME TO THE END, LOVE WILL TRANSCEND,
LIKE CONTROLLED PASSION, THERE IS NO DEVIL,
GOODNESS WILL ALWAYS TRIUMPH OVER EVIL.

IT WAS AUTUMN AGAIN - A BEAUTIFUL AMBER
FALL FROM GRACE, FROM GREEN TO BROWN
WHEN SUMMER'S DEFENCES WERE DOWN,
BUT NOT FAZED, NOTHING COULD BE ERASED;
TODAY WAS RESOLUTE, DETERMINED TO
REMAIN IN PLACE, IN THE HEARTS
AND MINDS OF A GENERATION - ALL
WAS EVENLY PACED; BUT STRANGELY
NOT ENOUGH TO OPEN YOUR HEART,
TO WASH AWAY THE DUST - A NEW START;
SO YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT,
A COMPROMISE, A PACT, MORE LIKELY THAN NOT,
TWEAK THE SIDES WHERE THE DEVIL RIDES -
FIND A PLACE WHERE NOTHING HIDES.

WHERE CAN YO'U FIND SUCH 'FEARFUL SYMMETRY?'
IT WAS TRUE THAT THE LINES CAME TOGETHEIR
BUT YOU WONDERED WHETHER THE POWER WAS
THERE OR CAME FROM A SOURCE BEYOND OUR OWN;
IF I HAD THE POWER, I'D EAT YOU UP,
CONSUME YOUR ENERGY, MAKE A MYSTERY,
PUT MY PAWS TO A GOOD CAUSE, BECAUSE
I WAS MADE TO DEVOUR MY PREY, SO THEY
SAY THAT I'M ON A ROLL, I'LL TAKE YOU WHOLE;
IT'S TIME TO SLEEP AWHILE - CLOSE MY LARGE
LUMINOUS GREEN EYES, MAKE A FEW SIGHS,
PUSH AT THE AIR AS THOUGH I'M CATCHING
AN INVISIBLE FLY, DREAM OF SUNNY GRASS
BE WARY OF MY RHYTHM WHEN I COME TO PASS.

SOMEBODY SAID THAT: ' YOU MUST TRY EVERYTHING ONCE,'
AND NOW I'VE NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE
I WENT UP THE MOUNTAIN SINCE
I BECAME TRAPPED IN HEAVEN, EVEN
THEN IT WAS ANOTHER FINE DAY IN PARADISE,
WHICH WAS MORE THAN HALF AS NICE
BECAUSE I WAS FREE AND WHERE I
WANTED TO BE, ALTHOUGH INITIALLY
I COULD NOT GET DOWN, I COULD
SEE THE BAYS OF CAPE TOWN -
THE VIEW THE FIRST EXPLORERS SAW,
THE BEAUTY WAS SO GREAT THAT YOU WANTED MORE;
THEN IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE THIS PLACE
OF 'NEVER-NEVER' BUT THE MEMORY WOULD STAY WITH ME FOREVER.