Thea Gilmore
The Waltz of the Hare and the Hound
It starts with a D-Minor chord
Head as the stone, heart as the sword
And the colour-blind cynic will always
Be singing the blues
I am not easily bruised
But the right kind of wrong will make me break like bad news
And I cashed out my days in purgatory
To spend time with you
Take your partner by the hand
Spin the coin around
Just where will the black ball land
In the waltz of the hare and the hound
There's a car fire on Union Street
Smoking mementos have sequinned our feet
As we spin past the newsracks and the fake whores
To where the river begins
They'll raise a plaque in our name
To honour the old tune we all play again
The band have gone home but the lovers
They sing and they sing
Take your partner by the hand
Spin the coin around
Just where will the black ball land
In the waltz of the hare and the hound
It ends with the sound of regret
A whole lot of mess and a tired epithet
Rosary beads and a headline
To keep the children amused
This one is scared to be found
This one's blood-hungry with nose to the ground
And the ink drips, the time shifts
And I figure which one to choose
Take your partner by the hand
Spin the coin around
Just where will the black ball land
In the waltz of the hare and the hound