Greg Brown: Rexroth's daughter

Coldest night of the winter working up my farewellin the middle of everything under no particular spelli am dreaming of the mountains where the children learn the starsclouds roll in from nebraska dark chords on a big guitarmy restlessness is long gone i would stand here like an old jack pinebut I'm looking for rexroth's daughter the friend of a friend of mineI can't believe your hands and mouth did all that to meare so daily naked for all the world to seethat thunderstorm in michigan i never will forgetwe shook right with the thunder & with the pounding rain got wetwhere did you turn when you turned from me with your arms across your chesti am looking for rexroth's daughter i saw her in the great northwestWould she have said it was the wrong time if I had found her theni don't want too much a field across the road and a few good friendsshe used to come & see me but she was always there & goneeven the very longest love does not last too longshe'd stand there in my doorway smoothing out her dress& say "this life is a thump-ripe melon--so sweet and such a mess"I wanted to get to know you but you said you were shyi would have followed you anywhere but hello rolled into goodbyei just stood there watching as you walked along the fencebeware of them that look at you as an experienceyou're back out on the highway with your poems of city heat& I'm looking for rexroth's daughter here on my own side streetThe murderer who lived next door seemed like such a normal guy--if you try to follow what they shove at us you run out of tears to cryi heard a man speak quietly i listened for a whilehe spoke from his heart to my woe & then he bowed & smiledwhat is real but compassion as we move from birth to deathi am looking for rexroth's daughter & I'm running out of breathSpring will come back i know it will & it will do its bestso useful so endangered like a lion or a breasti think about my children when i look at any child's face& pray that we will find a way to get with all this amazing graceit's so cold out there tonight so stormy i can hardly see& i'm looking for rexroth's daughter & i guess i always will be