magic trick

i always laugh when people try to sell me drugs on the street
powder, pills
need some rock?
as if i don't have enough problems already
there's a juggler out there
i stole his ball
he stole my pride
not a fair trade at all
he winked as he rode away
knowing i couldn't catch up
but if i did...

the music was still ringing in my ears
pulsating
throbbing
all the way down hennepin avenue
the dogs barked
and the police yelled racist remarks over the megaphone
but the juggler
he was out of sight
on to the next carnival where he could perform tricks
slight of hand
who is he fooling?
not me
i got his ball
let's see him put on a show now

people littered the streets
waiting for the rain to wash them into the sewers
a large man smoking a cigar stood outside the strip club
making sure no one snuck in
there's nothing in there you can't find on the street
i want to set up on the corner
perform my own magic show
juggling a single ball
people would stand in amazement
and the juggler
he would watch as people cheered for me
jealousy would enrage him
i would call him up for my finale
and take the ball and hit him over the head with it
as he lay there bleeding i would take a bow
then maybe we'd be even
...maybe
lucky for him he performed his disappearing act
lost in the city
nowhere to be found
not in the bottom of my glass of beer
i checked there five or six times

still the music radiates
like a sirens call
i want to give in
untie me so i can be free
free to sink my ship where i may
free to leave it all behind
free to live in obscurity
...free to be