Lie About The Time

You worked the booth at the public pool I swept the popcorn

next door We met at ten by the busted Coke machine You

always shook it for yours Your dad had circled a school out

west Mine had a shift I could take You said,

“Can we not do September yet?” I said,

“What month should I say?”

You took my watch and turned it upside down Said,

“There. We’ve got that sorted out.”

Lie about the time

Tell me it’s a quarter after nine

There’s a whole side left on the cassette And you haven’t heard

the good part yet

Your hand in mine

Let the dashboard clock be wrong I know I can’t ask you

to stay But I can ask for one more song

We split some fries at the bowling lanes

You won a game in my shoes

I tried to talk like I’d be leaving too

You said, “You don’t have to move.” I said,

“I know,” a little too fast

You let me have that one Then wrote your address on the

bowling sheet And checked my spelling of Tucson

I folded it until it fit just right You said,

“You’ve got to write.”

Lie about the time

Tell me it’s a quarter after nine

There’s a whole

side left on the cassette And you haven’t heard the good part

yet

Your hand in mine

Let the dashboard clock be wrong I know can’t ask you to

stay But can for one more song

You asked, “Are you happy for me?” I said,

“Most of me is.” You laughed,

then you didn’t We sat for a bit

I wanted you to miss your bus I wanted you to go

I hated that you understood Before I told you so

Lie about the time

Tell me it’s a quarter after nine

There’s a whole side left on the cassette

And you haven’t heard the good part yet Your hand in mine

Let the dashboard clock be wrong

I know I can’t ask you to stay But I can ask

for one more song

The tape clicked off You reached across

And turned it back to the start

“Is this the good part?” “Yeah.

This is the good part.”