Southern crossing from TRAVAILIKA megaplanisi by Stefan Jecusco

down by that river that runs so brown
watching as it endlessly spirals down
I turned and asked Lou Reed if he’d like to go to town
he said “away pimp, there’s no woman to trick here”

up across the bridge and down to where it goes
all covered with a mold offending eye and nose
there in that sticky vapor I met the wilted rose
whose favor I’d found beyond all measure

I came across a priest who was lying in a ditch
he asked me for a quarter as if I was that rich
then he bought me a few drinks and we wondered which was which
just who was selling who was buying

for a man who wished his fortune I pulled out a card
said “your head’s on backwards” and “times will get hard”
“beware a cruel virgin” and “don’t cross the eighth ward”
he said “if notoriety was noble maybe I’d pay you”

hey Dante I said how come this stone bears my name
to end up this low would surely be a shame
he said “sitting on feather cushions brought one to fame”
“to church with the saints, the rest for the tavern”

counting up the times that you nearly died
is one way to show off all your neighborhood pride
and surly there’s nowhere better in this world so wide
now is anybody in this bar from here

in the one legged chapter of that three legged verse
a lounge lizard may hide two eggs in a purse
when the bearsnake will rise from the ocean with a curse
but hey, it all tastes like chicken

New Orleans take joy for you are known so well
by land and by sea you name resounds through hell
of you charms and your virtues I’m often heard to tell
but perhaps you thought I wasn’t versed in logic

a done deed finds it’s purpose if you succeed or fail
and I heard that they locked old Bub back in jail
so I’ll drink in the daytime and pull down the last veil
because to a man prepared delay is always harmful

I would not advise attempting to grieve
for all the treachery and fraud that you may perceive
against the tide of tourists you may never leave
the only way out is straight through the bottom

• Acoustic
• Banda
• Banjo
• Goth
• Heroic verse
• Yodel-core
• Portland