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Just before she left the country
Left the stone house all forelorn
Left the toucans in the jungle
Let the morning glories mourn
Let the river do the laundry
By the morning she'd be gone.

Under stars she made a wish,
So strong it could have been a prayer
No clouds could break the moons long beaming
Hands clasped in the warm moist air
In between two mango pillars,
Lost in lust for northern pears
Lost in love for leaving sisters,
Dreaming she would meet them there.

When the sun rose it was over
Broken like the sun breaks dawn
Dishes piled the steel bowl over
Dogs barked at a strange young man
Wash the rags, her mother told her
Wash your little brothers hands
Plant the corn fields with your father.
Chop bush with the strange young man.

In the fields she plants the plumb trees
Congo Charlie's golden plumbs
Two weeks and she knew she'd leave him
Three weeks that she knew would come

Four weeks and she felt mistaken
Five weeks she was feeling wrong
Six weeks and she stopped her counting
Maybe next year she'd be gone.