Berlin Tonight

Dull twilight spits hesitant sulfur rain Sky been down around our ears for weeks Only once, gap-glimpsed moon over that anal-retentive border wall As we laughed through some midnight checkpoint under yellow urban cloud Weeks of frantic motion, petrol veins of Europe pumping Through scratchy acid-bitten transparent winter trees Through brownish haze that makes a ghost of the horizon I'm rushing after some ever-receding destination Berlin tonight Table-dancing in black tights Waving a silver crutch in the blue lights Shape changing over glass On the front line of the last gasp Green shoots of winter wheat and patches of snow Russian walks dog in Saxon field From the top of a solitary tree like the one on the flag of Lebanon Unblinking eye of hawk follows traffic on the autobahn Tank convoy winds down smokestack valley Pround chemical pennants wave against the sky Turret gunner laughs when I throw up my hands I'm all glasses and grin to him under my "commie" fur hat Berlin tonight Table-dancing in black tights Waving a silver crutch in the blue lights Shape changing over glass On the front line of the last gasp --- Berlin Tonight - Bruce Cockburn