*written after Prince’s “Under the Cherry Moon”*

Question: Does I die in the end?
After I gave you the eyes and you waved me along
When you left me a tip and I played you a song
Your knees, keys
And these fingertips tickling your ivory
Your lips drip diamonds and pearls
Girl!
After the hair grease and humor
Poems in bathwater and lace…
Will I get shot in the back by some lily livered cracker cause your “daddy” found out
Baby don’t play me!
I ain’t no Sam Cooke LP at the wrecka stow.
I’m a man baby!
Born for 2 things
Stealing hearts and spending money!
Can I keep yours?
Which one?
You guess!
Hell, I need another lover like I need a hole in my head
And fucking with you I’ll get both.
Do I die at the end?
Do you even know
Or do you lie
Sitting in your boudoir
With some guy rehearsing your lines each night…
How you hate me
Yet you love me
In black in white
We in color
Skin the receipt
Let take charge and spend time
The world owes us a debt for sharing this beauty.
Let them pay tribute to a gigolo turned golden boy
and a debutante turned dirty Dame.
So does I die or not?
Make sure they dress me in sequins and heels,
Pray it snows so the Bentley slows down
And have Tricky make the sign…
I be damned if they spell the name wrong on Christopher Tracy’s parade.