chinese laundry box

francis' car was a present from his wife
just two days before she went
it was october and the trees began to die
and in the same way did she

the next two years were hardly to survive
he went by train and had a red-haired from the corner
who made for money what his wife
would not have done

when the memories were starting to take over
he quickly ordered the next chinese laundry box

this worked from 1922 on 'til last year's summer
when the car began conversating with him
'what would you do' it said, 'if mary came back monday
perhaps tuesday would you
be strong enough for her to come?'
francis awoke and felt like having slept for years
but in the evening the red haired from the corner 
and the chinese laundry box had done their work

tuesday morning mary arrived
francis shot her twentyseven times
but every bullet he had fired against poor mary
became a memory and found way back to him

in the evening he visited john lee
he was the owner of the chinese laundry (now)

god bless the chinese laundry box
god bless the chinese laundry box

(c) clark nova 1997