WHERE THE WORLD CAME FROM


I woke up this morning 
And the world got out of bed before me. 

The world got out of bed 
Before I opened my eyes--
It was putting on its clothes, 
And when I opened my eyes
It was fully dressed. 

It's always like that,
I try to surprise the world 
Getting out of bed, 
But it's too fast,
It's like playing slap-hands 
With your own shadow. 

You're a sly one, world, 
You were in your bed 
In the deep cave 
Way inside my eyes,
And when I open them
You leap out
And act like you 
Were always out there.

When I'm in my bed
You're in your bed, 
And when I sleep, 
Even my bed is in your bed, 
Even my body has gone inside me, 

Oh, how I'd like to 
Wake up when sleeeping.
You wouldn't be there,
I wouldn't be there. 
But you're too 
Good at your game.

I have to go on living 
As though I'm in you, world, 
Because I can never catch you 
When you're in me,
There in my belly
Like Jonah in the whale.

Even the beggar 
On the sidewalk
Knows the world 
Came out of him,
That's why he's
So confused. 

I can't tell these 
People around here
That they came out
Of me, though,
They'd just deny it. 

One in a million might say,
"No, you came out of me!" 
And we could argue about it--
Or maybe something wonderful 
                       would happen.