somewhere in the mountains. where the valleys are green. hemp and saffron and romantic dreams. somewhere in the mountains. a pleasure ground. sweet night jasmine fields abound. aromatic and sensuous. as they dance and sing and tease. and send to the summer way below. a cool scented breeze. somewhere in the mountains. exotic sirens call. i’ve been there. i’ve seen it all. cinnamon and roses and orange tea. and lost in a cloud. you and me. somewhere in the mountains. the creak and sway of big bamboo. as the monkeys come to steal my food. as we sit together saying one thing and thinking another. always running interference and looking for cover. i hear myself think. i hear my heart sink. in a cool room with a view of the garden. a final chance. a last minute pardon. and the rain keeps falling down. the sadness slowly drowned. washed into the ground. and as the light fades. along with my remaining wishes. in the cover of darkness. one last parting shot misses. there’s an afterglow. and a strange sad shared feeling. a sense of deja vu. and a pain from all this kneeling. and the rain keeps falling down. i’ve sat here for long enough thinking about all this stuff. i’m ready to give up now. i should have done it years ago. i’m throwing out your tv set. and the other things that i’ve kept. the pictures of us together. the matches from the bar where we first met. and all the things you said. i should have done it years ago. later on. the evening had unfolded. the players had all been scolded. to be in their place on time. destiny. was hanging round the corner. somebody should go warn her. maybe change her mind. circumstances. had gathered as they do. fooling with the evidence. tapping with their shoe. opportunity. not what it used to be. sneaking up behind you and sticking out its tongue. i was told it would come knocking. but plainly i was wrong. desire won’t always lead you astray. courage sometimes looks the other way. persistence doesn’t always pay. opportunity. not what it used to be. same with satisfaction. it’s never guaranteed.