A POEM ON THE UNDERGROUND WALL
Paul Simon - 1966 


The last train is nearly due 
The underground is closing soon 
And in the dark deserted station 
Restless in anticipation 
A man waits in the shadows 

His restless eyes leap and scratch 
At all that they can touch or catch 
And hidden deep within his pocket 
Safe within its silent socket 
He holds a colored crayon 

Now from the tunnel's stony womb 
The carriage rides to meet the groom 
And open wide and welcome doors 
But he hesitates, and then withdraws 
Deeper in the shadows 

And the train is gone suddenly 
On wheels clicking silently 
Like a gently tapping litany 
And he holds his crayon rosary 
Tighter in his hand 

Now from his pocket quick he flashes 
The crayon on the wall he slashes 
Deep upon the advertising 
A single worded poem consisting 
Of four letters 

And his heart is laughing, screaming, pounding 
The poem across the tracks rebounding 
Shadowed by the exit light 
His legs take their ascending flight 
To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night