Florida at Night

I did not fuck your husband

Because I am a needy person

I don’t need anybody

And if I did

I wouldn’t need him

So you can put that out of your head

Right here and now

He used to like getting me inside a car

While it was raining

And we’d make love

Like we were going through a carwash

Getting all shiny and clean

You want me to spare you the details?

Or do you want the details?

Because as details go

They’re pretty fascinating

Did he ever try fucking you at Disney World?

I notice you flinch

Every time I say ‘fuck’

Maybe that was the problem

Maybe you flinch too much

He fucked me at Disney World

During a hurricane

You know they just about never close Disney World

They keep it open come hell or high water

I think they closed it once in the seventies

And that was a big deal

But they don’t close it much

Anyway, it was raining

And we had one of those big Mickey ponchos

That they sell you

Meant for obese people, I guess

Because we both got underneath it

And there was still room for the Holy Ghost

And everybody else in Heaven

Anyway, we’re on the small world ride

And the next thing I know

He’s yanking down my shorts

And yanking off his own

And pulling me up against him

Like he’s cuddling me

Which I guess was for the benefit of the security cameras

Because we were the only ones not running home that day

And while the little Dutch dolls

Sang about how much we all share

We shared a little something ourselves

Underneath that Mickey poncho

The rain let up a little later that night

And before everybody else

Could rush back for the Electric Light Parade

We went on that ride

That goes over the whole park

Where you let your legs dangle

And you just sorta sit?

We necked on it a little

But mostly we just laughed

And warmed each other up

Your husband kept saying—

‘Isn’t Florida beautiful at night?’

And I kept saying—

‘You’re not looking at Florida .  You’re looking at Disney World.’

But he didn’t get what I meant

He thought they were the same

That you can have a whole little happy world

Inside a mess of a thing

And that doesn’t mean that the mess

Can take credit for the happiness

After I was done with your husband

I knew how to keep my happiness somewhere

Where the mess couldn’t get it

When we got back from Disney World

He stopped calling

I was kinda hoping maybe he died

But I guess that’s not the case

Maybe he thought we couldn’t top

That trip to Disney World

Maybe he just got me out of his system

Once and for all

Do you know?

No, I didn’t think you would

. . . . .

A few weeks later, I got a room

In a nice hotel

Five floors up

I figured five floors would do it

The room had a nice little patio where I could sit

Until I was ready

Well, I did some drinking

As you might expect

And when the bottle was empty

It was night time

Then it started to rain

I went back inside

Because I do not like being wet

And the last thing I wanted to feel

Before I died

Was wet

So I stayed in my room

And waited for the rain to pass

While it was coming down

I thought of all those nights

In that car

Him making those carwash noises

Woshhh Woshhh Woshhh

The rain went on all night

And when it stopped

I walked outside on that patio

And I looked at Florida

Right before the sun came up

The night just saying its good-byes

And it really did look beautiful

And I thought maybe your husband left me with something

Or maybe he took something away

Because, so help me

I couldn’t tell the happiness from the mess

What a nice gift

Well, that…and the other…

. . . . .

I named her Florida

Even though I moved

Two days after she was born

It’s where she’s from, after all

Even if she’s never lived there

It’s where her Daddy’s from

And it’s a pretty name

If you think about it

I told her I’d take her to Disney World next year

For her birthday

But that depends on how much money we have

We don’t do well, but we do okay

She never asks about him

Don’t know why, but she doesn’t

If she ever did, I’d tell her a real nice lie

All dressed up like a cotillion girl

But so far, no need

She’s my little bit of happiness

When I look at her

I can’t remember any of that other stuff

We’re talking about

All I remember is the view from the hotel room

Early that morning

And the way the sun cast its light

On all the right things