Charlie at the Grand Canyon

I was a magician
I'd do kids' parties
Birthday parties, you know
That sort of thing

Then one day, I said screw it
You know?

Just screw it

I got in my car
And I drove

And a couple of days later
I'm at the Grand Canyon

You'd be amazed how many people
Drive to the Grand Canyon
Every year

And if you're not amazed
Then you should be amazed
Because all it is is a valley
A gulf
A ravine
Whatever

It ain't the pyramids
Or Mount Rushmore
Or Mount Everest

It's just a big gaping hole in the Earth
And people flock to it

And I'm standing there
Got my top hat on
And my cape
Because who cares, right?

Because why not?

So I'm standing there
And there's a family with some crying kids
Standing about twenty feet from me
And then right next to me is Charlie


So I look at him and I say--


'It's just a valley'


And I'm expecting him to give me an argument
But instead he just nods and says--


'Just a big hole in the Earth'


And I say--'Exactly!'


We get to talking
And Charlie says he's on his way back from Los Angeles
Headed back home
To get his life started

I say--'What were you doing in L.A.?'

'Not living,' he says, 'It was a pause.  L.A. is a great big pause.  Time stops.  That's why nobody wrinkles there.'

We went and got a bite to eat nearby
And Charlie asked me what I was doing
At the Grand Canyon

'Disappearing,' I say

He asks what I was doing before
I disappeared

And I said--'Disappearing.  I was a magician.'

And I tell him about the kids parties
And whatnot

And he says to me--
And now this is friggin' sad--

'I never had birthday parties when I was a kid.  My parents said I didn't like them.'

And I say--

'You mean YOU said you didn't like them?'

And he says--

'No, they told me I didn't like them.  My brother liked them, but I didn't.  That's what they said anyway.'

Isn't that screwy?

I think that's pretty screwy

After we ate, we went back to the Canyon

Just a big hole in the Earth
But for some reason
It's magnetic

You feel drawn to it

We stood there
And looked out
And wondered

--At least I was wondering--

Which one of us
Was going to leave first
And head in some kind of direction

'Hey,' he says to me, 'Do a trick.'

Normally I punch people when they say that
If they're over the age of ten
But the way Charlie said it
I kinda felt like he needed it

'Okay, Charlie,' I said, 'What trick do you want?'

I have a few I can do anywhere
With no notice

The nickel trick
The handkerchief trick
The deck of cards trick

But Charlie looks out at the Canyon
And he says--

'Make me disappear'

And then he closes his eyes
And waits
For me to do it

And I think he thought I could
And I think he wanted me to

And you know, if I could have
I would have done it for him

Something about the way he looked
Standing on the edge of that place
Made me realize
How badly he needed
Some magic