Scattered Pearls

the clasp broke at the disco Mom I'm sorry
& the older men who hit on Becky
nearly broke their necks on scattered pearls
& we searched the best we could
for two entire songs we knelt & felt along
the place where we had stood

but we only found 7 of Grandmother's pearls

& as we rode the bus home I thought surely
I'd wake up tomorrow just to find
that I had dreamed up everything
there'd still be pearls on a string
I wouldn't smell like smoke & I'd still
have the cash that I had spent on drinks

oh I feel as scattered as Grandmother's pearls

Mom don't cry they're only pearls