THE MIRROR


[Slow, drifting].

Red slippered film star
Got eyes that look like TV screens
Says he's acting in a comedy
The like of which we've never seen
His pirate hatted girlfriend
Was hired strictly by the book
Every fool injected hero
Needs a peg on which to hook

He does not need to wait
For telephones to ring
His mind is like the hole
Formed by a wedding ring
And the light that blinds his eyes
Does not shine on you
He's told that might must be right
He keeps the show running tight
He is a mirror

It's a story cute and ugly
Without a whole lot in between
We've got eighteen million extras
And the budget's bursting at the seams
When the writer says something
The big star makes him take it back
Keeps his options open
Keeps his ethics in a bank

He does not need to wait
For telephones to ring
His mind is like the hole
Formed by a wedding ring
And the light that blinds his eyes
Does not shine on you
He keeps the dice rolling straight
For an exorbitant rate
He is a mirror
He is a mirror

His screens are playing game shows
The sort where everybody wins
He is trying on expressions
Assistant fit him with a knowing grin
He steps from his limousine
Into a wall of crushing flesh
Adoring lenses grasp for clues
This boy isn't finished yet

He does not need to wait
For telephones to ring
His mind is like the hole
Formed by a wedding ring
And the light that blinds his eyes
Does not shine on you
He is the oil dripping tap
He fills an ever wider gap
He is a mirror
He is a mirror
He is a mirror



© David Lowe 1988