Leaves in the River

I met a girl on Halloween
When she was lost, and I was drunk
And it was dark and cold out when we left

And as we walked the rain started
The leaves softened with every step
And all around us people slept alone with their dreams

The wind came down from up the planes
And blew the leaves all through the streets
I wondered how far leaves could really fly

Would they rest in suburb yards
Or make it to the city
Or would they end up in the river just to float away

She pointed to a small brick house
And said it was where she grew up
The lights were out, she asked if we could stop for awhile

Her hair was still just getting wet
The water running down her neck
Collecting in the hand print in cement beneath her feet

Apparently there'd been a death
Someone close and nothing left
Because she hadn't left him in the end

I saw her blush when I asked
If she always talked like that
She said it only happened when she drank

And later on I felt her hand
Slipping into my cold fist
She promised me a kiss as soon as we got home

Her costume had begun to tear
She ran ahead and turned to me
Her laughter echoed through the empty streets