The Door Between Her Teeth - Bambara

Stomps her shadow to the sidewalk

In the cigarettes and ash

Kicks her shadow through the tall grass

In the fallen nests and trash

Her shadow walks behind her

Follows her into a cab

And she holds it underwater

Picking at it like a scab

Huh!

I kiss her in the stairway

Shadow spilling down the steps

Run my fingers through her blonde hair

Must have dyed it while I slept

I stumble home and turn the lights on

Watch it scurry between her knees

And I see it when she’s talking

Hear it changing how she speaks

Out west shadows are squirming

In hot cars and dry riverbeds

Writhing on an ugly statue

Shattered stained glass ‘round its head

Jack’s smiling in the dark now

Writing things that he can’t see

And the words that he can’t read

Say: «The Door Between Her Teeth»

The old man’s in his mansion

On his hill filed up with bones

Sees his shadow stretching over town

Rolls his eyes back and moans

José rots in pieces

Between three Chokecherry trees

Their shadows interlock like fingers

On a grave littered with forties

Their shadows interlocked like fingers

Making sure he’ll never leave

Their shadows interlocked like fingers

Making sure he’ll never leave

Yeah