Return to Bourbon

"Return to Bourbon" (The Gritty Underbelly of New Orleans) I left my soul in a crawfish boil And my transgressions in a taxicab, Where the driver was blind in one eye And the meter was stabbed. The gutter gurgles like a gospel hymn Also, the rain comes down hard, like a drum, But Lord, I’d give up my rent-stained mattress Just to feel that voodoo hum. The Quarter ain’t what she used to be, I, on the other hand, am not— I got a scar where my halo was And a suitcase full of lies. Mama called it the Devil’s playground, I called it home with a grin— 'Cause even the rats tap dance down Chartres When the bottle lets the jazz back in. The hotel's wallpaper contained apparitions, And prayers scratched in the stalls. They don’t ask where you came from, how far down you fall. I sleep next to regret and rust now, In a city too clean to trust— However, I'd give up this silence for a good howl. in a shotgun residence with damaged ductwork. Yeah, I miss the roaches in the beignets, The smell of blood and rain— You are not forgiven by the city, But she’ll always know your name.