The hotel room was closing in on me. I needed to get up,

to get out; but the past held me there.

I was listening to Joni Mitchell.

She was singing about a Chelsea morning, asked me to stay,

said “we’ll put on the day and wear it till the night comes”.

Sounded like a plan. She sang of other things that made no sense…

but the breakfast sounded good.

Maybe it was the wine, but I was talking back to her.

I’ve loved Joni all my life, we’ve never met; but I don’t let that stop me.

When Joni sings nothing else matters.

Joni told me she looked at clouds from both sides now,

it was all an illusion, life an illusion; just another show.

Well I know about that alright.

The whole fucking thing is one big illusion;

life is hard and then you die.

It was going well… so I poured another glass.

We moved on to our relationship. She was alone in California,

wrote that she loved me; but didn’t know where to send it.

Said she missed me but didn’t know where she stood. Well I told her…

She lived in 1969 with flowers in her hair and a big toothy grin.

Had a guitar that looked too big for her; and sang like an angel.

I told her I would cross the ocean just to sit at her feet.

Joni sang that she met me on a Midway at some kind of fair.

“I stood out like a ruby in a black man’s ear” she said

“I was playing my guitar like a devil wearing wings”

I had no idea what she was talking about….I was never that good;

but I could pretend. I asked her why she never made Woodstock?

She wanted to, but was otherwise engaged…

“Did I like her song?”

You bet your sweet arse I did Joni…

I was up there on one of your clouds singing it with you.

She was saying “when first she saw my gallery, she liked the ones of ladies”.

I had to admit there’s been one or two, I couldn’t wait for ever.

A man can’t live on songs alone; I need a little company from time to time.

Joni thought she understood

“Fear was like a wilderland…

all stepping stones

on sinking sand”.

Joni could be as deep as the ocean sometimes.

Sadly I wasn’t with her back then, except in spirit,

but I always thought one day…..