Summer Dress

All the sickness and the forge
And all that's come unwound
Under the clock by the casino
Outside the lost and found
Where you spoke in some strange accent
While I just zipped my coat
For a walk down through the graveyard
Of all I wish I didn't know
I wish I'd never known
There's no telephone ringing
There's no postcards to send
And it's not like before
When I torched the flag of contempt
Still you remind me of a girl
That always felt too deep
In the stagger and the flail
Of blurred vision and memory
Well, a promise that is wounded
Is a promise nonetheless
I only wanted you forever
In that august summer dress
All the courage and the fear
Lord, they're so entwined
Like the polished steel of coffins
And the swollen breast of time
All I'm offering is a gold band
But it means so much more
Like a heart to religion
Or stilts to the floor
It means so much more
Well, a promise that is wounded
Is a promise nonetheless
I only wanted you forever
In that august summer dress