Innocence

when i was 5 years old 

I lived in Connecticut ...

countryside where i used to spend

a lot of time by myself

there was at least 1/3 mile

between houses

there was a stream that ran by

and I used to explore up and down

there was an empty house downstream from us

one day I saw that there were people moving into it

and went to investigate

it was a young couple

Wendy and David

she gave me milk and cookies

he was setting up his stereo

in the living room

I sat watching him

there was a loud noise …

I guess from the stereo

then he asked me if

I wanted to hear music

from the extraterrestrials

music from outer space

he put on a record

of some experimental

electronic music

there were gongs and beeps

zitsezz and slides and flewzzzzzz.

Later I left.

They asked me to tell my dad

to come by and have a drink with them.

I was convinced it was Martian music.

I told my dad I'd met some friends

he thought I'd met some kids

but when I told him about their invitation,

he went to see.

We became friends and I went there often

always asking Dave to put on the Martian music

always milk and cookies

one day, they were leaving

David told me to come listen

to the Martian music

then, very seriously told me

that he had lied to me

and that friends don't lie to each other

he told me what the Martian music was

and to forgive him.

Of course I did, he is my friend.

(C) Saz