The melancholy death of oyster boy
He proposed in the dunes,
they were wed by the sea,
Their nine-day-long honeymoon
was on the isle of Capri.
was on the isle of Capri.
For their supper they had one specatular dish-
a simmering stew of mollusks and fish.
And while he savored the broth,
her bride's heart made a wish.
a simmering stew of mollusks and fish.
And while he savored the broth,
her bride's heart made a wish.
That wish came true-she gave birth to a baby.
But was this little one human
Well, maybe.
But was this little one human
Well, maybe.
Ten fingers, ten toes,
he had plumbing and sight.
He could hear, he could feel,
but normal?
Not quite.
This unnatural birth, this canker, this blight,
was the start and the end and the sum of their plight.
he had plumbing and sight.
He could hear, he could feel,
but normal?
Not quite.
This unnatural birth, this canker, this blight,
was the start and the end and the sum of their plight.
She railed at the doctor:
"He cannot be mine.
He smells of the ocean, of seaweed and brine."
"He cannot be mine.
He smells of the ocean, of seaweed and brine."
"You should count yourself lucky, for only last week,
I treated a girl with three ears and a beak.
That your son is half oyster
you cannot blame me.
... have you ever considered, by chance,
a small home by the sea?"
I treated a girl with three ears and a beak.
That your son is half oyster
you cannot blame me.
... have you ever considered, by chance,
a small home by the sea?"
Not knowing what to name him,
they just called him Sam,
or sometimes,
"that thing that looks like a clam"
they just called him Sam,
or sometimes,
"that thing that looks like a clam"
Everyone wondered, but no one could tell,
When would young Oyster Boy come out of his shell?
When would young Oyster Boy come out of his shell?
When the Thompson quadruplets espied him one day,
they called him a bivalve and ran quickly away.
they called him a bivalve and ran quickly away.
One spring afternoon,
Sam was left in the rain.
At the southwestern corner of Seaview and Main,
he watched the rain water as it swirled
down the drain.
Sam was left in the rain.
At the southwestern corner of Seaview and Main,
he watched the rain water as it swirled
down the drain.
His mom on the freeway
in the breakdown lane
was pouding the dashboard-
she couldn't contain
the ever-rising grief,
frustration,
and pain.
in the breakdown lane
was pouding the dashboard-
she couldn't contain
the ever-rising grief,
frustration,
and pain.
"Really, sweetheart," she said
"I don't mean to make fun,
but something smells fishy
and I think it's our son.
I don't like to say this, but it must be said,
you're blaming our son for your problems in bed."
"I don't mean to make fun,
but something smells fishy
and I think it's our son.
I don't like to say this, but it must be said,
you're blaming our son for your problems in bed."
He tried salves, he tried ointments
that turned everything red.
He tried potions and lotions
and tincture of lead.
He ached and he itched and he twitched and he bled.
that turned everything red.
He tried potions and lotions
and tincture of lead.
He ached and he itched and he twitched and he bled.
The doctor diagnosed,
"I can't quite be sure,
but the cause of the problem may also be the cure.
They say oysters improve your sexual powers.
Perhaps eating your son
would help you do it for hours!"
"I can't quite be sure,
but the cause of the problem may also be the cure.
They say oysters improve your sexual powers.
Perhaps eating your son
would help you do it for hours!"
He came on tiptoe,
he came on the sly,
sweat on his forehead,
and on his lips-a lie.
"Son, are you happy? I don't mean to pry,
but do you dream of Heaven?
Have you ever wanted to die?
he came on the sly,
sweat on his forehead,
and on his lips-a lie.
"Son, are you happy? I don't mean to pry,
but do you dream of Heaven?
Have you ever wanted to die?
Sam blinked his eye twice.
but made no reply.
Dad fingered his knife and loosened his tie.
but made no reply.
Dad fingered his knife and loosened his tie.
As he picked up his son,
Sam dripped on his coat.
With the shell to his lips,
Sam slipped down his throat.
Sam dripped on his coat.
With the shell to his lips,
Sam slipped down his throat.
They burried him quickly in the sand by the sea
-sighed a prayer, wept a tear-
and they were back home by three.
-sighed a prayer, wept a tear-
and they were back home by three.
A cross of greay driftwood marked Oyster Boy's grave.
Words writ in the sand
promised Jesus would save.
Words writ in the sand
promised Jesus would save.
But his memory was lost with one high-tide wave.
Smutná smrt ústřicového chlapečka
Navrhl to v dunách
Jež byly mořem omílané
Aby jejich devítidenní líbánky
Byly na ostrově Capri
K večeři měli jeden častý chod
Zvolna vařené měkkýše z místních vod
A zatímco servíroval polévku
V jejím lůně rostl plod
Ona měla to velké přání-děťátku život dát
Ale byl to malý člověk?
No, snad
Dvě ruce, prstů deset
A bylo mu dopřáno sluchu
Mohl vidět, mohl cítit
Byl však normální?
To ani trochu
To nepřirozené dítě, ta zrůda, spratek
Nestvořil nikdo jiný, než jejich svazek
Nadávala doktorovi
"Ten nemůže být mé dítě
Je cítit oceánem, chaluhami, cožpak to necítíte"
"Jen neříkejte, že nemáte štěstí ani za mák
Rodil jsem dívku, měla tři uši a zobák
Za to že váš syn je napůl ústřice
Mě nemůžete vinit
…přemýšleli jste o možnosti
U moře si dům zařídit?"
Neměli tušení, jak mu mají říkat
Se jménem Sam možná šlápli vedle
Protože občas mu říkali
"Ta věc, co vypadá jak škeble"
Každého zajímalo, ale nikdo nedokázal říct
Kdy bude moct chlapec z ulity vystoupit
Když ho jednou Thompsonova čtyřčata spatřila
Zaječela "škeble" a rychle pryč běžela
Jednoho jarního odpoledne
V prudkém dešti stál Sam
Na rohu Seaview a Main stál samotný, sám
A sledoval dešťovou vodu, jak stéká
Dolů do odpadních jam
Jeho matka na dálnici
V pruhu zpomalovacím
Mlátila do palubky
A padal na ní splín
Stále rostoucí žal
Frustrace
A bolesti stín
"Opravdu, zlato," řekla
"Nemyslím to ve zlym
Něco tu pěkně smrdí
A není to náš syn
Vím, že v tvém životě nevelím
Ale neobviňuj svého syna za problémy v posteli"
Zkoušel léky, zkoušel masti
Ale kůže byla pouze zarudlá
Zkoušel kapky a roztoky
Taky tinkturu olova
Bolelo to a svědilo a krvácel doslova
Doktor diagnostikoval
"Nemohu si zcela jistý být
Ale ve vašem problému, může zároveň lék žít
Říká se, že ústřice jsou afrodisiakum
Možná když sníte svého syna
Vrátí vám to sexuální um
Vešel po špičkách
Vešel se lstivostí
Med na svém čele
Rty plné lživosti
"Synku, jsi šťastný? Nechtěl bych slídit
Ale sníš někdy o nebi?
Chtěl jsi někdy zemřít?
Sam jen dvakrát zamrkal
A už to nezopakoval
Otec sebral nůž a kravatu rozvázal
Když sebral svého syna
Sam mu na kabát odkapal
S ústřicí na rtech
Svého syna spolykal
Pohřbili ho rychle v písku co klesá k moři
Zašeptali modlitbu, uronili slzu
A domů se vrátili kolem tří
Kříž označil místo, kde ústřicového chlapečka pohřbil muž se ženou
Slova vrytá do písku
Slibovala duši spasenou
Ale chlapcova vzpomínka zmizela s první větší vlnou
omlouvám se za členění originálního textu. Burton to tkahle nezmršil, to já, teda spíš net, nevim proč to odmítá dělat mezery