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The Initiate Lyrics by Charles Simic

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St. John of the Cross wore dark glasses
As he passed me on the street
St. Theresa of Avila, beautiful and grave
Turned her back on me
"Soulmate," they hissed. "It's high time."
I was a blind child, a wind-up toy . .
I was one of death's juggling red balls
On a certain street corner
Where they peddle things out of suitcases
The city like a huge cinema
With lights dimmed
The performance already started
So many blurred faces in a complicated plot
The great secret which kept eluding me: knowing who I am . .
The Redeemer and the Virgin
Their eyes wide open in the empty church
Where the killer came to hide himself . .
The new snow on the sidewalk bore footprints
That could have been made by bare feet
Some unknown penitent guiding me
In truth, I didn't know where I was going
My feet were frozen
My stomach growled
Four young hoods blocking my way
Three deadpan, one smiling crazily
I let them have my black raincoat
Thinking constantly of the Divine Love
And the Absolute had disfigured me
People mistook me for someone else
I heard voices after me calling out unknown names
"I'm searching for someone to sell my soul to,"
The drunk who followed me whispered
While appraising me from head to foot
At the address I had been given
The building had large X's over its windows
I knocked but no one came to open
By and by a black girl joined me on the steps
She banged at the door till her fist hurt
Her name was Alma, a propitious sign
She knew someone who solved life's riddles
In a voice of an ancient Sumerian queen
We had a long talk about that
While shivering and stamping our wet feet
It was necessary to stay calm, I explained
Even with the earth trembling
And to continue to watch oneself
As if one were a complete stranger
Once in Chicago, for instance
I caught sight of a man in a shaving mirror
Who had my naked shoulders and face
But whose eyes terrified me!
Two hard staring, all-knowing eyes!
After we parted, the night, the cold, and the endless walking
Brought on a kind of ecstasy
I went as if pursued, trying to warm myself
There was the East River; there was the Hudson
Their waters shone like oil in sanctuary lamps
Something supreme was occurring
For which there will never be any words
The sky was full of racing clouds and tall buildings
Whirling and whirling silently
In that whole city you could hear a pin drop
Believe me
I thought I heard a pin drop and I went looking for it
Credits
Charles Simic

Charles Simic

About “The Initiate” by Charles Simic

Read the complete lyrics to "The Initiate" by Charles Simic. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rap.

"The Initiate" is performed by Charles Simic. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Initiate", explore more songs by Charles Simic using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Initiate" is credited to Charles Simic. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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Visit the Charles Simic artist page at /artist/charles-simic for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.