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May 1968 Lyrics by Sharon Olds

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The Dean of the University said
the neighborhood people could not cross campus
until the students gave up the buildings
so we lay down in the street,
we said The cops will enter this gate
over our bodies. Spine-down on the cobbles--
hard bed, like a carton of eggs--
I saw the buildings of New York City
from dirt level, they soared up and stopped,
chopped off cleanly--beyond them the sky
black and neither sour nor sweet, the
night air over the island.
The mounted police moved near us
delicately. Flat out on our backs
we sang, and then I began to count,
12, 13, 14, 15, I
counted again, 15, 16, one
month since the day on that deserted beach when we
used nothing, 17, 18, my
mouth fell open, my hair in the soil,
if my period did not come tonight
I was pregnant. I looked up at the sole of the
cop’s shoe, I looked up at the
horse’s belly, it’s genitals--if they
took me to Women’s Detention and did the
exam on me, jammed the unwashed
speculum high inside me, the guard’s
three fingers--supine on Broadway, I looked
up into the horse’s tail like a
dark filthed comet. All week, I had
wanted to get arrested, long to
give myself away. I lay in the
tar, one brain in my head and another
tiny brain at the base of my tail and I
stared at the world, good-luck iron
arc of the gelding’s shoe, the cop’s
baton, the deep curve of the animal’s
belly, the buildings streaming up
away from the earth. I knew I should get up and
leave, stand up to muzzle level, to the
height of the soft velvet nostrils and
walk away, turn my back on my
friends and danger, but I was a coward so I
lay there looking up at the sky,
black vault arched above us, I
lay there gazing up at God, at his
underbelly, till it turned deep blue and then
silvery, colorless, Give me this one
night, I said, and I’ll give this child
the rest of my life, the horses’ heads
drooping, dipping, until they slept in a
dark circle around my body and my daughter.
Credits
Sharon Olds

Sharon Olds

About “May 1968” by Sharon Olds

Read the complete lyrics to "May 1968" by Sharon Olds. 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 Non-Music, Literature.

"May 1968" is performed by Sharon Olds. 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 "May 1968", explore more songs by Sharon Olds 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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"May 1968" is credited to Sharon Olds. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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