He knows every face by heart
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Every pair of legs that hurry by
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Nothing's changed, maybe the fashion
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Maybe the shoe buckle is now
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A pink Velcro strap
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He knows strange secrets by heart
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Of old women who chatter nonstop
Nothing's changed, maybe the fashion
_____
Maybe the kid-leather shoe is now
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A patent-leather snakeskin boot
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And sitting on the worn-out chair
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Worn by people and leftover polish
He imagines himself in an English theater
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Reciting Shakespeare in Portuguese
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In his formal shirt and tie
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And after the show the look of emotion
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Puts a period on the grand portrait
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A deafening applause
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Makes the shoeshiner
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Decorate his satin tie with tears
And sitting on the worn-out chair
_____
Worn by people and leftover polish
_____
He imagines himself in an English theater
_____
Reciting Shakespeare in Portuguese
_____
In his formal shirt and tie
_____
He then wakes with a start
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Of the bitter customer had run out