anatomy
I match too well
closed but close I matched you down
down to the ghost words
silver tongues can’t wrap around
the way we use our bodies like knives
I wrote my lines
closed but closely watched your moving eyes
gave wrong words time
to move themselves through muscles in design
sharpening our bodies like knives
to match the cutting edges of our sharp young minds
I matched what I thought
but the brain’s a bad heart
tends to feelings it tears apart
hold me closely
hold me closely
sharp and lonely
hold me closely
tree of veins
you’re climbing my tree of veins
shadowing me in the darkest way
and what about my windbreaker skin
it’s so thin, so thin you could blow right through
where my leaves fall I’m a cloud of stars
I’m a city, I’m a thousand sparks
lighting up my newspaper skin
it’s so thin, so thin you could blow right through
don’t surface, don’t let you see
don’t recognize yourself in me
opaque-as-a-mirror skin
but so thin, so thin you could blow right through
and you do
spitting image
spitting image of the one you left behind
in a minute you could live each other’s lives
for all the years that pass and all the stones you’ve cast
not a ripple in the water left to find
and if you’d stay a bit she’d cure it
and you’d be leaving by the morning
incomplete but on your feet
with a compass and an early warning
and every trait you think you hate is sewn so deep inside you
a pattern that she made, a constant serenade
you took for granted, took advantage of her time
but she was open, she was patient, she was kind
you only get that way a certain way
and she knows you’ll have to go to navigate that line
but if you’d stay…
shell
the name’s a shell
the name’s a shell I use to mean myself
I know it well
but if I take what I’m given, am I giving in
to call it to light, call it to light
I’ve tried a thousand times
dark little eyes say
if I take what I’m given then I’m giving in
the name’s a shell
the name’s a shell I use to mean myself
I thought it out
I thought it out in the shadow of a blinding doubt
if I take what I’m given, am I giving in
text exit
look at you, you’re like a sunlit dog
glowing down to your marrow
rest assured of a certain end
in the warmth of the morning
find a trail, blaze it, make your own light
or it was over from the moment you looked over your shoulder
with your arm around her
I am better in theory than I am applied
a train of thought without a station
if you read me by the morning light
you’re gonna lose me in translation
find a trail, blaze it, make your own light
or it was over from the moment you looked over your shoulder
with your arm around her
white noise
the air in between us is white with the noise
of the promises, promises made to ourselves
the water around us is brine with the salt
of the stinging white promises made to ourselves
and though you made no sound, I can still feel the noise
of the promises, promises fall to the ground
on the backs of the poplar leaves, weighing them down
the membrane between us is startless and endless
and white with the noise of the promises, promises
you made no sound, but I still feel the noise
of the stinging white promises weighing me down
any bridge that you come to
when you make your problems, make them in circles
set them to spin in webs you can’t win in
tuck them in your back pocket, take them out if you need to
when you think you could cross any bridge that you come to
I’m ready, I’m ready, but I’m tired
I can’t think about it, look it in its eyes
climb the stairs, lock the door, kill the light
hard-hearted darling, your long division
for each bit of knowledge, something else missing
tuck it in your back pocket, take it out when you need to
when the thoughts you’ve been thinking can think on without you
I’m ready, I’m ready, but I’m tired
I can’t think about it, look it in its eyes
climb the stairs, lock the door, kill the light
tuck it in your back pocket, take it out when you need to
it’s the secret you’re keeping and the secret that keeps you
pennies
put me aside, pennies on my eyes
I’ve self-selected, I’ll be fine
won’t drag my heels or bare my teeth
I am the one who’s chosen me
(lies)
the feeling I wanted was there all along
crouching in corners and humming itself to sleep
it hid from me
there were no soldiers, there was no war
you took what you wanted, made it yours
you were the crashing angry sea
you were the tide that carried me
(lies)
the feeling I wanted was there all along
crouching in corners and humming itself to sleep
it hid from me
the stars will get out of your miracle way
we all will adore you, whatever you say
and off in a corner I’ll be humming myself to sleep, contentedly
new feet
the map changed when your feet grew
learned how to carry you
oh, the city you thought you knew is brand new
the map changes when the snow comes
white blanket stills tongues
still you’re sighing with heavy lungs, your head hung
oh love, what kind of love you’re in
could make you the kind of sad you’ve been
lockstep with lies you tell yourself
I think I’ll call you on it
it takes some getting used to
won’t rise to meet you
you’ll trip and stumble the way we do, brand new
oh love, what kind of love you’re in
could make you the kind of sad you’ve been
lockstep with lies you tell yourself
I think I’ll call you on it
our hearts beat concrete
when we break in new feet
mindfield
if you wake
if you wake it up
if you wake it up too soon
it will shake its feathered head
and go flying around your room
with your thoughts in its jaws
face to face with the one you lost
face to face with the small town feel
how could your language ever match your changing shape
when you think they think of you in frozen ways
soon enough
the quiet beasts
get sick of playing hide and seek
