Decades
nothing is more gone than anything else
it took decades to learn that
and absence always happens twice
the greatest moments of your life
stashed in the back with your panama hat and your wedding dress
my son has a good heart
with lights in his eyes
the lights in his eyes, my good-hearted son
and absence always happens twice
it took decades, the crusades
the world wars, the tectonic plates
nothing is more gone than anything else
the sea retreats when you reach for it
it took four years
stolen by the undertow and frozen over
it always happens twice
the crusades, the earthquakes
the greatest moments of your life
my good-hearted son, stashed in your backpack
with your cigarettes and your chewing gum
and it took decades
silence is violence, and your savior
just stormed the chapel doors with an assault rifle
the greatest moments of your life
rain down on the just and unjust alike
it took thirty-four seconds
and absence always happens twice
but nothing is more gone than anything else
the sea retreats when you reach for it
the greatest moments of your life took decades
three days on the hospital floor
with smoke in his eyes
absence aways happens twice
the tectonic plates frozen over
stashed in your pocket
don’t reach for it
my son has a good heart
the sea retreats, don’t reach for it
rain down, rain down
your panama hat and your wedding dress
my son, don’t reach for it
nothing is more gone than anything else
and friends are just friends when you reach for them
don’t reach for them
the lights in your eyes took decades, don’t reach for them
storm the chapel doors, rain down on the just
stashed in your backpack with the hospital floors
don’t reach for them
your cigarettes and your chewing gum
my good-hearted son
and absence and absence, don’t reach for them
the rain and the rain, and the sea retreats
it took decades, it took four years,
it took three days, it took thirty-four seconds
nothing is more gone than anything else
and absence always happens twice
the greatest moments of your life