OGM

(album: Little Ship - 1997)

The OGM on our machine
Began with we're not here now
But you went and changed the "we" to "no one"
Do you mean us or me?
Your new outgoing voice
Sounds bright and brave and very clear now
In those seconds you recorded it
I guess that you felt free

I started out my message
With a pause that I aborted
When I addressed you oddly
By your given Christian name
Then I told you who was calling you
That felt downright sordid
But if I sounded sad and timid
I achieved my aim

There's a machine where I'm staying
That displays a big fat zero
But last night I arrived
To find a scary bright red one
So I pressed play and pretty soon
I could feel all my fear go
The few silent seconds that you'd left me
Are erased and gone now

Tonight at last we finally spoke
You sounded rather giddy
You said you'd had a few drinks
And you'd been playing with the cat
When I told you that I missed you
Your reply to me was "Really?"
Then you said you might have found
Someone to share the flat

I said I'd call in a few days
You know I'll keep my promise
Yes I miss you, is it over?
I don't really know
As for any messages
I'll try to keep them honest
And when I hear that no one's there now
I'll just scream... "hello"