Cardinals II

(album: The Hum Goes On Forever - 2022)

I know the feeling in the morning when the sun
Lights the dust that hangs in orbit as you're waking up
For a moment you feel weightless, then the panic comes
First a drizzle, then a downpour, then an endless flood

We start to run
Brothers in the summer dusk
Far enough
That no one's ever catching up

I know the feeling when the light begins to fade
And the dishes in the sink look like a mountain range
You try to will yourself to stand, but you can't find the strength
Threw your head against the cold glass of the window pane

You're afraid
Of what happens when it finally breaks
And all that remains
Is shattered glass and constant gray

Bruised and paper cut
I built a thousand paper cranes for good luck
But I can't protect you
I had my chance, and I fucked it up

I stared for years at all the duct tape on the door
Held together like a patient in a trauma ward
I still don't know what the fuck they kept it for
This house is haunted, I can't live in here anymore

Over time
I realized you were on the other side
Oh and I
Can't imagine what that must have felt like

Bruised and paper cut
I built a thousand paper cranes for good luck
But I can't protect you
I had my chance, and I fucked it up

I had that nightmare again
You're five and you're helpless
Trapped under the wreckage
You reach out your hand
But I'm weak, I can't save you
No matter how often it plays in my head
I can't lift it up

Bruised and paper cut
I built a thousand paper cranes for good luck
But I can't protect you
I had my chance, and I fucked it up
Oh
I fucked it all up