Die Like A Dish

dedicated to Mimi and me

You felt the slightest tremble
On a Friday afternoon
And by Monday morning,
You could not leave your room
Tired out, signed off
The ink is bleeding through
As if the weight of ten years
Came crashing down on you

Flashback: Get up and get dressed
So much to do today
Downstairs, no time for breakfast
I'm too fat anyway
Subway, standing
Together but alone
Just one of many strangers
Staring at their phones

And the train's diving down into the dark
The miners descend into the mine
I'm soft but I always work hard
Coal compressed to diamonds over time

Homeward, the people around me
They laugh and they rejoice
I cling to my cup of coffee
As if I had a choice
Deadline, crunch time
I got to get movin' (the machine)
Arms like industrial robots
Less precise, but smoother skin

And still I deny the fatigue
Like the rings around my eyes
I'm tired but I never sleep
Staring without blinking into the light

Some evenings, at times,
I find I'm not fine
I crash-land on the sofa
Or stand long by the window
Watching the sun set on another day
Wondering what would change if I just ran away?
But that's me: I breathe out and stay where I am
Watching TV until I drift off again
Into that recurring dream where I die like a dish on the ground

And the distant sounds
Of the neighborhood at night
The talk of the town
And the friendly advice

I have watched you of late
And I'm sorry to state
That you are restless like a waiter
And the face that you make
And the face that you make
Reminds me of a piece of paper
Crumpled and cut up and folded and ironed
Over and over and over again
You said "just one more year" some five years ago
But enough is enough, turn it off now or blow
(Find a) way out of here
Let's get out of here

There is no time for tales 'til we're somewhere else
There is no time for fear 'til we're out of here
I'm tired but I never sleep