hard to see where we’re going outside looks like snowing but it’s just fog and we’ll just drive along it’s alright with Archie by my side Archie is bold and tells the truth and he’ll tell me what to do if things go wrong we’ll just drive along it’ll be alright with Archie by side said this van’s older than I was used to take it out when he was tired of the folks and their rules, all their ties and private schools he just left, and no one cared where he went mother said please stay with us your no-good uncle’s dangerous but he ain’t done nothing wrong and we’ll just drive along it’ll be alright with Archie by my side hardly know where we’re heading colored red by the sun setting it doesn’t last too long there won’t be light until next dawn but it’s alright, says Archie by my side the dark safe cuz no one looks the dark is safe for a couple of crooks like you and me boy just you wait and see what I got in store you won’t look back of that I’m sure quit your shaking boy and let’s get back let’s get back to business won’t get much done with you shivering like this didn’t want a kid to drag around I thought you was more of a man by now it’s hard to say what I’m thinking when he’s at the wheel and when he’s drinking I know he didn’t mean me harm but I’m best off back with my mom It would be alright, If could swallow my damn pride

standing in the kitchen there’s a mess I made this morning and you’re sitting with your coat on, you won’t make it, it’s too late, stay the night shift makes you drink long, quarter to four, get a round more round the table, keeping quiet, roommate’s sleeping, we’re a riot and your sister’s calling again, never seen you once pick it up picking a fight I know you’ll win but pretend I’m right for the exercise and the bell wakes you up, live above the corner shop and I got to head out, but you got to run anyhow only touch under doorways that’s something I’m always thinking about when you’re walking down that staircase just hoping you’ll tell me something that don’t don’t make me worry and I got what I need you said “I’m good for one more and if you’re backing out I’ll finish it for you” and you started walking funny, but took the keys and left quarter past eleven, and you drove back to and she drove back to him waiting for the night bus, there’s a siren running the block I think of you, trying not to, humming the song only you know the lyrics for, it’s a good one, but it feels wrong when I’m alone in the shelter, and the snow comes, it always does, it never stops ignore the thought, I know will come back, but pretend it’s alright for the exercise and I got what I need you said "I’m good for one more and if you’re backing out I’ll finish it for you” and my brother’s on the sofa, no he doesn’t know it yet got the call at midnight and I went back to and I went back to bed

red and blue light shakes her side to side watch her silhouette dance pockets hold my hands back police siren singing edith’s songs i want to know you well we just get along could we just get alone I don’t know why I like this city like i do I know we grow towards our homes but then what’s the deal with you she’s still a stranger and she don’t like our noise but the cars & cries keep me company at night and the cops take notes and the boys run off and she pleads “let’s go” and i say “don’t rush” is there a way to know what’s important is there a way to know if it’s now do we get to change our minds about the things we keep dragging around making it harder to say making it harder to ask I just like you ok would you just stick around sirens sing me goodnight the day is too quiet to take shouldn’t this sound wake me up alarms sound just like her name so you don’t need to ask me before you act it out i’ll always stop myself waiting to let down waiting to let down

you drove me in your car to see the planes I watched them scrape the sky, you watched my face the sound of the engines was too big for us to speak it took the space from us, it sat in between and you drove me home, we listened to our song I play the guitar and you play the drums and I said the beat sounds like a heart to me then on your window I trace one in the steam you park and I don’t leave, you talk and I don’t speak you cry and I wish I could, when you ask I shrug and say I’m good “Just Kids” finished it last week, you say you’re too slow to read it’s okay, cuz I’ll wait for you you know I’m waiting for you you said I will be Patti, singing my poetry and I said that you would be Robert, taking pictures of me I’ll write the words if you take the shot squeeze my hand, promise give I’ll give it all I got we’ll share the room in the hotel I don’t know if I asked if you got to the end with the violet plaques, black and silver threads there’s just some things that you left

(:<

sitting on the concrete looking out at the city kicking rocks across the cemetery point to words carved on stones names no one’s called anymore cans hidden in grass someone’s let overgrow when your mum was young she liked to drink she’d soak in the boneyard until morning you said life’s never short of perfect irony you asked if I believed in ghosts and I said there’s no way I would know but sometimes it does feel like someone’s in my way but I won’t take my chances I’ll paint all my ceilings pale blue then you kissed the sky and said bless you ma, I’m sure we’d get along if I knew you the good and the bad at the end it becomes one it’s hard to be mad at someone when they aren’t there to fight when I blew out candles as a kid I thought there were angels in the smoke rising but now I know that nothing happens will that be us in the dirt will that be us laying underneath someone else’s litter, some other kids feet stumbling about cuz they have no place to be will that be us quiet for once will that be us pushing cherry trees will that be us in the dirt

he was a kidder typical class clown It never felt too tough when davy was around quick with a laugh he never thought twice his best friend gabe popped beer caps with his knife he was too smart but he was too kind did what he could for the ones having a worse time wonder what he looks like with one of those haircuts he joined the army then we didn’t speak much now gabe works a long day and he's too tired to make it out he's getting dry and he's doing good and you know, you know i'm proud gave a call and got the tone got upset and got it off my chest asked about sarah and asked about gabe said, "what do you know about those guys these days?" it’s crazy to think back now it’s crazy what a kid will do cuz boredom is death and we were so desperate for something new yeah once we got chased out over a bet, that he won square we laughed so hard, right out the bar but I guess you had to be there and where have you been, my whole life? you could’ve caught me at a much worse time rub your eyes, leave in the morning, say goodbye swear i once mistook a shooting star for headlights and I don’t know if that says anything about me to you today