Exactly What It Means

One more hopeful cuts her teeth
Wakes up early and repeats the words
I gotta earn my keep

Another year turns into ten
Her bosses shake their heads
Your merits dear, they don’t mean anything

And now she’s standing next to me
Another body that’s still breathing but
Struggles with the need

It’s incredible to me how disconnected we can be
I know exactly what it means
Like when you’re living quietly
And the silence makes you scream
I know exactly what it means

Years go by what do you know
There she is at my door
Talking about what matters most

I point to a bandage on her arm
She smiles at me and says
One day my dear, I’ll show you my wounds

I knew exactly what she meant
I didn’t press the topic
More important things she had to say

It’s incredible to me how connected we can be
I know exactly what it means
Like when you’re living
Just to breathe and the beauty makes you weep
I know exactly what it means

I never saw her again and so the legend went
One day my dear, I’ll show you my wounds