Busy Work

He worked all night
And didn't notice that the light had changed
Looked up
And the sun just jumped all suddenly around
If all those hours feel like busy work
Can you still maintain
Can you still hang on
But out on the porch
It's nothing but sun
Nothing is over until you say it's done
Half drunk and frayed
The marsh all agleam
And I know exactly
What that busy work means
A little coffee
And I'm ready now to call you up
I see the shower slowly opening your eyes
I see the mornings I was half asleep
And you were there
Even when you weren't
And out in the yard
There's nothing but sun
A bright English garden, wet webs newly spun
The salt in my hair
I'm free and I'm clean
And as your phone rings
I know what busy work means
You know it's me
And for a second we just sit and wait
Like when you brace yourself
And jump into the sea
All the colors of the sky
And now the sun's come up
The sun, it snuck right up
And out on the sea
It's nothing but sun
And all of those storms we built converge into one
We'll weather the tides
We'll build and be strong
Children and work and picket fences and songs
And out in the world
There's nothing but sun
I know it'll change, but when it's all said and done
I'll still be here
There's no in between
And that's what the pain of all that busy work means