Tell Her I'm Still Here

TELL HER I'M STILL HERE

So you saw her today
Tell me, did she look okay?
Bet she still rubs her cheeks to a velvet crimson
Whenever her nerves fail her
And the burden of living threatens to claim her

Remember how the three of us
Used to drive up to the lake
Her laughter bouncing off of the windshield
The lights of the crossing suspended in her eyes
Cheeks of marble, hair of gold
Expecting us to put our love on hold
And you looking like that was just too much to ask
Me thinking I was up to the task
But when she woke up that morning
Curled up between us
Like a treasure retrieved
Daybreak catching in her throat
Like a wonder received
That’s when I knew
I wanted her too

You say she looked kind of weary
Like all of her dreams had been trampled upon
You thought the scars you left didn’t hurt anymore
And now you’re surprised to find
The blame being laid at your door
So she’s hiding what’s gone behind tinted glasses
Guess that’s a measure of the weight her life accrues
As time passes

Back then it all seemed just a game to you
Bringing me along for the ride
To see if her heart could withstand
The tricks and demands that you fed it
Can still feel the horror
When I saw that she let it

Next time you see her
Tell her Liz is no longer with us
Forgot to take her pills
And ran straight into a semi
Her brother later told me
She thought the headlights were fireflies
And tell her this old fisherman she doted on
Whose imaginary Book of Wisdom she kept quoting from
Well, he passed away in March
Last time I saw him he asked about her
Said,’ Whatever happened to that girl in the funny speckled sun hat.’ 
Told him I knew about as much as he did

Next time you see her
Tell her it’s still raining where I live
And that I waited for what seemed like forever
For her to see that the one she had chosen
Would render her heart frozen
That I still think about her quite often
Like when midnight comes around
And no one can be found
To soften the edges
And supply the answers to questions
Whispered in the dark such a long time ago

Next time you see her
Tell her I think you destroyed everything
I once held dear
And while you’re at it
Tell her I’m still here