Exiles Among You

Her body is a difficult sister and she loves her And hides her somewhere in herself, safe from harm She's barely coasting into a paycheck, stuck on empty Her blue eyes frozen green in the low-lit ATM I need a way to measure the distance I need a way to say why Out of breath or out of key Her voice resonated in me Wish on everything Pray that she remains Proud and strange and so hopelessly hopeful Her body is a difficult sister and she loves her And hides her somewhere in herself, safe from harm Her night shift is over, she's writing you a postcard To say that she's okay and it's raining there again My fury's rising faster than bus fares Could someone clarify why There's no structured narrative? No neat storyline to explain Wish on everything Pray that she remains Proud and strange and so hopelessly hopeful (Wishes and prayers are the way) Wish on everything (That we leave the lonely alone) Pray that she remains (And push the wounded away) Proud and strange and so hopelessly hopeful She shoplifts some Christmas gifts and a bracelet for herself And considers phoning home, has some quarters in her hand But she sits down on the sidewalk and bites her bottom lip And spends the afternoon willing traffic lights to change