American Prayer

I smoked when I was 14 When I worked under the table at the local franchised, all-you-can eat I learned early on that you get more breaks if you smoke cigarettes So I got my older friend To go buy me some And I learned from the public service announcements that were made over the radio That always seemed to be on In the back room where we did our drops That if I kept on smoking then one day Every part of my body would fail And I'd eventually lose my life I kept on smoking anyways I had a cigarette hanging out of my mouth When I slammed the dumpster lid down Almost everyday by then I closed on my own Took out the trash on my way home So I always locked the back door With its weight over my shoulder But instead of taking the bus back to the apartment I walked through the dark, gravel behind the rest stop The one I'd only pass if I took the long way home I hoped that if I kept on walking that way Someday I might find myself Catching a ride with someone Headed for anywhere else And I walked by it Over and over and over again Like some uninterrupted American prayer Because I knew the only way to really get free Was to hitch a ride They said it's too dangerous for a girl to walk alone Bumming smokes and rides from people she don't know I guess I'd rather go missing