Driving
Heading west on 303 back towards Hudson. A light dinner is in my belly, protesting its existence. All dinner long I sat and thought. I shift into second gear and Amsterdam by Coldplay comes on my stereo.
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I swerve out of control
If I, if I'd only waited
I'd not be stuck here in this hole
My eyes squint as I peer directly into the setting sun. Everything has an orange tint to it. The orange ball of gas seems to have caught the trees over the horizon on fire. Thoughts of her race through my head as I pop the clutch and shift to third. The sun sets upon my heart and the engulfs it into its orange flames.
Come here, oh my star is fading
And I swerve out of control
And I swear, I waited and waited
I've got to get out of this hole
Fourth gear brings a cool breeze onto my brow. The beads of sweat left over from a hot and sunny day began to disappear like magic. I can smell the last remnants of summer and the onset of autumn. Oh how I love the autumn. It's my favorite time of year. It's the only good part about living in Ohio.
But time is on your side, its on your side, now
Not pushing you down, and all around
It's no cause for concern
The cars heading east all fly past me in a hazy blur of orange and fleeting summer. I pay them little attention and continue to think of her. A smile plays itself across my lips. And the orange glow kisses them. I shift into firth gear and chase the setting sun.
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I see no chance of release
And I know I'm dead on the surface
But I am screaming underneath
The train tracks are ahead and I downshift to slow down. I briefly remember childhood full of tracks and how I used to be drawn to them. I'd walk for hours following the trains. Part of me wants to stop the truck and walk these tracks, but I pass by as my shocks absord the uneven hit. And my childhood disolves in an orange haze.
And time is on your side, its on your side, now
Not pushing you down, and all around
No it's no cause for concern
A steady climb up the hill in fourth gear makes the sun disappear over the horizon. The orange glow has no effect on the clouds behind it. They turn an interesting purple. And purple makes me think of her again; most things do anymore. I rub my eye and shift back into 5th near the crest of the hill.
Stuck on the end of this ball and chain
And I'm on my way back down again
Stood on the edge, tied to the noose
Sick to the stomach
Amazingly, there is still no traffic in front of me, so I push the speedometer up to 65. The breeze is intoxicating and the sun has resurfaced over the trees. Absently I reach for a cigarette and try to light it. The wind prevents me so I set it back down. I pull up to the stoplight at Stow Rd., downshifting as I go. A silver minivan pulls next to me into the turn lane. I reach back down and light my cigarette.
You can say what you mean
But it won't change a thing
I'm sick of the secrets
I look over and a little boy in the minivan is staring at me, wide-eyed. Something about him draws me. I smile at him and wave. His face lights up and he begins to bounce and wave. And then the minivan pulls off and I continue my voyage towards the sun.
Stood on the edge, tied to the noose
And you came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose
As I approach my turn towards the school, I put out my cigarette. And I reflect on my noose. It wasn't long ago that I thought there was no way out of the noose. But she certainly has set me free again. And I smile one last time.
You came along and you cut me loose
As I pull back into the school I know that it's time to work and downshift my mind accordingly. But I know my mind. And in an orange haze she'll be racing underneath.
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I swerve out of control
If I, if I'd only waited
I'd not be stuck here in this hole
My eyes squint as I peer directly into the setting sun. Everything has an orange tint to it. The orange ball of gas seems to have caught the trees over the horizon on fire. Thoughts of her race through my head as I pop the clutch and shift to third. The sun sets upon my heart and the engulfs it into its orange flames.
Come here, oh my star is fading
And I swerve out of control
And I swear, I waited and waited
I've got to get out of this hole
Fourth gear brings a cool breeze onto my brow. The beads of sweat left over from a hot and sunny day began to disappear like magic. I can smell the last remnants of summer and the onset of autumn. Oh how I love the autumn. It's my favorite time of year. It's the only good part about living in Ohio.
But time is on your side, its on your side, now
Not pushing you down, and all around
It's no cause for concern
The cars heading east all fly past me in a hazy blur of orange and fleeting summer. I pay them little attention and continue to think of her. A smile plays itself across my lips. And the orange glow kisses them. I shift into firth gear and chase the setting sun.
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I see no chance of release
And I know I'm dead on the surface
But I am screaming underneath
The train tracks are ahead and I downshift to slow down. I briefly remember childhood full of tracks and how I used to be drawn to them. I'd walk for hours following the trains. Part of me wants to stop the truck and walk these tracks, but I pass by as my shocks absord the uneven hit. And my childhood disolves in an orange haze.
And time is on your side, its on your side, now
Not pushing you down, and all around
No it's no cause for concern
A steady climb up the hill in fourth gear makes the sun disappear over the horizon. The orange glow has no effect on the clouds behind it. They turn an interesting purple. And purple makes me think of her again; most things do anymore. I rub my eye and shift back into 5th near the crest of the hill.
Stuck on the end of this ball and chain
And I'm on my way back down again
Stood on the edge, tied to the noose
Sick to the stomach
Amazingly, there is still no traffic in front of me, so I push the speedometer up to 65. The breeze is intoxicating and the sun has resurfaced over the trees. Absently I reach for a cigarette and try to light it. The wind prevents me so I set it back down. I pull up to the stoplight at Stow Rd., downshifting as I go. A silver minivan pulls next to me into the turn lane. I reach back down and light my cigarette.
You can say what you mean
But it won't change a thing
I'm sick of the secrets
I look over and a little boy in the minivan is staring at me, wide-eyed. Something about him draws me. I smile at him and wave. His face lights up and he begins to bounce and wave. And then the minivan pulls off and I continue my voyage towards the sun.
Stood on the edge, tied to the noose
And you came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose
As I approach my turn towards the school, I put out my cigarette. And I reflect on my noose. It wasn't long ago that I thought there was no way out of the noose. But she certainly has set me free again. And I smile one last time.
You came along and you cut me loose
As I pull back into the school I know that it's time to work and downshift my mind accordingly. But I know my mind. And in an orange haze she'll be racing underneath.