everest by ani difranco

[nicoleyoley]

from the depth of the pacific

to the height of everest

and still the world is smoother

than a shiny ball-bearing

so i take a few steps back

and put on a wider lens

and it changes your skin,

your sex, and what you're wearing

distance shows your silloutte

to be a lot like mine

like a sphere is a sphere

and all of us here

have been here all the time

you brought me to church,

cinder blocks, flourescent light

you brought me to church

at 7o'clock on a sunday night

and the band was rocking

and the floors were scrubbed clean

and everybody had a tambourine

so i took a deep breath and became

the white girl with the hair

and you sat right beside me

while everybody stared

and through the open window

i think the singing went outside

and floated up to tell

all the stars not to hide

cuz by the time church let out

the sky was much clearer

and the moon was so beautiful,

that the ocean held up a mirror

as we walked home we spoke slowly

we spoke slow,

and we spoke lowly

like it was taking more time

than usual to choose

the words to go

with your squeaky sandle shoes

like time is not a thing

that's ours to lose

from the height of the pacific

to the depths of everest