You've got a lot of pressure
To stand so tall and straight
And never let us see you
For who you really are
When the lights go out
And the moon steps out
To take her sentry duty
One more time

Right now
Dangling above the placid yard
My life is in your hands
And maybe you never got a choice
But I'm here now
So please take care of me
And I will cling to your warm
Jagged surface
And rest

I trust you
I trust that when the wind blows and
Flings my hair and makes it feel
A lot more beautiful than it actually is
You won't drop me
Though you groan and you sway
Under my weight
Under all of that pressure to be
Something perfect
Something dependable
Something that will last for a very
Long time
And it's killing you

I wish you'd gotten to be young
And reckless
Ripping heavy roots from tangled
Ground and stretching all the
Creaking joints til they pop like
Cap guns and shoot tendrils of relief through
Your body
I wish you had gotten to run

But I brought you a picture book
I'll read it to you if you like
Or I could just rest it here
Where you fold your tangled arms
Across your eyes
And hide

I hope someday you'll let me see your eyes
Because I think they must be beautiful