Nerves Grow Rust

Nerves grow rust, but you whistle along
Voice robust and true

I would sleep in the belly of earth
Just to keep you warm

In malls you watch the folks consigned
To gods you'd never give the time
Cause prayer requires
You set your coffee down again

You veer between warm words and slurs
Some I correct, some I defer
Time is hard to stop and harder to amend

You say: that's really no excuse
For kids who starve before their youth
For we who spit all beauty out before the chew

What kind of god would let that be?
And then you cough and pat my knee
And as we rise I sense that
You can barely move

You whisper: This is not some old curse
But the way we are

I would sleep in the belly of earth
Just to keep you warm

The vendors act like you're not there
You find a comb to slick your hair
Then the casino puts a diamond in your eye

I'm done with my bacon and eggs
You roll your eyes, 'don't overstay.'
Like there's an hourglass
Draining somewhere in the sky

By now you'd think I would be bored
With cities I'll never afford
And just watch lines form
In the sandbox of your face

But I'm still out here chasing ghosts
You see them too, I'm sure. I know
Believe me, every time I whistle it's for you