Past Life Street

Past Life Street

When I walk down this lane
You tell me to straighten my back
My fingers clench over the hilt of a weapon
I no longer have the strength to carry
My mind is already running down to the edge of the street
But my heart cannot keep up with these pounds of flesh I bear
When I walk down this lane
You tell me to quiet my breath
But it no longer comes easy
Every shadow could hold a substance
That if thrown my way I could avoid
Every whisper could be an ally
Telling me to get the hell out of dodge
When I walk down this lane
You tell me I don't have to stay here long
But here I am in the company of a family portrait
A still shot silhouette on a brick wall
Of men that found their way back to me
Holding pieces of me like a quiver of arrows
Ready to aim at the heavens and punch a hole in the sky
Should I lose my way
When I walk down this lane
You remind me I am not alone
That my nature comes from a time
Where worry was birthed a four-letter word
Where danger has taken a familiar grin
My hand relaxes towards fingers I can no longer feel
Because it embraces the veins under my skin
And tells me it will be alright
When I walk down this lane
I am as fluid as the drainage pipes
Gurgling the songs I knew
The moonlight flowing forth passages of stories
I had forgotten punchlines to
When I walk down this lane
You tell me I can come back
I know no matter how many turns I take
How many times I break my nose on a dead end,
When my ears start ringing
I can always count on this street to lead me home