Those Days

There’s eggs on the stove
Hot water in the kettle
Forget about last night
It’s all been settled
Your daddy’s got so much to give
But he’s too sensitive
Don’t worry, we’re working it out

There’s a note on the fridge
‘Won’t be back till late’
A few crumpled dollars
To buy something you’ll hate
So it’s popcorn for dinner
Try to guess the winner
Some quiz show you don’t care about

But you miss those days
You miss those days
Fingers all raw
Trying to play purple haze
Your neighbors in their yard
Always looking so hard
Warning their kids: “Don’t you fucking curse!”

You miss those nights
You miss those nights
Fireflies winking
Bats swerving like kites
Long walks at twilight
Card games past midnight
Arguing ‘bout whose hand was objectively worse

There’s a girl at school
Who looked at you twice
Maybe she likes you
Or she was just being nice
Or she was confused
By the shape of the bruise
Like the mark of a kiss on your cheek

It wasn’t abuse
It wasn’t neglect
It was a flip on the skateboard
You tried to perfect
And nobody knows this
But you lost your focus
Cause you barely slept for a week

Now you look back and wonder
What kind of spell you were under

And you miss those days
You miss those days
Every other week
Brings another new craze
Wire ball with a tennis ball
First sips of alcohol
What the hell does dad like about this?

You miss those nights
You miss those nights
Mom’s wacky stories
And mosquito bites
Late barbecues
Dad watching the news
While the tree frogs and crickets continue to hiss

Now you look back and wonder
What kind of spell you were under
Now you look back and think
And hours pass by in a blink