Tropical Depression

am/fm dreams

back where i was born
you learn pretty early on to leave well enough alone
just settle in and watch the world around you spin
there’s nowhere else to go when you live in a snow globe
i knew this kid who couldn’t wait to pack it in
and break out of the glass
one day he did and nobody’s seen him since
he was running pretty fast
but you can’t outrun the past

watching the change in the light through the strangest eyes
it’ll keep you second guessing
someone’s singing “lemon tree” high, in the prettiest voice
in a tropical depression

some people like to roam
vacation from the know
take the edge off of the grind
other’s stay at home, preferring to implode
find out what’s inside, while reading travel guides
i still think about that kid
i wonder where he is
is he happy on the outside?
did he pawn his comic books, drum machine and fishing hooks
for an imaginary pie
or a grapefruit slice of lies

watching invisible lines from the passenger side
and we’re playing 20 questions
i’m not falling asleep on the ride
i’m just resting my eyes
in a radio confession
watching the change in the light through the strangest eyes
it’ll keep you second guessing
someone’s singing “lemon tree” high, in the prettiest voice
in a tropical depression

written by Damian Lethbridge
RPM Challenge Album 2024