i didn’t even realize my ears were ringing. i was missing all the subtle things, all the birds that were singing out your window. i kept straining to hear cause i know you can hear it through the city sounds, all those cars that are driving around, your neighbor playing disco, you can hear his bass beat through the floor. there’s not much room to breathe, i don’t blame you for wanting to leave. you can see it through the city smog, all those clouds that are rolling along. we get home at dusk and we leave again at dawn. there’s not much room to breathe, i don’t blame you for wanting to leave and i won’t ask you to stay with me. i’d like to gather dust like a library book on a back shelf does, so you could open me up and see when i last checked out. you’d like to fade away, it’s a long way down and your words might not carry, so you’ll just trail off now. i’ll pretend it’s as simple as state of residence or state of mind or asking you not to leave me behind.