run red

my teeth run red from indefinitely being set on edge
stained with sunday blood and scarred from biting my tongue
to keep from telling myself what i already know
and to know that no matter what i say
no matter how loud i can sing i can't compete
with the ringing inside your head

so if that's the case i'm sorry dear
but i refuse to use my indoor voice any longer
until the blood drains from my skin
and i'm blue in the face from all the
shaking yelling never understanding boundaries
of time or grace or reasonable amounts of patience

when you've got the whole world in your hands
and i've got no feeling in my fingertips
gone numb from trying to reach across
the distance between whatever it is
suffocating that little light inside of you
and where i used to stand and wait

so if there's a break in your ringing
and my shaking stops or my singing makes it across
remember i meant it
every word