Into The Abstract

Neighbor's House

Sparks are flying,

Across the world,

Where we'll go
Down the road,
Mama don't cry,
Daddy's just fine,
Here we all go,
Down the road,

The neighbor's house,
Isn't really that far,
But now it all seems,
To be so far away,
Up and down the hills,
Where we left our stomachs,
A mile behind in the dust,
Up and down, up and down,
A million miles away,

The cloud went up,
I could see it,
The flash of light,
It was an angel,
Come to save us all,
From despair,
Maybe not,
I feel it now,

The tingling in my toes,
The dryness of my mouth,
What am I to do now,
Mama isn't there,
Not anymore,
Only ash,
Or maybe it's a shadow,
Her soul left a mark,
On the driver's seat,
The baby ain't cryin',
I'm not either no more,
The cloud went up,
And the light flashed,
And the angels came for us,

I don't think Daddy's okay,
He worked at the plant,
S'pose he doesn't anymore,
Brother used to say,
Gonna work there someday,
Like Daddy does,
And our uncles, too,

The radio is only static,
My hair is frazzled,
My dress is dying,
Maybe that's me,

The wariness in my fingers,
But I thought I was young,
Another light came and went,
The car was gone now,
The cloud is growing bigger,
Growing closer,
Growing meaner,

The radio is crying now,
Even though it's not there,
I can hear it all you know,
Saying, "I'm so sorry.",
And, "Oh, how young.",
A tear came down from my eye,
But my cheek is dry,

My stomach doesn't feel too good,
No desk can save me now,
No mask,
No lead bunker,
We were too late,
Or it was too soon,
It'll be okay by tomorrow,
Daddy's always got a plan,

Daddy said that tonight,
We could all play outside,
The girls and the boys,
The sisters with our brothers,
Tossing a ball,
Or playing tag-you're-it,

Mama said she had a surprise too,
Maybe it's blackberry pie,
For dessert,
Or a sip or two of wine for the eldest,
What fun!

I gaze off into the sky,
The clouds are red hot,
And the snow in July,
Ah,
Snow in July,
If I stay in the car,
The snow won't burn me,
But the car's gone now,

I should walk to the neighbor's house,
That's what Daddy said to do,
Lemonade should be waiting,
While we wait,
For the news,
For the okay,
For us to be safe,

The sirens didn't even sound,
My stomach is burning now,
My feet too,
My shoulders are bare,
Only wearing my dying dress,
Or maybe that's me,
The snowflakes are burning me,
Big welts of red forming quickly,

Better make it,
To the neighbor's house,
Hope it ain't too late for me,
Hope it ain't too late,

The mushroom cloud got closer,
But so did I,
To our neighbor's house,
She always said,
Like Daddy did,
If it happened,
To get to hers before it was too late,
S'pose I was too late...

I stumbled,
My leg going weak,
I had to make it,
I had to get to the neighbor's house,
That's what Daddy said to do,

But Daddy can't say anything right now,
The angels came for him first,
Then Mama,
And the baby,
And they are all waiting on me,
Waiting for me,
At the neighbor's house,
Or heaven,

Preacher always said we'd go to heaven,
If we only changed our ways,
If I change ways,
I'll head back to my house,
But I need to get to the neighbor's house.

I step closer,
The picket fence's white paint,
Peeling and graying,
I passed the gate,
The grass used to be so green,
So green,
Now it was yellow,
Sick,
Poisoned,

I stepped on the porch,
It didn't used to screech,
Not like that,
I knocked on the door,
It swung open,
I walked in,
The neighbor's shadow,
Still in her seat,
I saw it now,
Half the house was gone,

No point now,
I stepped back out,
Into the dying yard,
And faced the looming cloud,
My legs went weak,
My hair started to fall,
Into my hands,
Into my lap,
As I huffed,
And panted.

"I did it Daddy, I made it to the neighbor's house."

But Daddy couldn't say anything,
'Cause the angels came for Daddy first,
Then Mama,
Then the baby,
And my brother wasn't there,
But I hope they come for him much later,

I can see the angels now,
In the clouds,
As the snowflakes burned my skin,
I looked up at them and smiled.

I made it Daddy, I made it to the Neighbor's house.