*(humming with quiet piano and snare call and release buildup)* --- [Verse 1] In the corner booth Of the diner near the tracks Hanna sips her tea [Verse] She says, “Clouds can’t forget But the sky forgives them all.” Then she smiles too wide [Verse] Waitress rolls her eyes “You want eggs, or just riddles?” Hanna writes, then nods [Verse] Used to be a nurse Folks say she snapped one summer Husband lost at sea [Verse] Every day since then She’s spoken in poetry— Seventeen at most [Verse] “They don’t come back home But the tides remember them” She stares at the salt [Bridge] [Spoken word] They say she’s crazy, or maybe just lonely, or both. They say grief makes you forget how to talk But maybe Hanna just got tired of wasting words. [Verse] The booth stays empty After Hanna disappeared But the tea still steams [Outro] And on the table A napkin with five-seven-five “I left in silence but you never asked to hear. This hush is now yours.”
