Late October Wind (Extend)

Late October Wind
(Verse 1)
The sun was a surprise in a pale blue sky
Late October, a rare and warm goodbye
Ms. Evans dragged the desks out on the blacktop
For a history lecture that was gonna non-stop
My mind was drifting, on the coming weekend bliss
Not on the gusty, teasing, traitorous abyss
Just me, my pleated skirt, the standard navy blue
And my secret silk, my beige with tiny daisies, too
(Verse 2)
A first quick whisper, a flutter at my knee
A little warning sigh that just brushed past me
I dropped my pencil, a quick and clumsy grab
A habit of a lifetime, a reflex I still have
From playground days of swings and careless cartwheels
A faint old instinct, a quiet fear it seals
But it was just a breeze, I thought, no one could see
Nothing’s gonna steal my dignity from me.
(Chorus)
But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle
A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal
My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield
Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield
Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer
“Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!”
The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares
And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine.
(Verse 3)
It was a hurricane on that basketball court
Tearing my composure all apart, for sport
I tried to clamp it with my textbooks, with my hands
A twisted, awkward dance, following its demands
But it was stronger, laughing at my weak defense
A force of nature with no care for my pretense
And then that final, violent, upward, pulling gust
Left me exposed in a moment of pure thrust.
(Chorus)
But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle
A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal
My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield
Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield
Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer
“Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!”
The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares
And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine.
(Bridge)
The world went silent, frozen in a frame of shame
My skirt a flag around my waist, screaming my name
I saw the daisies, my private, silly choice
And met the wide-eyed, shocking, universal voice
Of thirty classmates, and Ms. Evans’s stunned frown
A million years of exposure in a single second’s drown
My face was fire, my heart a trapped, wild, beating drum
A whispered “oh my god,” for what had just become…
A complete and total loss. It tore right from my grip
A navy blue surrender on a final, cracking whip
Of wind that took it sailing, tossed it like a kite
And left me standing there, stripped bare in the sunlight
In nothing but my silk and shame for all the world to see
A monument to uttermost vulnerability.
The heat, the horror, a tear I wouldn’t let fall
The desperate, crushing need to be nothing at all.
(Chorus)
But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle
A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal
My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield
Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield
Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer
“Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!”
The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares
And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine.
(Verse 4)
It landed by the feet of Jake from homeroom, three
Who pointed, froze, and didn’t know what he should do or see
I had to ask. The words were ashes on my tongue
“Could you… just… throw it here?” My vocal cords were strung
So tight I thought they’d snap. The internal war was loud:
Pride says stand your ground, but fear screams, “Get it now!”
He tossed it back, a crumpled bolt of my disgrace
I couldn’t even bring myself to look him in the face.

(Verse 5)
I tied it tight, made a knot right in the fabric side
A permanent reminder of the day I almost died
I walked back to my desk, through the muffled, prickly laughs
And wrote my history notes on my own epitaph
But something broke that day, and something else was born
A little less of fearing being tattered and torn
Yeah, I still wear the skirt, I let the breezes play
‘Cause the worst thing happened, and I’m still standing anyway.
The daisies didn’t melt, the world kept spinning on…
I learned that shame’s a gust of wind, and then it’s gone.
Yeah, it’s gone.
(Laughs)

(Chorus)
But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle
A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal
My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield
Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield
Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer
“Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!”
The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares
And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine.
But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle
A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal
My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield
Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield
Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer
“Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!”
The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares
And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine.

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Late October Wind (Verse 1) The sun was a surprise in a pale blue sky Late October, a rare and warm goodbye Ms. Evans dragged the desks out on the blacktop For a history lecture that was gonna non-stop My mind was drifting, on the coming weekend bliss Not on the gusty, teasing, traitorous abyss Just me, my pleated skirt, the standard navy blue And my secret silk, my beige with tiny daisies, too (Verse 2) A first quick whisper, a flutter at my knee A little warning sigh that just brushed past me I dropped my pencil, a quick and clumsy grab A habit of a lifetime, a reflex I still have From playground days of swings and careless cartwheels A faint old instinct, a quiet fear it seals But it was just a breeze, I thought, no one could see Nothing’s gonna steal my dignity from me. (Chorus) But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer “Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!” The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine. (Verse 3) It was a hurricane on that basketball court Tearing my composure all apart, for sport I tried to clamp it with my textbooks, with my hands A twisted, awkward dance, following its demands But it was stronger, laughing at my weak defense A force of nature with no care for my pretense And then that final, violent, upward, pulling gust Left me exposed in a moment of pure thrust. (Chorus) But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer “Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!” The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine. (Bridge) The world went silent, frozen in a frame of shame My skirt a flag around my waist, screaming my name I saw the daisies, my private, silly choice And met the wide-eyed, shocking, universal voice Of thirty classmates, and Ms. Evans’s stunned frown A million years of exposure in a single second’s drown My face was fire, my heart a trapped, wild, beating drum A whispered “oh my god,” for what had just become… A complete and total loss. It tore right from my grip A navy blue surrender on a final, cracking whip Of wind that took it sailing, tossed it like a kite And left me standing there, stripped bare in the sunlight In nothing but my silk and shame for all the world to see A monument to uttermost vulnerability. The heat, the horror, a tear I wouldn’t let fall The desperate, crushing need to be nothing at all. (Chorus) But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer “Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!” The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine. (Verse 4) It landed by the feet of Jake from homeroom, three Who pointed, froze, and didn’t know what he should do or see I had to ask. The words were ashes on my tongue “Could you… just… throw it here?” My vocal cords were strung So tight I thought they’d snap. The internal war was loud: Pride says stand your ground, but fear screams, “Get it now!” He tossed it back, a crumpled bolt of my disgrace I couldn’t even bring myself to look him in the face. (Verse 5) I tied it tight, made a knot right in the fabric side A permanent reminder of the day I almost died I walked back to my desk, through the muffled, prickly laughs And wrote my history notes on my own epitaph But something broke that day, and something else was born A little less of fearing being tattered and torn Yeah, I still wear the skirt, I let the breezes play ‘Cause the worst thing happened, and I’m still standing anyway. The daisies didn’t melt, the world kept spinning on… I learned that shame’s a gust of wind, and then it’s gone. Yeah, it’s gone. (Laughs) (Chorus) But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer “Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!” The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine. But the wind picked up like it had a score to settle A rushing, pushing, relentless metal petal My hands became a frantic, losing battle shield Pressing down the fabric that was destined to yield Every desperate thought was a shouted, silent prayer “Not here, not now, don’t you dare, don’t you dare!” The world became a blur of the chain-link fence and stares And the cold rush of panic climbing up the stairs of my spine.

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