[Intro low river hum held breath] [Verse 1] Down by the rail where the river thins lunch break heat and candle flame I'd already marked him in my mind before I ever knew his name One shy mouth with teeth too big stood half in and half away I was waiting for the smallest slip something cheap that I could take They pulled him in with the rest of them phones up high cheap frosting grin he tried the birthday words with all the room like maybe he could finally fit in One bent sound and I took the bait somebody laughed and I laughed too not because it was all that funny because I wanted him to [Refrain tight jaw steady pulse] If he'd only asked for help that was what kept coming back easy thing for a watching mouth clean lie laid across a crack If he'd only asked for help said like weather said like fact as if help stood plain in rooms as if asking wasn't lack [Verse 2] Nothing broke in some grand clean way that would have almost been too kind he just started thinning by degrees less of him showed up in time Laughed before the joke was made sat where nobody had to move quit trying wrong words out loud learned the weather of the room Teacher kept the lesson rolling other kids kept eating through I blamed them all for what they did and blamed the quiet boy there too By late fall he had gone to blur ghost by inches desk by wall the room kept eating through the noon the room survived him after all [Refrain low hard and even] If he'd only asked for help that thin old sentence stayed hard as bone and light as paper wrong in such a useful way If he'd only asked for help I said it to the dark as if a frightened mouth can ask in any shape a room will mark [Verse 3] Later I heard he worked nights saved for months to cross the sea family said he was too dumb don't waste your time and don't leave I knew I didn't know enough still that mean old thought came up why'd you hand the room your throat why'd you let one laugh be law Next term came and left a chair someone shrugged and changed the page no goodbye no body no note just a space that would not age And I still kept sorting blame to the room the teacher me and to the one who went to ground like vanishing was something free [Bridge rage as shelter] Lord knows I know what rage can do hold a roof through one more night keep a beam from giving way when nothing softer will hold right I have lived on anger's timber called that shelter called that proof but a house built only out of rage will starve the mercy from the room I wanted him to earn my hate wanted history in his face wanted one small stupid sound to make contempt feel right in place If he'd only asked for help I said it till it started to rot because what if laughing was enough what if watching was enough what if stillness was a shut door too what if that bent birthday line was the ask [Final Refrain breaking] If he'd only asked for help no that breaks false that breaks cheap he did in the only shape he had through bad sound brave mouth and heat If he'd only asked for help I hear the lie in that the room had heard him reaching out and answered with a laugh [Outro near spoken breaking] Now when some shy throat risks the air I do not leave it there alone I throw my own wrong note beside it give the shaking somewhere to go One chair wide one bad line one witness breaking rhythm first River rail heat and dust paper cups empty seat he reached we answered wrong he reached I answer now [Outro fade river hum]
