The Occupation

[Intro – purely instrumental, sparse, sub-bass alone, soft Rhodes, no drums, 4 bars] [Verse 1] The hallway was a narrow, a clearly drawn line A clean-swept path where everything was mine One key. One hook. One mirror on the wall A safe and certain silence ruling over all But now — The skirt is draped across my chair, One stray earring lies careless without a pair Your brushes crowd the basin in a row, Like loyal soldiers watching where I go. [Verse 2] I used to count the floorboards in the dark, The wood was bare, without a single mark. Today? A fitness-mat uncoils its tongue, Where once my quiet, lonely habits hung. Your chargers wind like serpents on the floor, A dozen heels are camped behind the door. I find a pinkish ribbon on the shelf, And realize — I am losing to myself. [Pre-Chorus] The scent of citrus, powder, and the heat Absorbed in every thread beneath my feet. My monk’s retreat is melting in the sun — The war for space has already been won. [Chorus] I meant to frown. I meant to guard the gate, To keep my life a flat and steady state. But as I trip on lace and scattered beads, I find I’m planting strange and quiet seeds. [Instrumental Break – Rhodes loop stutters and glitches, drums cut out for 2 bars then return with reversed snare, dissonant synth stabs, bass drops an octave suddenly, pitch-bent brass, 8 bars with uneven phrasing] [Verse 3] The logic of the bachelor is dead when I find your bobby-pins inside the bed. They bite my skin — a sharp and metal sting — The errant news that messy changes bring. [Bridge] My fortress has a leak. The walls are thin. But somehow... I am glad you let the chaos in. [Outro] The kettle whistles a new and piercing note, I keep your button — from I don't know what. It’s tucked inside my pocket, small and round, Its weight so small — still keeps me on the ground. I’m occupied. My borders have been crossed. And never have I liked — To be so lost.