[Verse — dry, conversational, almost amused] I smoke the past Like it’s grass My future has grown cold, old My past—wow What a treasured blast [Verse — slightly more melodic] I’m managed livestock Like chickens in a roost A pig in a pen No more pennies for my thoughts [Break — nearly spoken, deadpan] Tuesday: Bingo Wednesday: Transfusion Thursday: Physical therapy Friday: Mystery Meat [Chorus — bigger, darkly triumphant] Our teeth are optional Our appetites are not We chew like glaciers At the table of decay We shuffle to dinner Like zombies in an end-of-life parade Sports betting is now guessing Which one kicks the can next [Verse — dry, conversational, almost amused] We navigate the hallway corridors Like we’re casting for the living dead With nowhere left to scurry Eat our food, live At the glacier speed of eternity [Verse — slightly more melodic] Depends are no longer a choice They’re the catch-all for soiled waste Aid and assistance Is no longer on aisle nine It’s a call for a daily wipe [Break — nearly spoken, deadpan] The toilet becomes a throne Until you can’t get off Then somebody — me — calls 911 To retrieve the king [Verse — dry, conversational, almost amused] I’m hoisted from my porcelain kingdom Like a prisoner being airlifted away I close my eyes and imagine A bright, sandy island Somewhere they don’t know my name [Chorus — bigger, darkly triumphant] My life is now a horror show “Let’s get you cleaned up” Is just a preview Supersized with Depends [Verse — slightly more melodic] My friend is a walker Outfitted with bright yellow tennis balls I’m the belle of the ball I’ve gone from high-heeled shoes To Velcro [Verse — dry, conversational, almost amused] On great days I’m whisked from my kingdom To the great dining hall In a Ferrari wheelchair [Verse — slightly more melodic] I shower in a shower chair Air-dry more than towel-dry Standing is now an extreme sport And balance has become A matter of opinion [Bridge — stripped down] My independence is withering I’m becoming a liability To everyone around me Especially to myself I drool I stoop I drape My dentures float in a cup nightly While my face slowly implodes And I become Granny May A stranger wearing a face I no longer know [Break — nearly spoken, deadpan] Happy hour is now medication time The pill cup is my cocktail glass I raise my little plastic chalice And toast to whatever comes next [Verse — dry, conversational, almost amused] I once griped about things Small and smaller Now I only have the energy For getting older [Chorus — bigger, darkly triumphant] I won’t sugarcoat This getting-old thing It’s a bleak destination A dark corridor A cold, cold ending The final wipe of time [Verse — slightly more melodic] I spend most days and nights Passing around Swiss-cheese memories From one meandering moment To the next I once chased new memories Like an addict searching for a fix Now I steal from the past To while away The slow tick of life [Outro — cinematic, fading into darkness] I smoke the past Like it’s grass Pull another memory Disappear into the past Carpe diem Once, I lived
