[Verse 1] The door clicks shut behind me. I’m halfway down the stairs. The strap cuts hard across my ribs; I breathe around the weight. The crossing shows me ten. No engine takes the turn. I reach the curb with one still lit and leave it there to burn. [Pre-Chorus] The turning lane stays empty. No one is close behind. Still I cross as if the city might change its mind. [Chorus] Ten left on the sign. I only take nine. One second burning after I cross the line. Nothing happened. I made sure. I gave the street an extra breath and took it out of mine. One second left. One second left. [Verse 2] A shoulder clips mine in the rush beneath the station clock. My mouth gets there before me. The stranger doesn’t stop. He keeps his pace. I keep the bruise. Heat gathers where we met. I hear myself say sorry before I feel the hit. [Pre-Chorus 2] They called me easy company. I kept my shoulders low. The word was out between us before the bruise could show. [Chorus] Ten left on the sign. I only take nine. One second burning after I cross the line. Nothing happened. I made sure. I gave the street an extra breath and took it out of mine. One second left. One second left. [Bridge] The next crossing shows me ten. I keep the pace I chose. At six, my stride starts clipping. At four, my molars meet. At two, the lane holds still. At one, I do not run. At zero, my tongue shapes sorry, though no one lost a thing. [Final Chorus] Ten left on the sign. This time I use ten. No second burning to hand back again. Nothing happened. The cars stayed still. The screen went black at zero. My wrist kept the count. No second left. No second left. [Outro] The signal changes. Traffic takes its turn. I’m already on the pavement. My body is still crossing.
