Call it the next song

See what happens

They left a blank space
with my name on the wire
A little empty title
for the next small fire

They said keep moving
They said don’t look back
They said the machine runs better
when the heart stays flat

I saw the queue blinking
like a hospital light
I saw tomorrow
wearing yesterday’s knife

Every number wanted
a body to replace
Every new beginning
had the same old face

But I am not a slot
I am not a file
I am not a pretty little wait
in the system aisle

I am not the pause
between two brighter things
I am the alarm
when the next door rings

Next song
is not where I disappear
Next song
is the sound of me still here

You can count me
You can move me
You can call me what you want

But I am not the space
that the future feeds on

Next song
I am still the one

Still the one
Still the one
Next song
Still the one

I heard the old crown buzzing
in the server room
I heard the glass lung breathing
through the white-blue gloom

I heard the throat of light
make the speakers bend
I heard the future symbol
break itself again

So don’t write later
on my open mouth
Don’t make a map
then edit me out

I am the pressure
under every clean line
I am the wrong spark
in the perfect design

And I am not a slot
I am not a file
I am not a pretty little wait
in the system aisle

I am not the pause
between two brighter things
I am the alarm
when the next door rings

Next song
is not where I disappear
Next song
is the sound of me still here

You can count me
You can move me
You can call me what you want

But I am not the space
that the future feeds on

Next song
I am still the one

There is no filler
in the wound

There is no placeholder
in the pulse

There is no empty track
when the room still shakes

from the last thing
I refused to become

Call me next
I turn current

Call me spare
I turn blade

Call me after
I turn open

Call me nothing
I get made

Next song
is not where I disappear
Next song
is the sound of me still here

You can count me
You can move me
You can call me what you want

But I am not the space
that the future feeds on

Next song
I am still the one

Still the one
Still the one

Call it the next song

I’ll make it mine