A Story in Verse

I ran into the sheriff,
Somewhere on a back county road,
The kind that never seem to hold you to any kind of moral reproach,
He told me to call home,
There was something waiting to be told,
Well I scoffed and scared and thought to myself and then spoke out loud.

'Well there's nothing in waiting,
But there's everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I've got somewhere to be.'

I ran into the girl,
She was sitting on the top of the curb,
She was one of those that tried to hold you to nothing but your word.
So I often just lied,
Because there's nothing entertaining about this world,
So I smiled coyly and backed her into the hood of my car but she said,

'Well there's nothing in waiting,
But there's everything in hearing.
So pray to them be patient,
I've got somewhere to be.'

We took to the road,
She screamed out the window and held out a note.
We were seventeen and living like the world was gonna drown.
Well Noah's back in town,
So who knows what the future will hold and how it'd go down.
But just as I began scheming about how best to get out of this town she said,

'Well there's nothing in waiting,
But there's everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I've got somewhere to be.'

And we were gone again,
The lights passed by and I looked to my right,
She was drinking straight from the bottle and laughing from her lungs,
She just kept laughing,
So I closed my eyes and let the road take control,
We swerved and we were invincible and as the car began to shake we said,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

There were screeching sounds,
That brought us back from the clouds.
And our eyes mirrored the headlights in front of us as they deceived.
The man moved from his car,
He said something about us damn kids and we laughed.
Yeah we laughed and he rode away in anger but his breath faltered and said,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

We couldn’t believe ourselves,
So I put the car in overdrive and we began again,
Her hand traveled to my thigh as the glint in my eye kept her going.
And for once we didn’t’ speak.
A half an hour ticked away but all the same,
The pavement was heating up again just as the lightning struck out and said,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

‘Do you think we’re safe?’
I watched her talk like it was all the same.
‘Do you think we ever were? It’s just something we’ve got to forget.’
‘Do you think they will?’
I clutched the steering wheel and yelled,
‘How do you expect to get on if you keep asking all these questions?’ I said,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

‘I’m sorry it’s just that’
‘Look just drop it I’m not turning around.’
‘Don’t you think they’ll understand? Don’t you think they’d want you…’
‘Of course they would.’
‘Then why don’t we follow the path back home?’
‘Because whether you know or not is all that matters in this world.’ I said,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

‘So you’ll keep running?’
‘Until there is nothing left ahead of me.’
‘And if I don’t want to go with you and if I say I want to stay.’
‘You’ll be just another memory.’
‘How can you be so cruel after all we’ve…’
‘It’s nothing personal but you asked of what will be and I said’

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing,
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

‘I’m sorry…’
‘I just hope the tears aren’t constant.’
And I made the best of things disappear from behind me.
‘Say you love me.’
‘Will it give you a sense of irony?’
And as I watched her through the mirror I choked back a tear and said out the window,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

I was off again,
Somewhat alone and somewhat in danger,
I knew nothing of the world but I wanted and wanted to explore.
So I pressed harder,
And the edges of the world were unfolding in my mirror,
They were playing some kind of symphony and all I could hear were them singing,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

‘You’ll make me proud.’
‘How could you say that looking at me now?’
And I swear if I looked hard enough I could see him next to me.
‘Because this isn’t real.’
‘No because you wouldn’t be here anymore.’
But all he could do is smile and I’ll never forget when he said,

‘Well there’s nothing in waiting,
But there’s everything in hearing.
So pray them be patient,
I’ve got somewhere to be.’

‘Your brother is up and wants to see you.’
The fluorescent lights slowly came cutting through the curtains that had blocked my eyes for the past hour and in front of me the hospital bed appeared like a dream and that all too familiar smile flickered on my brother’s lips and I could only hold my heartbeat in step for so long. My hand shook as I tried to play cool but my trembling lips gave away all senses of composure and all elements of control.
‘You have no idea how far I had to go to get here.’