Mary Lambert Follow

living in the darkness
I wear it like a crown
oh I've got tough skin
ready for my bow
all I've got is two hands
I tied them in the middle
ready for the red tape
open up my ribcage

I offer souvenirs
a deaf tongue and blinded ears
can you fill the shelves in here
come in, come in

everybody look around
everybody look around
I don't know how to fill the space
the invitations on the page
open up my ribcage

I want you want to want me like I'm all you got
Mama she see it but can't make me stop
telling the truth it might mean you keep poking but that didn't hurt
that's my method of coping
daughter sees him like that smoke in my lungs
what they project on me what I've become
down on my knees, unsure what to say
no I never learned how to pray

don't know know who I've been fooling but you've got me running in circles I'm ruined
let you inside, opened up all my wounds
taken my ribcage and ripped it in two

everybody look around
everybody look around
I don't know how to fill the space
the invitations on the page
open up my ribcage

tie it from my tendons
watch how they stretch
oh I've got the muscle
lord I'm spent
knocking down my sternum
again, at a young age
too much space between
open up my ribcage

I offer souvenirs
a deaf tongue and blinded ears
can you fill the shelves in here
come in, come in

everybody look around
everybody look around
I don't know how to fill the space
the invitations on the page
open up my ribcage

there's impenetrable silence inside of my head
there's nothing I can buy when I'm practically dead
I get so tired of writing everything I should have said
that maybe this time I'll put my pen down and just tell you instead
you see I opened up my ribcage and violins flew out
the organs softly played through my violin mouth
I got lights hotter than love hidden beneath my tongue
written on my skin
tells me your the one

everybody look around
everybody look around
I don't know how to fill the space
the invitations on the page
open up my ribcage

open up my ribcage
open up my ribcage

open up my ribcage