Smoke and Silence

You draw a circle in the glass

I watch the amber shadow pass

The band plays low,

the room turns blue

I know the question; so do you

Your coat is waiting by the door

Mine has been waiting here before

A match flares up,

then disappears

We let it burn between our fears

Smoke signal, rising through the room

A quiet little warning in the perfume

We say the weather,

we say

goodnight

And leave the truth beneath the neon light

You touch your ring,

I touch my glass

Two ships pretending not to pass

The piano finds a falling tone

You look at me like I’m already

gone

If you say it,

the spell will break

If I say it,

there’s no mistake So let the last slow record play

And let us keep

what words would take away

Smoke signal,

fading through the room

A final little

warning in the perfume

We say the weather,

we say goodnight

And leave the truth

beneath the neon light

The door swings shut,

the street goes still

Some things are louder

when they never

will