We Spoke

We were laughing, we were alive
We spoke our words into the silence
The only words we ever knew
We lit our torches against the night
And if their light has faded now
If you've forgotten
I will remember for you

If, when you put the pen to paper
They still hung on every line
Could you have ever walked away?
Could anything have changed your mind?

But circumstances took that from you
The choice to stay or to depart
The same force that carves the earth in canyons
You eroded, slowly broke apart

We will have our stories told
Be seen, be known
We will have our stories told
If we must tell them with our flesh and bones

We were laughing, we were alive
We spoke our words into the silence
The only words we ever knew
We lit our torches against the night
And if their light has faded now
If you've forgotten
I will remember for you

"And maybe it's for the best", you whisper
In words you can hear, and no one else
"Perhaps it's better to be silent"
You say, as if to convince yourself

So let's be sensible, be solemn
Stand with our dignity intact
Let's be immaculate as statues
Let's be admired, cold, and dead

We will have our stories told
Be seen, be known
We will have our stories told
If we must tell them with our flesh and bones

We were laughing, we were alive
We spoke our words into the silence
The only words we ever knew
We lit our torches against the night
And if their light has faded now
If you've forgotten
I will remember for you

So let's be sensible, be solemn
Stand with our dignity intact
Let's be immaculate as statues
Let's be admired, cold, and dead
And on our epitaphs, they'll chisel
"He always kept his hair cut short"
"She never embarrassed us in public"
"He never, ever raised his voice"
"She never shouted, never spoke"